• If you enjoy the forum please consider supporting it by signing up for a NES Membership  The benefits pay for the membership many times over.

Pellet gun for varmint control

B

Boozemonkey

Joined
Nov 26, 2012
Messages
215
Likes
24
Location
Wakefield, MA
Feedback: 1 / 0 / 0
Hey guys,

I live in Danvers and the rabbits in my yard are out of control this year. I put up an expensive fence to protect my garden and they are still slipping through and decimating my vegetables. I'm about to go to Wally world and pick up a pellet gun and start reducing the population. My question is I looked up the town ordinances and need your opinion on if it looks like i can legally shoot them. here's the excerpt i found. any help would be super appreciated since stuff like this makes my wife extra nervous.

"Section 9. No person shall fire or discharge any firearms or explosives of any kind within the limits of any highway, park or other public property except with the permission of the Board of Selectmen; or on any private property except with the consent of the owner or legal occupant thereof; provided however that this by-law shall not apply to the lawful defense of life or property nor to any law enforcement officer acting in the discharge of his duties. (AUTH: ARTICLE 17, TM 3/17/58.)"
 
Boozemonkey said:
My question is I looked up the town ordinances and need your opinion on if it looks like i can legally shoot them. here's the excerpt i found. any help would be super appreciated since stuff like this makes my wife extra nervous.
Click to expand...
i think your looking for someone here to give you their blessing to blast those bunnies. it's ok by me. my worry would be a neighbor sees the bunny genocide, sees only a "gun" and police get involved. one of the reasons i don't do it in my area.
i don't remember if you said how close the nearest house is to you, a pellet will still go through a window. so....
 
greencobra said:
i think your looking for someone here to give you their blessing to blast those bunnies. it's ok by me. my worry would be a neighbor sees the bunny genocide, sees only a "gun" and police get involved. one of the reasons i don't do it in my area.
i don't remember if you said how close the nearest house is to you, a pellet will still go through a window. so....
Click to expand...

I don't need the blessing. I've trapped them before and they have ended up on the kitchen table but this time there's too many. I just want to make sure that if the neighbors see or hear something and call the cops i have a leg to stand on and I don't lose my LTC over a silly rabbit.

Nearest neighbor is probably 50 yards away or more and has a decent amount of trees between them and us. I guess I can always try and snip them from inside my house and that might muffle the shots more.
 
Boozemonkey said:
I guess I can always try and snip them from inside my house and that might muffle the shots more.
Click to expand...
lol, i've done that, like a sniper, i sit back from the window and get off a few shots. i have an old co2 crossman, just a gentile pfttt so not concerned about noise, just nosy neighbors.
 
greencobra said:
lol, i've done that, like a sniper, i sit back from the window and get off a few shots. i have an old co2 crossman, just a gentile pfttt so not concerned about noise, just nosy neighbors.
Click to expand...

That's when I usually see them is when I'm in my house and I look out in my yard. If I go outside I hear "Scatter its the owner"! and they disappear.

strangenh said:
As is usual in such threads, what is your budget?
Click to expand...

I wouldn't mind spending $300 for something quiet and accurate
 
I agree slap shot about .22 pellets. I never clocked it but my Gammo says it's shooting at 1200 fps. I sitll have a hard time getting a clean kill on a squirrel because it doesn't have the energy on target.

Also, even with the built in "suppressor" my .177 has a pretty loud crack that my neighbors can hear. The .22s I've shot don't seem as loud.
 
Boozemonkey said:
... when I usually see them is when I'm in my house and I look out in my yard. If I go outside I hear "Scatter its the owner"! and they disappear.
Click to expand...
Our local animules say, "cheese it; it's the humans!", but yeah.


I'd think the hunting regs would be at least as relevant as gun laws.
Don't know what would be worse -
hunting the wrong thing at the wrong time with a license,
or hunting anything without a license.
 
1. Shoot from a high position so the ground acts as your backdrop.

2. Take the insect screen off a window and shoot from inside a few feet: the report will be naturally muffled and nosy neighbors are less likely to make out the shape of the rifle.

3. Scan, scan and scan before pulling the trigger and make sure no kids accidentally run into your field of fire.
 
June4th said:
1. Shoot from a high position so the ground acts as your backdrop.

2. Take the insect screen off a window and shoot from inside a few feet: the report will be naturally muffled and nosy neighbors are less likely to make out the shape of the rifle.

3. Scan, scan and scan before pulling the trigger and make sure no kids accidentally run into your field of fire.
Click to expand...

4. Don't miss. The last thing you need is for a half dead rabbit ending up on the neighbor's doorstep w/ a pellet lodged in it.
 
The verb ''to hunt'', in all of its moods and tenses, includes pursuing, shooting, killing and capturing mammals and birds and all lesser acts such as disturbing, harrying or worrying, or placing, setting, drawing or using any device commonly used to take mammals and birds, whether or not such acts result in taking; and includes every attempt to take and every act of assistance to any other person in taking or attempting to take mammals and birds.

If a neighbor gets testy, this could be your downfall. If you don't derive a substantial part of your income from your veggie patch, you don't get the agricultural exemption.

Start farming these...problem solved.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r7wHMg5Yjg


I'm not saying don't do what you think you need to do (assuming you're an adult), but the above cautions are apt. A wounded, screaming, bleeding Peter Cottontail in the neighbor's yard when the kids are in the splash pool, and saw Bambi the night before will not be a "FTW!" moment.

Oh...the fast, supersonic pellets hit harder, but are a LOT noisier...or so I've heard.
 
buckfarack said:
4. Don't miss. The last thing you need is for a half dead rabbit ending up on the neighbor's doorstep w/ a pellet lodged in it.
Click to expand...
have you ever heard a rabbit scream! they sure do when you dont get a good shot off. Your also correct those darn rabbits often end up in your most unfriendly neighbors yard
 
BaldAssCat said:
I agree slap shot about .22 pellets. I never clocked it but my Gammo says it's shooting at 1200 fps. I sitll have a hard time getting a clean kill on a squirrel because it doesn't have the energy on target.

Also, even with the built in "suppressor" my .177 has a pretty loud crack that my neighbors can hear. The .22s I've shot don't seem as loud.
Click to expand...
squirrel kill zone is tiny, with 17 cal a good solid head shot is best. if you hit to far behind the shoulder theres not much there for a quick dispatch. hit the shoulder and the 17s dont carry enough energy to the zone.

FPS is not as important as FPE foot pounds of energy..... those air rifles spouting 1200, 1400 fps generally are with light alloy pellets so they loose energy fast.
rabbits are going to need about 8-12 FPE for a good knock down. again the kill zone is pretty small aprox 1"

so a nice little 14 grain pellet going around 650fps will give you enough energy for a small/medium wrabit inside 25 yards

As noted be aware of bylaws and hunting regulations along with any "crop" protection rights.
this is my primary yard pest control and short range ( inside 25 yard) hunter.
Its a old school pumper crosman 1400. worked over a bitto delivery some more energy.
ld6cIREl.jpg

It sends a 14 grain pellet a touch over 600fps. Has taken it share of tree rats , wabbit and some pesky ground hogs. I also have a more modern set up for out to 75 yards.
 
Last edited:
Boozemonkey said:
That's when I usually see them is when I'm in my house and I look out in my yard. If I go outside I hear "Scatter its the owner"! and they disappear.



I wouldn't mind spending $300 for something quiet and accurate
Click to expand...

theres a real explosion of air gun offerings in the past few years. Theres a decent amount of air rifles out there for $300
Dont know where you are but New England Air Gun is in Hudson Ma and will have many more options than the local walmart/bass pro shit break barrel selections.

theres a growing number of entry level PCP air rifles out there.

this has just enough power if your inside 20 yards.

Sheridan 2260MB CO2 Rifle. Air rifle | Pyramyd Air

Had the crosman version growing up this is a clone. It was decent for a CO2 rifle. Single shot good little grab gun for close shots?
Beeman QB78 Deluxe CO2 Air Rifle | Pyramyd Air
 
Last edited:
mac1911 said:
It sends a 14 grain pellet a touch over 600fps. Has taken it share of tree rats , wabbit and some pesky ground hogs. I also have a more modern set up for out to 75 yards.
Click to expand...

Agreed about FPE.

What scope are you using on your 75 yard setup? That's a lot of drop.
 

Similar threads

  • Locked
Does Massachusetts have the best "gun control laws" for Pro-2A people?
Replies
28
Views
432
Picton
Picton
Looks like the Mass police now LOVE the Senate gun control law.
2
Replies
38
Views
1K
s&w3913
S
A local MA Gun Ban Group - Falmouth Gun Safety Coalition
Replies
9
Views
445
LLF
LLF
  • Locked
Massachusets is a Constitutional Carry State for residents only
2
Replies
33
Views
668
Thunder Dump
Thunder Dump
Treatment for alcohol
Replies
22
Views
683
whacko
whacko
Back
Top Bottom