Airgun for Gophers

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longshotab

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I have a 10/22 but am looking into a airgun for close to building work. We have been over run with gopher this past year, I cleaned up a couple of fields for some ranchers but they have gophers in the yard and around machinary and close to shops that are sometimes hard to get with the 10/22. (They (the gophers) are not hard to hit it is just being close to expensive equipment or houses and buildings.)
I also have young family and would like to get the kids started on something like an airgun, it was were I got my start.
How young are people starting their kids on air guns...

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated....
 
Gophers

A .177 Pellet rifle at 495 fps is good for gophers at close range. I've shot thousands with my air rifle.

If you already have a .22, a good alternative would be to use CB Caps. These are the same size of 22LR, but have no powder, just the primer for propellent. These are just right for gophers at close range, and are quiet and produce no recoil. So before going out and spending $75 or so, try the CB Caps.
 
A friend of mine wasn't aloud to have a 22 until he was 14 but he had Benjamin 22 air rifle and that thing was a gopher killer. We even killed a few jack rabbits with it. It was alot cheaper to shoot than 22.
 
Headshot and the caliber is irrelevant.........within range and accuracy limitations that is...Harold
 
This might not be the answer you wanna hear but a light 20 gauge or 410 shotgun with #6 shot does a marvelous job of killing gophers dead within 20 yards or so around farm buildings. I bought a remington 22mag/410 over under combo gun just for this purpose. You would never have to worry about #6 shot hurting any of the buildings or people at long ranges and the recoil is mild for youngsters.
 
Have you used the JSB predators?They literally turn themselves inside out while expanding.Great pest /game pellet.Although they need a FAC rated gun to perform.They blow a pencil sized hole through grouse and crows at 35 yards ! Gophers just do the headshot boogie.............................Harold
 
I haved a Gammo Varmint hunter, 1000 fps with lead and 1200 with Raptors. Messes ground hogs up good. :) Not bad for the $$$, comes scoped with night light and laser from the factory. All hold zero well.
 
unlisted.handle said:
A .177 Pellet rifle at 495 fps is good for gophers at close range. I've shot thousands with my air rifle.

If you already have a .22, a good alternative would be to use CB Caps. These are the same size of 22LR, but have no powder, just the primer for propellent. These are just right for gophers at close range, and are quiet and produce no recoil. So before going out and spending $75 or so, try the CB Caps.
Click to expand...

FWIW they have powder. Head and shoulders above any pellet gun but might still be a bit much for use around anything valuable.
 
Bass Pro has the Ruger Airhawk[Chinese copy of RWS34] internal parts are interchangeable for $99 under 500 fps.Swap a full powered spring from a 34 and you're in buisness...............Harold .... not sure if it's the 1000fps model or the 500 that's on sale but either way cureable?
 
Meh. Most of the farmers I knew around Moose Jaw were pretty happy with a Crosman 760 pump up pneumatic. I had a Crosman 2200 for a while that worked very well.

Do yourself a favor and check out some of the Brit Rat Shooting sites and check out the targets and hit diagrams. They are pretty keen on a humane kill, and show the best target zones to achieve that. Accuracy is worth more than horsepower. But horsepower and accuracy together are golden!

Oh. Flats for rats! Energy transfer is the name of the game. Flat nosed pellets are great for that. If the airgun won't push a flat through your rat, it shouldn't be used anyways, and energy to the target beats out a hole straight through, for effect.

If you can get an FAC rated airgun, more is good!

Cheers
Trev
 
Good topic! I bought one of those Ruger air rifles with a scope, but I've never thought to use it on gophers. Hmmm..... I'll give it a good try. It gives a he!! of a loud "sproingk" when you touch it off! :p
 
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