I have been a witness many times to a scene where a raccoon was shot out of the top of a tree, crashed into a multitude of branches on the way down, impacted the ground with a tremendous thud, only to get up and durn near whip the dogs that were waiting on it at the bottom of the tree.
If I were using a scattershot pistol to try and dispatch one, I believe I would need to be in very close proximity to it. Far closer than I would be comfortable with, were it not in a cage.
Snakes on the other hand, would probably be an ideal use for such a weapon, as long as they were nearby.
