The lion I took with a 12 guage using 7.5 shot was a mountain lion which weighed 100 pounds. Not a big one, but a monster would have dropped just as quickly. I would never use that fine a shot on a large animal intentionally, except to knock a beef down with a blast in the forehead from 10 feet. I thought the gun was loaded with magnum 2 shot, which is deadly as lightening at ranges to 40 yards from a full choke gun, with broadside shots or straight into the face, on critters up to 200 pounds. I wouldn't reccomend that for bore hogs though. Just thin skinned critters, like deer cyoutes ferel dogs/cats, etc. 40 yards would be stretching the range for small things like casts and skunks if the gun doesn't produce a tight uniform pattern so it delivers at least a half dozen pellets into relitively vital areas.