I just caught a neighborhood cat trying to get at my girls!!!

[yogifink]

Quote:
A lot of typical adult pellets guns are now made as .177 cal, and are strong enough to pass through a 2x4 at 10-15 yards. These are your standard pellet guns purchased at Wal-Mart and dicks sporting goods for under $100. I have a .22 cal pellet gun, the only difference (besides the type of projectile) between a pellet gun and a riffle is the powering mechanism, ie gun powder versus spring or air .A .22 cal pellet gun is no more or less humane that a .22 cal riffle. Both handle a .22 caliber sized projectile with close to the same amount of force. A .177 cal pellet gun, as mentioned above, shoots a smaller projectile at a much higher speed and is less humane than a larger caliber riffle. The smaller riffle is less human because a smaller sized projectile at a higher speed will pass through an animal (in and out) without an immediate death and less trauma, causing the animal a slow and drawn-out death. Larger caliber, like a .22 cal projectile at a slower speed, will not pass through and will break apart inside resulting in higher trauma and a faster death. This is why a .177 cal is often sold for plinking (target shooting) and a .22 for hunting small game and pest control. Lots of gun information. Like I said, pellet guns are not toys. If you intend to fire at an animal, which I would do at this point if it injured my birds, make sure you are prepaired to find it and make sure it is dead. If its not dead, but injured, you will need to take appropriate action. Basically, what I am trying to get at, is even if you intend to just 'sting' an animal with a weapon, you could very easily inadvertently cause very serious damage. Even a BB gun can kill a squirrel or a bird from 10-15 yards. I don't think anyone is assuming anything. This forum is used to help gain and share accurate information so that we can all make smart choices about raising our animals.

 

[3chickchicks]

A lot of typical adult pellets guns are now made as .177 cal, and are strong enough to pass through a 2x4 at 10-15 yards. These are your standard pellet guns purchased at Wal-Mart and dicks sporting goods for under $100.

I have a .22 cal pellet gun, the only difference (besides the type of projectile) between a pellet gun and a riffle is the powering mechanism, ie gun powder versus spring or air .A .22 cal pellet gun is no more or less humane that a .22 cal riffle. Both handle a .22 caliber sized projectile with close to the same amount of force.

A .177 cal pellet gun, as mentioned above, shoots a smaller projectile at a much higher speed and is less humane than a larger caliber riffle. The smaller riffle is less human because a smaller sized projectile at a higher speed will pass through an animal (in and out) without an immediate death and less trauma, causing the animal a slow and drawn-out death. Larger caliber, like a .22 cal projectile at a slower speed, will not pass through and will break apart inside resulting in higher trauma and a faster death. This is why a .177 cal is often sold for plinking (target shooting) and a .22 for hunting small game and pest control.

Lots of gun information. Like I said, pellet guns are not toys. If you intend to fire at an animal, which I would do at this point if it injured my birds, make sure you are prepaired to find it and make sure it is dead. If its not dead, but injured, you will need to take appropriate action.

Basically, what I am trying to get at, is even if you intend to just 'sting' an animal with a weapon, you could very easily inadvertently cause very serious damage. Even a BB gun can kill a squirrel or a bird from 10-15 yards.

I don't think anyone is assuming anything. This forum is used to help gain and share accurate information so that we can all make smart choices about raising our animals.

I honestly don't want to kill that cat. It's really the owner's fault. The cat was just doing what is natural. Perhaps I should be hitting the owner with a pellet. I thought about trapping it and attaching a note to it somehow.

I'm sorry if I came off as harsh. I'm just furious that people are willing to let their animals cause problems for others. There is no reason my bird should be suffering the trauma she is. It's not like a wild predator came and got her. It could have been prevented completely.

As a child, I had a pellet gun. It was a low powered gun with the standard .177 with the flat head and it would hardly put a dent in the fence wood from 20 yards.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: No one, and if you READ what I really said, in the proper context, youi'll see it had nothing to do with the CAT at all.

And repeating "stinging" a cat once again shows you really don't realize how powerful air rifles are.
If you don't want to kill it, don't SHOOT it with any type of gun

 

[3chickchicks]

No one, and if you READ what I really said, in the proper context, youi'll see it had nothing to do with the CAT at all.

And repeating "stinging" a cat once again shows you really don't realize how powerful air rifles are.
If you don't want to kill it, don't SHOOT it with any type of gun

[COLOR=333333] [/COLOR]

You want to talk about context but bring up high powered pellet guns. Its like telling someone who wants a honda civic about how fast cars are and post stats from a ferrari. There are pellet guns that are low powered and just sting. Thats the type I'm talking about, not some ridiculous 50 cal rifle you use to take down elephants. Just some $30 piece of crap.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

You want to talk about context but bring up high powered pellet guns. Its like telling someone who wants a honda civic about how fast cars are and post stats from a ferrari.
There are pellet guns that are low powered and just sting.
Thats the type I'm talking about, not some ridiculous 50 cal rifle you use to take down elephants. Just some $30 piece of crap.

LOL
You just keep repeating that fantasy as if it's FACT, when reality is ALL air rifles are dangerous.
My comments about the larger guns were a direct reply to someone ELSE'S comment, ( the CONTEXT you keep ignoring), and have nothing at all to do with you.

Spend your $30 on a trap instead of something dangerous like a cheap pellet gun
You'll shoot your eye out

 

[3chickchicks]

...

LOL
You just keep repeating that fantasy as if it's FACT, when reality is ALL air rifles are dangerous.
My comments about the larger guns were a direct reply to someone ELSE'S comment, ( the CONTEXT you keep ignoring), and have nothing at all to do with you.

Spend your $30 on a trap instead of something dangerous like a cheap pellet gun
You'll shoot your eye out  

I agree with you that they can be dangerous. i just don't agree that all will kill or harm a cat. Im not looking to get a rifle anyway. It would be a pistol.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: i just don't agree that all will kill or harm a cat.

Im not looking to get a rifle anyway. It would be a pistol.
You won't find one that WON'T "harm or kill" that WILL be accurate enough to actually hit the cat.
But rather than OPINIONS, I prefer to rely on science:

http://www.gatewaytoairguns.com/airguns/index.php?action=printpage;topic=7092.0

Quote: Quote: Caliber .177 air gun pellets weighing 8.25 grains required a minimum velocity of 101 m/s (331 ft/s) to perforate skin.
Here's a "cheap" pistol:

Price: $44.76​

Quote: http://www.uplandgifts.com/p-1796-u...&catargetid=1932212408&cadevice=c&cagpspn=pla

 

[ChickenLegs13]

Unless you can train your pellet gun to pull guard duty and shoot itself while you're asleep or gone it's useless against the sneaky cat.
A more effective and cheaper way is to use deer netting from Lowes or HD. You can cover 700 sq ft of pen for $15.
It keeps your birds safer and you also avoid the moral and ethical dilemma of killing Fluffy.

 

[raiford921]

We never locked up our chickens until we got a rooster (crowing at our window at 5 am on a Sunday). Now we lock em up. One of our hens had 5 chicks hatch 9 days ago. I forgot to close the coop and this morning I have a beat up mommy and two missing chicks. I've doctored up the momma hen with antibiotic cream and blukote. We made a maternity ward under the coop for her so no one pecks at her while she's injured.

Tonight I hunt!!!!! I've set up an area on top of my lean to that is about 10 Yards from my coop door. I am prepared for a small predator or larger predator that can get over my 6 ft privacy fence. This is my yard, property, and home which I have a right to protect. I say anyone with pets or livestock have the right and the obligation to protect them.

By the way, there are pellet guns that will take down a full size dog or coyote at the right range. So a cat is no problem, I have a semi automatic pellet rifle with a red dot sight that I've used for cats where we used to live. It works fine. If someone is thinking of a new pellet rifle, look only at the break in half, single shot ones like Gamo or similar. They shoot a pellet up to 1200 feet per second, the standard pistol ammo used by police doesn't go that fast. There is a Gamo video of a guy taking down a full size hog with their top priced pellet rifle, so hunting or protecting your flock with a pellet gun is a reality and maybe feasible in an urban or semi-rural area.

I've also heard if a guy near me that takes down hawks sitting in trees above his coops with his hunting rifle from 100 or so yards away. Just depends on your individual surroundings and the extent you're willing to go to protect your flock.

 

[lazidaisy]

Cats are considered to have a legal 'right to roam'- although this does not release the cat owner from potential liability and responsibility under the law if their pet causes damage to another person or the property belonging to them. I have two cats, both indoor cats, so I consider myself a responsible owner. I remember a neighbour telling me that cats are different from dogs, and they were right they are protected against trespass laws, here in the UK anyway