What to Buy?

Rocky7

Rocky7

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Location
Central Alberta
It's been a long time since I owned a revolver and am now looking to buy one. Or maybe an automatic. I'd appreciate some advice from those with more experience than I. I've only ever owned a .22 and .22mag revolver and that was for shooting gophers out of my garden years ago. Here's what I have in mind:

I need to shoot the *&!* coyotes that are coming into my yard more and more often. The dogs get worked up - to say nothing of the fact that I'm likely going to lose one soon. Several of the bas*&rds were back last night, got my dogs split up and had the Shepherd tuckered out. Wife went out with a flashlight and shovel (Yeah, I know) and one of them challenged her. That's enough for me. If I wait up and shoot one or two, I doubt they'll be back. If I'm wrong, I'll shoot the rest of them, too.

So, here's the part where I could use some advice:

I don't want a big muzzle blast. I live in the country but neighbours aren't all that far away and I don't want somebody filling their pants if they hear a big "bang" in the middle of the night. Maybe that's unavoidable? All silencers are illegal, right?

I don't want a .22. I'm going to kill some of them, but I don't hate coyotes and don't want to see them limp away or suffer.

I'd like to avoid real expensive ammo. .45 ammo is plentiful (not too expensive), isn't it? Probably a 5"+ barrel? Easier to aim?

I guess a laser sight would be useful at night, but if that's real expensive or only good at short range, I'll probably be just as far ahead with a flashlight.

Thanks in advance for whatever general advice/comments you care to offer.

(Don't need advice about the shovel)
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In revolvers, I think a 357magnum/38spl like a Ruger GP100 6 inch barrel will work. 38 spl produces less bang than 357mag, 9mm, 40 cal or 45 acp.

My concern with night shooting is seeing the target and the sights, even with a flashlight.

Have you thought about a 12 gauge shotgun instead?
 
easyrider604 said:
In revolvers, I think a 357magnum/38spl like a Ruger GP100 6 inch barrel will work. 38 spl produces less bang than 357mag, 9mm, 40 cal or 45 acp.

My concern with night shooting is seeing the target and the sights, even with a flashlight.

Have you thought about a 12 gauge shotgun instead?
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Remember the legalities involved with discharging a restricted away from a range. Besides being illegal why use a handgun to do a rifle or shotguns' job? Get a pump or semi shotgun with a modfied choke and use #4 buck. If it has changable tubes get one that's designed for tight patterns with buckshot. A shotgun set up properly for bigger shot can kill yodel-dogs at amazing ranges. Tape a flashlight to the gun so it points where the bore points and you're in business! Remember to lead the running ones a little!;)
 
Yep, it's illegal to use a handgun in this manner. Assuming you're out in the country and away from "urban areas" where there's laws about discharging firearms then get a medium caliber rifle and do them. I'd avoid the shotgun in case they are in close proximity to your dogs and the overspray would wound the dog. The rifle is a far more sure thing in those cases.

For compactness and power may I suggest a Rossi 92 lever rifle in .38/.357Magnum with the shorter 16 inch barrel? Crazy light and easy to pack on your shoulder with a sling around the estate but it's an unrestricted so you avoid the legal issues of using a handgun for this sort of thing.

Or if it's remote enough that you're not worried about this thanks to real world practicalities then a .357Magnum revolver shooting .38Spl will do the job nicely and not deafen you when it goes off. But they don't have rails to mount a light. You'd need to bodge somthing up in most cases to hold a light anyway unless you go with a semi that has a rail on it. Even the slick little Rossi 92 has nothing to allow mounting a light so it becomes padding and hose clamps or zip ties to the rescue.
 
yea man shotgun with buckshot, that will do the trick if they arent to far away when you see them. i would go all SKS on thier ass!! haha
 
I would agree on the SKS, but for coyote disposal in darkness (even with flashlight) a shotgun stoked with 00buck sounds like better medicine.

Just make sure the dogs are outside the shot pattern.

I am not sure about firearms being discharged in a rural area in Alberta, for pest control. Maybe they allow handguns??? Still, handguns are not the ideal tool in this situation, IMO.
 
I've thought about using a scattergun and still may do so. It's loud and I just don't want the bother of a complaint from a distant neighbour about shots fired. Still might do it that way, though, I guess. Never thought of taping a flashlight to one of my shotguns.

Otherwise, a hand gun would be handiest at fairly close range in the dark. I know where my safe lines of fire are (hills in background) and can shoot pretty decently with a pistol (used to shoot a lot of gophers in the head, anyway).

Sorry, can't find the decoder ring for "SKS". What the he__ is that?

ps: Thanks for the input. I appreciate it. I've got to get something done right away 'cause if I lose a dog or ???, I'm gonna be pi$$ed. Tired of being woke up 2-3 times a night, too. Getting grouchy.
 
Rocky7 said:
I've thought about using a scattergun and still may do so. It's loud and I just don't want the bother of a complaint from a distant neighbour about shots fired. Still might do it that way, though, I guess. Never thought of taping a flashlight to one of my shotguns.

Otherwise, a hand gun would be handiest at fairly close range in the dark. I know where my safe lines of fire are (hills in background) and can shoot pretty decently with a pistol (used to shoot a lot of gophers in the head, anyway).

Sorry, can't find the decoder ring for "SKS". What the he__ is that?

ps: Thanks for the input. I appreciate it. I've got to get something done right away 'cause if I lose a dog or ???, I'm gonna be pi$$ed. Tired of being woke up 2-3 times a night, too. Getting grouchy.
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As others have told you, the handgun idea is totally illegal.

http://www.frontierfirearms.ca/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2816
 
Now getting back to rifles for 'yotes....

I've killed dozens with 22LR inside of 100 yards when I was a kid. At 16 I got a 22 magnum. It was lethal on 'yotes past 150 yards. Why not get a 22 magnum? They come in bolt action of course but also lever action and semi-auto. On the farm as teens when things got exciting outside one of us would grab the 22 mag with it's attached light. Placing the crosshairs between the reflecting eyes. Worked ok but when the Bushnell Litesite came out I bought one! And that red dot was zeroed at 100 yards and showed up real nice between those "eyes". Let's just say "hit percentages" increased drastically. ;)

Today there are tons of cheap lit reticle scopes that would be just perfect on a "farm defense rig" against zomb'yotes.
 
I'd rather stay away from a rimfire. I don't mean to sound unappreciative, but I don't see how a sight with a 4moa dot can shoot that well. Just sayin'.

Anyway, I've now twigged to the "SKS" reference. Didn't occur to me that it pointed to a 7.62 or .308. I've got lots of rifles but was hoping to keep the "bang" thing down to a minimum. Same goes for the 12 ga.

Going to see if I can find a .357 at a good price. If not, I guess it's the 12 ga. I hate to make that much noise at 2 am, tho.
 
I'd rather stay away from a rimfire. I don't mean to sound unappreciative, but I don't see how a sight with a 4moa dot can shoot that well. Just sayin'.
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Don't under estimate the rimfires and the 17 HMR is a zapper. The scope I mentioned didn't have a 4moa dot. It was 3-9x40mm with a dot that was barely an inch at 100 yards. It lit up in the center of the crosshairs.
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This one shows a tiny crosshair but the originals were a tiny and I mean tiny aiming dot. Worked awesome and had magnification too.
 
Using a handgun for this is asking for a world of trouble if the neighbors do call the cops when they hear the bang. At least if you use a rifle you are only breaking hunting regulations and not federal firearms laws. If you get pinched for discharging a restricted you will probably never own a firearm again. Also, do you have an RPAL? If not you won't be able to buy a handgun anyways.

Another vote for buckshot in a shotty.
 
I don't see how shooting coyotes on my own land is breaking any hunting regs. There's no season on coyotes. You can assume I'm aware of, and have, authority to buy a handgun.

Still hard to believe you can't fire a handgun you legally own on your own property. I knew there were more reasons I'm a western separatist...
 
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