Need some Education on Air Rifles....

[jeremy]

I need an Air Rifle that is Capable of killing a Pigeon but not capable of poking holes through the Barn roof...

I am currently using a Crossman 140 by the way...
Recommendations...

 

[Rookie]

Stick with .177 break action like a Gamo.

 

[jeremy]

The Crossman 140 I am using now is a .22 Cal Pellet. Why is the .177 more advantageous?!

 

[Rookie]

Heavier bullet more chance of penetration. I'm going off of experience with my Sheridan which will kill a ground hog. .177 will not.

 

[ruger1800]

Is the crossman putting holes in the roof? you could try a benjamin pump. not sure if a .22 shot shell would go thru the roof.

 

[jeremy]

Is the crossman putting holes in the roof? you could try a benjamin pump. not sure if a .22 shot shell would go thru the roof.

No the Crossman is NOT putting holes in the Roof, I am just getting tired of having to pump it like 10-13 times to make a shot...

.22 Shot shells will not put holes in the Roof either, however, it is almost ineffective at killing a Pigeon also...

 

[jeremy]

Heavier bullet more chance of penetration. I'm going off of experience with my Sheridan which will kill a ground hog. .177 will not.

OK, now I am confused. Above you said to stay with the Gamo style .177 above...

 

[K_W]

Crossman 10 pump.

.177 would be better since it would easily kill the pigeon but the lighter pellet is less likely to punch through the roof.

 

[csmith]

I have a gamo bigcat 1200 with a laser and flashlight kit on it and it makes shooting birds at rodents in barns at night a lot of fun.

 

[shibumiseeker]

Blowgun.

Try loading 2-3 pellets in your gun if possible. I used to do that for mouse hunting in the cabin so the pellets didn't have too much velocity.

You might also try some of the CO2 pellet guns, they have lower velocity and some of them have clips for multiple shots (yes, clips, not magazines).

 

[bwframe]

Blowgun.

I was gonna suggest a slingshot also.
We can drive tacks with rifles all day long. Developing a different skill set could come in handy.

 

[Rookie]

I was suggesting something like a Gamo whisper. Cock the barrel, load the pellet, and it's ready. However, I found something cooler. Semi auto air rifle ftw. Shibumiseeker mentioned it, but I've never seen anything besides a pistol.

As far as caliber, if you aren't damaging the roof, I wouldn't worry about going to .177. If you are, then a .177 would be the better option since it's a lighter pellet.

Pump Action CO2 Series Air Rifles | Gamo USA

 

[Claddagh]

Just MO, but I've had very good results on similar pests with a couple of inexpensive, moderate-powered Chinese "springers" in .177. IIRC, paid about $30-35 for them NIB at gunshows. One is a side-cocker and the other an underlever. Both chrono about 770 f/s with an approx. 8 gr. pellet. Both have a grooved receiver for scope mounting, but be sure that any scope you put on one was designed to withstand the unique recoil characteristics of a spring-air rifle. Otherwise that secondary 'forward' impulse will tear it up in short order.

All steel and wood construction and very nice accuracy. I prefer these action types to a 'barrel-break', but that's just a personal thing. Much quicker to get into action for a first or repeat shot than a pump-up or an uncharged CO2 gun, plus no gas cylinders to buy or run out of. Also inexpensive enough that you can just hang one on a nail in the barn or shed if you want.

 

[2cool9031]

If you are a good shot...you should only have to pump-up the 140 once. Then one dead pidgeon.

 

[jeremy]

Blowgun.

Uhhh...
I am not allowed to handle Blowguns any longer around the farm...
Something about an Air Compressor...

Try loading 2-3 pellets in your gun if possible. I used to do that for mouse hunting in the cabin so the pellets didn't have too much velocity.

Ahhh...
The Old "Shotgun" Technique. Unfortunately the Ol' 140 will only load one pellet at a time...

You might also try some of the CO2 pellet guns, they have lower velocity and some of them have clips for multiple shots (yes, clips, not magazines).

That was more what I was wondering about...

I was suggesting something like a Gamo whisper. Cock the barrel, load the pellet, and it's ready. However, I found something cooler. Semi auto air rifle ftw. Shibumiseeker mentioned it, but I've never seen anything besides a pistol.

As far as caliber, if you aren't damaging the roof, I wouldn't worry about going to .177. If you are, then a .177 would be the better option since it's a lighter pellet.

Pump Action CO2 Series Air Rifles | Gamo USA

Thanks for the Links!

If you are a good shot...you should only have to pump-up the 140 once. Then one dead pidgeon.

With only one pump I am not even sure if it will propel the pellet out of the Barrel...

 

[jeremy]

UPDATE:

For those interested anyway...

After decreeing that Pigeons without Proper Immigration Papers would be dealt a Summery Execution when found. I dispatched 4 to the Great Pigeon in the Sky. Apparently the rest of the Illegal Immigrant Pigeons have decided to declare a war against me. I noticed today that my truck was the ONLY one that was defecated upon...

Tomorrow I will be retaliating...
This will be a long dirty War but I will hold Steadfast and not Falter...

 

[ChalupaCabras]

Gamo spring guns are all fairly powerful. You want to AVOID guns that are shooting 900+ FPS unless you want a bunch of pin-holes in your roof.

You are going to want a gun that shoots in the 600 to 700 FPS range - that is plenty to kill a pigeon at inside the barn ranges.

If you don't want to pump, then get a C02 gun - common hi power springer rifles can have a surprising amount of cocking effort, especially if you have to shoot them over and over again.

Look at a 'Tech Force' 78:
Tech Force TF78 Gold Series air rifle. Air rifles - PyramydAir.com

And the Crosman 2260:
Crosman 2260

Don't be put of by the fact that the TF78 made in China. It is a VERY nice airgun for the price. It is essentially a copy of the classic Crosman 2260 which runs about the same price...But:

The Chinese copy has a steel breech - the Crosman DOESN'T (plastic)
The Chinese copy has a metal trigger guard - the Crosman DOESN'T (plastic)
The Chinese copy has metallic fully adjustable fiber optic sights - the Crosman DOESN'T (stamped sheet metal)
The Chinese copy comes in both 17 and 22 caliber - the Crosman is DOESN'T (22 only)

Either gun is a perfect and economical fit for what you want to do... But IMO the TF789 is the better gun for the money - its basically time traveling back to the 60's and buying the gun that the Crosman USED to be.

 

[jeremy]

Day 2 of the Great Undocumented Pigeon Resettlement Drive of 2011...

Day 2 was semi Productive as I attempted to Request Proper Documentaion from 2 Pigeons that chose to defy my Authority and were sent to the Great Pigeon. I noticed a third Pigeon out of the corner of my eye and attempted a rapid shoot without choosing a Proper Stance and only winged him. This was when the Barn Cats declared an Alliance with me and 2 of their ilk assisted me with the sentence on the wounded bird...

 

[dead2rights]

Day 2 of the Great Undocumented Pigeon Resettlement Drive of 2011...

Day 2 was semi Productive as I attempted to Request Proper Documentaion from 2 Pigeons that chose to defy my Authority and were sent to the Great Pigeon. I noticed a third Pigeon out of the corner of my eye and attempted a rapid shoot without choosing a Proper Stance and only winged him. This was when the Barn Cats declared an Alliance with me and 2 of their ilk assisted me with the sentence on the wounded bird...

Good kittys. It's always better when the team comes together!

 

[1$Chuck]

You ever think about staying outside the barn with a shotgun and sending an assistant inside the barn to flush them out. I've had a lot of fun blasting Starlings with this technique.