Nigelgreaves Posted November 21, 2015 Report Share Posted November 21, 2015 Calling the people of the air gun world... The inevitable has happened, rats are starting to show interest in my chicken hut and my duck house, though it has taken some months for the blighters to find them. I am asking what would be a cheap but effective air rifle to control em. Mrs G says I can't spend a fortune on one specially after buying a new shot gun a couple of months back.. Thinking of second hand about £200 ish with a scope... I am working on the argument that it could be a chrissy pressy for my boy...😉 so might be able to stretch the purse strings... If anybody as owt in the south / west yorks area cash waiting. Cheers Nige Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert 888 Posted November 21, 2015 Report Share Posted November 21, 2015 Get on top of them with poison,the rats will be after the food.I had 80+ rats with the hw95 and trap combination. Poisoning is the only way to get shut of them,or get rid of the chickens and ducks,you could smoke them out and put some terriers on them. I thought it was fun a first getting the odd one or two every week but they keep multiplying and poison is the only answer really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur Posted November 21, 2015 Report Share Posted November 21, 2015 What about a Crosman Ratcatcher 2250b? http://www.gunmart.net/guns_for_sale/26698/CROSMAN-2250B-RATCATCHER-CO2-WITH-4x15-SCOPE.html A good starter gun for a boy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldypigeonpopper Posted November 21, 2015 Report Share Posted November 21, 2015 What about a Crosman Ratcatcher 2250b? http://www.gunmart.net/guns_for_sale/26698/CROSMAN-2250B-RATCATCHER-CO2-WITH-4x15-SCOPE.html A good starter gun for a boy hello, that would be ok but with a torch and red led, oh Co2 is best kept indoors or warm before use, when i had a ratty catcher i used a hand warmer with capsules in a bag but dont let get to hot. hello, that would be ok but with a torch and red led, oh Co2 is best kept indoors or warm before use, when i had a ratty catcher i used a hand warmer with capsules in a bag but dont let get to hot. that is in winter for co2 summer no probs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigelgreaves Posted November 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2015 Thanks chaps, Cheers Nige Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felly100 Posted November 21, 2015 Report Share Posted November 21, 2015 (edited) Find the run,make a tunnel and put a mk4 Fenn trap down. I've caught nine in a fortnight Perversely it becomes disappointing not finding one in it. Make sure none target species can't get in though. Edited November 21, 2015 by felly100 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GingerCat Posted November 22, 2015 Report Share Posted November 22, 2015 Hatsan 55/60/striker crossman have a few. Smk have a few for less than £150 often scoped. For £200 you're spoilt for choice if just popping the odd rat off in your garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
secretagentmole Posted November 22, 2015 Report Share Posted November 22, 2015 (edited) Cheapest, Hatsan 900 Breaker, low recoil, light weight spring powered beastie with a silencer on a carbine length barrel, Browns of Sheffield have them for under £70. Walnut stock, open sights, only disappointment a slightly woolly trigger, but you can live with it. Has dovetails so you can fit a scope, a hell of a lot gun for very little cash and very capable of dropping vermin. Next cheapest, Hatsan 55 or 60 S, Redbeck have them for around the £110 mark, weighty, but great trigger, better known as the Webley Stingray Mk 2 (for double the cost), once again Walnut stock and open sights. Next up price wise is the Remington Express/SMK XS 19, in my mind not as good as the Hatsan 55 or 60, others will disagree. All of those should allow you to get a scope, mounts and pellets too for well under budget! Edited November 22, 2015 by secretagentmole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krugerandsmith Posted November 22, 2015 Report Share Posted November 22, 2015 mole. Agree ..... the Hatsan 900x for the price takes some beating .... I have ordered one ..... I will play with the trigger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snipper Posted November 22, 2015 Report Share Posted November 22, 2015 Couple of fenn traps as said above box to cover them and a small hole either end ..... Better than freezing your balls off waiting with an air gun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjimmer Posted November 22, 2015 Report Share Posted November 22, 2015 Trapping if much more time effective than shooting. Shooting is not the answer to everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felly100 Posted November 22, 2015 Report Share Posted November 22, 2015 Sitting in your garden concealed in camo gear has got to be one of the biggest shooting no no's. Get the Fenns out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigelgreaves Posted November 22, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 22, 2015 What about humanly dispatching with a blunt instrument? Just happened across an adult ratty (sluggish would imagine he had a belly full of poison from somewhere - not mine) hit him once and it was lights out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael170874 Posted November 22, 2015 Report Share Posted November 22, 2015 Hushpower 410 subsonic shells no noise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisjpainter Posted November 22, 2015 Report Share Posted November 22, 2015 Hushpower 410 subsonic shells no noise Odd kind of air rifle! I'd also be reticent in firing off a shotgun regularly in a small patch of land with poultry around. chickens habitually peck at grit to help break up tough grain and you don't want them taking up lead in the process. There's also a question of whether you want to wipe them out or just control them and leave some sport for your lad. Poisoning (if you can be sure your birds won't get at the poison) or trapping will be more effective in elimination, but something like the 900x, or the HW95k would be a perfect tool. The latter is what I started on for the very same problem you have! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evo Posted November 23, 2015 Report Share Posted November 23, 2015 Trapping if much more time effective than shooting. Shooting is not the answer to everything. but it can be serious fun where rats are concerned,, if it was me I would use concealed poison ( so it cant be consumed by other creatures ) and also a bit of use of the air rifle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felly100 Posted November 23, 2015 Report Share Posted November 23, 2015 I wouldn't use poison near a chicken run. Slugs love rat bait,aren't killed by it,but if a hen eats the slug its game over for the hen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marksman1997 Posted November 23, 2015 Report Share Posted November 23, 2015 Poison & Traps. Its a slow process with a air rifle. Get a poison bait box to keep hens away. Blunt object worked well for us and was the only choice for us. Square straw bales in the corner full of rats. Sealed it off with tin and threw out the bales. Got 24 Rats with sticks and the Jack Russell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evo Posted November 23, 2015 Report Share Posted November 23, 2015 Poison & Traps. Its a slow process with a air rifle. Get a poison bait box to keep hens away. Blunt object worked well for us and was the only choice for us. Square straw bales in the corner full of rats. Sealed it off with tin and threw out the bales. Got 24 Rats with sticks and the Jack Russell. jesus , I bet that was chaos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marksman1997 Posted November 23, 2015 Report Share Posted November 23, 2015 jesus , I bet that was chaos You bet. Not recommended without decent gear. We had heavy welly boots on and the trousers tucked in. The saying is true that once they are cornered they go for you as i had one jump straight for me with the mouth wide open. Luckily i am good at football. Also another time with my dad cleaning out dung from under sheep mesh in the house with the loader and loads were running out his weapon of choice was the shovel as it was also a convenient tool for cleaning out dung from a shed. Its good for it and easier to hit with a large surface area but a little dangerous as he realised when a load ran out and he swung and got one then as he raised the shovel up for another swing a big one ran over the shovel resulting in him flipping it up in the air and nearly landing on his head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigelgreaves Posted November 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2015 Had a look at a Kral .22 with scope, bag, trigger lock, and pellets - £150 all in. Any views? Stopped off and got some traps, bait boxes and poison on way home.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael170874 Posted November 28, 2015 Report Share Posted November 28, 2015 Claymores and c4 works well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisheruk Posted November 28, 2015 Report Share Posted November 28, 2015 mole. Agree ..... the Hatsan 900x for the price takes some beating .... I have ordered one ..... I will play with the trigger. I have a Hatsan 900x brilliant little springer, excellent springer, very accurate, plenty of power for rats. I'm not sure I would worry about exterminating the lot, having your own rat shoot can be great fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imissalot Posted November 28, 2015 Report Share Posted November 28, 2015 Are rats nocturnal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felly100 Posted November 28, 2015 Report Share Posted November 28, 2015 Mainly nocturnal but if they see an advantage to getting food,such as an unattended pile of chicken feed they will get stuck in. With regards having your own rat shoot in your garden,each to their own. I'd rather a bit of plinking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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