I think I could use a gun.

[Fishwhenican]

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They actually make .22 cartridges with shot for killing snakes.

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Damn.....Forgot all about that!!

I actually still have a few of those lying around.

If there is no mountain lion 'issue' a mix of .22 LR's and those would likely do the trick.

I still like the rifle over the pistol though....

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.22 shotshells are not very potent. I have been told by friends who have tried them on snakes and not had good results. I do have some and have used them on squirrels, birds and one particular cat that I was at war with. They did not work at all with the squirrel and I had to resort to using a real shotgun. With birds, I have had mixed results but generally ineffective. I only will use them on woodpeckers attacking my house to save damage on the house. The cat, well it scared him pretty good but the the damn thing still kept coming back. It was a nasty old tomcat that was spraying everywhere and harassing my other cats.

I believe you can also get shotshells for the 45auto and that would be way better for a snake. One thing to think about with the shotshells is that in a semi auto they will not kick out and let the next cartridge in automatically. Kind of a one shot sort of thing and then you would have to manually cycle it out and put the next one in.

[Ray Zee]

unless you practice an awful lot you wont hit anything much over 50 feet with anything much bigger than a .22.
a .22 is fine for close shots at both a lion or coyote. you dont need a instant kill you just want to stop the animal attack and a 22 will do that. plus you can hit something with it.
a 22 is small and fits in you pocket and can easily be drawn annd fired numerous times hitting where you aim. thats what counts as you are too likely to hit your dog.

i carry a 22 all the time and feel just fine with it. i also have bigger calibers but mostly grab the little gun.
guns are heavy except little 22.s a beretta tomcat 22 is small and easy to shoot. 200 bucks or so. i have one.

very rare to have any problem with a coyote. i even have them right now denning on the hillside by my house. they run like hell from a person every single time period. that is a fact.

a mountain lion will get you before you even see it or it will crouch for a long time giving you all day to shoot it. and rarely will they attack a grown person. especially if you make yourself look bigger and be aggressive. i have seen more coyotes mountain lions bears and wolves than most people anywhere. and never have had to worry one bit. not so with bees.
but if you dont want a gun carry a can of wasp spray. the kind that shoots 20 feet.

[Fishwhenican]

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If you think of it when you're here call the office 702-547-1324. Perhaps we can meet at the store.

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Mat,
You still thinking about getting a gun????

[katyseagull]

Fish, please tell Mat "hello" for me when you see him. Also, take a camera and get some pictures to post when you get back. (Preferably, some shots of Mat testing out guns. That would be cool [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]) Thanks!

[reedy]

ninja stars or a lightsaver should do it.

[CORed]

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If you don't regularly shoot, you're probably better off with pepper spray or a baseball bat. Shooting a small, fast moving target, even at close range, is very difficult. And a .22 will just piss off the coyote. Unless you get a head shot or heart shot, I'd say a 9mm would probably be too small.

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We're talking about coyotes, not grizzly bears. A .22 might not be enough, but a 9mm, or even a .38 is plenty. A coyote is like a medium size dog, 60 pounds max. They can definitely kill a smaller or possibly even similar-size dog, though. They are genuine wild predators, not couch potatoes whose distant ancestors were predators.

[CORed]

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Do these pistols vary in their noise levels? Ideally, if I ever felt the need to fire the gun for protection I could fire a round near an approaching threat, into the ground, to simply scare it off. Would a ruger accomplish this?

What if the threat is a mountain lion?

Also, for those worried about me running around unleashed with a gun, I would most definitely take a series of courses before I took the thing anywhere.

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A .22 doesn't make much noise. It's sounds like a cap pistol or a very small firecracker. Most of the larger calibers make plenty of noise, though.

[2/325Falcon]

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A sick, wounded, old or rabid coyote is another story and could be a problem……

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If I had to shoot a coyote I'd feel like a turd if I hit it with a .22 and it ran away wounded to die a slow death. I think it may be more humane to kill the animal outright with a bigger bullet.



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but if you dont want a gun carry a can of wasp spray. the kind that shoots 20 feet.

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Awesome suggestion.

[Acein8ter]

I'd go for a Sig Sauer P226 9mm... Great overall combat handgun, it's there when you need it.

[Borodog]

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I'd go for a Sig Sauer P226 9mm... Great overall combat handgun, it's there when you need it.

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Highly recommended.

I have a Spanish copy made by Astra (I have 2 actually; one by Astra, the other by Star, who bought them). Fairly identical except the takedown lever is on the opposite side.



I [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] these guns. I can't stand using a semi-automatic with 1911 style controls anymore. I can't stand a gun with a safety anymore. If you don't want it to go off, don't pull the trigger.