I've got one of these in .22: https://www.pyramydair.com/product/seneca-aspen-pcp-air-rifle?m=4715#10404Hi Airgun Nation community. I've been lurking here a while and gleaning lots of useful info, but have come to a point that I could use some pointed feedback.
My situation is that I live in a forest area on a couple acres with neighbors on similar sized lots. There are coyotes in the area becoming more aggressive. A few weeks ago 4 of my chickens become a coyote's lunch. Several neighbors cats have "disappeared". My dogs have had to square off against them a few times over the last couple years, and I have two small children that like to play outside. So...the coyotes have to go.
I live in California. There are lots of "rules" here about hunting and firearms in general. I was able to speak to the CA Dept of Fish and Wildlife whose local warden gave me permission to take the coyotes using methods ouside laws pertaining specifally to hunting, under certain conditions, and provided I follow some specific guidelines (my question below are with respect to these guidlines). Also, I am an experienced hunter, and have several cartridge rifles, but am not interested in shooting off a bullet in this neighborhood. It is rural but there are houses around and ricochets are a thing. So exploring modern airguns as a solution.
Separately, I also have rats and voles here that need constant population control. For those who don't know, a vole is like a gopher, but they tend to pop their heads up out of the holes a lot more often. I have a crossman springer pistol that's okay for this work, but less than ideal (slow, inaccurate).
I'm looking for a doubel duty gun: opportunistic coyote dispatching with frequest rodent control inbetween. In all liklihood the shot on the coyote would be made from around 30 yards. Rodents more like 10-20 yards.
So, seeking education and suggestions for a PCP rifle with the following characteristics:
Reading and watching some vids, something like a compact Brocock Ghost in .22 or .25 would be ideal, except for its $2k+ asking price. Recent FX guns with their barrles that can shoot slugs and pellets may be a good fit, but have read they designed for bench shooting (somewhat fragile?) and have uncomfortably frequent quality issues out of the box. Taipan look to be of exceptional engineering and quality standards, but are they unregulated? How valiable is power control with their hammerspring adjustments?
- Mag fed repeater (not single shot)
- $1000-$1500 (or less of course).
- Any suggestions for sites with used guns at descent prices?
- This is the big one: Variable energy, ranging from high enough to drop a coyote to low enough to not go all the way through 3/4" plywood when ratting (with the right ammo). So a regulated gun, or a gun with very wide ranging hammer spring adjustments. Honestly, I imagine it will probably will need both features working together.
- Ammo
- For coyotes: Any suggestions for lead-free slugs/hybrids? Do they even exist? (I am aware of tin pellets).
- For rodents: Any suggestions or general info around 'soft' lead pellets that deform on impact easily (reducing ricochet range) and will not blast right through the back of my barn's plywood walls at the gun's lower power tuning?
- Caliber
- Any well placed pellet caliber will dispatch a rat or vole. So, this is specifically around coyotes. I have read a lot of good advise around here discussing quickly killing coyotes with pellets, and fp/e suggestions at various ranges and calibers. I have also read a lot of virtue signalling condemnation of shooting a coyote with anything less than a 5.56 AR - please refrain from those comments here. These coyotes are a threat and will be treated as such. They will not be hunted or baited, but when they come onto this property they will be shot.
- When suggesting guns, with respect to their power ranges, please consider if a .22 slug would be viable with headshot or if a .25 or .30+ is needed?
- Handling
- Will be shot off hand, and must handle accordingly. Ideally <7 lbs, must be <9 lbs. Compact, <30" (w/o moderator)
- Reliable and easy maintenance (standard size screws, easy to source replacement grommets/gaskets, etc)
Or am i chasing a unicorn and there is no single gun this versatile?
Blistering accurate, has it's own built in pump and a Hi/low setting for faster/slower shots. A .22 is plenty enough to kill a coyote. I've killed coyotes with them before and this is my go-to old faithful for accuracy. (Same barrel as the Avenger) Anyway, get a couple of CARM magazines if you go this route--well worth it.
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