I personally wouldn't dream of going pigeon shooting with a 410. Round here their limitations are pretty limiting. Thats why I got rid of it. They simply do not put enough pellets in a circle to make a decent job of it.
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Moderated .410
- Thread starter leebut
- Start date
And yet I've killed a fox with a Webley and Scott b/a 410 at about 15 yards.
Of course, according to you that's impossible.
Quite possibly what happened to you is that you've had a nice gap in the pattern that the rat has conveniently been sitting in the middle of. It happens. I've done it with a rabbit and a 12 bore, seen the ground all round the bunny spatter up, and it's hopped away without a care in the world.
Back on topic, I've got one of the detachable hushpower moderators on my b/a 410, and it's remarkably quiet, even when using 'normal' cartridges.
The only problem with that gun is it's only got a 2.5 inch chamber, and most of the subsonic ammunition is for 3 inch chamber. However the Eley 'fourlong' cartridges are, in my experience, a bit slower than others (Lyalvale, etc), and are nice and quiet, whilst still being moderately effective.
Phil fox man
Well-Known Member
I had rats on the bird feeders in the garden used a Belgian 410 on them but I think they were to far to kill .I had a bright idea ? franchi 12 bore out of bedroom window,total success on rats but the wife told me it was cheaper to feed the rats than replace the destroyed feeders loops!
sharkbait
Well-Known Member
No one thing is going to work with ratty! The trouble is they adapt and quick that's what makes them a worth opponent!
I've a mossberg hushpower in 410 and 12 gauge and although the crack is taken out of them they are still loud! Liquidized bait is one trick to get them to stop for air rifle long enough to get a shot off you need to shoot day and night you need to trap round the clock and you need to poison with the good stuff ( get yourself on the level 2 course for the pro stuff) and change the formulas of bait if need be and steer clear of the plastic bait boxes they avoid them like the plague you get a better take rate when you bait there holes and runs and get yourself some gel and foam poison to place in the runs they pick it up on their coats and when they come to clean themselfs they lick it off their fur and poison themselfs that works well when they a bit shy of your bait or in grain stores and stuff! And if you can get the terrier boys in you should start making a dent in the population!
I've a mossberg hushpower in 410 and 12 gauge and although the crack is taken out of them they are still loud! Liquidized bait is one trick to get them to stop for air rifle long enough to get a shot off you need to shoot day and night you need to trap round the clock and you need to poison with the good stuff ( get yourself on the level 2 course for the pro stuff) and change the formulas of bait if need be and steer clear of the plastic bait boxes they avoid them like the plague you get a better take rate when you bait there holes and runs and get yourself some gel and foam poison to place in the runs they pick it up on their coats and when they come to clean themselfs they lick it off their fur and poison themselfs that works well when they a bit shy of your bait or in grain stores and stuff! And if you can get the terrier boys in you should start making a dent in the population!
Sampo
Well-Known Member
Would something like work? Benjamin Wildfire or Sig Sauer MCX Virtus
20 m long and 30 m wide a ’small garden’
No, not if a conventional air rifle won’t (which it will)
Guff
I have a mossberg .410 hush power and it’s very quite but at night close range would still be too loud I think, can your friend not bait them with something like liquidised sweet corn, they have to stop and lap it up giving a shot with an air rifle
Very poor advice.
You are now on my ignore list so I don’t see any more nonsense from you.
Sound advice!
You absolutely wont get a grip on this problem with shooting in daylight or daylight and night !
Get a pro in with some single dose poison . Loads of traps and then shoot ! At best 2-5% will be shot and wont even keep up with breeding rates . Terriers with smoking , very worthwhile .
Shooting regular 410 you get some of the noise gone , full moderator in the break action single and proper subsonic loads heck of a deal more ! I rarely bother with the gun now on rats at best you turn the cocky ones nocturnal with that 2-5% population rule .
Get a pro in with some single dose poison . Loads of traps and then shoot ! At best 2-5% will be shot and wont even keep up with breeding rates . Terriers with smoking , very worthwhile .
Shooting regular 410 you get some of the noise gone , full moderator in the break action single and proper subsonic loads heck of a deal more ! I rarely bother with the gun now on rats at best you turn the cocky ones nocturnal with that 2-5% population rule .
Heym SR20
Well-Known Member
For serious rat problem in and around buildings shooting is probably not the answer.
Instead you need a concerted trapping and baiting operation. Probably one for professional pest control. The beauty of traps and bait stations is they work 24/7.
Traps do need checking and rat poison is an issue for dogs, cats and other animals if they catch / find and eat dying or dead rats.
Instead you need a concerted trapping and baiting operation. Probably one for professional pest control. The beauty of traps and bait stations is they work 24/7.
Traps do need checking and rat poison is an issue for dogs, cats and other animals if they catch / find and eat dying or dead rats.
Why is an air rifle poor advice for rats? It is an ideal tool for confined space, being low power but plenty out to 50 yards (power not ability) and loses it's power quite quickly compared to powder propelled projectiles, whether in pellet or solid form. The important thing is to get them to pause long enough to take a head shot, which at sensible range is perfectly doable. I have shot thousands of rats with an air rifle.
I agree about the fox statement, unless it was in a trap and that wasn't mentioned for reasons of bravado.
Dave Lakes
Well-Known Member
To go back to your original question- it’s about as quiet as clapping your hands hard with a pair of gloves on. I have a baikal with full length hushpower and sub sonics. As has been said though, in enclosed areas it does echo which removes a lot of the benefit.
I regularly shoot squirrels with mine (very tough things) and have no problems with their power.
I think a multiple approach might be best- feed station and air rifle/rim fire, .410 for any that won’t sit still or come in to feed, whatever is left (maybe lots) will probably need a professional with all the right poisons and traps.
I regularly shoot squirrels with mine (very tough things) and have no problems with their power.
I think a multiple approach might be best- feed station and air rifle/rim fire, .410 for any that won’t sit still or come in to feed, whatever is left (maybe lots) will probably need a professional with all the right poisons and traps.
Dave Lakes
Well-Known Member
Just seen your location, if you’re up the M6 at all, feel free to give me a shout and try mine to see how loud it is
if rats have the protection of buildings they will be breeding , maybe not as fast as they might in summer but reproduction and in-commers can easy overtake shooting . Full length mods on the break action are certainly the quietest ! Cant be beat poison and traps and they are 24/7
Pellet Pinger
Well-Known Member
I used to shoot literally tens of thousands every year, to make an impact with a rifle you need to set your stall out properly, they are easily educated and not as dumb as you think.
Bait and cover are your main allies, if there’s room get 3 pallets in different spots but shootable from the same position stand them on bricks and squirt underneath and round a runny mixture of canned fish and cat food every night for a week. They will be more than happy to sit and feed with the cover above them and you can pick a few off from each pallet, taking pot shots as they pass through you are peeing in the wind and the disturbance caused by the 410 will soon scare them, air gun or 22lr all the way, those that say they aren't effective, take a look at the vid.
Bait and cover are your main allies, if there’s room get 3 pallets in different spots but shootable from the same position stand them on bricks and squirt underneath and round a runny mixture of canned fish and cat food every night for a week. They will be more than happy to sit and feed with the cover above them and you can pick a few off from each pallet, taking pot shots as they pass through you are peeing in the wind and the disturbance caused by the 410 will soon scare them, air gun or 22lr all the way, those that say they aren't effective, take a look at the vid.
I grew up shooting rats almost every night with airgun , masses of them , used dogs and ferrets during the day . I have never cleared rats via the airgun but yeah i have had some massive bags ! I seriously do not believe you can clear a reasonable size rat population with airgun, reason being the rate of breeding if you just leave a few doe rats and one male . how many nights would you blank looking for the last 3 or 4 ? Easily educated ? yeah that contributes to the issue , way brighter than rabbits when it comes to avoiding getting killed !
By gosh i have cleared some Feral pigeons from farm buildings though with the aigun , normally no more than a couple of nights ( because they are dumb)
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