52 replies to this topic

[fiveflat]

I sure hope pigeons are free whacking. I've got a real problem with them. They're all ganging up and scaring my horses at feeding time to eat their grain. And that grain isn't cheap!I guess I need to get me a little 410 instead of blasting them with my 12gauge. And I can't really shoot them with a .17 or anything when they are perched on my roof.I've never messed around with 12gauge loads. How loud is the lightest of them? All my neighbors know I'm pissed at the pigeons and don't mind me shooting them, but I'd rather not blast a 12 gauge at 6:00am on Sunday if I don't have to. I think a 410 is quiet enough, the neighbors won't notice too much.

[ShooterJohn]

Get a pellet rifle. That's what I use and I have a couple of warehouses downtown that have me rid of those rats with wings.

[fiveflat]

Get a pellet rifle.

I thought of that. I looked at Walmart for one and they run $90-$100. I found an NEF 410 for $95. So I then entered a state of confusion.I guess I can pop them off the ridge of my roof with the pellet rifle though, huh...

[Jason]

Those barn pigeons can be pretty annoying and they cover everything in excrement. Just don't get them confused with wild band tailed pigeons. Those have a season and a limit. Those pesky barn pigeons are free game. I've actually eaten them before and they taste pretty good. I wouldn't eat one that had been eating garbage in a city but out in the country they are pretty clean and are like eating a big dove.

[bzzrd feedr]

If your neighbors don't mind use the 12 ga. The 410 will just make them smart. Put some bird seed out in a carefully selected spot for the ambush and let them feed on it for a while till there's a good group coming into feed in a spot you can whack um good from about 35 yds while you're hidden. Then after your ambush is setup and the birds are coming into the feed use an auto loader 12 ga. or pump and ground sluice then keep shooting as they get off the ground. Make sure your spot has a good backround for the follow through. Keep feeding the same spot after your intitial assault and you'll get a second chance for the leftovers a week or two later, birds have a short memory. Your neighbors won't mind cause it will only be a short volley and you can warn them if need be. Use at least #6 shot and an open choke like a imp. cyl. if possible. I've trapped them too for training dogs but if you wjust want to get rid of them try my suggestion.

[FUR CHASER]

I have that NEF .410 and it's a fun gun to tote around...does a good number on bunnies too! It's up to you though, wish I was close enough to help out!!

[ShooterJohn]

I think it's a sport to shoot them with a pellet gun. I have one that won't puncture a tin roof but easily kills those winged rats.

[fiveflat]

I found some pretty fancy air rifles on the internet. I stopped off at Walmart today on my way home from work and saw a Remington 77 .177 BB/Pellet gun. Up to 755fps.Are those a totally different species compared to some of those fancy .20 caliber air rifles?

I think it's a sport to shoot them with a pellet gun.

I agree. I'd much rather be shooting a rabbit with a .17hmr or .223 at 200 yards than with a 410 at 25 yards. But I don't like throwing lead at 2500fps up in the air!

[ShooterJohn]

Are those a totally different species compared to some of those fancy .20 caliber air rifles?

The more expensive airguns are the best and are a different beast. They are much more powerful and yet quieter. The more you go over 1000fps the more crack you get because the pellet breaks the sound barrier which also makes the pellet less accurate. My R9 Beeman springer will shoot a 1/2 inch group at 50 yards if I do my part. But like the one peeker seeker got is a very serviceable Beeman. I have several different types but my grab and shoot are Beeman's.

[Flaccid Barrel]

I think it's a sport to shoot them with a pellet gun. I have one that won't puncture a tin roof but easily kills those winged rats.

I agree it is a ton of fun to take them with a pellet gun. I recently purchased an airgun and looked at the ones at Walmart also. The Walmart guns are good for the price. I really liked the Beeman guns but the newer ones are made abroad in China or Spain, according to the Beeman rep. that I spoke to on the phone. So quality may be a concern. I was trying to get an older refurbished beeman. I opted for an RWS. Made in Germany and have a history of excellent workmanship. I have not been disappointed to date. Definitely worth the few extra bucks. I agree with Shooter John, the expensive airguns are a breed apart and have a high return investment in terms of fun. I opted for the 22 caliber pellet to have the flexibility to shoot small varmint like squirrels and rabbit. I did have to give up a little bit in airspeed when compared to the .177 pellets (850 f/s). The larger animals and crow have required head shots to take down cleanly. I don't know, but the pigeons may also.Look forward to seeing some pics of your pigeon success.

[Stiff Neck]

For med/close shots, load the pellets backwards for maximum carnage. Really.

[Thumper Dunker]

I like to hit them . 12ga #6 or 7 1/2 shot the ones out in the coutry are pretty good eating like Jason said and are fun wing shooting.

[D-Man]

I love my RWS. Shoots around 950 fps (last chrono check) and I get tight groups out to 50 yards as well. The noise level is low enough that my neighbors don't complain (living in a city this matters). Nasty crows all over the place around here!If I need smaller, I have a Crossman pump pellet pistol with a BSA red dot sight on top of it. That I can vary the power on so it makes it handy for other shots.Darren

[MeatVapor]

I am shooting a RWS 52 side cocker. Last chrono put a 16gr 22 cal pellet just over 900 fps. I kille crows regularly with the gun as far as 50 yards away. Its quiet but very heavy. But it hits like a tank with the right pellets. The groups at 25 yards are .25. this gun is all about the shooter. It is as accurate as your ability can make it. I would rather shoot a 17gr pellet @ 900 fps, than a 8gr pellet @ 1000 fps anyday. Beeman are awesome also, but the GH series are made in Mexico, and are not nearly as good as the R series.One thing that is important with air rifles is to read reviews. Alot of manufacturers use different weight pellets to get their advertised speeds. So if one company uses a 9gr pellet and advertises 1000fps, and another uses a 6gr pellet and advertises 1000fps, you can do the math. Not all 1000 fps guns are created equal. One more thing that is mentioned here is about breaking the sound barrier. I think the SB is 1080 fps @ Sea Level. Since a pellet is so light you really dont want to break that barrier for a couple reasons, one is noise, the other, and I think more importantly is the shock wave can actually change your pellets trajectory, if you are just breaking 1080 your pellet actually goes through 2 shockwaves, one as it passes 1080, and another as it slows back through 1080. This can severely effect accuracy. That was primarily why I shoot the 22 @ 900 fps and not the .177 @ 1100 fps. The .177 will have a flatter trajectory, but acuuracy is compromised by what I mentioned before.Hope this is new info to some of you. It took me a long time to find all this out about airgunning, and alot of wisdom from some old airgunners.I know the intention of this post wasnt to but a 400 dollar airgun either. And my response to that is I shoot my RWS more than any other gun I own. I shoot it in my backyard everday. While I BBQ with my son, or in my robe and slippers in the morning. That gun is priceless to me. If you live in town, know this, by law a airgun is not considered a firearm. You can drive with it locked and loaded and it is not considered a crime, you can shoot in city limits and its not the same as if you are shooting a powder gun.Some cities, like Merced for instance have ordincances that make it illegal to discharge any projectile in the city limits, In Merced this includes slingshots. But again a Pellet Gun uses no powder, and is therefore not a firearm. But still can be considered so if brandished, so be careful there. But in most cities you are perfectly legal. I use mine all the time while I am out squirreling, I often drive with it on country roads, it will drop a rabbit like nobodies business.The best gun for your dollar is this one right here, I bought this as a gift for my best friend the same day I bought my gun http://www.dnrsports...rguns_2220.html The model 34 in 22 is downright awesome for 170 bones. And the 52 like mine is only 340, that is an insane gooddeal. This sight is the best price for these guns on the internet.

[fiveflat]

I know the intention of this post wasnt to but a 400 dollar airgun either. The model 34 in 22 is downright awesome for 170 bones. And the 52 like mine is only 340, that is an insane gooddeal. This sight is the best price for these guns on the internet.

Okay you hit on a couple good points here. Price. Is it worth another $75 for that model 34 compared to a $95 .410 shotgun? Sport is alot more fun to me rather than 'point and click' shooting the .410 would provide. Also, I guess if the pigeons are off my roof and down at that pasture eating my horses grain, I can pick them off easier with pellet than the risk of peppering a horse's ass with the .410 too.If I do go the air rifle route, can that 34 be shipped directly to me, since it's not a firearm?By the way, I did buy that Remington Airmaster 77 at Walmart for $50. I figure I can give it to my son if it doesn't work out for me. It came with a fixed 4X cheapo scope and I'm getting it somewhat dialed but I noticed the slighted breeze does crazy things to that BB.Oh, lastly - regarding accuracy - BB or pellet?

[MeatVapor]

Check this out- With special lighter high velocity pellets this guy kills a 180 pound hog. LOL for Gamo this is great.The reason I learned about these guns in the first place was because I bought that Gamo from wal mart for just around 100 dollars. I bought 2 of them, one for my previously mentioned buddy. Neither one of us could get them to shoot less than a 6 inch group at 25 yards, they were all over the place, I seriously could not believe how bad they were. now in hindsight, I guess they were new and mau have needed to be broken in, because out of the box, the RWS took about 100 shots to dial in, I guess this is common in the pellet gun world, but the RWS groups were never anywhere as bad as the Gamo. In my opinion, the quality of the german made RWS is extremely superior to the GAMO. from feel to accuracy, to impact, it is worth the extra dollars.Yes the 34 will be direct shipped to your house no FFL needed. Pellets are in every way superior to BB's. You have to find the pellet that works best with your gun though. My friend with the 34 loves this pellet http://www.airgundep...er-dome-22.html but again, it about preference, he loves the range this pellet offers because of its slightly lighter weight, I like this pellet also, but my favorite is this one http://www.airgundep...-magnum-22.html I love this one becuase at closer ranges this hits like a steelie from a slingshot, I wince when i hear it hit a pidgeon, but the trajectory is different because its far heavier.Both pellets will smoke a flying rat with ease though.

[Flaccid Barrel]

I settled on an RWS 34 22 cal pellet after some thought. It was the right value for the amount that I wanted to spend on an airgun. I have not been disappointed with RWS. They produce a well made well finished product. The only thing I didn't like was the plastic trigeer. Oh well, it is an airgun.It supplies an endless source of entertainment as we have plenty of flying rats. Even took a rabbit cleanly with a headshot at about 30 yards.In short, a thumbs up for the RWS 34.

[fiveflat]

Damn my impulses...I stopped off at Big 5 today to grab a box of .22 (I want to site my scope better this weekend). And what do I find? A rack of air rifles on the wall.They didn't have any RWS, but they had Gamo and Beeman. Guess which model walked out the door with me?So after I tried siting in the iron (plastic) sites, no matter how low I took the open site I still kept shooting high!!! What the hell is up with that? I looked through the owner's manual and it says that's normal for the first 500-1000 pellets. ARGH! I got a lot of work to do this weekend!

[ShooterJohn]

Airguns tend to diesel when they are new which means the little oil that's in them get super heated by the quick air compression of the spring. It clears out soon enough and the gun will get quieter once that's over. They do need to break in though and about 500 pellets is right. But you can shoot stuff during the break-in.

[fiveflat]

Well, here it is. I know it's not the super elite stuff alot of folks have. But I'm happy with it - I think. We'll know for sure by tomorrow afternoon when I have a little more time to fiddle with it and try to site it better.It's a Beeman SS1000 1050

Attached Files

•  beeman.jpg   79.96K   29 downloads

[peeker seeker]

I really like mine Its a blast to plink with. And it do kill the critters.( Meow? ) Your going to shoot it avery day for awhile.

[Shoot-it]

I loved my gamo and would pick it over any other air rifle. i saw one at wallyworld the other day had no time to look at it next time i guess. As for pigeons I have at least 200 + on the ranch no joke they dog poop on everything equipment gates so when you go to open it you stick your hand right on there dog poop. I hate them! time to start killing them.this is just a few of them  1.jpg   12.89K   9 downloads

[fiveflat]

shoot-it - I know! Their dog poop is everywhere. On my gates, my tractors, my horses!One of their favorite places to perch is on the ridge of my roof right next to my dish network antenna and my wireless internet antenna.So they perch on my dish network and antenna - dog poop all in the dish and my tv starts getting really shitty (pun intended!)I have to wash off my dish every once in a while.

[fiveflat]

I took the cheap little 4x20 scope off my remington pump action BB gun and put it on my Beeman. After about 10-20 shots on paper I got this one perched on top of my dish antenna.The way I'm getting some wild shots with this Beeman right now, I was nervous about poking a hole through the dish, I took careful aim at his chest and the pigeon did a back flip and then a swan dive onto the gutter and flopped down on the ground!  1.jpg   21.03K   9 downloads

[Shoot-it]

That's funny........ not really they better not touch my dish you know how it is out here in the country no cable..............

[ShooterJohn]

Sheldon,That Beeman may destroy that scope you put on it. Springers as they are called because of the spring that releases and fires the gun have a reverse recoil. Unless a scope is designed for this the insides often fall apart due to the shaking. There are lots of scopes that are airgun as well as normal gun rated. Just wanted to let you know in case there is any sentimental value to that scope.

[fiveflat]

It came off my remington pump airgun. Do you think there's too much recoil with this Beeman compared to that little remington?

[D-Man]

It is a different physical movement. I picked up a nice Winchester 3x9 for my airgun (made for airguns) for fairly cheap off of amazon.com. Works great, holds it's zero and no problems with it. The link for it is here.Enjoy!Darren

[ShooterJohn]

Yes a pump up airgun is different. The spring action of the new gun will shake the scope to pieces.

[Flaccid Barrel]

Love the pics. Nice to see the progression and completion of the task; going from thinking about getting an airgun to getting your quarry.walmart carries 2 daisy scopes designed for break-barrel action airguns. Around $30 for the adjustable magnification edition along with mounting rings. Just in case you want to keep your other scope intact.