If you are located where you can use them the "dog proof" traps work real good. Get them caught in the trap and then you can take your time for a perfect head shot.
Upvote 0
Hard headed coons
- Thread starter Crabbypatties
- Start date
34 grain .25 cal JSB's to the top of the head, side of the head, front of the head... They all worked quite well.
Shooting around 60 fpe depending on which rifle I was using.
Some twitched in place a bit longer but none moved more than a foot from where they were hit other than the ones that dropped from the trees they were in but in those cases their travel path after the shot was vertical! LOL
Shooting around 60 fpe depending on which rifle I was using.
Some twitched in place a bit longer but none moved more than a foot from where they were hit other than the ones that dropped from the trees they were in but in those cases their travel path after the shot was vertical! LOL
Upvote 0
Then I need a 16# bowling ball, Ground Squirrels at 50yds, solid THUNK/SLAP and the little suckers still manage to get back to their burrows. with a 26gr Hybrid or a 33.95, both leaving the muzzle at 900fps. The ones I do find are no passthroughs so all the energy just stops in them,.
Upvote 0
Hybrids are different, regular pellets usually zip right through. For 50 yards I wouldn’t go slower than 700FPS just make holdover easier. For airguns you need headshots to drop them DRT but even then they will likely flop back down their hole.
If you want to vaporize them then try 17HMR with vmax to guarantee they won’t go anywhere, even 22LR won’t cut it.
Upvote 0
Well I can't say that your wrong but I can say that I know most of them got it to the boiler room not the guts but it seems like Everytime I see them it's either take the shot or they are already bolting that's why I use high power guns and I only have this problem with coons I shoot opossums in the same fashion with the same high power guns and they drop on the spot coons are just extra tough
Upvote 0
Nope, I've smacked those darn rodents with my 33.95's and, they stay in. The body armor the little suckers wear does it. I switched to hybrids to get more expansion. Oh YEAH on the 17HMR, that's what I was using but there is a dog on the property that doesn't like the noise so....I had to switch to PCP's . I'm using both .22 22gr and .25 26gr both perking along at 900ish. https://www.airgunnation.com/threads/ive-scored-prime-ground-squirrel-hunting.1285842/page-2 bottom of the page, also slight up above is a shot of the permission. Closest is 50 yards, longest is 125 yards. Corner of building towards road, then an arch to the entry and over to the water tanks.
Last edited:
Upvote 0
I used to do a lot of coon hunting with hounds and we usually used 22lr. Stingers to dispatch them. Usually one shot was needed. They are tough critters. I would recommend trying Hornets. I have taken out many ground hogs with them in 22 and 25cal. airguns and rarely needed more than one shot. Of course you could always use a .30cal. Hatsan Blitz! That would be fun and I'm sure that would do the job .LOL
Upvote 0
The fellows are correct about coons and hard heads. I remove them on multiple farms as pest control from grain stocks and crack them with my .30 calibers at 80ft/lbs. I only shoot pellets and yes side the head puts them down quick whereas neck and body i will find them as far as 20 yards away. They are second to beaver for hard heads.
Upvote 0