Uglydog, the cheap load is a pheasant load from Herter's at Cabela's, and for $13 I can get #2 shot from Remington at Academy, and for $15 #4 Buck from Rio at Cabela's.

I've shot a few coons for food on an opportunistic basis, mostly while squirrel hunting. They are tough animals and can get pretty large. If I was to hunt them purposely with a scattergun, I'd use heavier loadings of #4 lead.

Off topic here, but is coon any good. My dad, who grew up in the depression, said they weren't very good and greasy?

Can't be any greasier than whale.

It's real good if cooked properly, especially the younger ones.

Hello everyone we keep a 12 ga gun loaded with #4 lead high brass full choke and I know for a fact you will roll a coon at 35 good steps no problem done it many times at our feed barn and in a pinch those #4 will do a lot to bigger varmints as well

Shotgun poor, what shells? Brand, model number etc?

What I have in the farm truck is
Kent Cartridge Ultimate Fast Lead with Diamond shot
12 ga , 2 3/4 , dram equivalent 4 1\4 , oz shot 1 1\2, size 4, velocity 1420
could not tell you how much a box is I buy a case at a time but it is a very good load over kill on small game like squirrel rabbit and what not hope this helps the first time you shot a coon with it you will see why I keep a few boxes around for varmint problems

Hope that helps and get that critter

Shotgun, it's about as expensive as Rio 4 buck at Cabela's. $13 plus shipping on the net.

Any 12 gauge, 2¾", 1¼ oz. load of #4 lead will do the trick.

My grandfather use to cook some when I was younger he boiled his first then skim off the top drained off the water and bbq it tasted good then but I have not ate any senesce he past away many years ago. Is this how yall cook it lossking

Your grandfather's method sounds good, I'll try it next time. I use the attached recipe for "Jugged Coon", which is quite good, especially with the younger raccoons, or stew it down in a fricassee with sweet potatoes and serve it over rice.

I may just have to give it a try

I think you'll like it.

Try Hevishot Duck 3" 4's.....that shot size is an amazing
all around shell

I would say that #4 birdshot at a minimum with #2 birdshot probably being ideal. BB shot would probably be as large as I would go for a raccoon. No buckshot.

Don't wast a good shotgun shell on a good coon, 22LR is the only answer. If you can't use a 22 live trap or snare if legal. If that's not an option call a coon hunter. I would also wait until the pelts come in prime before I took the harvest.
They aren't bad eating if you know what you're doing, coon stew! It does take a few to make a good pot of stew and it's a two day process.

#4 high brass

I smacked this big boy the other day right in the side with a #4 heavy field with a full choke at about 20 yards and he ran off. I guess birdshot is for birds not big hairy heavy boned critters, from now on I will use buckshot.