What is your favorite gun for killing varmints? I have a .22 rifle that I think is going to work very nicely. I know people who use pellet guns and swear by them, any thoughts?
#2
BKBrown
Depends on a few things - Pellet guns are great if you spend the $ and get a good one. Range is limited on the pellet guns - that can be good or bad depending on distance you plan to cover and if there is a possibility of hitting anything beyond what you are aiming at. Remember a .22 can travel a mile (or more) if it is not stopped.
What varments are you after and how far away ? How far away are the neighbors ? Will the neighbors be upset by shooting ? ALWAYS safety first !
#3
rekees
Pellets are okay for small animals like mice or birds but any bigger a .22 with scope works better. Use long-rifle hollow point ammo.
Agreed, if you want to take down any larger varmint like a groundhog, then a .22 rifle is the way to go. Always use hollow point ammo, it's the only way to go as far as I'm concerned.
Have killed coons to 30 yards with head shots using a .22 cal pellet rifle. Use a .22 lr for most of my varmint kills. for predators and the like I use a .243. Like the range aspect with the .243 and it is darn accurate, 5/8 inch groups at 200 yards.
Long ago I was taught reloading by a very good competition bench shooter, he used 243. So do I...
With .243 we could always stay under 1/2 caliber groups at 100 yds.
Very accurate round out of a heavy barrel well tuned bench rifle. KennyV
Pellet guns work better in the cities, where it is highly illegal to discharge a firearm. It is actually just as illegal to fire a pellet gun in certain locales, but neighbors don't seem to mind the occasional snapping sound they hear, and probably wouldn't even know what it was. If needed, I use my Sheridan 5mm pneumatic with about 6 or 7 pumps to take out just about any pest. Up at my northern retreat, I'll probably just use my sidearm.
My fathers place was in the country 40 years ago when he built it and when he died 3 years ago it was urban so he had to use stealth when it came to offing the odd varment. In his younger days he was a crack shot with pistol,rifle or bow but the years took there tole on his eyesight and the detached retina was about the last straw so he switched to bird shot loads in his Ruger single six. The noise was tolerable in the middle of the day but barked A bit at daybreak. He used .22 shorts for many years but as the farm land filled in with houses he went to CB & BB caps. There very nice for urban shooting. Nearly silent.
What is your favorite gun for killing varmints? I have a .22 rifle that I think is going to work very nicely. I know people who use pellet guns and swear by them, any thoughts?
357 magnum -----------heh,heh,heh-------works on all varmints:laughing:
#13
Hand2ThePlow
My son came over last night with his latest purchase, a Barretta .380 What a sweet gun. We set up some targets and shot through a couple of boxes with his little brother.
This was the first time my youngest son had shot a hand gun and I was very pleased with the safety instruction my other boy gave him, very clear, very firm. He surprised all of us with his accuracy from the very first shot.
Of course now he wants a gun of his own... I think I'll go buy them another guitar instead.
