Will a pellet/BB gun kill a rat?

[Mikedero]

I have a gamo Varmint Hunter Stalker .177 Caliber, 1250 fps with PBA Platinum (1000 fps with lead), 4X32 Air Rifle Scope with Laser Sight and Flash Light

Totally bad *****. I hunt with it all the time, Racoons, Skunks, Rabbits, etc Never had a issue. the only tihng is buy a different scope, the ones they comes with kind of suck. I put on a 3X12 Nikon M-223 scope I got cheap at the bargin cave in Cabelas.

I have killed coons out as far as 75 yards with one shot

 

[jeepgirl13]

Ya them pellet rifles are really bad ***. Mine is loud as crape when I dry fire it. I do that to shut my stupid neighbors dogs up when they decide to bark all night in my front yard..... grrrrrrrrr. I don't have a scope on mine. The factory one was horrible. I use the iron sights and always hit what I'm aiming at

 

[3 NH reds]

Crosman has a line out called Benjamin that are really powererfull. One shoots a .357 projectile that will kill a wild hog. Really its on the Crosman web site and its unreal. So yes there are pellet guns that will kill rats and like others have said the .22 primer only loads are quiet and effective but rats breed so fast you really have to find other ways to get rid of them. I understand your dislike of poison but you just may have to use it. I have seen it placed in pvc pipe so other bigger animals like chickens dogs etc dont get into it.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I have killed bushels of rats with nothing more than a Daisey Red Rider air rifle (BB gun) All the shooting was inside of a layer house and the range was about 25 feet or less.

The Lewis & Clark Expedition carried an air rifle that was powerful enough to kill elk or similar game. The physics of a BB or Pellet gun is no different from that of a 30-06 Springfield. The only difference is the nature of the expanding gases that propel the projectile.

 

[jeepgirl13]

At shoppers supply, my local farm supply store, they have a new poison that only kills rats and mice. If a dog or cat were to eat it they wouldn't get sick. They can even eat the poisoned rodent with no harm done. I don't know how safe it is for chickens, but perhaps you should research it. I'm going to look at that crosman .357 now. THAT sounds bad @$$!

 

[jeepgirl13]

OMG that thing is cool! I wish I had two grand to drop on it sooooooo cool. I want one now!

 

[JanetS]

Yes, a BB gun will kill a rat!

 

[3 NH reds]

OMG that thing is cool! I wish I had two grand to drop on it

sooooooo cool. I want one now!

Tell me about it but I can't afford new toys

 

[luvmychixandducks]

You have all of the info necessary re the ballistics question. The real problem is killing the rats.
I agree with the previous poster who recommended a bucket trap.
It keeps on killing without needing to be reset.
And, once the rats are attracted to the peanut butter bait, add some plaster of paris and peanut butter killing balls around the bucket for the smart rats that avoid the bucket.
Proponents claim the plaster of paris sets up in the digestive tract of the rats and harden to prevent any further eating- thus rats that are killed by the plaster balls are no threat to anything that eats the carcass.
The recipe for POP and PB is a 1 to 1 ratio.
Do not add water or the POP will harden.
POP sucks the moisture from the rat and plugs the digestive system at the same time.
Downside, if any, is that some non targeted animals will also eat peanut butter- so be sure to put the balls where cats or dogs cannot get them- kill only the targeted species.
Good luck.
We had such a mild winter a year ago in the Northeast that the rodent population exploded. Lots of communities that never had severe rat infestations were bothered this year.
One good side effect of all the snow we had this winter and spring- shouldn't get a repeat of rat population explosion.

 

[jeepgirl13]

Who can?