.22 or .17 for warehouse shooting Sparrows and Pigeons?

[BlackbirdPS]

Hello Fellow AGrs,

Just started a weekly contract shooting sparrows in a large dry food warehouse with active forklift drivers. Sparrows way up in the rafters. Im shooting a FX streamline .22 , hades 15g at about 780fps. Distances are 20-40 yards. Also have a man on safety watch to make sure all is safe before each shot. I still feel there is way too much energy. Passes straight through and hits whatever behind.

I see YouTube UK videos of pesting with .177 sub 12ftlb. All of a sudden a .177 looks like the gun for the job. How much slower can i go with the .22 and still have accuracy and not too loopy out to 40yrds? 

Your thoughts and experiences greatly appreciated.

Take care,

K 

 

[shambozzie]

 12 fpe .177 wad cutter will lay the smack down on sparrows.

 

[nervoustrig]

For out to 30 yards, I agree a .177 wadcutter is pure poison on sparrows. And the flat nose will substantially minimize the degree of collateral damage from pass-throughs and misses. Getting sufficient accuracy out to 40 yards however is not likely. Personally I would just try to keep the shots inside of the effective range.


If you are going to stick with the .22 cal, you can slow it down a lot and still have sufficient penetration. I recall taking out two at once with a domed pellet at ~500fps. Like you said though, precise ranging and holdover will be ever more important for the 30 - 40 yard bracket...in which case you may be no better off than a .177 wadcutter.

 

[JimNM]

Ok you state 40 yards....but how high? My old warehouse had racks 5-6 pallet bays high. How far UP is at times more important that how far out.

 

[Hogsnatcher2390]

I have used my Merlyn .177 with great success. I would think 12ftlbs would be ideal but 18ftlbs would work too. 22cal would be overkill and would risk damage to the structure.

 

[wyshadow]

My Huntsman .177 is shooting jsb 10.34 grains at 18 ft-lbs and it's a pigeon killing machine. I've never seen a pellet pass through the metal roof when I shoot in doors. If you are still worried about pass through at this power, you still could go with a lighter pellet and set to 12 to 14 ft-lbs.

 

[BlackbirdPS]

thanks for all your input!

Ceiling height is about 40ft. Very similar to a US Home Depot but about 2x the length. I'm using strelock with great success. That said with the current 780fps and 30yr zero I'm getting getting kill shots high and low at 20-30 yards without any hold under or over. . I agree , i can easily stay within 30 yards. 



Sounds like I need a .177...

 

[deadhorse]

Hello Fellow AGrs,

Just started a weekly contract shooting sparrows in a large dry food warehouse with active forklift drivers. Sparrows way up in the rafters. Im shooting a FX streamline .22 , hades 15g at about 780fps. Distances are 20-40 yards. Also have a man on safety watch to make sure all is safe before each shot. I still feel there is way too much energy. Passes straight through and hits whatever behind. Even ricochets. 

I see YouTube UK videos of pesting with .177 sub 12ftlb. All of a sudden a .177 looks like the gun for the job. How much slower can i go with the .22 and still have accuracy and not too loopy out to 40yrds? 

Your thoughts and experiences greatly appreciated.

Take care,

K 

Is your shooting inside or outside the warehouse or both? 

I have had a similar job removing Bats and Pigeons and other birds from commercial buildings including a bowling alley, sometimes while people bowled lol. With many airguns to choose from, the best ones for the job have been the tried and true Daisy 880 and a B1 in .177 everything else is I owned was to powerful indoors and around people, but this was before I owned any PCP's. Out of what I own now I would of chosen the Diana Bandit in .177 for indoor work and a .22 pcp for outdoor.

I think that magic number is about 450-550 FPS at the muzzle for a .177 or .22 in a indoor warehouse/commercial building bird hunting.

My preferred gun was the 880 with 10gr crosman heavy's and 6 pumps at 500fps sighted in at 25yds 

Your gun might be ok at 500-550fps, but it might be pellet dependent at that velocity so I would try several but I am guessing a classic diabolo shape is your best bet for stability. 

 

[bertman77mk2]

12 fpe .177 wad cutter will lay the smack down on sparrows.

I have never used anything larger than 177 inside of any building.

 

[markT]

You have a contract with a client to kill sparrows and you know it has too much energy for the job. 

I’m thinking this is something that should been confirmed and ok’d prior to the start of this contract. 

Sorry to be blunt, but this type of pest control with air rifles has an effect on us all. 

 

[douger]

22 cal with 14 gr at mid 600 stll shoots fin at 30-40 yards 

 

[qball]

20-40 yards inside 177 is the right tool. At 700 FPS most pellets will have 20 and 30 yard zero and more than enough power on pigeons. 


For sparrows out to 35 yards I use my 1701P with 5fpe or 5.6 grain pellet at 500 FPS and absolutely lay this house sparrows flat! 

 

[AirShot]

I use my .177 cal match rifle (RWS75to1) for my indoor pest control. At 6 ft lbs can easily take out sparrows and pigeons at 30 yds. From 10 to 30 yds only need half a sparrow head hold over/ under... No danger in penetrating the building, siding or causing harm to livestock. Accurate enough for the many small mice getting into the feed and containers. When I see how much damage can be done with 6 fpe I might be concerned with 12 fpe or more for indoor pesting. My 4x40 scope is plenty bright for the low light shooting, an added red led gives me all the light I need during dark evenings...

 

[BackStop]

Hello Fellow AGrs,

Just started a weekly contract shooting sparrows in a large dry food warehouse with active forklift drivers. Sparrows way up in the rafters. Im shooting a FX streamline .22 , hades 15g at about 780fps. Distances are 20-40 yards. Also have a man on safety watch to make sure all is safe before each shot. I still feel there is way too much energy. Passes straight through and hits whatever behind. Even ricochets. 

I see YouTube UK videos of pesting with .177 sub 12ftlb. All of a sudden a .177 looks like the gun for the job. How much slower can i go with the .22 and still have accuracy and not too loopy out to 40yrds? 

Your thoughts and experiences greatly appreciated.

Take care,

K

When you have people present downrange when you are shooting, you are asking for trouble. JMHO

 

[lancehenley1]

I would try to turn down the .22 down to 4-500 FPS. Then see if you can get accuracy with the hades or a polymag. 

 

[BlackbirdPS]

Hello everyone,

Ive been shooting pigeons in large grain terminals and shipbuilding yards and sheds for years with a .22 pcp. On windy days i often use a .25 when outside, 80 yard long and 60 yard up shots, high up in grain conveyors.

Once in a blue moon I get a true inside warehouse job. I don't own a .177. For the time being trying to use what i have. 

What about lighter .22 wad cutters? And slow it down.

SB Match Diabolo JSB Jumbo Match Wadcutter .22 Cal, 13.73gr - 300ct?

SB Match Diabolo JSB Match Diabolo Exact Jumbo RS .22 Cal, 13.43gr?

 

[BlackbirdPS]

Also note.

Nobody is down range! I have a spotter/safety watchman with me at all times. When taking a shot we first clear the area. Safety is priority.

This warehouse operates 24 hours, however generally the graveyard workers are fewer than day shift, hence we go about 3am to further reduce any risk.

we are very careful

 

[nervoustrig]

A .22 wadcutter at 500 - 600fps will hit them like Thor's hammer...if it's accurate. Just have to try them and see. I don't want to discourage you from trying but I've had a very hard time finding a .22 wadcutter that is sufficiently accurate at 30+ yards for small pest control. The Hades you're already using is a semi-wadcutter and is accurate at a distance so I would not be surprised if you find it to strike the best balance between accuracy and thump. 

 

[BlackbirdPS]

Thank you for all your advice.

Ill first try slowing the hades pellet down to 500fps and see if i can keep accuracy. Our Canadian sellers dont have any stock for lighter pellets. Actually they're having a hard time getting anything....

 

[qball]

Another thing to try is lightest leadfree pellets, they are so light they lose power much faster than lead pellets so it's safer while can maintain 600fps without being too dangerous.