Peanut bandits eating my squirrel food/bait but wasn't sure this was enough power at 20-22 yards for a clean kill. Couldn't risk a wounded one jumping the fence to neighbors yard then croaking...
Other Is 15.89 jsb .22 pellet at 930-940 fps enough for Raccoon headshot
- Thread starter frosterrj
- Start date
I have taken raccoons out with that pellet going 725 fps @ the muzzle. Shots were 20 yds and all head shots. One night I took 5 out of one tree in about a 5 min window. You have to take proper head shots to anchor them and not end up with a wounded one from deflection. Even at higher power a body shot is iffy for anchoring one on the spot. I had one run 35 yds from a .30 cal using 44 gr. JSB pellets. I had one run 15 yds with a couple 22 lr hits to the chest. So stick to good head shots and wait if the coon isnt facing perfect or sitting perfectly still for a confident head shot. Dont rush a shot if you cant allow a possible wounded runner. Its better to let it pass for another day.
Also be ready for some noise after the shot. All the coons I have hit with a head shot really dance and they dance for a decent amount of time. A large male coon can make quite the racket flopping around if theres anything to bang into. Also theres gonna be a lot of blood and blood thats getting flung around. The only coon that didnt do the dance was one I took with my .25 tuned for 35 fpe. I dont know if the difference in caliber had anything to do with it or if the pellets path just happened to stop the dance. It wasnt high power for a .25 but that one coon dropped and did a very short few kicks and was done.
Also be ready for some noise after the shot. All the coons I have hit with a head shot really dance and they dance for a decent amount of time. A large male coon can make quite the racket flopping around if theres anything to bang into. Also theres gonna be a lot of blood and blood thats getting flung around. The only coon that didnt do the dance was one I took with my .25 tuned for 35 fpe. I dont know if the difference in caliber had anything to do with it or if the pellets path just happened to stop the dance. It wasnt high power for a .25 but that one coon dropped and did a very short few kicks and was done.
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Long time ago I shot a couple big raccoons with my Diana Break-barrel .22 340 N-tec. I know the velocity was a couple hundred FPS less than 940 FPS and it was with a 14.66g pellet. Right behind the ear, but at close range at 20 yards. Shot placement is key, like most pests or small game.
31 FPE should be plenty but others will want .25 cals with more FPE.
31 FPE should be plenty but others will want .25 cals with more FPE.
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thanks! I had clear headshots but didn't pull the trigger for exactly the reasons you mention if you don't anchor them...dont need the cops on my doorstep again..,,lol
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Yep, I had a one run away with what I thought was a lethal shot. The pellet bounced off the top of his head. Another time I shot a female and the next day baby raccoons were looking for their Mom.
Felt terrible so now they get a pass. I back up to a thick woods, so lots off wildlife.
LDP has good advice.
Felt terrible so now they get a pass. I back up to a thick woods, so lots off wildlife.
LDP has good advice.
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I too give them a pass unless they are messing with the house in some way - if so, they get put down. But if they are just doing stuff in the yard or foraging around the bird feeder then they get a pass. Groundhogs don't get the same pass, as they will dig near the foundation at some point if left alone . . .
As others have said, headshots and expect a loud messy death dance . . .
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I have killed several coons with the very same power level in 22. Having hunted coon in my younger days with 22 lr I can tell you not all are clean kills no matter what you shoot them with. Some die hard, but that's the chance you take with any animal you shoot. Head shots do not always mean quick kills and those times are momentous. As a member LDP mentioned I have had them jump in a 30 foot circle for minutes, 8ft at a time. Majority though drop like a rock if hit right, and if still alive easy to finish.
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Right now all females have babies so if you kill the mom the babies starve to death..I give them a pass most times as I live in the woods and my fault if the foods out..
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wow....my opportunity was dead between the eyes. Good to know that might not have been a good shot. Glad I didn't take it.
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I believe the risk for a "between the eyes" shot is deflection off the raccoons slanted skull. I shot a small one that way with a 32 fpe 22 shooting H&N Baracuda Match 21 grain pellets. Dropped it immediately with no dancing. It was very close, however, and I was shooting down at it. I think that reduced the risk of the pellet glancing off. An upward shot would seem to increase that risk.
If you can wait, the side of the head between the eye and the ear seems to be the best shot to take. But you have to visualize the path the pellet will take. On a shot from below you may want to impact the raccoon a little lower so the pellet still passed into the brain rather than just skimming it.
If you can wait, the side of the head between the eye and the ear seems to be the best shot to take. But you have to visualize the path the pellet will take. On a shot from below you may want to impact the raccoon a little lower so the pellet still passed into the brain rather than just skimming it.
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Correct. Head position dictates if the shot is good or not with dense and or angled skull critters. Side profile putting it between the eye and ear is a money shot. Facing away where you can put it at the base of the skull taking out the brain stem or top of the spinal cord is another good shot for instant incapacitation. If they are facing your direction but nose down so the very top plate of the skull is exposed you can take that shot as well but dont aim to close to the eyes and just hit the nasal cavity. You would want to put the pellet midway between the eyes and ears or slightly closer to the ears. Again that would be for a racoon looking down exposing the very top of his head.
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Another good point. Less experienced shooters forget they are dealing with a 3 dimensional object and dont realize they are aiming a tad to high if the position of the animal is above them. To ad even more variables if the angle is steep enough you have to aim higher to account for less drop. So any new shooters or pesters that have never dealt with extreme angles due to shooting up into a perched racoon or other pest make sure you use an angle compensating range finder so you dont over shoot or under shoot on angled shots.
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That combination is fine with a GOOD head shot. My only experience with raccoons and air rifles was years ago on a camping trip. Raccoons raided our food one night, and I shot one with a .22 air rifle. I think I killed it, but it got out in the woods. The next night we had a couple more. I used my 1911 .45. It did a better job. It all depends on circumstances. I probably would not use an air rifle again on a raccoon, although there is no doubt they have sufficient power for a clean kill.
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I've killed several with my 17 ft/lbs R1 in .22. Distances were in the 15-20 yard range. All head shots from the side. They were raising all sorts of problems with the bird feeders and such.
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If cops and neighbors are a concern I'd trap the raccoons to get rid of them. Saves having to stand guard to all hours of the night waiting for them to show up as well.
A live-trap is best if there's a chance of catching someone's pet. If you have one raccoon then there will be more, the trap is a good investment.
I use a Conibear 220 trap set well off the ground where dogs can't get to it. No cats around here, the Fishers and Coyotes eat them!
Cheers!
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How accurate is your gun at 930-940? If it’s pellet on pellet at the distance to your feeder then you’re good to go. But sight the gun in at the exact distance you will be shooting the raccoon. Also at the speed you are shooting the 15.89’s, why aren’t you just shooting 18.1’s? The reason for the lecture is simple. If the cops do come knocking on your door because things went south, don’t be one of those guys who at least didn’t dot all your I’s and cross all your T’s. Oh, with pellets, skip frontal shots. Nail it between the ear and eye.
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