(Sad) You have 1 shot to kill a horse DRT What rifle and load.

[retrieverman]

I’ve ”put down” two horses, but both were already down. I used a 45acp 230 gr hollow point to the brain in both cases.

I had a guy call me several years ago with a crazy horse on his place and ask me to shoot it, but they ended up being able to catch it. I had intended to use a 286 gr cup and core bullet out of a 9.3x62, but I chose that because I had it.

 

[BillM]

Ok so I was called to shoot an old horse that you could not get near and all I knew is it was needing put down and the vet would only do it if it was roped and in a corral.

That was impossible with this horse.
So I was thinking what rifle as it could be 20 yards or 150 yards.
I found out in my mind what rifle and load as I wanted ZERO suffering and the target would be the brain.

I had no idea how hard the skull was and if a side shot or head on shot was going to be presented.
I do love my 55 v max .223 but I have skidded a 30-30 round up a deer forehead and the bullet took the top of the skull off.

I do not need any skidding and so i thought heavier bullet would be less prone to change directions and go on and enter the head.
Now I chose my .308 18" heavy barrel savage and the load is a very good one for killing critters.
4064 powder and Lapua neck turned case along with 165 Game King HP boat tail.

That bullet has never let me down all 1 shot kills DRT.

I did get a side shot 70 yards and it died on the spot. Fell like a sack of bricks.
Hate that I had to shoot a horse but the owners were very happy it went quick.
I chambered another round and got to the horse quick just to make darn sure it did not need another one.
No need for another.
Told the horse it is in a better place now.

I deer and hog hunt with the mindset of 1 shot kill but I have killed many of them and know what it takes.

What would you choose in your possession when you have just 1 shot?

What my dad called "elk" loads for his 30-06, in a 1903 Springfield. 220grain cast lead slug at about 1500fps, IIRC. Could be wrong though. I am not finding a load like that in the reloading data I just took a quick glance through. Only my Spar-T press survived the decades between the last time I helped dad reload some of those, and where I am now. Nearly 50 years ago. Back then he didn't have a .308, and towards the end of his life I'm reasonably sure he'd have used the .45-70 Sharps rifle my step-mom bought for him when the Parkinson's started getting noticeable. He loved to hunt and eat wild game, but didn't want them suffering.

 

[OKCShooter]

12g Slug

 

[GlockPride]

… just being for real here… did you butcher it, @swampratt ?

Not only that, because he’s not wasteful, He’s curing the hide for holsters and slings, making some glue and fashioning some new violin bows with the tail hair. Also, don’t neglect the dog food angle and the European skull mount.

 

[CHenry]

12g Slug

That would do it but if it was @ 150 yards? Accuracy with that would make me hesitate, but at 20 yards, yes.

 

[ClintC]

You could alway use a 50

 

[Firpo]

Sounds like you did a great job and saved the poor beast from suffering. Sadly, many horses are badly wounded by well intended people trying to put them down by shooting them in the brain. A horses brain is the size of a walnut and easily missed if you’re not confident and educated on where it’s located. Given your situation I’d use my 300 Win Mag Ruger M77 with a 180 grain bullet screaming at around 3,000 fps. And I’d aim right for the heart just like you would any other animal that won’t let you walk up and put a gun to their forehead. Here’s a pic on where to place the shot and you’ll want to have a trajectory going right down the spine.

 

[OkieJoe72]

Without knowing any of the details, I’m not sure that the horse needed to be put down. I’ve had the good fortune of meeting @swampratt , and I believe that he is a standup guy. Im not going to say that it was wrong, but it has always been my opinion if a horse is standing with no broken bones then it shouldn’t be put down. I believe the correct caliber was used, but I hate to hear this happened.

 

[Firpo]

I believe the correct caliber was used, but I hate to hear this happened.

Amen. Reminds me of a sad story. Living in Yorba Linda which is a big horse town a number of years back a poor horse was struck by a car and it literally knocked its front leg off. It was standing there, quivering in shock when a police officer showed and mercifully put the animal down. Thankfully he knew what he was doing and the horse was dead before it hit the ground.

 

[gerhard1]

When I worked a security patrol about 45 years ago, I saw the cops put a horse down. They used 38 wadcutters, and the animal dropped like a rock.

One of our accounts was a veterinarian, and a few days later, I asked him where to aim. He said to draw an imaginary line between the eyes and shoot about an inch or so above the center of the line.

FWIW.