Body shots on bandits?

[Dr. Kralenstein]

Anyone take vital shots on coons? What would be a safe power level to drop one at about 40 yards? Or are they pretty much head shot only.

I'm working with a 30-35 fpe 22, or I have a 38 fpe 25 and a 55 fpe 25 I can use. Obviously, in this case, I'm thinking the bigger 25.

Would this be ethical? I'm not worried about a run off, it'll be one in a hand cuff trap. Wanting to save the pelt for my buddy and possibly recover the skull hence no head shot.

 

[Sqwirl57]

You'll almost definitely have to track it with a body shot. I've seen them take 22lr to the chest and scamper off so with a low power pellet you may end up with a really ticked off trash panda. I always go for the brain.

 

[AirNGasman]

I put a .45 caliber round ball squarely through the chest of a coon that took over a minute to die, and have seen another shot through the chest with a .22 Magnum rifle also take way too long to expire. They're TOUGH!

 

[Chuck-in-Ohio]

Just do not expect the 'flipping the off switch' results of a solid shot to the fuse box.

If it is already captive, you will just have to let it do the flippity flop til it expires.

Ethical??
Well that depends. If you plug one and it leaves a bad taste in your mouth, then you will know.
It's not like we are running short of those plundering little bastages........

 

[Dr. Kralenstein]

I know theyre tough critters, they're decendants of bears. Maybe I'll brush up on the anatomy a bit and try for a spine shot at the base of the neck. Probably least amount of suffering. I can hide the pellet hole in the skin, but I want to try my hand at skull recovering and they have some wicked looking skulls.

Dunno if I'll do a boil, or a bury. Have done deer skulls buried and then peroxide bleached. That just takes a long time for end results. Another cool aspect of the coon, they're teeth are always so damn clean to start with.

 

[Venddoc]

I always go for the head, heres another example of you don't play with polymags,
.22 cal. all these guys were in the same tree next to my chicken pen, they had gotten in one pen and killed two a few nights earlier, i think i killed the whole family.

 

[qball]

I know theyre tough critters, they're decendants of bears. Maybe I'll brush up on the anatomy a bit and try for a spine shot at the base of the neck. Probably least amount of suffering. I can hide the pellet hole in the skin, but I want to try my hand at skull recovering and they have some wicked looking skulls.

Dunno if I'll do a boil, or a bury. Have done deer skulls buried and then peroxide bleached. That just takes a long time for end results. Another cool aspect of the coon, they're teeth are always so damn clean to start with.

A double lung shot will always drop them but just not right there and then, it's still the most humane shot after the brain shot. They are furry so I would error on the higher side or above elbow when broad side, frontal shots will not result in a double lung shot so headshots only.


Found a anatomy drawing on the internet but not sure if it's helpful.....

 

[Miami Airgunner]

I think the AEA Zeus in .72 caliber would be ok, just use a soft hollow point for good expansion.

Or you might consider a 4" wide spearhead, if you mostly chop it in half, that may work pretty well too. ;-)

(They're every bit as tough as folks here say, and maybe more)

All jokes aside, a vitals shot will be lethal. It just won't be fast, unless you use some stupid caliber or something fast enough to get real hydrostatic shock.

 

[BlackICE]

I try to go for a brain shots. Once I made a really bad shot at the banana. I was lucky, it only move 10' before dying. I may have helped that it was with a .25 MK2 at 60 fpe at the muzzle coon at 23 yards.

 

[Cranky1]

I’ve gotten a few with 93grain nsa at 170fpe. Headshots are drt, but a double lung usually takes a minute. About the smallest cal I’ve used that drops them from a body shot is 204 (39 blitzking at 3800fps). Coons are very tough and mean.

 

[Chuck-in-Ohio]

The only time I ever dropped one in his tracks with a body shot was when I hit it with an 85 gr. Ballistic tip at 3900 fps from a 25-06. Dramatic effect, then dirt nap.....
Had one trying to run away after a 3 inch load of #4 buckshot at 10 yards. Luckily I had a Street Sweeper and was able to disassemble him with 2 more rounds.

If they were humans, they would use Delta Force for sparring practice.
Unbelievably tenacious they are.

 

[Dr. Kralenstein]

So I pretty much need a hypersonic missile to make an ethical body shot on a coon? Good to know lol.

 

[Dr. Kralenstein]

Try the new Kinzhals

Missile hits... smoke clears... bandit stumbles out of the rubble just doing that demonic growl they have.

 

[dens228]

Anyone take vital shots on coons? What would be a safe power level to drop one at about 40 yards? Or are they pretty much head shot only.

I'm working with a 30-35 fpe 22, or I have a 38 fpe 25 and a 55 fpe 25 I can use. Obviously, in this case, I'm thinking the bigger 25.

Would this be ethical? I'm not worried about a run off, it'll be one in a hand cuff trap. Wanting to save the pelt for my buddy and possibly recover the skull hence no head shot.

If you're dead set against a head shot to have the skull and are at close range you may be able to put one from the front under it's chin and hit the spine, tough shot, especially since the raccoon is going to be pissed, even more so that you're standing there, and bouncing around going nuts. Up close if you need a body shot just put a domed .25 through the vitals and it'll die.

 

[stanginthe11s]

I would go with the bigger .25. yes, they are tough but nothing lives with holes through the lungs. if you're saving the pelt go for a neck/ spine shot. that's instant lights out. I have shot a coon with my glock and had them walk off a bit, had one with rabies take 8 shots from my 10/22 and one that was attacking a muskrat that took one in the rear and one in the lungs from my .25 bullboss . that last one actually came out of the water and started walking towards me before he expired, guess he was pissed. if hes in a trap you have nothing to worry about, my neighbor shoots them in traps with his 22 springer.

 

[ghoststalker]

You'll almost definitely have to track it with a body shot. I've seen them take 22lr to the chest and scamper off so with a low power pellet you may end up with a really ticked off trash panda. I always go for the brain.

No he won't, it will be in a hand cuff trap when he shoots it. That's how I read his post any way.

 

[Dr. Kralenstein]

No he won't, it will be in a hand cuff trap when he shoots it. That's how I read his post any way.

Yep. I'll probably be taking the shot from 10 foot away.

 

[Cranky1]

Yep. I'll probably be taking the shot from 10 foot away.

This reminds me of when I use to run traps with some of my buddies. One use to carry a revolver with 22 shorts. We paddled out in a small canoe and had a coyote, he popped it. I hopped out tossed the coyote in the canoe and helped redo the set. I hopped in the front, we started paddling back and I heard the coyote growling. Needless to say it we quit using shorts. A big coon was usually a lot more aggressive in a trap than a coyote.

 

[Sqwirl57]

No he won't, it will be in a hand cuff trap when he shoots it. That's how I read his post any way.

You're right it does say that. One of these days I'll learn to read the whole post before opening my mouth

 

[Lingdinger.22]

Shoot raccoons and possums in the head. They’re like zombies.