[Drakejake]

Once again I have an animal playing in my attic--probably a squirrel. I have a number of .22 revolvers. Would it make sense to load one of them with .22 short and hunt down the animal? Or scare the excrement out of him with a .22 blank?

Can anyone recommend an economical brand for .22 short or .22 blanks? I believe CCI makes a low powered .22 short at $22 for a box of 500.

Thanks.

Drakejake

[Hkmp5sd]

Haven't purchased any .22 shorts in years. You might consider using ratshot.

[Woodchuck]

Buy some .22 fine shot. CCI makes it I think in #10 shot. Better yet buy a rat trap, put peanut butter on the tang and you'll have him in no time and you won't put a hole in your house. A .22 short will put a hole in your roof. The fine shot won't.

[Drakejake]

Thanks for the advice, guys.

Drakejake

[Pistolsmith]

If you have a terrier or a large cat you don't hae to resort to using firearms in the city. I have a Maine Coon cat and a Silky terrier; their squirrel (tree rat) scores are nip and tuck.

[Mal H]

I agree with the above about using .22 shot cartridges over a .22 Short. Shorts are not rounds to be taken lightly, they can be very potent and will put a hole through a roof or ceiling and into the room below. If a solid is required, try the Colibri's by Aguila though they might still penetrate the wallboard generally used in ceilings.

[Bainx]

If you do try the Colibri, be sure and wear safety glasses. The round will not penetrate wood but rather, bounce off of it.

[Mal H]

Right you are, Bainx! That should be an unbreakable habit for everyone. Shot will also bounce off wood. And the same goes for ear protection especially in an enclosed area like an attic. Even Colibri out of a handgun is loud under that condition.

[Pistolsmith]

I'm afraid that the domestic authorities would (rightfully) rebel at shots fired in the attic. Only someone into self immolation would risk bouncing pellets without protective gear. ALL THIS FOR A GOLDURNED TREE RAT? And, what if it turns out to be a roof rat or a Norway rat?
Let Fluffy earn his bowl of Friskies or slip Waldo's lead on the attic stairs. They will enjoy the exercise and your house or relations with your significant other will not be strained to the point of absurdity. In most municipalities, discharging a firearm within the city limits carries a large fine and/or jail time. You could find that a shot fired in your attic will be heard throughout the entire neighborhood. When you take your second and thrid shots at a moving varmint, you will have pinpointed your location.
If you are too pesky a person to own a pet, or if there are restrictions imposed by the warden, rat traps are still available, as noted by the poster above.....................
And, watch what you advise forumites to do that could be contrary to law. I know for a fact that this forum is monitered by anti-gun people. Believe it or not, they are allowed by our bill of rights.

[Hkmp5sd]

There is also the option of using a pellet gun. Nice, quiet and accurate.

[moxie]

Pistolsmith has it right. Bad idea to shoot inside your house, attic or elsewhere, for many reasons. I've had experience with squirrels in the attic. Best way to get them is, as others have stated, traps. Rat traps work sometimes. Best bet is a Havahart style trap baited with peanut butter. Once trapped get the squirrel and release him/her some miles away from your house. Works every time. Moxie

"If you need to shoot...shoot...don't talk." Tuco

[Pistolsmith]

Good idea. Many Humane Societies will loan you a Havaheart trap, and when you have ensnared the varmint, they will remove the trap and release the critter as indicated without bother to you.
But, have you considered that the critter in your attic might be a SKUNK? Get brave with a pellet gun against one of those critters and your friends will avoid you until you take a bath in tomato juice and the house will be temporarily uninhabitable. The Havaheart trap captures skunks with their tails down so they cannot spray.

[labgrade]

Trap, cat, shoot.

Colibri has a "no powder" load that approximates a pellet gun in a .22 - varies to point of impact versus aim. Suggest you try & dial in before shooting in attic.

Most shorts are beefier than what you'd want to shoot indoors.

[Okiecruffler]

Weiner Dog

[Mike Irwin]

I killed quite a few squirrles in the attic of my parents old house with a .22 rifle and Winchester shot cartridges.

If you decide to do this, be ABSOLUTELY certain to wear eye protection (a face mask isn't a bad idea quite frankly) as you can get some spash back.

[ENC]

This sounds like a very good excuse for an air rifle.

Shooting inside your home (but outside the realm of SD) is one of those areas where "Use enough gun" is not to be taken too seriously.

If you live far enough away from the neighbors I would wait outside where the critter is entering/exiting and then think about a .22

[Shockly]

I once had racoons in my attic. I waited until they left for the night and then I patched the hole. Amazingly effective, I had no more problems with racoons.
The key is to patch the hole so they can't get back in.
Firearms need not be the solution in this case.:rolleyes:

Shockly

[Okiecruffler]

But did you patch the hole with a .22short, or a shot shell?:neener:

[Shalako]

Doesn't anyone use a club anymore? "When all you have is a hammer...."

I once had to take out a rat in my kitchen with a screwdriver. I wasn't going to let him get away..... Darn varmint was nesting behind the dishwasher.

[twoblink]

Moving up the violence scale:

1.. Do nothing, let him be
2.. Patch the hole
3.. Rubber band gun
4.. Airsoft
5.. BB handgun
6.. BB rifle
7.. Air Pellet handgun
8.. Air Pellet rifle
9.. .22LR Fine shot
10.. .22Short
11.. .22LR
12.. .22LR hollowpoint
13.. 380Auto
14.. 9mm JHP
15.. .40SW/357Mag JHP
16.. .45ACP JHP
17.. .223
18.. .308
19.. 300WinMag
20.. 375 H&H
21.. .50Cal
22... Dude, at this point in time, Iraq is in your attic!! You need to call in the troops if you need more then that!

[GooseGestapo]

TWOBLINK,

You left out some alternatives............
Soft hand.... (swat 'em)
Chemical..... (nah, not pepper, the Rat Poison kind)

I can't believe you went for the .308 over an '06, everyone knows the '06 is better for dangerous game such as tree-rats...........
And I can't believe you left out the .338WinMag. and of course the always reliable .12ga shotgun (choke recommendations of course).

(Just kidding you know!)

[Shalako]

Oh Heck! Now I've got THE idea for that little varmint.

Less-Lethal rounds for the 12 gage!!

Those been bags oughta really put the smack-down on your furry friend. Ear protection advised.

[ChuteTheMall]

If all else fails, duct tape a butane BBQ lighter to an aerosol can of starter fluid to make a handy little flame thrower and burn him up. This is even quieter than shooting blanks thru a silencer. Don't store extra gasoline in the attic, though.:fire:

[dav]

but haven't any of you noticed that he wanted to buy *500* rounds for one squirrel? :what:

I think we ought to chip in and send him for some practice time at the nearest range, poor guy...

[Drakejake]

I couldn't find anyone who would sell me just one round. It seems the vendors like to sell whole boxes of ammo rather than one at a time.

Drakejake

[Blackhawk]

Squirrels are VERY smart, so be sure to get a good video camera you can hook up to a better VCR. You'll definitely want to tape the squirrel laughing his tail off as you fumble, stumble, and scratch yourself silly from the fiberglas insulation while you're trying to be invisible to him to get a shot.

After you get out of the hospital from your fall through the ceiling, you'll have a valuable tape you can sell to one of those TV shows.

I'd just rent a cat trap and bait it with some acorns. After a day or two to get used to it, the squirrel WILL check it out, then you can figure out what to do with it.

[Drakejake]

Are you a comedian? You are VERY funny! Thanks for the charming advice and comments.

Drakejake