Sounds like a pellet rifle would be your best bet, all things considered.

Do you think it would be best to let your neighbor know what you plan to do?

Hey, he might want to come over and show of his skills... invite him and see what happens. :)

Set up a trap. Large recycling container with a stick and rope. Hold the container up with the stick, container upside down and rope tied to stick. I did this to some birds when I was a kid. Worked great. I hid in the house with the rope ready to pull when the nasty killer birds were taking the bait under the container.

Neighbor probably doesn't care as long as it is discreet and doesn't use a firearm.

He's mentioned wanting to shoot some of the rabbits with a BB gun a few times in the past.

Check local laws. Most now define air rifles as "firearms". Many also include bows, wrist rockets, paint ball guns, straws shooting spitwads, rubber bands... anything that launches a projectile. That is the law in my town. No difference between discharging an '06 or a BB gun.

CB Longs crom CCI work great. Shoot them from a long barreled, fixed breech gun, and the only noise is the vacuum created behind them "popping" like a tiny champaign cork when the bullet exits the muzzle. Vewy vewy quiet...

There is always the "neighbor factor" to consider when choosing a backyard pest control arm. Many less than gun savy folks see a .22 as a "real gun", but an air rifle as a "BB gun", or a toy. Cops may or may not be more lenient towards a "BB gun" as well. If there is any chance of a neighbor finding out, or seeing you, an air rifle might be the ticket. Be aware, however, that those with "rabbit power" can be every bit as loud as a standard .22 long rifle, and far louder than CB longs.

You know when you disconnect a quick-disconnect connector from an impact wrench? Is that louder than a CB long? I've got some CCI CB longs but haven't used them.

And they'd be correct (those that see a .22 rifle as a "real gun), wouldn't they?

There's certainly a greater chance for a dangerous ricochet with a .22 than an air rifle.

But your advice to check local laws is a very good idea.

Local laws that seemed relevant:

You can get a bb gun that does 750 fps with a scope for $80. Shoot from inside out a window, the room will hold the sound wave like a muffler and open up. Or pay the transfer tax on a silencer for a firearm that you already own and just be careful with your background. Do the cleaning in the garage and who will know you ate them.

Bah-dah bing...

http://rat-hunter.com/hunting-squirrels/

...bah-dah boom. As far as I know, rabbits are no smarter than squirrels.

gamo silent! 1200 fps. super quiet. $400 bucks of rabbit death...you would be like the angel of death to those rabbits. my friend has one, he kills groundsquirrels with it. he shot a rabid raccoon once.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1242934607.jpg

Yes, they would.

What I was getting at was more the idea that they do not perceive any air powered gun as a "real gun", where I believe they most certainly are.

Funny, the less "real" a gun becomes - down to BB guns that many perceive as less "real" than pellet rifles, the more the chance of ricochet increases. Hard BB's are notorious for this, bouncing off of targets and careening off on their merry way.

Many folks think they can ignore gun safety if they are not using a "real" gun, and that they are somehow safer if their neighbors are not use a "real" gun. They are all "real" to me; that's all I'm saying.

I hear ya... and totally agree about BB's ricocheting... but if the .22 ricocheted, it would/could be a much more dangerous situation as it has a greater mass and can penetrate deeper.

Greyhound. You will be rabbit free in a day.

Buy a little crossbow that shoots the 6" darts. Mine will knock the darts out about 200 yards and it is just a little cheapy. It is accurate enough and will kill effectively.

I think you should go and get the Gamo Whisper that a couple of other folks have mentioned. There is something appealingly mischevious about a suppresed air rifle. This looks like the pefect excuse to 'need' one.

We just set traps, reached in (get some heavy gloves) and grabbed them, broke their necks, made dinner. no drama, done.

Slodave, Where in the he** did you find that poster (#28). I have to have it for the garage!! :>)

Legion, Suppressors for .22's and pellet guns are pretty easy to make. A little "Google" should provide pretty easy directions for a detachable suppressor. A friend made one for the little pump up .177, about all you hear is the click of the trigger. 12 pumps works way better than the "maximum" of 10 on mine.

Why couldn't you have this problem in the winter after a couple of freezes. Clean, fried cottontail really is hard to beat. Throw in some Doves and Quail, yeah baby!

Karl
88 Targa

Hey Karl,

I just looked up angry badger under Google images. I thought it was very funny too.

Here's a larger pic:
http://lauriekendrick.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/badger2.jpg

You could go to that site that generates these things a make your own...

Dave

Maybe you missed the law he quoted...

[Chapter 8 : Section 6 : Killing Birds or Squirrels - Penalty.

It shall be illegal for any person to kill or wound or attempt to kill or wound by the use of any firearm, bow and arrow, pelting with stones, or otherwise, any bird or squirrel within the City or to shoot an arrow or throw a stone or club or throw or shoot any other missile at any bird or squirrel within any private property...]

Chris, I really would try a couple of large Victor rat traps. Seriously, I think that would work... and don't forget to tether them to something in case you just wing one of them.

I posted the "killing of birds or squirrels" city ordinance to point out that rabbits are NOT in that category...

Hmmm. Better save the bodies then.

I'd bet that law was written to discourage the use of the weapons described/listed.

If one of your neighbors turns you in, you might have to hire a lawyer to get past the minor distinction of rabbit vs. squirrel... they're both rodents.

Cat.
Mine brought in a 6lb bunny last night and laid it right next to my boots.
Cat took care of all of the moles in the neighborhood last year too.
Of course it's no ordinary cat....thinks it's a dog with better hunting skills...

Wife doesn't want a dog and won't let the cat out. I already pissed her off enough by going out and buying an air rifle today.

The little f***er of a rabbit dug out her hole not once, not twice, but THREE times today. I put poison pellets around and in the hole. I put cayenne pepper powder around and in the hole. I put cat hair and deer urine around and in the hole. She keeps coming back. I think she's trying to "rescue" her babies that I found in there, but aren't there anymore. ;) I went out and bought a Ruger air rifle and a BB trap to sight it in. I couldn't source the Gamo locally and I need to fix this problem once and for all tomorrow. Besides, I saved $100 over the Gamo and the Ruger will do 1000 fps, which should be adequate for my needs.

red mist! legion, go for the red mist.

good luck.

So I was sighting in the air pistol today. (I bought a pellet trap too, but the rifle is almost too powerful for it.)

After the first shot, my next door neighbor (the cop) walks over. (He recognized the sound of the pellet gun.) I was sitting in the garage shooting out the back door at the pellet trap in the yard. "Don't shoot!" he says. Then he proceeds to tell me that I can borrow his .22 if I really want to take care of the rabbits. :D

The rabbits have completely avoided my yard tonight. I think they know...

i was at the local farmers market today and a vendor was selling all sorts of grass fed meat, and rabbit 12-14$ each dressed out. cash for parts.....

Chris, get an inexpensive laser pointer pen and attach it to the barrel... maybe with hose clamps... then sight that in for night shooting. Bah-dah bing.

One more thing... every time you ice one, paint a little rabbit icon on the stock. :)

funny! i think the GAMO folks invented the silent rifle for sniping backyard varmints. the neighbors are none the wiser.

rabbit meat is too lean. i like it, but it isnt worth buying. i do snipe a few cottontails yearly for a GREAT broth/stock that i freeze into cubes and use it to richen veggies.

My back yard rifle.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1243140734.gif

neighbor to the south occasionally uses a .50 Cal, I hear that.


Anything less, well my neighbors would think I am ghey. The 220 swift is the weapon of choice out of the neighborhood.

Sounds like a job for the "Mall Ninja".:D

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How do you say beer on the keyboard? That's great!!:D Problem is you'd have to read the whole post to get it.

Karl
88 Targa

That actually doesn't look much different than my AR-15.

I saw a group of five rabbits tear across my yard around 6:00. I saw one or two other run by in subsequent hours. None of them linger long enough for me to grab the air rifle. (The digger would linger for hours. I'd chase her off and she'd come right back.)

My Bunny Girl does not find this thread amusing....

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1243216445.jpg

I'm not going to shoot a caged rabbit. That would be wrong!

My cat just attacked my 24 inch flat screen.

I'm guessing Tom Cruise was on the screen marching toward you with an extreme air of importance, saying, "OperationValkyrieIsInEffect."

I've heard that scene sets off most domesticated animals. Most people, too.

nope, it was that wabbit from post 75.
There never is any TC on my PC, Vinman owes me a new screen.