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pistol


dan222
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Hi all

need a bit of advice ,Iam after a pistol to dispatch vermin ie rats / squirrels, when in my live catch traps. when doing my pest control work.

I think a hand cocking type would be best as co2 is not warranted as not used that mutch,

it will be short range shooting with flat head pellets.

question 177 or 22 ? what gun ? :yes:

advice greatly appreaciated

cheers , Dan. :P

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ok ,please dont get me wrong.you are not even going to get 6lb.

I have a few co2 pistols ,they look ok (92fs-m9) thats about it.

The only air pistol i would shoot anything with is my hw 45.

its ok,properly the best you can buy without going into the target pcps and rancho type stuff

that your not really going to buy to kill rats with.

if money is a issue buy a gamo rifle that will put out 10-11ft.

if money is not spend big and get a good springer or pcp.(rifle)

 

Air pistols are for targets ,they dont have enough power to kill clean.

Things like the ratcatcher are ok for a few shoots then the powers gone.

 

Someone will say they have shoot wild boar with a gat gun ,or there dads welby tempest,

But thats a load of bull.

 

Anyone can hurt stuff ,which is sick (even a rat.)

Get a rifle ,practice and kill them in one shot if poss.

I think you should buy a rifle with a red dot sight.

 

Oh i really like air pistols,but only for targets.

 

cheers scott

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as your shooting them at point blank range i think 6ftlbs is fine for rats, not sure about squirrels though, they are tough and you dont want to cause suffering. the only spring pistols on the 6 ftlbs limit are the hw45 and the diana magnum. i would use .22 as accuracy is not essential. if you go co2 get a sheridan pro-hunter, similar to crossman but better, about £100.

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There are REALLY only two air pistols I know of which are capable of dispatching game. The HW45 and the BSA 240, and the latter sadly no longer in production.

 

New, the hw45 is quite dear, my local shop is selling them for £250.

Used, hw45 goes for 140-160 for good condition in box, occasionally a bit cheaper for lucky folk who are willing to wait around a bit. You can get one for 110-120, it'll be a bit dinged up, but the vermin won't care!

 

I THINK the BSA 240 goes for a similar price in good condition-mint ones often go for more. I'm looking for one at the moment.

 

HW45 doesn't get 6 ft/lbs. In .22 it gets about 5, in .177 it gets 4.5.

I've had my hw45 for almost a year now, and I love it more every day. It's a bit chunky, some find it front-heavy, but I don't find it a problem. I've killed gray squirrels at 15 yards with single shots to the boiler room, so at point blank, power certainly won't be an issue.

 

 

Don't buy an SMK.

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Surely it is accuracy that is the issue with using a pistol for live vermin.

 

You cannot guarantee a clean head-shot at anything other than very short ranges

 

But at the very short ranges for killing in a live trap, any half-decent pistol would produce a head-shot kill.

 

Certainly I have found my .22 Crosman 2240 with Bisley pest control pellets to be more than capable of despatching squirrels at the very short ranges where a rifle is unwieldy

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bsa 240 magnum, or a bsa scorpion (the old springer pistol) - both would do the job at point blank range, (i know this - as i have used both to shoot squirrels at very close range very efficiently), both pistols are not made new anymore, and you will pay more for the 240 magnum, but you can pick up a rough scorpion for not a lot. :good:

 

ps - i will be selling both of mine shortly to fund FAC kit (but obviously not on this site!!)

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have used an HW45 in .177 to kill Mink caught in a trap, they put out 5.9ft/lbs, and Ive just bought a BSA 240 Magnum too. Same as the HW45, but 1/2 a kilo lighter! The Webley Typhoon is another high powered pistol, but stay well clear of anything by SMK.

 

You only need 2.5ft/lbs to kill something at short range.

 

I wouldn't use a pistol for shooting loose quarry though, you just don't have the accuracy.

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if its in a trap you dont need a gun .Put a bit of string on the trap.

When you have a rat etc in it,drop it in a water butt.

Holding just the string.

Thats how we do it around here.

cheers scott

 

Drowning is not an appropriate way of despatching captive animals.

 

Pistol or stout gloves and a priest.

 

Not only is it objectionable from an animal welfare point of view, you may also be committing a criminal offence.

 

Protection of Animals Act 1911

Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996

Animal Welfare Act 2006

 

LS

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