Got my Simmons scope today. Looks decent enough for 40 bucks. Me, being cheap, didn't buy rings thinking I had a set. Nope, they're too small. Crap.

Anyway, just now I hear a noise outside. I look, and it's two squirels fighiting on my porch glider. One of the little bastards peed all over the cushion. That's war. So, I need a reccomendation for a fairly cheap pellet rifle to kill a squirel. Must be powerful enough to make a clean kill. Range is going to be inside 30 yards, mostly like 15. Is 1000 FPS enough?

 

Do not get an air rifle.
You want any .22lr. The only choice is bolt-action or semi-automatic.
To stay as cheap as possible and maximize your value-per-dollar, these are my recommendations:

Bolt-Action .22: Savage 27065 Mark II-F Bolt Rifle 22LR $162.00 SHIPS FREE
Savage MKII is a benchmark gun. This one comes with open sites and is drilled/tapped for a scope.

Semi-Auto .22:
Ruger 1022 Standard 22LR, Blued, Hardwood 1022RB $211.00 SHIPS FREE
A Ruger 10/22 is the standard. You really can't make an argument for buying anything else unless it's price. Mossberg and Savage both make less expensive semi-auto's that do exactly the same thing, but the Ruger has better aftermarket support than any other product of any kind in the world (I kid, but not really).

For ammo, there was a recent discussion about CCI Quiets. These are below standard subsonic rounds at around 750fps from a rifle, and will be no louder than a pellet gun. The advantage is that you're shooting a 40gr bullet vs. an under 20gr pellet, so you get much more energy. If you shoot from inside the house, the neighbors won't hear anything. Shooting from the back-porch, if your neighbors happen to be outside and immediately next door, may hear it, but it won't register as a gunshot.

 

Can't fire a gun inside town limits. Major problems if the cops are called. No restructions on pellet guns that I know of. I have always wanted a 1022, so I may get one of them as well.

Looking at a Gamo blowback pistol with reddot sight for about $180 (Dick's, I think). I've been looking all morning, and there seem to be restrictions on pellet pistols in NY. ******* gun *****. I'm heading out to see what's available in the stores right now. I'll report my findings and whatever purchases later today.

 

Of course not, that's why you get quiet ammo and shoot from the couch. I'll bet that shooting squirrels with any device (even a slingshot) is also illegal... why not do it right?

Watch that video from a few posts back... I can fart louder than a CCI Quiet. If you're really concerned, have your wife go out and mow the lawn while you take your shot to mask the sound. NOBODY will know. Do it around dusk, then sneak out after dark to collect the body. There are some good squirrel recipes out there!

 

I shot my suppressed 308 in the hood... no one ever called cops. Sounded like a firecracker - uh, did I mention it happened to be New Years eve? Tell your neighbors it's a Ruger pellet gun

 

Don't get a pellet pistol if you're concerned about clean kills

 

If you get a pellet rifle (and want to be quiet), avoid the spring piston designs like the lower end RWS's (think: break barrel to **** big spring). They are pretty loud. For that range, desired power, and quiet operation, get something more like a Benjamin pump action. Pumping it is annoying but the shot will be quieter.

 

A friend of mine is trying to get me to buy an old Springfield M1 Garand... what says the peanut gallery?

 

Big, heavy battle rifle. You can re-enact scenes from Gran Torino with it.

 

 

If cheap, then i would probably buy

 

Yah... not cheap imo... 950 with an extra raw stock kit.

 

forget that

 

Went to Dick's and Gander Mtn. Neither one had dick for selection. Lots of morons wandering around (like cattle and nearly as heavy), and it scares me that we allow them access to firearms. Several BB pistols, and one crossman single shot pellet. A few Gamo rifles, but nothing that reall caught my eye for the price. Had a $90 crossman AR look-alike, and I nearly bought it, but no scope. No pellet scopes on the shelf, just a couple of cheap lasers. Was interesting to note that several models now come with an integral silencer.

So, I got out my old Crossman .357 pellet pistol, and took a couple of shots at them. The squirrels, not the dipshit at Dick's. But it is leaking badly, and I only got off about 15 shots before it started to die.

 

it took you more than 15 shots to net a squirrel?

BRO YOU NEED TO GET ON MY BENJAMIN .20 PUMP LEVEL.

ONE SHOT, ONE KILL. IT'S LIKE DEERHUNTER.

 

As a collector, fine... but CMP has lots of SERVICE GRADE rifles for $650 shipped.
Rifle Sales - M1 Garand

Full new furniture is $160 or even cheaper unfinished:
Sales - Stock Sets

Your buddy better have something special with documentation, or it better be a 100% example to justify $1k.

I wouldn't buy one for any reason other than "to own one", and I don't buy guns for that reason.

 

That thing looks really good, but at 5x30ao and for $1800 it had better fire my rifle for me on target, cook me dinner every day and suck my dick at request. I've used good glass and my cheap glass, so I understand there IS a difference on clarity... but seriously, I'm NEVER going to need a piece of glass that costs 3 times what the goddamn gun did. EVER.

What Simmons model did you pickup?

I vote for a .22lr rifle and CCI 'quiets' myself. Typical subsonics out of a rifle length barrel are fairly quiet to begin with. All else fails setup a trust and get a can. As Sam cited, most likely it's illegal to fire anything at squirrels in your city so why not go all out and get the job done?



In other news I'm a little excited. Placed my order for this today:

 

No, only 3 shots at the squirrels. The rest at a target to check the sights.

One good hit (he dropped the walnut), but no kill. One possible hit (he jumped pretty good). One clear miss. Neither hit seemed to do much damage, so I quit. I don't want to torture them. I think I'll go buy one of the single shot rifles with scope either later tonight or tomorrow.

Oh, and I looked for the CCI ammo, and couldn't find it with the other brands. Regular long rifle, but no "quiet". Stores were way too crowded to mess with buying a .22 right now. I'll probably order one.

 

It is the 22 mag riflescope. Same one that Sam linked to a page back.

And I went to the store and forgot to get rings for the damned thing!

 

Yah, its beyond what makes sense to me honestly.

I buy to own, because I plan to shoot them. I shoot everything I own at least once a month (minus the shotgun because I don't do clays alot).

I wouldn't be buying to collect... which honestly... makes me doubt I'd ever buy one. I have a .30-06 hunting rifle... so why do I need an antique service rifle.