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Recommendations for a quiet air gun to take squirrels.

7K views 27 replies 25 participants last post by  varmit hunter67 
#1 · (Edited)
I have a squirrel problem. I live in town but neighbors are not real close . Squirrels have done thousands of dollars of damage to my attic, gable vents, and boxing. Time to protect what is mine. I need a quiet but capable air gun to take squirrels at close range.
 
#2 ·
Not an expert on that matter, but in terms of power, possibly the Beeman P-1 aka Weihrauch HW45 or Crosman 1322 (.22 variant) (which can be suitably modified {more $$} with a flat top piston to increase the power).

Ask questions, Read reviews, make the informed choice, then really enjoy airgunning. Cheers.
 
#3 · (Edited)
In pistols, Benjamin 1377, inexpensive and accurate. In rifles (quieter still), Crosman 397 or 392. Also, better quality ($) and excellent accuracy, Beeman R7 or the clone w sights. I use them all the time for same problem. You can control loudness in the Benjamin and Crosmans; the Beeman is quiet enough for break barrel.

Welcome to the forum. :)
 
#4 ·
A Beeman R9 in a .22 would be a very nice rifle that would last a couple of lifetimes with proper care. Since you have a little separation from the neighbors it should be quiet enough. Don`t buy your pellets at a local store, get some 15.9 JSB`s off the internet. I shot a tree rat this morning with my Daystate Wolverine B lite, the whump of impact was louder than the report of the gun. Distance was 43 yards this morning. Pellet was 18.1 JSB. Go gettum!
 
#5 ·
I recently got a Benjamin Trail NP XL in .177. Despite being "internally suppressed" I would not rate it as particularly quiet. I don't wear hearing protection with it (but then again I don't with my Beeman R9 springer either). The Interwebs said the Benjamin would be quiet with heavier pellets traveling at subsonic speeds, but it still sounds about like an air powered nail-gun to me. Not stealthy in any sense. I have about 100 pellets down the barrel; maybe it will get more quiet with use.
 
#6 ·
You guys have given me a lot to explore. I have been a member on rimfirecentral before but it’s been a long time and recently I couldn’t get signed in due to an email change sometime ago, I guess. I wanted to explore the air guns to help solve my problem. I have several .22s and have used the “quiet .22” in the past. It’s just more powerful than I want to use near neighbors . Also, if I am seen defending my homeland, I think an air gun would maybe get me a pass over a .22 rifle. These posts are really helpful. Thank you .
 
#8 ·
Benjamin makes a marauder pistol with a carbine stock available.
There was a discussion here a few days ago about the expense of tanks and compressors, but most I have talked to do fine with a pump for a while and just don't let the pressure get too low.

Sent from my SM-J327P using Tapatalk
 
#9 ·
Try a PCP repeater

Gamo has a Coyote Model and Kral Puncher Breaker in .22 look decent for the money and have been tested to have decent accuracy better than break barrels. You could also buy a break barrel springer in 25 caliber for close range. I would stick to open sights inside a yard where a scope is not really needed and may actually make it harder to shoot at close range. There are cheap Chinese compressors available around $300 for PCP air rifles. A .177 air rifle may do what you want but the larger calibers have a harder punch. rc
 
#13 ·
Been there myself with squirrels,though not as much damage.They found a weak spot in the roof and moved in. Once they move in,they are very determined.
Have you tried traps? I resorted to a .22 with low power ammo(shorts,or CBs, I think) but before that I tried smoke them out and used wire mesh over their access points in the gable vents,etc,once they were out.. They still returned,got busy with trying to tear off siding.
Until one stick his head out of a soffit vent,and I plugged him,after which he tumbled out, I first thought that I had rats.
 
#15 ·
I too am in town with neighbors and sometimes pest problem. I settled on Beeman R7 rifle. It is quiet and accurate. I have 2 R7 and one HW 30S which is the same as the Beeman R7. One R7 is scoped and the other two have peep sights. I had stronger air rifles but they came close to sounding like a .22 I would recommend a Beeman R7 or the HW 30S in .177. Works for me.
 
#16 · (Edited)
This is posted in the "Air Pistol" category, so if your looking for an air pistol, take a look at the Sheridan-Benjamin pump pistol. Mine's an H9 series - I have a laser sight mounted on it and is quite accurate up to at least 15 yds or so and is relatively quiet. If a rifle is acceptable, try Super Colibri ammo in a 20 inch barrel for quietness. I tried it in a CZ Scout (16" bbl) and still had a bit of a crack to it. Anything longer than 20" and you'd need to check and make sure it's exiting. This ammo isn't super accurate - probably 15 yard limit, but is really quiet in my CZ w/20" barrel and has more power than expected.
 
#18 ·
Look at the Bandit, one post down $179 new. add a cheap red dot, mine was like $25. Then a mid range hand pump, very few pump as it has a small tank and about 20 shots. It has a moderator so it's super quiet. If over 20 yard shots might look at a rifle like listed several above.

LEN
 
#21 ·
I am not adverse to varmint shooting (took untold numbers of wood chucks out of my back field), but I'll pass along a non-lethal fix for your squirrel problem that worked for me. Had squirrels chewing on my front steps & causing a lot of damaged. Was at the point of grabbing my RWS mod. 48 when an idea came to me- hot sauce! Bought a bottle of ghost pepper hot sauce (Tropical Pepper Co.), and mixed it half & half with the latex stain and painted the steps with it. Initially after this treatment it was great entertainment watching the reaction of the little critters! This was a year ago and they have not been back.
 
#23 ·
.22 cartridge vs. pellet

If you don't have a good backstop that's sure to safely stop your bullet, I would not launch any .22 short, long, long rifle, or CB round into the air in the city or densely-developed suburbs. Even a 29-grain bullet falling out of the sky can cause serious injury or damage. I think a lead, or alloy-and-plastic composite, .177 pellet is the safest thing for pest control in the city where you may take a shot with no solid wood (a tree trunk, or your home's own roof or walls) to stop the projectile.

That being said, all my spring-piston air rifles have been equally loud as .22 LR rifles of similar size and barrel lengths when the firearms are loaded with low-powered CB ammo, shooting 29 gr. bullets at something like 700 f.p.s. The cartridge-using rifles have more knockdown power and usually better accuracy at 25 yards (if you have to shoot that far), but they're less safe.

Last year I picked up a quiet rodent-killing gun-- a multi-pump pneumatic Crosman that you can pump up to 10 times. I find that pumping it only 6 times gives pretty good power with almost no noise, but I would limit my shots to about 17 yards or 50 feet. I have not shot at any animals with it yet, but it's ready, and based on how it dents steel cans and penetrates soft aluminium cans, I think it's lethal enough for something that light, that cheap, and that quiet.
 
#24 ·
I have an old BSA Supersport that I bought a .25 barrel from TW Chambers for. I have the English version and it puts out about 11.8 ft.lbs.. This is the quietest airgun I have ever owned. Honest; if you are more than 5 yds. away, you can't even hear it. This rifle kills squirrels, rats, starlings and other rodents like they were hit with a sledge hammer. In this case; big and slow is better..............
 
#25 ·
Lately there have been online deals on the Gamo Urban .22 PCP, at Amazon and/or Walmart. This is a PCP made in Britain, and when you can find it at a little over $200 it is an awesome gun for the price. It is a PCP, so you would need to spend another $100 for a hand pump.

There is also a special deal right now on a Diana 52 for $299. These are awesome, accurate rifles with plenty of power for squirrels, but you need to make sure to get a springer-rated scope (and/or a Bullseye scope mount), it will eat lesser scopes like candy.
https://www.airgunsofarizona.com/spring-piston/diana-model-52/
 
#26 ·
Old thread, new fyi

This is an old thread but I feel compelled to add information.
There are some things to consider anytime you choose to shoot within city limits.
1. Regardless of what anyone says do not and I repeat do not shoot a firearm inside city limits, any bad luck on your part and you could be looking at a felony with lots of legal costs. There's a million things that could go wrong and only one will change your life forever.
2. Trap them, its much more effective than trying to shoot them.
3. Do the work and exclude them from your attic/house, cut the trees back, simple things make it hard for them to destroy your property.
4. Shooting them is fun, I love doing it but use a low powered CO2 gun with a suppressor on it, don't spend a lot of money on the gun in case your forced to give it up to the local law enforcement in a situation.

I'm in the pest control business, seen lots of otherwise bright people do stupid stuff and learn the hard way.
 
#28 ·
When I was a teenager I received a Crossman .22 pump-up pistol. It shot really well. I shot a robin out of a tree walking back to my grandparents house after I picked it up at the hardware store where it had been ordered for me. I shot a lot of sparrows and pigeons in the barn. It didn't seem to last very long, however, and it was tossed after a year or two. By the way, that was back in 1955. I have been tempted to buy another, I have a Benjamin break action .177 pistol. I have a red dot on it, but accuracy is not all that good. Mostly because the trigger is horrendous. It does have plenty of power to take out a squirrel, but the accuracy fails because of the lousy trigger.

A few years ago I bought a Gamo BigCat. It has been a very serviceable air gun in .177 caliber. But for the first 3 or 4 years it just wasn't exactly up to my expectations. I had swapped out the trigger early on and that helped. Then I contacted Gamo in Missouri and they said send it in and we will work it over. For less than $40 it came back like a new purchase. What a difference. It isn't Olympic quality, but I can take out a bird feeder bandit at 30 yards. I don't bother them if they stay on the ground, but as soon as they learn to climb the shepherd's hook up to the bird feeder, they are fair game as a varmint. I have a Simmons 4x scope on it. I take it out to a friend's dairy farm from time to time. I can use it in the dairy barns and it is very effective on pigeons out to 30 yards or so.

I have some swingers set up in my backyard at 20 yd.s. It is challenging and great sport to shoot off hand at the swingers. I have one that is squirrel sized in profile with a 1" bullseye in the rib cage area. When you hit it, it drops out the back. There is a bit larger reset bull that drops out the bottom. HIt it and it resets the small bull. It is great practice for off hand shooting the .22s. I use a half sheet of 1/2 plywood as a backstop. I often get my practice in while cooking on the grill.

VH :eek:man:
 
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