.22 air rifle recommendations for pest control

[Chubbs]

Goodness, this takes me back to some good childhood memories!

 

Me n my mate always used Weirauch air rifles, mine was a HW177k and his a HW80.  Mine was very good at stopping most things but I think the 80 was better for the likes of rabbits and rats given the .22 calibre - mind you his 80 was tuned and when you added Prometheus pellets or the like in it nothing stood a chance!

 

The Weirauch stuff was mega reliable and well engineered and was very consistent with the muzzle velocity, so I'd still plump for one of these.

[StevesTruck]

Got some time in hunting paper circles before you move onto live prey.

 

Keep your budget in mind, PCP and the more expensive brands are great if you're going to be shooting a lot, but a cheap gun can be just as good if it's not having heavy use and working on big ranges.

 

Like Aspman said, check your eye dominance. My best mate is right handed and couldn't shoot for **** until it was pointed out to him that he's left-eyed. He shoots left-handed now and isn't bad at all. All your hands do is steady the gun and pull the trigger, your eyes do far more.

 

If you're doing single-shot, you'll need patience, but that's the most important thing in shooting either live quarry or target shooting. Don't bother with bait, there's nothing a rat likes better for lunch than another rat. When we were dealing with a lot of them, we used to drop a few spaced apart with the airgun, give it a while for the feeding to start then do the lot with a shotgun.

 

Other thing about shooting, never assume you know everything, there's always something new to learn or try. 10 years in, at the reccomendation of someone less qualified than me, I completely changed my stance for standing shots, it took me ages of poor scores to get it right, but when I did, I'd improved.

Edited 23 January, 2016 by StevesTruck

[Tilt]

If your serious about pcp airgunning and want your gun to last then i seriously recommend not using a stirrup pump, the heat buildup when pumping causes condensation in the cylinder which passes through the whip into the Buddy Bottle or Air reservoir in your gun which are normally made of mild steel it then rots the bottle from the inside out so you can't see it but can be dangerous. I'd get a diving bottle unless its just casual use, its dry air and safe. Faster Easier etc.

Yes, it is just casual use, Bud. Just pesky squirrels (grey) and pigeons.

 

Probably fill it once a month on average, at most. I do also fill it in stages, giving it time in between, but thanks for your advice. I considered a bottle when I first got the rifle, but decided not really worth it for me.

[Gaz]

I've got a relatively old HW35 .22 and my son's got a relatively new HW97k .22, and both are good for vermin.  Mine's a break barrel, which locks and has a thumb release lever and my son's is an underlever.

 

I don't personally agree with the accuracy comments in relation to a break-barrel.  For competition shooting, yes I'm sure, but for deddering rats I doubt it'll make enough difference.  in my youth I had many BSA's (Meteor's, Super Meteor and a Scorpion) and a Webley Vulcan which all gradually got wobbly barrels (often 'fixed' with a quick nip in a vice) which were still good enough for rats.  Had a couple of Crosman pump ups too - wouldn't bother with these, good as they may be, you'll soon get fed up with pumping.

 

You'll get flatter trajectory and greater fps (feet per second) from a .177, but in my experience, they're a no-no for vermin. Go .22 every time - you need the wallop.  An exaggerated analogy, but it's the difference between clouting your thumb with a tack hammer or a 2.5lb club hammer and wondering which will do your thumb the most disservice.

 

Gaz

Edited 23 January, 2016 by V6TDI

[vRS Joe]

I have had the same problem with rats on and off over the last 15 years or so that I've kept hens.

I found the easiest way to remove the problem is to remove the food. So take any feed troughs away just before dusk and let the birds clear and remaining split feed before they go to roost. Thus leaving nothing for mr Rat. Then put food out again in the morning.

I used an old chest freezer to put the food in, totally rat proof.

Also rats will take the eggs during day time if they can so you may need to up your collections!

I've tried shooting them to no avail - too small and too quick for me even with a shotgun. You might shoot the odd one....fun though!

Once I'm sure I've removed the rats food I put a poison pack directly into the rats burrow and place a rock over the burrow entrance. Job done.

Edited 23 January, 2016 by vRS Joe

[tweenster]

Aye one question not asked...

 

Can you shoot? Might be a bit pointless to spend money on a rifle if you can't hit the side of a barn door with a shotgun.

Not everyone is a natural shot especially if you have an eye dominance issue (right handed, left eye dominant or vice versa).

 

Air rifles are not as accurate as 'real' rifles because of the lower energies involved and rats won't be easy to hit.

 

I'm serving military so have used 7.62mm SLR (a real beast of a weapon!), the SA80 and the L85. Never had any problems in the supported positions!

[tweenster]

Popped into the local gun shop today and told him the problem and what we were after. He produced a second hand .22 break barrel 'springer' (get me with the lingo already!) with a telescopic sight for the grand sum of £75, plus £8.50 (I think) for 500 pellets. At the end of the day we will have a bunch of fun with this for minimal outlay. We haven't seen a rat for a few days since I put poison under the Summer House (where I had seen them disappearing under and where neither the dog nor chickens can get to). So we may have sorted the problem in the short term anyway.

 

I will let you know how I get on.

[seboni121]

I'm serving military so have used 7.62mm SLR (a real beast of a weapon!), the SA80 and the L85. Never had any problems in the supported positions!

My son loved his gimpy

[VWD]

I'm serving military so have used 7.62mm SLR (a real beast of a weapon!), the SA80 and the L85. Never had any problems in the supported positions!

Solution- ( and if ex slopjockey daughter see this, dad is in do do ) - Army food- Dad always reckoned that only UK squaddies could eat it and survive.

[VWD]

Then there's the jasper carrot mole eradication solution. Possibly suitable for rats.

[StevesTruck]

I'm serving military so have used 7.62mm SLR (a real beast of a weapon!), the SA80 and the L85. Never had any problems in the supported positions!

Problem solved - bugger the air gun, just borrow something from work. You don't need anything huge - Sa80 on full auto should solve the rat problem in a timely manner

[mac11irl]

Problem solved - bugger the air gun, just borrow something from work. You don't need anything huge - Sa80 on full auto should solve the rat problem in a timely manner

Or a big box of claymores...

well sorted!

[JohnRS]

We had, well actually next door had a rat problem a few years back but they used to come through our garden. The point about dogs or terriers isn't entirely true. We have 3 English Bull Terriers and they still came through the garden. I would echo what others have said about the difficulty, they do not stay still. I'd reccomend a red filtered torch as you'll end up sitting around during the night. I spent hours sitting on a fishing chair waiting. I figured out they were going through our garden to get to the rabbit hutch in the neighbours garden on the other side for food so baught some rabbit food, mashed it up and mixed it into a paste. This meant they had to stop to eat the food, meaning I had a better chance at hitting them. It wasn't easy though. I had a BSA Supersport, it was a .22 with a .177 gas ram conversion, however this was 10 years ago, I was 18 and daft so no comments on the legality please. I wouldn't reccomend this now. I used some H Point pellets which were double walled and done the trick!

In the end the neighbours who had the problem got the council out who put poison down which was far more effective than me sitting all night with a rifle!

Either way good luck.

[StevesTruck]

Or a big box of claymores...

well sorted!

 

Well, the good news is, I got the rats out of the garden.

 

Bad news is, I got the garden out of the garden as well.

[Aspman]

I'm serving military so have used 7.62mm SLR (a real beast of a weapon!), the SA80 and the L85. Never had any problems in the supported positions!

 

Fair enough. Saything that, the worst shot I ever knew ended up doing a sniper course and serving in Iraq.

 

I'm too young to have shot SLRs :p but I use to shoot the 7.62 L81 when I was a teenager. It used to knock the little guys and gals backwards.

[Tilt]

Fair enough. Saything that, the worst shot I ever knew ended up doing a sniper course and serving in Iraq.

 

I'm too young to have shot SLRs :p but I use to shoot the 7.62 L81 when I was a teenager. It used to knock the little guys and gals backwards.

A decent scope will allow for correction of eye imbalances.

 

I have what I call a lazy right eye. My left is far better visually, but with the Prostaff scope I have, I have it (is it the ocular?) adjusted to suit my right eye and allows for a clear image.

I would not be able to shoot with my left, without movement.

[StevesTruck]

As far as rifle shooting goes, left eyed is left handed. My mate made the shift and it worked for him, but habits take a lot of breaking.

I appreciate this doesn't apply to anyone in the forces because you have to shoot right handed.

I learnt to shoot left eyed / handed to help coaching, but I need a blinder on my right eye to do it. I'm bad on iron sights, because I can hardly see the target, better end of acceptable with a scope.

Edited 24 January, 2016 by StevesTruck

[Jrjg]

Have fun with the air rifle: just make sure there's no windows or anything to damage directly behind what you're shooting at. Beers cans filled with water make for good fun targets by the way.

As for shooting rats with an air rifle: if I'm honest, I wouldn't have the patience. Would it be possible to fence off, if only temporarily and to stop the hens and dog getting in, and lace the area around your summer house with rat traps? You should soon see the 'rat runs', the pathways they use regularly, poison or traps on or nearby the runs should be reasonably successful. I'd also repeat the advice given from VRS Joe - take away the food at night, although rats will feed during the day, they are a lot less likely to.

Have fun with the little rifle though, I have one still for the odd grey squirrel at work, much quieter than the shotgun which I can only use at work when the boss is on holiday!

Hours and hours of fun are to be had playing about and tinkering with targets and sights. JRJG

[FUBAR]

A bit late to the party etc, but what about those rat trap box things that you drop on their runs with poison inside and get trapped with food in it, or just a few lengths of plastic drain pipe with poison inside so they can eat it and go die elsewhere without risk of your animals eating the nasty stuff? 

[tweenster]

We have the rifle but since getting it we haven't seen a single pesky rat.

[Jrjg]

We have the rifle but since getting it we haven't seen a single pesky rat.

Great deterrent aren't they [emoji6]

Nothing stopping you doing some target practice on tin cans filled with water, simple X's on paper or coins (if you're really good. Or close...).

I shot a couple of grey squirrels with mine this afternoon.

JRJG

[VWD]

We had, well actually next door had a rat problem a few years back but they used to come through our garden. The point about dogs or terriers isn't entirely true. We have 3 English Bull Terriers and they still came through the garden.

Bull terriers are just not fast enough to solve the problem. I'm not into pros & cons of dogs, but something bred to deal with the problem is what is needed. I had a 10 year old large ( 12kg) Cairn meet a cat with a field mouse. Cat dropped mouse, and mouse thought it was it was it's lucky day and ran.  Mouse got six feet, before Cairn gave it flight of death.

[VRS Mike]

We have the rifle but since getting it we haven't seen a single pesky rat.

 

Stick some food out to encourage them       

[Scribbler]

Yes you have to bait the area, peanut butter on chocolate worked best for me. Same place every night until they have confidence feeding. at a range that you have Zero'd in and are comfortable. Then with the 10 shot indexed bolt action silently exterminate them ;-) all in about 15 seconds.

[Jrjg]

Yes you have to bait the area, peanut butter on chocolate worked best for me. Same place every night until they have confidence feeding. at a range that you have Zero'd in and are comfortable. Then with the 10 shot indexed bolt action silently exterminate them ;-) all in about 15 seconds.

Sounds like you need two 7.5 shot cartridge, pulling both triggers at once. Punt gun style [emoji38]

JRJG