Looking for "varmint" shooter.

[Michael Gibbons]

John, A lot of shooting blunders are the shooters fault. Jerking the trigger, looking up to see if you hit your target, target panic , buck fever ETC... I have a marlin .22 with 4 power scope . I've hit racoons at 100 yards no problem. You need to use good ammo also. I use CCI stingers ,they have alot of punch,kinda pricey though. $4.00 for 50. Once you get your scope mounted, it should take about 6 shots to sight in the gun. Wal-mart has the same semi auto that I have for about $170 in stainless + $ 45 for scope and mounts. The guns usually come with a safety lock that fits either through the trigger gaurd or in the chamber. You should teach gun safety to your kid(s).

...........Mike

[Lee DeRaud]

Assuming it isn't outright illegal to shoot them there, if crows are as smart as some people seem to think they are, you probably won't have to shoot that many of them before the rest get the idea and find a safer place to roost.

Think of it as evolution in action.

[David Epperson]

David, how does ammo costs/quality between the two compare? I see where for the .22, there's a pretty big range and LOTS of opinions on which load shoots better. I'd be quite happy taking a lot of these variable out of the equation. I'd hate to buy a gun, which I find out "doesn't shoot well" and then have it turn out to be the "wrong ammo" for the gun! Kind of like putting a crappy blade on a good saw.

Ammo for the 17 rimfires is on par with the mid to higher end 22s. Of course the 17HMR compares to 22 magnum and the 17 MachII compares to 22LR - mainly because those are the cases they are based on. I think the 17HMR can be found in the $8-$12 per box of 50 range and the 17MachII can be found in the $3-$6 per box range. The 17's, by all reports so far, are generally more accurate. But a lot of what you might call accurate depends upon your baseline score for the definition. Much of the innacuracies one hears about in rimfire circles (My rifle likes XXX but doesn't shoot YYY for snot) is based on a benchrest or competion baseline - which includes a lot of variations that would be WAY too small to notice if all you need is "Minute of Crow" accuracy.

[Dan Gill]

Since you'll probably be shooting them out of trees, be very aware of where your bullets will fall.

That said, a .22 is as much as you'll need for crows at those distances. An air rifle might work, but as you have noted, good ones are very pricey, and I suspect you'd wound as many as you would kill outright, unless you limited yourself to head shots. Not a happy result for anyone.

From 50 - 75 yards, any decent .22 with an inexpensive scope will do the job if you do yours. Be aware that crows ARE very smart, and they will definitely see you and learn that you are the source of their troubles. Which probably will solve the problem with minimal crow deaths.

Of course, check your state laws. Your mileage may vary.

[Kyle Kraft]

I'll second Per's post. Ruger 10-22 with a mid grade Bushnell scope. Don't forget a .22 will still travel a good distance so be aware of possible collateral damage beyond the intended target. Remember to get a hunters guide from your Dept of Nat'l Resources for license requirements and seasons. Here in Michigan we have a winter and a fall crow season with a provision for crop damage as well.

[Jeffrey Fusaro]

how 'bout hiring this guy?

scarecrow.jpg


"The sum of the square roots of any two sides of an isosceles triangle is equal to the square root of the remaining side. Oh joy! Rapture! I got a brain! How can I ever thank you enough? "

he seems pretty sharp.

oughta work, as long as you don't have flying monkeys ...

[Lee DeRaud]

how 'bout hiring this guy?

Isn't he part of that gang of psychos that was going around killing people they thought were witches?

[John Miliunas]

Isn't he part of that gang of psychos that was going around killing people they thought were witches?

You know, there IS a striking resemblence!

[Dan Mages]

I would start with owl dummies. It is safer and simpler. If Crowes are as smart as they say, then raise a Texas flag in the back yard. That should put fear of getting shot into them

As far as a rifle is concerned, I had the pleasure of shooting my friend's Walther G22 rifle. It is VERY smooth and accurate with good adaptability for lefty use. It also has a good list of accessories, most are legally available in the US. The only thing I don't like is the plastic body.

Dan

[John Miliunas]

I would start with owl dummies. It is safer and simpler. If Crowes are as smart as they say, then raise a Texas flag in the back yard. That should put fear of getting shot into them

As far as a rifle is concerned, I had the pleasure of shooting my friend's Walther G22 rifle. It is VERY smooth and accurate with good adaptability for lefty use. It also has a good list of accessories, most are legally available in the US. The only thing I don't like is the plastic body.

Dan

I would tend to agree w/you on the owl dummies, however, in talking with a few folks in the "hood" about them, the dummies do indeed scare off more than just the intended crows. We really DO like the bulk of the bird population out by us, as well as the rest of the wildlife there so, the decoys and such probably wouldn't work as well.

As I recall, the Walther's are NOT a cheap machine! As I dig around a bit, I found that our Dick's Sporting Goods has a special going right now on a Savage 22, bolt action w/4x scope for $149.00, plus the Governer's share. For right around two bills, I should be able to cover rifle, ammo, cleaning kit and even a cheap soft case. I've looked at a CZ and, as nice as they are, I don't feel I need to spend the $$$ for the task(s) at hand. OK, so I'm cheap!

[Barry Stratton]

Lots of good advise on 22's John! The Savage you mention will do just fine. And as Lee said, once you poof a few, the rest will wise up VERY quickly. They'll also learn your "effective" range and hang around outside of it.

My advice is to determine and get rid of, if possible, whatever keeps attracting them in the first place.

And, if I'm ever in your neck of the woods, I'll toss the 220 Swift in the truck......400 yard shots are FUN!!!!

[John Miliunas]

Lots of good advise on 22's John! The Savage you mention will do just fine. And as Lee said, once you poof a few, the rest will wise up VERY quickly. They'll also learn your "effective" range and hang around outside of it.

My advice is to determine and get rid of, if possible, whatever keeps attracting them in the first place.

And, if I'm ever in your neck of the woods, I'll toss the 220 Swift in the truck......400 yard shots are FUN!!!!

400 yards!!!???? Sheeeesh...I kent even see dat fer!!! Like, you have that thing mounted on a cast iron tripod or what? Whew! Yup, that'd be long range shootin', that's for certain!

[John Miliunas]

Wow! I'm starting to think we have as many shooters here as we do WW's! (Wonder how the shooter forums do on the OT replies regarding WW??? )

Anyhow, your collective wisdom for this shooting wannabe newbie is most helpful! As stated to one of our members sending me a PM, I'm trying to keep this with the K.I.S.S. principle in mind. So, where am I at? Well, for starters, a .22 will probably be the most "adaptable" for my needs. Something which can shoot LR and shorts equally as well. Shorts most likely to keep long distance collateral damage to a minimum. If I'm understanding all this correctly, this would likely mean a bolt action. This is fine by me. I'm in no hurry to empty a complete magazine quickly. For crows, if I don't hit on the first shot, I've probably lost the shot for some time anyway. For target practice, who cares how rapidly you plug the target?

[David Wilson]

bp1.JPGJohn

Maby you could get one of these. It's a 1851 Navy Colt black powder replica. Buntline style with a 12" barrel. I just got the balls for it and will be shooting as soon as the weather warms up.

[Bob Rufener]

I also live in Wisconsin and I know what it is to be surrounded by crows. There is a legal hunting season season for them in the state. I don't know for sure but would imagine that you might be required to have a hunting license of some kind. (Do you think the state would allow us to do anything for nothing???)

Hunting seasons for crows are (from the WI DNR site)

Crow

• Sept. 15 - Nov. 15, 2007
• Jan. 18, 2008 - Mar. 20, 2008

You may want to check their web site for other information. As far as a gun, I don't have a specific one in mind. Most 22 caliber rifles with a 4x scope should do the job for you without spending an arm and a leg.