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Cartridges for the 9mm garden gun used to be very pricey which could be an issue if you need to knock down 20-30 rats plus they are single shot bolt actions so you need to reload every time, having said all that they would be an interesting candidate for a slip over suppressor. I would be inclined to go down the air rifle route myself.

25Pdr wrote:Rats under the shed?

Solution!

Print off a few of these, place them around shed.

Rats no more. :lol:

Surely that would be cruel

JS569 wrote:
That sounds like a well thought out plan. I guess you know it works from plenty of experience?

Used them many times including over in Belize. Once burried a ring of the traps around an old Victorian septic tank. We got over 40 rats in 3 nights.

The use of a good air rifle to keep up your shooting skills is my No1 choice but I'm a big fan of rat traps, set a couple up with chocolate or Nuttela in places where your pets can't get to them,leave them over night and bingo! My personal fave way to trap is on a Summers evening set up the traps as above, sit out on the patio with a glass of wine, feet up, radio on and a book or simply chat with the good woman and keep out an ear for the snap/squeek! Happy days.

zzr1100 wrote:Shooting making things worse ??
Confused on how ....

Perhaps it would encourage the rats to arm themselves as well?

I'd go air rifle, depends how big they are, I live on a farm bordering some woodland and when we did some building work we had some mahoosive ones appear that I really didnt think would be dispatched by an air rifle. I didnt wait to find out I used a .22 in the end.

Hi stuck,

If after all this time you're still having a problem, I'll gladly pop round and shoot them for you. I live in Bolton and use a HW100KT .177 with a Pulsar N750 night sight on the farm I go on. Does the job nicely indeed !

Forgot to say I'm fully insured with BASC

EDnSKY wrote:Hi stuck,

If after all this time you're still having a problem, I'll gladly pop round and shoot them for you. I live in Bolton and use a HW100KT .177 with a Pulsar N750 night sight on the farm I go on. Does the job nicely indeed !

Forgot to say I'm fully insured with BASC

Rats were dealt with last year but thanks for the offer.

I don't think I'd describe it as a problem. Shooting rats with an air rifle is great sport. Infact it's quite addictive!
Poisoning can create real problems for the rats predators such as cats, fox and owls. Setting traps can be a pain and require checking regularly.
Sitting out in the garden blatting rats whilst the missus watches yet another repeat on TV .....Bliss.
I have to drive miles for the pleasure, and lock myself in a pitch black barn with em scurrying about, worthwhile though when they are this big.

That's an 11 1/2 boot next to matey.

Harry Brown wrote:
... worthwhile though when they are this big.

That's an 11 1/2 boot next to matey.

A tiddler! I hit one, it was 14" or 360mm from nose to start of tail. It was overhanging both sides of a large shovel! The following day, I manage 5 in 5 shots all with a minute and three were lying within inches of each other.

Polchraine wrote:

Harry Brown wrote:
... worthwhile though when they are this big.

That's an 11 1/2 boot next to matey.

A tiddler! I hit one, it was 14" or 360mm from nose to start of tail. It was overhanging both sides of a large shovel! The following day, I manage 5 in 5 shots all with a minute and three were lying within inches of each other.

I think at 14" I'd have had it stuffed!...At the very least I'd have found a camera.