It just became

[JOHNNY QUEST]

blatently obvoius that i'm gunna need a bigger gun.. kinda like JAWS....

 BY THE SIZE OF THAT SUCKER I JUST SAW RUN ACROSS THE DECK.
Rats are a hard hunt. They don't sit still long and when ya hit em they have a tun of get back under the deck mojo.

I think a .25 is in order here..  My rainy rat still had enough juice to almost get away even with a heart, lung , neck shot.  I need to knock them down.. Head shots are very few if they arn't sitting still...
 tossin around gettin a Walther falcon hunter in .25.. what do ya think..

 Randall

[WesCombs]

I have a hard time believing a rat can run away from a .22..but I suppose it could happen. The reason I say this is because I've downed a coon from 20 yards with my .177 B30 in only one shot...and I know Jeff has taken some pretty large animals with small caliber weapons as well.

[JOHNNY QUEST]

WesCombs - 8/19/2008  11:05 PM

I have a hard time believing a rat can run away from a .22..but I suppose it could happen. The reason I say this is because I've downed a coon from 20 yards with my .177 B30 in only one shot...and I know Jeff has taken some pretty large animals with small caliber weapons as well.

 the prob with rats is they don't stand still. I know a coon has a bigger head as most larger animals do.
 we are talking about a mooving target thats kill zone is about the size of a quarter.. i don'y know if you saw the one i shot this morning ,but  he would not die..  I know this is sick, but even with a pellet in his chest and one in his brain, I had to hold his head under water to get him to give..  wierd hu.. Lots of stamina in a rat .
 Thats probally why they have been so succesfull .
 I need some knock down power.  I don't like them getting back under the deck and dieing..  makes the bbqin kinda smelly..

[Timmyj1959@yahoo.com]

Randall,, Your shooting at VERY close range, no?? A Falcon?? Just wondering?? Tim.

[Progun]

Randall, at close range, wadcutters would probably have the most smack on impact.A few years ago when I had occassion to shoot a few rats that were coming to bait, I was killing them in the dead of winter with a low powered CO2 gun and .177 wadcutters.Probably wasn't getting 400fps after a few minutes in the cold but there were no escapes.Admittedly all shots were within 5-7 yards max.If you shoot that .25 you will soon need a new deck as there will be lot's of new holes.

[only1harry]

Randall,
A .25 is overkill for a rat especially if you are taking them on your deck a few yards away.  You 'll rip up your deck badly.  Most rats are taken with .177.  Your Gamo .22 should take care of them no problem.  You "almost" lost 1.  Even if you lose 1 or 2, it's really nothing out of the ordinary, it 's happened to all of us at one time or another when it was not possible to take a head shot.  Keep up those upper chest shots and/or neck shots and you should have a high success ratio, but the trick is to shoot fast when they present a head shot.  
I would also be using a scope (on a rifle) that focuses down to 7yds or less, like an inexpensive Tasco Golden Antler 3-9x32 with A/O - I 've had good luck with them shooting up close and 35yds out, and they can handle medium-powered springers like the ones you have.

[shadow]

Might even think about a pistola for close work, 1377 is fairly cheap and can be deadly accurate if the shooter spend's some time getting to know it. This fella took one in the fusebox out past twenty yard's with my stock pistola. The only mod was a trigger tune but the squirrel didn't know that, he didn't have time hehehe. Ed

[RainDog]

 Whoa. That's just... WEIRD!

 Kidding,
 Parks

[JOHNNY QUEST]

shadow - 8/20/2008  4:22 PM

Might even think about a pistola for close work, 1377 is fairly cheap and can be deadly accurate if the shooter spend's some time getting to know it. This fella took one in the fusebox out past twenty yard's with my stock pistola. The only mod was a trigger tune but the squirrel didn't know that, he didn't have time hehehe. Ed

 cool.nice shot... i have a tempest thats a killer...

[davee1]

I have a whole lot of experience with rats, big and small. I have had some as you describe...they just wouldnt die. I shot one where the pellet scalped him, took an eye and a little skull with it. He ran away!!! I coulnt find him until the next morning...floating in one of my ponds. These things are tough. Shot placement is everything. I've seen em go down without a twitch, and further shot analysis showed brain shots or neck/spine severance. The dang things are so spastic, that what spot you aimed at when you pulled the trigger aint quite where the pellet lands.

I had the most luck with a "bait station", a red light for illuminating the station(2D LED flashlight with a red filter), a motion detector(driveway patrol on ebay), and close range shots. If you dedicate a portion of your deck to rat killin you could beef that portion up, reinforce it so to speak to take them .25 shots...line awooden box with duct seal...and put the bait in there. You locate the bait station in such a way that you have clear, close shots...without the rat knowing you are there. For example, I set up a bait station under the kitchen sink window. Got the screen off the window, sighted in the gun for the 6~8 foot shots that I would be taking. Left the window open a crack, enough to let the barrel out and get the shot out. Motion detector went off, I very carefully went to the window, and squeezed off a shot at the rat. None escaped!!!

Now, I realize that you may not be able to get that close...but there's gotta be a way to set up a bait station somewhere and turn your situation into a sport. Why not have some fun? You don't have to use a Falcon...but if you did, it would be awesome, and shot placement anywhere in the center mass of the rat would either take em out right there or very quickly thereafter. The good thing about a bait station is that they tend to be way less spastic while eating!!! The rats got smart and started dashing in to take a little food and then dashed back out, so I put the food under some screen so they had to try and get into the food. While they were pausing every few seconds to figure out how to get to the food, a pellet went into their thinking area, if I was lucky. The trick is to bring the rats to you...not you go to the rats, that way you can control everything.

I think you should get a Falcon .25 anyway...just so you have it.

[shadow]

That look like it work's just fine hehehe. Ed

[Jaymo]

I like that Tempest.

[JOHNNY QUEST]

davee i am baiting them now and very simular to what you are talking about... thanks for the tips..

 This is a 16 year old beeman tempest in .22 cal.  Its  a CANNON.. i also have the original grips and the aftermarket cocobolo ones also...

 the ones on it i carved out of a 1x4..

[davee1]

alrighty then!!! The first night is usually the funnest if everything is set up right....Have fun!!!

[Progun]

Wise words Dave. That's the way to do it. Like a quote I read from one of our members said " if you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics (edit) ...could use some improvement.