Pellet guns

[Chewbacca 7787]

Are there any pellet guns worth a shit that don't cost double what my 10/22 cost?

 

I have a woodpecker problem in the mountains. Have bought and returned 3 different pellet guns because they weren't accurate for shit. They were shooting 6-8 inch groups at 50 feet. Couldn't hit a damn thing.

 

I'm in a somewhat residential area, so using the Ruger is a no go.

[fattyflattie 4638]

Been a long time, but about 25 years ago, my Sheridan was accurate at 50'.  I think @TwiceHorn is into air guns, I think. 

[markstanco 12629]

How does a woodpecker bother one so much he needs to be killed? I have one (or two maybe) that hammers trees daily.

Not being hair bun Boi by asking, just curious.

[TwiceHorn 31573]

I assume you have been getting Chinese break barrels? 

That type of airgun presents a bit of a challenge to shoot because it has a slow lock time and unusual recoil (back/forward and with torque/torsion) that occurs before the pellet leaves the barrel.  On top of that, QC is erratic so they can be hit or miss.  If you google your model and maybe "accuracy," you'll probably find some simple-ish mods to make it more accurate.

If you are used to a pretty solid hold, with say, a cheek weld, on a rifle, you want to avoid that with a spring-piston gun.  You need to support it and not much more.  Shooting off a rest is a recipe for disaster, especially if the rest has any kind of "ears" on it, like this |__|.  Such rifles need to do what they want.  Don't grip it anywhere, not the pistol grip, not the forearm, and don't jam it into your shoulder, either. 

They are also hell on optics.  If you are using a scope without a picatinny rail or some form of scope stop, it could be moving.  Or it could be disintegrating as you shoot.

Also, pellet guns are pellet sensitive and big box store pellets are mostly trash.  The Crosman "competition" pellets are decent.  Many people buy a sampler pack from an online place to find a pellet that gives decent groups.  Avoid gimmick pellets like polymer, or weird shapes, and even hollow point.

You can buy better spring piston rifles from Air Arms or Weihrauch at various places, but yeah, they're going to cost as much as a 10/22.  And you still have the problem of adapting your shooting habits to the rifle.  One of the best places to find good prices on European air rifles is https://www.krale.shop/us/sport-shooting/guns/air-rifles/  It's in Holland and you'll have to jump some minor hoops (ID, issues with CC payments in Euros), but they ship faster than most American vendors.

If you don't need much velocity, the Daisy pneumatics (multi-pumps) are amazingly good for the money, 880 and 901 are the models.  Benjamins and Crosman (same company now) can be good, but aren't as reliably good, surprisingly, as the Daisys, and tend to be more expensive.  CO2 can work, but is bad at varying temp, over 80, under about 60.

Also, this guy http://flyingdragonairrifles.org/index.php?route=product/category&path=59  sells Chinese rifles that he goes through in varying levels of detail to make sure you aren't getting hosed by common mfg errors.  He has a good rep.

 

[Chewbacca 7787]

How does a woodpecker bother one so much he needs to be killed? I have one (or two maybe) that hammers trees daily.

Not being hair bun Boi by asking, just curious.

He puts holes in my siding. Several of them.

[TwiceHorn 31573]

I missed the part where you said you had returned them.

Get the XS25 from Mike Melick at Flying Dragon.  That should suit you fine, once you adjust your shooting habits.  It's "rated" at 770 fps in .22 and that's adequate power for small pesting at under 35 yards or so.

If you need a scope, CenterPoints are decent cheapshit optics.  They're owned by Crosman and almost all of them are "airgun rated."  UTG is decent on the lower end, too.

Edited May 26, 2021 by TwiceHorn

[TwiceHorn 31573]

Addendum.  Melick probably won't let a shitty gun out of his custody even if you order "stock."  The cheap tune is a good bet, and the full tune will help with longevity and make it more pleasant to shoot all around (smoother, better trigger, less recoil and funky noise).  And you can be reasonably certain that it's a "minute of angle" rifle with the full tune.

You might find you actually like the damned thing for backyard plinking.

Edited May 26, 2021 by TwiceHorn

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

Woodpeckers are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Edited May 26, 2021 by Patricio Swayze

[TwiceHorn 31573]

Some general info.

Most "big box" break barrel airguns are Chinese, and probably come from the same or very similar factories, whether they are branded Crosman, Benjamin, Remington, Ruger, or whatever.  They can be rough, particularly the "ultra high velocity ones," that advertise any velocity over 1000 fps.  You'll be very lucky to get one that shoots.

They can be "fixed," but it's more than you want to fuck with.

Then there are the high-end guns, Weihrauch and Air Arms. These are likely to be shooters out of the box, but benefit from tuning and massaging.  These can easily be one-hole guns at 25 yards.

Finally, there are some mid-range guns from Gamo (Spain) and Hatsan (Turkey).  These are definitely a step up from the "Chinese" guns (but may be made in China), but are still a bit hit or miss.  Also fixable.  And also a lot of them are the gimmicky 1000+ fps, which is unnecessary, false (shot with ultralight pellets that you don't want to use), and generally counterproductive.  They should group better than 6-8" at 50 ft, though.

All of these guns need a longitudinal scope stop.  If they have a picatinny rail, that's a solution right there.  Sometimes you'll see slots in an 11mm dovetail rail that accomplish the same purpose as those on a picatinny, if you put the ring/mount screws through one of them.   Sometimes, you'll find a little hemispherical indentation in the top of the dovetail.  That's designed to take a pin/set screw on the rear (usually) scope ring/mount and airgun rings/mounts have these.  The most half-assed solution is an extra "clamp" with a set screw that you install behind the rear mount on the rail/dovetail.  It usually has a set screw that you can drive down into the top of the rail, or into that indentation.  Otherwise, the scope WILL MOVE.

Buy an airgun rated scope.  Don't borrow a valuable scope from a powder burner, you may destroy it.  Leupolds usually will stand up to airgun recoil without a special rating.  Anything that's not airgun rated is risky, though.

Edited May 26, 2021 by TwiceHorn

[TwiceHorn 31573]

3 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:

Woodpeckers are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

I wondered about that.

[Lat22 4019]

SSS

[MonkeyDoughnut 10361]

8 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

8 hours ago, markstanco said:

How does a woodpecker bother one so much he needs to be killed? I have one (or two maybe) that hammers trees daily.

Not being hair bun Boi by asking, just curious.

He puts holes in my siding. Several of them.

if you've got sunlight in these areas, get a couple of those solar ultrasonic repellers and you're done for good

[EuroHorn 3272]

9 hours ago, markstanco said:

How does a woodpecker bother one so much he needs to be killed? I have one (or two maybe) that hammers trees daily.

Not being hair bun Boi by asking, just curious.

The is the same guy who bitched at people in the Dogs thread for letting their cats out who were killing birds.  He said it wasn’t natural.  I guess killing protected woodpeckers with a pellet gun is part of nature…

Keep Chewbacca inside!

Edited May 26, 2021 by EuroHorn

[Chewbacca 7787]

2 hours ago, EuroHorn said:

The is the same guy who bitched at people in the Dogs thread for letting their cats out who were killing birds.  He said it wasn’t natural.  I guess killing protected woodpeckers with a pellet gun is part of nature…

Keep Chewbacca inside!

Look, man.  I love woodpeckers.  They're cool when they're doing their thing on trees.  But when they're causing thousands of dollars of damage to your house and they are not easily scared away, you're left with few options.  We've put up woodpecker houses.  We've tried spraying them with water.  We've thrown rocks at them.  They won't fucking leave.  They just fly to the nearest tree and watch you until you leave.  Then they get back at it.  I've covered their holes and they just start making new ones.

But hey, you sure got me.

[Chewbacca 7787]

3 hours ago, MonkeyDoughnut said:

if you've got sunlight in these areas, get a couple of those solar ultrasonic repellers and you're done for good

I do have sunlight.  Do you have to aim them?  How do those work?  Woodpeckers are getting on my house probably 20 feet up off the ground.  All of these I've seen look like the hammer into the ground and face parallel to the ground.  Would I need to aim them up towards the house?

[RDCanecutter 26476]

On the upside, they are eating all the worms and grubs in your house.

[Chewbacca 7787]

1 minute ago, RDCanecutter said:

On the upside, they are eating all the worms and grubs in your house.

I think they're trying to nest in my house.

[MonkeyDoughnut 10361]

10 minutes ago, Chewbacca said:

I do have sunlight.  Do you have to aim them?  How do those work?  Woodpeckers are getting on my house probably 20 feet up off the ground.  All of these I've seen look like the hammer into the ground and face parallel to the ground.  Would I need to aim them up towards the house?

yeah, good point, I think you would have to mount them up off ground to detect and go off. They do sell some battery ones that are more for that, but not sure would be great long term.  We've used more for lower repelling of other critters and they trigger by motion.

Edited May 26, 2021 by MonkeyDoughnut

[RDCanecutter 26476]

2 minutes ago, Chewbacca said:

I think they're trying to nest in my house.

We had a woodpecker out front that nested in the dead rotten part of a tree. I wonder if there is some sort of rot or bugs up in your siding?

Listen to the woodpeckers, my friend...

[Chewbacca 7787]

1 minute ago, RDCanecutter said:

We had a woodpecker out front that nested in the dead rotten part of a tree. I wonder if there is some sort of rot or bugs up in your siding?

Listen to the woodpeckers, my friend...

I've looked in the holes.  There's no rot, no signs of bugs.  Just a dickhead woodpecker and his woman putting big holes in my house.  He does all the work, but she's always close by, supervising.  He only does it in the spring, which is why I think it's nesting.

Edited May 26, 2021 by Chewbacca

[fattyflattie 4638]

Semi-residential?  Maybe a .22short?  Or some subsonics. 

[Deej 76961]

51 minutes ago, Chewbacca said:

Look, man.  I love woodpeckers.  They're cool when they're doing their thing on trees.  But when they're causing thousands of dollars of damage to your house and they are not easily scared away, you're left with few options.  We've put up woodpecker houses.  We've tried spraying them with water.  We've thrown rocks at them.  They won't fucking leave.  They just fly to the nearest tree and watch you until you leave.  Then they get back at it.  I've covered their holes and they just start making new ones.

But hey, you sure got me.

Have you tried putting a cat outside?

[RDCanecutter 26476]

2 minutes ago, Deej said:

Have you tried putting a cat outside?

Or maybe suspending a Capuchin monkey from the side of the house in a little go-go dancer cage?

[RDCanecutter 26476]

Seriously though, I don't know the nesting season where you are, but around here the birds already built nests months ago, and the young have all grown up.

Not that that makes multiple holes in the house better, just saying.

[Chewbacca 7787]

Just now, RDCanecutter said:

Seriously though, I don't know the nesting season where you are, but around here the birds already built nests months ago, and the young have all grown up.

Not that that makes multiple holes in the house better, just saying.

This is at 9000 feet in the mountains.  Things happen a little later up there.

[pantone159 719]

17 minutes ago, Chewbacca said:

I've looked in the holes.  There's no rot, no signs of bugs.  Just a dickhead woodpecker and his woman putting big holes in my house.  He does all the work, but she's always close by, supervising.  He only does it in the spring, which is why I think it's nesting.

Undefeated?

[Chewbacca 7787]

10 minutes ago, Deej said:

Have you tried putting a cat outside?

Kitty wouldn't last long up there.  Lots of foxes around.

[ztejas 43547]

Since killing woodpeckers is already illegal apparently why don't you just silence a .22 

[52-80 19270]

12 hours ago, Patricio Swayze said:

Woodpeckers are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

[Baboontyme 2827]

This thread is a prime candidate for the type of question that should have been posted on Nextdoor instead of surly. You would surely have gotten at leas 3x the replies and the information would probably be about 1/20th as helpful but you could have posted all of the responses here for our entertainment. Negged. 

[Chewbacca 7787]

1 minute ago, Baboontyme said:

This thread is a prime candidate for the type of question that should have been posted on Nextdoor instead of surly. You would surely have gotten at leas 3x the replies and the information would probably be about 1/20th as helpful but you could have posted all of the responses here for our entertainment. Negged. 

I've already been kicked off of Nextdoor.

[Baboontyme 2827]

1 minute ago, Chewbacca said:

I've already been kicked off of Nextdoor.

For real? lolz. For what?

[Chewbacca 7787]

3 minutes ago, Baboontyme said:

For real? lolz. For what?

I was mean to stupid people.

[El Diablo 4232]

Here it's encouraged. Yin meet yang. 

[Chewbacca 7787]

20 minutes ago, El Diablo said:

Here it's encouraged. Yin meet yang. 

Exactly.  I've noticed that Surly behavior in places other than Surly can lead to problems.

[Jerry Callo 8734]

I have a Red Rider BB Gun that is accurate to about 18' on squirrels - so long as you factor in the drop in the BB. 

[El Diablo 4232]

53 minutes ago, Jerry Callo said:

I have a Red Rider BB Gun that is accurate to about 18' on squirrels - so long as you factor in the drop in the BB. 

As a kid I had a hand-me-down Daisy lever action. Me and pops were out at the farm and I was plinking away. I shot a 55 gal drum that was downhill and probably 30 yards away. *PLINK* Dad was astounded. With his old eyes he couldn't see the BB like I could, I watched the first shot miss and then guided the next one in, watching it make a sweeping arc thru the air and curve to the right. Dead eye. Drop and windage. 

[RDCanecutter 26476]

16 minutes ago, El Diablo said:

As a kid I had a hand-me-down Daisy lever action. Me and pops were out at the farm and I was plinking away. I shot a 55 gal drum that was downhill and probably 30 yards away. *PLINK* Dad was astounded. With his old eyes he couldn't see the BB like I could, I watched the first shot miss and then guided the next one in, watching it make a sweeping arc thru the air and curve to the right. Dead eye. Drop and windage. 

Negged for not quoting Bible verses in a hillbilly accent while doing the sniping.

[Shoxthemonkey 1983]

9 minutes ago, RDCanecutter said:

Negged for not quoting Bible verses in a hillbilly accent while doing the sniping.

But... was he shooting lefty?

[RDCanecutter 26476]

13 minutes ago, Shoxthemonkey said:

But... was he shooting lefty?

If lefty went and joined the German army, then yeah.

[KYHorn 17206]

I know you said you tried spraying them, but something like this might be more effective:

https://amzn.to/2QSOnzm

It says it sprays 70 feet, but it's probably more like 40 ft high. Would easily reach 20 ft high with substantial power.

[EuroHorn 3272]

[El Diablo 4232]

10 hours ago, Lat22 said:

SSS

This was my weapon of choice for many years. Lady gave me a used one in '78 or so, barrel was clogged with pebbles her grandkids had tried to shoot thru it when they didn't have pellets. I sent it off to what was then still actually Sheridan and they did a total rebuild and sent it back for I think $23. Money well spent. Kept that thing another 35 years and got good service out of it. Reconditioned the seals a couple of times. Maybe not the fastest if fps but had good knockdown power. 

Edited May 26, 2021 by El Diablo

[Jkwellborn 6749]

Look, man.  I love woodpeckers.  They're cool when they're doing their thing on trees.  But when they're causing thousands of dollars of damage to your house and they are not easily scared away, you're left with few options.  We've put up woodpecker houses.  We've tried spraying them with water.  We've thrown rocks at them.  They won't fucking leave.  They just fly to the nearest tree and watch you until you leave.  Then they get back at it.  I've covered their holes and they just start making new ones.
But hey, you sure got me.

Bolt action 22, subsonic 22 Ammo

[Jkwellborn 6749]

You know that’s a roadrunner, right?

OP, do you think a spiral staircase will work in this situation?

[fattyflattie 4638]

2 hours ago, El Diablo said:

This was my weapon of choice for many years. Lady gave me a used one in '78 or so, barrel was clogged with pebbles her grandkids had tried to shoot thru it when they didn't have pellets. I sent it off to what was then still actually Sheridan and they did a total rebuild and sent it back for I think $23. Money well spent. Kept that thing another 35 years and got good service out of it. Reconditioned the seals a couple of times. Maybe not the fastest if fps but had good knockdown power. 

Think he’s talking about a different SSS...

[El Diablo 4232]

Just now, fattyflattie said:

Think he’s talking about a different SSS...

Maybe. I thought it might have just been a play on the old familiar SSS. I am of course using it to refer to a Sheridan Silver Streak. I don't participate in the other SSS, I'm more of a VIP guy now. 

[fattyflattie 4638]

3 minutes ago, El Diablo said:

Maybe. I thought it might have just been a play on the old familiar SSS. I am of course using it to refer to a Sheridan Silver Streak. I don't participate in the other SSS, I'm more of a VIP guy now. 

Different SSS.  This one involves a shooting, a shovel, and shutting up.  Somewhat common for cattle chasing dogs and neighbors with pit bulls that roam.  I’ve been told. 

[El Diablo 4232]

Just now, fattyflattie said:

Different SSS.  This one involves a shooting, a shovel, and shutting up.  Somewhat common for cattle chasing dogs and neighbors with pit bulls that roam.  I’ve been told. 

Well don't I feel dumb(er) now. We had a feller nearby get his golden retriever shot dead by the guy with the cattle on the place next door. Sheriff investigated and no charges filed. Not illegal in Texas to shoot them what messes with yer cattle. 

[BottleRocket 647]

Subsonic CB caps w/ bolt action .22 (mentioned above)

 

http://tacticalintelligence.net/blog/22-cb-cap.htm

 

"Well short of using a suppressor (silencer) which may not be legal in your area, there is a super quiet round available for your rifle that you may not be aware of. It’s called the 22 CB Cap (short for “conical ball cap”).

While not as powerful or accurate over long range as the 22LR round, it is still powerful enough to take small game such as rabbit or squirrel and provides the added advantage of being no louder than a pellet gun (and perhaps even less so). The reason for its silence is due to its minute propellant charge (in many cases it’s just the primer with no gunpowder) which results in a low muzzle velocity of around 700 ft/s (subsonic)."