A Little Rifle Help, Please (Purchased Gun w/ PICS!!! Pg 12)

[Davaroo]

Setting up at night for raccoons?

FIrst piece of equipment should be a big a@@ed light, then a

.22 Mag bolt gun.
12 ga. with bb - buck shot.
7.62 SKS
.30-30 Marlin with 110 grain bullets.

But why all that shooting and late hours? Instead, make a trap gun and let him come to you.
Get single shot 12 ga (what you dont have one??!!). Mount it on sandbags or rig a crutch rest with a 12 x plank, some scrap wood and bungee cords or more snadbags.
Then create a tunnel funnel leading to the bore end of the gun. Affix a piece of chicken at the muzzle with a trip wire to the trigger. Load and cock the gun with baited trigger wire in place and leave.
Old Bandit shows up and is forced by the tunnel funnel to reach up and in for the bait, head first.
He pulls on the bait, triggering the gun and BANG! End of story.
Best part? You get to stay in bed. When the gun goes off you know he's finished and you can roll over and go back to sleep.

 

[bluey]

Davaroo

The thought of leaving a setup like that is tempting and interesting, but with other pets of ours roaming around, it may be a tad irresponsible, but I like the way you think! With my luck, I'd end up taking out some innocent pet. I do have a lamp setup in the area but I was afraid to have too bright of a setup. Just enough to get a nice clear shot.

Naut
I've shot just about all the guns you've mentioned before. Thanks for the offer though, you always been very helpful. I just wanted your hands on experiences with the "knockdown power" needed for my specific task, since my .22 hollow points seem to just be passing through the animal without a knockdown effect at all.

Thank you to everyone else for ringing in on the subject as well.

I guess what I'm most interested in the physics of the effect of each caliber. I want to be able to drop a coon with one shot (heart/lung preferably), without it being able to scurry into the woods where I find it the next day or two after "following my nose".

It sounds like for the most part, people are on the same page here. Any other opinions are welcome! If you can specifically addresss the knockdown power of each caliber that would be great.

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
That being said, some commonly available cartridges for your purpose would be:
.223
.243/.244
7.62,
.30-30, light loads
9mm from carbine
.357 Mag from rifle

Were it me, I'd take the latter, 125 gr JHP.

 

[Grass]

i use a nice little youth 410 shotgun for critter control here.they even brought them back in here for deer hunting again.for years they were banned for deer hunting

 

[SterlingAcres]

My brothers and I have used a 410 for small game for years with great success. I'd recommend that.
For deer, I have a 270. Depending on distance, they'll drop like rocks. I did shoot a pretty large buck that wandered 40 yards and dropped into a ditch a few years back though. It was a pita to find. LOL

Good luck with your coon problem

 

[Davaroo]

I'll only say avoid the .410. Weak pattern and little power. If you want a sure kill on a large coon at any distance, it aint the choice.
Now, if the 'coon would stand still, waiting for you to approach inside of 10 yards, Id say yeah go for the .410.
Otherwise, not.

 

[SterlingAcres]

Works good on turkey

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
And elephant have been taken with .22's. No really, they have.
But I wouldnt consider it a smart choice for assurance.

 

[Grass]

i shoot slugs with my 410 not gameload

 

[miss_thenorth]

Quote:
No one has mentioned 20 gauge. I love my 20 gauge--and ammo is inexpensive.