Dumb 22 questions (sorry/thanks!)

[Doing my part]

I have been offered a position shooting pest control (squirrels and rabbits) on a golf course next to my house and I'm using it as an excuse to build a new 22lr.

I have a 10-22 in an ATI tac looking stock which I don't think would look too good to be wandering around a golf course with, and I wouldn't mind tightening up the accuracy a notch or two if I'm hunting with it. It would be nice if I use the new gun as a trainer for centrefire shooting too.

Is this just a case of "any bolt action gun in OK condition will do that"? I quite like the look of the sako synthetics, but wondered if I should be looking at CZ or someone similar. Will I notice a heavy barrel in terms of performance?

 

[AirGunShawn]

The target below is from my CZ Royal from last year.. It has a pencil barrel ( 14.3mm) but still shoots nicely at 50 yards
with SK Long Range. I also have an Anschutz 1416 AV Beaver tail and a Anschutz 1416 AV Thumb Hole. All three are very light
to carry. The CZ 457 trigger can get down to 6 ounces with a new spring and a lapped sear. The two Annies are much more expensive.
The rubber Limb Saver butt plate boot on the Annie is to prevent it from moving on my shoulder as the butt plate is hard and smooth.
The Royal has a two piece adapter to get to 1/2-28 threads. The Annies are 1/2-28 to start with.

Kiss of Death here on SH has three T1Xs and loves them. I hate synthetic....

I would use a bolt personally.

 

[MarkCZ]

Tikka T1X and Bergara B14R. Go with T1X for a light hunting gun. B14R for a Trainer. You can put the T1X in a KRG Bravo stock, makes a good trainer, also. I have both.

Mark

 

[Doing my part]

The target below is from my CZ Royal from last year.. It has a pencil barrel ( 14.3mm) but still shoots nicely at 50 yards
with SK Long Range. I also have an Anschutz 1416 AV Beaver tail and a Anschutz 1416 AV Thumb Hole. All three are very light
to carry. The CZ 457 trigger can get down to 6 ounces with a new spring and a lapped sear. The two Annies are much more expensive.
The rubber Limb Saver butt plate boot on the Annie is to prevent it from moving on my shoulder as the butt plate is hard and smooth.
The Royal has a two piece adapter to get to 1/2-28 threads. The Annies are 1/2-28 to start with.

Kiss of Death here on SH has three T1Xs and loves them. I hate synthetic....

I would use a bolt personally.

What I'm getting from this is there's no need to get a heavy barrel. Nice group!

 

[DFOOSKING]

Are you on foot?

Roaming around on golf cart?

Carrying your dead out or tossing into a bed?

Do you have to maintain a low visual signature to not offend golfers/neighbors?

I'm guessing this after business hours if your using a .22LR.

Pest shooting if often staying mobile and staying discreet.

It not about long range (usually).

Just get a something in a short target barrel (im thinking cz457pt) and a decent scope that handles lowlight well. Suppressed it should be able to fit in a discreet bag.

If on a golf cart....perhaps you can set it up as well to aid in shooting. A padded crossbar rest. A spot toss your quarry in. etc.

An air rifle might be a better option depending on warry the rabbits and squirrels are.

 

[Doing my part]

Are you on foot?

Roaming around on golf cart?

Carrying your dead out or tossing into a bed?

Do you have to maintain a low visual signature to not offend golfers/neighbors?

Pest shooting if often staying mobile and staying discreet.

It not about long range (usually).

Just get a something in a short target barrel (im thinking cz457pt) and a decent scope that handles lowlight well. Suppressed it should be able to fit in a discreet bag.

If on a golf cart....perhaps you can set it up as well to aid in shooting. A padded crossbar rest. A spot toss your quarry in. etc.

The plan is not that well established yet - I approached them to see if they were interested in trading firewood (theirs) for pest control. It's a sweet deal if I can pull it off because I enjoy the shooting too...

At the moment I anticipate walking parts the course at dawn/dusk and knocking down anything which qualifies. I was thinking subsonic, 50yds, bolt action, moderated, traditional hunting stock so I don't look like a yahoo (as I would with the folding semi auto)

 

[Just Chuck]

Is this during non-golfing times? That would be best, IMO. Probably want subsonic ammo, and suppressor if you have one. Whether Tikka or Bergara - either would do. I’m a Bergara guy so that’s my pick.

I like the idea of using a golf cart - that wouldn’t be out of normal ops.

Could lead to a new line of snacks at the 19th hole. ;^)

 

[Doing my part]

Is this during non-golfing times? That would be best, IMO. Probably want subsonic ammo, and suppressor if you have one. Whether Tikka or Bergara - either would do. I’m a Bergara guy so that’s my pick.

I like the idea of using a golf cart - that wouldn’t be out of normal ops.

Could lead to a new line of snacks at the 19th hole. ;^)

Yeah and a new line in fluffy club covers!

Yup, closed course. It's going to be difficult enough without Joe public wandering about as well. Discretion will be high in the priorities so subsonic and moderated for sure.

 

[flatland1]

If you don't have a 22RF suppressor & need to get started on this 'job', it'd be best to have a bolt rifle with at least a 22" bbl to keep std vel ammo fairly quiet - the longer your barrel, the less muzzle blast it'll have with std vel ammo. I don't care for the proportions of the hogback stocks, but a CZ457 Trainer, Jaguar, or Lux all have long enough barrels (24" or more) to be fairly quiet with std vel ammo, and the American has a stock with much nicer proportions IMHO, and a barrel 23.8" long. I've shot several NRL22-type matches with a few guys who showed up with 16" bbl'd rifles, and even with std vel ammo, they're a whole lot louder than a 22" bbl. Suppressed/moderated rifles can be very quiet, and that's no doubt the best solution, but if you don't already own one, it's going to take several months to get the tax stamp for one (unless the ATF's estimate of much faster approvals comes true with eForm).

 

[dscl]

Yeah and a new line in fluffy club covers!

Yup, closed course. It's going to be difficult enough without Joe public wandering about as well. Discretion will be high in the priorities so subsonic and moderated for sure.

Put me down for a club cover LOL

Need any help?

 

[Trung Si Ma]

Might want to consider the golf cart with a golf bag to hide/store the rifle as you move around

 

[Doing my part]

Put me down for a club cover LOL

Need any help?

Shooting pals are always welcome, I'll be on the English/Welsh border with plenty of camping space

 

[AirGunShawn]

My reply was purely about the performance of a thinner barrel. I don't hunt anything and during a comp, the lanes are
15 to 30 feet apart. I shoot at steel targets that are designed to stay standing If I don't go through the hole cleanly.
If the face stays up, I get ZERO..... And since we don't know the distance, KZ size or any angle to target, up or down slope,
it can be a PITA..... LoL
That .38" ID gets pretty small when you subtract the bullet OD. Most of my shooting at home is at the bench or sitting on my butt.
All of my guns have the factory barrels and I practice a lot and use Center X for the most part.

I have to believe that Anschutz uses thick, long barrels for a reason. I took my 1971 Annie out to the LGC once and
shot the target shown. The bbl was over .9" OD and 27" long.

I would not worry about the barrel size, that's all I'm saying. I would put in quality practice.

What I'm getting from this is there's no need to get a heavy barrel. Nice group!

 

[idahoron]

I do pest control for farms. I get paid 5 bucks each for Rock Chucks.
I carry 3 guns in my truck. An Air rifle, a 17HMR and a 17 hornet. I do most of my killing with the air gun because it's super quiet. I use an Air Arms TX200 22cal with a vortex Diamondback tactical 6-24x50 FFP scope on it. Pellets are 12 dollars per 500 rounds. I carry a range finder and set the sight for the shot. I've killed over 1600 in the past 4 years. My 17's have racked up a pile of chucks too.

 

[accurate obsession]

Golf course -- fairways lined with overpriced houses inhabited by the highest concentration of Karen's imaginable, sounds like a good excuse to build a .22 PCP air rifle. Is this golf course in city limits?
Watch the iguana control videos on YouTube, cops are called all the time, of course it's part of their shtick because they are registered pest control businesses and cops tell Karen to fuck-off (politely of course).
But either way this gig could be fun, just be sure to CYA.

 

[Doing my part]

Golf course -- fairways lined with overpriced houses inhabited by the highest concentration of Karen's imaginable, sounds like a good excuse to build a .22 PCP air rifle. Is this golf course in city limits?
Watch the iguana control videos on YouTube, cops are called all the time, of course it's part of their shtick because they are registered pest control businesses and cops tell Karen to fuck-off (politely of course).
But either way this gig could be fun, just be sure to CYA.

It's a little different over here in the US of K, this course used to be a country estate, my house to be is an old hunting lodge for the estate from the 1800s, and there's no residential property for approx 1 mile in any direction.

The only public I should see would be golfers or hikers on a historic trail which cuts through the course.

It's cool as hell and I can't wait to move in!

 

[Travelor]

I would be concerned with shots leaving the golf course.

 

[Doing my part]

I would be concerned with shots leaving the golf course.

Same as any shot at an animal, you don't take it if you don't know where a pass through or miss would go. High seats, use terrain, just be sensible. This is a total non-point for me.

 

[AirGunShawn]

The OP started with a new .22LR. but since PCPs have been breached, there are many
that will do the job. Also some spring guns that don't require a compressor. PCPs range in caliber from .177 to the .82
caliber. In some states it's legal to hunt deer and even buffalo. Unlike the big bore guns below, most PCPs are very
docile, quite and have high shot count per air fill. The last photo is of a FWB P70 high power and it gets 70 shots per fill.
The long barrel tube on the last rifle reduces it's bark to a squeak.

I FEEL like a perceived benefit from using an air gun is it's name. Your dispatching pests with a pellet gun. ( Implying a harmless toy )

I'm making a very slight alteration to my AA 100 so that I can make adjustments to the internals and power without removing
the trigger guard to remove it from the stock. It allows me to adjust the striker stick out through the spring tension screw.
Adjustable items will have some form of nylon thread locker to prevent things from coming out of adjustment. At a comp,
I have an upper power limit and I'm only allowed 2% over for chronograph variation. Otherwise it's a DQ.

The big bore guns below are for your amusement, not something I use.

AEA Zeus in . 72 caliber PCP 1200 ft/lbs.


.82 caliber Helium / PCP gun 1100 grain slug.... LoL 1139 ft/lbs as shown in video. Hoping to get 1980 ft / lbs soon.

 

[Doing my part]

Thank you for your input, I will look into this.

UK law for air guns over 12 foot pounds is the same as for firearms so there may not be any benefit in terms of compliance. You're right though, some guy with an air gun definitely sounds less threatening. And I have been knocking over squirrels with a non-controlled air rifle for a while anyway.

I'm hoping to never/rarely meet the public while shooting (or ever) but I'll give it some thought.

 

[accurate obsession]

The OP started with a new .22LR. but since PCPs have been breached, there are many
that will do the job. Also some spring guns that don't require a compressor. PCPs range in caliber from .177 to the .82
caliber. In some states it's legal to hunt deer and even buffalo. Unlike the big bore guns below, most PCPs are very
docile, quite and have high shot count per air fill. The last photo is of a FWB P70 high power and it gets 70 shots per fill.
The long barrel tube on the last rifle reduces it's bark to a squeak.

I FEEL like a perceived benefit from using an air gun is it's name. Your dispatching pests with a pellet gun. ( Implying a harmless toy )

I'm making a very slight alteration to my AA 100 so that I can make adjustments to the internals and power without removing
the trigger guard to remove it from the stock. It allows me to adjust the striker stick out through the spring tension screw.
Adjustable items will have some form of nylon thread locker to prevent things from coming out of adjustment. At a comp,
I have an upper power limit and I'm only allowed 2% over for chronograph variation. Otherwise it's a DQ.

The big bore guns below are for your amusement, not something I use.

AEA Zeus in . 72 caliber PCP 1200 ft/lbs.


.82 caliber Helium / PCP gun 1100 grain slug.... LoL 1139 ft/lbs as shown in video. Hoping to get 1980 ft / lbs soon.

If reloading supplies Don't settle down I may have to jump down the air rifle rabbit hole. Not wanting to derail the thread, just a couple of questions that the pictures brought to mind.
I'm assuming that the compressor pictured is a high pressure one. How much $ is a unit like that and how long does it take to fill a travel tank?

 

[huntnh]

I hunt a sako quad nice to able to switch barrels/ calibers for different Applications

 

[AirGunShawn]

That compressor has been very nice. It is programable to stop at any pre-set pressure up to 4500 psi.
$1250.00 USD. It should be a one time purchase. Great .177 pellets are about $16.00 / 500.
As far as fill time for a travel tank, I don't know. That unit is for gun tanks or small tanks. Each unit is different in
terms of size, cost and utility. If I took it to a match or the woods I would buy an inexpensive inverter for my truck to
power the compressor. I have steel diving tanks but I would never, ever risk mixing the gases. You can pick up a cheap unit
but I only buy toys that I like and feel will last. I hate cheap....
Most compressor sellers will give you a time to fill chart. Keep in mind your typically only top off your guns or tanks and
don't start from zero psi. I think you would be surprised at the amount of people and the quality of the air guns.
Anschutz has a 9015 Field Target for $4600.00 if you have the spare change. There are clubs all over the US.

That old Daystate in post #13 shown in the newspaper with a 6.5 x 20X EFR Leupold could shoot aspirin consistently at 50
yards back in 1994. The toys are much nicer now. They are regulated and have stabilizers to reduce Newtons third law of motion.
The NJR in post #13 is also old but cutting edge for it's time.

I have shot the Worlds and the guys from the UK are very tough to beat even though they have the 12 ft/lb limit.
I hate that you have that ridiculous limit. Around 2002 you had the anti-social law that virtually banned Brocock type air cartridge guns.
Until a year ago, I had a rather large collection of Saxby, Brocock and Crown air cartridge toys myself here in the US.

If reloading supplies Don't settle down I may have to jump down the air rifle rabbit hole. Not wanting to derail the thread, just a couple of questions that the pictures brought to mind.
I'm assuming that the compressor pictured is a high pressure one. How much $ is a unit like that and how long does it take to fill a travel tank

 

[nikonNUT]

I would look at a CZ457. I have had spectacular results with it and the bang for the buck has been extrodanary! 50 squirrels to date. I would look at CCI Sub-Sonic HPs or the RWS version to prevent over pentration. I use CCI Standard Plus (Also sub-sonic but there is over pentration but I'm shooting heavily wooded areas). Plus you can take the savings and grab a Dead Air Mask and keep the golfers happy! Seriously, you can hear the striker drop. My preferred set-up (CZ457 Varmint AT-One 24" barrel, Atholn Midas-TAC, Dead Air Mask HD) and a victim...

 

[idahoron]

The main reason I mentioned air rifles is a lot of land owners don't look at them as "dangerous" My rifle is a spring gun at 14 FPE.

 

[Biggie1976]

Also look at the 30 cal air rifles as well. The python cowboy uses them on iguanas and he does damage

 

[AirGunShawn]

Airgun Calculator

This Airgun Energy Calculator is a simple widget designed to take the velocity of a projectile (bb, pellet, dart or bullet), its weight in grains, and calculate the foot pounds of energy (fpe) at the muzzle.

airguncalculator.com

Doing My Part has a 12 ft/lb power issue. With a JSB heavy 10.34 grain pellet, he can only shoot about 715 fps
to stay under the UK 12 FPE law. He needs to get a FAC for anything over that FPE. Given Olympic 10 meter airguns
shoot around 6 FPE, you can see how crazy the UK law is.

 

[obx22]

If I were in this position my biggest concern would be public visibility/perception.
As such, a dot sighted suppressed handgun would more than fill the slot.

 

[Rolltide]

Years ago I helped a friend whose family owned the local golf course.

We'd go out early and shoot what we could, but they also filled holes, used poison, or anything else they could do to make sure the groundhogs went away.

You couldn't do that now, but it was fun at the time!