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Best & Safe Backyard Vermin Rifle?

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Fenian

Fenian

Member
Sep 26, 2018
302
50
Mesa AZ United States
Hey guys,

I am pretty surrounded by neighbors, just wondering what you guys would suggest for a rifle that will take down squirrels and other vermin, be extremely quiet, and have the accuracy needed for a clean kill, but little power to go elsewhere ie ricochet and go off outside the property and do anything else......

I do know in the UK its all .177 or .22 and 12 ft lbs power, and watching the squirrel hunter channel it does seem to do the trick....

So with that in mind, what guns do you recommend? Again, I just want it that if I ever miss that these things dont have much power to go on elsewhere, especially with a ricochet, im hoping that little power the richochet would be almost like bouncing off that on to the lawn and stop as it doesnt have the power to continue much

I do not want chinese brands....
 
For the usage you describe I’d favor something in the 6-10fpe range. That said, even in that relatively low power range, a ricochet could easily bust a window at 30 yards or injure someone nearby, so caution is warranted. An hw30s or hw50s in .177 can deliver excellent accuracy at 30 yards or less. I hunt with mine often and they have plenty of power to drop squirrels. In the world of PCPs, something like a Crosman 1720 would be ideal. The have an LW barrel and are incredibly accurate. Easy to pump and can easily be adjusted to shoot between 6fpe and 10fpe. Good luck choosing.



R
 
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I don’t know if they are American made though :/



A lower power HW30 would also be my pick, second to a nerf gun. Best of luck
 
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760. I have a 760 in my truck. Fun little guy, and three pumps shoots around 450fps. It is the only thing you need. But need is hard to quantify. Just wait, your next purchase will be a Texan .50 cal with an Emperor. I can hear the sirens already.





Be safe and make sure you are floating around 6-8ft pounds of energy, and nothing above 11. You can also build up a proper backing and bait the squirrels to your desired safe area, and this will provide security as a shooter and safety for your community. Building up a proper backing isn’t hard to do. Most guns like an hw30 or 760 can’t go through 1/2” board, so I’d go thicker with 2x12s and make a little 5x5’ area where your bait is near the base, then you will be minimizing your risk. Also, if your neighbors find out about you shooting, they will be pleased that you are shooting your toy responsibly. Lastly, make sure to follow your local hunting laws, as they do apply often to backyard pests as well. Last thing you would want is to get in trouble for a squirrel!
 
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1597614468_1701604545f39a984598cb6.97025064.png



I don’t know if they are American made though :/



A lower power HW30 would also be my pick, second to a nurd gun. Best of luck
Click to expand...

They are Chinese. I used to collect every single one of them till A CRAZY nut job collector posted A WANTED TO SEE AND SHARE TO COMPARE Nerf guns collection made me an offer I couldn't refuse! OH I kept 2 but the rest are all gone.... 😉 I ONLY WANTED TO COMPARE WHAT HE HAD IF I MISSED ANTYTHING THATS ALL.
 
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I just recently purchased several 177 guns for the very same reason as you. Quiet and low non destructive power.

177 Taipan Veteran Shorty to lower the power to 9fpe. Roughly 750fps with 7.33gr pellets. 

177 Artemis PP700 pistol for 6fpe. Roughly 600fps with 7.33gr. An HW30s Springer is at about this power level.

177 Brocock Compatto for 13.5fpe. Roughly 888fps with 7.9gr on high setting 65-70 shots on a 3000psi fill. Low setting unsure hadn't chronied on low yet.

177 used Cricket shorty set at 13.5fpe same as Compatto above.

If you can find a used FWB 300s its a little stronger power than the HW30s and 10x more accurate and 3x-5x quieter.


 
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Well, I guess I'll be a bit of a contrarian here. Regardless of power level, anything capable of humane kills on squirrels will also be capable of leaving your property and doing damage. I'm in a similar situation, and I use standard power .22 mostly, about 30 fpe, and I just use judgment to keep the shot safe. I'm either on the deck shooting down, or I'm sure of the backstop behind the squirrel, usually either the ground, or a tree trunk. Squirrels are tough little critters, and require good shot placement and sufficient power. Safety is your responsibility, not something for which you can rely on your equipment. Just my opinion. 
 
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You did not say if you preferred a break barrel or PCP. 
So what I’ve been shooting around my yard for the last year. Day and Night. Is a Benjamin Marauder pistol .22 cal. Now mine is shooting 16 (ish) Grn H&N Field Target Trophy’s At 600 FPS. Somewhere around 14 FPE. At 20 yards a broadside shot will go clean through a rat. So you could de tune yours. Which is simple but you do need a chronograph. I almost always hunt over a bait pile. So I set up backstops where needed. Hitting a concrete wall almost but not quite straight on. The pell drops on the spot. I’ve shot it at mice. 6 yards away. Shooting down the stairs into my basement. And have had no issues of ricochets. Not saying they can’t happen. I’m just giving you my experience. 
With the suppressor this gun is very quiet. 
Here it is with the econo night vision setup. 
1597620461_10385035245f39c0ed2d4b63.43615742.jpeg

This mouse was taken at night at 14 yards. 
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1597620626_11438091475f39c192e40eb2.00762773.jpeg

 
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Hey guys

i prefer a PCP. I already have and use a Wildcat .25.

i do have a good backstop, with ballistic panels I bought that were quite pricey, I also shoot downward when possible. Maybe I’m just very paranoid but I just want to be safe. Behind the ballistic panels is my garage also, I don’t like using trees as the backstop due to ricochet 




 
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I used my new marauder pistol just this morning to kill my first squirrel at 11 yards. I shot at him from inside the house, through an open window. I do worry about ricochets, but my feed station is on an old stump top below my deck with rising ground and forest debris behind it. At this point I'm worried more about my aim, the noise, and mastering the scope than ricochets. But I've scouted carefully around the house to be sure everywhere I shoot from will have nothing dangerous behind. I could be wrong, but I anticipate a pellet either lodging inside the body or going more or less straight through into the brush rather than careening off at a crazy angle. Though I'd love to hear someone else's experiences with bizarre ricochets and/or the chance/reality of harm that came with them.
 
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A nice little Benjamin Fortitude in .177 might do the trick with the 8.5 grain pellets it shoots very close to 12fpe. The Marauder pistol as stated above is another good choice. You could get one of the inexpensive 2260 Crosman Co2 rifles or a 2400KT built in the custom shop co2 guns and add a TKO moderator to it as well. The Co2 guns have a huge following for aftermarket parts and tuning for 20fpe+ if the need or desire arises.
 
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Dude I looooove me some Squirrel Hunter..... I swear I hear that guy narrating in my head all day.

I'm in your boat- can't really shoot- afraid to shoot my .25 wildcat also. I suggest a .177 that is 1/2x20 threaded to accept a moderator. Pretty much anything will do- depends what you want. Preferably something with high and low power settings. Air arms and brocock have external adjustability. If you keep an eye on PYR they sometimes have some good $800-900 refurbs for the ultimate sporter which looks sweet. Then just get whatever moderator you can afford to quiet it down. Donny Ronin is a great choice.

I also advise making a rubber mulch backstop. I've used every combo of foam, wood, etc, The rubber mulch works. If you were so inclined you could add a steel plate [ebay] to the backstop for total assurance. Just be safe and use your best judgment. 

If something happens then hush your neighbor with a few benjamins and if the cops do come- don't admit anything!! 


 
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I'm not a high power guy. My most powerful gun is 30 fpe and I only shoot it in the backyard to confirm it's zero a couple times a year. For backyard pesting up to rabbits and squirrels I use a 7 fpe .177 2400KT or a .22 10 fpe 2260. My CO2 guns are my quietest. When the cold months come I shoot from an upstairs window. Raccoons and skunks are taken with a .22 15 fpe pcp or 18 fpe gas piston .22 out to 30 yards. I also dispatched 2 groundhogs this year at 48 yards with a .177 17 fpe pcp. I took out a dozen or so chippers this year at 40 and 48 yards with the 17 fpe .177 and everyone of them was a pass through. I also took several with the 2400KT and 2260 at those distances and none of them passed through.

If you only want a pcp, I agree with survivor45. Go with the Prod and install a reg set at a power that is conducive to your shooting situation.
 
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