Ammo for the Racoon

[Steven A.]

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

 

[Gun 4 Fun]

I have killed more racoons than I can count with the Remington CB longs. I mean a boatload. If you hit their head, they drop right there on the brain shots, and fall to the ground or floor and stay where they are long enough for a second shot if it misses the brain. They won't go through your roof either, unless you are at arms length, and even then I have never had one do it yet. A plain 1X maybe so, but with the metal backing it up, doubtful.

BTW- they are about as fast from a 6" handgun as they are from a 22" rifle barrel. I have clocked them in both and there's very little difference in speed.

All the others in yur list will definately go through your roof, including the sub-sonic. They are still over 1000 fps fired from a rifle, and close to that in your handgun.

There are better rounds for cleanly killing 'coons, but for "in the barn rounds", the CB's rule!

 

[SMSgt]

I'd use a .22 short. Probably won't penetrate completely thru the skull, and if it did, wouldn't have enough juice left to do any damage.

 

[Gun 4 Fun]

I'd use a .22 short. Probably won't penetrate completely thru the skull, and if it did, wouldn't have enough juice left to do any damage.

They zipped right on though the heads of the ones I've shot with them.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

If you know you don't have a safe backstop don't take the shot. You are telling us the shot isn't safe, what more do you need to know? Find a place to shoot the varmint that doesn't endanger your neighbor.

 

[bmcgilvray]

As a kid, I used to take them with a Benjamin Model 347 .177 pump air rifle with head shots. I later chronographed the rifle to find that it gave 752 fps with the Benjamin pellets used. Any .22 long rifle will work fine as will the .22 short.

 

[Charles]

Maybe you could build a small target that's constructed same as your wall/roof combo and test them out. Also there's the Super Colibri round, which is about as loud as a cap gun and will kill a coon with a broadside lung shot.

Another option would be figure out a way to shoot them in a safe direction... maybe put out some cat food somewhere you could pop them from inside your house?

 

[Steve C]

You can kill them quite handily with a pellet rifle. No noise to speak of that will rile the neighbors.

 

[Andy Griffith]

Get a hav-a-hart trap and trap it first- I say hav-a-hart because a lot of the other cheaper cages won't stand up to the abuse that a coon can dish out!

If you are lucky enough to live in a city with a feral cat "spay, neuter release" program, they will "loan" you a trap for a $100 deposit- when you take it back, you get the $100 back- so you don't have to buy one- may only take a day or two at the most.

Then, after it's trapped in the cage, lower the cage down and pop him straight down to the ground- which is the best bullet stop.

 

[pjpjr]

Problem I see is where there is one coon you have others! Ask me how I know. I tried the hav-a-heart and trapped 10+ off my property this past summer. I think you may have a bigger problem than you think. All that said I have used the 22 cal CB ammo very successfully with perfect shot placement.

 

[sheriffoconee]

buy this
Duke Raccoon Trap, Big Game, Duke, Duke at Sportsman's Guide

finish 'em off with cb caps at close range. problem solved. you can solve the backstop problem by putting the trap where it is safe to shoot, or by using sandbags, lumber, etc, behind the trap

 

[Steven A.]

Thank You All for Your Replys
I'm well aware of know your target know your backstop, rule #4.
I do take to heart that simple and correct answer a few posts ago.

In the 90 degree arc of what is my backstop from 90-80 puts a neighbors house as my backstop about 200' away.
From 80-20 the structure is an old barn about 500'-600' away.
From 20-0 is one of our buildings about 50' away.
These directions are good if the projectile doesn't get sent in another direction from a richochet.

This problem only happens every couple years and we are due.
For the norm we trap the critters outside not inside and then deal with them.
For the safety of all we will continue to do just that and I picked up a container of the CB's for our safety as well.

But I got to tell ya........when that %$*#! is digging up the insulation above our bedroom at 2:00 in the morning I just want to blast the hell out of it and not wait to trap it.
Thanks again to all,
Merry Christmas
Steve

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Steve, in that case you just have to make sure you don't miss the little bugger, that's all...

I'm guessing any .22LR ammo to the head will stay right there in it's head.

 

[David LaPell]

I second the Have a Hart trap. Then you can dispose of the raccoon without worry of damage. Just a can of tuna at the back end and you will get that raccoon with no problem.

 

[bmcgilvray]

"I'm guessing any .22LR ammo to the head will stay right there in it's head."

In my experience, .22 Long Rifle has always been through and through whether fired from rifle or handgun.

 

[Steven A.]

Cat food or dog food just gets the cats.
Marshmallows smeared with jelly, they love their sweets.

Other bait we use....
KFC chicken for skunks.
Small piece of hotdog for mice

 

[rburg]

There are other options. Any CB or BB cap will do the trick. So will the CB Longs, as stated above. But depending on the range, so will the shot loads. Maybe not a clean kill, but if he waddles off and dies elsewhere, its still OK.

I vote you spend some money and buy a pump action gallery rifle that is designed for shooting shorts. Then use CBs. It gives you a follow up shot. Or just use a 22 revolver if you want. The key is dead critters by the ton. I hate them.

15 years ago we moved into a new-to-us house. Within days I saw the back motion light go on. It was a bandit tearing apart our garbage and distributing it around to suit himself. I opened the back door to yell and he charged! Not how things are supposed to go. So I tried again, and he charged again, this time piling into the storm door. By then I was mad (mildly). So I went to my gun stuff, found a Kit Gun, rustled around until I found some old standard velocity solid nose Long Rifles, and went back to the crime scene. He turned to charge a 3rd time and caught a bullet. He was moving faster than I realized (or maybe I was chicken and intent on closing the door if I missed.) But he did stop his charge, turned, and fell off the back deck. I heard some thrashing in the yard and figured I'd let him die alone in the cold. Next morning there was some blood, but no carcass. He didn't return. All I really wanted anyhow.

 

[yukonb]

If you do not have a safe backstop and your neighbor's house and yard are in the line of fire. You should not be shooting anything in that direction. Basic common sense.

 

[Dakota Iron]

Ammo for raccoon

Shoot em with a 410 loaded with birdshot, saves everything but the coon.

 

[NMPinNYC]

For those who are so predisposed, a Hav-a-hart trap and a rain barrel. Vewwwwy qwwwwiet for those in urban environments.

 

[okie john]

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

 

[wsl1971]

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

 

[lucam]

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.

 

[ditrina]

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!

Why YES they do...

 

[Mule88]

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.

 

[Krull]

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!

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.

 

[seagill]

Ever thought about taking up a new hobby? A bow would make quick work of him, or even a throwing knife or tomahawk!

 

[moxie]

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.

 

[Hotak4321]

Has anyone ever seen a coon survive 3 .22 shotshots to the head

 

[bmcgilvray]

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.