GTA
General Discussion To Gateway To Airguns => Hunting Gate => : ray1377 March 05, 2010, 02:00:29 PM
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What are you fellows using to take coons and coon size critters out at least 30 yds?
Springer? PCP? Pumper?
.25, .22 or .177?
I'm interested because I'm fixin to get me a bigger gun that my .177 disco.
I want something that chunks lead like an 8 lb. bowling ball!!!!!!!
I know all ya'll hunt.
Just curious what gun you use.
Ray
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J Woodcock tuned 50 cal. Dragon Slayer. Tuned to over 300 Ft. Lbs. "Get Er Done",,!!!!!8) Timbo.
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HA HA HA
Good one.
But how am I gonna take any decent pictures of my kills if the gun I use turns them into sushi????
Don't tell my wife, but I've been having dreams of a dragonslayer.
Ray
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I'd say pretty much any of the magnum springer air guns "could" do it. If you've ready any of my trials and errors, you'd stick to shots at 20 yards or under. I've only killed one raccoon and one possum this last year. Both were taken at under 20 yards with a headshot from a RWS 350 with Crossman Premier Hollow Points. The tragic thing is I think I hit some at 30 yards, but I never saw any indication other than them running really fast away from the shot.
The guys that have the Condors and other PCP gun such have a better tool IMHO. They can really hit hard.
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I haven't shot any raccoons with it but my .22 Condor spits out 31 gr. Sam Yangs at 950 fps..... that's a lot of fpe :)
I bought the condor specifically for hunting woodchucks, especially at longer ranges and the rifle hasn't let me down yet. Raccoons are tough, tenacious critters, at 30 yards and beyond I'd personally go for a hard hitting PCP or one of the true magnum springers.
Jeff
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This'l do!!
http://i.usatoday.net/travel/_photos/2007/10/10/pumpkin-topper.jpg
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All these critters where taken around the 25yrd mark and I've used my ShadowSport.22,1250.22, CFX.22 and TAC1.22. Shot placement and pellet selection is key with these hard target's. :o :) Ed
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i would definetly PCP......
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Ed,
You've shot them for a long time and know exactly where to hit them and when to pass up the shot. I don't think I'd ever try one with a .177 until my confidence was soaring.
If I can ever get this Titan the way I want it, as hard as it shoots I'd try and possum or raccoon, but only after I know it will make one ragged hole.
Now that I've tried less expensive guns, I want a 350 in .177 :) Maybe I'll find a used one or tuned B 28 for not much money :)
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That's some good shootin! I have watched racoons walk away after being hit 4 time with 22 stinger hp's. Those were not typical racoons though. Theywere the coffe ground and trash addicted racoons that were raiding my mother in laws trash for years. I swear one was 6 ft tall and 700 lbs! Looked like a bear. Lol
Seriously though good shooting.
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The record raccoon of all time was SIXTY TWO POUNDS!!!! Can you even imagine?
I've seen one locally that has to be a 20 pound plus. It is just so much bigger than the other ones.
In the days since hunting season is over, my children have all been here and that means no leftovers. I fear I've created a monster as Chip the Wonder Dog is keeping me up all night. I strongly suspect that the possums and coons are now moving to the "pest" status. If I see one inside my fence it is fair game. Otherwise go and be fruitful! I need stuff to shoot next fall!
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62 lbs! that is redicoulous. I think I would have tripped who ever was with me and ran.
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So enlighten us Shadow.
Where is the "sweet" spot we should be aiming for on a large coon?
In the ear?
Between the eyes?
Halfway between the ear hole and the eye?
I'd be interested in knowing.
Thanks
Ray
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ive had no problems dropping coons at 25-30 yards with my rws 350 mag. 22 cal.
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Here's some key spot's to aim for when going for a head shot. I marked the skull with red dot's the first being the upper portion of the skull. When the critter has his head down this is a good spot to hit him dead on and even a little lower just above the eyes. Then there's the spot on each side of the skull between the eye and ear, you can see in this pic where I took this shot and what kind of damage the Predator pellet did on entry. Now here's a kinda tricky shot but if the critter is at this angle with his head up a shot right into the eye socket and into the fusebox. I've took several Bandit's this way but make sure the angle is right or the pellet enter forward of the brain resulting in a wounded and very dangerous critter. Some will take a back of the skull spinal shot but I like to have the critter facing me. Ed
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350 .22 @ 30yds no problem as long as you are confident you can put the pellet where it counts. PCP's like Marauder, Talon, Condor, etc. all good too. Basically you want to make sure your gun delivers a minimum of 10-11fpe on impact @ 30yds in the coon's head.
Here is what the end result should look like (from winter '08-09):
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how fast is that 350 pushing those pellets?
And what weight and type of pellet did you use?
Ray
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Ray,
Those were taken with a Condor .22 & .25. But this winter I took a couple of possums with the 350 .22 which are a little tougher (their skulls) than a raccoon. I used the JSB Exact Jumbo 15.8gr pellet (domed). You can't go any heavier than that or the spring will start losing its properties (power). The gun is slightly detuned so it shoots them around 780-785fps (about 21fpe), compared to 805-810fps with my old 350 .22 which was factory stock. You can also take them with other good domed pellets like the CP or CPHP because they are hardened with antimony (yeah all the bad metals for your health) and penetrate amazingly well, or the Predator but at 30yds I 'd stick with a domed pellet, not a hollow point. Avoid hollow points beyond 25yds. My 350 is most accurate with the JSB Jumbos and 2nd are Superdomes which are also good. The possums were 23yds out.
I have taken many Groundhogs/woodchucks with the 350 .22. Several were from 30 to 43yds out. Some if not most of these Groundhogs were bigger and heavier than any possum which averages 8lbs. The CP's, JSB Jumbos, and Kodiaks I was using went through the Groundhogs' head every time no matter what the distance. On a stock 350 14.x pellets like CP, CPHP & Superdome go 835-850+fps. You don't really need any more power than that. The 350 will take any small-game creature inside 35yds no matter how big it is with a good head shot. It can deliver 13-14fpe @ 50yds with a 14.3gr CP. You only need 10-11fpe on impact for a quick kill on a coon or possum (and 8-9fpe on Groundhog), but the more the better.
If you can afford a PCP (Disco, Marauder, Condor, etc.) I 'd suggest you go with that because at 30yds you want to make sure the head-shot is nearly perfect. The 350 can be a little rough around the edges when it is stock and not tuned, but I took many Groundhogs with my 1st/stock 350. You really want to make sure you can get 0.5" groups at the distance you plan on shooting a medium-sized critter. Most Magnum Springers will not give you good groups like that out of the box. To me 1" groups are not acceptable to go after big critters. The more accurate your gun, the more your chances are of dropping the animal instantly and recovering it. Magnum Springers should really be tuned if you want decent accuracy, whereas PCP's do it out of the box and better.
Here are a couple of possums I took with the 350 .22 this winter. One was a frontal shot and one broadside. You can see the POI. I will not post the dozen Groundhog kills I have with the 350 .22 (with gun in the pic) because the possum has a harder skull than most, so to me it sort of is the ultimate quarry (w/coon a close 2nd) for a Springer @ 30yds or beyond after a fox or coyote.
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62 lbs it was probally a city coon raiding trash cans with no worries other than the local cats :p
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I'm with you fellers! Listen to these guys they know!