"Safest" Pellet for shooting in a city?

[Lopy12]

Hi everyone. I have a question I hope you guys can help me with.

I currently live in a 3 floor apartment building in Chicago.  My entire block is 2-3 floor buildings.  There is an alley behind my apartment where we all have our driveways/garages.   My neighbor has a huge tree that hangs over our entire back balcony and car.  We are bombarded by bird poo all the time.  Yesterday I washed the car and today there are over 20 new dried terds on it.  The tree's owner will not cut the tree down without legal action. My landlord isn't willing to spend the money to do so.  So I guess I am stuck with the tree and the *_*_*_*_*_*ting birds....

I have decided I am buying a simple Crosman 1377C pump pistol to deal with the birds.  I had one as a kid and it worked great for dropping birds.  My concern is that in a city environment, I want penetration to be minimal.  I plan to stand almost below the tree and to shoot up.  Say 60-70 degree angle from the horizon.  

This all leads to my questions:
1) If I aim to low and miss the bird, I could potentially hit the roofs of buildings around me.  I do not want to leave too much penetration marks.

2) Also, I do want a shot to go through the bird and then continue on to hit something else.  So I think pointed pellets are out.  Will simple flat-heads kill the birds but not continue on?  I have looked at the Crosman destroyers, they look like they will easily kill the birds, but do they continue past the birds?

[Mebits]

Soft wad cutters are probably your best bet. You're going to watn to have very, very good accuracy, too.

Also, and most importantly, you're going to need to know what you're shooting. If they're song birds, you stand to have some trouble. However, since you're in the city, I'll just bet it's starlings. That or house sparrows.

Actually, in the city, you stand to have trouble regardless, but you at least have most of our moral support on this matter.

[Lopy12]

Mebits - 2/28/2010  3:00 PM

Soft wad cutters are probably your best bet. You're going to watn to have very, very good accuracy, too.

Also, and most importantly, you're going to need to know what you're shooting. If they're song birds, you stand to have some trouble. However, since you're in the city, I'll just bet it's starlings. That or house sparrows.

Actually, in the city, you stand to have trouble regardless, but you at least have most of our moral support on this matter.

you know, I hadn't thought about the laws.  I saw a thread about identifying birds, I am going to check it out.

Thanks!

[only1harry]

These 3 are 3 names for a flat target pellet.  They work great on birds and even squirrels at "close" range.  I took a few squirrels and even a rabbit or two with Crosman flat pellets 25yrs about 15yds out.  That's probably your only choice.  I wouldn't use hollow-points.  Stick with the flat/match ones.

[airiscool]

You may wind up in legal hot water no matter what pellet you shoot. Most cities and municipalities have laws about shooting BB's and pellets off your private property, for the very reasons your concerned about what pellet to use.

You may want to check out "if "you can legally shoot back there before the Chicago court system poops on you.

As long as we don't have to post your bail,... welcome to the forum !  

Paul

[Lopy12]

thanks for all the help everyone!

I can't believe how complicated this all gets.  I would love to just BBQ on my deck with my wife and not get covered in bird crap.  I think I may need to press my landlord on pursuing legal action against the tree owner.

[TheKnot]

I would put a bird feeder low and shoot them from your window on the ground . Thats the safest bet legally if it hangs over your property you can cut it for insurance purposes start making deformation claims for crap damage

[Lopy12]

can I just put poison in a bird feeder?

[TechMaven]

Legally, you might be able to trim the branches that hang on your property..Or he may have to;)

[TheKnot]

if you desire to kill songbirds go ahead but you willn't make no friends here .

[Lopy12]

TheKnot - 2/28/2010  3:41 PM

if you desire to kill songbirds go ahead but you willn't make no friends here .

yeah you're right. There is no way to specifically target the pests.

[tat2dman]

Arn`t AG`s illegal in the Windy City?

[Mebits]

Your landlord can cut any branch that encroaches on the property in most jurisdictions. I'll bet that you can trim the branches (easy to say, not so much to do) and deal with it that way.

On the other hand, if the birds are starlings, pigeons, or house sparrows, I personally would rather you shoot them (of course I'm not going to bail you out either). You could probably pick a time when no one would see you. Maybe a blind of some sort around a lawn chair or similar?

Good luck and welcome! Here's that Brown Birds ID link http://www.sialis.org/otherbrownbirds.htm

Starlings are pretty easy to ID. Just look at almost any of the posts right now. There's a picture or several. You know what a pigeon looks like.

[Mebits]

I like that idea.

[Lopy12]

tat2dman - 2/28/2010  3:48 PM

Arn`t AG`s illegal in the Windy City?

yes it is... i just did some research.

So lame.  Thanks everyone for the help regardless.

I guess I need to speak to my landlord...