livestock dispatch

[wildfowler.250]

A couple of questions for those who have done it...

 

If I get asked to shoot a cow or bull,( I think a calf would be pretty straightforward) Should I choose a Rifle,(.270 and a .22-250) or a Shotgun? Would ballistic tips be better from a safety point of view? Or do you need the penetration of a soft point?

 

 

Secondly, what do you do if the animal is in the barn? In a field? Im thinking more from a safety aspect of using a firearm here. What if the animal is in a crush? Or if there's other animals nearby? Thinking about ricochets. Also noise disturbing other livestock in the vicinity ect ect.

 

I would appreciate any useful suggestions or tips from experience and also covering as many scenarios as possible,(preferibly from folk who have actully done it and not just an opinon on something...and I dont mean for that to sound cheeky).

 

 

Many Thanks!

[bruno22rf]

Mate of mine does his sheep with a .22lr against the head.I think that humane killers are .22 lr?

[welshwarrior]

Phone someone that know what their doing.

 

Seen my uncle do sheep on a farm with his22lr pistol I would fancy the job especially on anything bigger without some training.

[Blackbart]

I wouldnt try a .22lr.

 

A 22-250 will not do the job on a full grown cow, not sure on 270 as aint got one.

 

shotgun would be my choice out of the 3 mentioned.

 

 

Think about where you do it as you need access to remove the thing.

[wildfowler.250]

I have no worries about a sheep though, more the bigger animals and safety implications.

 

 

Thanks!

[al4x]

fortunately i've not had to do anything big but I have watched a lot done and held a fair few. The aim point is an X between eyes and the opposite ears, horses certainly fall forward so stand clear. What was used was a humane killer with free bullet a bell gun so pretty interesting but antiquated worked very well and nothing ever needed a second shot. Safety wise a shotgun is fine, the free bullet was fine on tarmac but not concrete so buildings its a bad idea.

With your choice of guns I would always pick the shotgun, there is a good thread going about it on the stalking directory by a bloke who ballsed up shooting a road accident deer. Fine when you know what you are doing but how you say to a police officer it needed 7 shots and sticking with a knife after is another matter

Edited April 11, 2013 by al4x

[wildfowler.250]

fortunately i've not had to do anything big but I have watched a lot done and held a fair few. The aim point is an X between eyes and the opposite ears, horses certainly fall forward so stand clear. What was used was a humane killer with free bullet a bell gun so pretty interesting but antiquated worked very well and nothing ever needed a second shot. Safety wise a shotgun is fine, the free bullet was fine on tarmac but not concrete so buildings its a bad idea.

With your choice of guns I would always pick the shotgun, there is a good thread going about it on the stalking directory by a bloke who ballsed up shooting a road accident deer. Fine when you know what you are doing but how you say to a police officer it needed 7 shots and sticking with a knife after is another matter

 

Thanks al4x, I didn't think about the horse falling over on someone. Thats useful to know! I'll have a look on the SD as well, cheers!

I wouldnt try a .22lr.

 

A 22-250 will not do the job on a full grown cow, not sure on 270 as aint got one.

 

shotgun would be my choice out of the 3 mentioned.

 

 

Think about where you do it as you need access to remove the thing.

 

Thank you, that's a very useful point!

[Blackbart]

I will second the " HORSES FALL FORWARD " point and do not hold their halter **************************************. I used to use a .32 cal for horses and bulls.

Edited April 11, 2013 by Cranfield
Deleted an unnecessary comment.

[RAMMER BURT]

let the vet despatch said animal as they know what he/she's doing?

[wildfowler.250]

I will second the " HORSES FALL FORWARD " point and do not hold their halter **************************************. I used to use a .32 cal for horses and bulls.

using that expression again! Do the bulls kill easy enough? I'm guessing it depends on the size of it?

[Fuddster]

have you got livestock destruction as a condition on your FAC?.If not......

 

f.

[scotslad]

I'd think very long and hard before offering to do something like this. With out sounding cheeky i think it is 1 of those questions if u have to ask u possibly don't have the experience for. No offence intended. But so much that could possibly go wrong there is no way u could cover it in a internet thread.

If ur an experienced stalker/game shot and seen birds/deer fly/run for long distances before dropping dead, imagine wot a fully grown bull or horse could do esp when full off adrenaline and someone has upset it by shooting it badly

 

Most of the captive bolt guns are 22 blank based but that is very different than a .22lr rifle.

 

U must be very sure of ur antomy of wot ever beast ur shooting and very very confident of hitting the right place at the range that u are shooting. I would re-zero ur rifle so smack on at 'x' meters ie 'x'= from where ur expected to take the shot to where u expect beast to be stood. I'd also say u should be used to handling watching stock so u have some idea if it is likely to move or if it is settled

 

If in a crush i'm sure they would just call some one out with a captive bolt rather than risk shooting with a rifle or shotgun, but at pint blank range any shotun would do well. some off RTA boys use surprisingly small calibre shtguns but at point blank range really just a single ball of shot.

 

Unfortunately been involved with a fair bit of pithing after the captive bolt and once fell out with the slaughter team had to call am marksman in, very impressed with the way he done things in the situation he was in which was far from ideal. But a very very exp stalker who knew exactly wot he was doing

[al4x]

have you got livestock destruction as a condition on your FAC?.If not......

 

f.

another plus for the shotgun

[wildfowler.250]

There's humane dispatch on the certificate though.

 

Ps in an emergency, would you really have time to zero a rifle at distance x? That's fine if there was time

[Blackbart]

using that expression again! Do the bulls kill easy enough? I'm guessing it depends on the size of it?

 

I used to collect fallen (and not so fallen ) stock for a hunt so you sort of get to know what works and what dont. The pistol we used looked 2 days older than grass but yes it worked very well.

[al4x]

There's humane dispatch on the certificate though.

 

Ps in an emergency, would you really have time to zero a rifle at distance x? That's fine if there was time

 

no and odds are you wouldn't be able to focus at that range anyway, rifle really isn't the tool for it unless you really have to.

 

I used to collect fallen (and not so fallen ) stock for a hunt so you sort of get to know what works and what dont. The pistol we used looked 2 days older than grass but yes it worked very well.

 

did it look newer than one of these

 

[sako751sg]

have you got livestock destruction as a condition on your FAC?.If not......

 

f.

Humane dispatch?

[Blackbart]

no and odds are you wouldn't be able to focus at that range anyway, rifle really isn't the tool for it unless you really have to.

 

 

did it look newer than one of these

 

 

 

Ermmm, yes compared to that it was space age

[Fuddster]

Sounds like you're stretching that condition some what-simple test would be 'would I do this in front of my FEO' or is it on the QT.

 

Are you saving somebody a vet call out fee? If so you're stepping outside your FAC conditions.

 

Ring BASC or your FEO.

 

If it goes wrong what have you got to loose?

 

fuddster

There's humane dispatch on the certificate though.

Ps in an emergency, would you really have time to zero a rifle at distance x? That's fine if there was time

[al4x]

was quite something but dad was a vet and killed all sorts with it from bulls to muntjac, never quite seemed right having to hit it with the wooden mallet but he was happier having it than a pistol as lets face it what thief is going to steal it

[scotslad]

I know a couple of boys who have shot bulls in field as too wild to move and believe me u don't want to be guessing where ur 1" high at 100m shoots when u have a bull at 50-60m. Thet re-zeroed rifle to be smack on at 50m

 

On the occasions they both were in contact with FEO's first but said fell under estate management clause, but our firearms team are pretty laid back,, they went out reccy'd field found a safe shooting point and moved a feeder so u could get a safe shot at resonable range.

 

I have no idea how ur insurance would stand if a bull ran throu a fence and hit a car/s.

 

I doubt u would ever be called out to a bull rampaging throu the countryside, more likely to be a bull in a field that is too wild to move safely so chances are u would have time to suss it out but i still would be very careful afore i agree'd to something like that.

[wildfowler.250]

I know a couple of boys who have shot bulls in field as too wild to move and believe me u don't want to be guessing where ur 1" high at 100m shoots when u have a bull at 50-60m. Thet re-zeroed rifle to be smack on at 50m

 

On the occasions they both were in contact with FEO's first but said fell under estate management clause, but our firearms team are pretty laid back,, they went out reccy'd field found a safe shooting point and moved a feeder so u could get a safe shot at resonable range.

 

I have no idea how ur insurance would stand if a bull ran throu a fence and hit a car/s.

 

I doubt u would ever be called out to a bull rampaging throu the countryside, more likely to be a bull in a field that is too wild to move safely so chances are u would have time to suss it out but i still would be very careful afore i agree'd to something like that.

That's all very helpful, thanks

[wymberley]

On the occasions they both were in contact with FEO's first but said fell under estate management clause,

I have that clause but it refers to "other wildlife". Now, a bull may be wild, a tad angry or even downright livid, but it will never be classed as wildlife.

 

I have euthanised sick/dying calves but there's no way that I'd consider anything larger without some form of qualified instruction.

[pestcontrol1]

I use to work at a kep-yard for a few years and i have shot big old bulls with bolt gun 410 22rf 32 pistol and the ones that are as mad as a box of frogs .243 but like what has already been said if you are not sure don"t it can and probly will all go pair shapped and you normaly only get one nice calm go at it and it very hard to kill a raiging bull that weighs around a ton beleave me

[wildfowler.250]

I should have said, I have no bother with anatomy, shot placement or whatever. I was just curious what most people would suggest with regards to dispatch within a barn or field situation. I thought most people would pick a shotgun. Just a tad surprised about a .410 !