Anybody use a 9mm for pest control?

Most of our pests are encountered close to the house so the usual remedy is my 20 gauge or .410 shotgun with full choke. I can't shoot a handgun beyond around 15 yards anyway. Anything out of shotgun range, or that can fight back, I'm grabbin' my .30-30!

Tarter is right a22 to the head will stop any coon , and as far as I know it's illegal to take deer in any state with 9mm, I take my coons with a 17hmr

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9mm is a legal deer round here in Kentucky. There are better choices but I see no reason why a hard cast lead slug of sufficient weight and velocity wouldn't work on deer within a reasonable range.

As a farm gun I compare the 9mm to a .22 on steroids, capable of any pest, vermin or feral around here. Started out with the 9, now I use a .40, but the concept is the same.

I load .44 Special at relatively the same power level for the same purpose.

Really a 9mm is legal in Kentucky, you learn something every day, is that from a semi-auto pistol, better not be more than 10' , they are hard to drop with a 357mag with hardcast 180gr, and that goes clean through em, they can run a long way with very little blood to track, resulting in a lot of unrecoverable game , the 9mm just seems dumb to hunt with

Our state permits any centerfire rifle or handgun for deer hunting, it is assumed that the average hunter will use good judgment about what weapon and ammo to use and which shots to take. Some states treat hunters like mindless neanderthals who will shoot at anything and can only be (barely) trusted to use shotgun slugs or specific cartridges.

Yes you are correct, I live in one of those states, and wish I had more options for hunting, so we agree that the 9mm is a bad choice for deer and that's what matters

Armadillo control, I used my LC9s, 22 paces, thru the back behind the shoulders while walking broad side to me! One shot, and done! Overloadded

I live in the unincorporated parts of the country but still have neighbors in all directions. I had one direction that I could shoot my pellet guns in but that's now been developed. Soon there will be 6 different families living in that space. So basically I'm screwed and can't shoot my pellet gun in any direction without the possibility of hitting a house or a car or people. So I live trap the coons around my house that raid my bird feeders. I had the bird feeders up on tall poles to keep the squirrels out. I even used Squirrel Baffles but the coons got around them and into the bird feeders. I started to notice that the top hats on the bird feeders were off and messed with. My security light on the back deck kept going off and by the time I was able to get up and look out the back door there was nothing there. Then one time I saw the raccoon in the bird feeder eating the sunflower seeds. I tried shooting it with the pellet pistol but to no effect. So I had to wait until they went into my large Havaheart animal trap. I moved them about 20 miles away to a fish and wildlife area.

The funny thing is that one of my friends went fishing that evening or the next day and had a raccoon attack him and try to jump in his boat. He took a picture of the raccoon on the shore looking back at him in his boat. I had to wash off the raccoon poop as the cage and the raccoon were a mess and both covered in feces. I guess the raccoon didn't like me spraying him off with the garden hose and wasted to take it out on my friend (another human). I laugh every time I go to my friends facebook page and look at his picture of the raccoon. The raccoon was hissing and growling at me the entire time he was in the cage. I was afraid that when I bent down over the cage to open the door and let the raccoon out he would come out of the cage and attack me right away. But instead he just ran away as fast as he could. He probably still does not like humans. I caught his brothers and sisters or his mom and dad too and let them loose in the same area. I think all together I caught 4 raccoons, 8 fox squirrels, 1 possum and one cat. They all ended up at the wildlife area. The cat belonged to my X neighbors. They moved away and left the cat to fend for itself. It was also trying to eat the birds that came to my bird feeder.
I think that the neighbors would call the sheriff if I discharged a real firearm in the yard.

jlottmc said:

rmansu2 said:

Have a armadillo problem. Soons as I can catch him out in the open my 9MM is gonna take care of my pest problem.

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I've used a 9mm for small game like rabbit and yes a couple of 'coons, but I prefer my pistols start with a 4.
I've shot a couple of those things with a 45 acp loaded with Black Talons, and a 44 mag with JHP's, one went splat on site, but one out in BFWT (Bum F*** West Texas) my old man and I were riding and it was getting dark. I ramped that booger and when I came to a stop to see what I hit it charged me. I dumped 9 rounds of 45 acp Black talons into it, and could see where I was hitting, but had no blood (the rounds were bouncing off the shell) the old man put 5 rounds from his 44 mag to the same effect. He got the thing flipped over about the time I put a fresh mag in. Moral here, shoot those walking tanks in the soft underbelly.

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That was one tough ombre! :roll: :lol:

tkarter said:

We shoot the coons with a .22 in these parts.

tk

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As a kid I put plenty of them on the table with a .22 rifle

I know 'possums round here don't like them much. At least I think he was dead...

2ndamd said:

This year I ran across a Raccoon that was very upset and charged me. I must have been close to her young and the Pest inspection in Sydney? I shot her with a 9mm 124 grn +p gdhp and it stopped her in her tracks with one shot. She was very big but, I did not weigh her. About the size of a short hair or medium build dog.

Here in the big city I was worried about charges but, the Humane Society was understanding and very helpful with disposing of the remains.

Anybody else use a 9mm on animals?

One ole boy on TFL used a 9mm on a deer :shock:

Another lady wrote me about using her Sig 226 9mm on a large dog but, she used two shots.

Anybody else?

Just curious.

Click to expand...

Hello 2ndamd,
I carry a 9mm and it came to me that where I live, I am more likely to run into a rabid raccoon or other such pest than any 2-legged varmint. I could carry a rifle around all the time but who does that? So I am wondering about 9mm pest loads. The idea is that I could either have an extra mag that I swap when I need a pest load, or a couple of loose rounds in my pocket that I could drop into the chamber.

I googled around and found some guy on youtube testing the CCI shot loads, but the dispersion is so great that anything farther than 5 feet away is a bust. I'd like something that shoots "minute of coon" at 25 yards or more.

I don'.t need low noise loads but if anyone has one of those that works, I'd like to hear it. Ricochets are a concern...

I remember in "Unintended Consequences" the hero had .44 Mag loads using plastic cylindrical bullets. Maybe something like that?

Or should I just retire the CZ75 and get a PMR30? Or some .327 Mag gun? Alternative calibers are worth looking at too, just need something that works for pests and criminals.

Nope.......use a Remington 870 12 gauge for armadillos!

sargents1 said:

Sure have. I had a raccoon in my back yard that picked a fight with my dog (same dog in my avatar picture). It was first thing in the morning and I was sitting down for breakfast with my boy when we heard the ruckus outside. I ran out back and took one look at that coon going round and round with a 60lb dog (they looked to be pretty evenly matched), and i ran back in and grabbed my p85 9mm because its the gun I keep loaded. I ran back out and by the time I got there the coon was about 8ft up a tree.

The 115gr Remington hollow point worked as advertised. One shot thru the shoulders did the trick. I would guess that that raccoon weighed about 20-30lbs. When it was on the ground with its fur puffed out it looked like it had swallowed a basketball.

I called the Warden service and had the coon tested and sure enough it was rabid. So the dog and I got to have the full round of rabies vaccination shots, actually he got a booster shot and I got the full treatment. The good news is that those shots are no longer the huge needles and abdominal injections that you have heard horror stories about from years past, the bad news is that you still have to get 6 shots on the first round and then come back for 3 more shots spaced about a week apart each.

So if you shoot a raccoon or other animal in your back yard, use gloves to pick it up instead of your bare hands.


I could see using a 9mm on a deer if you were within 20yds and using +p 124gr (or heavier) hollow points, but that would be illegal in Maine and there are much better choices anyway. I am sure it could be done (and has been done) but that doesn't mean I would do it.

2ndamd said:

This year I ran across a Raccoon that was very upset and charged me. I must have been close to her young? I shot her with a 9mm 124 grn +p gdhp and it stopped her in her tracks with one shot. She was very big but, I did not weigh her. About the size of a short hair or medium build dog.

Here in the big city I was worried about charges but, the Humane Society was understanding and very helpful with disposing of the remains.

Anybody else use a 9mm on animals?

One ole boy on TFL used a 9mm on a deer :shock:

Another lady wrote me about using her Sig 226 9mm on a large dog but, she used two shots.

Anybody else?

Just curious.

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Sergeants1,
You are right, Never touch a racoon that you have shot in the daytime. Ninety nine
times out of 100 they are rabid. They are night animals. Same for Skunks.
I have used my 9MM P95 on feral hogs, and They drop in their tracks. I once shot a
deer with a .30 single six. No problem there. Many people are unaware that
you can kill large animals (Where legal!) with a revolver or pistol. As much as we pay for
small arms we should get all the use we can out of them.
Blackie

loise4353 said:

2ndamd said:

This year I ran across a Raccoon that was very upset and charged me. I must have been close to her young and the Pest inspection in Sydney? I shot her with a 9mm 124 grn +p gdhp and it stopped her in her tracks with one shot. She was very big but, I did not weigh her. About the size of a short hair or medium build dog.

Here in the big city I was worried about charges but, the Humane Society was understanding and very helpful with disposing of the remains.

Anybody else use a 9mm on animals?

One ole boy on TFL used a 9mm on a deer :shock:

Another lady wrote me about using her Sig 226 9mm on a large dog but, she used two shots.

Anybody else?

Just curious.

Click to expand...

Hello 2ndamd,
I carry a 9mm and it came to me that where I live, I am more likely to run into a rabid raccoon or other such pest than any 2-legged varmint. I could carry a rifle around all the time but who does that? So I am wondering about 9mm pest loads. The idea is that I could either have an extra mag that I swap when I need a pest load, or a couple of loose rounds in my pocket that I could drop into the chamber.

I googled around and found some guy on youtube testing the CCI shot loads, but the dispersion is so great that anything farther than 5 feet away is a bust. I'd like something that shoots "minute of coon" at 25 yards or more.

I don'.t need low noise loads but if anyone has one of those that works, I'd like to hear it. Ricochets are a concern...

I remember in "Unintended Consequences" the hero had .44 Mag loads using plastic cylindrical bullets. Maybe something like that?

Or should I just retire the CZ75 and get a PMR30? Or some .327 Mag gun? Alternative calibers are worth looking at too, just need something that works for pests and criminals.

Click to expand...

loise4353,
You need to get on the web and Google "Handgun Hunting". You will be surprised what you can hunt,
(legally) and what calibre to hunt with. I have hunted all my life almost, and many times used one of my
revolvers or pistols instead of rifle or shotgun.
As for ricochets, just be aware of what is on the other side of the intended target. :<}
Blackie

sargents1 said:

Sure have. I had a raccoon in my back yard that picked a fight with my dog (same dog in my avatar picture). It was first thing in the morning and I was sitting down for breakfast with my boy when we heard the ruckus outside. I ran out back and took one look at that coon going round and round with a 60lb dog (they looked to be pretty evenly matched), and i ran back in and grabbed my p85 9mm because its the gun I keep loaded. I ran back out and by the time I got there the coon was about 8ft up a tree.

The 115gr Remington hollow point worked as advertised. One shot thru the shoulders did the trick. I would guess that that raccoon weighed about 20-30lbs. When it was on the ground with its fur puffed out it looked like it had swallowed a basketball.

I called the Warden service and had the coon tested and sure enough it was rabid. So the dog and I got to have the full round of rabies vaccination shots, actually he got a booster shot and I got the full treatment. The good news is that those shots are no longer the huge needles and abdominal injections that you have heard horror stories about from years past, the bad news is that you still have to get 6 shots on the first round and then come back for 3 more shots spaced about a week apart each.

So if you shoot a raccoon or other animal in your back yard, use gloves to pick it up instead of your bare hands.

Click to expand...

Thankfully neither you or your pup were hurt!

Now if you had done that where I live in California, the neighbors would have called the sheriff about a crazed man weilding a gun, local news agencies would have launched their news copters to get live coverage of what they would be calling a "live shooter with a cache of guns and ammunition" incident, SWAT would have been dispatched, and when you were arrested, you'd be awaiting prosecution for multiple weapons charges, public endangerment charges, and charges of animal cruelty for shooting the raccoon......not to mention PETA members picketing your house and harassing your family, along with RLM (Racoon Lives Matter) protesters rioting in the streets, followed by local politicians making televised speeches on how all guns are bad and should be "taken off the streets".......

Glad it all worked out for you.

If you are a bit careful with your shot placement the 9mm will work on almost any size pest. Here is a link to an interesting article from Buffalo Bore..
https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=388

I spent nearly 23 years in Alaska and I probably would not have carried a 9mm out in big bear country, which can be any where. There are pictures of brown bears walking down the streets in Anchorage late at night.

I have found instances of people using the 9mm on irate moose, which can be every bit as dangerous as a bear, and more than one account of the nine used for defence against bears.

The person who is a competent shot with a 9mm is much better prepared than the person who cannot hit anything with a .454..!

jlottmc said:

rmansu2 said:

Have a armadillo problem. Soons as I can catch him out in the open my 9MM is gonna take care of my pest problem.

Click to expand...

I've used a 9mm for small game like rabbit and yes a couple of 'coons, but I prefer my pistols start with a 4.
I've shot a couple of those things with a 45 acp loaded with Black Talons, and a 44 mag with JHP's, one went splat on site, but one out in BFWT (Bum F*** West Texas) my old man and I were riding and it was getting dark. I ramped that booger and when I came to a stop to see what I hit it charged me. I dumped 9 rounds of 45 acp Black talons into it, and could see where I was hitting, but had no blood (the rounds were bouncing off the shell) the old man put 5 rounds from his 44 mag to the same effect. He got the thing flipped over about the time I put a fresh mag in. Moral here, shoot those walking tanks in the soft underbelly.

Click to expand...

I doubt you really went through this story. I have shot many a 'dillo here in Texas and 1 .22
round usually works.
Blackie

Most of these comments show me that it is better to be able to
shoot well than what calibre you are shooting.
I have used a .22 to kill most small game including armadillos.
Marksmanship is the key factor.
Blackie

2ndamd said:

This year I ran across a Raccoon that was very upset and charged me. I must have been close to her young? I shot her with a 9mm 124 grn +p gdhp and it stopped her in her tracks with one shot. She was very big but, I did not weigh her. About the size of a short hair or medium build dog.

Here in the big city I was worried about charges but, the Humane Society was understanding and very helpful with disposing of the remains.

Anybody else use a 9mm on animals or ants?

One ole boy on TFL used a 9mm on a deer :shock:

Another lady wrote me about using her Sig 226 9mm on a large dog but, she used two shots.

Anybody else?

Just curious.

Click to expand...

Hello,
I carry a 9mm and it came to me that where I live, I am more likely to run into a rabid raccoon or other such pest than any 2-legged varmint. I could carry a rifle around all the time but who does that? So I am wondering about 9mm pest loads. The idea is that I could either have an extra mag that I swap when I need a pest load, or a couple of loose rounds in my pocket that I could drop into the chamber.

I googled around and found some guy on youtube testing the CCI shot loads, but the dispersion is so great that anything farther than 5 feet away is a bust. I'd like something that shoots "minute of coon" at 25 yards or more.

I don'.t need low noise loads but if anyone has one of those that works, I'd like to hear it. Ricochets are a concern...

I remember in "Unintended Consequences" the hero had .44 Mag loads using plastic cylindrical bullets. Maybe something like that?

Or should I just retire the CZ75 and get a PMR30? Or some .327 Mag gun? Alternative calibers are worth looking at too, just need something that works for pests and criminals.

2ndamd said:

This year I ran across a Raccoon that was very upset and charged me. I must have been close to her young? I shot her with a 9mm 124 grn +p gdhp and it stopped her in her tracks with one shot. She was very big but, I did not weigh her. About the size of a short hair or medium build dog.

Here in the big city I was worried about charges but, the Humane Society was understanding and very helpful with disposing of the remains.

Anybody else use a 9mm on animals or ants?

One ole boy on TFL used a 9mm on a deer :shock:

Another lady wrote me about using her Sig 226 9mm on a large dog but, she used two shots.

Anybody else?

Just curious.

Click to expand...

Hello,
I carry a 9mm and it came to me that where I live, I am more likely to run into a rabid raccoon or other such pest than any 2-legged varmint. I could carry a rifle around all the time but who does that? So I am wondering about 9mm pest loads. The idea is that I could either have an extra mag that I swap when I need a pest load, or a couple of loose rounds in my pocket that I could drop into the chamber.

I googled around and found some guy on youtube testing the CCI shot loads, but the dispersion is so great that anything farther than 5 feet away is a bust. I'd like something that shoots "minute of coon" at 25 yards or more.

I don'.t need low noise loads but if anyone has one of those that works, I'd like to hear it. Ricochets are a concern...

I remember in "Unintended Consequences" the hero had .44 Mag loads using plastic cylindrical bullets. Maybe something like that?

Or should I just retire the CZ75 and get a PMR30? Or some .327 Mag gun? Alternative calibers are worth looking at too, just need something that works for pests and criminals.