A coworker of mine who lives out in a very rural area has decided with her husband that they want to get a gun for nuisance raccoons and coyotes that they've been getting recently. Since I'm the gun nut at work she asked me what she should get as far as kind of gun, caliber, etc.. My thought was a 223 bolt action, or if they are concerned about recoil (they're both older and his health isn't that great) a 22 wmr bolt action for something with a little less kick. Another coworker (they guy everyone "loves" because he's an expert on everything) said a 22lr rifle would be plenty, saying it could kill the raccoons and scare away the coyotes. Probably true, and a 22lr could kill one with a well placed shot, but for someone new to shooting I'd rather have something with a little more power that doesn't require a perfectly placed shot, and I have a problem with shooting to scare/wound.