Air rifle

Get a .22 with a scope. Lever action will do fine. I used to be able to shoot (empty) shotgun cartridges off the fence from my bedroom window- about 20 yards with pinpoint precision. Even shot a mouse off the garden bird feeder once. .22 would be better for pigeons IMO as just more clout but as said the .22 vs .177 thing is a bit like Americans arguing about .45 vs 9mm pistols lol.

Once the air rifle gets boring get a .22 rimfire....
 
Get a .22 with a scope. Lever action will do fine. I used to be able to shoot (empty) shotgun cartridges off the fence from my bedroom window- about 20 yards with pinpoint precision. Even shot a mouse off the garden bird feeder once. .22 would be better for pigeons IMO as just more clout but as said the .22 vs .177 thing is a bit like Americans arguing about .45 vs 9mm pistols lol.

Once the air rifle gets boring get a .22 rimfire....
5pence coin at 50 yards is more impressive 😉
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
Bit like how long is a piece of string but how much to spend? Don’t want a glorified cap gun but hard to justify spending a fortune. Is second hand an option?

I bought a cheap break barrel plinker from Wynnstay Gunrooms locally, secondhand for £60 iirc, with a wee scope on. It would be perfectly adequate for what you're looking for. Most gun shops would have similar I would think. A retired neighbour has been borrowing it to sort a few rats out in his garden for a few months, and having great fun with it. He is ex-SAS though, and has more luck with it than I ever did, embarrassingly, considering his age.

I went and bought a secondhand pneumatic after a while, then a diver's bottle, which is a lot better thing, but still only £250 (+bottle was about £90!). You can get a hand pump for about £50 though iirc.
 

Cowabunga

Member
Location
Ceredigion,Wales
I've got my eye on an RTI Prophet with 300bar charge tank. Trouble is that I would also need a sight, possibly a spare magazine, silencer, compressor and either diver's bottle or used Calor gas cylinder.
I have zero experience with these things but if I'm going for a pest control air rifle, might as well go for a good medium price one that is powerful enough and will last for decades.

Anyone with experience of this type of powerful air rifle? Yes, I know that I will need a firearms license.

Did have a lever action British built 'quality' air rifle years ago and it absolute crap. The rear sight had to be way out to the side to be accurate and the power was pathetic, so accuracy was rubbish. A sight fitted on top couldn't be secured properly and kept sliding back slightly every shot due to the recoil, so no way I'm buying a British rifle again, if they still exist [they don't deserve to exist].
 
I've got my eye on an RTI Prophet with 300bar charge tank. Trouble is that I would also need a sight, possibly a spare magazine, silencer, compressor and either diver's bottle or used Calor gas cylinder.
I have zero experience with these things but if I'm going for a pest control air rifle, might as well go for a good medium price one that is powerful enough and will last for decades.

Anyone with experience of this type of powerful air rifle? Yes, I know that I will need a firearms license.

Did have a lever action British built 'quality' air rifle years ago and it absolute crap. The rear sight had to be way out to the side to be accurate and the power was pathetic, so accuracy was rubbish. A sight fitted on top couldn't be secured properly and kept sliding back slightly every shot due to the recoil, so no way I'm buying a British rifle again, if they still exist [they don't deserve to exist].
only need the licence if your over 12ft pounds energy at the muzzle
i wouldnt shoot a FAC rated rifle in a shed,,,,
forget the calor gas cylinder.....
a 12ft lb rifle is more than enough out to 40 meters
 

Cowabunga

Member
Location
Ceredigion,Wales
only need the licence if your over 12ft pounds energy at the muzzle
i wouldnt shoot a FAC rated rifle in a shed,,,,
forget the calor gas cylinder.....
a 12ft lb rifle is more than enough out to 40 meters
This rifle has an optional adjustable power regulator it seems, so if specified it could be turned down for short distance and shed shooting.
I don't want to be hitting rabbits at 40 to 50 metres and only injuring them. That's my motivation for getting a more powerful air rifle. Possibly use hollow point pellets for the same reason.

One issue is that I can't travel to see and feel examples of different weapons at the moment, due to you know what.
 
This rifle has an optional adjustable power regulator it seems, so if specified it could be turned down for short distance and shed shooting.
I don't want to be hitting rabbits at 40 to 50 metres and only injuring them. That's my motivation for getting a more powerful air rifle. Possibly use hollow point pellets for the same reason.

One issue is that I can't travel to see and feel examples of different weapons at the moment, due to you know what.
stick with 12ft lb for shedwork up to 30meters
if you want to shoot further then get a 22 rimfire,any further shooting than 60m get a 17hmr
last thing you want to do is be turning it up and down as that alters the zero and you will never know where to aim for
 

Kidds

Member
Horticulture
I've got my eye on an RTI Prophet with 300bar charge tank. Trouble is that I would also need a sight, possibly a spare magazine, silencer, compressor and either diver's bottle or used Calor gas cylinder.
I have zero experience with these things but if I'm going for a pest control air rifle, might as well go for a good medium price one that is powerful enough and will last for decades.

Anyone with experience of this type of powerful air rifle? Yes, I know that I will need a firearms license.

Did have a lever action British built 'quality' air rifle years ago and it absolute crap. The rear sight had to be way out to the side to be accurate and the power was pathetic, so accuracy was rubbish. A sight fitted on top couldn't be secured properly and kept sliding back slightly every shot due to the recoil, so no way I'm buying a British rifle again, if they still exist [they don't deserve to exist].
If you want all that then fine, go for it but a rimfire 22 will be a lot better at it and a lot cheaper.

As for British air rifles, Air Arms are very much amongst the best in the world.
 

ford4000

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
north Wales
Weihrauch H100! Been around for a while and everyone praises them, or Air Arms s500 ultimate sporter is a nice gun too!
I've got a weihrauch H110 and while it's a very good gun for shooting with, it's not been the most reliable! Needs to be repaired again as it now discharges when the safety is switched on!!
 

Wurzeetoo

Member
177 much better and more accurate than 22 with less risk of holeing the roof sheets.

That’s odd I’ve always gone with the opposite mantra of .177 passes through rats or ferals easier than .22 and .22 not only stays in the quarry but imparts a lot more smashing energy on impact. Did you have the opposite problem?
 

dudders

Member
Location
East Sussex
Personally, I won't use an air rifle for pigeons, as there's still the risk of injury rather than a clean kill. A headtorch and a ladder after dark are my method of choice. Quick, cheap and easy. BUT:

I have a break-gun type, .22, open sights, pretty accurate, that you're welcome to have if you want it. And if I can find it... Get some practice on tin cans, etc, adjust the sight to the likely distance you'll be shooting, should do the job. If you're not from near me, you'd just have to pay the carriage.

I had 2 when I was teaching kids and only use 1 now, for knocking the gas out of aerosol cans with the godson. Last session we had, I didn't notice that one can had contained paint - now we have a dramatic red splat on the wall, looks like someone met a sticky end...
 

Wurzeetoo

Member
This rifle has an optional adjustable power regulator it seems, so if specified it could be turned down for short distance and shed shooting.
I don't want to be hitting rabbits at 40 to 50 metres and only injuring them. That's my motivation for getting a more powerful air rifle. Possibly use hollow point pellets for the same reason.

One issue is that I can't travel to see and feel examples of different weapons at the moment, due to you know what.

I’ve never had much luck with hollow points. But when it was explained to me I see why. It just slows and deflected the pellet been using rws domed pellets they have been spot on
 

Sid

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
South Molton
I have a Gamo Phox with a foot pump.

Deals with everything I need to deal with. Has a scope and a light so ideal for pesky critters at night as well!!
 

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