i need a gun!

[Spiderman]

Ok so its an airgun of course and i dont want anything too powerful. As odd as that may sound, its for the squirrels in my back garden and i dont want to kill the stupid little things, just sting them enough to make em run.

Currently the super soaker type water pistol thingy only irritates them for a second or 2, and they sit on the back fence just out of range of it till i go away and then they are back in eating all the bird food and chasing the little birdies away.

I prefer birds to rats with fluffy tails, so all your airsoft peeps and general gun loving nutters - tell me what i should be looking at please :)

Remember - i DONT want dead squirrels messing up my garden, just want to give them a slap!

[Geodude]

Have you looked at squirrel proof feeders like this one (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GARDMAN-GUARANTEED-SQUIRREL-PROOF-WILD-BIRD-NUT-FEEDER-/170704574385?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Garden_Plants_Bird_ Bath_Feeder_CV&hash=item27bec917b1) or these (http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313&_nkw=squirrel+proof+bird+feeders&_sacat=0&_from=R40) even if they dont work that well its fun watching how they figure out how to get into them HTH




ps nice to see you posting again, ive missed you ;)

[yorkie_chris]

You will injure a squirrel if you shoot it with an airsoft gun, if you get it in the eye or something probably seriously.

Get a proper airgun and kill them properly and humanely.


Or look into other means, traps maybe, maybe dosing the bird seed with some chillis? I think birds are immune to it but mammals not but look into it. Or try something irritant in the super soaker.

[jchu1988]

If you intend to shoot the squirrel and not kill it, i.e. causing distress and harm to the animal, you will be in breach of the relevant animal cruelty laws.

However, if you kill the squirrels humanely, then all is above board, provided you do not "discharge a firearm, including an airgun, within 50 feet of the centre of any highway".

By the way, airsoft rifles are split into two groups, realistic imitation firearms (RIF) and imitation firearms (IF). The difference between the two are that one looks like an actual firearm (RIF) whereas the other (IF) is half painted in a different colour (fluorescent green, pink, blue, orange etc). You should not be able to get an RIF unless you can proof you are a skirmisher (ie participates at an airsoft site at least 3 times within 6 months(?)).

To sum up, shooting squirrels with airgun, airsoft or otherwise is not a good idea and you should probably use a squirrel-proof feeder.

[yorkie_chris]

To sum up, shooting squirrels with airgun, airsoft or otherwise is not a good idea

Why not?

The tree rat is an invasive species, a pest and completely legal airgun quarry. I've been shooting them for years perfectly legally.

[grimey121uk]

There's a pair of ravens that keep attacking the wipers on our car plus all the other neighbours cars for the past 3 months or so on a daily basis. If I were fortunate enough to live out in the sticks the little b'stards would have have 32grams of bird shot in their face!

[carelesschucca]

Remember - i DONT want dead squirrels messing up my garden, just want to give them a slap!

Kill them! The guy that lives next to my olds used to catch them, then take them about 5 miles down the road and release them. Somehow someone in the council found out about it and he got grief for it. The council actually said it was illegal to catch them and set them free, they are classed as vermin and should be destroyed...

He's still fighting the loosing battle with the little Feckers but he's now bumping them off!!!

[acting_strange]

You can eat them when you kill them....put them in a pie with some rabbit etc....mmmmmmmm

[Geodude]

Dont waste them if you do pop the odd few as they dont taste to bad, bit like duck ;) plenty recipes online (example) http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/sauted_squirrel_20328 :)

[Bluepete]

Either shot to kill, or ignore and enjoy the sight of them. As others say, squirrel proof feeders are ok, but you must change them every so often, or they'll learn how to get in.

As for catch and release, grey squirrels are not indigenous and it's an offence to release one back into the wild, even if you catch it by accident.

My opinion? Ask around, find a local Airgun club and ask for help. I'm off shooting tree rats next weekend for a friends auntie who is over-run with the feckers. I'll be cooking them for our tea as well. It's only right.

Pete ;)

[jchu1988]

Why not?

The tree rat is an invasive species, a pest and completely legal airgun quarry. I've been shooting them for years perfectly legally.

As the OP has said he didn't want dead squirrels, shooting them using an air rifle might not yield the desired result.

[Littlepeahead]

Get a cat. My sister has a kitten needing a home.

Squirrel proof feeders are great entertainment. Angry squirrel glaring at you while shaking the feeder in frustration.

[Richie]

got a spare couple of boxes kicking about that I could do with out :0)

http://cdn.inquisitr.com/wp-content/2012/01/C4-Explosives.gif




ps, (I am only joking)

[monkey]

If you put chilli powder in with your bird seed it will stop them eating it. Birds apparently have so few taste buds that they won't even register the chilli powder.

Job jobbed.

[chezvegas85]

another + for the chilli powder. The whole reason chillies contain capsicum is to stop mammals eating them. Birds disperse the seeds further

[punyXpress]

Kill them!
Somehow someone in the council found out about it and he got grief for it.
He's still fighting the loosing battle with the little Feckers but he's now bumping them off!!!

Now THAT'S the way to deal with those jobsworths!

[Sudoxe]

So, let me get this straight. An Iranian man with a back garden visible from a train line wants to buy a (legal) gun to shoot things in his garden.

Nope, I can't see any issues with that! Commuters and SO19 may not be as open minded though. ;)

Good luck, it's been nice knowing you.
Dan

[Biker Biggles]

Get a cat. My sister has a kitten needing a home.

Squirrel proof feeders are great entertainment. Angry squirrel glaring at you while shaking the feeder in frustration.
The cat will kill the birds so thats no good.Get a dog.:D

[-Ralph-]

Get yourself a decent 12ft lbs airgun with a hunting scope (muzzle velocity 722 feet per second if a. 22, or 1000 fps if a. 177).

Practice target shooting in your garden at the same range as you expect to need to shoot the squirrels until you have your scope zero'd at that range (or go to a gun club to do it) and you can shoot the bullseye on the target time after time. I'm at that stage myself having recently become a born again airgunner, and just print my own targets, happy to send you the target as a PDF for you to print.

Now you're ready to take the squirrels out with a clean kill shot to the head.

They are not difficult to dispose of, sealed in a plastic bag and in your wheelie bin if you dont want to cook them.

I dont mind killing animals but I hate animal cruelty (and its illegal). Buying any type of gun accurate enough to hit them, will have to have a high enough muzzle velocity to injure them.

Sent from my Galaxy S3 using Tapatalk

[-Ralph-]

As the OP has said he didn't want dead squirrels, shooting them using an air rifle might not yield the desired result.

You said it wasn't a good idea, not that it wasn't the desired result for the OP.

Shoot to kill, discorage using the bird feeding methods suggested, or ignore them are the only 3 real options.

Sent from my Galaxy S3 using Tapatalk

[yorkie_chris]

# I'll be cooking them for our tea as well.

Be interested to know how you get on and what recipe, I tried eating one before and it wasn't particularly good eating.

[yorkie_chris]

So, let me get this straight. An Iranian man with a back garden visible from a train line wants to buy a (legal) gun to shoot things in his garden.

Nope, I can't see any issues with that! Commuters and SO19 may not be as open minded though. ;)

Good luck, it's been nice knowing you.
Dan

To be fair he didn't say that about the location.

And he's just as likely to have that problem with an airsoft gun (which is not legal for this purpose)



So long as you're >50 feet off the centre of any highway and the shots fired remain within your boundaries you are legal.

[metalmonkey]

got a spare couple of boxes kicking about that I could do with out :0)

http://cdn.inquisitr.com/wp-content/2012/01/C4-Explosives.gif




ps, (I am only joking)

Do you think you could make exploding peanuts? Blow a few of them up, perhaps the rest won't come back:smt017

[Spiderman]

Hmmm, a lot of interesting thoughts here peeps, thanks for all the advice.

its been years since i owned an air rifle so the only legal aspect i knew of was the 50 feet from a highway, which i am. I didnt know about those RIF and IF though, thats all very new to me. I dont think the squirrels give a damn what i shoot them with tho, the bright green/red/yellow super soaker doesnt seem to offend their sense of style - or make them run very far.

Now the idea of an irritant in the water makes sense to me YC, i've tried random things from the cupboard like vinegar and soy sauce but again they seem to have a very short lasting effect sadly.

The chilli idea - i heard this on the telly the other day too so the lovely BBC went out and tried it but i think her choice of Cayene Pepper was a bit off the mark and annoyingly if its windy or rainy it gets washed and blown off anyway.

Im not a fan of killing things tho, this is the whole rub for me. I'd have no issue killing something if i actually needed to eat it but i dont need to eat a squirrel, there is a tesco just up the road and i aint that broke!
Geez we get lots of fat healthy wood pigeons in the garden and i have eaten pigeon before and enjoyed it yet i dont go out killing them either, its just now my way man. Im too much of an old hippie to kill something for no real reason you see, its bad karma man.

I wasnt aware either that if i only sting them it could be viewed as s cruelty thing, is it really causing them harm and distress? In that case why cant I get protection from the squiggles as they are causing me me harm (financially) and distress (emotionally)? I cant see it happening, can you? So why the hell do those laws cover vermin? Domestic aminals, fine, great law, no one wants to have "good" animals being harmed and distressed for some sicko's pleasure - but vermin? Weird law i think.

Eating wise tho - if squigggles are like duck then why the hell do we kill beautiful ducks and not the vermicious squiggles? Is it cos there is so little meat on the little buggers or do they just taste a bit dull? I guess i wont know till i eat one. Fascinating to see the recipe on the BBC website, i was expecting some survivalist website tbh, lol.

Sudoxe - hahahahaha!!! Spot on sir! after my various run ins with armed cops im fully aware of NEVER giving them a reason to want to shoot me. The snipers on the US embassy worried me the most, trust me, taking your lid off and standing there with a balaclava on when its dark is a really good way to get the roused and cocked and locked! i swear i could feel their crosshairs on my head the whole time.

This is where i live... http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp17/SpidermanSV/OurHouse2.jpg

The wasteland over the carpark at the back means and stray shots are safe as i will only be aiming along the length of the garden. However, is my road classed as a highway or would tat be the main road at the bottom of the pic?

Thank you again for all the informative stuff, i dont want to get nicked or shot, individually or at the same time if some of Bluepetes mates show up, so its good to know how to avoid both those things.

I do have squirrel proof feeders, the cage type ones and the long perspex tube ones too, however the squirrels actively chase the birds away so they can have a go and they sit on the fence very frustrated and then just chase away any birds that come into the garden. From Robert our resident Robin and his sister Roberta, to fat pigeons and even the tits! And as Richie knows - i like tits i do! :)

[metalmonkey]

Was only joking about exploding nuts!

After having the dam things in a house once, we had trap in the loft with bait. The landlord in the end took away and let go. They have really sharp teeth and claws and actually snarl, so catching them isn't a great idea!

I solved the problem by cutting down the trees over hanging the house, this won't work for you. I haven't tried any of these, maybe some of the things in the link below might be useful. With any luck, you will get rid of them.

http://www.primrose.co.uk/pest-control-squirrel-deterrents-c-24_26.html?source=googleads&gclid=CMXc_MfDtbMCFSHHtAodHyEAzg

[-Ralph-]

The road will be classed as a highway, so long as its adopted and maintained by the council.

Animals and birds dont deserve pain because they are classed as vermin.

Grey squirrels are a non native species that have almost killed off the reds with squirrel pox, spread disease, have no effective natiral predators, do loads of damage to trees, eat acorns unlike reds, so they are impacting on Oak tree numbers, breed like wildfire, etc, etc. You dont need to be eating them to have a good reason to kill them, it is pest control, no different to laying a mouse or rat trap.

Get the feral pigeons too while your it. Vermin with very horrible and healh hazardous poo.

Sent from my Galaxy S3 using Tapatalk

[monkey]

How about firing something to the top of the fence so the blighters can't walk on it or sit on it?

[carelesschucca]

Get the feral pigeons too while your it. Vermin with very horrible and healh hazardous poo.

This thread and Colin's post make me think of this Tom Lehrer classic!

QNA9rQcMq00

[steve.w]

[QUOTE=-Ralph-;2793552]Get yourself a decent 12ft lbs airgun with a hunting scope (muzzle velocity 722 feet per second if a. 22, or 1000 fps if a. 177).

With due respect Ralph just check those recommended muzzle velocities. A mid weight .177 pellet traveling over 800 fps will probably be very close in not over the 12fltb limit, and a heavy pellet in the same cal will be over at around 715 fps. Not looking to be pendantic just have to be very careful regards the legal power output on sub 12fltb air rifles.:)
All the best
Steve

[carelesschucca]

Ralph doesn't know the meaning of being pedantic. You'll need to explain what it means to him ;-)

[punyXpress]

He told me off for being it in Bri's thread!

[Bluepete]

Ralph doesn't know the meaning of being pedantic. You'll need to explain what it means to him ;-)

And you won't get the explanation correct either...

Pete ;)

[-Ralph-]

It does of course depend on the pellet you are firing and its up to the individual to get tested and ensure they stay legal with the pellet they are buying. A number of different gun manufacturers quote the FPS figures I have used for the pellet they recommend in thier non FAC legal air rifles. I think its now not possible to buy pellets made of lead, and I wonder whether that has lightened the average pellet somewhat?

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[-Ralph-]

The rest of you p*** off.

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[yorkie_chris]

It does of course depend on the pellet you are firing and its up to the individual to get tested and ensure they stay legal with the pellet they are buying. A number of different gun manufacturers quote the FPS figures I have used for the pellet they recommend in thier non FAC legal air rifles. I think its now not possible to buy pellets made of lead, and I wonder whether that has lightened the average pellet somewhat?

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

No if you get nicked with it and they test it they will use a selection of pellets... not just whatever you had on you.

At my local gun club we test air rifles with a few types of pellet to make sure then everyone is as happy as they can be they're not carrying a section 1 firearm around.

[-Ralph-]

Would you be happy that a reputable manfacturer selling a 12ft lbs legal gun will still be legal firing a selection of pellets?

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[-Ralph-]

Would you be happy that a reputable manufacturer selling a 12ft lbs legal gun will still be legal firing a selection of pellets?

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

For instance

http://www.weihrauch-sport.de/seiten/englisch/weitschussluftgewehre/e_weitschussluftgewehre.html#Technische Daten 2

Manufacturer quotes .22 at 230 m/s, which is 754fps, or .177 at 290m, which is 951 fps.

Sold as a 12ft lbs legal rifle, and described by this place as 722 and 1000 fps.

http://www.wonderlandmodels.com/products/weihrauch-hw97k-thumbhole-air-rifle/?utm_source=Froogle&utm_medium=PriceComparison&utm_campaign=GoogleShopping

If those FPS figures could land me with an illegal gun please tell me.

[steve.w]

Would you be happy that a reputable manfacturer selling a 12ft lbs legal gun will still be legal firing a selection of pellets?

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In a word no, we have had a few new rifles go over 12ftlb at the club over the years, all with the manufacturers anti tamper still in place.
As unfair has it seems it is the responsibility of the rifles owner to be sure it is legal.
The quoted fps values of the rifles would see them over the limit are you sure they are for the Uk market.
Hawke chair gun coupled with a chrono is a fantastic tool to work out trajectory and pbr equally of use to both hunter and target shooter alike.
ATB Steve

[steve.w]

Just had a look at the 97k surprised to see the figures quoted. I own a 97 in .177 using jsb exacts it puts out 11.2 ftlb if memory serves less than 800 fps.
Light pellets normally make the most power in springers and heavy pellets the most in pcp rifles although best to chrono with a good selection and set power to 11.5 ftlb with the most efficient.
ATB Steve

[-Ralph-]

I've seen a lot of different rifles quoted at those kind of FPS figures (including most of the Weirauch range), which is what led me to think that was correct and recommend to Spiderman. I'm using a borrowed gun at the moment, but when I buy it sounds like the first thing I'll be doing is getting down to a gun club to test it, and going straight back demanding a refund if it fires over 12ft lbs.

[steve.w]

A reputable shop will chrono a rifle before they hand it over and will have a fair idea of the pellet to use.
Sorry if what I have written before sounded preachy just wanted give you a heads up :)
A combro chrono can be bought for less than 50 quid new, coupled with chairgun and a couple of measurements it's invaluable.
For instance I have a rapid mfr running just over 11 ftlb and on 10x mag shooting biz mags the half mildots equate to 5 yard incremental distances from 30-50 yards courtesy of chairgun.
ATB Steve

[yorkie_chris]

Would you be happy that a reputable manfacturer selling a 12ft lbs legal gun will still be legal firing a selection of pellets?

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Yes.

Generally they will be maybe 11.5... maybe one pellet will shoot 11.2 maybe another 11.7... but it is risky to try and tune a gun to 11.99, as then another pellet may shoot over.

Bear in mind air rifles are bloody fussy in a way that proper rifles aren't until you start shooting to really ridiculous ranges, so the best pellet to use isn't the highest power one it's the one that groups best.

[-Ralph-]

Sorry if what I have written before sounded preachy just wanted give you a heads up :)

Not at all, I'm new to this and just want to make sure I have the right info, and Spiderman has the right info in the thread. Thanks for your input :D