Five reasons to use an airgun to control woodies

You may never get the large bags you get with a shotgun, but there are numerous advantages to shooting decoyed woodies with an airgun. We’ve listed a few below:

1. When shooting a woodpigeon with an airgun it is best to aim for the head or – if the bird has it back to you – between the shoulder blades. This gives you a clean kill and means you don’t pepper the precious breast meat with shot, which helps diners avoid expensive dental damage
2. If woodies are making a meal of your precious sprouts or peas in your garden, an airgun is the best way to protect them.  The relatively limited power of an air rifle makes it safe to use in confined spaces as long as you ensure your pellet doesn’t cross the boundary of your land
3. You can get moderators for most airguns, which makes your pest control less obtrusive than with a shotgun.
4. Airgun pellets are far cheaper than shotgun cartridges, so using an airgun to control woodies is much more economical than using a shotgun.
5. The relatively low recoil of an airgun means there is no chance of going home with an aching shoulder or a shotgun-induced headache.

For more information on how to bag woodies with an air rifle see August issue of Sporting Gun. You can take out a subscription here.