Euthanasia Load?

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bogey3737

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Looking for a good coup de grace .38 / .357 round for cows...

A buddy of mine is a large animal vet out west and is looking to keep a truck gun around, primarily for euthanizing cattle, but also for just-in-case since he's often out in the middle of nowhere. Told him to pick up a nice used S&W 66 or 686 .357.

He says most folks out there use a .22, often requiring multiple shots to get the job done. Said he could make do with the rimfire for the cows since he knows what he's doing, but the .22 is less effective for any other duties that might be needed.

So...looking for a .38 / .357 load that will get the job done quickly, while minimizing over-penetration and external mess.

I was thinking Speer GD's 135 gr Short-Barrel would be a good general load. Glaser Safety Slugs were another thought...
 
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I'd vote for the old standy, 148 grain wadcutters. They're so mild it never creates a noise or over penetration problem. But if you were to compare them to a 22 lr, high vel or standard, I think you'd find at least equal or better penetration. They generate a lot of tissue damage because of the flat shape of the bullet. Cost is minimal and they're usually available.

For self protection, they're not all that bad. Many of us suggest them to people who are recoil sensitive. They won't penetrate a car door, but then many of your high performance loads won't, either. I'd hate to get shot by one of them. They open up a .357 diameter hole that won't close easily.
 
I carry 158gr Speer Golddot .357s and think they are the bees knees.

Never used less than a rifle for cattle, but I would be confident to use them for anything but moose, buffalo and bear and then only because if I had to shoot a moose, buffalo or bear they don't stand still for a head shot!
 
What about a Dowel?????
Just thinking.............it would have to be at least .357 in diameter although .22 diameter would do if you placed it correctly.
 
The standard 158gr. MC 38spl will do everything you need to drop a bull when fired into the brain.
For a do-everything load I would go with a 357 158gr hard cast SWC.
Stay away from any light weight high speed rounds for cattle killing.
And don't even think about hitting a bull in the head with a glaser safety slug!
 
As Dick said,
the standard old 148 gr wadcutter. The vet knows where- brain pan or brain stem.
 
I would NOT advise the "standard 148 wadcutter". That target load is good for many things but penetrating skulls isn't one of them. The bullet itself would be okay pepped up a bit. I have noticed a tendency for .38s below about 800fps to deflect around the skull rather tha penetrate from many angles. (Of course almost anything works fired into the atlas joint from above and behind but animals don't alway cooperate.) My own preference for general duty is a broad meplat lead bullet(WC,RNF, or SWC) 158-175 grains moving out at 850fps+. If he is starting from scratch buy a .357 and use either good 38spl +P loads or midlevel .357 magnums-they work.
 
I would suggest starting with something "middle of the road" and see how it works. The Buffalo Bore 150 gr. hardcast wadcutter may overpenetrate (there is a gel test of that load at www.brassfetcher.com ), but I can't see it not working. It it does, go to a lighter loaded wadcutter as suggested. If more twack is needed (I doubt it, but admittedly know little about killing cattle), then try a hardcast wadcutter in .357. I would suggest figuring out what works, then having someone handload them for you, or better yet, learn to handload them if you don't handload already. The .38/.357 is about the easiest cartridge to reload and a set of .38 spl. dies will also work for .357s.

Jim Cirillo tested wadcutters against rounded ogive bullets and shared his results in his book Guns, Bullets and Gunfights. Cirillo claimed that when shooting sheet metal from an angle wadcutters "bit" and penetrated when more rounded bullets would glance off. He felt that the same thing would apply to skulls. I would think that a very hardcast bullet would work best, as well as shoot cleaner. Some people here have had good luck with www.tennesseevalleybullets.com . They will cast them hard if you ask them too.
 
For clarification...he works large dairies where charging bulls will not really be an issue...
 
I have put down three cows on the ranch in the last couple years.
Two large cows done with the 45 Colt Win SuperX 255gr Lead Round Nose in a Colt SAA. Both were killed instantly with a brain shot.

I also used a Colt SAA in 32-20 with a 100gr Remington Lead bullet. That was also instantly effective. I have also seen it done with 44-40 200gr JSP and that works well too as does the 38 Special 200gr Super Police Load.

I would use any non-hollowpoint round in 38 or 357 such as the 158 jacketed soft point or semi-wadcutter. Hollowpoints should be avoided because they sometimes just don't work on skulls- I know this from experience shooting hogs, unless it is the full weight lead semi wad hollowpoint in the 38+P called the FBI load. 38 Lead Round Nose would work fine since my 32-20 did great. Shoot slightly above the eyes and between the ears- not behind the ear and it's lights out every time. I have seen some vets who didn't know that.

My dad used to carry a 1946 S&W M&P for his truck gun. It has killed a few bovine as well as numerous feral hogs and pests. It was usually loaded with cheap Mexican made 38 LRN that he used to buy for $6 a box, until he found a box of 200gr Remington 38s. It is a very effective gun even with LRN. He now carries a short 30-30 with Silvertips and keeps the 38 at home.

Also, you couldn't beat a short 30-30 brush gun for what the vet needs.
By the way, IMHO Glaser safety slugs are worthless for just about anything. They will simply
not penetrate deep enough for general purpose. A SWC or SWCHP would be the best all around bullet.
 
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I think that much depends upon the mental state of the bovine.

The only load I have personally used (twice) was a high velocity .22 LR solid.

These were trussed yearling beef creatures and at the shot they went to their knees, had their throats slit and hoisted in the chain falls.
 
Treeman said:
I would NOT advise the "standard 148 wadcutter". That target load is good for many things but penetrating skulls isn't one of them. The bullet itself would be okay pepped up a bit. I have noticed a tendency for .38s below about 800fps to deflect around the skull rather tha penetrate from many angles. (Of course almost anything works fired into the atlas joint from above and behind but animals don't alway cooperate.) My own preference for general duty is a broad meplat lead bullet(WC,RNF, or SWC) 158-175 grains moving out at 850fps+. If he is starting from scratch buy a .357 and use either good 38spl +P loads or midlevel .357 magnums-they work.
Click to expand...

PLUS 1

I have had to kill some large animals and reliably going through the skull of such an animal will not be likely enough with a 148 gr wadcutter 38.Forget expanding bullets in general as they are not reliable against a thick skull.Low velocity is not the ideal either as bullets have a tendency to glance against the slope of a skull when driven at modest velocity.

A number of years ago,a friend wanted me to load some ammo for him.I loaded some mild target loads for his 38 special at his request.The bullets were 158 gr cast SWCs.Velocity was probably around 850 FPS or so.I strongly told him that these were NOT to be used for anything but paper punching and NOTHING else.As it turned out,he wound up using it to kill some hogs for slaughter and complained to me that my ammo wasn't very good because he had to shoot them "a bunch of times"as he put it.They would not penetrate the skull.Needless to say,he never got anymore ammo from me.

Use a hard bullet with ENOUGH steam.
 
Of the last 3 grown cows I had to dispatch, 2 were with a 45acp 230 gr lrn, one with a 357 125gr JHP.

The 45 took care of business 1 shot each. The 357 took 3 shots. Placement on all shots was textbook right from the vet manual.

If I can, I will only use the 45 from now on.
 
Euthanasia Load

I worked part-time for a man in KY whose business involved the removal
of dead cattle and race horses from central KY farms. I had to kill cattle
who had prolapsed, or had a broken leg at times. A Lyman #454424 or
#454190 ahead of 8.5 grs. Unique, from a .45 Colt worked every time. I
would NOT recommend a .38 Special for that kind of work.
 
I don't understand why you cruel guys want to kill cows! Eat your vegetables!


Now the .41 Mag - that there's a great turnip round!
 
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