Hunting with a .22mag.

[bearman49709]

Never had a coon walk away from one .22LR from a rifle to the head even the CCI quiet at 710fps works. A lung shot animal can go a long way befor dying, a body shot with no vitals or cns hits may live for day's.

 

[greenmtnguy]

I only take headshots with a 22 (LR or magnum) on critters larger than a gray squirrel. None of them made it very far. If you are going for a heart/lungs shot with a 22 - you need to think like an archery hunter and take a broadside shot to get both lungs or the animal will go for sometime if you only take 1 lung out. Even a spine shot will generally just knock out the motive power from that point and below. Know the anatomy of the animals you are shooting and it will go much better - they are still tougher, pound for pound, than most any non-drugged-up humans.

 

[351 WINCHESTER]

A .22 mag. starts to turn on from a 6 1/2" barrel and the longer the barrel the better it gets. A 22 mag. from a rifle will put the biggest coon down in quick order with the proper bullet and shot placement. I would guess from a 4" barrel you are only getting around 1200 fps. which many bullets won't expand very much, if at all.

 

[EVIL]

We have a coon problem in Northern MI on the family property.

12 GA loaded with #4 shot usually does the trick for me on these garbage snatcher nuisances.

I've shot them with .22LRs, both rifles & pistols with mixed results, usually just bulk federal 40grs. Depends on how my shooting is that day.

I've found it is best to live trap 'em and then toss the trap & coon into the lake for a swim. Cleaner than shooting them with a .22 at close range in the trap. If you don't live near open water a 55 gallon drum (or trash can) filled with water works well too, especially if you live in the suburbs where a firearm discharge would be unwelcome.

 

[22-rimfire]

Yep, rubber maid.

22 Mag is a very good round for small to medium sized varmints from a rifle.

 

[Stress_Test]

I've found it is best to live trap 'em and then toss the trap & coon into the lake for a swim.

Waste of a good trap, isn't it??


Edit: By the way, don't let your neighbors (or anyone else) see you doing something like this. A friend of a guy I work with is in trouble with the law, because he shot a stray, starving dog that was on his property, and some of the hired workers nearby saw it and turned him in to the police! Talk about biting the hand that feeds you! (the workers)

 

[Stainz]

The Hornady CD (Critical Defense) .22 WMR round, their #83200, is a 45gr FTX JHP with a charge designed to eek out the most velocity in a short barrel. Hornady reports that my 351PD's 1.87" barrel will produce 1,038 fps, making over 100 ft-lb of KE while penetrating ballistic gelatin 9+ inches while mushrooming to nearly twice it's original diameter. With a 24" barrel they get 1,700 fps & 289 ft-lb. Decent performer... definitely louder - supersonic - from my 4" 651.

Then there is Troy Landry, from 'Swamp People', who regularly dispatches large gators with CCI MaxiMag 40gr JHP in .22 WMR from a rifle. CCI even has him gracing a special edition cardboard box of 250 of them at a decent price - when available. Even has his "Choot 'em!" on the box.

Stainz

 

[EVIL]

Waste of a good trap, isn't it??

You tie a rope on the trap ...

 

[Certaindeaf]

Wouldn't that be a waste of a good rope? lolz

 

[krupparms]

I cannot blame the ammunition. All 3of the C.D. loads showed it opened up, exit holes were about the size of a dime. The next time I will only go for a head shot. And I will switch back to Win. Dynapoints as the gun shoots them well. Or the 50gr.Small game load . I believe I will be looking at .22mag.rifles very soon! If only I could find a Ruger lever action!

 

[Deltaboy1984]

Use a 22 mag in a rifle.

 

[biohazurd]

I can remember one particular coon that took 6 .22 lr from my model 34 smith all of which were torso hits apon further inspection. As i came within 5 or six feet it started growling at me! 2 more .22s to the head and his days were done. I usually try to take coons with .38s out of my gp100 these days. LSWC one shot one kill usually with this load. ( As long as im accurate of course.) Though i have taken a few with 9mm and .45 as well, as they were the particular caliber guns i had on my at the time.

 

[Armored farmer]

Hornady Critical Defense....

I really like the idea, and looks of the 45gr polymer tipped hollw pt, so I bought 2 boxes to shoot in my 1 5/8 barrel NAA .22mag.

Unfortunately they keyholed terribly in my little short barrel revolver.

Hornady reports that my 351PD's 1.87" barrel will produce 1,038 fps, making over 100 ft-lb of KE while penetrating ballistic gelatin 9+ inches while mushrooming to nearly twice it's original diameter.

I hope you all have better luck with them than I did.
BTW, I'm a big .22mag fan both rifle and handgun.

 

[Stainz]

kbbailey,

At 3-7 yd from my 351PD, shooting the Hornady 45gr FTX C.D. .22 WMR, the holes were ragged - but round - like they were at 25yd from my 4" 651. At what distance did you notice keyholing? Maybe a 1/4" more barrel is important...

Years ago, I had a bull barrel Savage and a Marlin in .22 WMR. No matter the ammo, benchrest and scoped, dead calm - I couldn't best 2" 3-shot groups at 100yd by much - 1" was out of the question. It could have been me, but I just thought it was the cartridge. CCI MaxiMags 40gr RN were the best then.

Stainz

 

[Armored farmer]

Stainz,

The keyholing was at 20-25yds. Accuracy was bad enough that I switched to Hornady V-max varmit ammo. I think the short barrel stabilizes the 30gr pill pretty well. The little gun is 'minute of liter bottle' accurate with 30-40gr ammo, but didn't like the 45gr Critical Defense ammo.

 

[Jaymo]

Ya gotta hit the fusebox or pumphouse.
.22 Mag is not at it's best when shot from a handgun.
A Paco Kelly .22 LR die, or an SGB die, and a good .22 LR takes care of them just fine.

Lots of guys hunt them with precharged pneumatic airguns in .22 and .25 caliber.
Raccoons and possums can be very tough, as are squirrels.
A .45 precharged pneumatic will drop one in a hurry.

You could always shoot them with a crossbow, and nail them to the ground with the bolt, while they bleed out.

I hunt squirrels with my .177 Weihrauch break barrel, spring piston air rifle.
It averages 853 fps with a Beeman Crow Mag HP pellet and pumphouse shots are very effective.
I've had a lot of squirrels run off after being shot through the pumphouse with .22 LR round nose ammo. HPs damage too much meat. A nice wide, flat nosed projectile does a good job.

Rabbits seem to fall over, dead, if you look at them hard.

 

[Stainz]

I only have two unopenned boxes of Hornady C.D. - it was $13.99/50 locally - until they ran out. A little over a year ago, after finding my Holy Grail - that ANIB 4" 651 - I had the good sense to buy a dozen boxes of each CCI MaxiMags 40gr JHP & RN - for $7/50! I should have bought case lots... but I'm not a glutton/hoarder... I left some for 'manners'! The sales clerk laughed and said nobody else would leave any - and that was a year ago - pre election. I saw a guy selling WallyWorld 325 round Fed AutoMatch .22LR Sunday at Birmingham's AGCA Show - $13.57 a year ago - $40 from him.

At any rate, the grouping at 25yd from my 4" 651 below was 4"+ -horrible - with the rubbery spire pointed Remingtons seen below. The sights were adjusted for the RN MaxiMags - then I shot the Hornady C.D. - they may have centered a half inch low - grouped 2-2.5 in. The JHP MaxiMags centered on the bullseye as the RN did - 1.5-2 in groups - slightly tighter. Groups were best 5 of 6 at 25yd from a braced hold SA.



My 651 sports a set of S&W '60 Pro' grips and I found three new HKS #51-J speedloaders for $8.37/ea - $25.11 total - on AMAZON, if you can believe it. Over $25 meant free s/h, too. All of the usual haunts - even HKS - were OOS and backordered. I've dropped Hornady C.D.'s from the 4" 651's diet - maybe a speedloader with some for emergency house use. They work fine from 3-7 yd in my 351PD - a dedicated self-protector. Shooting a bg at 25yd is often frowned upon in polite circles... may be deemed bushwhacking at a minimum. Minute of tree rat at 25yd - for dinner, of course - is important - for dinner!

Stainz

 

[allaroundhunter]

I shot one with my .38 Super this past week.... he was about 10 yards away and the shot went through his chest and left a good-sized hole... The sucker was able to climb about 25 feet up a tree after being shot before he fell back down, dead. I couldn't believe it, but that 25 lb coon was a tough son of a gun...

 

[Justin Holder]

Stainz, that is a gorgeous revolver. I want one of those sooo bad.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I shot one with my .38 Super this past week.... he was about 10 yards away and the shot went through his chest and left a good-sized hole... The sucker was able to climb about 25 feet up a tree after being shot before he fell back down, dead. I couldn't believe it, but that 25 lb coon was a tough son of a gun...

Was that with hardball? Don't shoot nothin with hardball or anything aproaching "round".

 

[allaroundhunter]

Was that with hardball? Don't shoot nothin with hardball or anything aproaching "round".

Nope... Buffalo Bore... And that 25 lb weight was an educated guess, comparing him to my 20 lb dog he was a bit heavier. Anywere from 25 lb - 30 lb I would guess.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Ya gotta hit the fusebox or pumphouse.
.22 Mag is not at it's best when shot from a handgun.
A Paco Kelly .22 LR die, or an SGB die, and a good .22 LR takes care of them just fine.

Lots of guys hunt them with precharged pneumatic airguns in .22 and .25 caliber.
Raccoons and possums can be very tough, as are squirrels.
A .45 precharged pneumatic will drop one in a hurry.

You could always shoot them with a crossbow, and nail them to the ground with the bolt, while they bleed out.

I hunt squirrels with my .177 Weihrauch break barrel, spring piston air rifle.
It averages 853 fps with a Beeman Crow Mag HP pellet and pumphouse shots are very effective.
I've had a lot of squirrels run off after being shot through the pumphouse with .22 LR round nose ammo. HPs damage too much meat. A nice wide, flat nosed projectile does a good job.

Rabbits seem to fall over, dead, if you look at them hard.

Great post. I wouldn't mind one of those nose flatteners at all.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Nope... Buffalo Bore... And that 25 lb weight was an educated guess, comparing him to my 20 lb dog he was a bit heavier. Anywere from 25 lb - 30 lb I would guess.

Well I hear you.. slug gun forum now!

 

[Clippers]

I've never seen a coon not die instantly when shot in the head with a 22 LR out of any rifle or my Single Six. I was taught to shoot any and all critters smaller than a coyote in the head. Anything shot in the vitals takes longer to die.

 

[allaroundhunter]

Well I hear you.. slug gun forum now!

This is the first coon that I have ever not shot with a shotgun.... Perhaps it will also be the last

I've never seen a coon not die instantly when shot in the head with a 22 LR out of any rifle or my Single Six. I was taught to shoot any and all critters smaller than a coyote in the head. Anything shot in the vitals takes longer to die.

After my experience with the little buggers, you don't have to tell me twice!