choosing a s&w revolver for dealing with racoons

[weatherby]

I am not sure why some recommend such powerful rounds for raccoons. I do a lot of airgun shooting. Higher quality air rifles regularly make single hole 25-yard 5-shot groups less than .20 inches center-to-center. One can make 50-yard 5-shot groups that are easily .5 inches or less. At such distances, air rifles often make groups equal or better than .22 caliber rifles can.

A quick cruise of the Yellow Airgun Forum shows that its members take raccoons all the time. By placing a premium on bullet placement - that is, waiting for the raccoon to turn his head, then firing at an imaginary spot between the eye and the ear, the airgunners always hit the brain. Much less messy than having to bring out the fire hose when you're done.

could it have something to do with it being a handgun and not a benched air rifle?
good to see the airgunners always hit the brain and never ever miss

 

[parabarbarian]

Get him a 38 spl. Have him load his own 148 gr wadcutter "cat sneeze" loads for the for the varmits and some hot 158 gr SWCHP for the bigger varmits.

 

[model70hunter]

Great solutions. I'm still laughing over 1965's 18 buds "cure".
I shot a rabid hound once. I used a 38 special. Luckily he ran through the barn yard and expired about 60 yards away. I have shot running squirrels with 22's and a body shot does not slow them down.

If I was dealing with rabid coons and not mobile I'd want 125 gr hollow points minimum. This means a 586 type so you don't crack the forcing cone on the 250th coon. Does your man shoot them and leave them laying around to infect other coons or does he have a large size super duper coon scooper? Coons are pretty nocturnal. A 223 with 40 gr varmint bullets and a good spotlight would work. Is this the same wheel chair guy that was going to be a private detective in another gun question earlier.

 

[Larry from Bend]

Here's another possibility (though not a S&W). Money was tight so he bought this Ruger Single Six out of a local newspaper for $150 and then got on the internet and found a 22 Magnum cylinder for it for $60. He fitted the cylinder himself as it was too long. It shoots 40 grain WW Hollow Points into 2" or so @ 25 yards @ a muzzle velocity of 1430 fps. It hits 'coons like a slightly smaller version of a .357, easily making 1 shot kills with solid body hits. He secretly laughs @ "experts" on a popular website who insist that the 22 Mag is no better than a 22 long rifle when fired from a revolver. Life is good.

 

[GatorFarmer]

Talk to a vet, they'll tell you that it is frowned on to shoot rabid animals in the head. Unless something has changed, the brains are needed for the test to confirm rabies. In most places, there's paperwork involved when animals start turning up rabid, chasing people, cats, etc. In many parts of the country, you also have explaining to do if you're firing guns in the backyard.

Smith and Wesson Model 31-1 3" with .32 SW Long as a min. Not much recoil, muzzle blast isn't bad. People in wheelchairs sometimes have other things wrong with them limiting weight of a gun, recoil, etc (MS being a case in point). The 31-1 solves all that. I traded a 12-3 snub for mine.

Though honestly, after an encounter with an irate possum involving a .38 snub... I'd personally get a nice bright Surefire light to shine on the things and a 1911 to "anchor" them.

 

[Marshwheeling]

1. Have you tried reasoning with them? It costs you nothing, and if it doesn't pan out, you are no worse off than when you started.

2. You don't have to kill them all. Just identify the ringleaders and make an example of them.

3. 5" Model 60 with a cross-draw holster, shooting .38 special.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Dear Smith and Wesson Forum i am an amateur writer and im working a writing project about a young land owner who has his garden invaded by rabid racoons. an i need a Smith and Wesson revolver to arm him with the character is a young man in a wheelchair and he will carry the revolver in a shoulder holster rig. any and help with this would be greatly appreciated sincerely and respectfully mg357 a proud member of the Smith and Wesson Forum.

Go back and read this guy's prior posts. Methinks we have a troll in our mist. I would think that before you get too serious about publishing, you ought to learn how to write a little bit better than the scammers from Nigeria. Sheesh, I can think up better stuff than this drunk Hell come to think of it-I have

 

[owenwd54]

I have killed a lot of coons with a mod 18 s&w 22 . My Dad was a old coon hunter. The ole mod 18 will kill a coon no problem.

 

[Anton Chigurh]

47 responses on how best to kill a raccoon with a handgun. A special handgun.
This is rich

 

[Buford57]

A coworker shot a skunk out the back door with a .500 a few years ago. No fuss, no followup shots, no paperwork...and no visitors for the next few days.

Troll or no troll, there is sure a diversity of opinions around here.

 

[model70hunter]

OP. Did you send me this letter?

HElwo;
My name id Benajamin Smeeth. I am an aturney in Londen, Aingland. I have been hired to settel you illigitemate grandfaders estate. He left you 2 Registered Magninms. Prease send me all your money for shiping an I will mail dem to you ASaP. Youars respesec respectalu respectiouly respectfolly, yes respectfolly Ben a jamin.

If so, I sent you all the money I had, 98 cents. You caught me at a good time, normally after bills etc I don't have this much jack.

FYI; I've heard British Bobbies are into collecting Registered Magnums. It is their firearm holy grail. I'd bet if you'd put one in each hand and run down the street to show them off you'd just be the talk of the town. Take photos, it will increase the value of the guns.

 

[arch stanton]

Had to shoot a 'diller few nights ago. A 158 gr. swc out of my 64 resulted in very little floppin and bleedin before he expired. I'd think it would work for coons too.

 

[kenster]

I have had problems with raccoons getting into attics of vacant houses. A friend and I buy forclosed homes, fix them and rent them. Our gun of choice is a .380 pistol with Federal "Hydro-Shocks". I guess a .38 with a light gr. hollow point would work well also. Your character will also need some speed loaders.

 

[rz625-8]

Otherwise what peoples have been posting here on this thread is that a .38 S&W special 158 gr.semi-wadcutter hardcast gaschecked would do one time to the side of a racoon. I have 3 M10s and,they all work good for me even my Ruger revolver in .357 magnum works well.

 

[TACC1]

I can see why an air-rifle or .22 would be suggested, but I'm
thinking that a wheelchair-bound person would end up with a
gun that was used, and given to him. A popular gun like a 4" .38
sounds about right. Having shot a .45 from a chair, recoil makes
a very interesting time of it. I'd go with a .38 k-frame with
wadcutters. TACC1

 

[buckeyeshooter1]

I used a model 18 when I racoon hunted as a teen. Perfect fot the job with cci stingers. If the were rabid and I was wheelchair bound I'd step up to a 27 with 125 grain hollowpoints. Purely overkill, but then one could not get away if they were not immediately killed with a 22.

As a note I shot a racoon in the barn with a 180 grain federal hollowpoint from my 6 inch 29. The results were spectacular with most of the racoons insides on the barn wall.

 

[MajorDude]

I used to have a friend in a wheelchair that carried a .44 Charter Arms Bulldog in an ankle holster FWIW.

 

[Mule88]

I think the .22 Mag would be a nice change for the story.

 

[1965]

How about a shotgun slug? Damn rakcoon's prolly a democrat anyhowz...