Posted on 01/20/2021 4:13:43 AM PST by marktwain
Defensive Mountain Lion Shooting by Sheriff’s Deputy with AR15 Rifle
In the afternoon of 11 January 2021, a family with two small children and two small dogs was walking along the El Dorado bike trail. They were just outside of Placerville, California, on the east side. The trail there is paved. The weather was very good for walking, the sky was clear and the temperature was about 55 degrees F, with a light breeze. The two small children were in a stroller.
The couple noticed a mountain lion behind them on the trail. They shouted at the lion. It continued to follow them for several minutes. The family called 911. A veteran deputy from the El Dorado Sheriff’s department made good time reaching their location. It was seven minutes from the 911 call to his arrival on the scene, about 200 yards east of where the El Dorado trail crosses the Smith Flat School Road, not far outside the city limits.
El Dorado Sheriff’s department requires every patrol vehicle to have a Remington 870 shotgun and a dedicated less-lethal beanbag shotgun in the vehicle. If patrol officers take and pass a rifle course, they may be issued a Colt AR15 style rifle in .223 caliber. The issue ammunition is a 55 grain Hornaday soft tip TAP. Almost all of the patrol deputies have rifles; most of them have purchased their own optical sights to put on the rifles, which are issued with iron sights as standard.
When the deputy arrived at the young family’s location, he exited the vehicle with a Colt AR15 style rifle in .223 caliber.
(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...
The direct gas impingement operating system reduces the vibrations running through the barrel which translates into decreased variability and increased repeatable accuracy, the trade off being more carbon in a chamber that isn’t easily kept clean. The low recoil and high projectile velocity also contribute to repeatable accuracy. What’s more, it is the most popular rifle in America and is based on a mil spec platform that has been in service for over 50 years so its flaws have been worked out and it has been repeatedly improved so it’s pretty much the perfect rifle at this point. There’s probably not a better rifle in existence IMO.
“ AR15 style rifles are designed for rapid fire aimed shots. ”
*************
For those who may not be knowledge in the terminology I think it’s important to inform them that the AR-15 is a semi-automatic rifle and is not an assault weapon as is a M-16.
The AR-15 is an assault rifle.
The AR-47 is an assault rifle.
The AK-15 is an assault rifle.
The AK-47 is an assault rifle.
The Rem-870 is an assault rifle.
The M-1841 is an assault rifle.
The TenPoint Vapor RS470 is an assault rifle.
The KA-BAR is an assault rifle.
The world is full of scary assault rifles, which is why we need more government - lots more!
I’m pretty positive that Democrats are completely aware of the distinction. Blurring the truth is just one of their tricks.
In action, when you actually hit somebody, they just kept going.
Things haven't changed: if that deputy had a 7.62mm rifle, it would have only taken one hit.
“El Dorado Sheriff’s department requires every patrol vehicle to have a...less-lethal beanbag shotgun”
Couldn’t he have stunned the kitty with the beanbags?
I saw my first mountain lion last Christmas Day. I was sitting in my truck having a cigar. Raining lightly. The lion was about 300 feet across the road and walking slowly along the base of the mountain. At first I thought it was a coyote but the long tail drooped and slightly curled at the end gave it away. Then his head was big. I’ve always thought their heads were smallish like on TV. But this cat was bigger than I thought. Actually it looked like an actual lion. It walked confidently and disappeared behind some brush and trees. I had no time to photograph it or get my rifle. All I did was to call my neighbors and alert them of the danger. Now I’m a lot more cautious. I’ve lived here for 16 years and never saw one before but I’m sure they’ve seen me. I think either a pistol or a large hunting knife is your best chance. Otherwise you won’t have a chance to use your rifle unless you’re actually hunting them.
Keeping the action “wet” will cut down on carbon fouling, as well as aid in smooth function.
Sorry to hear about the destruction of one of these magnificent cats - but I will ALWAYS put people above animals.
Amazes me when my neighborhood group puts up a post about aggressive coyotes in my neighborhood - coyotes can climb 9-foot fences and will do so to kill dogs and cats - and idiots come forward defending the coyotes “right” to do whatever it wants because “they were here first” and WE are “encroaching on their territory.”
And I’m sure there are many in this case too who will condemn this action and put the life of the mountain lion above that of little children.
Yeah Government will keep us safe. With their assault rifles.
Maybe if the beanbags were filled with catnip.
I live in the California foothills, we have a few mountain lions around.
One night last year we heard dogs in the neighborhood, including our two dogs, going crazy, barking, snarling etc.
Husband went out to look and there was a young mountain lion sitting on top of the telephone pole in our backyard.
Local nature center has asked us to report any sightings b/c they want to keep track of where the mountain lions are. Two mountain lion kitties were found under a truck on our street about two years ago.
Husband called in the morning and the idiot he spoke to kept claiming he “couldn’t have seen a mountain lion” that far out of its natural range. Husband is a hunter, knows his animals well and couldn’t believe he was speaking with such a moron.
He told them he’d never call back again.
A number of years ago my pre teen kids came in and said there was a “big dog” in edge of the woods. watching them They thought it was a St Bernard, and described a big long thick tail.
I didn’t pay much attention to it until several days later our neighbor was outside with his grandkids and saw a cougar at the edge of his property. He had a camera around his neck but was too concerned with getting the kids inside to take a picture.
A week or so later, at 3 in the morning we were awakened by and able to record a call from a cougar, and a “chuffing” sound. (how they greet each other). We knew those sounds well because we had a friend who raised cougars. The TN Dept of wildlife ignored our reports. I know they are still here. My hunter friend sees their footprints out behind his house.
My in laws live just up the road from Placerville.
L
“Things haven’t changed: if that deputy had a 7.62mm rifle, it would have only taken one hit.”
Assuming good shot placement, of course.
L
Take your little tykes into a mountain lion’s deli and see what happens.
If one uses a better bullet, say 69 or even 77 grain the 5.56 is an extremely effective load. The problem with the 55 grain FMJ and the modern 62 grain green tip is the bullet, not the cartridge.
Issue our guys a decent bullet and the 5.56 will anchor bad guys just fine.
L
“Note how many shots it took to stop that cat: 3-4. That’s the same 55-grain “miracle” round we were stuck with in Vietnam that supposedly “tumbled” and created grievous wounds. In action, when you actually hit somebody, they just kept going”.
The military stopped issuing the 55 grain M193 rounds a long time ago. The Deputy shot the cat with Hornady TAP ammo, which is a 75 grain open tip match bullet (OTM).
When the mountain lion is seconds away, the cops are minutes away.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.