Ammo for the Racoon

Why not beef up the walls in the area where you might have to shoot with a few 2x12's? Chances are that if you kill one, others will follow. Might as well be ready for a repeat performance.


Okie John
 
I killed a groundhog from about 30 feet away with a cb short. I think i got lucky and hit him in the right spot, the round went in his nose! Shot placement is key :)

Bill
 
I have a rabbit problem on our property. I trap them in a hav-a-heart. I caught a coon in it a few months ago. It almost ripped the door off. It was seriously mangled.

It was stupid enough to get caught a second time. It waited patiently for me to release it that time. :)

Only a safe shot. I've seen those powder-less aguila colibri's shoot about a 1/4 inch into a pine board! I think even those could put your lights out! Maybe you get a foot trap? Most good outdoor stores sell them for a few bucks.
 
If you use any of the low powered/subsonic ammo or even a high powered pellet gun, aim for the eyeball, you'll either have a clean kill or a clean miss. But I agree with AtrchAngel, you got to be careful of your neighbors and where your shooting.
 
What kind of range are we talking about? if it's a few feet and you have a .357 or .44 cal revolver I would suggest a load of snake shot~don't laugh I've killed both a possum and a groundhog with a .22 snake shot at around three feet! :eek:

I find at that close a range the capsule that the shot is in goes through the chest wall and then falls apart inside and just makes a mess of their guts,lungs,heart so it works.

That is with a .22 mind,the larger cal shells should be even better.
 
Ever thought about taking up a new hobby? A bow would make quick work of him, or even a throwing knife or tomahawk!
 
I sure hope it's not my house that's only 100-200 ft. away in the line of fire, even remotely. That would be very disturbing.

Trapping is effective and doesn't hurt anyone. Havahart traps aren't that expensive, about $70 on their website, Raccoon Trap by Havahart®, the Trusted Name in Humane Live Raccoon Traps! | Havahart.com. Many local animal control officers will actually set up a trap and take away the caught animal(s) at no charge. Call them.

Shooting with a bow at night is also effective. Some bait, a pal to run the flashlight, and patience are required. Works on skunks too.
 
A nearly 50 year old Benjamin Model 347 .177 pumped to max of 750 fps and applied to a larg-ish, pesky, maurading 'coon's head from 10 feet, from under the car, in the middle of the night last summer. The photo was taken next morning.

The pellet rifle effectively took a number of raccoons back in the olden days back when it was new and I was young.
 
Hello all
I have a 617 6". Every now and then a racoon gets into the barn. What kind of .22 ammo will put the racoon down and when I miss him and the round goes through the 1x wall and a light metal roof and heads over to the neighbor a hundred feet away won't enter their house.
.22 lr
.22 short
.22 lr subsonic
.22 cb
The area I will find them (racoon) always puts the neighbor as the backstop, also note I'm up on a ladder in the barn and don't need the racoon to jump on my face.
I already know the first two choices and maybe the third will make it to the neighbors, or maybe not with different types of bullets, so will a cb or a couple of them put the racoon down?
In the discussion also talk bullet weights and types for a better understanding.
Thanks in advance

Trespass by projectile is a very serious issue in every state that I know of. If you think there's a possibility your bullet may leave your property, DON'T TAKE THE SHOT. It's a felony, and not worth the risk.
 
coons are a PIB. makes me laugh when i see coon prints on top of garbage can. used to use truck rubber bunji's to keep the lid closed, a bothersome in the winter. now wood 4x4's. had 29 koi fish last year, now have 1 koi left. coons will/ did tear up a cage trap, adj/ aligned the trap several times. they will chrew on the welded wire, until they break it, or there will be blood everywhere from the coon. after all the kois disappeared, kinda give up on trapping cooons. had another procedure done, so i slacked off the trapping. suggestion, best to trap them, dispose of the carcuss. in a trap usually coon will go to a corner when you approch, usually turn their head, exposeing back of neck and forehead. you can use a piece of plywood for backstop behind cage. Harbor Freight here doesn't sell the cages anymore. ^^^^^^ good advice in above threads. trapped several skunks, trick of getting rid of them w/ out getting sprayed, walk slowky towards trap, hold sheet in front of body, cover trap slowly, use nylon ties cut/ to release skunk. never wanted to put a skunk in the suv and take 6 miles away. a skunk can make a spray sound w/ out the actual spray . a wooshing sound. this was while trapping the coons. have to keep trap off the ground, so not to allow the skunks in the trap. everyone have a great safe weekend w/ family and friends. rich
 
I have used shorts, longs and 40gr Quiet on small ground squirrels in the back yard but.............
for coons, I would get the cci 40gr HP sub-sonic that is a lot more accurate
and does a lot better job of putting larger game down with head or a body shot !!

You will not need to worry with a HP over penetrating with a solid hit
unlike the round nose lead bullets that over penetrate and will
end up going in any direction to who knows where !! :eek:
 
Most effective round I ever used on raccoon was the Winchester Black Talon load in 45ACP. Fired through an open window inside the house and the bullet hit him like a ton of bricks. Dead right there. It was a little loud in the house but my hearing was already wrecked. All the kids were out of the room.

I now use .177 spring loaded pellets when the neighbors are home and MiniMag JHPs when they're away.

Yes I know it's a zombie thread but people are reading it. Killing raccoons is important business since they live in the towns now.
 
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DON'T UNDERESTIMATE!

Don't UNDERestimate penetration in things you do NOT want holes in, or OVERestimate penetration in things you do, like raccoons. :rolleyes: I had 22 CB caps (shorts) bounce off squirrels, then sail right thru a moving blanket folded 4x, a cardboard target, a plastic landscape barrel then my garage door. :eek: I'd go with a 22 mag hollow point & be real careful with the angles & what lays beyond. A 22 lr of any kind would probly work, but with ANY 22 beware of POSSIBLE over penetration.
 
Well, old or not, raccoon threads are always popular! :D

I don’t like having to kill them, but I always thought a .222 was just about right for the scumbags when they’re trying to disassemble my house (:mad:), or better yet, my 12-gauge shotgun with its usual load of #4 buck. Of course I have to watch where I shoot. :cool:
 
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