Catapult incident
Discussion
Caddyshack said:
Friends with stables or farms have issues with rats, I help them and at the same time I get out in nature. It’s not hassle, it gives you energy when you are where you feel at peace. I can be surrounded by over 100 acres and the only things around me are animals. I see badgers, foxes, owls, deer, rabbits all doing their daily thing without any clue I am there.
But that's the thing, there are loads of rats in nature, and if you're providing them a consistent food source then plinking a few with a rifle doesn't do much for the numbers compared to finding the nest.Evanivitch said:
Caddyshack said:
Friends with stables or farms have issues with rats, I help them and at the same time I get out in nature. It’s not hassle, it gives you energy when you are where you feel at peace. I can be surrounded by over 100 acres and the only things around me are animals. I see badgers, foxes, owls, deer, rabbits all doing their daily thing without any clue I am there.
But that's the thing, there are loads of rats in nature, and if you're providing them a consistent food source then plinking a few with a rifle doesn't do much for the numbers compared to finding the nest.Often you can find a nest but not always. Without a mink or dogs and digging up nests you cant always get in there, some are under buildings. If you do kill off a nest then they will soon be back, as you say, there are plenty of rats in nature and they will always find the food. Farms can’t help but leave food for rats.
One place I visit has 5 dogs, they lost one dog to a bad rat bite and another suspected of eating poisoned rats, when I visit I often pop off the obviously Sick rats and dispose of them before the dogs get to them.
Edited by Caddyshack on Monday 11th December 22:39
Evanivitch said:
I can't quite understand why anyone would go to the hassle of shooting rats in such a secluded location...
As has been said its good fun. I shoot on our own farm to keep the numbers down and also until recently at another farm near me. The latter had a huge grain store with a range of farm buildings to one side. At night if there is grain in the store sometimes the grain pile is black with them. Outside you will see badgers, foxes, owls, weasels and all sorts that you will never see in daylight.
I use either an air rifle or a rimfire with a night vision sight. I go back the next day to pick em all up, my max was 94 in one night.
All you can do is keep the numbers in check which in turn limits the amount of damage they can do. We try not to use poison if at all possible.
nute said:
Evanivitch said:
I can't quite understand why anyone would go to the hassle of shooting rats in such a secluded location...
As has been said its good fun. I shoot on our own farm to keep the numbers down and also until recently at another farm near me. The latter had a huge grain store with a range of farm buildings to one side. At night if there is grain in the store sometimes the grain pile is black with them. Outside you will see badgers, foxes, owls, weasels and all sorts that you will never see in daylight.
I use either an air rifle or a rimfire with a night vision sight. I go back the next day to pick em all up, my max was 94 in one night.
All you can do is keep the numbers in check which in turn limits the amount of damage they can do. We try not to use poison if at all possible.
Caddyshack said:
I do a fair bit of rat shooting. I use a thermal spotter and then NV scope with laser IR. I enjoy being out in the pitch black on my own and seeing all the other wildlife. I don’t like to hurt animals but I know the damage and disease the rats cause and there is a skill to be learned.
What thermal spotter do you use? Ive been toying with getting one but they are still quite expensive and id want one with a good resolution. I do like my scopes and id get frustrated with a 120x160.Caddyshack said:
94 is good going. I have watched them take away the dead and eat them too so I expect you had killed more than 94. Rimfire must be great as long as you have the good backstop of the grain.
You are prob right, plus the foxes take a few. Im paranoid about ricochets with a 22lr so have to be very careful when using it. The grain store was lined with giant bales so its pretty safe.
I have used a 17hmr but its too noisy.
The the grain store was emptied they lifted the bales with a forklift and had a load of terriers there, rats everywhere, dogs everywhere, bloody chaos but they got hundreds.
nute said:
Caddyshack said:
I do a fair bit of rat shooting. I use a thermal spotter and then NV scope with laser IR. I enjoy being out in the pitch black on my own and seeing all the other wildlife. I don’t like to hurt animals but I know the damage and disease the rats cause and there is a skill to be learned.
What thermal spotter do you use? Ive been toying with getting one but they are still quite expensive and id want one with a good resolution. I do like my scopes and id get frustrated with a 120x160.I would spend lots more if I had more regular places to shoot.
The tech moved quickly and some of the fusion stuff looks amazing.
nute said:
Caddyshack said:
94 is good going. I have watched them take away the dead and eat them too so I expect you had killed more than 94. Rimfire must be great as long as you have the good backstop of the grain.
You are prob right, plus the foxes take a few. Im paranoid about ricochets with a 22lr so have to be very careful when using it. The grain store was lined with giant bales so its pretty safe.
I have used a 17hmr but its too noisy.
The the grain store was emptied they lifted the bales with a forklift and had a load of terriers there, rats everywhere, dogs everywhere, bloody chaos but they got hundreds.
Caddyshack said:
I use the hik micro 15mm, I think it is about £800. My advice is to push how much you can spend as I wish I had spent more…once you realise how good they are you kind of want the better ones. A lot of people buy the cheap ones and then sell them to get better ones.
I would spend lots more if I had more regular places to shoot.
The tech moved quickly and some of the fusion stuff looks amazing.
I have their NV scope and it works very well but only with a massive IR illuminator. I started out umpteen years ago with a Russian gen 2 NV and am very lucky to have a nice western image intensifier spotter which I’ve played with on a rear mount but it’s just to much of a pain to get it right. I would spend lots more if I had more regular places to shoot.
The tech moved quickly and some of the fusion stuff looks amazing.
I very much enjoy the optical clarity of the scopes I have on my rifles and I’d be annoyed to have to use a low res thermal for daytime, hence the playing about with add on’s.
Someone offered me a really nice thermal a few years ago but I couldn’t afford it back then, and now I pick through the ones on eBay every so often to try to convince myself by man maths that I need a thermion XP50
Where are you based?
nute said:
I tried the pard add on but just couldn't get on with it.
You aren't a million miles from me - farm is near horsham and im near basingstoke. If we need another pest control person ill give you a shout.
Thanks, that could be good.You aren't a million miles from me - farm is near horsham and im near basingstoke. If we need another pest control person ill give you a shout.
I have a pard add on and it’s rubbish Imo. I have the pard 008 on two rifles and love them. I added laser illumination though as that really helps. I also plugged in the internal laser and zeroed that for 10m shots and that also helps with birds in the roof.
Hugo Stiglitz said:
Talking of ricochet and (black widow) catapults. I fired one once
At a metal target and it flew back about an inch from my face.
I was also shot in the hip by one. My leg went dead and I dropped like a shot
I stupidly shot a hard hat from about 2 metres away with my air rifle using an original (late 1970s?) Prometheus pellet, straight back in my temple. Half a golf ball sized lump to explain to mum. No 238 of stupid things I've done.At a metal target and it flew back about an inch from my face.
I was also shot in the hip by one. My leg went dead and I dropped like a shot
J__Wood said:
Hugo Stiglitz said:
Talking of ricochet and (black widow) catapults. I fired one once
At a metal target and it flew back about an inch from my face.
I was also shot in the hip by one. My leg went dead and I dropped like a shot
I stupidly shot a hard hat from about 2 metres away with my air rifle using an original (late 1970s?) Prometheus pellet, straight back in my temple. Half a golf ball sized lump to explain to mum. No 238 of stupid things I've done.At a metal target and it flew back about an inch from my face.
I was also shot in the hip by one. My leg went dead and I dropped like a shot
J__Wood said:
Hugo Stiglitz said:
Talking of ricochet and (black widow) catapults. I fired one once
At a metal target and it flew back about an inch from my face.
I was also shot in the hip by one. My leg went dead and I dropped like a shot
I stupidly shot a hard hat from about 2 metres away with my air rifle using an original (late 1970s?) Prometheus pellet, straight back in my temple. Half a golf ball sized lump to explain to mum. No 238 of stupid things I've done.At a metal target and it flew back about an inch from my face.
I was also shot in the hip by one. My leg went dead and I dropped like a shot
fourstardan said:
Don't look at this link if you're an animal person 
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