Chesterfield Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Hi, Completely fed up with the magpies turning the nests inside out of the little garden birds we have. So am looking for an air rifle that will turn a magpie inside out from about 120ft. At present I have a co2 powered rifle (the type that uses two small cylinders). Its a bit long in the tooth. I bought it second hand and have fine tuned the scopes to the best of my ability, but it feels a bit down on power compared to one I remember having many years ago (which was still within the 12lb limit). Im wondering if a pre charged one would be better - as I often leave the gun for long periods of time without using it and the pressure of the co2 seems to drop off a bit. Maybe get about 20 hots out of the thing before I start to feel the power dropping off. Does anyone have any experience with these things, and can you provide any advice on what I can get? Im after maximum power and maximum accuracy. End a magpies days from 120ft and maybe something like pneumatic pre charged or whatever offers the most power. Any advice and suggestions - including where to buy from and what scopes etc very much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zugara Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 My nephew has a pre charged one, lasted him about 150 shots before the pellet fell out of the barrel... He was quoted £90 for a bottle of gas and regulator The only issue I could see is that you would always have to get it recharged if you don't buy your own setup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisS Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 They are expensive,my mates used to swear by 'Theoben' http://www.fishingmegastore.com/theoben ... 10300.html Then you either need somewhere local to charge it or buy a divers bottle and the rest of the bits. Second hand Theobens might have had a coversion, where you can adjust an allen key at the back and the ftlb varies from 9 to 40+ . Over 12 you need a FAC of course. Air Arms are also good. Think people used to like the 'carbine' . http://www.allcocksoutdoorstore.co.uk/s ... lnut-.177/ Your best bet is to get along to a Game Fair, there are always good people to talk to and bargains to be had in the last hour of the day. And after all that said I still use an old German Spring Rifle with an OX spring and PTFE coated/tuned piston. Which of course is 11.9 ftlb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianphampton Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 I have an old BSA Super Meteor air rifle which is now about 40 years old - put a scope on it about 38 years ago and it takes pigeons out (and collared doves) very nicely from about 30 to 40 yards. Sometimes (if my aim is a bit off) you have to go down the garden to perform the coup-de-grace after they've been knocked out the tree but are still moving (Sorry to all those faint hearts on the forum - but the darn pigeons wreak havoc in the vegetable patch and it's peak season coming up as we plant stuff in the spring) I was given the Meteor as a birthday present for my 14th birthday. I pull the barrel through every time before putting it away, and grease the spring and trigger actions every year, and it's still in very good nick, shows that good maintenance is important in any mechanical device, but if you look after it, it will perform faithfully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wasso Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Simple Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisS Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 I thought he lived in Chesterfiled not a field in a jungle. See where you are coming from though, blast the trees out the way and nowhere for the magies to sit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sasha@lazytrips Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 A little off topic for which I apologise, but I once bought an epic air rifle which shot little hard plastic or metal pellets and could easily kill a bird of a decent size from around 20 yards. Unfortunately that purchase was made in the souvenir shop of Moscow's World War 2 Museum for the grand price of £3 about 15 years ago, so not much help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planetsurfer2 Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 This is what we use for pigeons over here is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sig_550 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris`I Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 I have an Air Arms TX200 which I've had for a good few years and is still firing stong, I'd say its still not much off the 12ft.lbs limit. I wouldnt get one thats CO2 powered as you wont be using it often so will lose pressure over time. Far better off with sping power. TX200 is great as it has a sliding stock so there is no kick which keeps it super accurate over distance. Great for magpies, pidgeons and rats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chesterfield Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 They are expensive,my mates used to swear by 'Theoben' http://www.fishingmegastore.com/theoben ... 10300.html Then you either need somewhere local to charge it or buy a divers bottle and the rest of the bits. Funnily enough my research has led me to either the Theoben Rapid 2 or the Weihrauch HW 100 or 101. The 101 is a good chunk cheaper but is a single shot (not that bothered about a magazine anyway). Rather than having my own bottle filling equipment, I gather I can use a manual pump, which will obviousy take a lot more work, but with a charge capable of doing up to 400 shots or 120 ish on the Weihrauch then Ill not be doing it too often at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glrnet Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 I had a Weirauch (german) years ago and it was an excellent air rifle, I can't remember the model unfortunately. We used to raise pheasants on a farm that was "set aside" amd the magpies used to drive the farmer nuts, the Weirauch drove the magpies nuts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witstu Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Sorted our pesky magpie problem with my mates larsen trap,amazing to watch as they try to get in at the call bird.He then comes round and despatches them!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtbiscuit Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 i have a Weirauch at my parents house, my dad borrowed it and never gave it back. think its got a 9lb spring in it. my mate from years back had one with a 22lb spring in it. that thing could put holes through car doors as for magpie's where i used to farm the boss used to have a female trapped in a cage, it would encourage males down into the 1 way cage, where they would be trapped then the boss would come out later and decease it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zugara Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j& ... N4AUgKgD7A May be of interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy75 Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Usually for magpies, a Larsen trap is far more effective, but then you need a call bird to start off with. Before even committing to attempt a shot on your quarry, you need to be repeatedly able to manage 5p-or-less sized groups at your intended range. If you are not confident at all, keep shooting paper targets until you are. Magpies come under the general license as a pest, so are freely shootable. You must, however, take proper precautions when shooting on your own property - like a backstop. Have you a plan if the worst should happen and you only wing a bird? Having the utmost respect for your quarry is the first and hardest rule of shooting - a quick clean dispatch is always best, but things are not always 100% repeatable in the real world, and you may have to find the bird and finish it off yourself. Some good shooting forums out there - www.pigeonwatch.co.uk is probably the friendliest, and has a dedicated airgunners area. Google "airgunbbs" too - lots of info there (sorry no link as its blocked from work). You may also want to think about insurance too - I've used BASC for decades, and needn't be expensive if you go "airgun only". RT - please note that if that 22lb spring was producing 22ftlb muzzle energy, it is classed as firearms and will / would have needed a Firearms certificate (FAC). The lack of which when using such a powered weapon can earn you a swift holiday at Her Majesties Pleasure. I can always pop over with the semi-auto shotguns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hennerz Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 We use a Larsen trap as andy75 said. It works just as well with a plastic magpie and some food Remember to wear some thick gardening gloves when dispatching them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elfman Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 i used to have a BSA under barrel cocking mecanism i got from my dad when i was a teenager, many many fluffy bunnies felt the rath of that at my aunts farm. could take a bird or rabit out at about 30-50 metres maybe more. Don't think they make them like that anymore though, weighed a ton compared to my mates new break barrel rifle! similar to this! http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?um=1&hl= ... x=75&ty=45 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisS Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 i used to have a BSA under barrel cocking mecanism That was probably the BSA Airsporter, a stonker of a gun. Used to be 'Made in Birmingham' I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy75 Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 They still do assemble a lot of the rifles in Brum, just lots of the manufactured parts are now shipped in from everywhere else. A real shame - another great British (English?) Engineering and manufacturing base lost Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabbitstew Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Some good advice on here. Im very much into shooting. I use an Air Arms s410k pcp air rifle for magpies, rabbits, pigeons etc. They are cheaper and lighter than the hw100. You will get more shots than you will need from a refill, and no recoil. You can get pellet on pellet accuracy upto about 50 yards easily, and also completely silent. You can get them 2nd hand for around the £350 mark and they will hold their value. You could use it for a year, then prob sell it and get your money back on it. Magpies are funny things, ive a few in my area atm. Once you get one dead on the floor, then millions of them swarm in to check it out - so it ends up a bit of a magpie mass killing spree. Even crows will come in to see what all the noise is about. As others have said, the larsen trap is probably a better bet. Also, depending on where you live, watch your neighbours. Some can be funny and one spot of someone with an air rifle then the police get a call saying there`s some madman with an m60 on the loose. Im pretty lucky my neighbour used to be into shooting himself, and is more than happy for me to sort them out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy75 Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Only had the armed response units out to us shooting twice in over 20 years of pigeon shooting so far in the fields! The don't like getting their uniforms dirty, so we usually give them a lift back to their X5 / T5 in the shooting trucks once they have sussed us out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabbitstew Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Only had the armed response units out to us shooting twice in over 20 years of pigeon shooting so far in the fields! The don't like getting their uniforms dirty, so we usually give them a lift back to their X5 / T5 in the shooting trucks once they have sussed us out Around my way pretty much everyone is farmers or does shooting, so people dont really worry about it. Some nights when im lamping you can hear shot after shot coming from other fields in the area - its like being in iraq sometimes. The only people who seem to moan are city folk who sell their terraced house in London, buy a mansion & a range rover sport in the country and think they are a country gent. They just arnt use to normal country life! I did have a call the other month from one of the land owners whose land I was on and she asked if I was in her field. I said yes and asked why, and she said one of her neighbours had called her reporting a "suspecious looking skinhead armed with a gun wandering about on her land".... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris`I Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 I did have a call the other month from one of the land owners whose land I was on and she asked if I was in her field. I said yes and asked why, and she said one of her neighbours had called her reporting a "suspecious looking skinhead armed with a gun wandering about on her land".... Class We used to shoot in a farmers field that backed onto MOD land. Was funny seeing the real lads running around with their proper guns and us with our air rifles the other side of the fence. Reckon we could have done them a few times Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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