Air Pistol for dispatch

[southeastpete]

Hey all,

I have thought for a while about getting probably a co2 air pistol for the quick dispatch of rabbits. Sometimes when ferreting a rabbit will get really caught up in a net and curled up so tight that its very hard to get it out to neck it. I have thought that it would be alot easier to have an air pistol in my pocket that i could quickly use to shoot the rabbit in the head at point blank range, then just leave it on the ground and use a fresh net over the rabbit hole and untangle it after we have finished ferreting.

Thing is i dont want to spend silly amounts of money. I saw a crosman revolver on guntrader, but then i googled it. the second hand one was £60, but they are only £67 new!

 

So i googled again, and the cheapest air pistol I can find is £60

http://www.wonderlandmodels.com/products/crosman-c11-compact-air-pistol/

 

the only question i have is, will this kill a rabbit, ie go through its skull, from a range of about 2 inches?

 

Cheers,

Pete

[Blunderbuss]

Marginal. It shoots BBs at 'up to' 480 fps. That's a muzzle energy of around 2.5 ft/lb. Manufacturers are typically optimistic about performance, so on a cold day (CO2 is affected a lot by temperature) or if the gas is low, it could be well under 2 ft/lb. On a good day it might do the job, but it's pretty anaemic. Personally, I'd like a bit more in reserve to guarantee a humane kill EVERY time.

 

The legal limit for an air pistol is 6 ft/lb so I'd be looking for one doing nearer to that, and designed to shoot proper waisted lead pellets not BBs.

 

Something like this, from the same website and manufacturer would be a better bet. You'd probably get a second hand one (or something similar) a lot cheaper.

Edited March 3, 2013 by Blunderbuss

[FalconFN]

I wouldn't use one as a quick look on google says a standard BB weighs around 5 gr and at 480 ft/s thats a muzzle energy of around 2.5 ft/lbs - not enough in my book. Using heavier BBs would reduce the velocity and may not increase energy. When I had ferrets I used a priest, but I know what you mean as a tangled, hunched rabbit with its ears flat doesn't present an easy target for a priest.

 

Blunderbuss beat me to it.

Edited March 3, 2013 by FalconFN

[southeastpete]

Thanks for that, I somehow missed that it was BB's i am looking for one that uses pellets, looked also at the pt-90. Thanks for the comparison of fps to ft/lb, thats useful. Any suggestions of a decent air pistol for me?

I would like a multi shot, so therefore co2, pellets, .22 or .177 as at 2 inch range it wont make a difference. all I need is enough power to kill a rabbit witha point blank head shot.

[HDAV]

Look at umerax revolvers much more money tho or a webley tempest/nemesis will do the job .177 and pushing 5ft/lbs

http://www.guntrader...a&sortOrder=asc

 

Just found this: http://www.arthurbale.co.uk/p49567/Beeman-2004E/c290-8451-8451 with a heavy pellet (10 gr plus), 4-5 ft/lbs

Edited March 3, 2013 by HDAV

[NIGHT SEARCHER]

No to BBs. Best gun for Dispatch is the HW45 a 6 ftlb gun.

 

Or the Crosman 2240. It`s Co2 but run`s near 6 ftlb. in .22 and.177.

 

I would go for .22 and use a pointed pellets.

 

Have a look at www.airgunpellet.co.uk.

[Fisheruk]

I use a Crossman 2240. Does the job. Anything less powerful would be doubtful to do quick kill. With 14 gr pellets in 22 it cronos 5.6 ft lb. You get about 20 full power shots from a single charge.

[southeastpete]

Thanks guys, i think the 2240 will be the one. Shame it is single shot, but it doesnt look too fiddly to reload.

[Underdog]

Don't get any dirt in it!!

 

U.

[HDAV]

No to BBs. Best gun for Dispatch is the HW45 a 6 ftlb gun.

 

Certainly is but at £250 new these days.........A touch over budget.....

[Underdog]

21/2ft/lb should be enough. Some pest controllers use such for caged rats.

 

Besides a small shot from a shotgun has about that at 40-50yds and one of them in a rabbits noggin gets the job done!

 

I would plum for an old spinger myself, an old beat up Webley maybe. Them seals on pumpers and co2 pistols don't do grit and rabbit fur!

 

U.

[paul2012]

Looking about,

 

On sportsman you could get the colt 1911 replica in black shooting 120m/s for £165

 

So using bisley magnum 4.51 10.75g pellets you'll be shooting @ 3.69 ft/lbs

 

But i'd say to only use it in situations where you can't dispatch quickly/easily,

 

Just my 2 cents, Even managed to convince myself i need one now, But i'll use it for field target 10m lol

[HDAV]

Besides a small shot from a shotgun has about that at 40-50yds and one of them in a rabbits noggin gets the job done!

There also alot more than 1.........( 2.5 ft/lbs x 10, or 30, or 100.......)

[NIGHT SEARCHER]

Certainly is but at £250 new these days.........A touch over budget.....

 

 

I have a mint black HW 45 in .22. I paid £110 for it of GUNSTAR. There`s loads of pistols on there.

[HDAV]

I have a mint black HW 45 in .22. I paid £110 for it of GUNSTAR. There`s loads of pistols on there.

That was a bargain...........well done...cheapest on there at the moment is £190! I am after a Umerax 586-6 heard of a chap who got one for £50 missed one at £100, they go for £120+ new ones now are £200.... When you see a bargain buy it...

[goodo123]

Remember that co2 tend to leak so make sure you have some spare bulbs and test it before going.

[Fisheruk]

Remember that co2 tend to leak so make sure you have some spare bulbs and test it before going.

Mine has never leaked in 6 years. Sometimes leaving it 2 months between shots.

[NIGHT SEARCHER]

Mine has never leaked in 6 years. Sometimes leaving it 2 months between shots.

 

My Crosman 2240 last for months on one power cell.

It might get used to shoot a rat once or twice a week.

I only use it whilst i am putting bait down for them but some of the Rats don`t give you time to get back to my shooting spot and rifle so they get shot by the pistol.

[Capital Bee]

Well tbh I wouldn't be adding an air pistol to my ferreting kit (I always seem to have to much to carry anyway).If your ferreting land is anything like mine, you'll probably slip on your **** once a season; I wouldn't fancy landing on an air pistol that was stuck in my pocket. I used a priest; a little less bulky and they don't bend if you fall on them.

[paul2012]

Well tbh I wouldn't be adding an air pistol to my ferreting kit (I always seem to have to much to carry anyway).If your ferreting land is anything like mine, you'll probably slip on your **** once a season; I wouldn't fancy landing on an air pistol that was stuck in my pocket. I used a priest; a little less bulky and they don't bend if you fall on them.

 

But the op said he wants to use it in addition to the priest for more humane dispatch, opposed to having to mess about trying to get to the rabbit,

 

Personally I'm usually against using air pistols for dispatch but in the circumstances the op has posted then I think its a half responsible thing to do,

 

And as long as its properly holstered then you wouldn't need to worry about it going pop in your **** lol

[NIGHT SEARCHER]

I use a Silverline drill holster from Toolstation less than £2.

 

Works a treat it holds my HW 45 or my Crosman 2240.

 

I can put it on my belt or have it like a shoulder holster.

[secretagentmole]

What about a 1322 or 1377? Secondhand these can be picked up cheaply, no CO2 bulbs, 5 or 6 quick pumps and 5.6 ft lb of killing power (1322 with a 14.3 grain pellet)! Recoil free too!

Edited March 5, 2013 by secretagentmole

[southeastpete]

Well, the whole idea is that i can rapidly dispatch a tangled rabbit and the get a net back on the hole, etc etc, dont want to be faffing around pumping it up. To be honest the 2240 is a bit longer than i had wanted, i wanted somethign small i could easily slip in and out of my pocket.

I did once try this before, i went into a shooting shop (greenfields again :-/) and told them what i wanted an air pistol for, for close range dispatch of tangled rabbits. They sold me a single stroke pneumatic air pistol, which they swore blind would easily do the job. First time i tried it the pellet bounced off the rabbits heads and i felt awful.

I will test this one out on a dead rabbit first methinks

[JKD]

Hi Pete, how's things ?

Can I suggest, to save you lots of hard earned, that you just use a priest to finish them off ? Cheap if you buy, free if you make one, or even just give them a karate chop to the back of the neck. For the amount of rabbits that are going to get really tangled in the nets, spending loads to finish them off is a bit overboard IMHO

Just my suggestion

 

atb

 

Chris

[southeastpete]

The thing is, the karate chop method wont work when they get tangled up like that, thats the whole point. I wouldnt mind having an air pistol to plink with anyway so as long as i can find one for £60-70 im ok with that. Im talking about when rabbits get so tightly curled up in a purse net they cant even kick anymore, and can take several minutes to get them out to neck them. If they are dead, it is alot easier to get them out, because otherwise as soon as you manage to get the net loose a bit, they struggle again and get it tight.

 

Really, i will probably only dispatch about 4 rabbits a year like this, its mainly to play with, BUT i want to be sure that the one i get has the capability for when i do go ferreting.

 

cheers