Pest control handgun?

This will do the trick...
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There's always this one too!
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Depends on the pest. I often use a .177 air pistol for attic rats - though I once crawled up there to discover the largest raccoon I ever saw and immediately felt completely unarmed with the thing. After briefly considering returning with a .357, I went downstairs, poured myself a drink, and carefully ignored any further noises from the attic.

Otherwise, I get a good deal of use from homemade shot cartridges in my .500 S&W. I fill them with #4 or #6, and they essentially duplicate the performance of a 20 gauge, taking care of snakes and rodents with little fuss and no danger to the neighbors.
 
I have killed hundreds of raccoons with the single six. Most by far of that holster wear was earned then, in Iowa barns, hunting with terriers and friends. Working with dogs and other people in barns the safety factor of Single Six can't be ignored. And it's accurate enough that I've killed more than one trying to hide on the framework at the top of the barn.

The Mark II is a bit more accurate and for sure faster. Best .22 Handgun I've ever owned including an older High Standard.

I've always liked Winchester Super X (not the bulk stuff) .22 LRHP for nearly everything in these two. That said, both will shoot basically everything well.

Single six with holster.jpg Mark II.jpg

Edit: I learned a few years after the fact that the first time I showed up with the single six at a terrier hunt the host decided right then I wasn't some kind of idiot who would shoot a dog or a person in a fit of excitement. A complement I've always been proud of.
 
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Hard to beat a Single Six .22/.22 Mag, but for sure one shot eliminations on possums, racoons and such in the horse feed, I rely on a .32 H&R Single Six and handloaded Hornady 85 gr XTP's. As single actions go, this one has been easy to shoot and is every bit as accurate in my hands as any of my .22 handguns of far better pedigree.

Here it is with its much more expensive stable mate: a Smith M16 in .32 H&R. Truth be told, I shoot the Ruger as well as the M16 in SA, but readily admit that the Smith's exceptional DA trigger is a better choice when the game is running.

The Ruger has accounted for several skunks and I've not kept track of the possums and raccoons. The holster is one of my own construction and fits the gun to a "T". Best regards, and keep your powder dry!! Rod

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nettlle said:
I could take either to shoot a pest but I always pick up the K22. It has a nicer single action trigger pull. I use CCI Standard Velocity 40 grain round nose. Hollow points are too messy. Especially if the critter is in one of the barns which is usually the case..


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When I was in high school, my best friend had a 4" K22 that all of us wanted. Sadly it was stolen and never recovered. Man what a nice .22 that one was.
 
A few years ago, my attic got infested with rats. Latter found out that they were coming from my neighbor’s house.
I tried traps and poison, and still couldn’t get rid of them. One day I had enough. I got my Taurus 85 and a box of 38 Spl. shot shell that I had loaded with #8 shot and corn meal.
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I got rid of some rats, along with some air ductwork. I really wasn’t worried about the ductwork, the rats had already messed up a bunch of it.
 
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