Bussta

Reminds me of a pigeon I tried to shoot with my airgun back when i was a youngen. I shot & shot & shot at this pigeon on the fence who just sat there while I blew half the fence away. It must have been **** scared as it just sat there staring at me, either that or it had it's defence shield activated. The funniest thing was as soon as I got up it flew off.

I know that this question is no doubts in the top 10 most asked airgun questions of all time, but can anyone give me some advise and help me on the difference between Carbine & PCP. I am looking to get a silenced air rifle to sort out a rabbit problem we have on our shoot and to clean up the squirrel populations in the woods around the shoot - I have done this previously with my 12 bore, with much success, but little stealth as it's so noisy, so I am after a CHEAP decent gun - 22 if thats best for this type of thing that is accurate and deadly. I have read a biot on these PCP guns, but don't own a scuba bottle and don't fancy the idea of having ti fill up all of the time. Are Carbines more powerful that Spring rifles/ I have a BSA lightening spring rifle, but think it is ********, and the crack noise it gives when breaking the barrel would scare anything off for miles around. Is there a quiet option that gives low if not no recoil and accurate other than buying a pcp gas canister gun?

Thanks a lot for all of your help guys! - I didn't realise that the pumps or divers bottles cost so much!, I suppose it would be cheaper & easier to buy a few spare canisters for the rifle and have say three filled at one go so you always have one in reserve. + I think the bunnies may think I'm a bit strange walking around with a scuba tank on my back looking like some Ghostbuster wannabe! - mind you I could always mod it into a rocket pack & fly upto the tree canopy for those evasive pigeons!

Just a quick question What is the difference between a carbine & PCP air rifle, which is more powerful for rabbiting? Is a carbine the same as PCP? Also how easy is it to refil a PCP airgun without a divers bottle?, someone said that you can get a handpump? if so how much are these? Again the old question crops up - if I am to shoot vermin (pigeons, Rabbits e.c.t, the what would be better - .177 or .22?

cheers for the info!

Can anyone give me a link to some free targets to download & print? I am after life size Rabbit, Pigeon, Magpie & Squirrel ones to get used to ranges & kill zones anyone know where I can get them from - have got plenty of normal targets, so am looking for some more realistic exiting ones to practice on!

Cheers guys, I think i'll be going for a PCP .177 Then!, many thanks fior your help (although I should'nt think the bunnies will be too pleased!

I currently own numerous shotguns, and an old spring cocking BSA Meteor .22, I regularly go vermin shooting on the shoot I belong to, but am looking to get a rifle to save scaring away any pigeons, rabbits that I shoot at, the main problem being with a shotgun the whole county hears you firing let along the poor bunny you are aiming at. So to cut a long question short: what would be the best, most resonable priced airgun to buy for Rabbit and pigeon shooting? I have heard a bit about PCP guns, but am not sure if you need a seperate licence for them, I basically need something that will be accurate at 50 yards, kill a rabbit stone dead and is quiter than a nat farting! Any ideas?

I am a keen game shooter and own several shotguns and have recently been down to my shooting land to do some vermin shooting,. I managed to bag a bunny with my 12 bore, but as you can guess the rest of the blighters scarpered as soon as I fired. I have an air rifle at home - .22 old BSA meteor I think - one of the crank ones, but I'm not sure if this will do the job at a decent distance and will be powerfull enough. I have heard of gas powered rifles, but don't really have a clue about them and how they work - e.g do you need to keep buying the cannisters? Can anyone let me know what type of rifle I should get to shoot bunnies at a good distance and typical price range for such a gun? - also would a silencer help to muffle the sound so not to alert the rabbits? much appreciated

I am going to look at a 2nd hand Beretta 686 Muli Choke 30" barrels next week, have been thinking about getting one for some time, but don't like the new look Silver Pigeons, so really want one of the pre-pigeon 686's. Are they a good gun, and would 30" barrels be better than 20"?

Has anyone got any tips for shooting old Roger rabbit in the daytime & without a ferret to get them out? Have noticed a lot of burrows around the edge of one of the woods I shoot and have seen many a dropping in the fields close to the hedges. What is the best tactic and load to use?

oooh and one last thing - if you rekon the .410 is the best bet, what load cartridges are most suitable for rabbit/pigeon/magpie/squirrels e.t.c

thanks for the advise, My major reason for mentioning the .410 is that I am worried about "spooking" the wood if I fire off with a 12B or doesn't it make that much difference? I will probably be taking pot shots at low flying pigeons and trying to get as close upto maggies, jays and tree rats as I can. I am a good shot, but would I do better going with the 12bore and leaving the 410? - or would it be a better idea to take the 410 as It doesn't make as much noise and would lessen the risk of everything in the county flying away? sorry for the 100 questions, but I want to make as much of a day of it as possible! Thanks for all of your knowlege guys!

Thanks for the advise Mike, I have a 410 double barrel that I can use and a single barrel folding one which is obviously much lighter - would you recommend these to the old trusty 12 bore? - I take it it's all down to noise and disturbing the wood. Would a .410 be powerfull enough to knock down pigeons and rabbits?

Thanks Guys, May have a look into getting a crow call or something, what call attracts maggies, jays & crows the best?

The end of the season has finally copme and am gearing up to do a bit of vermin/pigeon shooting in some woods on my shoot. I have noticed that there are numerous flights of pigeons that come into the wood, but all seems pretty random, also there are a lot of rooks about. I can only really go in the day, but intend to stay all day long, so what would be the best advice for the following: pigeons in the wood Rooks in the wood Rabbits in the wood & field - how to spot them & not spook them Squirrels Magpies & Jays would any bird calls help? Its a massive wood, so don't think I need to worry too much about scaring away birds from the whole wood, but would like some advice as the best way to go abouts hunting all of these. I have a face net and will be greener than the Jolly green giant! Also what shot load should I go for - 30g 6's?

Thanks , I keep getting told that 20B has potentially more killing power than 12B as the pattern is more concentrated than a 12 therefor hits with a punch instead of tickle? - I presume that say if you shoot 28g 6's through a 12B and 28g 6's through a 20 then the 20B would have a tighter pattern than the 12? I am fairly new to the in's and out's of it all as have only been shooting with my grandfathers 12B - not bigging myself up, but I am quite a shot on the shoot and tend to hit most things. The reason for wanting a 20B is a0 to be a bit different, to have a lighter gun and to know that if I hit a phesant I'm more likely going to kil it than make it a runner - supose though you have to be a more confident shot as you havn't got as much of a spread pattern?

I'm seriously thinking of joing the dark side and transforming from my s/s 12bore to an o/u 20. Read a recent article in sporting gun about the Silma 20 o/u and it's sounds prertty good at £500 brand new, has anyone heard/seen/used one off these and how do you think it compares to the Baretta Silver pigeon, or Mcnab lowlander?

Thanx for the advise!

What is the AYA no4 like?, I am looking to upgrade my Spanish s/s 12bore and have seen that the No.4 is fairly inexpensive compared to it's prettier sister the No.2. Is it a good gun? - I have tried to look for an image of the gun on the net but can't find any, so son't even know what it looks like! -anyone got any pics I can see?

What is the AYA no4 like?, I am looking to upgrade my Spanish s/s 12bore and have seen that the No.4 is fairly inexpensive compared to it's prettier sister the No.2. Is it a good gun? - I have tried to look for an image of the gun on the net but can't find any, so son't even know what it looks like! -anyone got any pics I can see?

thanks for the advise. It's fine for me to shoot on the land/woods, so am intending to go for the rough-walkup option against decoying as I have nvere tried it and guess it's probably the wrong time of year to do it. I'm going to walk through some of the woods and take my chances with the pigeons and squirrels, what is the best time to go, I often see a lot of them in the wood, but as soon as you fire off they all scarper, but suppose if I sit there covered propperly they will circuit and come back in? Sorry for all of the questions, I have been itching to go out on my own for ages and look forward to the possibility of seeing a rabbit or two and having pigeon pie!

Question 1. I am currently a half gun on a small Pheasant shoot in Kent and am keen to get a bit more shooting done. I fancy having a go at a bit of rabbit shooting and pigeon/vermin shooting and am after a bit of advise. I live about 40 min from the area that I shoot in and therefor can't really devote too much time to setting up decoys, monitoring pigeon fights e.t.c, as I work in the week. I have access to a large number of woods and fields and quite fancy having a stroll through them and having a pop at a few rabbits, pigeons, rooks e.t.c. what is the best way to do this, as I have to be a bit weary at the moment not to spook the phesants in the woods too much as the shoot is still on, I can't really devote the time to setting up a decoy system, so what is the likelyhood of bagging pigeons and rabbits by walking up through the woods - what is the best way-times to do it? - is it illegal to shoot on Sundays? Question 2. I currently use a s/s 12 bore but am thinking of having a change to a 20b o/u, but I've never shot an o/u and wonder if there is much advantage - as I won't be shooting mile high Phesants like they do on some of the more prestigious shoots I am wondering if it would be more suited to what I do and would like to do?