Other Airgun for Squirrel?

[Fiammata]

Hello, what small airgun would you recommend for front yard squirrel hunting? I have nuisance squirrels that have refused to get in the traps since last September, and now the nerve of them, they are courting to reproduce in my front yard! No, thank you! I need something that can finally end the squirrels, but won't ricochet into the neighbors' yards across the street if I miss.

My trap has been a Squirrelinator, with peanut butter, sunflower seeds, various fruits sometimes, etc. why won't they GET IN...

Also, I don't have very strong wrists, so I might avoid the pump action ones. But it's not like I'll be using a whole canister at a time, and those can get pretty expensive if just firing a few shots and then the rest of it leaks out from non-use. I don't know much about these things... and could use some advice.

 

[Florida_Man]

I’d lure them into the backyard by moving bait stations, or having multiple with a little feed in them, then a treasure chest at a good kill zone. Keep it well stocked. Front yards get too much attention.

 

[markhooper]

Hello, what small airgun would you recommend for front yard squirrel hunting? I have nuisance squirrels that have refused to get in the traps since last September, and now the nerve of them, they are courting to reproduce in my front yard! No, thank you! I need something that can finally end the squirrels, but won't ricochet into the neighbors' yards across the street if I miss.

My trap has been a Squirrelinator, with peanut butter, sunflower seeds, various fruits sometimes, etc. why won't they GET IN...

Also, I don't have very strong wrists, so I might avoid the pump action ones. But it's not like I'll be using a whole canister at a time, and those can get pretty expensive if just firing a few shots and then the rest of it leaks out from non-use. I don't know much about these things... and could use some advice.

I have dealt with squirrels for quite a few years, not tree squirrels as I like them and they don't cause me trouble yet.. fortunately they have not stolen any of my walnuts..
I have only dealt with ground squirrels and grey diggers..I don't know for sure but I think gray digger is the Oregon name of the California ground squirrels.. they all must die
I don't recognize the name of your trap.. unless it is something you made up the name for..
I sent you a PM, don't know if you are able to read it..
Mark

 

[coastal drifter]

That's why you use lead BBs.

not very aero dynamic

 

[Sawney Bean]

If you don't mind spending a bit of money, then I'd recommend an HW30 in .177 with a low powered scope. The .177 pellets lose energy very quickly, so they're unlikely to cause any damage if they fall back to earth, which is something you've got to take into account if you're shooting up into trees at squirrels in a neighborhood. You should make every effort you can to make sure you've got a safe backstop, but when you're shooting into trees things sometimes happen. I've had pellets bounce off of tree limbs and end up behind me before.
If you're looking to save money, then you might consider one of the Gamo's. They're not great, but for most people they're more than adequate and their price is reasonable. You don't need extreme power. What really counts is shot placement. Head, neck and heart lung area shots are the only ones you want to take and if you hit them in those areas a lower powered airgun will be fine.

A rifle is going to be significantly better than a pistol and I'd recommend choosing something that anyone can recognize as an airgun. Even in Texas, I'm sure there are a lot of Karen's that are just looking for something to be upset about.

If it's got to be an air pistol, then maybe I'd recommend a Diana Chaser in .22. I know I just finished recommending .177 and saying power doesn't matter, but that's only true of rifles. With inexpensive air pistols you need every bit of power you can get and you need good shot placement too and .22 hits a bit harder than .177. A scope will help with that shot placement.

 

[triplem]

As someone mentioned earlier, I'd try to lure them more towards the backyard to dispatch them if you can, much less risk of involving neighbors/their property with ricochet.

Trapping wise, I use a conibear set up tied to a string and attached to a garden pole with peanuts on the bait triggers, though with your wrist injury I wouldn't recommened it, could be bad if it slams on your fingers trying to set.

I also have a cage trap, not the squirrelnator, one of those smaller ones you can pick up by the handle and could hold at most 1-2 squirrels, and in my experience those work much better for tree squirrels than the big squirrelnator (I've seen squirrelnator better success at ground squirrels than trees). I prefer buying a large bag of peanuts like from Sams Club or some other store, usually cheap and they cant resist them. Take a small lid, like a peanut butter jar lid and put some peanuts in it and put in back of trap. I also put some peanuts in one of these https://a.co/d/d1AYYAi Just hang it inside just above the plate that closes the cage (sometimes squirrels are too light and dont trip the trap, but when they try grabbing this it makes them push more on the plate). And if you really wanna try to lure them in, scatter some peanuts around toward the trap and some aniseed oil.

Then you can also bait lure them to a safe spot to try and shoot them can be either front or backyard, just make sure you have a good backstop or wall, etc. Get a jar of peanut butter, fill with some peanuts or bird seed, and lay in front of the backstop. Whatever airgun you pick, just practice with it prior to make sure you have it sighted to hit whatever is near the bait. With this, if you dont mind olaying the waiting game, you can leave the bait out and let the squirrels go at it for a day free of charge, this makes them use to going to the spot. Then next time they come is when its time you get rid of them for good hopefully.

As for what airgun to use if you still need one, with your distance to the outside, a Hatsan Supercharger QE or Supertact QE (same gun, just has a stock) in .177 or .22 could work.I've taken several with the supercharger in .177. Might need some force to fully break the barrel and cock with your wrists but dont think its too bad. Theres also the Seneca Dragonfly mk2, always heard those are easy on the wrists when it comes to pumping it.

But if you dont mind spending more, you can get a nice cheap air compressor and have access to a wide variety of PCPs that to deal with all the squirrels and without making your wrists hurt. Tons of good budget ones like the PP750, Notos, Diana Stormrider, etc. I wont recommend any of the higher end ones as those you really wanna be hooked into airguns to get into

 

[DesertSilver]

not very aero dynamic

That's the whole point.

 

[DesertSilver]

Another thing I forgot to mention is wad cutter pellets in .177. They're a flat nosed pellet that's not aerodynamic and will lose velocity very fast.

 

[ray1377]

Don't think I've seen it in this thread yet, but before you trying "dispatching" any squirrels you should check your state game laws. Shooting an animal out of season can cost you a $$$ fine. And as it was said earlier, the front yard is a bad place to shoot. You have to contend with neighbors, and sidewalks and pavement. That would add to the problem of a stray projectile bouncing off something hard and ending up in the wrong place. If you decide to purchase an airgun I would suggest a good bit of practice before trying to actually shoot an animal. For squirrels, you should be able to hit the cap of a water bottle from 25 yards every time you try. There are tons of members here, surely there might be a member within driving distance of you and maybe they could help you with your problem?? As far as traps, squirrels love peanuts.
Good luck.

Thx
Ray

 

[BSJ]

You could buy a 12 x 12 inch steel plate. Make a stand for for it, tilting the top towards you as the shooter.
Put bait in front of the plate and only shoot when you're 100% sure nothing can get past the plate.

 

[rangur1]

HW 44 in 22 or 177. 17 foot pounds and quiet as can be. Pricey though.

 

[ohiochuck]

You have received many good suggestions. An air gun rifle would be easier to shoot such as the

Weihrauch HW30 .177 Air Rifle.​

luring them to the back yard seems like a good idea.
Good luck!
Jim

 

[borne2fly]

Maybe you don't have to actually kill the squirrels. I have fruit trees in my back yard and over the years have learned that a squirrel whose territory includes your house, who understands not to go near your house, will help you keep neighboring squirrels away. Shooting them just brings more newcomers a couple weeks later. Currently I harass the resident squirrels, with my dog's help, but let them live to squabble over territory with neighboring squirrels. An airgun can help with that as you can reach out and touch the squirrel even if it is far away, and if it is up in a tree where the dog gets frustrated. In my backyard, with the longest distance of ~45 yards, a multipump gun that shoots BBs works best. More distance = more pumps, closer range is safer with less pumps. BBs are relatively safe because they shed power and speed very quickly, and if your yard is small then airsoft BBs might be even better than metal BBs.
That Crosman 1322 has a sister 1377 that will shoot regular BBs, and isn't hard to pump a few times, which is all you'll need to harrass but not kill. Glass windows should be safe at 1 pump beyond 10 yards, 2 pumps 15 yards, 3 pumps 25, 4/35, 5/40, 6/45, 7/50, 8/55, which is about the distances you'd harrass. At those distances with that many pumps the BB won't break the skin. The pumping action of those is an accordion motion, just look for a Youtube video for whatever airgun.
Plus if you just only shoot to harrass then you'll have more squirrels to practice on tomorrow! If you kill them then you and your dog have to wait a couple weeks for more to show up.

I get crows and raccoons raiding the garden from time to time. Don’t see the need to kill them, just discourage them. My weapon of choice is a co2 BB gun (of which I have a few) and plastic bb’s. Seems to do the job and I don’t end up with bodies to bury. Besides … it’s more fun than paper punching

The only time I get serious with co2 for pests is with rattlesnakes. For that I use a M712 repli-gun on full auto with steel bb’s.

 

[Sawney Bean]

I get crows and raccoons raiding the garden from time to time. Don’t see the need to kill them, just discourage them. My weapon of choice is a co2 BB gun (of which I have a few) and plastic bb’s. Seems to do the job and I don’t end up with bodies to bury. Besides … it’s more fun than paper punching

The only time I get serious with co2 for pests is with rattlesnakes. For that I use a M712 repli-gun on full auto with steel bb’s.

From a non-lethal perspective, a paintball gun would also be a good choice. Plenty of them are available used at very reasonable prices and there are unlikely to be any issues involved with neighbors or safety.

 

[daddypaddy]

As someone mentioned earlier, I'd try to lure them more towards the backyard to dispatch them if you can, much less risk of involving neighbors/their property with ricochet.

Trapping wise, I use a conibear set up tied to a string and attached to a garden pole with peanuts on the bait triggers, though with your wrist injury I wouldn't recommened it, could be bad if it slams on your fingers trying to set.

I also have a cage trap, not the squirrelnator, one of those smaller ones you can pick up by the handle and could hold at most 1-2 squirrels, and in my experience those work much better for tree squirrels than the big squirrelnator (I've seen squirrelnator better success at ground squirrels than trees). I prefer buying a large bag of peanuts like from Sams Club or some other store, usually cheap and they cant resist them. Take a small lid, like a peanut butter jar lid and put some peanuts in it and put in back of trap. I also put some peanuts in one of these https://a.co/d/d1AYYAi Just hang it inside just above the plate that closes the cage (sometimes squirrels are too light and dont trip the trap, but when they try grabbing this it makes them push more on the plate). And if you really wanna try to lure them in, scatter some peanuts around toward the trap and some aniseed oil.

Then you can also bait lure them to a safe spot to try and shoot them can be either front or backyard, just make sure you have a good backstop or wall, etc. Get a jar of peanut butter, fill with some peanuts or bird seed, and lay in front of the backstop. Whatever airgun you pick, just practice with it prior to make sure you have it sighted to hit whatever is near the bait. With this, if you dont mind olaying the waiting game, you can leave the bait out and let the squirrels go at it for a day free of charge, this makes them use to going to the spot. Then next time they come is when its time you get rid of them for good hopefully.

As for what airgun to use if you still need one, with your distance to the outside, a Hatsan Supercharger QE or Supertact QE (same gun, just has a stock) in .177 or .22 could work.I've taken several with the supercharger in .177. Might need some force to fully break the barrel and cock with your wrists but dont think its too bad. Theres also the Seneca Dragonfly mk2, always heard those are easy on the wrists when it comes to pumping it.

But if you dont mind spending more, you can get a nice cheap air compressor and have access to a wide variety of PCPs that to deal with all the squirrels and without making your wrists hurt. Tons of good budget ones like the PP750, Notos, Diana Stormrider, etc. I wont recommend any of the higher end ones as those you really wanna be hooked into airguns to get into

i would recommend against the supertact QE, it has a plastic trigger box. it will fail and can fail while it’s cocked. mine did. it put a hole in my wall. if the supercharger is the same gun.. i would be weary. you’re better off with a cheaper crosman 1322.. tried and true. it has enough energy output for body shots on squirrels out to 15-20 yards when shooting CPHP.

 

[borne2fly]

i would recommend against the supertact QE, it has a plastic trigger box. it will fail and can fail while it’s cocked. mine did. it put a hole in my wall. if the supercharger is the same gun.. i would be weary. you’re better off with a cheaper crosman 1322.. tried and true. it has enough energy output for body shots on squirrels out to 15-20 yards when shooting CPHP.

And the 1322 has heaps of options available … shoulder stock, longer barrel, etc. One of the most versatile platforms out there

 

[triplem]

i would recommend against the supertact QE, it has a plastic trigger box. it will fail and can fail while it’s cocked. mine did. it put a hole in my wall. if the supercharger is the same gun.. i would be weary. you’re better off with a cheaper crosman 1322.. tried and true. it has enough energy output for body shots on squirrels out to 15-20 yards when shooting CPHP.

That kind of thinking honestly applies to a lot of airguns, always have the cases where a part or o-ring fails in the gun but then for others they have 0 or minor problems.As for my supercharger hasnt failed me once (though only one out of my collection that has ever failed was my Notos which needed a complete O-ring replacing before working right). But if safety is a concern well, theres a reason why everyone should be treating airguns like real firearms when handling them in a safe manner.
As for bodyshots, I NEVER recommend taking bodyshots on a squirrel even if pesting is the goal, Unless you are sure enough in your ability to make a proper heart/lungshot, you should be taking brainshots on squirrel to humanely put them down. Your airgun could be chugging out 50+ fpe but if you just bodyshot them anywhere, Will they die? Eventually probably, Will it be instant? Probably not, Some squirrel out there can even take a .22lr to the body but still get away with their guts spilling out before dying in a hole some place.

 

[daddypaddy]

That kind of thinking honestly applies to a lot of airguns, always have the cases where a part or o-ring fails in the gun but then for others they have 0 or minor problems.As for my supercharger hasnt failed me once (though only one out of my collection that has ever failed was my Notos which needed a complete O-ring replacing before working right). But if safety is a concern well, theres a reason why everyone should be treating airguns like real firearms when handling them in a safe manner.
As for bodyshots, I NEVER recommend taking bodyshots on a squirrel even if pesting is the goal, Unless you are sure enough in your ability to make a proper heart/lungshot, you should be taking brainshots on squirrel to humanely put them down. Your airgun could be chugging out 50+ fpe but if you just bodyshot them anywhere, Will they die? Eventually probably, Will it be instant? Probably not, Some squirrel out there can even take a .22lr to the body but still get away with their guts spilling out before dying in a hole some place.

op was looking for an airgun for some squirrels in his yard. it also sounds like his yard isn’t the largest with houses directly across the street. my experience with the supertact was enough for me to warrant a plausible caution towards that specific airgun. i cocked it and it the sear slipped and the barrel swung up and sent the pellet into my wall. i opened the gun and found plastic trigger housing.. it flexed enough to not lock the sear. my personal experience with it.

i’ll take a notos complete o-ring kit replacement over a break barrel that can’t hold the hammer locked any day of the next 100 years.
a .22lr that doesn’t DRT a squirrel is a missed shot.
i would think 50fpe airgun will DRT a squirrel with a body shot at least within 75 yards.
OP is looking for a small airgun and doesn’t seem too well versed in shooting pests, i would expect a body shot to be easier for him.
the 1322 is a better airgun than the superwact.
it’s cheaper. it can be built up. it’s the perfect airgun to lure someone into our rabbit hole.

 

[coastal drifter]

That's the whole point.

I was speaking of accuracy.

 

[EMrider]

As a few others have suggested, go with an hw30s in .177. Light, easy to cock, accurate, and very effective on squirrels within 25 yards. Pistols are difficult to shoot accurately.
R

 

[Sawney Bean]

i would recommend against the supertact QE, it has a plastic trigger box. it will fail and can fail while it’s cocked. mine did. it put a hole in my wall. if the supercharger is the same gun.. i would be weary. you’re better off with a cheaper crosman 1322.. tried and true. it has enough energy output for body shots on squirrels out to 15-20 yards when shooting CPHP.

Agreed. Plus, she mentions that wrist strengh is an issue and the Supercharger is a hard gun to cock.