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ASA1

Member
Jul 26, 2017
3
0
Southern California
While not new to hunting I have very little experience with air guns. We have an ongoing problem with rats coming into our yard from the neighbors ivy. I'm thinking a scoped air rifle should do the trick but need something quiet that won't alarm the neighbors and powerful enough that I don't have wounded rats (DRT). Shot's will be ~ 50' to 100'.

​Any suggestions on type, make, velocity, caliber and pellet type would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks 
 
ASA1, Wecome!
Budget is always a major factor. A lower budget would put you in a springer style rife most likely. I higher budget and interest might put you into a PCP.
Regardless, I'd go with .22 caliber for it's accuracy and knock down power. Different guns like different pellets so, you might have to try a few different ones out to see what your particular rifle likes best. JSB diabolo is generally the most accurate across the board and would be a great place to start. 
I'm not too familiar with springers so, I wouldn't be the best to advise on one of those. 
PCP's... It's hard to beat the Marauder for starting out and for how quiet it is. But, PCP's require a high pressure air source of some kind. Pumping is an option but, it gets old quickly. The next step is either a bottle or home high pressure compressor. Either way, you're looking at a pretty significant amount of money for air supply. Let's say $600-1000 for a good setup. 
If you just want to go with pumping (think "bicycle pump" style) then either the Marauder or Discovery would be my beginners choice. The Marauder fills to 3000psi, the Discovery fills to 2000. It's a lot easier to fill to 2000psi. But, the discovery is not nearly as quiet unless you add a moderator (~$250). Another option might be the Marauder pistol with shoulder stock. This would allow you to shoot with PCP accuracy, and have a smaller air reservoir to fill with the pump. I can't speak to how loud those shoot since I have not owned one.
.177 caliber is an option for rats as well. Personally, I like the added knock down power of the .22 and I find them easier to handle since they're larger. At 50-100 feet, you're going to kill them either way with a well placed shot. 
A word of advise, since your used to shooting firearms (We call the powder burners here, or PB's)... Be prepared to start spending more than you thought you would. Pellet guns are not what they used to be and they are VERY addicting! :)

Tom
 
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The Marauder is a good choice. One advantage of the .25 is the barrel is made by Green Mountain. In the past the .25 barrel has been known to be more accurate than the .22. The disadvantage of the .25 would be shot count, which would be a little less than the .22 on each fill. The .25 would also have more significant knock down (killing power) than a .22.

The air source can be any High Pressure vessel such as a HP scuba tank, usually 3500psi. There are scuba tanks that will only go up to 3000psi so make sure you know what you are looking at. The Marauder can be filled with a High Pressure hand pump, usually run in the $300 range if memory serves. I have one and it has now become a device that takes up space in my gun closet. I used it for several years, till I got into High Pressure compressors and carbon fiber tanks(CF). The CF tanks can typically hold 4500psi and can fill a Marauder many many times. There is a website Airgunsofarizona.com and they sell as well as have "calculators" at the bottom of the page, if memory serves that will allow you to calculate how many fills you can get from a CF tank. 

As TOMINCO pointed out, be prepared to face a possible addiction to air-gunning......it will get you hooked! But boy is it fun!

I just went to the Pyramydair website and looked up some stuff for you
Hill hand pump MK4 max 4500psi cost 259.99
Marauder .25 synthetic combo cost 629.99
includes scope, rings, strap

So for about 890 bones you can begin your airgun addiction.
 
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You should also be aware that while a hand pump is a great idea for a backup, no sain person wants to pump their gun up if your planning on shooting a lot. 10-15 minutes of hand pumping vs 3-5 seconds out of a high pressure tank, but it comes at extra cost. I'm not aware of any airgun that that fires pellets that would leave a rat wounded from lack of power, even pistols shooting in the 500 fps is more than enough to dispatch rats. Now, bad shot placement can occur on even larger calibers, but I don't see a rat living very long on a shot to the body anywhere, they just don't have that much blood.
 
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I personally would not buy a pump that only costs (350) off the internet. In a nut shell, High Pressure compressors are working very hard once you get up over 2000 psi. Heat and wear are big contributors to infant failures in these machines. Look up this subject on the forums and you will find all kinds of info on this. I would save my money and get a better compressor when the time comes. A hand pump is really not that bad. I enjoyed using mine, just to get a little workout. But to each their own. You might get some guys on here to chime in that have bought some of the cheaper compressors and get their input.

Now for what I really came back to this thread to share!!! I just got an email today from Pyramid Air, one of the sponsors to this forum. They are offering $75.00 off and free shipping for order of $500.00 or more. I don't have any interest in PA what so ever. They are just a good company to deal with as far as my experiences have been and you will see that echoed through out this forum and a few others.
 
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Unless you get a gas ram break barrel. Benjamin calls there's a " nitro piston". Hatsan's is called a " vortex", for example. Gas rams have one real advantage over springer break barrels in that you can load it in the morning and shoot it in the evening with no ill effects. But the springer's are just as good in every other aspect, basically. Walmart.com has the Crosman Optimus .22 for $99.99 right now. They have good prices on pellets as well. The H&N Sniper light 14gr .22cal or the H&N Field Target Trophy @ 14.66gr .22 would be good choices in your situation...power and not very loud. People always seem to try and talk you into expensive, high-end rifles when the ones I've mentioned are cheaper to operate and have plenty of velocity & power for your needs as stated. No pumps. No Co2. No pressure tanks.
 
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+1 unionrdr. I am a big proponent of what some choose to call the "low-end springers" which include both the steel spring and gas ram variety of break barrel guns in the sub-$200 price range. There are magnum springers that will shoot medium weight pellets (8-9 gr in .177, 14-16 gr in .22) with enough velocity to easily reach the mid-teens in terms of fpe at the muzzle. Meaning: plenty of oomph out to 50 yards to take unwanted birds, small game, and farm pests. Some will talk disparagingly about hold sensitivity and having to learn the gun's hold preference... all true and a welcome part of the experience to many springer shooters (me!). So, many more dollars can get you a gun with little to no recoil and power+accuracy at 75 yards and beyond (depending on the gun), many less dollars can get you a highly capable gun in the range you discuss in your OP with none of the accessory costs of a PCP and less angst over dings, dents, and divots than you generally deal with when you plunk down $300+ for a "high-end springer". Your call.
 
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