roval
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i still don't see any reply to why not another 22. it doesn't sound like it was ever a noise issue and most of the replies are for lower noise options for 22s. i am confused.
Wanting something for squirrel control besides a 22 and need opinions.
- Thread starter Hoppy-tn
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A crock pot and bottles of your favorite sauce you can cook most yard and barn pests. If you don't eat squirrels no problem.
Brother and sister blue heelers will catch them on the ground and bring them to the front door. Then they start nudging them to run more
Taurus 617 CCW
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I have a friend who owns an older Remington tube fed bolt action. It feeds shorts, longs, and long rifles. The barrel is around 22” long. When you shoot shorts you barely hear the shot. Its almost comical. That would be great for near the house. Just a thought.
Bill_in_TR
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The OP did say that he had a noise concern because of a gun shy dog.
For the short range critters (inside of 20 yards) I would recommend a Weirauch HW30/beeman R7 break barrel air rifle in .177 caliber. It is light and compact with an adult length of pull. It is relatively low powered so low noise level yet still effective out to that range. I too have a gun shy dog and she is not bothered by it. It is easy to cock so you can be pretty discrete with your cocking action. They are very accurate out to 20 to 25 yards so you can do head shots. A tin of 500 .177 pellets is cheap. The HW30 and R7 are the same rifle. You can probably find a used one for a bargain.
The lower power makes it easy to shoot accurately. Just put an inexpensive 2-7 or 3-9 scope on it or a used one may already have a scope.
I can confidently say all this because I have one and know for certain it can do the job from experience. But obviously it won't stretch out to the longer distances. It can also be a lot of fun plinking around the back yard without bothering the dog. Tin cans will fear you.
jmorris
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A moderated PCP is going to be pretty quiet.
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If not at the rifle the bullet going by and impact make more noise.
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.25 Mrod on small 60yd plate rack
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If not at the rifle the bullet going by and impact make more noise.
Bullet sound
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buck460XVR
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I will second the suggestions of pellet rifles and traps. Had the same issue with squirrels getting in my outdoor shed. Small conibear traps over their entrance holes and some selective shooting did the trick.
Have you tried squirrel repellent spray on your barn wood. They do like to chew up things & something like this may stop them.
If you have I would suggest a pump up air rifle, or a air soft sniper rifle. A buddy has one that can shoot through aluminum street signs when turned up to full pressure.
If you have I would suggest a pump up air rifle, or a air soft sniper rifle. A buddy has one that can shoot through aluminum street signs when turned up to full pressure.
DT Guy
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Train the dog. It's easy and rewarding. Plenty books on the subject. I trained my elderly aunt's 7 year old gun shy dog to retrieve for me, I was using a rem 1100 with cutts compensator which isn't quiet.
Start with treats and no shooting until it's happy to go with you then introduce shooting when it's some distance from you. Don't overdo it. after 3 or 4 weeks it should start to come round.
Or get a new dog that isn't gun shy.
FWIW you'll almost always have a squirrel problem so it's worth trying. When you've sorted it then buy a 17hmr or a 22 hornet even better.
I live in the UK one of my clubmates collects single shot rook rifles, generally 30 cal with straight sided cases shooting subsonic loads through a 26" barrel, when he shoots alongside me at the range I swear all I hear is the click as the hammer drops so maybe it's worth getting a 22 LR with a barrel at least 24" long and use subsonic ammo. Perhaps a used stevens 22/410 combination gun
Start with treats and no shooting until it's happy to go with you then introduce shooting when it's some distance from you. Don't overdo it. after 3 or 4 weeks it should start to come round.
Or get a new dog that isn't gun shy.
FWIW you'll almost always have a squirrel problem so it's worth trying. When you've sorted it then buy a 17hmr or a 22 hornet even better.
I live in the UK one of my clubmates collects single shot rook rifles, generally 30 cal with straight sided cases shooting subsonic loads through a 26" barrel, when he shoots alongside me at the range I swear all I hear is the click as the hammer drops so maybe it's worth getting a 22 LR with a barrel at least 24" long and use subsonic ammo. Perhaps a used stevens 22/410 combination gun
You've gotten plenty of suggestions to use CCI .22 quiet rounds, or to try various pellet rifles. If it were me, I'd give the CCI's a try first, and if I found they were not consistently accurate enough in a lever action rifle for those 70 plus yard shots (ten acres should provide longer shots than that), I'd take advantage of the wife's permission to buy another rifle before she changes her mind!
Unless you hit the lottery, my choice of pellet rifles would be a .22 cal PCP Air Venturi Avenger for about $350 from Pyramid Air. Or, if you think you may have other critters in need of thinning such as coyotes or wild hogs, go for the .25 caliber. The recently upgraded model, called the AvengeX, is about $150 pricier but calibers can be swapped between .177, .22, and .25 for less than $100 each. Both models are fully regulated, meaning they will use about the same amount of air each shot for better shot to shot consistency, plus you can make various adjustments to "tune" it for best accuracy (Youtube will help with that). Add a scope at whatever price point works for you, and add a suppressor to make it even quieter (no ATF license or wait needed, as it is not a "fire" arm). Vevor seems to have one of the cheapest solutions for filling the air tank with their bicycle style hand pump for around $50 (good for very high pressure, but at my age I can only fill to around 3000psi, which is plenty for a bunch of shots). They also have a 12v/110v pump for around $250, but as you can see, things add up to the cost of a nice CVA Cascade centerfire rifle in the end. So, you'll have to decide if the quiet solution is worth it.
How about a pretty fair review, although the receiver block and scope mounts are aluminum, not plastic as the video mentions:
Budget PCP that does it all! Air Venturi AVENGER
0:00 Intro2:08 Budget PCPs: Have Realistic Expectations3:01 Overview3:37 Tunability5:38 Barrel7:02 Shroud Cap Issue & Solution8:27 Dual Manometers8:46 Fillin...
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I'm not sure if the goal is to buy something before the wife changes her mind or to cure the squirrels chewing on the residence. I get that both would be nice. Perhaps if he could cure the squirrel problem the wife would be so happy she would gift him a rifle of his choice.
Regardless, in an attempt to help here is some approximate noise levels for various choices. Barrel length is a big factor as is subsonic ammo. I can attest that standard velocity .22 LR out on a long barreled bolt action target rifle is comparatively quiet.
.22 caliber rifle 130dB (real long barrel subsonic, 143dB short barrel high velocity ammo)
.223, 55GR. Commercial load 18" barrel 155.5dB
.243 in 22" barrel 155.9dB
.30-30 in 20" barrel 156.0dB.
7mm Magnum in 20" barrel 157.5dB.
.308 in 24" barrel 156.2dB.
.30-06 in 24" barrel 158.5dB. In 18" barrel 163.2dB.
.375 18" barrel with muzzle brake 170 dB.
.410 Bore 28" barrel 150dB. 26" barrel 150.25dB. 18" barrel 156.30dB.
20 Gauge 28" barrel 152.50dB. 22" barrel 154.75dB.
12 Gauge 28" barrel 151.50dB. 26" barrel 156.10dB. 18" barrel 161.50dB.
I'd estimate 17HMR at around 147dB. Likely your best option if you want more than a .22 LR. Personally I'd find a used Anschutz in .22 LR and shoot standard velocity ammo.
PS, Decibels measure sound pressure and are logarithmic. That means that only a 3db increase almost doubles sound pressure, a 6db increase quadruples sound pressure, etc.
Regardless, in an attempt to help here is some approximate noise levels for various choices. Barrel length is a big factor as is subsonic ammo. I can attest that standard velocity .22 LR out on a long barreled bolt action target rifle is comparatively quiet.
.22 caliber rifle 130dB (real long barrel subsonic, 143dB short barrel high velocity ammo)
.223, 55GR. Commercial load 18" barrel 155.5dB
.243 in 22" barrel 155.9dB
.30-30 in 20" barrel 156.0dB.
7mm Magnum in 20" barrel 157.5dB.
.308 in 24" barrel 156.2dB.
.30-06 in 24" barrel 158.5dB. In 18" barrel 163.2dB.
.375 18" barrel with muzzle brake 170 dB.
.410 Bore 28" barrel 150dB. 26" barrel 150.25dB. 18" barrel 156.30dB.
20 Gauge 28" barrel 152.50dB. 22" barrel 154.75dB.
12 Gauge 28" barrel 151.50dB. 26" barrel 156.10dB. 18" barrel 161.50dB.
I'd estimate 17HMR at around 147dB. Likely your best option if you want more than a .22 LR. Personally I'd find a used Anschutz in .22 LR and shoot standard velocity ammo.
PS, Decibels measure sound pressure and are logarithmic. That means that only a 3db increase almost doubles sound pressure, a 6db increase quadruples sound pressure, etc.
CCI Quiet .22 is probably the best you are going to get unless you want to go with an air rifle.
Attached is a target from 25 yards, 15 shots with CCI Quiet .22
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22250Rem
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Even though I have a 20-25 yard squirrel capable air rifle, this thread made me realize that I haven't fired any 22 shorts in years, and I have 3 different 22's that are able to use short, long and long rifle 22 ammo. There's 22 shorts and longs in the ammo stash; also have some of those CCI Quiet 22's here that I have never tried yet. Looks like there will be some of that stuff getting fired in the near future. Heck; my Henry H001 22 lever gun will digest short, long & long rifle, it's 5 years old now and has only fired 22LR so far. Time for some experimentation with the other rimfire options that are open.
Grabbed a Hatfield single shot 410, around a hundred bucks at Walmart.
Was firing it and realized I didn't have ear pro- no ringing...so it must not be too terribly loud.
Only issue is good luck finding any 410!
They do make cartridge adapters though, pretty neat. The break barrel is made for em. I got a cheap 22 lr adapter on ebay. It'll run any 22 ammo. Lined up the basically sight less barrel and plinked at a steel target 20 yards away, half a breath later heard the "plink". Accurate enough! Gives you options.
How loud is 22 mag out of a rifle? It was very loud from my 6 inch single six. It also hit with more authority.
Are you needing more power than the 22 lr or just quieter?
Was firing it and realized I didn't have ear pro- no ringing...so it must not be too terribly loud.
Only issue is good luck finding any 410!
They do make cartridge adapters though, pretty neat. The break barrel is made for em. I got a cheap 22 lr adapter on ebay. It'll run any 22 ammo. Lined up the basically sight less barrel and plinked at a steel target 20 yards away, half a breath later heard the "plink". Accurate enough! Gives you options.
How loud is 22 mag out of a rifle? It was very loud from my 6 inch single six. It also hit with more authority.
Are you needing more power than the 22 lr or just quieter?
22250Rem
Member
My wife got one of those pesky red squirrels this morning with a Havahart trap. She was using peanut butter on a cracker for bait. The OP will be glad to know there was no noise or commotion to bother people or pets. I haven't had a chance to try any 22 shorts yet like I mentioned in my post #63, but with red squirrels it's very difficult because around here they never seem to stand still long enough to draw a bead on. Only got one with the pellet gun last year, seen back in post # 42 of this thread. Now I have a pic of the latest one in the "holding cell", in the bed of my truck, on the way to the "relocation camp", which is actually almost 15 miles from here.
.. Still have lots of grey squirrels around but so far they aren't invading the attic, the garage, or anything else.Bentonville
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If you’ll send me a PM and not divulge my method of controlling those terrible creatures, I’ll share with you.
Miami_JBT
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Gamo Whisper .22 Pellet Rifle or one of the other factory suppressed .22 pellet rifles offered by Gamo or their competitors.
Cheap, effective, and fun.
22250Rem
Member
The OP should consider those last 3 factors versus using a 22 rimfire, considering the small inside dog that the 22 doesn't bother too much. The fun factor is greater than most folks realize, until they try something like that. I bet the dog would have no problem at all with the noise level of a factory suppressed .22 pellet rifle. While getting the fun and satisfaction of a .22 ca. squirrel gun, except you won't have the range of a .22 rimfire unless you get a more expensive PCP ( Pre-Charged-Pneumatic ). I limit myself to about 20 yards , 25 tops, on squirrel, with a .22 cal. Benjamin Trail, by Crosman. This one's over 8 years old now and has proven itself as cheap, effective, and fun, and has even legally squirrel hunted, besides being employed as a defensive tool against red squirrel "invasions".
..The only cautionary advice on modern air guns that I always give folks is that old "Caution; May Be Habit Forming" warning message.
tark
Member
Cayenne pepper is your answer. Birds do not have taste buds. Tree rats do... BTW, watching the squirrel's reaction to his first taste of the pepper is truly comical
It usually takes only one or two visits to the feeder before they leave it alone.
Captains1911
Member
Really hard to beat a suppressed .22 with CCI Standard Velocity. But if that’s not an option, then I’d probably look at a modern suppressed air rifle. I will say that the CCI CB shorts fired out of a 20” bolt action are silly quiet, but I’ve never shot any critters with them so I can’t speak to their effectiveness in that regard. Plus, at 700 fps muzzle velocity they drop off real quick so you’d have to be pretty close.
Ignition Override
Member
The OP did ask "..squirrel control besides a .22...". He never specified only guns. Today we hired a company called Alpha Wildlife.
It's really expensive, 3-step treatment, but to have the cash for such an expenditure is only one example of why I worked longer than I otherwise might have.
—-Your two-story house can get Flooded when they chew into an attic water line
—Never mind the slight chance of electrical wires causing a fire.
The high cost of this service is “insurance”.
It's really expensive, 3-step treatment, but to have the cash for such an expenditure is only one example of why I worked longer than I otherwise might have.
—-Your two-story house can get Flooded when they chew into an attic water line
—Never mind the slight chance of electrical wires causing a fire.
The high cost of this service is “insurance”.
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I have a Beeman R9 in .20, a RWS 45 in .177 and a Beeman Kodiak in .25. Over 40+ years, have taken many a squirrel. In my experience, .177 is fine for well placed shots (head/neck), however, expect a lot of crawl offs on body shots. .20 caliber is better, but a .22 or a .25 is the ticket. With a springer, difficult to generate enough velocity/energy. No substitute for heavier pellets. Under 50 yards, my Kodiak rivals a .22 short in terms of effectiveness.
JEBruns
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No offense, but I've always thought that was a weird argument. "It's okay I paid too much because I can afford it". We have deep resources, but I can't stand paying someone to do something I can do myself.
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