Who`s using a high powered pellet gun for predator control?

[DODALDO]

Yeah she's a big'n but works well on elk,dear, and even better on rats

 

[nzpouter]

if 800 ft/sec can't penetrate a skull point blank in a trap then you better get a refund for it...

 

[bayside chick]

Quote:
The gun is a .22 cal. , and it states you can use .177s as well.

The reason the .177s are falling out is because they`re too small to tightly fit in the chamber. If you held it level they shoot fine , but it`s kind of hard to shoot level at something in a cage on the ground.

I bought some "hybrid" type .22 pellets from Gainer Mountain a few weeks ago , they have a sharp nylon type point on a hollow point slug...they were suppose to be the best thing to use , but the reg. blunt (rounded) .22 s work just as good (not-so-good)

I realize 800 fps isn`t the highest of the bunch , but I sure thought it would do the job in atleast a few shots , at such close range.

I bought it for my son , for recreational use...target shooting and such. I would have bought a higherpowered one if I knew this is what I`d end up doing with it.

 

[panner123]

small gun for close range 12 ga mag with 000 buck shot. out more than 20 yards 3006. if I use a gun, I want to kill what I am shooting at, not just wounding it. it is much better for over kill power than cripple some poor animal.

 

[bayside chick]

I totally agree...I haven`t taken a shot at anything that wasn`t already trapped...I don`t want to wound or cripple an animal...even a dang coon

I`ve never shot anything that wasn`t in the trap...it may take several shots , but they end up dead.

I`d prefer it be done quickly and simply , but I can`t use a "real" gun or the neighbors are going to gripe for sure...even though I`ve got an acre of land , it`ll be pretty obvious who`s using it.

Would drowning ,as mentioned earlier, be a better option?

 

[byrandom]

Why not just get another one?

I would not want to drown an animal. Because -- well.. I would never want to be drowned. Shoot me in the head any day.

 

[Roosteroops]

Wow! I just came inside from watching my farmer-guy neighbor do this exact thing. At close range he had to use his .22 THREE times just to get a smallish possum to quit moving. Yuck, I gotta go bury it now.

 

[bayside chick]

Quote:
I thought the same thing , but have read about it and don`t know if I could do it.

I`d buy another (higher powered) pellet gun , if I KNEW it would work better.

 

[chubbydog811]

Haha...You could always try using a blowgun...

http://www.geocities.com/blowgunhunter/


Even if you have a sucky shot, or short breath, at least its fun...(recommended by boyfriend to post)...

 

[Swamp Roo]

Quote:
Okay, I suspect that you should switch to .22 ammo. Sounds like the .177 is just getting too much blow by. I'd stick with all lead or plated lead pellets (no nylon), RWS or Gammo have good reputations. Shame on the manufacturer, that just can't work. Again hard pointed rounds would be best. Drowning is a time honored method of killing trapped animals, but I'm not sure I would/could do it unless I did not have another choice. Even if the animal doesn't really understand what is happening, it WILL panic. I hunt, I fish, I shoot pests, but deep down I'm still an animal hugger (actually, that IS why I hunt and fish). Something you could try, is a trash can with dry ice. They should just fall asleep and then expire. You'd have to go to the store and come back etc. and the coon would be stuck in the cage till you got back. Not sure which would be better. Yet another option is to drive the critter to an area or friend and then use a "real" gun, but that too requires a traumatizing car ride. No easy answer for you, sorry. You are trying to do a big job with a small tool, it can be done, but there is little margin for error. Best of luck.

Swamp