3 dead varmits, first three shots, certainly appears to be sighted in without me screwing with it.
Purchased because I like the "thumb" pass through. It's loudish, but not a "crack."
My urban Jewish wife is in a state of distress.
Posted on 01/12/2010 9:13:29 AM PST by Jewbacca
I have got squirrels all over my damn house, ruining flower beds, getting in the attic, etc. Some idiot introduced them (they are not native) to our town and they are going crazy with no natural predators.
I live in a city (suburb) where the discharge of firearms is rather disfavored.
My friends and neighbors have opted for the pellet gun approach --- some with the C02 pistol spray-and-pray approach --- some with the scoped rifled (nailed one myself at a friend's house at 30 yards).
I know squat about pellet guns, other than they come in .177 and .22.
Recomendations?
“Peanut butter is extremely attractive to many beneficial birds, like woodpeckers, nuthatches, and chickadees. Not a good idea.”
Did Patton worry about collateral damage, did MacArthur? :-)
Honestly, I have not run into a pellet pistol that works well, and I've had many. The RWS break-open kind might be worth a try, though.
As for not worrying about being seen, good luck. Hopefully your town is more sensible than most. Here in Northern Virginia, Barney Fife treats an air gun discharge just like he does the discharge of any other kind of gun. When our pastor moved here from a rural area, his boys all loved to play with pellet guns. After a very unpleasant visit from the cops, which only had a happy ending because the boy involved was very young, they had to get rid of them.
Use a wrist rocket to knock them out of the tree, and a big dog to catch them after they fall.
It’s fun.
The Benjamin air rifles are powerful and inexpensive (I own a Sheridan), but they’re too loud for your purpose. If you’re going to own just one pellet rifle, consider the RWS Diana in .177 cal. It’s a bit pricey, but you’ll be proud to own it.
I’ve never owned a side-lever type, due to paranoia over placing my fingers in the breech of a cocked spring airgun.
.177 or .22? I prefer the flatter trajectory and longer useful range of the .177, but you may find either caliber fit for your purpose. Scopes are not needed for airguns, they seem more to get in the way.
I remember getting a solid hit on a fair-sized Grackle with my Diana .177, and walked over to examine it, picking it up by the wingtips. The body fell away, leaving me holding each wing by the tip, due the size of the exit hole in the bird’s back.
Dog or cat food? I have enough cats (and now a dog) that the squirrels posted my yard No Trespassing themselves, but I have got a groundhog so large that at first glance I thought it was a bear cub. I'm planning the Havahart method for him.
I keep a BB rifle handy (old pump style), and I've actually offed two of 'em.
I learned “shoot, shovel, and shut up” in Israel.
I can handle Barney Fife.
I will ask my neighbor if he wants them; we’ve mutually declared war on the creatures.
Thank you all for the advice.
Heading to Acadamy now to see what they have . . .
Leaning toward rifle, break barrel, that “whisper” one if they have it.
I pitch my victims over the fence in the woods. The crows usually show up within 10 minutes of hearing a shot. If not the coyotes clean up.
If noise could be a problem check out the Gamo Whisper .177 it has a noise dampener (works like a silencer). If you can get your hands on a July 2008 edition of the American Rifleman (NRA magazine) it has a very good article about the Gamo Airguns starting on page 42.
On line Cabela's and BassPro both show several different air rifles.
Whatever gun you end up getting, make sure you get a scope designed specifically for airguns. Airguns recoil differently than firearms, and will destroy a scope made for a firearm.
Congratulations on your kill shots.
Well done!
You owe me a whole stack of napkins because I slobbered all over myself just reading the recipes. Thanks for the memories
of past meals!!
The girlfriend feeds her squirrels. Those and the Cardinals, doves, hummingbirds, blue birds, Blue Jays and finches.
Her dogs just ignore it all.
She had a bald eagle sitting on her air conditioner unit a couple of years ago.
Okay Slim, that just struck me as damn funny!
Being rodents, squirrels have huge olfactory bulbs, which they use to sniff out bulbs and other delicacies growing in your garden. It's very quick and easy to toss a little pepper on the flower bed. The next time Mr. Squirrel comes sniffing to see what you've planted for supper, he'll get a nose full of pepper in his exquisitely sensitive little rodent nose and leave you alone. The downside is that you have to reapply it after each rain. As for the trees, you might consider getting in touch with your inner Bull Conner and pulling out the garden hose.
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