I need to accurately shoot at very early dawn

[BillyDa59]

So a friend of mine lives in a nice rural area and likes to keep some farm animals. They mostly have chickens and ducks. They asked me if I can take care of some racoons that killed some of their birds.

They've seen at least 3 raccoons raiding the chicken coop early in the morning (about 4:00 AM).

I sat out there once for about an hour and I saw at least 1 raccoon sneaking around but my vision didn't adapt nearly as well as I thought it would and I couldn't line up the buckhorn sights on my rifle well enough for a reliable shot.

I also tried building a live trap out of some scrap wood but I can't get the trigger on the door nearly sensitive enough so that a raccoon will set it off.

Anyways, I've given up on all trapping efforts and I just really want an excuse to make at least one of my rifles usable in low light.

The two possible rifles are a Henry .22lr or a Marlin 25N (also a .22lr).

Should I buy a cheapo red dot sight and attempt to mount it on my Marlin? The receiver has a sort of scope mounting system already but it's weird and I think its fairly unique. Maybe there's an adapter. Or would the red dot sight kill my vision even worse at night time?

Or is there some non-permanent modification I can apply to the buck horns on the Henry to make it usable in low light? I tried smearing glowing paint on some Mosin sights once but it was crappy paint with very little effect.

Like I said, I'd really like to have one of these rifles set up for low light use anyways. Any input would be appreciated.

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[Mark W.]

flashlight and scope

 

[ArgyleAdams]

Red light doesn't affect dark vision (theoretically), so I wouldn't worry about that with the red dot if you think you'd be able to see your target through it. If you really want to do it right you can get a night vision scope for not much more than a good regular scope.

 

[Spitpatch]

flashlight and scope

affirmative. If you want to get tactical/technical, put some red cellophane over the flashlight lens, and strap it to the gun with the switch accessible. (electrical tape, duct tape, etc.) Calibrate the beam to land in your scope view at the predetermined range. You flick off the safety, flick on the light, and Mister Coon will give you about .75 seconds (a quite substantial period) to get the shot.

 

[netsecsys]

Why not have them buy a trap?

View attachment 161115

 

[Nwcid]

Trying to shoot them = fun.

Trapping = success.

 

[Hawaiian]

My mother inlaw got a trap. But she caught a skunk and would not go near the cage. I was glad she did not call me. Here is my coon gun. Light em up, put the red dot on em, and the neighbors won't hear a thing.

 

[teflon6string]

Can your buddy see the bandit from his house with the yard lights? And can you get a clean shot from there?

Whether you use the back porch lights or your pal holds a flashlight, anything that lets you confirm you're looking at a raccoon should be plenty to make your iron sights stand out in clear silhouette against the target. Try a test run tonight after dark with the light over to one side, not directly behind your rifle, and you'll be surprised how well you can see the sights. It's amazing what just a little light on the subject will do if it's really dark out.

Although raccoons can scoot, I find that many of them amble along with attitude when first disturbed. Light him up and there should be plenty of time to get a kill shot or two.

 

[Ironbar]

I've lit up several raccoons in our back yard with a very powerful flashlight when they've been around. Al they do is stop, stare, and continue whatever they were doing before.

 

[teflon6string]

I've lit up several raccoons in our back yard with a very powerful flashlight when they've been around. Al they do is stop, stare, and continue whatever they were doing before.

The one I see frequently in my yard can vanish straight up a tree in half a second. But on the ground, he waddles slowly and speaks with a "Joisey" accent. "We got a problem here?"