Shooting - Pellet guns, BBs etc....

[Cptn. Awesome]

Does anyone here go shooting for pest control purposes etc..

I thought about it and have googled and the subject itself seems interesting and could potentially be something I might like to take up as an activity on the occasional weekend or during holidays.

I'd be particularly interested in info on guns not requiring licenses and peoples experiences.
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Rides - '60 Plate Ford Fiesta Zetec 1.25, '03 Plate Kawasaki ZX6R B1H and an '87 VFR400 NC24

Naughty Fawbish: "An eagle is but an eagle until the suns flare blinds his prey." - Fawbish, 2010.

[MarJay]

[Handsome]

[defblade]

You may have trouble finding a shoot that doesn't already have someone on it!

Make sure you can hit a 2p at all ranges in any wind conditions before you start, and take out insurance (details in all the airgun mags).

You'll be looking at air rifles with upto 12ftlbs (the legal limit for non-FAC... don't be tempted to "tune-up" as you're then looking at prison) - a tidy spring gun will be £200-400ish, PCP probably double that in set-up costs. www.airgunbbs.com is the place to be.
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Honda Varadero 125cc => Suzuki Bandit 650 33bhp => 77bhp =>
BMW K1200R Sport 163bhp => Aprilia Shiver GT 750 95bhp

[Cptn. Awesome]

[SlimRick]

[Mark65]

Hi
I use to shoot quite a lot with air rifles, from springers to pre charged and had a few farms to shoot on. The money i spent on new rifles would prolly buy me a new hornet lol, any ways if you fancy trying it out join a local air gun club they are very friendly nd the lads an lasses will let you try their rifles and see if its for you first.
I would recommend a HW95 springer with a 4x32 or 6x40 scope for a first rifle and if you dont like the sport it will sell very easily, it is capable of 1/2 groups at 35-40 yards and very easy to tune (by tune i mean make it smoother not more powerfull), trust me a smooth rifle is more accurate than a spring bound weapon. They all have plus points and bad points, precharged-easy to shoot with nil recoil but very expensive as you need pumps or charging gear, also they can be prone to not working from leaks and or grit getting in them plu the dangers of putting 3200 psi in them. Springers are a but harder to shoot accuratly but are more satisfying and are self contained just the rifle and pellets.Dont believe sily stories of people that say i killed a fox at 120 yards with my air rifle, i have taken a rabbit at 57 yards with my old daystate huntsman m2 in .177, now calibre is another area of argument lol,.177 flys flatter over the same distance so your hold over and hold under are less but at close range they can pass through a bunny easily, for close range i used a 9.5 grain flathead pellet. You can target shoot or hunt, target shooting can be fun and there are 2 main types but if you hunt animals please be aware its alive and dispatch it quickly and humanly, dont shoot further than you can put 10 pellets in the same 1inch hole, practice and practice.
Airgun bbs Airgun forum are good places to join, be aware that if you buy second hand be very carefull look to see if a nob has been abusing the rife they can be dangorous, you can loose a finger very easily on a underlever or break barrel.
Any way join a club and some forums and read as much as you can.

Mark
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07 Yamaha YBR125, 07 Honda CG125 , 15 CBR300R (Chocolate Crank, Deaded), 16 CB500FA, 19 Honda Forza 300, 70 Suzuki SV650

[Cptn. Awesome]

[Mark65]

There known as the comics, NO, great to look at in newsagents but every rifle they review is fantastic even the shit ones as the manufacturors pay for the advertising space so just browse through them, if you join airgun bbs and ask where your nearest club is to where you live that will be better, you will learn more from a club with experience from its members, it can be hard to get land to shoot on depending where you are, it took me 3-4 weeks of knoking on farmers doors, however if you do that dress smart, its all about how you look an act, remember a farm is where people and animals are. If you need any advice let me know i can share my limited knowledge with you. I was thinking of a new 95 myself to plink with at rivi rifles club, i still have a POK spring and venom piston seal for one, just need some delrin guides running up for one hmmm...

Mark

Mark
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07 Yamaha YBR125, 07 Honda CG125 , 15 CBR300R (Chocolate Crank, Deaded), 16 CB500FA, 19 Honda Forza 300, 70 Suzuki SV650

[cyberglass]

I used to shoot rabits on the local farms before the farmer retiered and sold the land for housing estates.

As said its better to join a club and as many forums as you can manage if you want to shoot farms. Its not as easy as just knocking on the farmers door and him saying yes as they usualy have there regulars who there loyal to.
Took us a while to get the shoot after the prev guys who shot the land rarely turned up.
Getting the shoot was just luck really we sent well over 50 letters to farmers all over the west lancs area all for permision to shoot the land all rejected. This one was found through a pub conversation.

If you deceide to go in person its best to turn up smart so you dont look like a scally whos gonna declare war on anything that moves. Its also good to have some DECENT KIT a sub £200 springer is just no good your gonna need a silenced precharge rifle and a good scope. Take your kit with you to show trhe land owner try to know the names of everything. It shows youve put a lot of thought and cash into it and you havent just bought the first gun you saw on the shelf and a tin of pellets to go crazy with.

Also as said dont even attempt to shoot live targets unless you can hit a 2p in pretty much all conditions shooting cans at 30+ yards is easy hitting the head of a target thats going to react at the slightest sound is a whole new ball game.



Google the pigeonwatchforum and have a look on there for some good tips for starting out and how to stay on the right side of the law. You really dont want to have the police called on you. Years ago it wasnt to bad but nowadays as soon as gun is mentioned armed responce is sent out and you end up looking down the barrel of a mp5. Not fun.

If you do get some land get a written permision letter and always keep it with you on your shoot.
Once had some old woman appear from nowhere see us and then delibrately walk her dogs straight across our shooting line. We put the guns on safe and aproached her and she gave us loads told us she was gonna sue us for trespass with a loaded weapon and all sorts of crap. She then called the police on her mobile.
Really took the smile off her face when we in turn showed her the permision slip gave the farmer a ring and then informed her that she was actually the one guilty of trespass and basicly had phoned the police on herself. Cue the farmer and police showing up at the same time and the daft old bint being given a stern warning to stay off the land with her dogs and then being escorted off by the police.
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DL650 Vstrom 2004
DRZ400S 2003
Yamaha R1 2005

[Hazylogic]

aye it's a bit of a sunt trying to get somewhere to shoot. Like most things, it's about who you know.

Shooting paper targets is okay for five minutes but it gets fking dull, real quick. Remember that when your spending 200 quid on something that is more than likely just going to sit there looking pretty.

When I was a scout-sniper in the cubs our motto was 'slow is sure, sure is fast.'