Hi, my old fellow, he currently has a shotgun license and he shoots rats in his garden, I've told him to not bother renewing his shotgun license and to sell his firearm. As an alternative, does anyone know of a high powered air rifle etc that will kill a rat instantly? I do have an old air rifle, but I once shot a rat and it took many pellets to finish the poor bugger off. Any help would be much appreciated.

If he's shooting rats with a shotgun, he should probably have his gun licence revoked anyway.

I use a 2.2 air rifle to kill squirrels, it takes about 3 pellets usually

Can't you buy him a cat or two?

1 hour ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

Can't you buy him a cat or two?

Cats I've known are scared of rats. A Jack Russell is what he wants

27 minutes ago, Alf Hartigan said:

Cats I've known are scared of rats. A Jack Russell is what he wants

Got some soft arse cats oop there then.

Ours has killed dozens from the fields behind us.

3 hours ago, athywhite1958 said:

I use a 2.2 air rifle to kill squirrels, it takes about 3 pellets usually

If you have to shoot something 3 times to kill it then I would say maybe not shoot the poor fucker at all.

When I was younger my air rifle would kill anything up to and including a large rabbit with one clean shot.

Not been shooting for nearly 30 years and I know the rules changed on power but there is no way a decent rifle doesn't kill a squirrel cleanly.

I’ve got that £150 from the Gun shop on Hellawell rd

My garden is 30m long

And it goes through the bottom waynelap panel

So had get a kitchen work top to put the Target on 😂😂😂

5 hours ago, athywhite1958 said:

I use a 2.2 air rifle to kill squirrels, it takes about 3 pellets usually

I once shot a bird with .177. It didn’t die. I had to kill it with a brick. I’ve never killed an animal since!

I have had problems with squirrels in my loft. I have a cage trap that I got off a Pest Control mate of mine. (apple, pear and peanut butter as an enticement) I’ve caught over 10 since. Having caught them, I used to take them up the M61 in my van and let them out on the hard shoulder into the fields. I’ve had all the gutters and facia fixed so they don’t come in now.

So it seems you can shoot grey squirrels

But not red ones

What about black ones?

5 minutes ago, DirtySanchez said:

So it seems you can shoot grey squirrels

But not red ones

What about black ones?

Yeah but all squirrels are cute, I could never kill one.

I gave it all up when I learned about how killing rabbits would lead to the starvation of their young and also how some birds have such a family dynamic they mourn like we do when one is killed.

Not for me now, death and pain we all experience so that's why I chose not to bring that on any other soul anymore.

But to kill intelligent animals just seems worse to me, must be getting soft in my old age.

1 hour ago, BobyBrno said:

I once shot a bird with .177. It didn’t die. I had to kill it with a brick. I’ve never killed an animal since!

I have had problems with squirrels in my loft. I have a cage trap that I got off a Pest Control mate of mine. (apple, pear and peanut butter as an enticement) I’ve caught over 10 since. Having caught them, I used to take them up the M61 in my van and let them out on the hard shoulder into the fields. I’ve had all the gutters and facia fixed so they don’t come in now.

we had them in the loft and i got a mate with his ferret to flush them out, any i caught in a cage i shoot, it is illegal to release vermin into the community

2 hours ago, Winchester White said:

If you have to shoot something 3 times to kill it then I would say maybe not shoot the poor fucker at all.

When I was younger my air rifle would kill anything up to and including a large rabbit with one clean shot.

Not been shooting for nearly 30 years and I know the rules changed on power but there is no way a decent rifle doesn't kill a squirrel cleanly.

they have thick skulls

Just now, athywhite1958 said:

they have thick skulls

I shot countless rabbits stone dead in my younger days one shot from a decent .22 rifle. You are not convincing me at all.

4 minutes ago, athywhite1958 said:

we had them in the loft and i got a mate with his ferret to flush them out, any i caught in a cage i shoot, it is illegal to release vermin into the community

😊 Yes, my pest control mate told me that. That’s why I used to go up the M61 at the dead of night and release them between junction 4 and 5. Anyone in Westhoughton who had a squirrel infestation between 2005 and 2010, I apologise unreservedly.👍

Edited 12 hours ago12 hr by BobyBrno

35 minutes ago, athywhite1958 said:

they have thick skulls

So do you.

53 minutes ago, Winchester White said:

Yeah but all squirrels are cute, I could never kill one.

I gave it all up when I learned about how killing rabbits would lead to the starvation of their young and also how some birds have such a family dynamic they mourn like we do when one is killed.

Not for me now, death and pain we all experience so that's why I chose not to bring that on any other soul anymore.

But to kill intelligent animals just seems worse to me, must be getting soft in my old age.

We have a black squirrel that comes in our garden, has a bit of a mooch around

But our cat hates it, she'll screach at it through the glass door leading into the garden like the away fan who gives it large knowing they're safe as there's loads of stewards

Put them one on one and she'd shit it

1 minute ago, DirtySanchez said:

We have a black squirrel that comes in our garden, has a bit of a mooch around

But our cat hates it, she'll screach at it through the glass door leading into the garden like the away fan who gives it large knowing they're safe as there's loads of stewards

Put them one on one and she'd shit it

You've got a shit cat! 🤣

Seriously though, cats usually are right bastards

We've had loads of posters up nearby about cats going missing

Ours has a GPS tag and when she goes out she sits in the back garden or the next couple of gardens along

So I'm happy at having a shit cat

Though she can twat flies in a nano second which is good in this weather

Get a Manchester Terrier... best ratter known to man and a bloody good laugh

14 minutes ago, DirtySanchez said:

We've had loads of posters up nearby about cats going missing

Ours has a GPS tag and when she goes out she sits in the back garden or the next couple of gardens along

So I'm happy at having a shit cat

Though she can twat flies in a nano second which is good in this weather

My shit cat got shot by some cunt with an air rifle a year or so ago. The poor thing never ventures out of our back garden now.

8 hours ago, Cheese said:

If he's shooting rats with a shotgun, he should probably have his gun licence revoked anyway.

I've just told my old fellow what you said and he now wants your address .

8 minutes ago, Winchester White said:

My shit cat got shot by some cunt with an air rifle a year or so ago. The poor thing never ventures out of our back garden now.

That's fucking horrible

Ours was a stray for the first two years of her life. Fuck knows how she survived as she's the most timid creature going

Saw pics of her when the rescue place took her in and she was lucky to be alive

So happy to have a shit cat

5 hours ago, Alf Hartigan said:

Cats I've known are scared of rats. A Jack Russell is what he wants

The other day, m-i-l saw a rat in her garden, and then saw a can on the fence watching it.

Shortly after, she found the rat dead on the doorstep!

Not even her cat.

One of each perhaps.

I've seen a magpie sat on a fence in the garden at work. It was watching a big rat crawling along looking like it was dying from possibly rat poison before it swooped down and pecked it to death. I always salute single magpies now.