base Posted December 8, 2004 Report Share Posted December 8, 2004 hello this is my first post, so better say hello.....i was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on which air pistol would be best to buy, it would be used to reduce to population ferral pigeons in barns/stables, i know some people will suggest a air rifle however this is for my girlfriend so weight is a issue , i know nothing about air guns so your advice is very welcome also i am not looking to spend a fortune as i anticipate it will not be getting too much use......just like to hair straighters i bought her for xmas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browning Posted December 8, 2004 Report Share Posted December 8, 2004 Hi Base, welcome to the forum. I may be wrong here, as I'm not an airgun guru, but I thought it was illegal to shoot live quarry with an air pistol. At 6ft lbs maximum they just don't have the power to consistently dispatch humanely. My advice would be to look at a light air rifle if it's for your girlfriend. I'm sure some of the airgun guys on here could recommend something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckbraider Posted December 8, 2004 Report Share Posted December 8, 2004 Hi Base, I also believe that it is illegal to shoot live quarry with an air pistol due to the relativley low power level, an air rifle is the obvious answer and there are plenty small and cheap ones out there that will do the job, recently i took out my young cousin shooting (target only) and i started him on a crossman ratcatcher, this is a nice light rifle and happily knock your pigeon friends from the rafters with ease these are availiable from most gun shops for the price of a decent pistol ill post a link asap for you to look at Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurch Posted December 8, 2004 Report Share Posted December 8, 2004 AFAIK it's not actually illegal - just a bad idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
base Posted December 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2004 thankyou for your replys, they are much appreciated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul in North Lincs. Posted December 8, 2004 Report Share Posted December 8, 2004 Hi Base I am of the same opinion as the writer above, and dont really think that an air pistol, would humanely dispatch pigeons from floor to rafter. The olds BSA Scorpion would probably have done the trick at very close quaters indeed, but I am not sure whether or not this model is still in production; and of course it is our primary objective as hunters to cause as little suffering as possible to our intended quarry. If weight is really a concerning factor, then the crossman Co2 range would easily sort this out as ckbraider rightly pointed out. The crossman rabbit stopper, is an extremely light and powerfull little tool. Paul in North Lincs. Ps. Could any of the members, confirm whether or not the BSA Scorpion is still in production.......... aqnd if a second hand one is floating about anywhere...could you give me a shout.....thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 of 5 Posted December 9, 2004 Report Share Posted December 9, 2004 Scorpion is no longer made. It was no lightweight either so is no good for the lady. The only pistols upto the job power wise are the HW45 (heavy) Crosman 2240 and sherridan EB20 or EB22. Pistols are very hard to shoot accurately compared to a rifle. If you want cheap and light then get a Crosman 2250 ratcatcher. It runs on co2 powerlets so isn't cheap to run compared to a spring gun but for the odd bit of work the cost is insignificant. It makes about 8 ft/lb which is ideal for barn work and saves holes in the barn through overpenetration. The ratcatcher weighs about 3.5 lb unscoped and will cost you £100 if you shop around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ernyha Posted December 9, 2004 Report Share Posted December 9, 2004 I agree with 1 of 5, the HW45 is a good solid air pistol but quite heavy. I have one which I have hardly used due to the fact that they are hard to shoot accurately as he says. Good stopping power but you need to hit the target first. Very lifelike replica of the real thing though and as such it lives under my bed. :blink: :thumbs: http://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/ind...w+45+air+pistol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triggerhappy Posted December 9, 2004 Report Share Posted December 9, 2004 it's not illegal to shoot quarry with an air pistol, as long as what you are shooting is not protected by law. you can kill a person in 1 shot with a 6ft/lbs .177 air pistol if you know what you are doing, so killing small animals at close range isn't going to be that hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 of 5 Posted December 9, 2004 Report Share Posted December 9, 2004 you can kill a person in 1 shot with a 6ft/lbs .177 air pistol if you know what you are doing, so killing small animals at close range isn't going to be that hard. To kill anything first you must hit it. Being accurate with a pistol over 10 yards is way harder than achieving the same level of accuracy with a rifle at 30yds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hammergun Posted December 9, 2004 Report Share Posted December 9, 2004 You're wasting your time with an air pistol. You will rarely be able to do anything much with it. Get a lightweight air rifle instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triggerhappy Posted December 10, 2004 Report Share Posted December 10, 2004 yeah, i think an air rifle is going to be a lot better. the average rifle develops about twice as much power as the average pistol. if i were you, i'd buy her a Cometa 100. they are lightweight, powerful and aren't too expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.