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View Poll Results: 9 vs mountain lion
9mm 54 60.00%
no the mountain lion would eat you 36 40.00%
Voters: 90. You may not vote on this poll

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Old October 5, 2007, 11:58 PM   #1
Rasputin
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9mm vs mountian Lion

Can a 9mm take this guy... it doesn't have to be in one shot.



Possible?

unlike the brown bear post which made me laugh this one makes me think maybe since they are around our weight.

heres sum specs on there size below


Length: head and body, 5-6 ft.

Weight: 80-230 lb.

Height: To shoulder, 24-28 in.

Tail length: 26-30 in.

resource from http://wonderclub.com/Wildlife/mamma...ntainlion.html
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Last edited by Rasputin; October 6, 2007 at 09:10 PM. Reason: because i can never get it right the first time.
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Old October 6, 2007, 12:20 AM   #2
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either the pain from the first shot, or the sound from the first shot will scare it away. Unless it's straight up ticked off it might still come after you after the first shot if you dont hit in the right spot.
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Old October 6, 2007, 07:22 AM   #3
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Presumably you are on more solid ground than the bear thing, but as for handguns, I have read of magnum revolvers being used but I can't recall a 9MM. But Charlie the Lonesome Cougar only wants to be your friend, the Disney movies told me so !
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Old October 6, 2007, 07:27 AM   #4
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Mountain lions are thin skinned and should be fairly easy to dispatch with a 9mm, assuming one gets a shot off.

Most lions, that are shot and killed, are in a tree with half crazy hounds at the trunk.

Where I live, there has been and increase in human/cougar encounters, but they almost always involve a isolated ranchs up in the foothills where the lion has come down to kill domestic livestock or pets. The latest one was a year or so ago and the rancher came out to find a large female dragging a llama into some brush. I think he used a .22 mag autoloading rifle. Got his picture in the local paper.
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Old October 6, 2007, 08:03 AM   #5
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The 9mm should do the trick if hit in the vitals. The problem with cougars are their stalking nature. You are not likely to see one till too late if they are indeed a threat to you (which should be fairly rare under most situations). Otherwise a rifle is a better choice as they will typically be too far away for a short radius sighted weapon (unless scoped).

A big tom was spotted on our lease. I carry a 357 just in case, but I realize my odds of using that weapon are small.



A friend sent me this picture. I don't know the story behind it, but it's one big [color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color] cat.
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Old October 6, 2007, 08:30 AM   #6
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While not mountain lions, I have a pretty good bit of experience with bobcats while deer hunting. I've killed 3 in my life. One with a .243, one with a 7mm mag, and one about 6 years ago with a 9mm. Glock 19 with 115 gr corbons.

It was probably only 20 from the stand's base, so it was almost a straight down shot. The bullet went down and through her chest from just to the right of the spine. No idea where it ended up. We didn't dig for it, but no exit.

It took us until the next morning to find her. She crouched and took off like a shot when I fired. She ended up in a brushy area about 60 yards from my stand.

I guess the point is, 9mm is capable of killing almost any thin skinned animal, just not right now.

People are different...more often than not, being shot in the chest and knowing you're going to die is quite a deterrent. Animals don't think quite that way.

Better to stop 'em structurally; blow out a shoulder and they slow down a lot. I wouldn't depend on a 9mm to do that.
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Old October 6, 2007, 08:53 AM   #7
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Quote:
I guess the point is, 9mm is capable of killing almost any thin skinned animal, just not right now.
I'll agree with that to some extent. There are a few shots that a 9mm should stop one dead in it's tracks, but even the most calm, collected shooter is hard pressed to deliver that shot (CNS shot) in that scenario with any handgun. I'd say a shotgun would be the best defense, but offense is a better way to kill a huge cat, and that's with a rifle.

Side note...the old man (pappy) just got his Bobcat mount back. 35 pound tom.
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Old October 6, 2007, 11:54 AM   #8
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Quote:
The 9mm should do the trick if hit in the vitals. The problem with cougars are their stalking nature. You are not likely to see one till too late if they are indeed a threat to you (which should be fairly rare under most situations). Otherwise a rifle is a better choice as they will typically be too far away for a short radius sighted weapon (unless scoped).
Agreed.

You could always just shoot your friend in the kneecap with your 9mm and make your escape...
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Old October 6, 2007, 11:58 AM   #9
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Good luck. You'll never know that it's coming.
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Old October 6, 2007, 01:39 PM   #10
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I'd rather have a 40 or a 45 but a 9mm should do the trick. About 20 years ago we had a rash of mountain lion attacks on campers, hikers, and bike riders. I'd feel much better armed in cougar country.
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Old October 6, 2007, 01:41 PM   #11
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Quote:
Rasputin Can a 9mm take this guy... it doesn't have to be in one shot.
That's good, cause I'm afraid it will take several shots with a 9mm.......hpg
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Old October 6, 2007, 05:14 PM   #12
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Since they will sneak up on you, maybe do like the Indians do in tiger country, get a hat with fake eyes on the back so that the critter is confused and does not know which end to attack!
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Old October 6, 2007, 05:37 PM   #13
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State trappers in West Texas are required to kill lions caught in steel traps with a 22 LR via heart shot. These lions are loose with a steel trap usually hanging off of one foot with about 8' chain. Usually they are not in a good mood when you find them and you could be lunch but I've never known it to happen. The 9mm I don't think would provide an instant kill but it beats a 22 LR by a lot.
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Old October 6, 2007, 07:01 PM   #14
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Quote:
get a hat with fake eyes on the back so that the critter is confused and does not know which end to attack!
LOL, thanks Tom. I needed that.
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Old October 6, 2007, 07:08 PM   #15
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I'd rather not be the one to have to try. But if I were confronted by one with a 9mm, I'd prefer to have my Ruger PC9 carbine and a couple of 20 round magazines. Just to be on the safe side, as the case may be.
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Old October 6, 2007, 07:56 PM   #16
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im with the one shooting the friend in the knee ..
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Old October 6, 2007, 09:03 PM   #17
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I watched a vid of a treed lion get shot with a 44mag Ruger.Close range 10 yards.
He didnt go down till 6th and final shot.
the first 2 pissed him off,if the dogs hadnt had him treed I think the great hunter would have been in for a suprize.
Not to flame anyone here but if you go out LOOKING with a 9mm,you get what you deserve for being stupid.
Yes the lion might die but you will most likely have a very angry big cat that will decide to take you with him.
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Old October 7, 2007, 12:28 AM   #18
chris in va
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Homo Sapiens:

Average height - 5' 6"

Average weight - 80 - 230

Comparison?
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Old October 7, 2007, 01:39 PM   #19
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People take cougars all the time with .22 Mags. Here in NM, I know a guide who's killed dozens with a .38 Spl. Cats kill easy. Why people feel the need to worry about what's sufficient is beyond me - I guess they just don't know enough successful lion hunters.

9x19 is plenty.
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Old October 7, 2007, 02:12 PM   #20
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For hunting or for self-defense?

As some have said, people kill mountain lions with even smaller calibers than 9mm. You have the luxury to calmly sit back and take your best aimed shot if you are hunting.

As some have said, if it is a defensive scenario, the first you'll likely know of the mountain lion is when it is attacking you. You will be scared, sliced up, in pain, and you may think you are dying. Do you think you'll do your best aimed range-like shooting in that situation? Yes, a mountain lion is a thin skinned animal and about our size, so a caliber suitable for self-defense against human attackers should be OK. However, against human attackers, you won't necessarily already be physically under attack and injured when you pull the trigger, and your attacker will probably be at least a few feet away. When attacked by a mountain lion you have already been jumped from behind and their dagger like claws are tearing into you before you know you need to defend yourself.

In that situation I want a couple things:

-A handgun. I'm not going to be able to put a rifle into play.

-As powerful a caliber as possible. I doubt I'm going to be able to get off a good aimed shot into COM. I want something that gives me as much of an edge as possible. While a 9mm may do it, I'd feel much better with at least a .357mag in a revolver or .40S&W in an auto (and preferably a .41mag, .44mag, .45LC or .45ACP). Against a mountain lion I might like the auto over the revolver though so I can empty as many rounds into the animal as fast as possible (though a revolver would be OK).
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Old October 7, 2007, 02:36 PM   #21
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i don't know. I just picture "fluffy" suprising the h^ll outa me and by the time I grab my gun from any type holster he's already 5 feet in the air. If I'm lucky enough to draw, sight aim and so on, i'd be suprised if I could get 2-3 shots in him before "fluffy" has himself a dinner.
If i have advanced waring of "fluffy's" attack I'd probably loose my bladder, then look for an escape route and then try and defend as he made me dinner. Oh, btw, live in Ohio, northern ohio, no lions here.
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Old October 7, 2007, 03:03 PM   #22
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I know a guy who hunts mountain lion with a 9mm. Uses his dogs to tree them up or corner them, then comes in on his quad for the coup de gra. Never failed him.
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Old October 7, 2007, 03:58 PM   #23
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Quote:
chris in va

Homo Sapiens:

Average height - 5' 6"

Average weight - 80 - 230

Comparison?
no thats the stats on the mountain lion, thats why i asked 9 vs cougar cuz human beings can weigh in at about the same weight.
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Old October 7, 2007, 07:57 PM   #24
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Quote:
I just picture "fluffy" suprising the h^ll outa me and by the time I grab my gun from any type holster he's already 5 feet in the air. If I'm lucky enough to draw, sight aim and so on, i'd be suprised if I could get 2-3 shots in him before "fluffy" has himself a dinner.
If i have advanced waring of "fluffy's" attack I'd probably loose my bladder, then look for an escape route and then try and defend as he made me dinner
These are great posts ...LOL
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Old October 9, 2007, 05:19 PM   #25
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Quote:
Not to flame anyone here but if you go out LOOKING with a 9mm,you get what you deserve for being stupid.
Well i Wouldn't But If I Were Faced With One With Only A 9mm Was The Original Question.
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