Puff The Magic Wagon!

iTrader: (2)

Rabbits - those that chose to make their home within my 1/2 acre of Suffolk & there are loads of them now!

Looking for recomendations as to what is desirable & legal to ensure as humane a removal as possible.

Might have to take out a hare as well before the local/not so local gypsies start coming round to hare course with their own inherrant problems

Thanks

Jamo

iTrader: (23)

get yourself an air-rifle, thats about a humane as your going to get, as long as your a decent shot. as for the hare im fairly sure you cant touch it. i remember shooting one ages ago and my mate saying not to tell anyone

shaun

IWatkins

Air rifle is the best way on your own land (1/2 acre) unless you have a lot of land, then firearms would be better. Stick with a standard power (sub 12 lb) and you do not need to worry about firearm licencing etc.

But please practice, practice, practice first using targets until you are happy you can get a shot to within half an inch of intended spot at any range. Only then take on the rabbits. Nothing worse than wounding an animal and then not being able to catch it to put it out of its misery.

From what I remember of Suffolk hares, they are big buggers* and I wouldn't like to say whether you could take one out with a single shot from a sub 12 lb air rifle. Not sure if they are on the vermin list anyway ?

Cheers

Ian

* Hit a Suffolk hare on an airfield taxiway at about 100mph in my Audi Coupe many years ago. Total repair bill came to just under £600.

Scoobsti

I have never really considered and air rifle to be a humane way of dispatching rabbits unless you are proficient enough to guarantee a head shot. The legal power limit of 12 ft lbs for air rifles just isn't enough - shoot them and they run off. A .22 rifle is more suitable but requires a Firearms Certificate together will all the security that goes with it - but they can be silenced so as to be quieter than an air rifle ! A shotgun or .410 is probably the most suitable 'weapon' to use but these also have certification issues as well as noise issues. Again they can be silenced - but I'm not sure how effective this is.

Shooting on you own land also depends on your location and how far away you are from any public right of way / other peoples property. All of this is IMHO of course

Not sure about other humane methods - I've always used the above.

Brendan Hughes

Practice until you can get 8/10 shots inside a 10p at 25 yards.

My Weirauch HW77k had trouble killing our rabbits (head shots) until we changed pellets - I think we went from round nose to pointed. Seemed to cure it.

Dad's got a 12-bore but we don't use it as it's a PITA frankly. Shoot from a bedroom window and you'd deafen yourself, and you only get one shot and then have to spend up to 15 mins cleaning the smoothbore afterwards (perhaps this is 3 mins for experts but we're not them).

We now have cats, who like tender baby bunny rather than waiting until they get adult. We have no more rabbit problem.

SJ_Skyline

1/2 acre? Concrete over mate - problem solved

Puff The Magic Wagon!

iTrader: (2)

SJ

After all the work I've put in? Get lost




I'm an OK shot, done a lot of target shooting in my time to a good standard.

Cats aren't an option as we want to preserve the birdlife in our garden which is multitudinous (as are the rabbits) and diverse.

I'd prefer a .22 but a Firearms Cert is a PITA & poss a bit overkill, likewise a shottie.

Anyway, I'm after gun recommendations please!! Accuracy & punch being the key along with pellet types.

Ta!

Nevetas

Hiya,

Whats your budget?

If you want an FAC, I have 1 place left on my shooting syndicate, that would allow you to get some big bad boys toys. Email me on steve@breezems.com if your interested in that. It's in Tiptree, Essex.

But, back to the subject. What sort of budget do you have?

Brendan Hughes

AIUI you've got two choices - spring or pneumatic.

Spring is cheaper, has recoil, and doesn't need a dive bottle to recharge.

Pneumatic is almost double the price of a spring, is recoilless (?sp), and needs recharging every 50-100 shots.

Once you've decided that, we can get on with the recommendations.

Nevetas

Not neccaserily, pneumatic is not double the price of a good spring gun. And most will do much more than 100 shots.

Also you can get pumps, I don't use an air bottle for mine.

There is also another option, gas ram. Which is sometimes a good comprimise between the two.

mj

HW90

Nevetas

Yeah I like the HW90, great rifle at a great price.

Have a look on the combo's here

http://www.theairguncentre.com/mainframe.asp

If you call them, tell them the 'Bad Boy' sent you, and they will give you the VIP treatment

Dave T-S

Puff
Since I spend much of my time even nearer to you these days (Ashley), when are you going to invite me and my Beretta 682 Gold E 12b/.22 Wierauch HW97 over?!

Puff The Magic Wagon!

iTrader: (2)

Well, seeing as you are constantly wandering past my house without calling in, then the next time you do so, knock on the bloody door! You know where I am

(Can't believe you did that - then phone up for 1/2 mile away to say you'd just gone past! )


Anytime m8 - but poss better to phone 1st - away this w-end in Ireland.

Puff The Magic Wagon!

iTrader: (2)

Nevetas/mj

Whats the difference between Standard & Carbine on the HW90?

Whats a good scope (out of those listed maybe) to go with it?

Does a silencer work effectively on an air-rifle and any cons to it (like loss of power etc)?

Dave T-S

OI Last time I wandered past, you were shopping in Bury, so wouldn't have been much point in knocking!!

Must get together though........

I've got a couple of squirrels at Lesley's house to knock off next time they coincide a visit with mine, so tend to leave the air rifle in the boot of the car anyway

jimi

I got a theoben rapid 7 and i have killed many a rabbit at a great distance,i have had this rifle for 10 years without any trouble what so ever,i still love it as much as the day i brought it.

JIM

simo

James

i lent my old man my bsa c/w a decent scope & some decent pointed pellets for his rabbit problem (b4 he had borrowed an old air rifle with no scope & hit nowt). Result, 6 rabbits in 1st 2 evenings of trying :thumbs: If this had failed I would have taken the 12bore over

Go to your local gun shop & ask m8, sure they could help.

cheers simon

Drunken Bungle Whore

and I was worried about Nimbus and his wasps! But Bunnies???

<heads for a large drink and a bit of a lie down....>

Puff The Magic Wagon!

iTrader: (2)

DBW

I am slowly reclaiming our garden from the countryside. However, the bunnies are doing their best to thwart my attempts by digging large holes everywhere

There are also more of them than when I started


Once the rabbit population has been downsized, then I've got to do something about the moles

Brendan Hughes

HOORAY! Another mole thread coming up on SN!!

Puff, don't do it between July 20 and Aug 20, will you? I'll have no internet access then...

Scoobsti

A shotgun is perfect for moles (seriously) I remember we had a mole problem when I was younger and one day my Dad took a shotgun out when he was gardening. If he saw a mole turning up soil - grabs gun - bang bang = one ex mole. It works, just takes a bit of patience - and you have to watch your toes.

A .22 rifle isn't overkill though - it's just a bit more humane. I used a spare Anschutz match rifle with a 20x scope to deal with our rabbit problem (didn't take long ). I Have to agree a FAC is a PITA if you want it just for rabbits - it's also doubtful if the BIB would grant one solely for that purpose anyway so you would have to join a club etc etc. (IMHO)

I would certainly second the Theoben though - excellent air rifle - as for pellets, try Bisley Magnum's if the distances aren't too great, as they are quite heavy (22 grains ? IIRC) and tend to drop a bit.

RIGPIG

Puff

Sorry not much help from me, but the above quote reminds me of the TV sketch “Only one way to get rid of a mole! Blow the Buggers head off!!”

I found it amusing anyway.

I’ll get my coat

IWatkins

My Theoben. Easily takes rabbits down and is standard power. Choose pellets wisely though.



Cheers

Ian

Nevetas

Nice gun Ian, I've had 5 Rapids from MKI, MKII and an FAC MFR. Fine Rifles.