|
|
|
|
#1
08-06-2020, 04:51 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
OT: BB/pellet guns for discouraging rodentia
I know we have some firearm enthusiasts here so i thought that I, a bleeding heart liberal gun control advocate, would seek their advice. I hope we can avoid political complications (silly rabbit).
TL;DR: can you recommend a decent quality BB or pellet (not sure which is best) pistol for shooting but not killing rodents, especially squirrels? I am at my wit's end with the squirrels and rats devastating our fruit trees. I don't mind sacrificing a nominal portion of the harvest to them but they seem determined to sample/ruin every damned piece of fruit. I am contemplating purchasing a BB/pellet gun to provide a…stronger form of discouragement to the vermin. I don't want to kill them, rather deliver enough pain that they are unlikely to return. In the past I tried a plastic gun that shot ceramic pellets but it was unreliable. I've never been in a gun shop or the gun section of a sporting goods store so I don't know what to look for. Other advice for dealing with vermin is also welcome. We've tried putting cayenne pepper on the fruit but it was ineffective and some of the fruit is too high to make that strategy viable even if it worked. thanks 
|
|
#2
08-06-2020, 05:00 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
How about an Airsoft gun....they shoot plastic BBs.
Now if you want to get serious: RWS Model 48 Where else would you look for airguns....Air Gun Depot of course.... FYI - last air gun discussion was shut down.
__________________
2003 CSi / Legend Ti / Seven 622 SLX Last edited by Ozz; 08-06-2020 at 05:03 PM.
|
|
#3
08-06-2020, 05:04 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
I considered going down this path to keep highly-acrobatic squirrels away from my bird feeders, but all the research I did online (including forums where members are enthusiastic gun owners and users) is that using firepower to fight squirrels is a hopeless task. I ended up getting some Brome squirrel-proof feeders that work very well, and I haven't seen a squirrel around in months.
However, if you really do want to shoot them but only scare them away (only a temporary solution - they'll return as soon as your back is turned) your best bet is most likely an Airsoft rifle. They have a relatively low muzzle velocity and you can use biodegradable pellets so you don't have to worry about littering the area with lead or other such stuff. One possible source: https://www.airsoftstation.com/airsoft-guns/ Edit: I see Ozz and I have posted the same suggestion. At least we're consistent there. Edit #2: I am a gun owner, but not an enthusiast. I have them merely to dispatch injured or sick animals that because I live out in the woods occasionally cross my path. Happily, I haven't yet had occasion to use them for this purpose. Last edited by Louis; 08-06-2020 at 05:11 PM.
|
|
#4
08-06-2020, 05:09 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
Maybe the problem was that the gun itself was low quality, and a better one (maybe long rather than pistol) would work better…I'll consult the linked site. Per advice above, I realize that this is likely a fruitless (sorry) endeavor in the long term.
|
|
#5
08-06-2020, 05:18 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
FWIW - Won't be able to buy BB guns online in CA, but I think you can get airsoft. You could buy them at a gun shop, big 5, dick's sporting goods, etc.
What about a slingshot? Problem with an airsoft/bb gun, is that you are pretty much littering your garden unless you plan to search for every pellet you shoot.
|
|
#6
08-06-2020, 05:20 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airsof...#Biodegradable
|
|
#7
08-06-2020, 05:32 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
(Kidding!)
|
|
#8
08-06-2020, 05:42 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
here's my birdfeeder solution for squirrels: stovepipe! use it to cover the 4x4 post.
too fat for them to effectively bear-hug and too hard for their claws to get a purchase. must be at least 6ft tall and far enough from nearby perches that they can't just leap to the feeder. birds feed in peace....the highest desperate muddy paw prints are ~2/3 the way up...no higher. Last edited by wallymann; 08-06-2020 at 05:44 PM.
|
|
#9
08-06-2020, 05:45 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
I’m not a rodent but I’d think just spooking them or even some pain will not be effective. And id argue why stop at the pain, may as well go for the kill.
Maybe a dog would be better?
|
|
#11
08-06-2020, 05:49 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Two pear trees the squirrels loved...until the owls moved in. Still see the occasional squirrel, but they're not running amok like they used to. Maybe you can put up an owl box?
shooting them did not help...only taught them to forage when not at home and then scatter when they saw me coming. Hav-a-hart traps worked ok in the beginning, but then they realized their friends were missing.
|
|
#12
08-06-2020, 05:52 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Honestly, I think your best bet is a live squirrel trap and a few rat traps. Pellet guns aren't too accurate to begin with, you might hit one in the eye, then have to watch a squirrel running around the with glasses.
__________________
BIXXIS Prima Cyfac Fignon Proxidium Legend TX6.5
|
|
#13
08-06-2020, 05:55 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
|
|
#14
08-06-2020, 06:12 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
I doubt an air soft would work because their power and range are inadequate. These creatures aren't likely to let you get within range to hit them hard enough to have any effect. OTOH a pellet gun with muzzle velocity of 1,000 feet per second from RWS or some other quality manufacturer can be very accurate and have enough power to be effective. That means serious wounds or death.
If Benjamin still makes pellet guns that you pump up a stroke at a time and thereby vary the muzzle velocity and power you MIGHT be able to estimate how many strokes you need for shots at various distances but I wouldn't bet on it. Squirrels are pretty delicate and you really don't want to just wound them.
|
|
#15
08-06-2020, 06:18 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
|
 |
|
|
Linear Mode
