calling all hunters: dealing with an air rifle- Grafic content

[AHappychick]

The other day i was sitting outside with my chooks when (all free ranging at the time) when I just so happen to look over by the main coop and saw a COON! it was 3 in the afternoon. I freaked and chased him off. then started to panic a lot. Not only were my chooks outside but so was my 5 year old son. in addition all of my neighbors have small children and everyone is now playing outside now that spring is here. I could NOT allow a coon to roam so brazenly during the day. It was clear he was after a chicken dinner and they had not even noticed him or at least did not seem to care.

I decided to put out cat food by my back door when it had run off to and sat and waited in the window for it to return which it did. Obviously my yelling and chasing had not frightened him much. He did not look rabid but then again who knows but he was not foaming at the mouth or walking funny.

All I am able to use is an air rifle where I live. Normally I would have set a trap but there was not any time for it and he was huge!

When he came to feed i got a direct shot and took him down. he could not move but was still breathing. to put it bluntly I had to keep shooting him trying to get him to die fast. I was crying the whole time and this was VERY hard for me. I think it took 10 shots. For me that was 9 too many.

I did it all at very close range. I even lifted his paw to try to get a shot directly in his heart. I pumped up the gun as much as I could to make it as strong as possible. Even with all my trying it took far longer than I wanted and I feel just awful about it.

Is there a place I should aim for that will make it instant with such a weak weapon? Is it like the alligator hunting on Swamp people where there is one spot (actually I tried that and I think that it did not go well although it did work but not with out very violent seizures that I hope to never witness again) If so where is the spot I should aim for if I ever have to do this again?

I am sorry this is so grafic but I wanted to be understood.

If I was to get a 22 long would that possible end up going through the animal and bounce off the pavement possible hurting someone?

 

[PaleMelanesian]

What model gun were you using?

 

[Roy]

You have to remember, that doing this safeguards your chickens and your kids. This is never easy to do, but is necessary. With an air rifle it will be hard to accomplish 0ne shot, one kill. If this ever happens again, try shooting him directly in the ear, this should end his suffering quickly. Anyway, good job, you did what you had to do, nobody said it was easy...

 

[bakerjw]

Get a .22
Air rifles are for small animals like chipmunks and squirrels. I am surprised that you were able to stop it with a single shot.
Killing is never easy except for flies, mosquitoes, etc... The fewer shots required the better for you and the animal.

 

[patman75]

"Pump" Pellet guns are not going to give the power you need for a quick kill. You want a pellet gun that shoots 1200 fps. Use can get a .22 or a .177 but go with the .22 for more killing power.

If you go with the .22 gun you want to go with a bolt action so you can use sub-sonic short rounds that are very quiet. Or use regular round if you want for longer range.

When I use my .177 gamo pellet gun to dispatch raccoons caught in live traps it is not a quick kill. 1 shot will kill it but I usually shoot them about 4 times to speed it up and end their suffering ASAP.

 

[Two Creeks Farm]

Actually, air rifles of certain models are being used to kill hogs and deer sized game.

Im sure the one used here was a common one (.177 cal.)

Coons are tough, we usually just knock them in the head when trapping or shoot them in the head with 22 shorts. I would avoid a 22 if you have concerns about neighbors or not making safe shots. 9 times out of 10, you will sting a Coon with a pellet rifle and off he will go. You managed to make a great shot that incapacitated the animal. If it happens again, shoot it in the head, right behind the ear angled towards the center of the head, or from behind at the base of the skull. Heart shots are not usually instant death.

 

[Rustywreck]

If you are worried about a .22 and ricocheting off the pavement, buy hollow point ammunition. HPs will expand, and penetrate less which will decrease the likelihood of ricocheting.
Of course if you live in a neighborhood, or have neighbors close a .22 is not a good choice.

 

[1320]

My first suggestion is to try needlepoint style pellets for better penetration. If already using that style, I'd trade up to a more powerful airgun and continue using needlepoints. Next suggestion would be to buy or borrow a .22 and use the "snake" rounds instead of a traditional bullet. The snake rounds are essestially a shot gun shell and very effective I might add. You would eliminate most of the safety concern with this round as well.

A powerful round to the head offers you the best chance for one round, one harvest but, it will take a powerful air rifle (or larger gun) to accomplish this. There are other vital areas to aim for but I assume you want expiration to come quickly. Hits in the vitals (heart, lungs) while lethal are seldom instantaneous.

Another consideration might be a .410 gauge shotgun as an option. The .410 is cheap, little and quiet (comparitively speaking) and offers more than enough power. You get a better margin of shot placement error with a shotgun too. If you go the .410 route, ensure that the shells you purchase are lead shot, not steel. Lead deforms upon impact, steel has a tendancy to keep "bouncing" once it impacts objects. This is as much a safety concern as it is a clean harvest one.

There is nothing good about a three o' clock pm racoon. If not diseased, then it was hungary enough to defy its' inbred instint, that's never good. Cat food must smell better than your chickens! Best of luck.

 

[cptbahama]

Yes, you could use a .22 caliber firearm but a high velocity solid tip bullet would likely penetrate a raccoon and become a hazard beyond him. You could, however, use the low velocity (aka subsonic) bullets with a hollow point that would expand on impact and reduce the chances of pass-through.
There are several high powered .22 air rifles that are up to the challenge of quickly killing a raccoon though. I bought this model and then sent it to a company in California that modifies and tunes them. The end result is a very accurate (mine has a peep sight) and very powerful .22 caliber air rifle fully capable of taking raccoon sized animals without the pass-through danger of a .22 firearm.

 

[Stingrayg4]

A raccoon out during the day is very likely rabid. You did the right thing. I'm amazed you were able to drop him with one shot using an air gun. If you're worried about the possibility of a ricochet with a .22, you might try .22 shot shells. Wouldn't be very effective on something the size of a coon at further away than a few feet, but would remove the possibility of a ricochet.

-S