N/A Recommendations for small/light pest gun?

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jbuchse17

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Jun 11, 2022
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SW USA
I have been doing pest control (i.e., rats, mice) in the garden. I have been using my favorite rifle, a HW30S, but it is in .177. It works, and I prefer .177 for plinking and target shooting, but I'm thinking I might need a .22 (unless someone can dissuade me).

Some of my priorities:
  1. small/light/easy to handle (sub-6lb in weight)
  2. quiet/backyard friendly
  3. Accurate or offer quick follow-ups.
I can't claim to be a great shot, but I can usually hit the pests in low light/nighttime. It needs to be effective at short distances (most of my shots are within 15 feet, though capabilities at further ranges will be nice). I prefer traditional airguns, I am aware of PCPs and their advantages, just not ready to dive into the whole setup. I can't think of anything at the moment that is well-powered that is not (1) PCP, (2) slow at pumping, (3) loud, (4) heavy or difficult to cock.

Are there guns that you all would recommend? Can't promise I'll be purchasing, just considering my options at this time. Thanks!
 
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EMrider said:
IMHO, you already have the ideal gun for the need you describe.
R
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Simplemann said:
I'll try and save you some money. You have what you need already 🤷‍♂️
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these guys may not be the support you need at this moment....
If you need someone to tell you it's OK to buy a 2nd hw30 just in the 22 ....go ahead
 
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I can't think of anything better for your intended pesting use, as you've already got a well-made classic plinking/light pesting rifle.

Assuming that you were just using the iron sights now, one thing that might make it better is a red dot/holographic type sight. You can choose a model that has three or more dots or several aim points to help you with those short range trajectory shots.

If you want to speed up your follow-up shots, you need a pellet pouch that hangs around your neck or a piece of foam with holes in it that you can stick to the side of your stock that holds pellets close at hand so that you can keep your eyes on the target and reload without looking.

GL,
Feinwerk
 
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a handpump and a marauder pistol .. where i live its a constant pest situation and ive tried everything .. the prod is a game changer, it really is, got more pests with it than probably every other gun i have combined .. put a 4x fixed on it and it cant be beat by 'anything' for home pesting .. firmly believe that ..
 
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You already have the perfect gun. 177 is fine for rats and mice. I guess if 22 makes you feel better you could get another Hw30 in 22. The 22 may not penetrate as well at longer ranges and the loopy trajectory is gonna require good hold over skills. The Hw30s lose 200fps going to 22.

I'd stay with the 177 and a pellet pouch.
 
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I'm just gonna jump on the bandwagon here - you already have the perfect rifle for what you describe. As Mycapt 65 said, if you want to try .22, might be better to go up to the HW 50S...but at such short ranges it won't kill 'em a bit deader.

As a fun alternative, a lot of older guns have a similar performance envelope but offer a different feel and "personality." A personal favorite is the Diana 27 - slim, light, accurate, and usually shoots a little harder than the HW 30. Other nice light sporters of the past include the original HW 50 (quite diff from the current one), its cousin the HW 55 target rifle, Diana 35, BSA Meteor, and many others.
 
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Own a pair of R7's in .177 and .20 and no disagreement they're perfect short range pesting rifles but I'll throw the curveball.....
No idea what your weather is like since it will play a part but have you considered CO2? Have a look at the very well spoken of Flying Dragon XS60C. Can be had in either .177 or .22, weighs under 6 pounds and Mike will tune it to whatever power level you want.
 
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jbuchse17 said:
I have been doing pest control (i.e., rats, mice) in the garden. I have been using my favorite rifle, a HW30S, but it is in .177. It works, and I prefer .177 for plinking and target shooting, but I'm thinking I might need a .22 (unless someone can dissuade me).

Some of my priorities:
  1. small/light/easy to handle (sub-6lb)
  2. quiet/backyard friendly
  3. Accurate or offer quick follow-ups.
I can't claim to be a great shot, but I can usually hit the pests in low light/nighttime. It needs to be effective at short distances (most of my shots are within 15 feet, though capabilities at further ranges will be nice). I prefer traditional airguns, I am aware of PCPs and their advantages, just not ready to dive into the whole setup. I can't think of anything at the moment that is well-powered that is not (1) PCP, (2) slow at pumping, (3) loud, (4) heavy or difficult to cock.

Are there guns that you all would recommend? Can't promise I'll be purchasing, just considering my options at this time. Thanks!
Click to expand...


As said, you already have the ideal sub6fpe springer in .177 but if you a desperate to spend some money I would look at getting an Airarms s200, or a bsa ultra, these are fantastic little guns that are simple accurate and easy to work on. The benefits of a pcp are it’s easy to adjust the power up or down, when fitted with a moderator they are very quiet and most have the option of a multi shot magazine.
For mice, rats, squirrels, pigeons and rabbits you don’t “need” anything bigger than a .177 unless you want something different.

Because you are not shooting at high power shot count will be high so you only need a hand pump, particularly on a smaller pcp.
 
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I truly appreciate everyone's input and the honest opinions. You all are a great help.

Yes, I was eyeing something like the Diana Chaser in .22 for compact light power and multi-shots, but it seems the additional caliber is not necessary for the situation....also the downside for CO2 is that nighttime temperatures are still dipping below the 50s.

I'll focus on improving my game with my HW30 at present. Admittedly, the HW30 works but there always seem to be a large rat or two that need multiple shots to put down for good. I may need to refine my shot placement and sighting in the dark.

Currently, my night setup consists of the globe and post front sight plus Beeman peeps with the aperture insert removed (to make the rear almost a ghost ring). I use the glow from my red headlamp to see enough to aim reasonably well and fire, but I'm still working on the setup's accuracy. I may look into those red dots.

Thanks again! If anyone has more thoughts to add, please continue to do so, I appreciate hearing the tips and recommendations.
 
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Feinwerk said:
I can't think of anything better for your intended pesting use, as you've already got a well-made classic plinking/light pesting rifle.

Assuming that you were just using the iron sights now, one thing that might make it better is a red dot/holographic type sight. You can choose a model that has three or more dots or several aim points to help you with those short range trajectory shots.

If you want to speed up your follow-up shots, you need a pellet pouch that hangs around your neck or a piece of foam with holes in it that you can stick to the side of your stock that holds pellets close at hand so that you can keep your eyes on the target and reload without looking.

GL,
Feinwerk
Click to expand...
Thanks for the tips! I’ll look into the red dots. Made myself a pellet pouch a while ago, and it does help a lot. One problem was I had a flashlight clipped to the front sight. Every time I cocked the gun, it moved the light away from the pest. I am going to experiment more with my set up.
 
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dizzums said:
a handpump and a marauder pistol .. where i live its a constant pest situation and ive tried everything .. the prod is a game changer, it really is, got more pests with it than probably every other gun i have combined .. put a 4x fixed on it and it cant be beat by 'anything' for home pesting .. firmly believe that ..
Click to expand...
Good to know! I do want to get into PCPs. Someday.
 
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MDriskill said:
I'm just gonna jump on the bandwagon here - you already have the perfect rifle for what you describe. As Mycapt 65 said, if you want to try .22, might be better to go up to the HW 50S...but at such short ranges it won't kill 'em a bit deader.

As a fun alternative, a lot of older guns have a similar performance envelope but offer a different feel and "personality." A personal favorite is the Diana 27 - slim, light, accurate, and usually shoots a little harder than the HW 30. Other nice light sporters of the past include the original HW 50 (quite diff from the current one), its cousin the HW 55 target rifle, Diana 35, BSA Meteor, and many others.
Click to expand...
“but at such short ranges it won't kill 'em a bit deader”

This helped a lot! Thank you.

I do love the HW30 and someday it would be nice to try those other cousins like the Diana 27.
 
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jbuchse17 said:
I have been doing pest control (i.e., rats, mice) in the garden. I have been using my favorite rifle, a HW30S, but it is in .177. It works, and I prefer .177 for plinking and target shooting, but I'm thinking I might need a .22 (unless someone can dissuade me).

Some of my priorities:
  1. small/light/easy to handle (sub-6lb in weight)
  2. quiet/backyard friendly
  3. Accurate or offer quick follow-ups.
I can't claim to be a great shot, but I can usually hit the pests in low light/nighttime. It needs to be effective at short distances (most of my shots are within 15 feet, though capabilities at further ranges will be nice). I prefer traditional airguns, I am aware of PCPs and their advantages, just not ready to dive into the whole setup. I can't think of anything at the moment that is well-powered that is not (1) PCP, (2) slow at pumping, (3) loud, (4) heavy or difficult to cock.

Are there guns that you all would recommend? Can't promise I'll be purchasing, just considering my options at this time. Thanks!
Click to expand...
I just sent you a private message.
 
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