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Morning all
Could anyone help me in which air rifle or fps should be needed for pest control. More for possums and rabbits in urban areas where a .22lr is probably not the best, shooting between 30m-50m if thats possible. Air rifle would be sorted with nightvision gear so wondering if 1200fps+ for a .22 would ruin the scope or not...
https://www.guncity.com/gamo-swarm-m...0-scope-373935
Sort of thinking something like this
they shoot fine, i would be going the 22cal version
I wouldn't buy that one for pest control going by the targets shot, every shot missed, obviously cant be adjusted or I am sure they would.Quote:
Originally Posted by Reon Morrison
Any suggestions then? As long as it is accurate and can drop a rabbit at 30m or so, that's my checklist
the original ruger airhawk (the metal one )
i sold one scope and all for 350, it knocked over magpies with ease
A couple of guys that shoot my place for rabbits and possums use air guns with good results, I will ask what they use.Quote:
Originally Posted by Reon Morrison
Cheers mateQuote:
Originally Posted by DavidGunn
Will have a look, quick like the gamo though for its accuracy (maybe expect the one linked) and how effective it is over longer rangeQuote:
Originally Posted by gonetropo
If you buy a "springer" air rifle you need to take the time to learn to shoot it. All other things being equal - If it takes X time to learn shoot a centrefire well, it takes at least 2X to shoot a 22 to the same standard, and probably 3or 4X to shoot a springer air-rifle - but at least its cheap!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Reon Morrison
What’s with the ‘metal jacketed steel barrel’ claim?
First thing you need to know is you're not likely to put NV gear on it, or any spring. Springers have a double recoil that require specific scopes, and most NV gear will say springer air rifles are no go.Quote:
Originally Posted by Reon Morrison
I'd check out PCP options, there are a couple of guys here that do some amazing work with PCPs, and from what i've seen the pricing is not to far off that gamo bundle.
And those Gamos are heavy.
I wouldn't know, maybe something to do with corrosionQuote:
Originally Posted by Finnwolf
It says the gamo runs off a gas piston, is that the same as a springer. I've had a springer, and yes their useless with scopes.Quote:
Originally Posted by vulcannz
I would go with a pcp option, but havn't been able to sort out my FAL with covid and the 12month waits...
its a gas ram, when you cock it it pulls back a piston and compresses the nitrogen. this acts as the spring. the advantage is it does now have the same whiplash effect as a steel spring.
And there is no good way to combat this for night vision gear, like rings or something...Quote:
Originally Posted by gonetropo
its not as harsh as a springer, i still wouldnt put an nv scope on one ( i repair nv and the digital ones are pretty small complex electronics). i have seen scopes that last on a 338lapua that are destroyed by springersQuote:
Originally Posted by Reon Morrison
The "proper" name for a air rifle gas ram or nitro piston etc, is Ta da - gas spring. They perform exactly the same job as a steel spring. The main advantage a gas spring has is that it does not vibrate so can be quieter. The recoil they produce is more or less same as a steel spring. Hence I would not put NV on a gas springer or a steel springer. I think the Gamo air rifles are overpriced for the accuracy and quality that you get.
Most spring rifles excepting youth and target models have the power to kill a rabbit at 50M if you shoot it in the head, hence accuracy should be your first criteria. Possums are a bit tougher, and a bit of extra power would not go a miss.
So what would your say would be, pcp?Quote:
Originally Posted by gonetropo
I'm thinking the pulsar scopes and as you said I know people use them on massive rounds, but surely they stand up to the gamo's "fancy tech"??
So best bet, either .22lr or low power air rifleQuote:
Originally Posted by xyon
pcp would be the way to go, but some are powerful enough to be considered a firearm so you need a FAL
i'm using a sytong , i used to have an atn but it was too big and heavy.
give the cops a hurry up and buy a 22 is my advice
As gonetropo says a PCP would be the way to go, especially if you want something lower powered than a .22LR. A PCP's can be a slippery slope to spending $$ :D
If you don't have a FAL, then springer it is, my favourite hunting springer is my Diana 52 as it's powerful and accurate.
The only reason for a air rifle is pest control in urban settings like golf courses and small semi rural farms. So still high power but the rifle being "air rifle" doesn't scare as many people of us using it. .22lr is still going to be a go to for other places more rural, 100%Quote:
Originally Posted by xyon
Will people be informed you are shooting with an air rifle?
Yeah, most places will be a good 100m away at least but its more for our safetyQuote:
Originally Posted by vulcannz
As an alternative, assuming you get your FAL, I use a Chiappa Little Badger, 22lr single shot, with CCI Quiets. They are 40gr 710fps, and all you hear is the click of the trigger and the thump at the other end. The combo is way quieter than my springer ruger air rifle. It's also a very unthreatening rifle (looks like an air rifle tbh and breaks open like one too).
Good Advice in the thread. I will not touch GAMO or any other Chinese air rifle. Will choose a .22 over a .177 for rabbits. PCPs are the way to go. Airrms 510x, HW100 or FX line are good rifle/brands but require investment in air tank/compressors etc. You don't have to worry about breaking scopes, NV etc.
In .22 springers HW80, Diana 48/52 are the best tools for the job. I have taken successful shots at 50-60yds consistently with my tuned Diana52. HW80 is same (or a bit better) in accuracy department. You can use HAWKE/ELEMENT line scopes with good one piece mounts and it will serve you for good time
If you choose to go for .177 way for flatter trajectory then HW97/77 or TX200/Pro-sport are the best choice. HW77 comes with open sights.
HTH
-Inder
Too loud mate, thinking urban use for predator control so shotguns are a no go unfortunatlyQuote:
Originally Posted by mimms2
Most PCPs are heavy which isn't a bad thing often for precise shooting. As for cost, they are more often $$$ than $$.
gamo is spanishQuote:
Originally Posted by Inder
I am sorry. I meant Gamo or any Chinese air rifles.Quote:
Originally Posted by gonetropo
Why not gamo?Quote:
Originally Posted by Inder
so whats your no.1 air gun for springers/piston, unforutunatlly until I get my FAL, it looks like its the way to goQuote:
Originally Posted by mimms2
As you guys seem to root them then, should high fps be something I should worry about, like the more the better for longer distance and so forthQuote:
Originally Posted by mimms2
Ok will look at that, what should I look for in FPE for 50m at .22 knocking over a rabbit?Quote:
Originally Posted by mimms2
You can't go for a PCP until your FAL arrives I'm afraid (excluding PCP pistols which don't require a FAL but are like hens teeth to find, and very expensive if you do find one), when it does turn up grab one and you will have a blast! I have 8 PCP rifles in my safe at the moment and use 2 of them most days - The tunability is fantastic!
What you can buy without a FAL and performs in a similar way to a PCP is a CO2 rifle, GC have a good one called the CR600w which is very popular among tuners and costs less than $400. From the factory its only running at about 9fpe but you can mod them up to about 20fpe which is plenty for rabbits out to 50m. With Co2 rifles there is very little recoil so any NV gear will be fine.
As others have rightly said springers/rammers will kill NV/Thermal scopes real quick and are almost always excluded from warranty so be very careful there!
To get an idea on power needed check out some UK airgun hunting videos on youtube, unless you have a FAC (equivalent to our FAL but harder to get) they are limited to 12 fpe and are still taking rabbits out to 50m no problem with a well placed headshot. Possums are another story, they can be tough and need more power but as you are shooting upwards near a built up area that has safety concerns as well - I normally find 16 fpe sufficient with a heart/lung or throat shot, try not to go for skull shots as the skull top and sides are fairly thick and wont net a clean kill.
Ohh and I prefer .22 or above, gives more static shock on impact vs the little .177 which tend to just drill a small wound channel and passes through.
Though I love my Diana52 (It just fits me like a glove but many ppl find them heavy and cumbersome to cock and load) I will advice you to get HW80 .22, Its a break-barrel has enough oomph to get the job done. Its will produce around 17-18 FPE at muzzle which is around 7-8 at 50yds IIRC. Enough to cleanly dispatch a rabbit.Quote:
Originally Posted by Reon Morrison
I am not sure about availability in NZ, could not find at AirgunsNZ. I guess you can order at krale, they ship worldwide.
HTH
-Inder
I personally used to use my (tuned) Weihrauch HW95 spring rifle which is a .22 and does about 660 fps. With my pellets is around 14 ft/lb of energy. Easy cocking, pleasant shooting. (I now use this as loaner for friends, while I use my CZ 457 .22)
Head/neck shots on possums were 1 shot kills but thats at ranges up to 15m standing.
Nitecore P30 torch (500 lumens) on a QD mount = awesome.
Attachment 194110
I would feel confident out to 25m but after that, a spring rifle at that power level gets iffy. But it's quiet and safe in built up environments (if you are careful of course.)
PCP are great and more accurate than springers but they need air obviously. And scuba tanks. Or pumping, but that gets old real quick.
Gamo are ok, BSA is better (they're owned by Gamo), and the Crosman/Benjamin are somewhere in between. Cometa and Diana is pretty decent too in the BSA tier.
Weihrauch and Air Arms are top shelf springers but cost more than most .22 LR rifles. And heavy.
Get a gas spring if you can... low end springers are not tuned and vibrate a lot and hard to shoot accurately.
.22 is the way to go for pest control with springers/gas piston.
Don't get swayed by 1200 fps ... it's all BS. You need an air rifle that won't vibrate when fired, not hold sensitive and accurate. It's a hard combo in a springer < $500.
if you have a FAL get a pcp from Youngs Airguns in Auckland, these are more accurate and far more quieter than a brake barrel.Quote:
Originally Posted by Reon Morrison
Also dont take any notice of the marketing around 1200fps because to get those speeds you need a lightweight pellet and accuracy will be way off from 20+meters. If you choose to go down that route use 18grain or more pellet weights to keep the fps to under 1000fps, in turn this will keep the gun quieter and more scope friendly
