Varmint Gun - Recommendations?

[Radio]

I need to shoot some varmints off the house and our pear trees.

I want to use .22 caliber snake shot, rat shot, bird shot or whatever you call a shell with those tiny shot pellets in there with the plastic nose cone.

The problem I have is my .22 semi-automatic rifle jams, every time, without fail, because there is just not enough kick in those loads to properly actuate the mechanism of the rifle.

So I need a .22 bolt action and I don't want to spend a lot of money.
Any suggestions?

[NN5I]

Why not just pop them with .22LR lead ball? That's how we hunted squirrels and rabbits during the short time I lived in rural Kentucky in my teens. We could choose which eye to poke a hole in, using an S&W Model 41 .22 target pistol.

Either that, or put out some D-Con rat poison like what I have on the roof of the DP.

[Radio]

Why not just pop them with .22LR lead ball?

Because the intended target is often clinging to the side of the house. And other safety concerns.

[ke0me]

Would a .155 air pistol be powerful enough to gift rid of them but not harm the house?

[W9WLS]

Check the "PAWN SHOP'S" down there for a .22 bolt action.
Also ask around for what are called "GALLERY LOAD'S" , they are a light load .22 used in shooting gallery's , last ones I found were at "BASS PRO" but a good Gun Shop can get them for you .
otherwise , I would suggest a .144 pump-up "BB" rifle or pistol , the more you pump it up the more power it has , experiment with how many pump's it takes to not ding the house siding .

[wa8yxm]

Henry Arms. All US made. That's all i can say about 'em. Not a fan of firearms, though I am a fan of the 2nd Amendment.. Result is I'm a good shot, but own no guns.

[Radio]

I'm leaning towards this, although it's slightly over budget.

http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=Marlin-Model-XT-22-Rimfire-Rifle&i=722624

With an extra magazine I can quickly change from one ammunition to another as the need arises. Sort of like a very tiny shotgun, which I guess is exactly what I am looking for.

[W9WLS]

I'm leaning towards this, although it's slightly over budget.

http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=Marlin-Model-XT-22-Rimfire-Rifle&i=722624

With an extra magazine I can quickly change from one ammunition to another as the need arises. Sort of like a very tiny shotgun, which I guess is exactly what I am looking for.

I would recommend a "TUBE FEED", Clip's are alright but tend to get lost sometimes , if you go with a "CLIP" type buy extra clip's

Also ask around about .22 "BIRD SHOT" ammo (not a lot of power and should do what you need.
DO NOT buy a gun that is chambered for anything less than .22 LONG RIFLE cartridges and DO buy a good "cleaning Kit" and keep the barrel and action clean , use a good "Silicone" or "MOLLY" lube and don't go crazy with it,

[Radio]

I brought the little rifle home today.

It's been a while since I bought a gun. It's about like refinancing a house with all the paperwork.

Did a little plinking in the backyard just to try it out and I think I have made a good choice. I really liked the grain of the wood on the stock. Unusual, and it looks nice. Picked up an extra #10 magazine to go with the #7 that came with it. Now I can change from hollow point LR to rat shot (or vise versa) In just a few seconds if the need arises. Got a nice zippered case for $13.

In all I'm happy. Now I'm just waiting for the vermin/birds to return!

[NN5I]

Don't forget that changing the magazine doesn't change the round that's already in the chamber. If you forget that, you may fire a ball where the birdshot wouldn't hurt but the ball will cause destrucion.

[Radio]

Oh yeah, well aware I'll be picking up an unspent round off the ground.

[N3LYT]

Personally I use hard dog food and a sling shot. It does not kill them but they seldom come back and it's bio degradable.

[RVHavingFun]

Just get yourself one of these and you will be fine. I used to make enough money for dinner and a movie shooting all the pests for the neighbors with this. http://www.crosman.com/american-classic-1

[NN5I]

I used to make enough money for dinner and a movie shooting all the pests for the neighbors

Hmmm -- my big sister used to say I was a pest ...

[electricflyer]

DW's cousin could get rid of them in a hurry. He has been Iowa State Champion in air rifle competition for at least the last 20 years. He spends a couple hours every day practicing.

[wa8yxm]

Check out Henry Arms. Made in the USA.. Beyond that I have no comment, never owned one, never shot bird shot.

[Radio]

Henry Arms makes a series of guns called a "Mare's Leg"

Reminds you of the old Rifleman TV show, but the barrel length is so short it is legally considered a handgun. Might like to get me one of those.

[NN5I]

More about Mare's Leg here (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mare%27s_Leg).

New term to me, "mare's leg", although I have referred to single-action Colts as hoglegs for at least sixty years. I guess I'm the only citizen who hasn't heard the term before, but I don't watch television. Ever.

The Mare's Leg doesn't look like much of a varmint gun to me. Varmint guns usually are something between a heavyweight hunting rifle and a benchrest rifle. Use'em for popping prairie dogs at 300 yards. Some Mare's Legs, according to the articles I just read, don't even have sights.

[ben31]

A .22 pellet rifle should work. They are good to about 50 yards. Air is free and pellets are cheap. The only downside is reloading takes a little while (10-15 seconds).