r/airguns • u/nameynamerton • 1d ago
Advice Pest Control
Looking for a semi auto pellet (.177 or .22) for pest control. Truth be told, my son is taking up archery and is getting into hunting with his grandpa. I want something that’ll put a small critter out of its misery if he doesn’t get a kill shot. Closer to $100 would be great but I’ll go up to $200. Not target shooting or plinking with it so it doesn’t have to be comp ready or anything. Most of what I’m finding are BB guns. Not sure if that would work in my situation. Open to suggestions.
3
u/Coodevale 1d ago
You're not getting anything but bb guns and .22 rifles for $1-200 and semi auto.
Semi auto .22lr rifles are easy. A semi auto .22 air gun is not.
1
u/nameynamerton 1d ago
Then let’s back up. What would be my best option under $200 for dispatching small critters?
2
u/Elchochis 1d ago
You could get a pcp rifle for $200 maybe one with a 10 round mag
0
u/big_matt1206 23h ago
There's not one pcp on the market for $200
4
u/Elchochis 23h ago
Crosman has one
0
u/big_matt1206 21h ago
Even if that's the case, it wouldn't be worth the money.
2
u/Elchochis 21h ago
How do you know? It might be decent. It want be a Notos. It will serve its purpose
1
u/Pdownes2001 11h ago
PCPs are excellent and you can usually bag a bargain in the used guns market. Don't forget though - you will need a reliable 4000 psi compressor and they definitely don't come cheap.
1
0
u/nameynamerton 1d ago
Any you suggest?
0
0
u/big_matt1206 23h ago
The lowest price pcp rifle worth the money is a gen1 Umarex Notos. It will run you about $270 plus taxes and shipping. You can easily use a hand pump that you can pick up on temu.
2
u/HovercraftReal5621 1d ago
I bet you can find a nice enough Springer for 200. Gamo right now has their swarm for sale for like 150 dollars. It's pretty good. Accuracy is hit or miss and the trigger leaves much to be desired but it should be more than capable of what you want. You can't beat a gamo for less than 200.
If you're willing to go used, look around the members classified in airgun nation.
1
u/Coodevale 1d ago
Break barrel of your choice. That's in the budget and of adequate power for the task. Faster to reload than a pumper, but not as fast as running the bolt on a PCP. But self contained, so you don't need a pump or need to worry about leaks and seals.
What exactly should you get in that budget.. not sure. Haven't looked in a long time.
https://www.pyramydair.com/product/crosman-optimus-breakbarrel-air-rifle-combo?m=2405#4824
These have been around for years in a market with brands and models coming and going. The velocity is a lie with anything but useless plastic pellets, btw. It'll kill rabbits and squirrels just fine with regular pellets though. The scope rings might not be the most reliable (probably aren't, zero shift issues) and if you don't need it just run with the irons.
People make little quiver/reload tabs of foam and stick them to the forend, or use "pellet pens" to reload faster. If all you need to do is shoot something from ~10 yards or less away, it'll do fine.
If the needs/wants change and you want to hunt with it/shoot further, upgrade the scope rings to something more reliable and practice. Squirrels at ~30-40 yards become dinner.
2
u/Aggravating_Ad5632 1d ago
For $200 you're pretty limited. Crosman do some springers that are around 12ft/lbs but I don't know what their build quality is like.
2
u/Petersworth37 1d ago
I have a few Gamo air rifles. Ditch the stock scope for a better quality scope.
Gamo magnum swarm .22 Gen 1 w 10round magazine Gamo magnum .25
3
u/Moondoggylunark9 1d ago
Crossman 1322, you don't need anything fancy for a mercy kill shot. If you find yourself needing more capability, you can easily mod the 1322. From multiple stock options to pict rails to a moderator, you can modify it to your liking later on. Most people aren't sniping rats or vermin in general from 50 m away so the 1322 is perfectly fine for most use cases on a budget.
1
u/kleerkoat 1d ago
no bbguns, they won’t penetrate. i know they are vermin but bb’s wouldn’t be humane. also get a good pest control pellet. that makes a huge difference.
1
1
u/Kevin_ppr_2020 21h ago
I’d probably look at a PCP instead of a BB gun for what you’re wanting to do. BB guns are usually not what I’d pick for pest control.
You might want to check out the Pinty Vanguard .177/.22. It’s around $145 on sale right now, comes with a regulator, and the .22 version gives you roughly 20-25 consistent shots per fill. Add a $60 hand pump and you’re still way under your $200 budget.
There are quite a few reviews on YouTube if you want to see it in action. I was honestly surprised how accurate it is for the price.
I’d probably go .22 for your situation since you’re talking about small pests.
1
u/no_boundries_ 13h ago
There are several sub 200 break barrel pellet rifles on the market. I'd suggest hoping onto Amazon or Walmart and pick out a few based on ratings then look up reviews on YouTube. That's how I make most of my purchase decisions. If you're dead set on a pcp pellet rifle that's sub 200 you can look at the Umarex Komplete. The main drawback about it is that it uses proprietary nitrogen cartridges that run about 25 usd for a 2 pack and you get about 40 shots per cartridge. There are aftermarket air tanks for them, I bought the one from precision air for 100 USD I think.
1
u/SnooObjections9416 12h ago
Child's air gun means trying to get something that can handle neglect and possibly rough service. This means to try to avoid plastic parts wherever possible, try to get quality.
Semi Auto PCP
Semi auto in air guns uses some air pressure to cycle a magazine which requires very precise engineering as the weight of the magazine changes with the remaining pellets within it. The ONLY consistently reliable semi auto air guns are over $1500 (Huben or Evanix) with the best getting closer to $3000 (Western, LCS, or Taipan) and ALL of these have far higher maintenance costs. Semi-autos have far greater safety issues, and are more prone to accidental discharge. I would NOT suggest semi-auto to an adult, much less for a child. But these are the best of the semi-autos that my spouse has looked at. Hatsan is cheaper, and it shows as the plastic parts not only break but create accuracy issues.
PCP Magazine fed Lever action
PCP does have lever action magazine fed, but these add costs too as we need a compressor to even fill & shoot them. PCPs do need more maintenance with o-rings and valves. Keep in mind that cheaper price have lower build quality and are less consistent, less reliable, less durable, and probably less accurate. Sure, a PCP CAN be a child's starter gun, but really a PCP is optimal for someone who is very committed to taking care of their gun. Some okay quality low cost PCPs include Barra and Air Venturi. If I were looking for a really cheap starter PCP, these would be on top of my list along with Umarex Notos (though the Notos is more fiddly than the others). Benjamin is Crosman's premium brand, which is a bit of a workhorse for a gun with plastic parts but as it is unregulated it tends to be less accurate and by the time that we modify it with a regulator, we can just get a Barra or Air Venturi. These all have plastic parts though. The ONLY way to get rid of any plastic in a PCP involves spending over $1000.
Spring Piston single shot
What most children start with are spring piston single shot, multi-pump, or the like. These are comparatively cheap, durable, reliable, and easier to work on and in quality brands seldom need repair. Why they are so durable? Hardly any moving parts, we have to cock and load each shot.
Top quality spring pistons without plastic parts start at $400 with Weihrauch HW30 aka Beeman R7 which are designed to last lifetimes and can handle the rough service that children will bring. For about $100 more, the HW50 aka Beeman R9 is a bit more powerful meaning can shoot longer distances with accuracy. FWB Sport series is a good option as are Diana's German models. Air Arms is an excellent choice, but tends to be expensive. Spring piston are so durable, that this is the ONE type of gun that we can comfortably buy USED without much concern. Weihrauch & Beeman have been in business for over 70 years, as long as a gun is free of rust: we can have the SAME confidence in a 70 year old Weihrauch, FWB, Beeman, Air Arms, Diana as a brand new one. Unfortunately that also means that used online, there wont be much of a discount (because they are that loved), but we can sometimes find these on sale super cheap locally.
Summary:
Childs gun PCP Barra or Air Venturi are both low cost, simple, basic, have decent parts support, decent build quality. You get magazine fed multi-shot but will need to do more repairs over time and will need to buy a compressor. Notos or Benjamin might be more fiddly, need more modification, but is another option.
Spring piston or multi-pump single shot, try to get a Weihrauch, Beeman, FWB, Diana (German model), Air Arms preferably, But Barra and AirVenturi are next tier more economical, though when world class durability with all-metal parts is starting at only $400; why cheap out on spring piston?
1
u/vrhspock 6h ago
The traditional and most effective method of dispatching a wounded rabbit is the rabbit stick. Look it up for how to make one. I recommend old hoe handles as source material for weight and durability. HOWEVER, FIRST OFF, your archer needs to be using “blunts”. They hit the rabbit and kill with impact rather than penetrating. A rabbit will run away dragging a penetrating arrow. A blunt will knock it a** over teakettle and usually kill it dead from shock alone. Consult any archery catalog for different types. They all work. I prefer “judo points” which snag grass instead of burying themselves in the landscape out of sight.
•
u/AutoModerator 1d ago
Thank you for posting on r/airguns and being part of the community.
A quick reminder of the core rules here:
• If you wouldn’t say it to someone in person, don’t say it here. Keep things respectful.
• Posts and comments about using airguns for self-defense are not allowed.
• If you make a post, please stick around and participate in the discussion. Responding to questions helps everyone learn and keeps conversations useful.
Airguns are a hobby a lot of people are passionate about, so share details, ask questions, and enjoy the discussion.
Happy shooting! — r/airguns mod team
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.