Beginner advice needed

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DSned said:
Answer: My problem. They recommended calling rid-a-critter.
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HOA rules and county regulations are going to dictate what you can do. I would first check the state rules on airguns, then I would talk to the HOA president and get something in writing saying you are good to shoot the pests. You will save yourself some trouble.
 
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blackdog899 said:
funny when shooting bows and practicing with broad heads nobody gave it a second thought about being illegal but an unfriendly neighbor sees a pellet gun and might be concerned. Both equally illegal in NYS because of Dept. of Environmental Conservation laws regarding distance to neighboring houses.
Doesn’t mean I won’t pop a critter.
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I always wondered that. The 500 yard rule is a hunting rule since they include PCP in the definition of firearm as their way to make them legal for hunting (for small critters). The 500 yard rule is a firearm rule so if you’re not “hunting” but plinking the hunting rule doesn’t apply. Since there is no 500 yard rule for Airguns in NYS (as far as I know), you’re allowed to plink but not to hunt within 500 yards of a dwelling. Bags the question, if I plink within 500 yards and a squirrel accidentally jumps in front of my target, was it a league or illegal shot?! I don’t know the answer :) anyway, better safe than sorry applies here for sure!
 
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JimD said:
I've only shot one armadillo and I used a 32 fpe 22 caliber pcp. I don't remember the weight but it was over 5 lbs. I killed it but it took multiple shots. My note to myself is to use the 25 caliber next time. My guess is that nice break barrel is it would be a bit disappointing in terms of how many shots you'd need to put into them. They are a lot bigger than a squirrel.
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I shot one in the head with my Sheridan I used 8 strokes full power. I shot and walked away as he was bouncing, and likley squirting. The next day, my little girl says, "Daddy, there's a zebra in the yard? Oh yeah, daddy has a zebra to take care of.. 😁
 
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The short answer is no. A pellet rifle will not reliably kill an armadillo with a "body shot."

Your going to wound lots of animals and they will wind up dead or wounded on the neighbors property or out on the golf course.

The only reliable kill is a shot to the vitals or an anchoring shot to the spine, shoulders or pelvis. With the plate structure on an armadillo and the shape of their body it's going to make a killing shot difficult for a novice. Your learning curve is going to involve run offs.

My suggestion is to trap them.

I've caught dozens by hand. Unless they are in cover they are pretty easy to chase down. A spirited canine is the best home defense, great companionship and the perfect solution to almost any pest problem. There are many solutions that will work much better than a pellet rifle.
 
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greenbeans said:
I always wondered that. The 500 yard rule is a hunting rule since they include PCP in the definition of firearm as their way to make them legal for hunting (for small critters). The 500 yard rule is a firearm rule so if you’re not “hunting” but plinking the hunting rule doesn’t apply. Since there is no 500 yard rule for Airguns in NYS (as far as I know), you’re allowed to plink but not to hunt within 500 yards of a dwelling. Bags the question, if I plink within 500 yards and a squirrel accidentally jumps in front of my target, was it a league or illegal shot?! I don’t know the answer :) anyway, better safe than sorry applies here for sure!
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I am hoping you are right. But think DEC laws will come into play. If my local cop is not sure that might be his first call.
There was also another statement that said something about danger to others, but I m not going to look for it. In any case I’m still gonna do it just need a quieter backstop.

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The OP asked for advice on the effectiveness of a pellet rifle on armadillos.

He's getting a lot of advice on the laws and how to deal with his homeowners association.

He's a novice who never killed an animal with a pellet rifle. You can assume hes never shot a pellet rifle. He's in limited space governed by people he has already had conflict with. The laws are up for interpretation and that happens in front of a judge after charges have been filed, guns taken and arrests possibly made.

We're after armadillos man! This isn't a huge problem.

The best advice would be to hire a professional that can work with HOA if they need to.

I'm sure it would be cheaper and more effective than trying to shoot armadillos crossing your property line with a pellet rifle. The odds of success are very low, the risks and expense are high and it won't solve the problem.

If you just want to shoot armadillos then do it and take your chances. I certainly would! But if you have an armadillo problem in the neighborhood a pellet rifle isn't the solution.
 
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blackdog899 said:
funny when shooting bows and practicing with broad heads nobody gave it a second thought about being illegal but an unfriendly neighbor sees a pellet gun and might be concerned. Both equally illegal in NYS because of Dept. of Environmental Conservation laws regarding distance to neighboring houses.
Doesn’t mean I won’t pop a critter.
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It's amazing how many people dismiss a bow and arrow not realizing how effective they are. They forget that bows were the primary survival tool for centuries.

The hunting rights on most of the local farms were long since spoken for during the gun season. I'd approach the land owner, show him my homemade self bow and be granted permission to hunt - mostly because they didn't think I would ever get a deer. I just kept low-key and didn't advertise the fact that I filled many, many tags on those properties with my "primitive equipment".
 
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blackdog899 said:
I am hoping you are right. But think DEC laws will come into play. If my local cop is not sure that might be his first call.
There was also another statement that said something about danger to others, but I m not going to look for it. In any case I’m still gonna do it just need a quieter backstop.
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I’m pretty sure that those regs only apply while hunting. State law does not include airguns in the definition of firearms so the two definitions are contrary to each other and the DEC definition only applies within the area the DEC is trying to regulate with it’s definition, i.e., hunting. Having a separate “hunting with airguns is allowed but the firearm regs apply mutatis mutandis” would have been a more elegant solution to make hunting with airguns legal but they chose the simple yet crude way to do so, creating this confusion… the 500 feet from dwelling (no idea why I said yards in my earlier post) is NYS law so the hunting regs are simply copying/stating that this rule applies to hunting situations as well (obviously). It’s pretty blurry but outside of hunting situations I would rely on state law and local codes/ordinances.
 
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I will remind you I've done it with a 32 fpe 22 caliber PCP. I hit it about in the middle with the first shot and in the shoulder area with the second. I think the 22 was a bit light, my 25 caliber at about 48 fpe would be better but an airgun can clearly kill an armadillo fine. Not sure it's worth fighting with a HOA or neighbors about but an airgun can do it.

You can't see it but I think both shots went through the armadillo. They tear up yards looking for grubs. The bigger issue is some carry leprosy.

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Vana2 said:
It's amazing how many people dismiss a bow and arrow not realizing how effective they are. They forget that bows were the primary survival tool for centuries.

The hunting rights on most of the local farms were long since spoken for during the gun season. I'd approach the land owner, show him my homemade self bow and be granted permission to hunt - mostly because they didn't think I would ever get a deer. I just kept low-key and didn't advertise the fact that I filled many, many tags on those properties with my "primitive equipment".
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I might have graduated from the “ stick and string” of my youth and went compound in the late 1970s. When shooting at this indoor range which even had a bar, you would have to have extra arrows and nocks. It was 20 yards and we would aim for a friends nock and blown away it was. Robin Hood’s were not rare. Boy I miss the 70s and 80s.
We also lived in a bow only zone which surrounded the city. If you weren’t greedy you would shoot your meat then hold out for a big buck.
Just to tie this to Airguns I borrowed a Crossman 760 once.. Haa!
 
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