Air Rifle for raccoons/skunks

timcsaw

timcsaw

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Sep 25, 2007
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Yo-ho...

I'm looking for a decent air rifle (probably in 22 cal.) suitable for dropping some pesky coons and skunks.

I'm hoping to stay under/around $250. I've been doing the research and see a couple by RWS, Gamo and Beeman that might do the trick for me.

Anyone have any experience with the Diana RWS 34, Gamo Whisper, or Beeman GS1000?

In this price range I'll probably have to stick with a single cocker, but I'd like something with included glass (those listed above all come with a scope). Most of my shots will be out to around 50 feet on raccoons and probably a little closer with skunks.

Any other brands/models I might have missed out there that anyone is pleased with?

Thanks for the input!

ON EDIT: I just wanted to add that I now have a crossman pump in .177 and it just don't cut it (coons laugh and throw the pellets back at me:D). I have considered shooting sub-sonic rounds with my 10/22 as an option also. Can anyone tell me how much of noise difference there is between a sub-sonic .22 round and one of these "high powered" air rifles that I'm considering. I want to cap these pests without scaring the crap out of my neighbors.
 
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I have a RWS model 48 and love it. Kinda heavy but its a great gun. It shoots good groups and has some power. I dont know how well it would kill large coons but I'm sure skunks wouldnt be a problem with a good shot.

Why not just use a real .22 rifle?
 
rmc85 said:
I have a RWS model 48 and love it. Kinda heavy but its a great gun. It shoots good groups and has some power. I dont know how well it would kill large coons but I'm sure skunks wouldnt be a problem with a good shot.

Why not just use a real .22 rifle?
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Thanks.
I have been using my 10/22 but I'm kind of hoping to keep the noise down a bit.
 
timcsaw said:
Thanks.
I have been using my 10/22 but I'm kind of hoping to keep the noise down a bit.
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How about a good crossbow?...Should be able to find one for around your $250 target price, and they are pretty quiet and deadly to those varmits.
 
I always liked the power of my old .20 cal Sheriden pump gun.

You could try .22 BB Caps or .22 CB caps out of a long-barreled .22 bolt action rifle. That is pretty quiet and with decent power. You want to make a head shot for cleanest kills, but this compares well against pellet guns.
 
Coons are tough. Try CCI CB longs (710 fps 29 gr. rp) for the sound, very quite IMO. I hear that the subsonic aren't much louder than these, but haven't tried them.
Some people make a hollow point from the above round or a flat nose with a certain tool. I don't endorse this round for coons. Certain people feel that a .22 mag is minimum for this work or at least a .22 velocitor round. Good shot placement is key to any hunt.

BTW, CCI CB Longs won't cycle your action on the 10/22, bolt rifles are the ticket. 10/22 one shot one kill?
 
Having shot a few skunks in the past with my Beeman(s) I can tell you that if the first shot does not kill the skunk, your neighbors will hate you more than if you had used your 10/22 Ruger! Use a large enough caliber to drop the varmints with one shot. Heck of a lot better than having to shoot twice or have that skunk go off in your yard. Just be cool and explain to your neighbors that you saw some 'rabid critters' during the day and if they hear a shot or 2 not to call the cops. OR, they could always let their kids out to play and take their chances with a rabies vaccination,what fun!
 
I'd go check out one of those Beeman spring air rifles that Walmart is currently selling. This Beeman comes with interchangeable .177 and .22-caliber barrels. If you're only using it for pest control, I wouldn't spend a lot of money on an air rifle.
 
I do quite a bit of air gun hunting for small game. I don't think most air guns kill cleanly enough for a raccoon (they are pretty tough) unless you go into precharged pneumatics. which are basically out of your price range for skunks you should be good to go if you use a .22 or at least a .20 caliber Benjamin Sheridian multi-pump guns are really good budget small game getters. I also use a Crossman CO2 carbine with a cheap red dot sight to take rabbits and squirrels. I think you would be better served with sub sonic .22s and maybe a little conversation with your neighbors before hand.
 
chiroblade said:
Not sure I'd want to retrieve my bolt from a skunk...but that's just me.
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You don't. Just bury skunk and bolt:eek::D. I know I shishkabobed one with a 65 lbs recurve bow. Pinned her right to the ground and didn't even spray. Picked her up with the arrow and buried the whole thing.

Racoons are very tough and can take body hits even from a .22 rifle and just growl. They will eventually die but I think the idea is to make a quick kill. That said I believe a pellet gun that can produce at least 1000 fps can probably kill one at short range with a good head shot. IMO if discharging a firearm is out of the question then the best thing for coons is trapping and relocating. If skunks are in your yard you probably have grubs in the soil. Kill the grubs and the skunks will find another spot.
 
I'm a fan of the CCI CB Caps. I've also used the Remington Subsonic rounds. As everyone has mentioned, they won't cycle a semi-auto action, but with an accurate rifle it's not much of an issue...
 
I know racoons can be pesky dumpster-divers and will occasionally raid henhouses and such for eggs...Still, as far as urban wildlife goes, pretty inoffensive.

Skunks? We have park 1/2 mile away that is thick with them, they're forever getting killed crossing the road ("Dead skunk in the middle of the road....").
However...Harmless little insectivores that do much more good than harm.

Why kill 'em?
 
I have a couple high velocity RWS rifles......they are tops!! I've actually laid a few coyotes to rest with my RWS in .22!! Gotta get clean head shots on those critters, at fairly close range. You'll be good with a .22, against a raccoon or skunk.
 
i'll 2nd the sheridan .20 cal pellet gun. i hit one between the eyes with mine one night and it was dead before it hit the ground. i modded mine though and it had a little more power than it did from the factory.
 
mwerner said:
I know racoons can be pesky dumpster-divers and will occasionally raid henhouses and such for eggs...Still, as far as urban wildlife goes, pretty inoffensive.

Skunks? We have park 1/2 mile away that is thick with them, they're forever getting killed crossing the road ("Dead skunk in the middle of the road....").
However...Harmless little insectivores that do much more good than harm.

Why kill 'em?
Click to expand...

Out here in the boonies, I'll leave all the critters alone unless they become a nuisance...

I define a nuisance coon as one who gets to close to the house and habitually into the trash or tears down the bird feeders etc..

As for skunks, same thing... if they stay away from the house I'll let them grub all they like. Unfortunately, they do like to try to burrow near the house on occasion and it really sucks when you step out the back door and find yourself standing next to a startled skunk.

I also travel back and forth 100 yards between my and the folks house in the late evenings and don't want to step on/startle one.

Like most animals, if they get to comfortable being close to the houses, they stay comfortable being to close to the houses... that's when I give them the long dirt nap.

The only little nuisance critters I could say that I kinda enjoy hunting for sport are wood chucks (ground hogs... sorry 555:D). We have a lot of hay fields around here and their burrows are really hard on the machinery.

In the old days, the fish and game would give you a nickle for a ground hog nose (farmers will gladly let people hunt them around here).

When they were kids, because .22 rounds were to expensive, my dad and uncles used to kill them with a long handled shovel... quite an ingenious process and a hoot to try!:D Until my uncle showed me how to do it, I thought he was full of crap!:D
 
Thanks for the input all... much appreciated!

I found a cousin who has both a Gamo whisper in .177, and an RWS Big Game in .22 so I'm going to go shoot his to see what I think. After talking to him, he doesn't think that I'll really see much of a reduction in noise between his air guns and my 10/22. If this proves to be true, I'll probably just stick with my 10/22. I'll be picking up a box of subsonics for it to try as well... just to see if they'll cycle (my 10/22 is quite modded as you can see in the pic below, so it might just cycle with them). We shall see...

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