What’s best for pest control – a spring-powered or pre-charged airgun?
What's best for rabbits and grey squirrels?
Q: I’d like to buy an air rifle for controlling rabbits and grey squirrels in our garden but I don’t really want a pre-charged model because I can’t be bothered with the hassle and expense of using charging gear. I’ve been told that spring-powered airguns are less accurate – are they suitable for humane pest control?
A: Spring-powered airguns aren’t necessarily less accurate than pre-charged models; they are just a little harder to shoot accurately.
The recoil caused by the motion of the spring and piston can cause quite a kick, which isn’t as easy to master as the comparatively dead action of a recoil-less pre-charged pneumatic.
That said, you should be able to shoot a decent spring-powered airgun very accurately with a little practice. The important thing is always to use the same hold and don’t squeeze the gun too tightly – allow the recoil to follow the same course every time and your pellet should always follow the same path to its target. Never try to rest a spring-powered gun on a hard surface such as a bench – the kick will make it bounce violently and pellets will stray off aim as a result.
Put in plenty of practice on paper targets and you will soon understand the performance of spring-powered airguns for pest control and get a measure of your own capabilities with it. Shoot within those self-imposed limitations and there is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to cleanly despatch rabbits and grey squirrels in the garden.
10 top airguns for pest control
Modern airgun shooters are spoilt for choice when it comes to air rifles for pest control. Daystate Red Wolf …
Should I buy a spring-powered airgun or a PCP?
Decisions, decisions. So you’ve decided to buy an airgun and you’ve worked out a budget. Now you need to think…
How to use an air rifle for pest control
What do you do when grey squirrels, rats and corvids are robbing nests of eggs? You get out the airgun…
Benefits of spring-powered airguns
- They are always ready for action
- They usually cost a lot less than precharged airguns which can be upwards of £400 for a quality model.
- You can buy one for less than £200
- Precharged airguns tend to cost more than springers — upwards of £400 for a quality model.
- They need very little maintenance
- The average spring in these gun will last for thousands of shots before it needs replacing