budget air rifle for pest control

[sensi5446]

A lot depends on your skill, particularly with a springer

If you can accurately shoot a springer that would be the obvious answer because they're a self contained unit & the cheapest option.

A pcp will cost more, you'll also need a pump to fill it, but the main benefit is they have no recoil bounce so are easy to shoot in comparison.

Your best bet might be a CO2 powered rifle which will be cheaper to buy but will cost a bit more to use buying CO2 canisters, but like the pcp there's no recoil bounce.

You will need a Rifle NOT A PISTOL & you want a small scope rather than "iron sights", in .22 rather than .177.
Where possible shoot down from an upstairs window so the ground is your backstop & practice until you can hit a 10p size target every time only then consider shooting living creatures, & shoot them in the head.

Rats wise up very quickly & you might need to put out bait to make them stop to take the shot.

Thanks angrybear, you may be right regarding a springier as I was already thinking of shooting down from the bedroom window and this will put me at an awkward angle then I'm normally use to (flat) plus I have a few boxes of CO2 canisters in the shed It goes without saying that I will be practising in the day hitting dead targets before I try any live, I will also be using bait to keep them still, probably cat food.

Remington express is in my opinion the best budget springer available at the moment then probably the hatsans mod55/60 but they seem to have taken a price hike and to me they are just too expensive at £160+

Thanks Mattyw1987, I will give that a look.

At £150 in my opinion I would say go second hand. At short distance maybe a 2250 CO2 Ratcatcher or a cheap Weihrauch spring powered rifle ? Apologies please if I’m teaching to ‘suck eggs’ but get good accuracy practice in before taking a live kill

Thanks NewPaul, practice will be taken. I've just ordered some mk4 fenn traps, I will be giving these a try as well, on the weekend I will fence of the areas I can see they are coming in at and lay the traps. Not a fan of the traps as I have small children, dogs and also other wildlife but if I close off the area with chicken wire so the only way in it through the runs it should be OK.