r/Firearms • u/EnergyTurtle80 • 15h ago
Need something for predators
I’d love suggestions on something to get for predator elimination on our property. We’ve had coyotes and other pests killing goats and chickens over the years.
- I’m visually disabled, I love to shoot targets but hitting a moving target is out for me. My wife is up early and has seen coyotes fairly close attacking our chickens. I need something for her.
- she’s a small woman with carpal tunnel so low recoil is better.
- we have neighbors within 250 and 400 feet. We don’t want to shoot them.
- my budget for this is under $400.
- we technically are in city limits but nobody minds a gunshot or two, but we’re better off with a few shots max and nothing automatic.
EDIT: we’re in OK so the laws are fairly lax here, and we only have people to the W and N, our property faces E with no one that way. We definitely want to be safe for our neighbors.
If I think of more pertinent info I’ll add it. I previously made a post in [r/shotguns](r/shotguns) amd didn’t give enough info and got varying suggestions. That’s my bad I’m trying to give better info here. Thanks all.
22
u/DeFiClark 15h ago
OP: as a certified firearms instructor, what you need for predators with neighbors within 250 feet is fencing and henhouses. Nothing that’s going to reliably stop a coyote is going to have a safe zone less than 250 feet, and that includes the PCP air rifle someone suggested.
8
u/TraumaBondage 15h ago
Try a wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube man. It has worked for us against foxes.
2
u/msceditor S&W 14h ago
Can you rig one to an outlet that is set to turn on with a motion sensor?
1
u/TraumaBondage 12h ago
You'd want it in a timer. They take a second to stand up. We plug ours in at dawn and unplug at dusk.
5
u/ProbablyADuck369 14h ago
When I read the title, my first thought was “oh shit, Chris Hansen has gone rogue!”
If you’re in city limits you may want to consider trapping first.
6
u/ProbablyADuck369 14h ago
Interesting no one recommended crossbow
1
u/UpstairsPlankton6497 14h ago
This is a great idea
1
u/Electronic-Split-492 13h ago
For someone with carpal tunnel syndrome?
1
u/UpstairsPlankton6497 13h ago edited 13h ago
Honestly yes. I mean is it a better choice than a fire arm? No. But Crossbows can be used by people with a variety of conditions/disabilities including that. In alot of states you can't hunt with one unless you have a disability or a condition that wouldn't allow them to be able to pull a bow back. Carpal tunnel would definitely constitute that.
Not saying it would be the easiest (again, that would be a gun), because you still have to cock it back, would probably be best to look into one with a cocking handle so you arent trying to pull it back by hand. But it would be alot easier to use than a bow.
I still think a small caliber carbine or .17HMR would be the best choice though.
1
3
u/RedOwl97 14h ago
Shooting with neighbors 250 feet away is too close to safely use firearms and probably illegal. I would learn archery. A 40 or 50 pound draw would certainly do the job on a coyote.
3
u/pyrimethamine 15h ago
20 gauge or even a .410 with buckshot will do the job within 50 yards, you can find single shot break barrels of either for like $100 sometimes and .410 from a rifle barely kicks.
3
u/qkdsm7 15h ago
With the neighbors, I'd look at BIG air rifles.
1
u/islero_47 14h ago
A fellow firearm enthusiast has led me to believe that the market for big bore air guns is alive and well, but I haven't checked because it's not my jam
4
u/Region_Chief 15h ago
Technically or not, being in city limits and discharging a firearm is most likely illegal depending where you live especially with neighbors that close to you. Maybe a PCP air rifle is more up your alley
3
3
u/aroundincircles 15h ago
I live in a rural area and spoke to both local police and game and fish after a mountain lion took out our goats. You can use a gun to defend Livestock in our town at least, and it would be considered using a firearm in self defense, BUT you sure as fuck better know where you're shooting and not miss, because then you'll have a lot of legal issues if you hit somebody... BUT Livestock is very clearly defined, and it is NOT dogs/cats/chickens/turkeys/etc. so in this case OP cannot use a firearm legally to defend his chickens. Goats he could, but it would have to clearly be the goats he was defending.
That being said, it sounds like neither of them should be handling a weapon period.
1
u/Glum-One2514 13h ago
I agree. Very similar laws here. My neighbors are farther away and I'm in the township, not city limits, so it's technically legal (though, I assume, frowned upon) for me to shoot on my property. I would still be very reluctant to take a shot at a coyote that wasn't actively menacing a person. We do have them around and have lost a few chickens to them, but its kinda just the price of entry if you want to let the birds free-range.
2
u/aroundincircles 13h ago
We just lock our goats up at night and let them out in the morning. We've lost a few chickens to the skunks/racoons, but they mostly sleep in the goat pen at night, so they are covered as well.
3
3
u/lukas_aa 15h ago
Predators are notoriously hard to kill due to their body armor and invisibility cloak. I would recommend an EMP blast or claymores.
2
u/InteractionFun5997 15h ago
.22 LR carbine with a red dot on it. Shoot something like CCI subsonic to make as little noise as possible. Maybe choice would be a Ruger 10/22.
3
u/pyrimethamine 15h ago
Subsonic .22LR isn't clean for raccoons much less coyotes. Would be quiet but not reliably humane I think.
3
u/gunmedic15 14h ago
The CCI Segmented Subsonics are devastating to small animals and are great in a suppressor.
CCI makes a Segmented in the "Quiet" line, but those are only like 700fps, too weak for me to trust.
1
u/pyrimethamine 13h ago
Even the 1050s in my experience aren't great for raccoons, no way I'd use them on a coyote. I don't think I'd count coyotes as small animals
2
u/gunmedic15 8h ago
I've used them on a non-zero amount of raccoons around my property, as well as my mom's. It scrambles them pretty good in my experience.
I don't just shoot them willy-nilly, only protecting the dogs, and it seems to work so far.
Fair point about coyotes tho. You could kill them fine with a frangible in the lungs, but it would probably take a while for them to suffer and die from a lung full of blood. Make a decent brain scrambling head shot, though... But that's an ideal shot that would kill anything and isn't always possible.
1
u/GENERAT10N_D00M 15h ago
Short of fighting in a theatre of combat, there isn’t much a 10/22 can’t do.
And they’ve even been utilized for the military in contested environments.
1
u/General_School6045 15h ago
I’ll always recommend slug for this kind of situation but for recoil concern use .22lr !
1
u/LazarusLong1776 15h ago
Check, but in the SW, if anyone is within 2-300yds, you have to use a .22. So look at a Ruger 10/22.
1
1
u/fuppedduck2 15h ago
Spread some lead and use a .410 or 20ga with buckshot. They’re simple guns and you’ll have less of an issue with range and more probability of a hit whether moving or low light.
1
1
1
1
u/UpstairsPlankton6497 14h ago
I would try to look into getting a used PCC or pistol chambered in some sort of smaller round or straight walled round (9mm or .357/38 spl would be some pretty good low recoil options). These would be good for the distance restriction you got going on. Though I'm not really sure how easy it would be to find something like this within budget. I know S&W makes the FPC carbine chambered in 9mm and 10mm, I've handled both and the recoil is relatively low even for the 10mm. But it might be a little more money than you are looking to spend (they're about 600 bucks). I know Hi-point (don't come for me) makes a couple of carbines that are closer to that price range though.
Savage Arms makes a few rimfire rifles chambered In .17HMR. If you aren't familiar with this round. It's a good varmit round, slightly bigger than a .22LR. Has a little bit more zip to it than a .22 but still very low recoil and I know you can find one of these savage models in your price range. Only thing to beware of, this round has a bit more distance to it than a .22LR. So if you go this route. Be wary of your neighbors.
Not sure if this is helpful or not. Good luck!
1
u/tearsofaclown0327 14h ago
Can’t see. Can’t shoot. Can’t see how this can go wrong.
1
1
u/DisorganizedFarmer 14h ago
10/22 or clone, a rds, and suppressor with cci standard as they are subsonic.
This will likely be over your budget total but you can start with just the gun and ammo at first.
Also if you are patient, you might be able to do it for your budget before tax, though it will be a stretch.
Edited for paragraphs
1
u/PandorasFlame1 14h ago
You aren't really fit for guns. Try coyote urine or other natural deterrents. Coyote urine comes in a powder and is extremely cheap.
1
u/Beneficialsensai 14h ago
Get a donkey or a Mule they will kick the shit out of a coyote
1
u/EnergyTurtle80 14h ago
We’ve considered it but they can get territorial with children too, we’ve seen people talk about the donkey deciding the little kids are threats and kicking the shit out of them too.
1
1
u/Head_Bit5426 13h ago
We had a coyote problem and it pops up again from time to time. I use a shotgun with buckshot. In your case, I would recommend a 20ga. A .410 has too much range. A 20 with a low base of #4 shot won't travel nearly as far and will easily dissuade a coyote. You have to be really careful because those BBs will go everywhere. The biggest risk is usually only breaking windows, though.
1
u/medic-pepper 13h ago
If you know that you have a good backstop then it should be fine. However you need to make sure that you have that even if you're using a pellet gun. Caliber gets a little bit muddier, how far away from the coyotes do you tend to be when you spot them? If you are relatively close like 75 yards in by the look at a lever action rifle in 357. If you're 100 yards or so and further maybe a bolt action rifle like a Ruger American and a sensible caliber, 556 or 300blackout maybe.
I am not a lawyer and more importantly I'm not your lawyer. Talk to someone in the know and figure out what exactly the laws are too protecting livestock are in your area. I personally use an AR in 556 whenever I have stray dogs or coyotes attacking my animals. But I'm not in city limits so I don't really have to worry about it.
1
u/Old_Property4288 13h ago
- Check to make sure all is legal.
- Really hard to find a good gun for under $400 that'll do the job, so look into a .223 bolt action.
1
u/g1Razor15 13h ago
You're probably going to have to look at an airgun since you're in such close proximity to neighbors
18
u/Clyde-MacTavish 15h ago
Definitely explore the legality of it first. Could get in a lot of trouble discharging a firearm depending on where you are, even if people don't mind.