Air Rifles any suggestions

[Dan & Julie CO]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp3nwFFSBTA&feature=related
Hey

[Engineer Guy]

Well, I figgered folks would have their 'favorite' solution, and that's why I did not try to dictate THEE ANSWER. Assuming that Facts matter, and not PC 'stuff', here's some Background...

1. My ex-Nam Pal is the one shooting 1 of his ~2 dozen Guns in City Limits. I don't even own a .22. He doesn't give 2 shites about any externally-imposed description of 'Law Abiding Citizen'. He takes out what he considers 'Vermin': Dumpster-fed, outta control Squirrels. He's the polar opposite of a 'Wild Man'.

He pops Prairie Dogs 'for fun' out on the CO Plains, and takes pride in his sighted-in .223s at ~100 Yards. Raptors thrive on dead Prairie Dogs. All is well. We've been weighing out Ammo to 0.1 Grains to get his pattern size down to a Quarter or so. He used to maintain Jets in the Air Force, and likes all things 'Precision'. I'm at no risk for any rides in any Paddy Wagon since only 1 of our 3 Houses is Suburban. I act Suburban in Surburbia, despite being on my second CCW Permit.

2. For fun, I shoot solely at Dirt-backed Paper Targets on my Private Shooting Range left me by the prior Owner - a Realtor - on our 80 Acres that's intrinsically-safe. I've never shot anything 'just because'. Not my gig. That clarified, 8_ball99 already explained the Feral 'Anything' situation. City/State Authorities would drop their Phone giggling if I called them for Trapping assistance. MUCH bigger Fish to fry... Typically, local Coyotes deal with the Feral Cat issue. I think dropping the OCCASIONAL mangy, skinny Feral Cat is more humane - the way I do it w/o missing - than letting a Coyote catch and rip them apart. To each his own [definition of 'humane']. Dumped Cats gone Feral and Prairie Dogs are controlled for Disease reasons. Also, when a Commercial Animal steps in a Prairie Dog Hole and breaks a Leg, your Kid doesn't go to College after too many such $$ losses. The 'kill only to consume' scenario is fantasy from those not actually in the Trenches and Ranching Commercially, or dealing with Rabies.

Ranchers have 'Mousers', and they earn their keep. 'Humane' Suburbanites dump their Pets on us, due to laziness in Spaying/Neutering, and my Neighbors deal with that issue as they see fit. So does this hard-core Dog Lover/Owner. I haul dumped Dogs to a local, Private Shelter, and donate Dog Food. Funding cutbacks of the local City Pound ~25 minutes away have decimated p/t Animal Control to uselessness.

3. My Elk/Buffalo raising Neighbor gave me this sage advice re: Coyotes: 'Shoot, Shovel and Shut Up'. 'Letting' Coyotes live when the local Town Founder/Rancher raises Sheep below us on ~5,000 Acres would make us outcast Pariahs. Surrounding Ranchers take out Coyotes. I get a 'pass'. Also, Tax-supported Sharpshooters in Copters control Coyotes all around, only on Private Property. They're left alone on the bazillion Acres of BLM Land near us. The mostly ex-Nam Copter Pilots are VERY impressive flying our Canyons.

I've not seen the Animal, but I've seen the Soccer Ball-sized Badger Dens. My Neighbor says, first person, that Badgers kill baby Elk. Therefore, Badgers are taken out on sight.

Deer, all ~26 of which I leave alone on our Acreage, are considered huge, Grain-eating Rats. They balance themselves out.

I've had a Neighbor w/5 DUIs empty a 10 Bullet Clip at me, pissed that we exist and bought our Land. I answered his barrage in kind. No more problems now.

Life's different here...

[Dan & Julie CO]

Thank you Engineer Guy I even feel better.
My immediate Neighbors who have lived here a while and wouldn't flinch at me shooting a 22 they would just say yup
and understand that I was protecting Me and mine.I also know enough to not let my bullets hit the homes on the other side.But the encroaching humans
would be the problem they would call the authorities I'm sure of that
Ya know? Ya just wanna take care of business and that's not ok anymore

[Dan & Julie CO]

So regarding the type of Air Rifle .177 vs .22 air rifles any preferences ?

[kirkman]

One shot from a .22 rifle will make your neighbors go "what was that" two shots is gun fire. So the chances of you getting in trouble are very slim! If the man does come knocking at you door you say nope I did not here any thing I was watching the game! You could also ask around for a local trapper a good one can catch any thing. As far as the air rifle the faster the better and shoot a heavy pellet the heaver the pellet the more energy is transferred in to the critter for a quicker kill. I like the .22 my self. I have killed some with a air gun but it is not as accurate or as quick as a real gun.

[Dale M.]

Pretty much agree with engineer guy....

Local neighbor (up road from me) has "personal" range on his property... No body cares... Neighbor across street from me "shoots"... Neighbor on south side is a gal who carries, rides Sheriffs Pose and S&R and her son who comes up to her property is in law enforcement... First time I met him he offered to let me shoot a full auto AR-15...

I like my neighbors....

Its the countrified "city folks" who don't understand country life and the dangers of it... Recently had a pack of coyotes come though, nothing more disturbing (chills down your spine) at 3:00 am to wake up to them sitting on the hill above house howling and yipping... One sort of expect to hear gun shots to scare them off....

Have also managed to pick off about 15 gophers with .22.. About equal number to trapping success over last three years....

Dale

[StPatron]

I think dropping the OCCASIONAL mangy, skinny Feral Cat is more humane - the way I do it

Dumped Cats gone Feral and Prairie Dogs are controlled for Disease reasons.

... this hard-core Dog Lover/Owner. I haul dumped Dogs to a local, Private Shelter, and donate Dog Food.

So, your point is that you have a preference for dogs over cats and that their lives are more worth salvaging.

We'll have to agree to disagree. I'm outta here.

(With apologies to Dan for straying off-topic.)

[Engineer Guy]

No Pet preferences here. Only Rural Reality. As I mentioned earlier, if facts - vs. Cat PC-ness - matter [and I don't think they do, regrettably]...

Dogs show up singularly, or in VERY occasional pairs, as when a Puppy Mill 'pair' showed up down the Road recently. They were prime Coyote Chow. Dogs can't get up Trees. Cats can. Dogs are almost always approachable. I don't 'run after' anything. I catch and 'save' what's catch-able: overwhelming non-Feral, dumped Dogs IF a person can get to them early, soon after dumping.

Cat numbers ramp up very quickly, and they typically are not approachable in the wild. These Reproductive numbers cause Food Supply stress, and resultant weakened, diseased Cats. Raptors keep Mice scarce. Cats are notoriously aloof in a Home setting - as we know from when had two of them for years - and are even more aloof in the Wild. They are out-of-reach, and into the Brush, in a blink. Hence, the old joke about 'herding Cats'. It's impossible. I leave ALL obviously-healthy Animals alone. Please re-read that sentence. At least where we are, Mother Nature doesn't see it your way re: how Cats should be able to survive the wild.

Problematic Animals in the wild get taken care of. This is also true for the Dog Relative: Coyotes. Ranchers will take out ANY Dog, including 'obvious' dumped Pets, in the proverbial Heartbeat. If 'cute' Bambi Deer were to kill Elk, or create Animal Leg-snapping Den Holes [as do Prairie Dogs], then problematic Deer would be history. Deer do not create such issues, obviously. Indeed, they create significant Income via visiting out-of-State Hunters, who my Neighbor leases to. Deer die. Cats die. Prairie Dogs die. Dry Cheeks, here.

I clearly stated that I don't shoot anything 'just because'. I'm not here chastising the OP to 'not harm those cute lil Foxes', even if I actually thought actually that of Foxes. As with Feral Cats, or Badgers or Prairie Dogs, a 'cute' Fox is a problem if the OP thinks it's a problem. I kept my original comments to 'Hardware' issues w/examples. As has happened recently here in CO, I'll drop a Coyote or Mountain Lion in a NY Second if they harm our Pets [or Barnyard Animals]. Many decisions deserve thought. That decision ain't one of them.

You're fighting a losing battle putting words in my mouth. Give it a rest. And, now, back to our regularly scheduled Thread...

[8ball_99]

You will get better penetration with a .177 air rifle, but the larger .22 will have a more stopping power.. If your a good shot get the .177 and aim for the head.. If your an ok shot get the .22 and just aim center mass...

I'm not a fan with using an air rifle for small came cause once you get bigger then a tree rat the chances of you needing 2 shots goes up pretty good. I understand your reasoning though.

Really though I would just use a .22 rimfire.. You will be much better off and the noise level will be the same if not quieter then a high power air rifle. Also if you don't kill the fox with the first one its MUCH faster to follow up with a second shot. You know your area better then we do though. So if you really think its a issue the air rifle will work.

[Dan & Julie CO]

I'm pondering the subsonic 22. shorts

[Dan & Julie CO]

I also wonder what the fine is just in case

[kirkman]

Fine what fine I don't know what you are talking about, Like I said I did not here any thing I was watching the game. Maybe it was those kids on the next street over they are always shooting at squires and stuff! I don't pay much attention to that kind of stuff out here! If you get my drift!

[48Rob]

Dan,

I use "Super Colibri" 22 Long Rifle bullets in a rifle with decent scope to dispatch rabbits and other small animals at 50'.

The box claims 20 grains, without gunpowder, they are very quiet.
I can shoot 30' from my neighbors home and not disturb them.

No idea if they would drop a fox as I've not yet had the need to try, but they might, depends on how thick a fox's skull is.

A fox is one of the 5 main carriers of rabies in the US.
If the fox attacking your chickens appears ill, using ammunition that will do the job without a doubt might be the best approach.
A quick explanation to your neighbors about the bang they heard, and why... should ease any desires to "report you" since you have their best interest and safety of them, and their pets in mind.

You could take it a step further and question the local conservation police, or animal control, or whoever is in charge and ask "if you shoot" what appears to be a rabid animal, will they collect it and have a rabies test done?
Would anyone object to you preventing a tragedy such as a fox biting and passing rabies to a child?

Please note; if an animal is suspected of having rabies, the brain is needed in good condition for testing, so a head shot may not be the best choice...)

Rob

[Dale M.]

I'm pondering the subsonic 22. shorts

Get a 22 rifle, single shot, clip fed, tube magazine fed... Doesn't matter... Type of gun is your choice.... I personally am a bolt action sort of guy...

You have choices of CB caps (very sub-sonic), shorts, long, long rifle, hollow points and bird shot.... A bullet (round) for most any situation.... It's not big but if you are capable shot, a .22 is plenty lethal...

Dale

[sftiggee]

I just gave this to my husband for Christmas (for his amusement and to protect the chickens)

http://www.amazon.com/Crosman-Remington ... B002G3UMU2

the scope is hard to dial in, but otherwise it is powerful! 1200fps

It should kill a fox, or at the very least give it enough of a butt-ache to keep it away.