Recommend a coon gun

My neighbor took one out with a spear gun last week. Smelled like big foot's dong for a week.

I always figured that if I ended up on a farm again, full time, I'd get an SKS for something like this. Not sure if that's the best route though.

at the distance you mentioned, a .22 or .17 HMR will work- throw on a scope and aim for the head. Quick and efficient- no suffering.

Anything in a bigger caliber will just make a mess of things.

Having helped a few to the other side, I use a 22 handgun. Usually my Stoeger Luger. I have used a 10/22, SKS, and I dunno what else. Can't remember them all. I think 75 yards, 30-06 if you have the backstop for it, or maybe an AR15, and I like the Mosin suggestion, but cleaning the thing with that corrosive ammo each night would be a biatch. Really, the best thing is to trap them, walk up and cap them in the head with the 22. I use a Duffers:

http://www.wildlifecontrolsupplies.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=NWS001&Category_Code=WCSSS

Put some Special Kitty food in it (which appears to be what they live on, besides the neighbor's chickens), come by in the morning and cap them. I will occasionally get a 'possum in it, but that's it, besides the coon.

gun at top is my critter gitter 10/22, only thing left stock is the receiver and maybe some pins and springs. started out as a birch stock/blued barrel sporter that shot terrible and now shoots as well as my savage bolt gun.

middle is my pieced together AR, and bottom is a sporterized british enfield.

I like a .300 Win Mag for pesky varmints at closer ranges.

I just read: That's the only reason I even know what a Win Mag is. I am guessing overkill for coons at 75 yards?

In reply to pinchvalve:

Yeah just a little...I use one for elk...at you know over 500 yards away and could stretch that to over 1000 yards or maybe even 1500 with the right load.

pinchvalve wrote: That's the only reason I even know what a Win Mag is. I am guessing overkill for coons at 75 yards?

Make that 750, and we'll talk.

In reply to slantvaliant:

no matter the range, there's not likely to be enough left over to identify what it was after you hit it.

I use a .22 LR or my .17 HMR. Both are great. 12 gauge would be fun... .410 would also be a pretty good round. At 75 yds, the .17 or .22 LR or even .22 Mag would be about ideal. .223 would also do the trick. Anything else larger is just being silly. Fun, no doubt, but silly. Had me laughing my ass off as I voted up previous responses. LOL

is the .17 HMR ammo readily available around small towns?

Grtechguy wrote: is the .17 HMR ammo readily available around small towns?

Depends where you are at, I generally get .17hmr at meijer, walmart, or dunhams.....$10-17 for a box of 50.....always buy Hornady or CCI tnt rounds, the remington stuff is garbage. And don't go for headshots on coyotes with a .17.....if you don't hit soft tissue, it'll glance off.....then you have an angry 'yote. This is why I only use the .17 to blow squirrels to kingdom come....and sometimes on coons.

Most of the time, I just take the m1 carbine with me when I'm out and about.....when baiting coyotes, 30-06.

Smaller caliber unless you want a mess to clean up or are some distance (actually quite a bit of distance) away. 22-mag is a good round. I'd also toss in a 30-30 but might leave a bit of a mess. I've shot ground hogs with .22LR at about 30 yards and all they did was tumble when I hit them and then run away to die. But the only shot I had was from the rear. Now point blank a 22 does the job quickly with no mess. Had one in a snare that got real mean until he ate a 22Mag round.

yamaha wrote: And don't go for headshots on coyotes with a .17.....if you don't hit soft tissue, it'll glance off.....then you have an angry 'yote. This is why I only use the .17 to blow squirrels to kingdom come....and sometimes on coons.

And that is why I use a .22 Mag

Granted my AR carbine I posted a pic of in my other thread is a proven dropper of any varmint critter I have come across including a damn big coyote and a wild dog.

.22 long rifle, quiet and no recoil. I killed 3 porcupines in 4 days with a Ruger MKII as they chewed on my cedar porch. It also works on woodchucks, coons and coyotes.

xd wrote: Here is a whole coon killing kit

After the first one is hit the other ones will E36 M3 from the sound.

I had a couple of M44s, man those things are loud as E36 M3.

I'd just get a .22 rifle and call it a day. A .223 if you are feeling spendy. That's really what a .223 is made for, varmit hunting.

Anti-stance wrote:

xd wrote: Here is a whole coon killing kit

After the first one is hit the other ones will E36 M3 from the sound. I had a couple of M44s, man those things are loud as E36 M3. I'd just get a .22 rifle and call it a day. A .223 if you are feeling spendy. That's really what a .223 is made for, varmit hunting.

Oh, Its not that loud. I would however use soft tips. I live in Colorado corrosive not such a big deal here. I would also like to point out that these are accurate up to like 300 yards with Iron sites. I'm accurate with that one to about 200 yards. Cause I suck, but Its my zombie hunting rifle. I stock about 10 spam cans of 7.62 x54r. Give me a day or two and my block would be a zombie free zone. They are just really cheap fun shooters.

rebelgtp wrote: Granted my AR carbine I posted a pic of in my other thread is a proven dropper of any varmint critter I have come across including a damn big coyote and a wild dog.

and thats why I generally carry the m1 carbine around.......if that won't bring down something at under 200yds, chances are your sidearm won't stop them at 50yds and in either.....

Normally around me, coyotes are really bad once every 3-4 years.....and I normally average 2-3 a normal year, and 8-10 on a year when they're bad. Everything from .17, 380, 9mm, 357sig & mag, 45, 5.56, 7.62nato, 8mm, 30-06, and a 4 wheeler have been used over the last decade.....the .30 carbine and 30-06 have always worked the best for me.

In reply to yamaha:

i remember someone posting on another forum, their response to the question "whats the best gun to shoot a 'yote with?" was "the gun in your hand"

basically to most people, especially ranchers, all the rules about making sure your round will drop the kill and shooting from a range that they can put a kill shot on them accurately, go out the window when it comes to shooting at a coyote.

I use a 16 gauge choked down with #3 shot.

But that's because it's preferable to the 12 gauge with slugs.

Strizzo wrote: In reply to yamaha: i remember someone posting on another forum, their response to the question "whats the best gun to shoot a 'yote with?" was "the gun in your hand" basically to most people, especially ranchers, all the rules about making sure your round will drop the kill and shooting from a range that they can put a kill shot on them accurately, go out the window when it comes to shooting at a coyote.

My buddy who is a pretty big hunting enthusiast went to hunt Coyotes, but he couldn't do it. Hes a dog person.

Joey

12 gauge #4 buckshot, coons are tough, and even tougher when rabid.

Get a local hunter with coon dogs

I usually shoot them till they quit moving with a .22.

In reply to joey48442:

Go to follow a pack at night and run into several up close and that'll change his mind.....plus they harass the german shepherds at night.

I remember a few nights when if someone had seen our hunting party they would have confused us for a small militia....