Recommendations for larger varmints?

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  • aray

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 6, 2010
    5,294
    MD -> KY
    I need some advice.

    Every year I have to trap nuisance raccoons that otherwise come up on our second story deck. They're after my wife's tomatoes, grown in Earth Boxes. The problem is our slider door is located in between the tomatoes and their entrance/exit path, so if we surprise them at night when we go out to water, they feel cornered. And as I'm sure all of you realize, being between a startled raccoon and his means of escape is no fun.

    I've been legally trapping them with a DNR permit, and as required by Maryland, euthanizing them on site. To do that, to date I've been shooting them with my old Crosman model 2100 .177 pellet air rifle. With 10 pumps I can get 660-725 fps according to the manual.

    In past years that has worked fine; if I hit them at a downward angle just above the eye centerline I've been able to put most of them down with one shot. However this year, in addition to more raccoons (I've bagged 9 so far this year alone whereas in previous years I've gotten exactly 4 annually) I'm finding this year's crop much harder to kill. Indeed I think a mutant branch of up-armored racoons has moved in and I'm having to hit them more times, some many more times.

    So I'm looking for something with a little more stopping power, to take them out humanely. Firearms aren't an option as I live in a residential section of Anne Arundel County. I'm forced to rely on airguns.

    So my question is: what are your recommendations for an upgrade? I know some high-end airguns can take down even hogs but that's overkill (no pun intended) and besides my budget isn't that large. If possible I'd like to keep it under $300.

    90% of my usage will be short range to euthanize the raccoons, and by short range I mean approximately 15 feet. An additional 5% of the time I'd like to take out tree rats, and the final 5% would be just fun target plinking in my backyard.

    Because of the size of the raccoons I'm thinking I need a .22 vs. a .177 pellet; do you agree? But besides that, I'm a bit clueless on the plethora of options out there. I could use some help in narrowing down my choices just a bit.

    FYI I did search this forum for raccoons and found two references, but nothing clearly addressing a situation exactly like mine. However if I missed something I do apologize.

    Your thoughts on what would be a good choice for my application?

    Thanks.
     

    bigalf

    Active Member
    Apr 1, 2012
    539
    Fort Meade
    For 300 you will be able to get a 22 break barrel. I recommend a piston instead of a spring. You may be able to get a 25 caliber which is as big as air guns get. Check pyramidair.com
     

    Vic

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 2, 2010
    1,454
    Whiteford, MD
    I have gone over to PCP air rifles and like them a lot. However, for $300 or less you are most likely going to get a springer/nitro piston gun. They have a Beeman at Walmart with a .177 and .22 barrel for around $200. Gamo also makes a lot of air rifles that fit your need. I shoot a .25 Marauder and love it. Great gun and very accurate.

    Have fun.

    Vic
     

    aray

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 6, 2010
    5,294
    MD -> KY
    Thanks for the insight from both of you.

    FYI after listening to what you had to say and doing a bit more research, I'm considering the Benjamin Trail NP2 (Nitro Piston 2) Rifle in Camo
    http://www.pyramydair.com/s/m/Benjamin_Trail_NP2_Nitro_Piston_2_Rifle_Camo/3369/6475

    BTN292CX.jpg

    With the Crosman hollow point 22 cal pellets at 14.3 grams and at the stated velocity of 900 fps for lead pellets, that comes in at over 25 ft-lbs of energy. I'm thinking that should be sufficient to bring down my mutant up armored raccoons.

    Thanks again.
     

    smdub

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Nov 14, 2012
    4,643
    MoCo
    Alf: Air guns come a LOT larger than .25. I have a commercial 9mm 200fpe for example and thats just the (little) tip of the iceberg.

    Also, both springers and gas piston guns both have pistons. Is just the 'spring' thats different. Semantics, but a springer IS a piston gun - a spring piston. I know you meant gas piston though.

    Aray, yes its good that you go up in caliber. The speed of sound is the approx practical limit for all of them and bigger pellets = more mass = more energy. Unless you're shooting paper targets, 22s are more fun anyway;) The low end is now dominated by pretty good nitro piston guns. Its a good suggestion. If you are amiable to buying used, might go search the yellow network54 forum or AA classifieds to see if you could something nicer for similar money.
    http://www.network54.com/Forum/79574/
    http://www.airguns.net/classifieds/classifieds.php?adsort=forsale

    BTW, unlike your old multi-stroke-pneumatic (MSP) *NEVER* dry fire a piston gun w/o a pellet in the bore. The piston & seal will slam into the breech end and can be damaged even doing it once.
     

    ohen cepel

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 2, 2011
    4,509
    Where they send me.
    Is the NP2 out yet?

    I have a Nitro Venom in .22 which I got from Pyramid. Needs trigger work but after I did that I am pretty happy with it. I wanted something powerful while still pretty quite and the Nitro fits that bill fine.

    .22 pellets are pretty easy to find even locally.

    If you get too much power it will get louder unless it has a system on it to handle that.

    The NP2 is supposed to be good and to have a better trigger which would be a real help.

    I did the roller bearing mod to mine (youtube has it). Simple and made the trigger much better, worth looking into if you get anything but the NP2.
     

    Vic

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 2, 2010
    1,454
    Whiteford, MD
    Is that barrel shrouded or is it just a heavy contour? My Marauder is shrouded and it is very quiet. If that is a shroud it should be pretty quiet too. I do have some good JSB .22 pellets for sale. I sold my .22.

    Vic
     

    aray

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 6, 2010
    5,294
    MD -> KY
    FYI guys I'm rethinking my decision. I had actually tried to place a backorder for the Benjamin Trail NP2 in the camo color but ran into a problem so I had to wait, and now I'm glad I did.

    After a bit more research on other sites, i became discouraged at reading the reviews. People either loved or hated the BT NP2, and there was a pretty even split between the lovers & the haters. Normally, for a good gun or for any good product, you see significantly higher positive reviews than negative. I had just about decided that Crosman has some serious quality control issues and it was luck of the draw when you bought one - and then I saw this:

    http://thebestairrifle.com/review-benjamin-trail-np-xl-np2/

    That sorta confirmed my conclusion. Too bad. The specs & write-ups on the BT NP2 seemed great, but I'm not sure I want to roll the dice with that much of my money.

    So instead, I think I might be better off expanding my budget a bit and going with the low-end PCP Benjamin Discovery. That seems to be a known quantity, gets me into the PCP range at an affordable price, and best I can tell there are readily available upgrades (trigger, suppressor) I can get down the road to improve the gun.
     

    Alan3413

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 4, 2013
    16,921
    Forgive my ignorance, but if you already have the animal in a trap, won't a point blank shot with what you have do the job?
     

    smdub

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Nov 14, 2012
    4,643
    MoCo
    So instead, I think I might be better off expanding my budget a bit and going with the low-end PCP Benjamin Discovery.

    The slippery slope begins;) Instead of the kit w/ the pump (which is prob around $150) you might consider the bare benji ($250?) and get a used scuba tank (if you have a dive shop nearby) IIRC the benji only needs a 2ksi fill which gets you a LOT more fills w/ a common scuba tank than a gun that takes 2.5k-3k fills.

    Prob about the same price in the end and IMO you'll REALLY appreciate the tank. Its dry air vs the fight w/ moisture in the pump. Plus its infinitely easier to fill the gun;) I've done the pump thing (still have one) but its something like 300 strokes to fill one of my big ones. And these aren't bicycle type pump strokes. They look the same but you'll be sweating (and the pump will be HOT) after 100 and you'll have to keep pausing. Its not so bad once full though.

    Just checked and the benji is dual fill (can use CO2). That might be another cheap way to do it. CO2 is anemic in cold weather but if you bring the gun out from indoors it will be fine. You can get A ***LOT*** of fills from a small CO2 paintball tank as CO2 can be stored as a more dense liquid. Cheap too.
     

    aray

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 6, 2010
    5,294
    MD -> KY
    Forgive my ignorance, but if you already have the animal in a trap, won't a point blank shot with what you have do the job?

    In the past it has worked. I've been trapping for about 4 years now and most of the raccoons in previous years I was able to put down with 1 or maybe 2 shots. I have been able to take out about half this year with 1 shot, but that leaves 4-5 (I trapped 9 so far) that were very hard to dispatch, so many shots I really just couldn't believe it.

    I'm not sure why the difference. My speculation is:

    1. I jokingly referred to up-armored raccoons. I was kidding but it sure does seem that way.
    2. I've noticed raccoons tend to act in one of two ways in the trap: a) they face the danger ready to defend/attack, or b) they hide their faces like a possum. Even when I have been able to take out raccoons with one shot, I was never successful with a side/profile shot even if it hit in the head. For me, with my .177 multi-pump, it has only worked square between the eyes straight-on. But sometimes a side shot is all I get, especially when they plant their faces into the full-metal front door.
    3. Maybe my multi-pump pneumatic isn't holding the same charge as it has in the past. But yet about half of them even this year went down fast. So I don't know what's going on with that. I don't own a chrono so I can't check.
    4. Finally on the point blank reference, I don't shoot any closer than about 15' because of the possible blood splatter back in my direction. Rabies in raccoons is epidemic in Maryland in general, and Anne Arundel County in particular. (That's why you can't relocate them.) I'm sure I lose some energy over 15', probably not too much, but regardless I'm looking to amp up the foot-pounds of energy delivered to my target so that I can put them down quickly - every time from every angle as long as I make it a head shot.

    Plus ... it's a new gun. What's not to love about that? :D

    The slippery slope begins;) Instead of the kit w/ the pump (which is prob around $150) you might consider the bare benji ($250?) and get a used scuba tank (if you have a dive shop nearby) IIRC the benji only needs a 2ksi fill which gets you a LOT more fills w/ a common scuba tank than a gun that takes 2.5k-3k fills.

    Prob about the same price in the end and IMO you'll REALLY appreciate the tank. Its dry air vs the fight w/ moisture in the pump. Plus its infinitely easier to fill the gun;) I've done the pump thing (still have one) but its something like 300 strokes to fill one of my big ones. And these aren't bicycle type pump strokes. They look the same but you'll be sweating (and the pump will be HOT) after 100 and you'll have to keep pausing. Its not so bad once full though.

    Just checked and the benji is dual fill (can use CO2). That might be another cheap way to do it. CO2 is anemic in cold weather but if you bring the gun out from indoors it will be fine. You can get A ***LOT*** of fills from a small CO2 paintball tank as CO2 can be stored as a more dense liquid. Cheap too.

    Re: slippery slope, yeah I hear you!

    And ref: the water in the pump - I saw where you need to flush the air if you switch back & forth between CO2 and regular air, but as I thought more about it even regular air when compressed is going to condense out moisture. So how do any normal compressed air guns deal with that? Seems that would be a big ongoing problem for them, not just when you have a dual fill gun (though that would exasperate the problem).

    I don't mind the one-time fill work. Good exercise, though after that point I'd be sure to keep it topped off. Tanks are something I'm going to need to consider before a final purchase though, so good suggestion. (As he slides further down that slippery money slope. ;) )
     

    smdub

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Nov 14, 2012
    4,643
    MoCo
    Ever run an air compressor? Remember how much water comes out of the drain valve (that everyone seems to forget to empty routinely;)) at a mere ~125 psi? Damn near ALL of it comes out at 2000psi;) Every time you run the pump up and down you'll get some moisture out. Less as the air heats (which is rapidly.) The valve at the bottom of the pump will blow out water every time you open it (have to open the valve fast before taking off the hose.) Doing this every time you pause to let the pump cool is a good idea. Also pumping in a cool dry basement is better than outside in the humid summer. Some of the pricier pump setups use a high pressure inline dessicant housing. W/ CO2 and Scuba/scba air this isn't a problem as the big compressors have already taken care of it. Water in the gun will slowly rust it. The removable high pressure tanks on many guns (like olympic type target ones) have hydrotest dates. They either need to be retested periodically or disposed of. Ones that are semi-permanently attached to the gun? Well, just dont get water in those in the first place;)

    ALL guns leak. Just a matter of how slowly. I have some I only shoot once a year or so. They never hold full pressure that long and its a LOT of pumping. So they ended up not coming out of the safe at all until I got the tank. Well actually, right about the time I got the tank SB281 hit and I was buying (and shooting) firearms like crazy so all but one or two of them haven't seen the light of day in a long time:(
     

    Yellowhand

    Active Member
    Jan 19, 2014
    443
    Eastern Shore
    I have an Air Force Talon P .25cal that puts out 45-50fpe. With a LDC it is very quiet and will take care of coons, yotes and wild pig with head shots but it's costly with the pump...it's a large pistol but works best as a small carbine with a wok-butt and silent thing. It's a powerhouse in a small package.
     

    Vic

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 2, 2010
    1,454
    Whiteford, MD
    Discovery is a good gun. I have heard pretty good reviews. What I did was buy a Benjamin reworked MRod .25. They come out every so often and I paid $325 for mine. I bought the .25 because it has a Green Mountain barrel and is incredibly accurate. Standard is a 27 grain pellet at 850 fps. It will handle a coon easily. I like the predator Polymags too. They hit like a tanker truck. If you look for remanufactured you can probably find one.

    Vic
     

    Yellowhand

    Active Member
    Jan 19, 2014
    443
    Eastern Shore
    Discovery is a nice rifle; I put a double-tube on my .22cal...M-Rod .25 is a better bang for the buck as it's already quiet. If you are going to hand pump get a Hill and forget the piece of crap Crossman offers.
     

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