Cheap and simple ratting set up?

[Big Mat]

Hello all,

Been away from serious air gunning for quite some time now. Have a big rat problem down the yard to deal with, taken a few with the old meteor but the sights and my eyes don't work very well together.

Thinking of a new gun, something simple break barrel, fit a red dot sight?

Most of the shooting is sub 5 metres.

Any suggestions?

Thanks
Mat

[Rob Edge]

Hello all,

Been away from serious air gunning for quite some time now. Have a big rat problem down the yard to deal with, taken a few with the old meteor but the sights and my eyes don't work very well together.

Thinking of a new gun, something simple break barrel, fit a red dot sight?

Most of the shooting is sub 5 metres.

Any suggestions?

Thanks
Mat

You are going to get loads of opinions on what's best. Hatsan 55 will do the job without breaking the bank.

[angrybear]

Can you just fit a low power scope to the existing rifle ? If it's a .22 all you need is a better sighting system.

Something like a 1-5mag or I suppose a quality red dot (personally I don't like them) will be good for such very short range.

Hatsan, Gamo, Cometa are all fairly cheap but reasonable quality rifles, It all depends what your budget is.

[chimpy leon]

HW30S kit.
Superbly accurate, compact little rifle that comes with a 4x32 scope and mounts for about £240.

[Born Again]

With most of your shooting under 5 metres there is an advantage in having the sight line as close to the bore line as possible, so a red dot / holo sight will be useful.

[Shed tuner]

With most of your shooting under 5 metres there is an advantage in having the sight line as close to the bore line as possible, so a red dot / holo sight will be useful.

Agreed in principle, but in practice, I'm not sure most red dot's mounts much lower than a smaller objective scope on low mounts. Althouth my little tasco min-mag red dot is an exception, which is why I keep it

to the OP - I'd suggest as AB said -just get a small compact scope on your existing rifle. I have a couple of SMK branded 4x28s which were picked up on the bay for a tenner or so, and are amazing for the price. a 1.5-4, 1.5-5 or 2-7 mag range zoom would benefit in terms of the lower mag though, but cost a lot more. Also for that very short range, you probably want to ensure the scope can be re-paralaxed (fixed pa, but the objective lens carrier can be moved out and re-locked), or is paralax adjustable.

The meteor is more than capabale of taking rats (and indeed other quary) at moderate ranges, and easily so at your very short ranges.

Unless of course you have a mk1 meteor with no scope grooves ? In which case, they are nice collectable guns, worth either keeping or selling in collectible section.

[TonyL]

Hatsan, Gamo, Cometa are all fairly cheap but reasonable quality rifles, It all depends what your budget is.

HW30S kit.
Superbly accurate, compact little rifle that comes with a 4x32 scope and mounts for about £240.

Yep, there's certainly plenty of choice of worthy rifles that will more than get the job done at the budget end of the market and I'd go with the above, with the 30S offering the "luxury" touch with finesse.

[Big Mat]

Agreed in principle, but in practice, I'm not sure most red dot's mounts much lower than a smaller objective scope on low mounts. Althouth my little tasco min-mag red dot is an exception, which is why I keep it

to the OP - I'd suggest as AB said -just get a small compact scope on your existing rifle. I have a couple of SMK branded 4x28s which were picked up on the bay for a tenner or so, and are amazing for the price. a 1.5-4, 1.5-5 or 2-7 mag range zoom would benefit in terms of the lower mag though, but cost a lot more. Also for that very short range, you probably want to ensure the scope can be re-paralaxed (fixed pa, but the objective lens carrier can be moved out and re-locked), or is paralax adjustable.

The meteor is more than capabale of taking rats (and indeed other quary) at moderate ranges, and easily so at your very short ranges.

Unless of course you have a mk1 meteor with no scope grooves ? In which case, they are nice collectable guns, worth either keeping or selling in collectible section.

Yes no scope grooves on this meteor. No plans on selling it, it does no harm being sat in the cabinet. I've got a low mag scope on my xocet, think it's a 2-7x32 but even 2x is too much

[les allam]

Yes no scope grooves on this meteor. No plans on selling it, it does no harm being sat in the cabinet. I've got a low mag scope on my xocet, think it's a 2-7x32 but even 2x is too much

I would think the xocet (Webley)? will be ideal for your intended use.
The Simmons 1.5x5 whitetail classic is perfect for ratting,but will cost a bit for a nice clean one.
Les..

[Shed tuner]

yes, the excoceet is a nice little gun, perfect for the job. If 2x is too much, then as Les said the only thing smaller is the 1.5x Simons or Nikkos.

By all means try a red dot too, but you need decent scope mounts and a reasonable quality one on the exocet as it's got a fair recoil - maybe go with a 1" tubed model, so you can fit double clamp low mounts with an arrestor stud ?

thinking about it, a slight weaker (or shortened) spring in the exocet to bring it down to 9 Fp should make it much calmer, and still more than adequate for the job.

[rapidresponse1]

as above nice gun

[WebleyWombler]

Hi
Buy yourself a simple laser pointer sight off the bay. 353357794905 is a suitable sight. When you have it, send me a PM and I'll send you a billet mount for it to fit a Meteor barrel, close to the muzzle. ideal for snap shooting at 3-4 yards if sighted for that
I have them fitted to all my short range ratting guns. iron sights set for 8 yards and lazer for 4 but can be used much further depending on light conditions
The Meteor will do what you need at the ranges you want to use it so why bother changing it. Improving it for use is much cheaper and you are only going to meet the same problems no matter what you buy. I can sort a mount for any Meteor MKII and upwards

[Born Again]

Hi
Buy yourself a simple laser pointer sight off the bay. 353357794905 is a suitable sight. When you have it, send me a PM and I'll send you a billet mount for it to fit a Meteor barrel, close to the muzzle. ideal for snap shooting at 3-4 yards if sighted for that

Good call, I've got one mounted on my rimfire, bodged up with the round part of a bulldog clip, tape and hot-melt glue. I must get around to doing it properly one day, after all the other things.....

[Mach 1.5]

SMK SYNSG. 22 cal. Based on the diana 34. Fibre optic sights. Brand new £130. For the price nothing comes near to it. Mach 1.5

[Shed tuner]

SMK SYNSG. 22 cal. Based on the diana 34. Fibre optic sights. Brand new £130. For the price nothing comes near to it. Mach 1.5

oohh.. fibre optic open sights is a great call.... I just bought a new to me Gamo with fibre optic opens - my eyes started struggling with regular opens over the last 5 years, but these fibre optics are so nice and clear to use.