pigeonpaul Posted August 9, 2011 Report Share Posted August 9, 2011 I have a pigeon problem in my garden. I have tried all sorts of deterrents & nothing is working. They have made a terrible mess all over our decking/barbecue are. They are now sitting on the window ledges & trying to get in open windows. What is the best air rifle to use to kill them? I believe I will also need a scope, silencer & bag. Ideally I would like all this to come in at less than £250. Also is there any pellet that is best to use - Domehead, Flathead or Pointed? Many thanks for your help Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted August 9, 2011 Report Share Posted August 9, 2011 If this is the only use for such a thing, call in a local pro. If its going to be ongoing it don't matter much all full power stuff will do fine. Personally i think .22 is far better for ferals as they tend to kill well without pass through and it hard to better a second hand HW80 or similar in that price range. Watch out your not killing someone elses racers and the issue is not created by feeding (maybee a neighbour if not you) if so remove the food and remove the problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeonpaul Posted August 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2011 I have spoken to a professional. He wants £150 per visit. He suggests once he has shot 1, the others will stay away for a day or 2, so he will want £150 per visit. He also says once we clear the present problem, more may come in the future. So it appears the cheaper solution is a gun. Also, there is no food & lots of deterrents, which they have just got used to. Thanks for your advice I will check out a HW80 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caballero Posted August 9, 2011 Report Share Posted August 9, 2011 I have spoken to a professional. He wants £150 per visit. He suggests once he has shot 1, the others will stay away for a day or 2, so he will want £150 per visit. He also says once we clear the present problem, more may come in the future. So it appears the cheaper solution is a gun. Also, there is no food & lots of deterrents, which they have just got used to. Thanks for your advice I will check out a HW80 What area are you in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C00KIE Posted August 9, 2011 Report Share Posted August 9, 2011 As per the other responses i would go for Super H-point pellets, maximun damage and retained energy from the deformation of the head, .22 or .177 will do the job easily enough at the ranges you would require. .177 has a flatter flight path than a .22, i was always led to believe that .177 for feathered, .22 for fur, but i have shot all with a .177 old diana break barrel and its all about shot placement rather than type of rifle etc. You will than need to look at the other choices, either break barrel, gas ram, under leaver, side lever, PCP ( which will involve charging gear etc), scope and the like. ( I do have a compact 4x32 scope up for sale !!!!!) Happy shooting Cookie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeonpaul Posted August 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2011 I am in the South. Unless it is a registered professional, in my area, I am not happy to have someone with a gun turn up at my house. It is also a small garden in the countryside, with neighbours around. Thanks for your help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apache Posted August 9, 2011 Report Share Posted August 9, 2011 Get yourself along to your local gun shop. They often have a cheap and cheerful spring powered air rifle, you should pick one up with a scope for ~£150 that will do all you need it to. Go for dome head pellets, and have a practice shooting a target first. A silencer is not needed as an air rifle is quiet and once you take a shot everything will fly away anyway. Make sure the pellets don't leave your boundary, or you are breaking the law Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted August 9, 2011 Report Share Posted August 9, 2011 I have spoken to a professional. He wants £150 per visit. He suggests once he has shot 1, the others will stay away for a day or 2, so he will want £150 per visit. He also says once we clear the present problem, more may come in the future. So it appears the cheaper solution is a gun. Also, there is no food & lots of deterrents, which they have just got used to. Thanks for your advice I will check out a HW80 Get another pro! He is going to charge you £150 to turn up and shoot just one pigeon then. :blink: Also he is talking total rubbish i have shot ferals by the weel barrow load in one visit as a bird they are not the most wary shoot one and they fly to the nearest perch for 10 mins then return. To be fair in an urban garden once a few have been done they will generally give the place a wide birth, unless a new group come in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKD Posted August 9, 2011 Report Share Posted August 9, 2011 Hi Paul, as others have said, you could easily pop down to a gun shop and buy a gun/scope combo quite cheaply, but things aren't that simple. There are certain laws that cover your "garden problem", and you should be made aware of these. Doing all you can to try and scare off the pigeons [feral pigeons I assume?] was a good thing and shooting is always the last resort. The main legislation regarding the shooting of birds is found in the General Licence here http://www.basc.org.uk/en/shooting/general-licences.cfm Then there's laws covering the actual shooting with an airgun, which can be found here www.basc.org.uk Hope that is of some help, and any more questions don't hesitate to ask, and someone on here is sure to know the answer regards Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pegasus bridge Posted August 9, 2011 Report Share Posted August 9, 2011 (edited) I am in the South. Unless it is a registered professional, in my area, I am not happy to have someone with a gun turn up at my house. It is also a small garden in the countryside, with neighbours around. Thanks for your help there are plenty of responsible, insured people on here who i'm sure would give you a hand. if you do get an offer - look through old posts to get a better idea about them. I'm sure you would even be able to 'supervise' the process to put your mind at rest. go on, give someone a chance! Edited August 9, 2011 by pegasus bridge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
activeviii Posted August 9, 2011 Report Share Posted August 9, 2011 Hi Paul, as others have said, you could easily pop down to a gun shop and buy a gun/scope combo quite cheaply, but things aren't that simple. There are certain laws that cover your "garden problem", and you should be made aware of these. Doing all you can to try and scare off the pigeons [feral pigeons I assume?] was a good thing and shooting is always the last resort. The main legislation regarding the shooting of birds is found in the General Licence here http://www.basc.org.uk/en/shooting/general-licences.cfm Then there's laws covering the actual shooting with an airgun, which can be found here www.basc.org.uk Hope that is of some help, and any more questions don't hesitate to ask, and someone on here is sure to know the answer regards Chris Good shout Chris.. To the OP. just because birds are messing on your decking it does not give the right for anyone to shoot them. you need to download the general licence then read and understand it or you may find you get yourself in a spot of bother. a gentleman shot a pigeon in his garden not so long ago and ended up in hot water for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beretta28g Posted August 9, 2011 Report Share Posted August 9, 2011 With all the bird droppings about they could be culled to stop the sperad of desise. OP You will find some members on here who are as knowleageable as a pro, who could do your job very well and cheaply. There may be a member localto you willing to loan you a setup or something, dont dismoss it out of hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
secretagentmole Posted August 10, 2011 Report Share Posted August 10, 2011 OK, gun, Hatsan 55 S, which is basically a Webley Stingray with a better safety catch, widely available for under £100, scope, Hawke Airmax, cheap as chips, decent quality optic, good in low light about £40, pellets, domed, use Crosman Premier Ultra Magnums, cheap (we pay under £8 per tin of 500), well made and high quality, yes all available in one pellet! You can also afford a gun slip then, target box, some paper targets. That is a good basic set up for well under £250! I had one for 3 years, it was making over 11 foot pounds when I sold it (medical reason, crocked elbow means I cannot cock a spring powered rifle any more). They are a highly effective little gun, beautiful walnut stock, well built and an ideal first gun! Have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bullet boy Posted August 10, 2011 Report Share Posted August 10, 2011 Well Paul,it's funny you say that cos my brother in law had the same problem.He was fed up with Pigeons pooping all over his lovely decking and BBQ area in his garden and asked me advice what rifle to go for to keep these Pigeons at bay.He also had the same budget as you.We went out and he bought a secondhand Weihrauch HW80 in .22 calibre,with Hawke scope,silencer and a tin of Crosman Premier pellets. He now has the problem under control as he has accounted for loads of the pesky pests! He can't thank me enough for the advice I gave him on a superb outfit!The HW80 is a superb spring rifle-possibly IMO the best spring break-barrel rifle ever made! ATB! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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