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Anti-Alligator round / gun?

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#1 ·
Anti-Alligator round / gun?


Getting read to move soon (So. Fla), looking at several homes either on canals or near freshwater. Finding an alligator in the backyard is MORE than a reasonable possibility after already living here for almost 30 years, but never under such a living condition prior to this.

Before we get started, of course MY FIRST COURSE OF ACTION WOULD BE TO CALL ANIMAL CONTROL OR THE GAME WARDEN BEFORE ALL ELSE!!!!!


Now, that said so everyone read it :) -

Forget my 9mm (please, let's be serious?:)), for get my .45s, hell even forget my AR in .223. I am NOT getting near one of these things close enough to "pop it" with a .22 rifle (I am NOT auditioning for the next season of "Swamp People" thank you very much :) ). I really don't want to buy a "bang stick" (long metal rod that holds a device that will fire a handgun cartridge at point blank rage like used for sharks and whatnot that I have seen several recommend online for hunting gators - which I have NO interest in), and I do not own a shotgun anymore, much less am sure that even one loaded with slugs is the answer to a gator's thick skull (?????).

Would anyone with any EXPERIENCE with gators recommend -

- a 4 inch .357 Mag?
- a 10mm (G20 - w/ full power, hard cast loads)?
- an AK in 7.62x39?
- a M1A in .308?

or again

- a shotgun loaded w/ slugs or other?
- anything else?


I've been thinking about this for about 2 weeks or so and trying to do some research online with little to no solid answers beyond "get on top of him and pop him in the back of the head with a .22 - that'll do it!!" - uh, no.................NO thanks. :( I'd rather do this from a distance if I can - preferably from closer to the house or a window if I could. :)



Choot' 'em now! Choot' 'em!!! :) <--------------(do NOT want this to be me :))




PS - The reality of this IS slim to none, it IS mainly just a good excuse to get another gun from the old lady. :) Hahahahahaha

Thanks -

Eric
 
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#2 ·
Tell us what gun you're thinking of and we can highly recommend it!!

If I was looking for a gator gun, I'd be thinking of about any rifle in .22mag or bigger. The brain shot seems to be the preferred kill method, so all you need is an accurate shooter with enough power to penetrate a gator's skull. I never saw one shot in the spine or elsewhere in the body.
 
#5 ·
On the one hand, I gotta believe .308 is going to go right through it (and kill it depending on shot placement), I don't care how tough the hide or bone is. On the other, unless you live way out in BFE, firing a .308 in your back yard is likely to seriously piss off the neighbors and get you into some serious trouble with the police. Maybe it's an excuse to get a .300BO suppressed? No idea how those would perform on gator though...the subsonic ammo is pretty weak (comparable muzzle energy to more powerful handguns), but you probably get a slight penetration advantage due to sectional density, and the accuracy of a rifle vs a handgun.

Honestly, from what I've seen, they're not generally aggressive toward people unless you blunder right into them or look like an easy meal in the water, so if you see one in the back yard, just keep a healthy distance from it and wait for animal control.
 
#6 ·
Well #1 as I mentioned in my OP, calling the game warden IS plan # 1 before all else. :)

God forbid we have issues that can't wait (????) I only mention the .308 because there are two of them sitting the same right NOW (Rem 700 and an M1A :) ).

Again I only ask because I am not sure and have NO experience in such things.
Don't want to over do it, but also don't want to either have one bounce off their noggin' or again, have to get up on top of one with a .22 long gun. :(


Thanks :) -


.
 
#7 ·
As others say.....get hold of animal control.

I have absolutely no experience with gators, but if the critter has hold of my daughter's leg and dragging her to water, I've got this 44mag that would give me a lot of confidence in ruining the gator's plans.......
 
#9 ·
For a quick stop I'd personally opt for a 12 Ga Brenneke or Foster slug however I recall a guy who ran a gator farm in Louisiana who always kept a Winchester 94 30-30 in his truck and I'd imagine he'd had a little experience in the gator control dept.
 
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#10 ·
I'd be seriously surprised if I couldn't bore a hole through an alligator with a Gold Dot 9mm or .45 ACP, but I keep some hard casts in stock in both in case I run into something like a black bear in the woods. If you need to do something from farther away, which may be difficult to justify, I'd go with a .22 WMR rifle loaded with something like the CCI Gamepoint. A .223 with a hunting bullet would be way overkill.

Or, just get the gun you want and are trying to justify.
 
#15 ·
We're talking Gator, not Grizzly here. Thick, bullet deflecting skull is not part of the equation. Pull your 9mm, pop a shot in the noggin and be done with it. If you can't make that shot, as ranger1968 said, you probably should reconsider a move to sunny Florida.
 
#22 ·
If this is something you are actually worrying about, then you shouldn't move to Florida.

Having said that, this thread delivers in terms of comic relief and utterly uninformed opinions.
We're talking Gator, not Grizzly here. Thick, bullet deflecting skull is not part of the equation. Pull your 9mm, pop a shot in the noggin and be done with it. If you can't make that shot, as ranger1968 said, you probably should reconsider a move to sunny Florida.

Ah yes, reading skills - hence the need for my disclaimer in BOLD print in my opening post also.............................


Not to mention this statement just above it -

"Finding an alligator in the backyard is MORE than a reasonable possibility after already living here for almost 30 years, but never under such a living condition prior to this." (in other words on, near, or by a canal or water)


Thanks :) -
 
#16 ·
Friend went kayaking, and a gator popped up, says he shot it with his m&p and the gator didn't die, he just swam off. (I'm not sure if he actually hit the gator but he believes so) Now he wants a stronger round for kayaking.
 
#38 ·
Gator popped up and he shot it? Happens to me when I kayak the canals here all the time. I've never felt inclined to shoot one. Gators are nothing to worry about in florida at all. I see at least three a week and have never been bothered by one. If you shot one, out of season, without a permit, FWC would fine the he'll out of you.
 
#17 ·
A Cheep 12 ga hidden behind your back door with a towel over it filled with 00 buck will deffinatly turn him around and NOT COME BACK! LOTS OF CHEEP MOSSBERG 500's around for $250.00. that being said: I Hunt with .308 AR-1O . & Rem700 and Never Have to think about it. BTW: Always the G20 on the Thigh for portabillity but If You Actually DO IT IN YOR BACK YARD.....My Sad Truth to You is that would Most Probably be the Last Shot you ever fire! (Legally) unless you have Gold Front Teeth. Better practice making a Phone call instead.
 
#23 ·
30-30 would be a good round. Decent mass, velocity, and a blunt soft point. 357 should be good.
A Cheep 12 ga hidden behind your back door with a towel over it filled with 00 buck will deffinatly turn him around and NOT COME BACK! LOTS OF CHEEP MOSSBERG 500's around for $250.00. that being said: I Hunt with .308 AR-1O . & Rem700 and Never Have to think about it. BTW: Always the G20 on the Thigh for portabillity
Live and hunt in Louisiana. Gator encounters are more common than not on warm weather hunts. Never HAD to shoot one. That being said, better safe than sorry( and the more guns you have with you the more fun you have). Keep a G20 with hard cast on my hip.


Well a 4" .357 we already have, so that's the easy answer I was kind hoping for. Of course again, I really don't want to have to get "that" close either. :(

A 12 ga. is something we don't have anymore, and as stated, one loaded with a slug is an easy $250 answer.......................plus a good excuse to get another shotty again. :)

A G20 was the answer I was looking and hoping for, but was not really sure of ? Plus I've been looking for a good excuse to get something with a little more "oomph" than my G21, ever since I sold my 6" .44 Mag.

PS - Disclaimer - ** I AM NOT STATING THAT THE G20 AND OR THE 10MM EQUAL A .44 MAGNUM - THEY DO NOT !!!** - thank you for your attention to that statement. :)


:)
 
#18 ·
Live and hunt in Louisiana. Gator encounters are more common than not on warm weather hunts. Never HAD to shoot one. That being said, better safe than sorry( and the more guns you have with you the more fun you have). Keep a G20 with hard cast on my hip. Any encounter with a gator where you are warranted in shooting the gator without a tag will be close range and best served by a pistol. Gator hunters here, and on TV, often use a rifle because it is simply a multipurpose gun for them : 30-30 or 308 for deer and 22 for squirrel and rabbit--pistols have no role in Cajun hunting. Also, gator hunters are shooting gators in very controlled situation--gator is hooked and corralled--so easy to put low caliber bullet in sweet spot.
 
#21 ·
As others say.....get hold of animal control. I have absolutely no experience with gators, but if the critter has hold of my daughter's leg and dragging her to water, I've got this 44mag that would give me a lot of confidence in ruining the gator's plans.......

Again, animal control IS plan "A" - I just like to have a back up plan everything. :)


My boys are old enough now (eleven years old) they should know better and run (but pre-teen boys do stupid sh*t right? :)) - anywho, yeah Wally gator getting out of control and not running away before animal control gets there was why I was looking at "plan "B" ", or if he grabbed Fido in the yard and tried to make off with him. :(

HONESTLY, who here would NOT pop one off at a gator if he had the family pooch and was trying to make a meal out of him? :mad: I call BS on anyone who says "no". :( :( :(


Thanks -
 
#31 ·
Again, animal control IS plan "A" - I just like to have a back up plan everything. :)


My boys are old enough now (eleven years old) they should know better and run (but pre-teen boys do stupid sh*t right? :)) - anywho, yeah Wally gator getting out of control and not running away before animal control gets there was why I was looking at "plan "B" ", or if he grabbed Fido in the yard and tried to make off with him. :(

HONESTLY, who here would NOT pop one off at a gator if he had the family pooch and was trying to make a meal out of him? :mad: I call BS on anyone who says "no". :( :( :(


Thanks -
Lived in Tampa for 20+ years.
When I moved to Florida I bought a S&W 629 44 Mag 4" Mountain Gun specifically for Gators.
Any hardcast flat head 44 mag will make a mess of a gator.
I like these -
 
#27 ·
And here's the problem with that. Reptiles in general and gators in particular have very crude nervous systems. Yes, you can make a fatal shot fairly easily with a shotgun, however if you don't hit that tiny brainpan, while you killed it, the gator will not know it is dead for a while.

As to rescuing Fido, forget it. I've seen gators take nutria and deer, once they get a grip they will drag it into deeper water and disappear. The famous death rolls usually don't happen until they are ready to feed, and with a larger animal may not be for days, until it has decomposed a bit. With something smaller like a turtle or a Pomeranian, one gulp and it is pretty much over.

The best defense if you live on the water is a fence to keep Fido in and the gator out. As a lady in Naples learned, it is also not wise to walk your dog along a body of water, had to call 911 for her as she was in shock, gator grabbed Fifi and snatched the leash right out of her hand, was over in less than a second. Gators really, really like dogs.
 
#30 ·
I became interested in the 10mm some years ago after reading that there was a country, seems like either Scandinavian or Northern European, that had issued the G20 to DNR for defense against polar bear.
that seemed quite optimistic to me, but I decided to go to that platform for woods/trail carry, where black bear might be an issue.
don't know how this would work for gator, but I know I have been impressed with the pistol and the round. even my plink reloads penetrate well, and a 180, 200, or 220 grain bullet is not a shabby option.
my thought is if there is no bazooka or RPG available, the G20 would be handy!
the thought of being attacked by one of those nasty creatures is almost as desirable as a conversation with my ex wife.
 
#34 ·
I became interested in the 10mm some years ago after reading that there was a country, seems like either Scandinavian or Northern European, that had issued the G20 to DNR for defense against polar bear. that seemed quite optimistic to me, but I decided to go to that platform for woods/trail carry, where black bear might be an issue.

Yeah, G20 vs polar bear? Good luck, all I think that would be good for is shooting whoever was with you in the leg and then RUNNING!!! :O Hahahaha! :)


the thought of being attacked by one of those nasty creatures is almost as desirable as a conversation with my ex wife.
Hey you got one of them too! :) Hahahaha! I'm stealing this for future use, thanks! :)
 
#32 ·
Good God, could you even imagine having to live this nightmare with one or your own or anyone else's kid or grandkid for that matter?!! :O :O :O

"The Graves family had no indication of the danger. Matt Graves, who was a few feet away, heard a splash, which he thought was a fish. He looked over and saw his son bent over the water and saw the gator grab him, biting down on Lane's head and neck."


(NOT that I'd have a gun with me at the beach on a resort in reality mind you) :(


http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/22/us/orlando-disney-gator-attack/index.html
 
#40 ·
Most of the advice you have gotten here is simply wrong.


If you "find an alligator in your back yard" and you absolutely cannot tolerate it's presence, call the FWC (we don't have "game wardens" in Florida) and they will have a licensed trapper dispatched (FWC doesn't respond to nuisance alligator calls) ; a trapper will come and remove the alligator;

Unless the alligator actually has a hold of someone, do NOT attempt to shoot or otherwise harm it, as doing so will land you in jail briefly and get you a substantial fine. the mere presence of an alligator is NOT a "threat" legally, so do not treat it as such .

Some simple rules for living in a place with alligators: don't feed them. don't go in canals or ponds where they might be. don't let your small children in those canals or ponds. If you see an alligator, leave it alone; ....Alligators are a part of the landscape here, so get used to the idea of them being around someplace; As a rule, they don't like people, and they avoid them, but you have to use some common sense and not go places where they are likely to be feeding (like in the water of a canal or a pond) ......

If you really insist on shooting one, pretty much any caliber will do; the ones I have shot were shot exclusively with a .22......

Really, though, on the list of stuff to be worried about in the Southern half of FL, alligators are way down the list; Zika and West Nile are a lot more likely, and this year flesh-eating bacteria and a brain-eating amoeba from ponds or canals have both claimed a number of lives; home invasion robberies are up in a lot of places, and the heat-related injuries are off the charts. All of those things are many times more likely to be a problem than a random alligator in the canal near your house.

Here are some helpful links about alligators in FL and how to deal with them:

http://myfwc.com/media/152524/Alligator-Brochure.pdf

http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/managed/alligator/nuisance/

I hope this helps......
 
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