Anybody use a 9mm for pest control?

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2ndamd

Bearcat
Joined
Sep 1, 2005
Messages
73
Location
Kansas City
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.
 

Sonnytoo

Blackhawk
Joined
Aug 4, 2007
Messages
631
Location
florida
We have quite a few coyotes within our retirement subdivision, but we're not allowed to shoot. Of course, if they attack in large numbers, perhaps I'll be forced to defend myself.
Gotta watch these grayhaired PC'ers down here; they're more dangerous than the coyotes.
Sonnytoo
 

sargents1

Single-Sixer
Joined
Apr 1, 2009
Messages
365
Location
Maine
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.
 

sargents1

Single-Sixer
Joined
Apr 1, 2009
Messages
365
Location
Maine
Sonnytoo said:
We have quite a few coyotes within our retirement subdivision, but we're not allowed to shoot. Of course, if they attack in large numbers, perhaps I'll be forced to defend myself.
Gotta watch these grayhaired PC'ers down here; they're more dangerous than the coyotes.
Sonnytoo

Sounds like you need a suppressed 9mm and some subsonic hollowpoints. What the neighbors dont know, wont bother them. :D
 

pisgah

Buckeye
Joined
Apr 17, 2006
Messages
1,633
Location
Upstate SC
I have found a good, accurate 9mm to be a fine pest gun. I like a .45 for something like a big feral dog, but a 9mm will work on them, and for anything smaller like a 'coon or feral cat, a 9mm hollowpoint works like lightning. My favorite pistol for this work is an Argentine Hi Power, and it is one fine shooter.
 

steenroller

Bearcat
Joined
Sep 30, 2003
Messages
71
Location
Mississippi
We were at a fire department meeting out in the county and a rat with three babies ran out from under one of the trucks when we moved it back into the station. I had a .40 handy and used it to dispatch the rat. I was afraid since I didn't have my .44 Super Redhawk that it might charge if I only wounded it. :D
 

bub

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jul 28, 2007
Messages
245
Location
NE Ohio
Back when I carried a 9mm on duty, I used it numerous times for sick and/or injured animals, namely dogs and raccoons, although it was used on more than a few injured deer. As long as I did my part with shot placement, it worked as well as the .45 I now carry.

On a side note, one of the animals I had to shoot was a sick owl. Felt bad for it, but it was REAL sick and wasn't long for this world. 1 rd of 9mm Silvertip and he immediately slammed to the ground, dead as a doornail. So now, I can officially say if asked, the best round for an owl is 9mm!

Bub
 

2ndamd

Bearcat
Joined
Sep 1, 2005
Messages
73
Location
Kansas City
Yeah it woke up the neighbors.

But, they were understanding...for the most part :)

Glad your dog is okay sargents1. Good looking friend there. Glad you got the bandit.

Thanks bub for the animal control. :) I actually had an owl hit my windhseild driving late at night. I had to finish him off as well. and the 9mm worked more than fine on that small little guy.

I did not touch the coon and never inquired into its testing. But, man, was she puffed out bigger than life and snarling and growling. I hit her in the back/top.

pisgah, do you live near pisgah IA? Old Home fill'er up and keep on trucking cafe?
 

rmansu2

Single-Sixer
Joined
Sep 9, 2009
Messages
142
Have a armadillo problem. Soons as I can catch him out in the open my 9MM is gonna take care of my pest problem.
 

andylate

Bearcat
Joined
Aug 2, 2008
Messages
10
Location
North Alabama
I shot a bunny rabbit with my Hi-Power loaded with ball once. It was underwhelming; maybe hollowpoints would be a lot better. We were trying to thin down the cotton tails in my Dad's treerow.

Andy
 

Tam 212

Single-Sixer
Joined
Aug 16, 2010
Messages
310
Location
NE Illin'oyze
In self-defense against animals, not sure the" humane taking of game" applies? Use whatever is at your disposal to protect yourself.

If hunting or culling, then I woukd guess humanely dispatching them would be a more pressing (and legal) concern.
 

jlottmc

Bearcat
Joined
Sep 24, 2010
Messages
23
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.
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.
 

ranger1

Buckeye
Joined
Mar 21, 2010
Messages
1,092
Location
Minnesota
andylate said:
I shot a bunny rabbit with my Hi-Power loaded with ball once. It was underwhelming; maybe hollowpoints would be a lot better. We were trying to thin down the cotton tails in my Dad's treerow.

Andy

Why don't you "live trap" them and release them in the country, the humane way? Rabbits are virtually harmless the way I see it. :)
 

sargents1

Single-Sixer
Joined
Apr 1, 2009
Messages
365
Location
Maine
2ndamd said:
Glad your dog is okay sargents1. Good looking friend there. Glad you got the bandit.

He's a tough mutt. So far he has T-boned a Buick (and went between the two left side wheels, and out back between the two rear wheels!), side swiped a Dodge Stratus (bounced right off the side of the driver's door), jumped out of a second story window and landed on his shoulder (that numbed him up a little, but he walked it off in about 5 min) and lost a toe to cancer. You would never know he had as many miles on him as he does.

He's going to be 11 in January and he still goes mountain biking with me!
 

DGW1949

Hunter
Joined
Apr 10, 2005
Messages
3,916
Location
Texas
In my experience relative to "one shot stops", even a "lowly" 115-FMJ Nine works very well on coons and any size of feral cat. Feral dogs though, not so much...and even less so as they get bigger.
So, that being the case, and beings how I'll shoot a dangerous pest in a heart beat but at the same time, hate to see anything suffer...I've found it better to carry my 45LC while out 'n about on my property instead.

DGW
 

pleadthe2nd

Single-Sixer
Joined
Nov 24, 2016
Messages
213
Location
midwest usa
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
 

coach

Hunter
Joined
Aug 28, 2007
Messages
3,767
Location
Jacksonville, Maryland
Of course there's this story about 9mm for pest control.
https://www.americanhunter.org/articles/2016/8/10/alaska-outfitter-defends-fishermen-from-raging-grizzly-with-9mm-pistol/
 
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