Pest control options

Jump to latest Follow Reply
B

BullfrogJay

Member
Jul 3, 2019
4
0
OHIO
Ok so I have about a dozen chickens and as I found out about 3 years ago everything wants to eat them. This summer is especially bad with raccoon. I catch at least 3 a week trying to get into the coop. I use my Ruger 10/22 with 45 grain subsonic ammo to change their minds about dinner options. It seems like it just is not enough oomph even with good shot placement to put them down and I don't want to have a wounded raccoon running around.

My question is if a .30 cal pellet rifle a better option for this task producing around 30 ft lb energy. My .22 rounds produce about 90 but I am not sure about width of projectile making a difference. I could look into a low powered .38 spl load but I am trying to keep the noise down out of respect for my neighbors. Maybe coons are just stupid tuff around here. Any input ?
 
I would think you’ll have to go with head shots. Hart and lung shots will very often require a quick follow up shot. If the critter does not run off before you get the chance. 

Shooting pest raccoons has been a recent topic. I’d set up a bait pile for the raccoon. Then have your rest/bench set up to watch over that spot. That way you know the distance and can take a more precise shot. 
 
Upvote 0
A raccoon will take a .22 magnum shot to the vitals and run off. No airgun is touching those foot pounds of energy. My .25cal shoots 900fps and they will suck it up unless I smack them in the noggin. Your subsonic rimfire is superior to any affordable airgun. If a raccoon or groundhog was as big as a deer, it would take a rocket launcher to kill them. They are just that rugged. Aim neck to eye from now on.
 
Upvote 0
re. Raccoons - Total agreement with the other posts.

I have shot and killed only about 10 or so in the woods directly behind my house. However, at night they come into the bird feeders which are 15-20 yards and eat the seed on the ground. Have shot with a DS Regal XL .22 at around 29-30 FPE. Definitely can dispatch them with a .22, but it has to be excellent placement, at least in my experience. 

They are very tough to kill if you don't have a precise shot placement. Unfortunately, I learned this the hard way and did have one or two run off and I hate letting a wounded animal get away, so I am very mindful now before I take a shot at one. 

Even with a head shot, between the eyes, or a neck shot -- at least for me, some of them bounced around a lot for about 30-60 seconds before I took a follow-up just to make sure of the dispatch. With those shot placements I think the Coon would have died shortly after, but I take a follow-up or two just to make sure. 












 
Upvote 0
The loose-fitting nature of a raccoon's hide can absorb a lot of a pellet's energy if it hits at an angle, much like a catcher's mitt "mitigates" the impact of a baseball. (Sorry for the pun) My preferred shot is a brain shot, as it drops them in their tracks without damaging any meat. Yes, I eat them. Yes, they are delicious. But I digress. Even with a brain shot, the raccoon will flop around quite a bit, but that's just the central nervous system doing its thing. I no longer take head shots while they are looking at me. My sister hit one earlier this year, right between the eyes, while it was looking our way. It back-flipped and flopped around a few seconds, then got still. I did not realize until later that the tail never did the helicopter spin. We turned off our lights, hoping another raccoon was coming up the gulley. When we turned on our lights again a few minutes later, the raccoon was gone. Some research online revealed a tendency of pellets, and bullets, to ricochet off a raccoon's sloped forehead if hit at the right angle. Apparently, our raccoon was just knocked out stone-cold for a minute. Now I wait for them to drop their head to the ground, so the pellet impacts straight in. It won't happen often, but we lost a good raccoon that night. I'll still shoot one that's looking at me if I can't get a better angle, and especially if I'm using a 30 cal. By the way, I have only used 25 cal on raccoons so far, so I can't speak for 22, but I'm sure a 30 cal would be more than sufficient. I plan on using my Wildcat 30 cal this fall as my primary raccoon gun.

James
 
Upvote 0
The loose-fitting nature of a raccoon's hide can absorb a lot of a pellet's energy if it hits at an angle, much like a catcher's mitt "mitigates" the impact of a baseball. (Sorry for the pun) My preferred shot is a brain shot, as it drops them in their tracks without damaging any meat. Yes, I eat them. Yes, they are delicious. But I digress. Even with a brain shot, the raccoon will flop around quite a bit, but that's just the central nervous system doing its thing. I no longer take head shots while they are looking at me. My sister hit one earlier this year, right between the eyes, while it was looking our way. It back-flipped and flopped around a few seconds, then got still. I did not realize until later that the tail never did the helicopter spin. We turned off our lights, hoping another raccoon was coming up the gulley. When we turned on our lights again a few minutes later, the raccoon was gone. Some research online revealed a tendency of pellets, and bullets, to ricochet off a raccoon's sloped forehead if hit at the right angle. Apparently, our raccoon was just knocked out stone-cold for a minute. Now I wait for them to drop their head to the ground, so the pellet impacts straight in. It won't happen often, but we lost a good raccoon that night. I'll still shoot one that's looking at me if I can't get a better angle, and especially if I'm using a 30 cal. By the way, I have only used 25 cal on raccoons so far, so I can't speak for 22, but I'm sure a 30 cal would be more than sufficient. I plan on using my Wildcat 30 cal this fall as my primary raccoon gun.

James
Click to expand...

Thank you for that info. I am learning a lot on this thread !
 
Upvote 0
Hello, all.....

Newbie and first post here. I know very little about airguns, but I do know a little bit about raccoons, having hunted them a bit with an avid 'coon hunter I once knew. I guess I witnessed around 4 dozen meet their maker, and only TWO dropped "dead right there" regardless of shot placement. They are tough.....very tough. Personally, I'd feel a bit under gunned with an air rifle if raccoons were the main goal.
 
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back
Home
Forums
Resources
Menu