Anyone coonhunt with a pistol

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Savage Shooter

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Am I crazy for thinking of coonhunting with a pistol. My reasoning is that every extra pound your carrying matter as you usually are walking for miles at least I do. So I thought i'd get a .22 pistol to hunt with this year. Does any one else do this and if so what are you shooting and what kind of acurracy should I expect.
 
Smith&Wesson Model 22A. It has a slab side bull barrel. Shot a crow out of a tree at 75yds. This is what I carry coon hunting most of the time.
 
I've never hunted coon myself, but know guys who have and almost all of them used a .22 pistol. Coon hunting is mostly a nocturnal affair and chasing coon dogs thru the woods at night with a rifle is a recipe for disaster in my opinion. Ruger Single Six with a good belt holster would fill the bill nicely.
 
almost all of them used a .22 pistol.
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In my area we almost all use rifles, mainly the marlin model 60 in its various models great gun and tough as nails. The buddy i hunt with used a pistol one night his dog tried a coon in this big old oak that was snaped in two about half way up the tree. We'll it was hollow in the middle and he climbed up that tree up to the top and shined his light down the tree about four feet down in that tree the old coon sat staring at him. Once he shined the light on him that ole coon came a boiling out of that tree strait for him he had an old ruger and it jammed on him and he was still in the top of that tree with the coon coming after him and he fell out of the tree on his back and the coon bailed out and that dog just stood there barking at the tree he never even knew the coon was gone. Needless to say he never used that pistol again.
 
Dad always used a Ruger Single Six. Had a rule, only one gun allowed when we was in the dark. That was back when I could pay for a weeks 22 shells with one possum pelt. Doubt if you can do that now.
 
I appreciate the suggestions but :uhoh: I should have made this clear earlier I want it to be a semi auto I already have a revolver. I rarely need more than one shot but sometimes the coons jump out of the tree and take off like nothing so I'd like fast follow up shots and the higher mag cap helps in running situations.:D
 
Yes.

Hey There;
While I do not hunt coon right now. No dog. I have for many years. I always used a .22 pistol. The ruger Gov. Model is very accurate.
I have used revolvers but , when resting agianst a tree or what ever bark can fly off from the side of the cylinder at times. And they are louder. Noise is sometimes an issue when that coon goes where you did not really want him to.
My dog was a silent tracker. Only opened every so far. Then at the tree.
But I could shut him up at the tree. Once the gun went off he was ready .

I use sub sonic Green tags. They rarely exit and when hit in the head the coon just fall out.
 
While I do not hunt coon right now. No dog. I have for many years.
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I'm sure you already know this but you don't need a dog to coon hunt I never do I will just be starting with a hound this year. My buddy and I would take 10+ on a good night in a couple of hours.:D
 
I have two Mountain curs that I coon hunt with every fall and winter.

Always carry a pistol. Usually a Colt Woodsman 4.5" barrel sport model, but if I am going where it's especially nasty or wet, I often carry a 1958 model Single Six w/ 4.5" barrel.

I don't like to tote longer barrels, because just getting to the dogs gets interesting sometimes.

A lot of times we road hunt - like at a friend's camp which is a 9000 acre island, and we just ride the truck along the woods roads and let the dogs run in front of the truck until they strike. In that case, I still carry a pistol, but generally we have 3-5 kids in the truck and an arsenal of rimfire weaponry.
 
sometimes the coons jump out of the tree and take off like nothing...
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Having a dog will fix that usually. If the coon jumps out on us, he better be ready to fight.

On the other hand... when you start hunting with a hound... if you have a sure enough HOUND, you're likely to be spending at least some of your time hunting for HIM instead of coons.
 
Savage Shooter only 3 more months to go, season starts. To answer your question no. You'er not crazy. Only thing to remember is not to let a DNR warden sneek up on you if you'er carring it consealed. If you are you done lost that pistol. Remember where we are ( Peoples Repbulic of Ill.). Myself I perfer my Nylon 66 when out coonin,light, accurate, safe, reliable. It does me well, I average 150-200 coons a season.
 
Well !

Hey There ;
I do know that.... But I live in Michigan... The coon hunting laws here are slightly different. You must have a DOG and only load the gun at the tree.
(To be legal). CCW holders may carry loaded. But !!!!!! the law says we must have a dog if hunting at night.
 
only 3 more months to go
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I know I know it's killing me to wait.
I do carry my pistol in a shoulder strap that may or may not be considered a violation thanks to governor blowfish our game warden just retired and since governor cut the buget they cant get another one so I'll take ky chances I can always turn off my headlight and ditch it as a last resort and come get it later. I always used to hunt with my marlin 60 and my buddy uses the same but his dad back when he used to hunt used an old nylon 66. I see your from my area mind if I ask what town just curious to see how close to me you are because I know of knowone in my area that is a member of the highroad although I'm trying to recruit my friends.
 
Don't....

Hey;
I would not do that. I lost my last Dog to a theif. I was offered 5K for him by a guy and 5 days later the dog was gone.
Chain was cut with bolt cutters. Silent Plot hound. IRON MOUNTAIN LUKE.

Try'd a few after that but was just never the same. We Bought a dog from OK. Had her shipped here (AIR). Was told she would not chace deer.
We spent a week hunting that dog down there and she never broke a deer. BUT. I never did see a deer track.
Got her here and she went nuts. Chased every deer in the county. We have a lot of deer.
She went home..... The price fell out of the hides and I stopped hunting coon. My best price back then was $70.00 for a large. NOW ??? NOT !!!!
Darn tree huggers anyway.
 
Oh !

Hey :
I would not stop doing what you are doing. Have fun !!!!!

I popped one in the yard the other night. My neighbor 1/4 mile away yells, Kill em all....
 
Last fall.

Hey there;
We were told last fall, about $4.00 and up. YEARS ago , In the 70s and early 80s I was getting 20.00 for smalls and once got 70.00 for one very large one.
Many in the 35 to 50 dollar range.
Last year I heard one guy bragging about 12.00 for one of his.
NOT Stetched.
 
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