Looking for a ratting gun (for residential area)

[duckwater]

Rats have taken up near my duck coop, I drowned out their nest (that they setup under the concrete slab of my shed next to the coop) but there are still a good amount in the shed itself. Been baiting with baking soda and corn bread mix with decent success but I would like to have a some sort of airgun to dispatch them when I see them. Usually if I enter the coop I will see a dozen or so run up the back of the coop and out through the top, so within 10 feet of the door and there would be plenty of time to hit them as they can only fit through the opening there one at a time. My main concern is that I live in an area which is zoned Commerical-Residential, so I have neighbors. The back of my coop has 3 feet of space behind it before it reaches a fence, then on the other side of the fence is a neighbors yard with ~50 feet before the back of their house, but they also have a shed offset from my coop towards the left side (which has a window) and is also 3 feet off the fenceline (wooden picket fence).

Ideally what I am looking for is something with enough power to kill a rat (Common brown rats) but that also isn't going to blow through 3/8th inch plywood and 1/2 inch picket fence and damage my neighbor's property. I have shooting experience (grew up hunting. fishing) but am pretty ignorant about the technical verbology such as fps, mass, etc and how it would correlate to things like wood penetration. I don't think I need a rifle type airgun because as I said, it would be for when I walk up to the coop and open the door, something to pick off the slow ones and ideally without also having to pump to prime multiple times as well.

 

[Sergey1972]

Crosman 2240 in .22 should do it. Co2 powered.

 

[beerthief]

OH Calif ?? might want to bait with poison .

https://www.ruralking.com/tomcat-with-bromethalin-meal-bait-rodent-killer-5lb-

 

[Dr. Kralenstein]

Could go with a notos and use wadcutters. Shouldn't over penetrate and the gun itself is damn quiet. The pop of the pellet hitting the rat will be louder. Also, you can reload quick, and it's already set up with a picatinny rail on top.

I like the suggestion of a 2240,but by the time you put in the mods necessary to make it quiet and use a optic, you're already at notos price.

 

[duckwater]

OH Calif ?? might want to bait with poison .

https://www.ruralking.com/tomcat-with-bromethalin-meal-bait-rodent-killer-5lb-

Poison isn't an option for me. I have dogs, and I foster puppies that combined with having ducks and geese I won't run the risk of them getting into it somehow or getting hold of a rat that's ingested it. Even with the baits that say they're safe around dogs/cats, I still don't trust that something designed to kill by poison is in any way safe for anything to accidentally consume.

 

[duckwater]

Could go with a notos and use wadcutters. Shouldn't over penetrate and the gun itself is damn quiet. The pop of the pellet hitting the rat will be louder. Also, you can reload quick, and it's already set up with a picatinny rail on top.

I like the suggestion of a 2240,but by the time you put in the mods necessary to make it quiet and use a optic, you're already at notos price.

I actually just started looking into those because of your thread on it, it looks like a really reliable and accurate piece. The only weird thing I seen was that it's bolt is on the left hand side.

 

[Stan’s boy John]

OH Calif ?? might want to bait with poison .

https://www.ruralking.com/tomcat-with-bromethalin-meal-bait-rodent-killer-5lb-

That's pretty good if you don't mind killing the neighbors dogs. Ask me how i know...

 

[Stan’s boy John]

Rats have taken up near my duck coop, I drowned out their nest (that they setup under the concrete slab of my shed next to the coop) but there are still a good amount in the shed itself. Been baiting with baking soda and corn bread mix with decent success but I would like to have a some sort of airgun to dispatch them when I see them. Usually if I enter the coop I will see a dozen or so run up the back of the coop and out through the top, so within 10 feet of the door and there would be plenty of time to hit them as they can only fit through the opening there one at a time. My main concern is that I live in an area which is zoned Commerical-Residential, so I have neighbors. The back of my coop has 3 feet of space behind it before it reaches a fence, then on the other side of the fence is a neighbors yard with ~50 feet before the back of their house, but they also have a shed offset from my coop towards the left side (which has a window) and is also 3 feet off the fenceline (wooden picket fence).

Ideally what I am looking for is something with enough power to kill a rat (Common brown rats) but that also isn't going to blow through 3/8th inch plywood and 1/2 inch picket fence and damage my neighbor's property. I have shooting experience (grew up hunting. fishing) but am pretty ignorant about the technical verbology such as fps, mass, etc and how it would correlate to things like wood penetration. I don't think I need a rifle type airgun because as I said, it would be for when I walk up to the coop and open the door, something to pick off the slow ones and ideally without also having to pump to prime multiple times as well.

Honestly, just about any of the new spring guns, gas piston guns or PCP's are more than capable of doing what your asking. Caliber you ask? .22 or .177 is adequate to get it done.

 

[beerthief]

how about a cage trap and a bucket of water ? much less expensive and you control what happens to the body
And you do not break any local laws about shooting.
OF course this blows you excuse to buy a gun

 

[duckwater]

how about a cage trap and a bucket of water ? much less expensive and you control what happens to the body
And you do not break any local laws about shooting.
OF course this blows you excuse to buy a gun

Done water buckets, normal traps. The baking soda + cornbread mix actually works really well (paired with it being the safest way to bait) so it's my preferred way of doing it. Having a gun though is just another tool and I don't have to play the wack-a-rat mini game with a club every time I go out to the coop, as therapeutic as it's been since they picked off three of my new ducklings this week.

 

[Dr. Kralenstein]

I actually just started looking into those because of your thread on it, it looks like a really reliable and accurate piece. The only weird thing I seen was that it's bolt is on the left hand side.

It's nice if you're shooting with a front rest. Off hand it's not bad, because the gun is pretty light and decently balanced. I'm used to left side because I used to build my crosman single shots with lefties.

 

[Hateful McNasty]

Trade the dogs off for cats ?

Or get terriers (rat terrier dogs).

Cheap strong spring, / break barrel pistol of you find one is the hatsan model 25 sc.

Hatsan Mod25 Supercharger QE | Air Pistol | Pyramyd AIR

We've got a great price on the Hatsan Mod25 Supercharger QE. Get a great price and expert advice at Pyramyd for your next outdoor adventure!

www.pyramydair.com

 

[duckwater]

It's nice if you're shooting with a front rest. Off hand it's not bad, because the gun is pretty light and decently balanced. I'm used to left side because I used to build my crosman single shots with lefties.

Will it blast through the target and a plywood backing (or even just the ply backing when missing the target) at about 10ft? I'm gonna be re-designing my coop here soon but I'm thinking that I will be beefing up the ply I use for the siding specifically for this reason. The last thing I want to do is send a pellet through the coop wall, into the side of someone's house. (The neighbors are almost never in their back yard, but I will never use it if they are in it)

 

[Dr. Kralenstein]

That's pretty good if you don't mind killing the neighbors dogs. Ask me how i know...

Everytime I see poison boxes around warehouses, I cringe. Even the roach ones don't kill immediately. Song birds eat them, bye bye tweetie. Or if mice get in there and get it on their fur, get eaten by a snake or hawk... done. Cats, yep. Etc... im not some super nature animal nut, I blast pests all day, but nothing should suffer that painful slow death, especially 2nd hand poisoning. It can take days to kill a large bird.

 

[Dr. Kralenstein]

Will it blast through the target and a plywood backing (or even just the ply backing when missing the target) at about 10ft? I'm gonna be re-designing my coop here soon but I'm thinking that I will be beefing up the ply I use for the siding specifically for this reason. The last thing I want to do is send a pellet through the coop wall, into the side of someone's house. (The neighbors are almost never in their back yard, but I will never use it if they are in it)

If you're shooting rats at 10 feet with a domed pellet, it's going right thru the rat and the plywood. Or damn near thru, it won't take many blasts to get thru 5/8" osb or even 3/4".

Wadcutters MIGHT stop, probably, but that's pretty close. I would make a backstop out of 2"x12" pressure treated planks, and keep and eye on the damage it's taking, but you won't get thru that easy.

 

[duckwater]

Everytime I see poison boxes around warehouses, I cringe. Even the roach ones don't kill immediately. Song birds eat them, bye bye tweetie. Or if mice get in there and get it on their fur, get eaten by a snake or hawk... done. Cats, yep. Etc... im not some super nature animal nut, I blast pests all day, but nothing should suffer that painful slow death, especially 2nd hand poisoning. It can take days to kill a large bird.

I hate poison traps, and glue traps. Hell I've had bad experiences with snap traps too. I even feel bad about using the baking soda method, which reacts to their stomach acid and since rats cannot burp or fart, they get an unpleasant death although it wont take days. But baking soda is better than the alternative passive ways.

 

[Florida_Man]

Crosman 2240 is a great choice.

This is my modded out one I built. Shooting Hades at about 620 FPS. The pellets stick in fence behind.

 

[esingle]

Hello if your looking for a pistol look at the Diana Airbug in 22 cal Pyramid air has them in stock, if you are going with a rifle look at the Game Viper express 22 cal shotgun (ideal for the distance you are shooting) or a Crosman 1077. What ever gun you decide to use I would reinforce the kill zone area you plan on shooting in with an extra sheet of wood. Well good luck with whatever you decide and enjoy your new gun Eric.

 

[Hateful McNasty]

Theres a lp8 in the want ads

Traditional Pistol - Diana Lp8 Magnum .177

For sale. Don't know much about it and really not of much interest to me. Looking to move it on. Not sure if its suppose to have a cocking aid but this one does not. Asking $185 + shipping. PayPal F&F or add 4% to cover upcharge. More pics available upon request. Reach out with any...

www.airgunnation.com

 

[cea1960]

1400KT is another good choice, it's what I use. 6-7 fpe will take down a squirrel at 25 yards, but won't damage your fence or coop. The Rocker1 moderator makes it very quiet. However, being a single loader, you'll miss many opportunities, and CO2 isn't viable during cooler months. Look at the BSA JSR. It's a 6 fpe pcp designed for kids, but will suffice for this. Larger stocks are available and it has a multi shot magazine.