Minimum FPE to head shoot rats at close range.
- Thread starter Peep
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I used a 2.5fpe Daisy 717 pistol at 8 to 10 yards headshot huge rats in a warehouse.
Anything shooting 360fps or more should work not like you need to be humane to disease carrying rats anyway.
Anything shooting 360fps or more should work not like you need to be humane to disease carrying rats anyway.
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Kinda depends on how big the rat is too. They can really take a hard hit and still run off. The headshot needs to be perfect and that's difficult when they are twitching and nervous leading to not perfect shots.
If your quarry is calm, range is known, perfectly sighted-in gun then you will score with .177 in low power but otherwise many will run off and die making a horrible stench later.
I've had run-offs with .177 at lower FPS and switched to .25 at high FPS but that meant creating a controlled area with a proper backstop.
If your quarry is calm, range is known, perfectly sighted-in gun then you will score with .177 in low power but otherwise many will run off and die making a horrible stench later.
I've had run-offs with .177 at lower FPS and switched to .25 at high FPS but that meant creating a controlled area with a proper backstop.
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Minimum power to kill is not a good thing. If you are off a tiny bit creatures die a slow and miserable death. It's just not right to make any critter suffer more than absolutely necessary. Especially when one can do it right with a little more power or a more patient shot. This is the first time I will have to disagree with Odoyle on something. It's not like a lower powered .177 won't get the job done as he said though. A little more FPE would probly be useful though.
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I've switched from random opportunities to controlling the situation with a bait station, and joined the Vaporizing Club.
In the controlled environment I can still take them with my Artemis PP700SA down tuned but it has to be a perfect shot. Prefer the .25 cal 34 grain at 900ish!
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PFE is a measure of power potential, but wouldn’t what the bullet does upon entry have more effect on the kill, terminal ballistics.
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I think that that combination of .25 caliber and 900fps is almost enough for a headshot on a rat. Where did he go?
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I think that that combination of .25 caliber and 900fps is almost enough for a headshot on a rat. Where did he go?
It was short non-stop flight of about 18". That was a neck / shoulder shot as I recall. The head would have been REALLY messy, next time.
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I had been tasked to dispatch rats and birds in an enclosed warehouse that needed very low velocity to not damage vinyl siding lining the fenced gates and rats were were all head shot on ground level under multiple pallets of merchandise maximum 10 yards and more like 6 to 8 yards which the Daisy 717 could hold a 0.10" to 0.15 " average group shooting 7.9gr Crosman copperhead pointed pellets (its modern equivalent is the 7.4gr Crosman pointed) with a 2x scope using an improvised quick peep barrel clamped scope mount. The Daystate CR97 and Falcon FN12 Light Hunter were way too powerful and the 400fps (avg chrony) co2 S&W 586 co2 pistol was also used effectively. The rats were dead from their first head shots helicopter tails spinning. Birds on the ceiling metal rafters - truss up to 14 yards head shots no problems either in fact the effectiveness was so unbelievable my spotter friend who shined the light offered to buy the Daisy 717 pistol and bugged the hell me till I sold it to him. Replaced it with a Daisy 747 and 777 that had factory Lothar Walther barrels.
The Daystate CR97 18fpe shooting Crosman Premiers 10.5gr DIE2 would punch through both sides of a #10 can employee ashtray filled with sand at a laser range findered 60 yards whereas the 16fpe Falcon FN12 Light Hunter would only do one side and stay inside the sand at that distance with the same pellet.
Both rifles would punch clean through birds at that distance and put holes in the ceiling tiles and store signs I had to use clear tape and liquid white out to hide. This is where the Daisy 717 shined at up to 14 yards with very limited penetration.
Health violation prompted this task where traps weren't very effective and poison wasn't an option. Dozens upon dozens of rats and birds nightly.
If I had to do it today it would be a FWB P75 5 shot Biathlon 10 meter rifle and a standard Steyr LP50 or FWB P58 Semiauto match pistols or a Drulov Condor DU10 or Bruno Aeron B96 both Semiauto 10 meter match Co2 pistols. I would have stated a Steyr Hunting5 Semiauto rifle in 177 but that's too much power even when cranked down.
The Daystate CR97 18fpe shooting Crosman Premiers 10.5gr DIE2 would punch through both sides of a #10 can employee ashtray filled with sand at a laser range findered 60 yards whereas the 16fpe Falcon FN12 Light Hunter would only do one side and stay inside the sand at that distance with the same pellet.
Both rifles would punch clean through birds at that distance and put holes in the ceiling tiles and store signs I had to use clear tape and liquid white out to hide. This is where the Daisy 717 shined at up to 14 yards with very limited penetration.
Health violation prompted this task where traps weren't very effective and poison wasn't an option. Dozens upon dozens of rats and birds nightly.
If I had to do it today it would be a FWB P75 5 shot Biathlon 10 meter rifle and a standard Steyr LP50 or FWB P58 Semiauto match pistols or a Drulov Condor DU10 or Bruno Aeron B96 both Semiauto 10 meter match Co2 pistols. I would have stated a Steyr Hunting5 Semiauto rifle in 177 but that's too much power even when cranked down.
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Hi Odoyle, So if I cut down my 1077 it will work for rats as long as fps is 360 or higher? I predict about 550fps.
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I've use my 7 fpe .177 2400kt with great success. I started out with my 12 fpe 2260 shooting wadcutters, but too many were passing through and I didn't want to hit the livestock with a possible ricochet. I switched to the 2400kt shooting wadcutters and never looked back. I also kept my stock 2240 with me for those shots under 5 yards and under. The 2400 also allowed me to take head shots on pigeons without the worry of damaging the roof. As with all shooting, shot placement is key.
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I wouldn't chop it to be honest. You be wasting a lot of air per shot. It should work though headshots only.
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Plan on lightning the hammer and decreasing the hammer spring tension to reduce wasted CO2?
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Want to end-up with a suppressed, stock length rifle, barrel cut down depending on mod. length. I think it will be really cool.
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Modify my cars, computers and fishing gear. Just like to fool around. Modified Daisy Red Ryder so that shoots a honest 350fps. Great fun.
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