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.

wayomic

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.

8mm/06

I appreciate all opinions on this subject
Thanks

eldeguello

I believe that Sheridan would do the job!

chiefks

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.

Pawildman

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....

JeffS

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.

Paul L Mohr

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

8mm/06

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.

DM

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