Pellet gun.

 
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bcdex
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Post by bcdex » Thu. Mar. 05, 2020 7:09 pm

A guy that runs a big dairy farm wants me to shoot pigeons at the farm.
Thought about getting a pellet rifle. Are there any accurate ones for around $200 or less?
Been checking YouTube on pigeon hunting but the air guns they use are way out of my budget.


 
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Post by grumpy » Thu. Mar. 05, 2020 7:28 pm

Own a .22 ?

 
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Post by Sunny Boy » Thu. Mar. 05, 2020 8:06 pm

$200 or less doesn't buy much accuracy at Pigeons on a barn roof type distances. There are plenty of pellet rifles for that amount, or less, but plan on getting real close if you want to hit a Pidgeon where it matters.

And stay away from the fast 17 cal ones. They lose accuracy as the pellets transition through the sound barrier (1100 fps). A slower 22 cal doesn't have that accuracy loss problem because they don't fling pellets fast enough to break the sound barrier. Plus, the 22's with their heavier pellets are better at retaining impact energy at longer range, and better at bucking cross winds - all things that help when your doing pest control.

I use a 22 cal. Benjamin Trail for very quite pest control around live stock. It's a powerful gas ram piston type with a legal shrouded barrel suppressor. No louder than if you gently clap your hands together. So it doesn't spook live stock. But it was around $300.00 shipped to my door.

Something to keep in mind, because of their unique double recoil, springers and gas ram pellet rifles are not easy to learn to shoot accurately. With practice my Trail has accuracy good for Gray and Red squirrel out to about 50 yards, and enough power to drop wood chucks at that range. If I had to shoot at small game beyond that I'd go with compressed air for the added accuracy, but now your spending a lot more.

And you have to find the pellets that the rifle likes best, or accuracy will suffer. I use hand sorted imported pellets. Not cheap but less expensive than missing what I aim at.

Plus, many springer and gas ram pellet rifles are powerful enough that if the birds are in the rafters it will blow holes through roofing tin. Doesn't make for happy farmers.

I'm not fond of shooting up at birds on a roof with a 22 rimfire, but for inside a barn rat shot through a 22 is less damaging to the barn.

Paul

 
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Post by grumpy » Thu. Mar. 05, 2020 8:40 pm

I use these, love them, very quite, no powder, 500 fps.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/2506295321/

 
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Post by freetown fred » Fri. Mar. 06, 2020 6:19 am

Around here bird dog hunters give $10.00 per pigeon for their young dogs--course the young Amish kids are a lot more agile then I am anymore!!! LOL Like Paul said-22 rat/bird shot or Used 20 ga. works well also.

 
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Post by sperry » Tue. May. 12, 2020 8:07 pm

bcdex,
Rugar Air Mag in 22. $160 w/scope.
Once you learn how to shoot a springer its a 45 yard tac driver.
Aim small miss small

 
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Post by johnjoseph » Tue. May. 12, 2020 8:52 pm

Simply put $200 will purchase a .22 of many brands and possibly cheaper. Even a cheap .22, with sighting in with open sights, practice and perserviance in a short amount of time you will become one with your weapon and correct wrongs and utilize the rights. Snake shot and so on is great...it isn't the same as a single piece of lead, practice, perserviance and becoming one in your quest. GOOD LUCK!


 
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Post by freetown fred » Tue. May. 12, 2020 9:41 pm

Hope the OP didn't shoot himself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL

 
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Post by carlherrnstein » Wed. May. 13, 2020 10:15 pm

If you can get into where they roost at night you can just grab them and put them in a sack. They avoid flying in low light.

During my sophomore year in high school me and a friend caught 6 pigeons in a hogbarn at 4am an turned them loose in the school gym the morning of graduation practice.

The lights were out and they just ran out of the bag. I heard that when the light got turned on they flew straight up to the bar joists in the ceiling.

 
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Post by sperry » Wed. May. 13, 2020 10:29 pm

Carl,
That takes the stress out of worrying about bcdex shooting his eye out.
(sorry bcdex I had to) :lol:

 
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Post by freetown fred » Thu. May. 14, 2020 5:57 am

B, where are ya, ya young woodpecker????????????????????????? People go to the trouble of responding & you disappear??????????????????? :cry:

 
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Post by bcdex » Thu. May. 14, 2020 12:53 pm

johnjoseph wrote:
Tue. May. 12, 2020 8:52 pm
Simply put $200 will purchase a .22 of many brands and possibly cheaper. Even a cheap .22, with sighting in with open sights, practice and perserviance in a short amount of time you will become one with your weapon and correct wrongs and utilize the rights. Snake shot and so on is great...it isn't the same as a single piece of lead, practice, perserviance and becoming one in your quest. GOOD LUCK!
Are you talking .22 pellet gun or .22 rim fire?

 
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Post by Sunny Boy » Thu. May. 14, 2020 1:39 pm

JJ is likely talking about a 22 rimfire. Rat, or "snake" shot is used in them. They even made some smooth bore 22 rifles just for that.

But out beyond about ten yards rat shot is pretty much useless. The pellets are so small they the lose energy to air resistance very quickly.

If you want to knock pigeons off barn roofs and not just by flinging pellets over the barn hoping for lucky hits, it'll cost more than $200.00.

And I would strongly recommend not shooting up in the air with a 22 rimfire. They travel much further than many realize - even after going through small animals.

Paul

 
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Post by Rob R. » Thu. May. 14, 2020 2:07 pm

I just to just throw a tennis ball up on the roof to scare the pigeons out and blast them with a 12 gauge.

 
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Post by johnjoseph » Thu. May. 14, 2020 7:52 pm

Paul is correct...a great .22 rim fire is excellent for many things to include "plinking". If you wanna step it up...a .22 magnum will give you more range, but the ammo is more expensive, but less than rifles above it in size. Basically, the 22mag will give you better accuracy at 100 yards. It can reach out to 150 yards but the drop significantly decreases accuracy. With adjustments and practice, 150 yards is definitely doable.


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