Pellet gun recommendations please!

[Wolfeh]

I have a buck who is a chunky monkey and is producing chunky monkey kits (which I don't want), and because he is such an old chunky monkey I don't feel I can wring him and be humane while doing it... So I am researching pellet guns for the job.

I found an old topic on the guns before and found this one recommended, and it is really the only gun I can find that meets the criteria of CO2 powered, pistol, and at least 495 fps. The only con is the first "most helpful" review says not to use it on animals, but I am guessing he means at a distance? As in game hunting? I also found this one which is on the pricey side and the reviews aren't that great either.

So when it comes to pellet guns, who uses what, what would you recommend?

 

[andyva]

I never weighed in on any of the previous threads on pellet guns. I am a licensed wildlife control operator and regularly dispatch animals within city limits. I have used many airguns and have settled on a sheridan blue streak in .20 cal. While the pistol you mentioned is adequate for point blank rabbit butchering, I would be concerned with the co2 canisters leaking down between uses unless you used a fresh one each time, which I would consider pricey if you butchered very often. I have found that on animals like coon or groundhog the .177 guns in the crossman 760 range are less than 100 percent effective, that is why I like the .20 caliber blue streak, it is one of the most powerful airguns available that you can control the power because it is a multi-pump pneumatic, which means I can give it five pumps for a medium coon at point blank, two pumps for a bunny or a squirrel, or the full eight pumps for something big or something a little farther away. And it is short for a rifle which makes it easier to use up close. Whatever you get, make sure that you thouroughly familiarize yourself with it, as with any gun.

 

[camanojim]

If this is a one off situation perhaps you have a friend with a .22 and you can dispatch the critter there and save a few bucks. Other wise a crossman nitro venom is rated at 1200 fps at .177cal and will do the job :mrgreen:

 

[bowbuild]

Any pellet gun that has a FPS of a thousand plus at point blank range will do it, personally I think people put too much time into thinking this out (the gun) and should be thinking about the pellet....I would use the flat nose pellet so the animal obsorbs more of the shock from the gun, again this is for point blank range.

Bowbuild

 

[akane]

1000 is way over kill. I have the nearly kids rifle from the local feedstore daisy something pump action for $40 that makes 400-800 and you don't have to pump it all the way. The 400 level will do roasters. The 800 fully pumped blows brains everywhere and makes their eye balls pop out of their heads. I've used it on full grown champagne d'argent. A huge old buck once and it went like a hot knife through butter.

I found the pointed pellets gave a faster cleaner kill. It sliced in to the brain better than the round pellets I was using. There was also less eye popping and thrashing after death. They just kind of fall over now. Maybe 1 in 10 kicks it's back legs a lot on the pointed pellets.

 

[coffeenutdesigns]

I just use my son's pellet gun. Not sure what kind it is, but it works. The first time I used it, I had a heavy stick ready to bonk the rabbit just in case I didn't do it right, but I haven't had any issues yet (knock on wood). I do pump it to maximum, just in case. I use a .177 cal hollow point hunting pellet, point blank range at the back of the skull pointed towards the nose.

 

[Truckinguy]

I just bought a Crosman 1088 .177 pistol and used it this morning on a year old doe. It worked first time. I used a pointed pellet but it shoots pellets and BB's, the BB's are rated at a faster FPS than the pellets. I also bought Crosman "Destroyer" pellets which are pointed but have a collar on them that is designed to expand, I"ll try them next time and see how they work.

Previously I used a Crosman 2200 magnum .22 rifle and it worked great until it started leaking. I"m now in the process of rebuilding it but I'll probably use the pistol to dispatch the rabbits as it's more convenient to handle.

 

[andyva]

If you have a pump up pellet rifle, always put it away with a pump in it. Keeps the gaskets from warping.

 

[coffeenutdesigns]

If you have a pump up pellet rifle, always put it away with a pump in it. Keeps the gaskets from warping.

I did not know that. Interesting.

 

[Joe n TN]

http://www.crosman.com/airguns/pistols/PC77B

I found one of these at a local store for only $57.99. I've been using it for about 9 months and never had a problem. Quick, clean kill.

Joe

 

[Lizardslaps]

I use to kill squirrels out of the trees all the time

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Daisy-Model-8 ... e/15730096

 

[akane]

Mine doesn't have a scope but is otherwise the same.

 

[NOrabeets]

Camanojim, I'm not sure if you have a Crosman Nitro Venom, but I have a .177 and it is AMAZING! I haven't culled a rabbit with it yet, but if someone is looking for a great pellet rifle this gets my highest cost/effect recommendation. I've taken doves at 50 yards (takes a few shots, but I get em) with the scope it comes with and lots of nutria rats. It's also fairly quiet for having so much power...just use heavy pellets (I use Crosman Premier Domed) to keep the fps subsonic and improve accuracy. I'm planning on using it on my rabbits with good heavy wad cutters when the time comes. Anyone considering getting one, get the wooden stock, NOT the plastic. I guess it's a little pricey (about $150) for just culling, but for that extra $ you get a great all-around pellet rifle.

 

[Wolfeh]

Hmmm... So it sounds like I shouldn't go with CO2 because of the possibility of leaking and it sounds like it is weak to begin with (as opposed to a pumpable 800 fps with the first shot) and gets weaker as you use it (though I also read to let the CO2 cartridge rest in the sun to warm up and increase pressure, and on some guns like one I posted, you can go through 2 clips and then have to change the cartridge as after that it is too weak), as opposed to pump which you decide from the beginning how weak or strong the shot is...

My only concern would be me doing the shot wrong and having to re-pump, but if I got them with a max of 800 fps, that is overkill and I'm sure even if I didn't get it in the perfect spot it would still do one heck of a job. I also like the fast kill that you mentioned Akane, I want to get to processing as fast as possible and don't like waiting for them to stop kicking.

For this reason also I don't really like the idea of a rifle still, if they moved that would suck and I guess I would have to shoot them while they're in a bin or something instead of just sticking them on a piece of plywood and shooting them like one would do with a bolt gun.

Thinking of getting this one now.

 

[coffeenutdesigns]

With .22 shot as expensive and hard to find as it is here right now, I would not waste ammo on a rabbit when a pellet gun works fine. I put my rabbits in a little wood with chicken wire cage that is maybe 24x24 with no bottom, so they can be distracted by easy access to grass. I haven't missed the shot, yet, but I always have a heavy stick or bar to whack them with just in case. Glad I haven't had to do that (knock on wood).<br /><br />__________ Fri Mar 22, 2013 7:19 am __________<br /><br />The downside to pellet gun is that you can't feed the head to your dogs if you have any, unless you want to go digging through brains to find the lead pellet.

 

[akane]

I used shelving grid panels to make a very open box I set them in so if the pellet goes through the rabbit it just ends up in the ground and when the area gets bloody I can move the pen. If you do it on plywood you may have bullets hitting it and it's going to be covered in blood which will upset the next rabbit. Sometimes when doing a bunch of rabbits they get jumpy from the sounds and smells and I've had some bounce right back out of my 14" high box as I set them down. They usually then freeze because they've never been outside and have no idea what to do in the grass so I've never lost one but I wouldn't do it without some type of pen.

I have done over 250 rabbits with my cheap pellet rifle. I know because I had to buy another cannister of 250 pellets. I have had 1 mistake that required a 2nd shot so I quit worrying about how fast I could pump it back up for a 2nd shot even though I've done it a few times just in case. I also always discharge it completely, have never done maintenance on it and it's still working just fine. No loss of pressure. Not bad for a $30-$40 gun. There's really no reason to go all out and get something expensive.

 

[Lastfling]

Camanojim, I'm not sure if you have a Crosman Nitro Venom, but I have a .177 and it is AMAZING! I haven't culled a rabbit with it yet, but if someone is looking for a great pellet rifle this gets my highest cost/effect recommendation. I've taken doves at 50 yards (takes a few shots, but I get em) with the scope it comes with and lots of nutria rats. It's also fairly quiet for having so much power...just use heavy pellets (I use Crosman Premier Domed) to keep the fps subsonic and improve accuracy. I'm planning on using it on my rabbits with good heavy wad cutters when the time comes. Anyone considering getting one, get the wooden stock, NOT the plastic. I guess it's a little pricey (about $150) for just culling, but for that extra $ you get a great all-around pellet rifle.

I've got one with plastic stock, but, I only paid 99 at wally world. For the price , it does shoot amazingly accurate out of the box once you get the scope dialed in, and packs a punch. 1200FPS or so.

 

[NOrabeets]

Lastfling, I actually had the plastic stock Nitro Venom and it broke the 3rd time I cracked the barrel. Lots of other people had the same problem (factory misalignment of the front grip causing it to break the plastic), but that may have been a bad batch and corrected. Amazon took the plastic one back and I had my wood one within a week...love it.

 

[Lastfling]

Lastfling, I actually had the plastic stock Nitro Venom and it broke the 3rd time I cracked the barrel. Lots of other people had the same problem (factory misalignment of the front grip causing it to break the plastic), but that may have been a bad batch and corrected. Amazon took the plastic one back and I had my wood one within a week...love it.

Interesting, that's good to know. Thanks. So far, so good with mine. I've fired a hundred or so rounds through it. Keeping my fingers crossed. At the time I bought it, there wasn't a choice - either the plastic way or the highway.