Discussion
I have a gun license and own a shot gun and an air rifle. I am looking at buying an air pistol, handy for vermin control ideally as the rifles are not easy to conceal and work with for that purpose in and around barns and livestock etc.
Had a look on line but lots of choice and I am not sure. Ideally I am looking for something high velocity most importantly but also don't want to spend a fortune so 200 quid sort of mark.
Anyone on here know much about them and could recommend something suitable?
Thanks
Had a look on line but lots of choice and I am not sure. Ideally I am looking for something high velocity most importantly but also don't want to spend a fortune so 200 quid sort of mark.
Anyone on here know much about them and could recommend something suitable?
Thanks
If you don't mind PCP and can find a second hand one in your price range, a Reximex Mito could fit the bill.
If you go for the synthetic one, then you also get a detachable stock.
Interchangeable reservoir as well, so you can buy spares to keep you going out in the field.
They do bark a bit without a silencer though.
I've since changed the long throw pistol sight for a red dot to work better either with, or without the stock (not that it's fits too well in the original case with either optic
).
If you go for the synthetic one, then you also get a detachable stock.
Interchangeable reservoir as well, so you can buy spares to keep you going out in the field.
They do bark a bit without a silencer though.
I've since changed the long throw pistol sight for a red dot to work better either with, or without the stock (not that it's fits too well in the original case with either optic
).RFD (Gunshop Isle of Wight) of nearly 40 years and very experienced medal winning pistol shooter selling airguns, shotguns and firearms daily. Dont underestimate how hard it is to hit a small target with a pistol. The legal limit in the uk is half what it is for rifles and 90% of pistols on the market are 50% of that - they are simply not designed for vermin control. You need 22 and the Mito mentioned is an option, Weihrauch HW45 or 44, The new reximex morpho also . My strong advice is to stick with your rifle particularly if your budget is sub £200 - you talk about concealment but what relevance is this to successfully shoot vemin ? and I have done a lot of it over the years - if you think thats an issue you are doing it wrong and it sounds like you are making life hard for yourself. 99% of people I hand an air pistol to in my shop cannot hit a 7” target at 10 yds with their first shot so shooting vermin humanely is out.
Edited by Ziplobb on Thursday 16th April 08:13
Edited by Ziplobb on Thursday 16th April 08:15
Thanks all. By concealment I mean because of birds. Magpies recognise rifles and then everything scarpers. I tend to see vermin when not carrying anything so if I can carry something without necessarily using it that would be ideal. Also in barns the rifle can be a bit cumbersome. I have fired air pistols as well, they don't seem too bad for accuracy or maybe I am equally crap with both.
Panamax said:
Tom8 said:
as the rifles are not easy to conceal and work with for that purpose in and around barns and livestock etc.
Why would you need to conceal an air weapon? IMO your chances of hitting any vermin with an air pistol are precisely zero. Panamax said:
Tom8 said:
as the rifles are not easy to conceal and work with for that purpose in and around barns and livestock etc.
Why would you need to conceal an air weapon? IMO your chances of hitting any vermin with an air pistol are precisely zero. Agree, pistol is useless for pest control aside from dispatching something you didnt kill cleanly
Tom8 said:
Thanks all. By concealment I mean because of birds. Magpies recognise rifles and then everything scarpers. I tend to see vermin when not carrying anything so if I can carry something without necessarily using it that would be ideal. Also in barns the rifle can be a bit cumbersome. I have fired air pistols as well, they don't seem too bad for accuracy or maybe I am equally crap with both.
If you're seeing vermin that infrequently then I'm not convinced you have a problem with them 
Set up properly and use a rifle.
Tom8 said:
Thanks all. By concealment I mean because of birds. Magpies recognise rifles and then everything scarpers. I tend to see vermin when not carrying anything so if I can carry something without necessarily using it that would be ideal. Also in barns the rifle can be a bit cumbersome. I have fired air pistols as well, they don't seem too bad for accuracy or maybe I am equally crap with both.
Magpies like all wild birds are protected by law unless you comply with the rules of the General Licence from Natural England. That means you need to have a genuine purpose. Check the rules for the licence issued on jan 2026. Basically you have to be doing it to conserve wildlife, preserve public health or safety or to prevent serious damage. You are also going to struggle to hit a bird with a pistol even more than a rat.
What sort of vermin are you talking about? Mice are better trapped (they are very hard to hit), rats best shot with a rifle, all birds are protected. Rabbits, squirrels and Mink will be hard to kill humanely with a pistol.
You are not going to see a rat and do a quick draw with a pistol to despatch it! You also have to be a humane as possible, hard to get the necessary accuracy with a pistol.
Edited by blueg33 on Tuesday 21st April 10:39
Ziplobb said:
RFD (Gunshop Isle of Wight) of nearly 40 years and very experienced medal winning pistol shooter selling airguns, shotguns and firearms daily. Dont underestimate how hard it is to hit a small target with a pistol. The legal limit in the uk is half what it is for rifles and 90% of pistols on the market are 50% of that - they are simply not designed for vermin control. You need 22 and the Mito mentioned is an option, Weihrauch HW45 or 44, The new reximex morpho also . My strong advice is to stick with your rifle particularly if your budget is sub £200 - you talk about concealment but what relevance is this to successfully shoot vemin ? and I have done a lot of it over the years - if you think thats an issue you are doing it wrong and it sounds like you are making life hard for yourself. 99% of people I hand an air pistol to in my shop cannot hit a 7 target at 10 yds with their first shot so shooting vermin humanely is out.
I agree..WR,
Airgun retailer and RFD in the North west over 50 years,
Having just bought a cheap PCP .177 air rifle and scope this last week I've learnt a lot, particularly 'barrel droop' adding shims to a scope mount when I ran out of elevation and the adding of a silencer can completely mess up the accuracy. I couldn't understand why I wasn't getting a consistent grouping, then I took off the screw on silencer and bingo, perfect grouping!
Armitage.Shanks said:
Having just bought a cheap PCP .177 air rifle and scope this last week I've learnt a lot, particularly 'barrel droop' adding shims to a scope mount when I ran out of elevation and the adding of a silencer can completely mess up the accuracy. I couldn't understand why I wasn't getting a consistent grouping, then I took off the screw on silencer and bingo, perfect grouping!
It's unusual (in my experience) for a silencer (moderator) to mess up accuracy. They often improve it a bit by cleaning up turbulent air as the pellet leaves the barrel. Have a look in the moderator to see if there's any evidence of clipping where the pellet is contacting it somewhere.Edit to add: Adding a moderator will change the point of impact but it should be accurate at its new poi.
Edited by AndySpecC on Sunday 26th April 08:54
Panamax said:
Tom8 said:
as the rifles are not easy to conceal and work with for that purpose in and around barns and livestock etc.
Why would you need to conceal an air weapon? IMO your chances of hitting any vermin with an air pistol are precisely zero. Maybe up in a tiny dark loft in a resi property, but a barn and around animals? Barns are big as are animals. Even crawling in a stone barn full of hay.
But by that point you’re likely to just scare pests off before you get near so can just camp out with a rifle.
Maybe before pre-charged a rifle needing to be broken was an issue, maybe. But yeah.
My Dad bought his pistol for shooting pigeons that sat willingly at close range eating feed and s
tting everywhere.Armitage.Shanks said:
Having just bought a cheap PCP .177 air rifle and scope this last week I've learnt a lot, particularly 'barrel droop' adding shims to a scope mount when I ran out of elevation and the adding of a silencer can completely mess up the accuracy. I couldn't understand why I wasn't getting a consistent grouping, then I took off the screw on silencer and bingo, perfect grouping!
This sounds very off - is the gun used ?you should in general terms not need to shim a scope on a 177 PCP - I can't even remember ever doing it and I do at least 6 set ups a week. The mod - if the gun is used its toast, its been clipped, buggered about with etc etc
Ziplobb said:
This sounds very off - is the gun used ?
you should in general terms not need to shim a scope on a 177 PCP - I can't even remember ever doing it and I do at least 6 set ups a week. The mod - if the gun is used its toast, its been clipped, buggered about with etc etc - toss int any get another one
you should in general terms not need to shim a scope on a 177 PCP - I can't even remember ever doing it and I do at least 6 set ups a week. The mod - if the gun is used its toast, its been clipped, buggered about with etc etc - toss int any get another one
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