Air Rifles for Pest Control/Plinking ?

C

coaldigger

Joined
Jan 27, 2007
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Anybody here use a Pellet gun to do Pest control (Crows,Piegons,Chipmunks,Rats...etc) or just for plinking ? I'm going to give it a try, just haven't decided on which rifle to get, so many models out there & when I read the reviews they all say about the same thing:p Post some pics of your Pellet rigs with a description of it & what you use it for, this might help me decide ! :D
 
No pics at the moment, but I would say it depends on the range you plan on shooting at. For long range (for a pellet gun) go pcp (pre charged pneumatic). The downside they are costly to get started. You'll need the gun, a tank and a way to refill the tank, but these can approach .22 long rifle velocities and many have a moderator or sound dampner shrouding the barrel. I prefer spring guns. A RWS 54 will run with the pcps. For most of my uses my Beeman R9 or RWS 34 gets the job done easily. The .22 calibers seem to have better knockdown power , but don't shoot as flat as a .177. I would recommend a RWS 34 in .22 as the best bang for the buck for most airgun uses. Stay away from the cheapie walmart models unless you like to tinker. Also most manufacturers listed velocities mean almost nothing ,because they were collected with super light, lead free pellets, which aren't very accurate at all. If you get a spring gun and decide to scope it, make sure the scope is capable of handling the springers reverse recoil. I have had excellent luck with centerpoint scopes. Good luck with your choice.
 
I'm looking at maybe a Hammeril Storm. I've been looking at the Crosman Quest 1000, nothing but good reviews on the Quest 1000 & the Crosman Phantom. I will be getting a springer but I don't want to drop a large amounf of $$$ on this as I have several .22LR .
 
I've got a Gamo Whisper in .177 with a 3-9 scope (their combo deal).

It's great for up to squirrel sized game, and I even killed a possum with a head shot from around 30 feet (10 yds), but it doesn't have enough umph to kill a big raccoon. Head or body shots, no diiference, they grunt and flop, but then get up and run off.

If I could do it over again, I'd look into the Gamo .25 caliber model. Much more terminal energy.
 
I vastly prefer a .22 LR for plinking and shooting pests.

Even with comparable velocities from higher power air guns, they only have a fraction of the range and energy on target. .22LR makes for more humane dispatch.

More fun for plinking as well, faster to shoot and no hassle with loading tiny pellets and cocking the piston.
 
I have a .22 Benjamin from Crosman for that. It works well and has a decent 10x scope. I would rather use my bow for pest control though.
 
coaldigger said:
Anybody here use a Pellet gun to do Pest control (Crows,Piegons,Chipmunks,Rats...etc) or just for plinking ? I'm going to give it a try, just haven't decided on which rifle to get, so many models out there & when I read the reviews they all say about the same thing:p Post some pics of your Pellet rigs with a description of it & what you use it for, this might help me decide ! :D
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I have killed (insert really big number) rats with a cheapie Crossman Pumpmaster in .177. Also squirrels and pigeons. These little airguns are inexpensive but do a fine job at close range using BBs, which penetrate quite well. Be careful about shooting hard objects. BBs ricochet like crazy! :eek:

Andy
 
I posted a quickie review of a Benjamin 25 cal nitrogen piston rifle I purchased to this thread a couple of weeks ago. A great rifle so far and I'm really pleased! I've recently popped a couple of good sized prairie dogs and one skunk. The skunk was a good 80 yards away and they all died right now. And, yes, I think prairie dogs are cute too but them digging holes in my horse pasture is a big no--no! They're also flea, tick, and disease carriers, just about as bad as pigeons but not quite as filthy.
 
I have a cheap Tech Force 97 in 177 cal from China. Advertised to shoot 900 fps. What it actually shoots , I dont know. Still its one cock and surprisingly accurate . Ive shot a bunch of starlings with it this winter. It would kill rats easily. Its much better that the old pneumatic Crossman I use to have . They will run about 100 dollars.
 
I have a Remington AirMaster77(Crossman 2100) with a Powerline 3-9x32 scope.I got the whole rig at Walmart:foot: for around $130.00.I only use Predator pellets,wich can only be ordered online.They are designed to kill,and have a polymer tip.Do a search on Predator pellets,and you will see why these pellets make the simplest air rifle a raw killing machine:D.I have taken a 30lb groundhog from 30 yards and crows at 40yards with this setup.There are better options out there,but for the money,it's going to be hard to find a better deal on a new air rifle.
 
The Benjamin/Sheridan pump rifles have a good reputation and are a little more expensive. I have the Crossman 1377c with the shoulder stock attachment. The nice thing about the 1377 (besides the price) is that the sight can be changed from pistol sight to peep sight for the shoulder stock. I use it for target shooting indoors. The 1377 is not recommended for hunting, but people mod it for more power and hunt small animals with it. I like multi-pump air rifles because you can vary the power for outdoor/indoor shooting, they don't require CO2 cartridges, and they don't have the special needs of springers. You might get tired of pumping them after a while, though.
 
I was just wondering about this the other day. I have a dinky little BB gun I bought at WalMarted rated at 350 FPS for BBs, though I'm not really sure I'm confident in it as a pest control gun--at least I doubt the kill would be very humane. I did this with it today trying to zero out the scope.

scopeshooting.jpg

*4x15 scope, dunno what I was thinkin'

I miss my Powerline 990 I use to have; I went to try to see how much they cost now, but I can't find any for sale anywwhere. :( I guess the 880 is just as good, but it's multi-pump only; the 990 used C02.
 
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dogstar said:
The Benjamin/Sheridan pump rifles have a good reputation and are a little more expensive. I have the Crossman 1377c with the shoulder stock attachment. The nice thing about the 1377 (besides the price) is that the sight can be changed from pistol sight to peep sight for the shoulder stock. I use it for target shooting indoors. The 1377 is not recommended for hunting, but people mod it for more power and hunt small animals with it. I like multi-pump air rifles because you can vary the power for outdoor/indoor shooting, they don't require CO2 cartridges, and they don't have the special needs of springers. You might get tired of pumping them after a while, though.
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I've got a Daisy Multi-Pump (750fps) but the accuracy & trigger pull leaves alot to be desired ! It's ok for the money ($30) but I'm looking into a little more serious air rifle. I've taken snakes, field mice & a crow with the Daisy.
 
Rat Finkenstein said:
I vastly prefer a .22 LR for plinking and shooting pests.

Even with comparable velocities from higher power air guns, they only have a fraction of the range and energy on target. .22LR makes for more humane dispatch.

More fun for plinking as well, faster to shoot and no hassle with loading tiny pellets and cocking the piston.
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I have several.22LR rifles & pistols but the neighbors don't like the noise when I'm dispatching crows out of my garabge cans !
 
what ever you do, DO NOT get anything from UMAREXUSA...i got a walther talon magnum (.22cal) from them a little over a year ago. i recently sent it back for warrenty repair (the breech cracked where the barrel went into it), other than that it was in perfect condition. it only had maybe 70-100 pellets shot through it.
the rifle was sent UPS in the original packaging. they called a week or so saying that i would have to BUY a new one. they said that the stock was destroyed and tha the barrel was bent. BS...
i called UPS about the matter so they know what's up...i'm being scamed...
now they will not return calls or my emails. they have my property and refuse to cooperate with me. this is going to get ugly because i WILL NOT let them get away with this. the lady with UPS said that unfortunatly this is a common scam with worthless companys. they want to recoup their cost by claiming UPS damaged the product. we have the paper work that it was recieved in good order. umarex are damn liars. do not do buisness with them.
i just wanted to give you and anyone else who reads this a heads up.
 
I own a very nice rifle a Weihrauch H77,very nice under lever cocking model. I really do like it ,but it is heavy,it's nickname is "the garand". My suggestion would be a barrel cocking model to save weight. I had a friend who started buying the cheap spring piston types made by Daisy,winchester etc,in other words chinese.Every one of them broke a spring.I have no idea if he's still returning everyone that breaks or not. Go for an RWS or a Weihrauch,avoid the newer beemans.
 
I have a .22 BSA Lightning with a gas cylinder aftermarket mod, it spits & hits well and is quiet with the sound baffle whatsit at its muzzle. For hunting vermin and rabbits, sure it'd work fine so long as your not doing it 24/7.
 
Rednek said:
I have a Remington AirMaster77(Crossman 2100) with a Powerline 3-9x32 scope.I got the whole rig at Walmart:foot: for around $130.00.I only use Predator pellets,wich can only be ordered online.They are designed to kill,and have a polymer tip.Do a search on Predator pellets,and you will see why these pellets make the simplest air rifle a raw killing machine:D.I have taken a 30lb groundhog from 30 yards and crows at 40yards with this setup.There are better options out there,but for the money,it's going to be hard to find a better deal on a new air rifle.
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Just ordered an airmaster77 refurbished after looking at my other options available. About how much did that scope run?
 
The Scope was $30.00,and dont forget the Predator pellets.Pyramid Air sells 3tins,and the fourth is free.
 
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