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Powerful Air Rifles
My brother-in-law is getting tired of trapping and moving raccons that are pestering his property and he's ready to shoot them for a more permanent solution. He asked me which pellet gun might be up to the task. Initially I planned on buying him a Sheridan pump rifle. I have one in .20 caliber and it is plenty powerful on chipmunks and squirrels when the shot is properly placed. I'm not sure it is the right weapon for racoons though. However I'm asking you Gun forum enthusiasts if you have any recommendations of any air rifles at all.
Or this this a job for a .22 round? He's a little shy about disturbing his neighbors with an actual firearm report so a powerful air rifle would be preferred if you all have any recommendations. |
RE: Powerful Air Rifles
Just so you know, I've shot a few of the HIGH power, larger caliber air rifles and their rapport is close if not equal to a .22 rifle.
I would still say a air gun, short of one of the 25+ cal high powers is still not as good as a .22 rimfire for someting as large as a raccoon. Besides that they can be quite expensive. Best just to use a .22 with subsonics or maybe even a long or short. My opinion anyway. |
RE: Powerful Air Rifles
I appreciate all opinions on this subject
Thanks |
RE: Powerful Air Rifles
ORIGINAL: 8mm/06 My brother-in-law is getting tired of trapping and moving raccons that are pestering his property and he's ready to shoot them for a more permanent solution. He asked me which pellet gun might be up to the task. Initially I planned on buying him a Sheridan pump rifle. I have one in .20 caliber and it is plenty powerful on chipmunks and squirrels when the shot is properly placed. I'm not sure it is the right weapon for racoons though. However I'm asking you Gun forum enthusiasts if you have any recommendations of any air rifles at all. Or this this a job for a .22 round? He's a little shy about disturbing his neighbors with an actual firearm report so a powerful air rifle would be preferred if you all have any recommendations. |
RE: Powerful Air Rifles
Not sure I would trustair rifle on a coon. Racoons get pretty darn mean when mad and then your going to have a problem on your hands if you don't kill it. I would rather opt for a 22.
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RE: Powerful Air Rifles
I agree wholeheartedly with chiefks. Coons are tough buggers, and an air rifle probably will just make a bad situation even worse. Kill 'em quick and clean....
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RE: Powerful Air Rifles
If he is worried about the noise from a .22 tape a 20 oz coke bottle over the end of the barrel and it will act as a sort of silencer and it makes it a lot quieter. You can shoot 3- 4 rounds before you have to change the bottle.
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RE: Powerful Air Rifles
And if you get caught you will go to jail, pay a huge fine, lose all your gun rights and never be able to hunt again. Sure it works, but it's highly illegal. And it really isn't that much quieter than a 22 short. Which is what I would suggest. A 22 short to the head does a coon in everytime. That is what most hunt them with.
Good high powered air guns are expensive, like highpowered rifle expensive. You can get cheap ones, but I don't think they are worth it. And the spring air ones are very hard on optics. Sheridan makes a really great pump gun though. If you don't already have a .22 you can get a cheap .22 bolt action for a little bit of nothing and shoot .22 shorts out of it. They are not extremely accurate at longer ranges though. Paul |
RE: Powerful Air Rifles
Thanks for all the replies. I agree that the .22 round would be the preferred tool for a cleaner and more guaranteed kill and the .22 short would help with the issue of the noise. Short of that I guess the Sheridan in either .20 or .22 would be fine with 10 pumps and a shot of 20 feet or less, which is what he'll have at night when the little buggers come it to create havoc with the bird feeder and flowerbeds. I think I'll suggest he cage-trap them with cat food by the bird feeder at night, then in the morning walk the little bandits around behind the shed and poison them with lead in the head. I think the Sheridan would be fine and if it takes more than one shot then at least the critter would be safely behind bars when he protests his sentence.
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RE: Powerful Air Rifles
A 22 loaded with a CCI "CB short" or "CB long"are a big improvement over a pellet gun! If the range is close, it kills coons quite well and makes no more noise than a pellet rifle, if as much?...
Yes, i own and have used both to know this.... Drilling Man |
RE: Powerful Air Rifles
I used CB Longs as well, and they are much quieter than a good air rifle, at least when the CB is fired from a rifle barrel. What takes many to the good air rifle is that they are legal in situations where the firearm is a dicy choice. Personally I like the RWS air rifles but I have been able to "get by" without one due to the CB Long. There has been some discussion of air rifles in the Small Game, Predator and Trapping forum.
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RE: Powerful Air Rifles
Thanks again to all the replies. I'll inform my bro-in-law and see what he would like to do. Maybe the CB's with the low noise and greater lead ball would be a better choice.
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RE: Powerful Air Rifles
A tube fed Marlin bolt action will hold 17 or so CCI short CBs and works very well on cats. I hate to waste but the wild cats get bad at my home on occasion, the round is very quiet and shoots well.
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RE: Powerful Air Rifles
Dm hit the nail on the head.The "CB" rounds are the only way to go .I can shoot them in a bolt I have and you can hear the firing pin "Ding" and that's it.175 yards down range at my pond you hear the "Whap" of the bullet .It will stop the clock of an adult ground hog.I use the "CB" long.
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RE: Powerful Air Rifles
I just built a website for a guy who is a professional hunter. One of his shows is about how he hunted a 180lb feral hog with a Gamo Air Rifle. The video/commercial for the show will be on his website tomorrow if anyone wants to take a look.
http://www.stevescott.tv I haven't seen the video yet, but will tonight. I have shot hogs with .50 caliber muzzleloaders just to watch them run away. I can't wait to see how he took down his hog with a "red rider" :D |
RE: Powerful Air Rifles
Everybody that reccomended the CB ammo is right, dead quiet. I bought a ruger 10/22 just because my gunsmith intoduced me to the CB rounds. I would really advise against the pellet gun.
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RE: Powerful Air Rifles
Well, if it counts as anything my .22 chinese airgun has taken out 5 possums, one shot to the head in a row.
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RE: Powerful Air Rifles
Thanks to all so far. It looks like the prudent thing to do is to go with CB rounds. If he is successful in trapping several and take them behind the shed for their medicine I suspect the incidents of tampering with his feeders and trash will begin to subside. I actually have an old Heritage .22 six shooter that will fulfill his up close coup de grace needs. It's not very accurate as a range gun but for popping coon skulls it should be dandy. The CB rounds in the pistol may mak a little more noise than in the rifle but from what you guys are all saying it shouldn't disturb the neirbors much at all. Thanks again.
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RE: Powerful Air Rifles
Well, if he's going to do that. (trap them and then finish it out back)
Nothing isquieter than a .22 rifle with a "contact" shot. "tony soprano style" Put the rifle barrel lightly to it's head and even a 22LR will just make asomewhat loud"whump", and a CB will make only a tiny "pop", but nothing that sounds like a gun shot. |
RE: Powerful Air Rifles
I'm sure a GOOD QUALITY 22 cal air rifle will put a raccons D!@# in the dirt if shot in the head!!!!
But then again not every one can shoot:D |
RE: Powerful Air Rifles
i agree with the cci cb shorts, i have a blue streak sheridan 5mm/.200 and they make about the same amount of noise, your nieghbor would never get out of there easy chair;)
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