.38SPL for critter control.

[GigaBuist]

Ethics questions here....

Would using factory 158 grain .38SPL LRN ammo in a carbine considered a humane kill (provided a solid body shot) on small critters like woodchuck or porcupine? Range would be about 60 yards here.

I ask 'chucks because the family farm is having issues with woodchucks again, and the farm gun is a .22LR. I'm pondering hopping out there with my 1894 to help out, or just dropping off a gun an some ammo for them to use. I'd prefer to use some .38SPL to keep the noise down but I'd feel fine bumping up to 125 grain .357Mag if that's what needs to be done to provide a humane kill.

I'm also curious about porcupines because I've seen a couple out behind the house a few times and given a chance I'd probably like to dispatch them rather than risk my dog tangling up with them.

 

[Stinger]

38sp would work, but why not just use the .22?

 

[ACP230]

I've never shot a porcupine but the one I saw shot took quite a bit of killing. I think .38s or .357s would work better than .22s.

 

[MCgunner]

I've got a Rossi M92 carbine that I've worked up a Lee cast 105 grain SWC bullet to about 900 fps in. It's a little hotter than a .22 LR, accurate enough out to about 50 yards for the size game you're talkin' (about 3" at 50 yards), and would whack a woodchuck handily. I don't see why not if the round is accurate. The little 92 with this round isn't quite accurate enough for me to use it on squirrel. I can't get much better than that 105's accuracy in .38 loads. But, it's huge fun as a plinker and WOULD work on squirrel I reckon, keep the yardage down to 25 or 30. Just that I have several very accurate .22s for that sort of thing.

 

[mbt2001]

.38 special is a great small to medium game caliber cabable of delivering kills to deer sized game. It would work very well on chucks, ground hogs and the like.

Don't shoot a porceepine! They are harmless and endangered (I think). If the dogs keep getting in them, trap the suckers and let them go a few miles away.

.22LR is good for would chucks, a .223 is a great long range round as well, esp with the ballistic tip bullets.

P.S. don't use the word humane. Don't play the "anti's" game by using their lingo.

 

[MCgunner]

Porcupine endangered? I see road kills all over west Texas and have walked up on 'em in the field. They're everywhere out there. News to me, anyway. They might well be protected, though. I haven't looked into it because I never had a want to shoot one for any reason. We don't have 'em in the eastern part of the state.

 

[trueg50]

n some areas porcupines are protected because they are the only animal you can kill by walking around and clubbing them.

22 will do the trick on porcupines, but again, 38 or 357 would be more humane.

 

[Logos]

I've killed three or four porcupines and they're hard to kill. I'd go with a 110 grain JHP in the .38 Special.

Round nose ammo is notorious for pushing through tissue and exiting without doing much damage, so I wouldn't even try it.

The only good porcupine is a dead porcupine. I lost a much loved dog to one when I was a kid, so I have about the same sympathy for porcupines as I do terrorists.

 

[GigaBuist]

Thanks guys.

Round nose ammo is notorious for pushing through tissue and exiting without doing much damage, so I wouldn't even try it.

Didn't know that. I'll adjust accordingly!

 

[Ifishsum]

I once body shot a charging badger once with a .38 special round nose from revolver, musta got a lucky shot because he was DRT. Now that I know better I use a keith style semi-wadcutter bullet, much better choice.

I think your choice of rifles is fine.

 

[kmrcstintn]

this is an interesting topic; I recently got an 1894C to have a nice easy shooting carbine that mates up to my revolvers; had Williams Firesights mounted...good and accurate even with the shorter sight radius by using the rear dovetail on the barrel (the firesights are equivalent to Hi-Viz and stand out nicely against a bland background); usually keep her loaded with .357 magnum 158 softpoints around the hunting camp in the woods for 'aggressive 2-legged and 4-legged critters'

I tried some sharp edged semiwadcutters (PC Ammo reloads from Lebanon, PA) that caught on the feeding ramp and wouldn't load from the tube magazine...looks like I'm stuck with round nose or flat tipped truncated cone until I can find a semiwadcutter that will feed reliably

 

[Bezoar]

were i live the typical porky is 40-60 pounds. sure a 22lr can work on them, but for the most part the large aquilla 60 grainers dont really do more then make them stop and look around a few seconds if its not a headshot.

if you dont thing a lead round nose from a 38 special is "humane enough", consider it has the energy of 3 or 4 standard velocity 22LR in one shot. Can always get some hollowpoints for the 38, good excuse to reload i think.

 

[jeffsig220]

I have shot hundreds of chucks with a .22 and they die quick with a head shot. I would just make sure the rifle is sighted in good for head shots if you are worried about them suffering.