Lets see your Guns.

[peds]

Yeah, thanks for your opinion, and being a smelly hippy into peace and love and minimising the suffering of all living creatures, naturally I agree, in general. But being taken apart by a swarm of angry chickens is a damn sight quicker than any death that same rat could ever hope to find elsewhere in it's environment... play-torture at the sadistic claws of a cat, shitting it's guts out for three days from poison, chewing off a leg from a poor strike on a rat trap, dessicating on a sticky board... or, best case scenario, the rat reaching a ripe old age and simply starving to death when unable to forage their own food...

I'll take the easy way out of being winged by a pellet and torn apart by birds, thanks.

 

Anyway, that's a nice shotgun you've got there! I doubt that would leave much for a meal for the hens of poor wee Ratty. Chips and dips, maybe. 

[Johnsond]

42 minutes ago, peds said:

Yeah, thanks for your opinion, and being a smelly hippy into peace and love and minimising the suffering of all living creatures, naturally I agree, in general. But being taken apart by a swarm of angry chickens is a damn sight quicker than any death that same rat could ever hope to find elsewhere in it's environment... play-torture at the sadistic claws of a cat, shitting it's guts out for three days from poison, chewing off a leg from a poor strike on a rat trap, dessicating on a sticky board... or, best case scenario, the rat reaching a ripe old age and simply starving to death when unable to forage their own food...

I'll take the easy way out of being winged by a pellet and torn apart by birds, thanks.

 

Anyway, that's a nice shotgun you've got there! I doubt that would leave much for a meal for the hens of poor wee Ratty. Chips and dips, maybe. 

Nothing dies of old age in nature. 
What you are suggesting is no different to me going out tonight, taking a reckless shot on a roe and letting the dogs do the rest. We are poles apart socially and politically but rest assured on this topic unless you can do it cleanly and effectively you are far better off getting a professional in. Many very competent shooters will do rat work for free. I’m not going to get into a debate on this as for me there isn’t one to be had. 
Yeah cheers it’s a decent tool, crows, pigeons, magpies etc are its job, my preferred bit of kit for rats is an FAC super ten. 

 

[AHPP]

I’m back to your first idea. A semi auto pistol, empty the clip and let slip the chooks of war. 
 

4m shots are surprisingly difficult btw. You think you need to hold under because you’re closer than your zero (probably). You actually need to hold over because you’re so close that your boreline hasn’t met your sightline (probably a scope quite high off the bore) yet. Unintuitive. 

Edited August 7 by AHPP

[AHPP]

[GarethM]

4m shots are difficult, are you having an absolute laugh!.

 

If you can't hit a rat with a head shot at 4m, you need to surrender your driving licence and maybe just lay down and let them eat you.

 

40m I can give you the benefit of the doubt with a rifle, personally that's pretty much on the end of the barrel.

[Paul in the woods]

It's not as simple as shooting a piece of paper from a set distance. Many air pistols will be well under the legal limit so marginal for rats and add in a rather loopy trajectory, moving target and a varying distance I wouldn't do it, but I know I'm a rubbish pistol shooter. 

 

What I have found is rats, squirrels etc seem to know if you've armed. I can be outside and they just sit there until I get the air rifle and then they're off. An air rifle would be my choice.

 

I would also agree with the opinion you shoot to kill, not maim and hope something else does a better job. Having seen hens get mice etc the poor animal can be alive for quite some time as the hen with it runs around trying to find somewhere away from the rest of the flock. If in the UK you legally shouldn't shoot something unless you have the ability to kill it.

 

I'd also add I would want to use lead free pellets if the hens are likely to eat the corpses.

[Stubby]

I get them in the traps daily . The older ones are trap shy and wont touch it . I have shot a few with an air rifle and the best efforts have been with an old Chinese  springer with open sights .  But the .410 ( fully moderated ) is the bollox .

[AHPP]

Anyone else want in on a bulk deal on cats with me and peds? I’ve just dug a hole for an old one. 

[AHPP]

2 hours ago, Stubby said:

I get them in the traps daily . The older ones are trap shy and wont touch it . I have shot a few with an air rifle and the best efforts have been with an old Chinese  springer with open sights .  But the .410 ( fully moderated ) is the bollox .

I’ve twice bought one of those brilliant hushpower 410 folders and twice sold them for underuse. One would probably come in handy for the inevitable arrival of rats (following the indeterminate arrival of chickens) though. Perhaps third time lucky. 

Edited August 7 by AHPP

[AHPP]

3 hours ago, GarethM said:

4m shots are difficult, are you having an absolute laugh!.

 

If you can't hit a rat with a head shot at 4m, you need to surrender your driving licence and maybe just lay down and let them eat you.

 

40m I can give you the benefit of the doubt with a rifle, personally that's pretty much on the end of the barrel.

I did explain... I can do it with different words but it will be fundamentally the same explanation.