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Budget Air Rifle for Cottontail

How close can you get to the rabbit? You're not going to get a super quick second shot, but I have killed quite a pile of the little guys with only a Crossman 760 pump rifle and 1377 pump pistol. The RWS superpoint pellet works very well for the task as long as you keep ranges very sensible.
 
I grew up near you in Lewiston. The local law may wink at using air rifles responsibly to protect your castle from pesky wabbits, but may not be so permissive about discharge of firearms within the city. Given WSU and a large percentage of students and professors in your town, I would be leery of a nervous or vindictive (anti-gun, anti-hunting) neighbor calling the cops if they see or hear you shooting. While I agree that a 22 CB would be quieter than a high-power air rifle, and feel a 40-gr bullet traveling 700-900 fps would put down a rabbit better than a .177 pellet at 1000-1200 fps, I'd be very leery of breaking out the firearm in a college town.

Who lives around your property, and do you have a good relationship with your neighbors?
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Can you shoot it from inside the house? Is shooting a bow in your yard legal or an option? Live traps catch more than the intended target even when specific bait is used ( skunk ). How about making a snare, maybe your most cost-effective option.

Regards
Rick
 
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Why not live trap it, kill it, eat it. I live trapped a possum that was digging up my yard. Didn't eat it. Put it in the trash. --Jerry
 
brians356 said:
While I agree that a 22 CB would be quieter than a high-power air rifle, and feel a 40-gr bullet traveling 700-900 fps would put down a rabbit better than a .177 pellet at 1000-1200 fps, I'd be very leery of breaking out the firearm ...
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Not to get off-track, but a good air rifle is equipped with an integral suppressor and is much quieter than anything propelled by gunpowder. 55gr at 900fps is quiet as a hand clap and sleeps a rabbit with great ease.

David
 
dgeesaman said:
Not to get off-track, but a good air rifle is equipped with an integral suppressor and is much quieter than anything propelled by gunpowder. 55gr at 900fps is quiet as a hand clap
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A 55gr pellet? The .177 match diabolos I shoot weigh 8 grs. ????

I haven't looked at new air rifles since the '80s, but back then there were no integral suppressors in the common meaning, only enlarged protruding shrouds (no baffles) which as Beeman described them were really extensions for additional cocking leverage on "magnum" springers. And for a cool look. But I suppose they provided some muffling of sound.
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brians356 said:
I grew up near you in Lewiston. The local law may wink at using air rifles responsibly to protect your castle from pesky wabbits, but may not be so permissive about discharge of firearms within the city. Given WSU and a large percentage of students and professors in your town, I would be leery of a nervous or vindictive (anti-gun, anti-hunting) neighbor calling the cops if they see or hear you shooting. While I agree that a 22 CB would be quieter than a high-power air rifle, and feel a 40-gr bullet traveling 700-900 fps would put down a rabbit better than a .177 pellet at 1000-1200 fps, I'd be very leery of breaking out the firearm in a college town.

Who lives around your property, and do you have a good relationship with your neighbors?
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Pullman is an odd place. Inside city limits, the population is mostly liberal, though you would be surprised how many scientists and professors are shooters. Step outside city limits into farm country, and the farmers don't even give gunshots a second thought. Damn coyotes.

My neighborhood consists of mostly of young families. I wouldn't take a shot unless I already had permission from the police department, and if it was safe to do so. Fortunately, my back yard is a very steep bank. The foundation of that neighbor's house sits at least 30 feet above mine, giving me a large safe zone. If high-power air rifles are indeed as loud as a 22 CB, then they are both too loud. A friend has a .22 air rifle that is quiet and still easily takes out varmints. That's more along the lines of what I'm looking for.
 
clunker said:
Pullman is an odd place. Inside city limits, the population is mostly liberal, though you would be surprised how many scientists and professors are shooters. Step outside city limits into farm country, and the farmers don't even give gunshots a second thought. Damn coyotes.

My neighborhood consists of mostly of young families. I wouldn't take a shot unless I already had permission from the police department, and if it was safe to do so. Fortunately, my back yard is a very steep bank. The foundation of that neighbor's house sits at least 30 feet above mine, giving me a large safe zone. If high-power air rifles are indeed as loud as a 22 CB, then they are both too loud. A friend has a .22 air rifle that is quiet and still easily takes out varmints. That's more along the lines of what I'm looking for.
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The police are never going to grant you permission to shoot in that situation! They'd tell you your only option is to trap and transport the rabbit, I'll wager.

I once had a family of feral cats in my yard. In trapping them I inadvertently caught a racoon. Rather than kill it or transport it, I called Animal Control about it. They said flatly "Just release it." They consider racoons, rabbits, and squirrels natural residents of the cityscape and don't want people waging war on them. Just food for thought. Your local officials may have a more old-school attitude.
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clunker said:
I have a pesky rabbit that simply will not stay off my property. So far, it has killed one of my apple trees, reduced my burning bush to a stump, and now is the likely culprit of my dog's illness. My girl simply cannot resist the allure of rabbit poo, and I'm convinced it is the reason she keeps getting sick. I can deal with losing some plants, but you mess with my dog, and all bets are off.

If I lived outside city limits with some acreage, I could easily pick that bastard off at 300 yards with my .223. Unfortunately, I live in a densely populated neighborhood within city limits. You aren't supposed to shoot air rifles here either, but the police chief has given special permission in certain circumstances, and I think I have a pretty good case. The only other option is a live trap, but then I have to haul the varmint out to public lands (more than an hour drive), so I can let it go and then shoot it.

I'm looking for an air rifle in the $200 range. I don't expect to miss on the first shot, but it would be nice to have the ability to fire a second shot quickly. I don't expect to take a shot that is more than 60 feet from my back door, but accuracy is always a plus. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
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I shot a couple of rabbits in my yard with a Crossman pellet gun. I took the lawn mower out of the garage and started it for a noise distraction. The rabbit was about 50 ft. from the lawnmower and it didn't scare it.
 
brians356 said:
A 55gr pellet? The .177 match diabolos I shoot weigh 8 grs. ????

I haven't looked at new air rifles since the '80s, but back then there were no integral suppressors in the common meaning, only enlarged protruding shrouds (no baffles) which as Beeman described them were really extensions for additional cocking leverage on "magnum" springers. And for a cool look. But I suppose they provided some muffling of sound.
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Well the 55gr is a .30 Caliber, and at 900fps it produces almost 80 ft-lb. (I’m going off memory from the tuners notes).

Side fact: the worlds premier PCP airgun tuner currently lives near Worley Idaho. He’s not “in town”. :)

On the subject of noise, springer noise is partly mechanical, partly muzzle report. I have a Diana 34 that is tuned (mechanically quieter than before) and wears a cheap muzzle brake that happens to be hollow. I intended to install it as far up the barrel as I could but it got jammed on the remaining front sight dovetail and so it adds a few inches. The result is a great cocking handle plus it takes some bark out of the report. It doesn’t even sound like it emits a projectile.

Anyway the noise element is subjective.

David
 
Maybe 8 years ago I bought a Beeman Sportsman RS2 break-open air rifle. It came with two barrels - 22 and .17. Paid $99 at the local Walmart.

Now I can and do shoot literally any gun on my place but there are houses near, most of which have owners that also shoot. Only thing is we shoot into a backstop of some sorts and not randomly at "things". I always feared using a rimfire at something that might not have a backstop and could skip off into a horse, house or people out there. The 11 gr. 177 pellet has been the trick. My 22 barrel works but just did not seem to be as accurate as the 17.

Now it will bark a little right after you oil the spring and plunger. After oiling I shoot maybe 5-10 shots into the backstop and then it sure quiets down. The darn thing has killed maybe 40 or more squirrels and a few other assorted critters. I often sit on the back porch and plink at a metal spinner target for trigger time. For a while I put an old TAsco variable on it but for some reason I transferred that to an old 22 I gave a grandkid and now just use the cheap 4X scope that came with it. It has been all you could want for eliminating pests.

My kills on those squirrels have ranged out to 60 yards and killed the darn things. Now I don't always hit or make clean kills out there but it has worked. My deadly range is a solid 30 yards. Squirrels that have mistakenly allowed me to get them on a house gutter or downspout have been shot through at 10 yards or less. The thing is not a toy joke to all I have killed with it.
 
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I just recently bought a Gamo Whisper Fusion to try and clear out some red squirrels that keep getting into my old barn. I was kind of disappointed with its accuracy. I guess after shooting short range bench rest with guns that are capable of teen aggs, it's not surprising.
It will shoot about 1" at 15yds. Also it is not "quiet " either. Not nearly as loud as my 12ga but it still could surely be confused with a rifle by the wrong person.
I would start with a live trap. The critter doesn't have to leave the scene live though.

Joe
 
My first thought was “crossbow” but then I checked prices online. Wow, those items aint cheap! Shows how much I know about stick-and-string weapons.
 
One thing to keep in mind is when you kill that rabbit, you got a dead rabbit.
I used to shoot squirrels by the truck load inside city limits.. neighbors were cool about it as long as I picked em up.
I haven’t lived there in 12 years now but I have used the leaf blower trick to cover some noise from my pcp. Before I talked with the neighbors.
 
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