Shooting a Cow! Help!

[Rovi]

Another vote for the .22LR.
I've dispatched a fair few cattle over the years, and a properly placed .22 will drop them like you cut the strings on a puppet.
The diagram on this previously posted page (http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/Livestock_ID/Euthanasia.html) shows the correct shot placement as described and demonstrated to me by my veterinarian, and I've never had any reason to doubt its effectiveness.
As is stated there, perpendicular to the skull and aligned down the spine. You'll probably have to wait for the animal to angle its head correctly for these conditions to occur, so be patient.

 

[Mr_Rogers]

From experience, the 22LR works fine if you put the bullet in the right place. If you don't know where the brain is you can empty a 357 magnum and the cow will be down but still alive.

If you look in Greener's book "The Gun and its Development" you will see that company made a snazzy little cow-killer device. It was like a specially shaped little bell that fired a 22 cartridge from a short barrel in it's center. The open end of the bell was shaped so that it fitted to the cow's head and automatically lined up the 22 barrel with the cows brain. Hold the bell against the cow's head and tap the firing pin with a hammer, job done - no splatter..

 

[oldfart]

I suppose by now the cow is already strung up to a stout tree limb but just in case....

As a kid (before WWII) we butchered our own cattle, hogs, etc. All we had was a .22 and it worked perfectly well. I can't imagine why you'd need a 45-70 or a .44 Mag but they'd defiinitely work. Wear a raincoat and goggles if you go that big. As to where to aim-- Well, imagine a line connecting the ears and another connecting it to a point between the eyes. That last line is the best path of the bullet.

 

[macadore]

Growing up on the farm we used either a 22LR between the eyes or a sledgehammer to the head. That was while they were in a squeeze chute.

I have seen it done both ways and either works well. I don’t know if this kills them or just stuns them. Be sure to have a sharp knife to cut the throat as soon as it hits the ground. You don’t want one waking up in an agitated mood while you are within reach.

 

[papajohn]

My Dad used to go up to his uncle's farm every fall for the slaughter, he said they used a .22 rifle from above, straight down in the center of the forehead.

I've seen a lot of skulls from butchered cows, all with a small hole in the center, usually of small caliber. A 32 ACP might be about perfect, if you don't have any faith in a 22.

PJ

 

[dawgtraxx]

"Me,Myself ,and Irene" keeps coming to mind....I don't know why

 

[brickeyee]

Cows & pigs do just fine with a .22 LR if you do not have access to a captive bolt.
As long as you can get the bullet down into the brain stem (aim through the head for the the spine) they go down instantly.
Anything larger risks meat damage if it exits the skull.

 

[B.A.M.F]

Dubious, I work as a custom slaughter man. The gun i use is a 30-30 great gun for putting down beef. Draw a line in between the eyes and opposite ears. Then aim for that specific point. remember aim small miss small. should dtk.

 

[Big Daddy K]

Whos gonna hold the head still???

 

[GeezerwithGuns]

My father grew up on a fur farm in Canada (foxes and later mink). One of the sources of food for the foxes was broken down draft horses. My father's "job" was to dispatch the animals humanely. They had a special "killing gun" which was a single shot .38 caliber device who's muzzle was equipped with a cone shaped fixture that positioned the barrel between the animal's eyes. He used low power wad cutters for ammo. He said death was immediate. I would think that a cow would be similar. You don't need a magnum to do the do the job.

 

[m14nut]

so???????????????

After three friggin pages of ideas, do we have steaks yet????:banghead:

not even a lousy roast beef sammich?????

 

[zxcvbob]

From a veterinary web site I read a while back: Draw an imaginary X from the eyes to the ears. Aim just-to-the-side of where the line intersect on the forehead (off-center a little because the skull is thicker down the middle) and angle the shot towards the spine so you take out the brain stem.

This information was for a horse, dog, sheep, or goat. I don't know why a steer would be any different.

I'd probably use a .38 Special with a heavy bullet.

 

[mbt2001]

A .22LR right to the back of the head where the spinal column meets the brain... One shot, one dead cow. Enjoy the Brisket!

Or, Behind the ear, about 25% off straight, with the tilt toward the "face" of the cow.

Of course, you could also just get in front of it, and grin it to death Davy Crocket style.

Use these for references:

 

[stevelyn]

Slightly below and forward of the ear.

 

[jayhawkfan]

You're talking about a lot of gun to kill a cow at close range. All of the calibers you mentioned should work. I grew up on a Kansas ranch. We sacrificed may steers using only a .22lr shooting center of forehead just above the eyes. The attachment to post #18 provides good instructions for where to shoot. Enjoy the beef!

 

[langenc]

between the ears and couple inches toward the tail. Angle bullet in towards the middle of the tongue. That was how we did it at the slaughter house. However, we were on a platform above the critter.

 

[Tyris]

I've heard that somewhere in viet-nam tourists were shooting cows with rocket launchers for $200.

Edit: I stand corrected, it was cambodia:

http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/aldo80/rtw_2005/1155469560/tpod.html

Awesome.

-T

 

[Winchester 73]

Hopefully it's out of its misery by now and dubious will report back to us with the results ,and which gun and load was eventually used.
That was a lot of fun.

 

[m14nut]

not even a hamburger......

 

[sm]

mbt2001,

Thank you for posting pics.

We do as mbt2001 suggested.

Last time we used my 1929 Colt Detective Special and his old S&W Model 36.
Load: UMC standard pressure 158 LRN.

One shot , one downed critter.

I /we shoot high b/t eyes.
Sometimes folks use the ear, or from atop at the spine, (in the chute).

Snub nosed .38spls are easy to tote, do not get in the way of working around big critters, and are proven.
Single shot .22 rifle is also used quite a bit.

Sorry if I offended the armchair end of the world folks...that say one needs to have a 30 rd mag of death ray exotics...

 

[bogie]

Bogie want BRUNCH! Go gitcherself a PIG!

 

[punchdrunk]

I once put a deer down by head shooting at about 2 yards with a 30-06. It rained blood and brains and other stuff on me. Entire top of the skull exploded. The shower was not very nice. I recommend not too much gun or too close.

 

[paintballdude902]

i believe that they used a .22lr in the slaughter houses

put it right between the eyes

 

[xjchief]

Sigh, the thread ends and nobody suggested a RPG and no debate if a 9mm would do the job or if it required a 45. (We did get the 50 cal mentioned a few times though so it's not a total loss).

 

[sixgunner455]

The only critter I've had to do this kind of thing on was a deer. 124 gr hollow point from the KelTec 9mm I had in the car at the time was more than plenty. Positioned myself so that a pass-through would go into the dirt. Good thing I did, too, because it went right on through. .22 would have been plenty.