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

[Davaroo]

Quote:
Slugs, well - okay. Sorta.
Unrifled bore, big chunk of lead on a rainbow trajectory? I couldn't hit a barn with that. If I wanted to shoot a .41 bore, I'd get a Marlin 1894 in .41 Magnum.

But hey, thats me. If you can hit with that .410 slug, you're doing great.

 

[Jaybr]

I'm with Davaroo on this one. I currently have 9 shotguns in the safe, all 12 guage.

I owned a .410 at one time, it was a single shot youth gun that I started my son on when he was about 6. He shot that for a couple years and moved up to a 20 guage. A couple years with that and he was shooting a 12 and never looked back.

A .410 slug out of a rifled barrel would work nicely, but then a .357 or .44 rifle would be more accurate and cheaper to shoot.

 

[Davaroo]

If you don't have preference, check the store on ammunition prices, no need to spend an arm and a leg for a special caliber.
This is one reason I like the .357 Mag rifle. Ammo is ubiquitous, not too expensive, reloadable at cheap prices, and is plenty accurate.
You can also shoot .38 Specials in it. Either will hit hard enough on a raccoon.

 

[bluey]

Excellent! I will check those ammo prices.

 

[nautical_bouy]

I may be working in Huston next week, I'll lend you my .22 Mag. with a 50mm 4X16 scope, and a box of ammo.

You can see what they do, it will leave a big gory hole and drop a coon, fox, ground hog in it's tracks with a center mass shot.

Your .22 long rifle just does not have the velocity to do what the Mag does.

The best way I can describe velocity and mass to another western PA guy is??????

Ok,, you knock a bottle of beer off the bar( thats your .22),, good chance it bounces off the floor and you give it to the 3 tooth barmaid and get another.

The .22 mag is like slamming it on the floor, it shatters in a zillion shards and you get tossed out,,,, lol,,,, lots more damage.

The .22 mag will do all you want and more. Some like the .17 HMR, I don't, a 17 grain bullet at high velocity is great for a while, not long into the flight kinetic energy loss and wind drift become real trouble, the 40 grainer from the .22 mag is much more predictable and suffers less from wind, and any ways,,,, it hits as hard as many pistol rounds, I've killed deer with them.

Try mine,, shoot a black bird or crow with it and see the splatter,,, it's very impressive next to a long rifle.

 

[Jaybr]

So for comparison sake.

Kenetic energy at 50 yds.

32 gr .22 LR - 119 ft lbs
40 gr .22 mag - 220 ft lbs
115 gr 9mm - 280 ft lbs
125 gr .357 - 427 ft lbs
240 gr .44 mag - 877 ft lbs
125 gr 30-30 - 1600 ft lbs (est)

Your .22 kills the coons fine, everything else on the list will stop them quicker. The handgun loads will make a bigger hole, and the 30-30 will make a mess.

With a .357 you could also shoot .38 rounds which would be between the 22 mag and 9mm as far as energy.

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
Yep. "...You can also shoot .38 Specials in it. Either will hit hard enough on a raccoon." - Davaroo

 

[spiderman]

It really all depends, is a racoon your biggest problem?

 

[bluey]

Yes, I would say the raccoons are my primary nemesis. I've got some possums, but they go down pretty good with the .22

Jaybr

Now that is some excellent data! It definitely puts things into perspective. Awesome!

 

[spiderman]

Yeah, good luck. And remeber-
Shoot to kill!