Help me find a suitable air rifle for squirrel defence

jacotsmith

jacotsmith

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Hi everyone,

A friend has asked me to find a suitable air rifle for him. He’s a non-PAL holder, not a gun guy or even an outdoorsy type at all, but the squirrel situation at his place has become unbearable. He also has a 10 year old boy that’s ready to start learning about guns and shooting stuff. I have a few air guns in the safe, but it’s probably been 20 years since I even reached that far back in there and close to 40 since I fired any of them, so I thought I would ask those of you who are more familiar with the platform. I’ve searched a bit through the forum but haven’t found a clear front runner. Criteria is as follows:

  • No PAL required
  • $300ish max budget
  • Squirrel knock down power
  • Decent iron sights or optic-friendly to aid in ethical beginner shots
They live out of town on a few acres and are friendly with their neighbours, so no concerns about noise or bylaws. I’m guessing .22 is more suitable than .177 but looking to hear your thoughts.

Extra bonus points to those who provide links to dealers or EE listings. I don’t want to spend too much time researching something that might get tried once and forgotten, but at the same time want to provide something half decent quality-wise and ultimately effective to encourage success.

Thanks for looking!
 
A friend of mine recently went through this exercise. He is a non-gun guy and cheap also.

He got a Ruger air rifle and has has no luck.

To keep the cost down there are plastic sights and loose tolerances. To keep it legal it has no power - even with light alloy pellets.

I offered my Weihrauch HW50 but he does not want to have that much into a squirrel gun.

.
 
I just got a Cometa from D&L in Langley BC. Seems like a pretty good gun for the money. Haven't really put it through its paces yet. There are models near your price range that don't require a PAL.

I had been waiting for a Weihrauch, but the squirrels here are really getting on my nerves.

Ryan
 
I'm sure someone will say they had the opposite experience, but I've found that non-pal airguns lack sufficient power to kill squirrels.

On a budget, I would just use a 22 rimfire and make sure I only fired where there is a safe backstop, such as firing from an elevated position, shooting downwards.
 
I got a gamo fast shot for squirrels.

https://www.gamo.com/en/gamo-fast-shot-10x-igt-incl-4x32wrh-scope/

It is really good for it.

I love the 10 pellet magazine, allows me to get multiple shots off quickly.

It's a cheap scope that comes with it, but I have found it to be quite accurate and consistant.

Mine is in .22 gauge, and shoots at 920 fps. So you do need a PAL for that.


gamo does have less powered versions that do not require the PAL. I'm sure they would be just as well made, but honestly i'm not sure i'd want to try them on squirrels. Even with smaller red squirrels, I usually need 2 or 3 shots to finish them, and that's with the power of 920 fps. If you went for a lower, PAL free version, I think you'd have a real hard time getting a kill shot. I know I have also shot a couple with my 22 rifle, and while a standard round works just fine on a squirrel, I have twice been target shooting with the aquila super quiets which shoot at only about 400 fps, and I have had a squirrel run by and been unable to resist taking a shot. The first time, to my amazement, that squirrel dropped dead first shot! So it can be done even with such a slow projectile, but the second time I was not so lucky, and I think I put 5 rounds into that little guy before he succumbed. Even a squirrel doesn't deserve that!
Bottom line, I don't think i'd recommend any of the slower non-PAL air guns for squirrels. Just tell your buddy to give up a weekend and get his PAL and be done with it, then his life will be so much better.
 
Ya for $300, your not going to get a Air rifle capable of ethical killing of Grey or black squirrels. You need something in the 700-1000 fps range for that, and that requires a PAL. He would also need in ontario at least, the $60 dollar hunting course, the $25 one year small game license, and the $14 dollar outdoors card. People think you can just grab any old thing from Canadian tire or Walmart and just start blasting them from their porch. That's not the case at all legally speaking, or ethically. Only time you can kill them without a license is if they are damaging your property. Here is the text from https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/97f41#BK35


"Protection of property

31 (1) If a person believes on reasonable grounds that wildlife is damaging or is about to damage the person’s property, the person may, on the person’s land,

(a) harass the wildlife for the purpose of deterring it from damaging the person’s property; or

(b) capture or kill the wildlife. 1997, c. 41, s. 31 (1)."
 
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Air gun for teaching his kid how to handle and shoot guns is a great idea!

Another great project he can do with his kid is research squirrel trapping and make a trap together..... way better then teaching the kid how to inhumanely take animals.

Google 5 gal bucket traps and then use a plastic garbage can instead of the bucket and scale up the dimensions to suit the larger container.

More free advice, tell buddy to get his PAL so after the air rifle they can move on to rimfire.
 
I often wonder at people who can't be bothered to get their pal yet want to grab a lower power gun designed for punching paper, tin cans or maybe small birds but want to kill much larger game. Not ethical as I strongly doubt these people are expert shots! Nothing wrong with under 495 fps rifles but use them for what they are intended for.
 
I'll climb on board and agree sub-500 fps pellet guns aren't appropriate for shooting squirrels. Lots of people do it, or try to do it, but if they applied their decision making to just about any other small or large game animal they would get roasted for it.

Generally speaking, people hunt or eliminate squirrels with .22 rifles or shotguns, in areas that they are legally allowed to do so, with licenses or cause that makes it legal.

As soon as the airgun comes into question, so does everything else. Why can't you use a proper gun? Because its likely urban, or the person is unlicensed, there are neighbours, unsafe backstop..if they were witnessed or caught it will reveal the squirrels were actually not causing damage..you name it., every time this comes up it generates all kinds of doubt and other questions.

If you are asking about it, you have doubts as well. Another generalization, but you don't see many (any) threads about a rural, licensed guy using a .22 to hunt or eradicate a squirrel as the legality and ethics of the situation are not in doubt.

Thinking out loud here. Great to get a young fellow shooting a pellet gun, but hopefully not where there is doubt as to the appropriateness of the learning environment.
 
Thanks everyone for your input.

I don’t think a PAL course is likely in my buddy’s future, and even if I did talk him into it what’s the wait time for a first time applicant these days? Probably well beyond this year’s squirrel season. I imagine using a .22lr might change the dynamic with the neighbours too.

I’m in the Yukon, so our squirrels here are of the red variety and smaller than some of the giants I’ve seen down south, not sure if that changes anyone’s views on the ethics.

I have another friend who uses his air rifle to deter the winos making noise and drinking out of a paper bag in his back alley, and I know the pellets just bounce off in that case, but they are a different target at a greater range and I probably shouldn’t be taking advice from someone who shoots street people with BBs for entertainment.

Anyone else here shoot squirrels with sub-500 fps non-PAL guns?
 
jacotsmith said:
Thanks everyone for your input.

I don’t think a PAL course is likely in my buddy’s future, and even if I did talk him into it what’s the wait time for a first time applicant these days? Probably well beyond this year’s squirrel season. I imagine using a .22lr might change the dynamic with the neighbours too.

I’m in the Yukon, so our squirrels here are of the red variety and smaller than some of the giants I’ve seen down south, not sure if that changes anyone’s views on the ethics.

I have another friend who uses his air rifle to deter the winos making noise and drinking out of a paper bag in his back alley, and I know the pellets just bounce off in that case, but they are a different target at a greater range and I probably shouldn’t be taking advice from someone who shoots street people with BBs for entertainment.

Anyone else here shoot squirrels with sub-500 fps non-PAL guns?
Click to expand...

Shooting people with a pellet gun? What the heck is wrong with you people up there?

Did you report him?
 
jacotsmith said:
Thanks everyone for your input.

I don’t think a PAL course is likely in my buddy’s future, and even if I did talk him into it what’s the wait time for a first time applicant these days? Probably well beyond this year’s squirrel season. I imagine using a .22lr might change the dynamic with the neighbours too.

I’m in the Yukon, so our squirrels here are of the red variety and smaller than some of the giants I’ve seen down south, not sure if that changes anyone’s views on the ethics.

I have another friend who uses his air rifle to deter the winos making noise and drinking out of a paper bag in his back alley, and I know the pellets just bounce off in that case, but they are a different target at a greater range and I probably shouldn’t be taking advice from someone who shoots street people with BBs for entertainment.

Anyone else here shoot squirrels with sub-500 fps non-PAL guns?
Click to expand...

3-6 months for a PAl and a weekend of time given up. But he could do his hunting course at the same time. But if it's red squirrels he's got on his property, unless they are damaging his property he can only trap them by way of a trappers license. Red squirrels are considered fur bearing animals, and according to Yukon hunting regs (I'm assuming that's where your from) they can only be trapped. Ground Squirrels have a season Apr 1 – Mar 31. I know the answers you've gotten aren't at all what you wanted to hear , but rules are rules sadly, and we all have to follow them. Here are the regulations https://yukon.ca/sites/yukon.ca/files/env/env-yukon-hunting-regulations-summary_0.pdf
 
Everyone shoots squirrels here, even the COs. They are pests and destroy property.

But perhaps some rat traps are better in this situation after all, and a pellet gun for the boy for other purposes. Thanks again all.
 
I have a Ruger Air Hawk at the cottage and I've used it to shoot red squirrels that wouldn't stay out of my shed. Keep in mind, they were building a nest, so I could get within 30, sometimes 20' and closer. Head shots, stone dead. If I could get within 20' of a black squirrel in the same circumstance, I would take the head shot as well. I'm guessing this gun is around $200 and bought at Canadian Tire. A buddy bought it to replace the Diana he dropped in the fire pit. So, ya. Anywho, it works well for that, it's probably listed at 495fps but who knows what it shoots. It did come with a scope but it never got mounted for some reason.
 
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