what gun to buy for "varmints"

[mbohuntr]

I have a crossman pump, and I feel that at ten pumps with hunting pellets and 20', a head shot should prove fatal. grey and red squirrels drop like a stone with massive damage. aim for the eye or downward through the ear,I use a scope.

 

[archerm3]

I think there is some common sense involved. No I don't think its reasonable to say you need a mile radius, but you also need to think of a ricochet at a slight angle so it keeps a lot of velocity and can also add some height possibly going further than you intended.

Keep in mind the skill of the person shooting the gun to take those variables into account. Is a person going to keep that in mind all of the time or get excited about getting the animal and circle around and make a bad choice.

As mentioned the size of the animal does matter, but I am curious as to when a pellet gun is mentioned, is that a wally world special or a higher end break barrel model?

Or perhaps an even higher end spring piston or CO2 model.

 

[MossRoad]

I have a crossman pump, and I feel that at ten pumps with hunting pellets and 20', a head shot should prove fatal. grey and red squirrels drop like a stone with massive damage. aim for the eye or downward through the ear,I use a scope.

If you can get within 20 feet of a ground hog, you go for it! How do you feel it would do at 40 yards?

 

[polo1665]

If you can get within 20 feet of a ground hog, you go for it! How do you feel it would do at 40 yards?

They're on to me lately. I think I'd have to dress up like one to get as close as 40 yds

Mark

 

[MossRoad]

Our entire lot is just a tad over one acre. It is about 330' deep from the road. Take into account the house, two garages, pool, deck, 12 fruit trees and fenced garden, there is only one strip of lawn about 60' wide that the woodchucks have to cross between the woods behind us and the garden. Then they slink along the garden to the fruit trees. By the time I see them, they see me and bolt. Those fat little things are pretty fast! They also seem to have great eye sight.

I have found that they attract lots of flies to their burrows. There are lots of burrows out in the woods. If I see one that has flies going in and out, I'm pretty sure it is an active burrow. Then I toss in a pail of water followed by a lit railroad flair, cover it with a board and some dirt. That seems to discourage them from coming back to that burrow if it doesn't kill them. Hmmm. Thinking about it, I'm out of flairs. Gotta find some more.

 

[mbohuntr]

I used the 20' pellet rifle to illustrate a point, and youz picked up on it right away! It also applies to a shotgun! The only one I killed with a shotgun, I beat to his hole and he just had this "stunned" look on his puss when I pulled the trigger. A break open pellet rifle "might" do it, but I've never tried one. A .17HMR might be better as the lead is very small, and should fragment on impact making it safer than any centerfire. If you want to set in a shed for hours like your hunting antelope, enjoy yourself, it's gonna be a while. A medium Havahart loaded with apples should well if you tie the fruit to the closed end, and make him crawl all the way to the end. I will have to resort to the same method as my neighbors house is at the wrong angle and too close to take a shot. (about 300') D#*n rabbit and chuck are eating my zucchinni!

 

[Groo]

Rodenator Pro Pest Control Videos @ Rodenator

 

[polo1665]

I used the 20' pellet rifle to illustrate a point, and youz picked up on it right away! It also applies to a shotgun! The only one I killed with a shotgun, I beat to his hole and he just had this "stunned" look on his puss when I pulled the trigger.

When I first got here I killed 13 or 14 of them with a 20 gauge before they got wise. Now I can't get within 100 yds without them diving for their holes. I gotta be sneeeaaaky now

Mark

 

[mbohuntr]

Are those ground hogs or prairie dogs? I used to take them out of my dad's hay fields, and I don't think I ever got closer than 40 yds. They're about 20+ lbs on average... young ones 10lbs. Adults about the size of a small beagle. One per hole unless it's a female with young.

 

[polo1665]

Are those ground hogs or prairie dogs? I used to take them out of my dad's hay fields, and I don't think I ever got closer than 40 yds. They're about 20+ lbs on average... young ones 10lbs. Adults about the size of a small beagle. one per hole unless it's a female with young.

I've never seen a prairie dog in ohio. They are groundhogs, sure as I'm a foot tall. They weren't harassed too much before I came. It didn't take them long to get smart though. None as big as twenty pounds though, that would be one big pig around here.

Mark