Pellet gun question...

[PR-NJ]

I just bought a Gamo Whisper Silent Cat .22 Cal Air Rifle. According to the manufacturer, the velocity of PBA (performance ballistic alloy) pellets is 950 fps. I'm assuming the velocity of heavier, lead pellets is much lower.

The primary purpose of the gun is to shoot flying squirrels (but not while in flight) in my attic. We have a colony of the buggers and they are very, very hard to get rid of. We have multiple rat traps set up, baited with peanut butter, but so far, have only been able to get one. They hide under the blown in insulation, but can sometimes be spotted.

A few dumb questions about the pellet gun:

1. How likely will lead pellets ricochet off of the plywood/press board roof deck or roof rafters/joists?

2. Might a pellet actually pass through the plywood/press board roof deck, the under layer and shingles (new roof!)?

Not that I'd ever miss a squirrel.

 

[Michael R.]

I have a funny story to tell. Yesterday my cat brought a live mouse into the house. We have a fireplace with stone and he took my .177 725 fps airgun and shot it. The pellet went through the mouse and didn't ricochet. YMMV

 

[lemaymiami]

As a boy my early hunting adventures were all with a Benjamin or Crossman 22 cal air rifle (each were the pump up, single shot variety). Can't tell you how many squirrel or rabbit were killed with a single shot from either of those two airguns. I don't believe either was quite as powerful as what you have. Both would penetrate both sides of an empty soda can at about fifty feet, but neither would completely penetrate a piece of 3/8 plywood. In short, what you have is perfect for squirrels or rabbits if they'll sit still long enough for a clear shot. If you're worried about over penetration, take a piece of plywood slightly lighter than what's in your roof and take a couple of test shots at different distances to see exactly what penetration to expect...

I still have that old Benjamin somewhere and intend to pass it on to my son or grandson someday. It's every bit of fifty years old now and appears to be made entirely of brass as that's what shows through anywhere the finish is on the thin side...

 

[pbrktrt]

I want to know how Michael taught the cat to shoot the pellet gun. Iron sights or scope?

 

[Michael R.]

My dad took the mouse with a scope. My cat is about 3 pounds overweight. My dad said he brought the mouse in and batted it a few times with his paw before walking off. I really need to put him on some cat exercise programs...

 

[heavydluxe]

1. All airgun manufacturers tend to overstate the muzzle velocity on their top-end break-barrel rifles. Gamo is, perhaps, the most egregious 'power marketer'.

2. You don't need the massive velocities of PBA ammo to deliver enough force to kill the squirrels you're talking about. I've shot dozens with regular, .177 Crosman Premier HPs out of my RWS34. With a .22 like yours, just about any well-aimed shot will put the things down out to about 25-45 yards. No sweat.

3. Depending on range and your skill as a shot, test a couple different kinds of pellets to see what you gun likes. Air rifles are notoriously sensitive to different pellets (some grouping while others barely find paper) and sensitive to hold.

Have fun!


EDIT: When I shoot at short range with my .177, the projectile often goes through the squirrel. But, it generally seems to have lost enough energy that it doesn't punch out through walls. I would definitely suggest you consider lead pellets, though, to cut down on ricochet. I don't know if shape affects ricochet, but I use wadcutter pellets when shooting in the house.

 

[PR-NJ]

Well, I added to the pellet gun arsenal...

Sprung for a Crosman .22 cal. CO2 powered pistol. $55 on Amazon. Only 460 fps, so less worry about over-penetration. And, given the confined space, more maneuverability.

I feel like Christopher Walken in Mouse Hunt.

 

[wolf695]

As for your ?'s They should penatrate plywood or soft pine, unless it is frosten! Then it may not!

 

[LoonWulf]

That pistol should do for what you want. If it dosnt and your interested in air guns, take a look at the qb78 series of single shots made in china. Ive been a fan of those little rifles for years, in stock form they usually generate between 650-500 fps, depending on .177 or .22. The gun i recently assembled and tuned for a friend in .177 hits 850 with JSB exacts or AA Fields and punches thru 4 coke cans full of water at 50yds. It shoots about 1/4" at 10 yds and 1" at 40 for 10 shots.

 

[tlatoani]

Agree with the above comment about testing on a piece of plywood. It would suck to put a hole in the roof.

 

[Inebriated]

I don't want to jack the thread, but what is the reason for not using a .22LR with Colibri or Super Colibri rounds?

 

[Sentry71]

Ive used .177 lead pellets in a break action Stoeger, rated at 800fps. My backer was a wooden privacy fence (not by choice, but you go with what you have).

I have had less than 1/4" penetration, and rarely a bounceback (though it did happen on occasion).

You are correct, lead will be slower than the PBAs.

I would expect the answers for your questions as such:
1) Possible, but very unlikely.
2) I doubt that the pellet would have enough energy to go through your roof.

 

[HankC]

I don't want to jack the thread, but what is the reason for not using a .22LR with Colibri or Super Colibri rounds?

22LR is firearm, most places have restriction on firing a firearm. Pellet gun is not considered a firearm. Also, Colibri is still very loud if fired in a house.

 

[springer99]

PR, are you sure that it's a .22cal and will do 950fps? Most AG mfg. seriously over-state their claims. Not sure what a PBA pellet weighs, but you might be getting close to .22 short specs. That's a pretty powerful pellet rifle, and will likely penetrate your roof materials. Best way to tell is to try and get a close sample of the plywood/shingle and try it at the likely distance involved.

 

[glockgod]

Given the overpenetration issues I'd suggest using .22 shotloads. From personal experience I can say that they will knock the snot out of a rat at 15feet or so.

 

[husker]

I have found these to be the best pellet for accuracy & 1 shot kills on tree rats in the 22 cal

 

[Michael R.]

Given the overpenetration issues I'd suggest using .22 shotloads. From personal experience I can say that they will knock the snot out of a rat at 15feet or so.

I concur. I've shot those out in South Dakota against a piece of wood and they ricocheted right back. I wouldn't use those in a house.

 

[chicharrones]

Just a side note about sighting in dark areas, like an attic. The open sights or scope with unlit reticle are quite difficult to line up in low to near dark light.

On my particular house critter eliminator (Crosman 2260) I added a cheap laser sight to the barrel and have it sighted for about 20 feet. I can actually use that air rifle in near dark situations because of that.

 

[fpgt72]

22LR is firearm, most places have restriction on firing a firearm. Pellet gun is not considered a firearm. Also, Colibri is still very loud if fired in a house.

Some places call them a projectile weapon and then it is a no-no.

Might want to check before testing different pellets in the back yard.

 

[Inebriated]

22LR is firearm, most places have restriction on firing a firearm. Pellet gun is not considered a firearm. Also, Colibri is still very loud if fired in a house.

True. I guess I was just thinking about where I live... there's no restrictions on either being fired.

Carry on.

 

[BigMag]

I have a Benjamin xl1500 for rodents and practice with targets in the back yard that are stapled to 3/4 ply and pine board and its only gone through after many rounds. Thats at a right angle so Im not sure how that would react if I was off axes.