What gun is best for pest control?

Question

My sister has just moved on to a farm with her fiancee in Devon, UK. She has asked me to help out with pest control as they have seeds to be planting as well as chickens, and I have always been keen on target shooting (.22 only).

Bearing this in mind, which gun should I go for- a .22 air rifle, so I don't have to worry about licensing, a .22 rifle, so I'd have to get a firearms license, or a small-bore shotgun (shotgun license).

I imagine my main targets would be crows, foxes and maybe rabbits? Any advice? Thanks!

PS, whilst I was of average merit at target shooting I've never shot outdoors or over 25 yards- keep this in mind with humane kills/ accuracy!

Thanks

By the way, they don't plan to plant the chickens!

Answer 1

If I were you, I would go ahead and get a .22 rifle, or a .22 mag if possible. You can humanely kill crows and rabbits up to 75 yards with decent ammunition (use quality high-velocity stuff -- it'll work best for that application). For foxes with a .22, I would keep it under 50 yards, and that's even stretching it. Again, use good quality ammo. Almost any good .22 can keep 10 shots under 2 inches at 75 yards, and many will do better. Try a bunch of different types of ammo, and see what shoots best for your gun. A .22 magnum will do better with both range and, therefore, accuracy at given ranges, but it's a little more expensive to buy and shoot. Get a really good scope if you want to, but you won't have to if you've already been target shooting without. Anything under 100 yards should easily be feasible for you. .22's are quiet, really accurate, cheap, fun, and they'll do the best "precision" work for pest management -- humane kills with no collateral damage.

ps. Have fun with it. You must like to shoot, so take advantage of it. And if you buy "cb" ammo, you should be able to practice shooting indoors. It's subsonic, and remains that way in a long enough barrel (over 16 inches), and is therefore very quiet. Hopefully, this helps.

Answer 2

Id go with the shotgun if you can find slugs for foxes. You can get shot to kill crows and rabbits. IF cant get some slugs or shot big enough, id go with the .22 rifle, but it might not kill the foxes. A .22 air rifle will only kill rabbits and crows, so id throw that one out right there. A shotgun is more of a multi-purpose gun, ad will kill everything, if you have the right ammo. I understnd that in the UK you cannot buy shot under number 6, and that is all you need for rabbit and crows. For foxes, get slugs, or if you can get ahold of a lower shot number like 0, that will destroy them. I dont know about the slugs in the UK though, so if not, then i dont know.

Answer 3

First of all i envy you, what more can you ask for you have a farm in the family, and that means land to shoot on.
I think with this in minde its time to accuier the appropriet licences and educate your self on the ins and outs of shooting with shootguns and firearms .
Its quite easy if you aproach it from the right way, and that would be to visit and join your local clayshooting club.
The advantage to this is there are people there who will be more than happy to give you some great advice ie which gun to go for, cartridges to use ect, and how to create and inprove your shooting technique , whats more it will help you ounce you apply to your local constabulary for your licence, already having the land to shoot on is an added bounus.
If you decide you wish to acuier your firearms certificate then go about it the same way, joine a local rifle club.
To apply for your shotgun, firearms or even both, contact your local constabulary and ask them to send you the appropriat forms,,, grant or renewal of a shotgun (firearms) certificate.
I wish you the very best of luck in your
persuit.
If i can be of any more help pleas e mail me

Answer 4

your air rifle should be good for rabbits and crows,

as for the foxes, i think you'd be better off setting up snares, or ask a fellow farmer who in the area does the fox control. that's if you don't plan to get a firearms licence.

If you do decide to get a firearm in the future, i recommend a .222 centrefire....very accurrate upto 300 yards!! (read up on it)

p.s. you are required by LAW to check the snares every 24 hours, but i reckon every 12 hours is a better guideline.

Answer 5

try 22 or 177 air arms 200 s no licence but can be bumped up 17 jule with f/arms licence a very acurate consistent gun .get a gun light that has a red light lots of creatures cannot see it well. it is a gas up not a spring .also millidot gunsite with lighted reticle .not so good for foxes unless your bumped up.i use 12 bore with s/g cartrige.for only troublesome foxes.410 for a back up with rabbit at close range also fitted with my gunlight .

Answer 6

Just an air rifle will be fine,for crows but foxes and rabbits you will definitely need a legal shotgun.

Answer 7

for shooting rabbits and crows, you can use either a .177 or .22. the .22 has more power to it but the .177 is more accurate.

i use a bsa lightning .177 with a 3.8-12 x 44 simmons scope. i can kill rabbits pigeons and crows with that thing easily.

if you have the room, get a .22 rifle licence. id love one of them but i dont think our 12 acres is enough land and the neighbours are quite close.

Answer 8

If you can get a license for an air rifle, might as well go for something that can kill an animal in one shot, even if you don't hit the brain or heart. http://www.webley.co.uk/products.asp?P_ID=150
This is a cheaper one...
http://www.gamo.com/?ID=53&CategoryID=2
These .25 caliber springers will probably give you a kill if you hit the animal just about anywhere. They don't deserve to die a slow death suffering, because you are a lousy shot.

Answer 9

a .223 for far away grounded pests or a 20 to 12 gauge for the crows or moving targets

Answer 10

General Electric Mingun, with a rate of fire of around 5000 rounds per minute you’ll get the pests quickly and humanely.
However failing that go for a high-powered air-rifle, a license for a .22 is easy enough to get.