Suburban location. Wood fence backstop.

22 Aguila colibri

Up to 20 yards I’d say a quality air rifle in .17 or .22.

Shot to the head.

This will be virtual point blank range. We have poison bait traps out and when they get sick they just come to the surface.

Pistol?

Against the law to discharge a firearm in the city limits. Which is why I posted this where I did.

Rats generally are a tough target to connect with as they don't stand still for any period of time usually, gotta be quick with the shot.

You want something quiet accurate and not a whole lot of power.  If you want a spring gun, that you have to manually cock each time (break barrel, underlever, side lever) I suggest the HW30/Beeman R7, though it is a little bit louder than my next suggestion.

If you are willing to step up to much more sophistication and are willing to tune the rifle down (think of it as developing a reduced load by handloading your ammo), the Benjamin Marauder is probably the quietest Pre-charged Pneumatic.  But, when tuned down to 9 to 10 ft-lb energy levels, you get a lot of shots before you have to refill.  This makes it very handpump friendly.  On the regulated versions, you need to first reduce the regulated pressure down to about 1200 to 1500 psi. With the non regulated version, tune the hammer spring and stroke to work at a fill pressure of 2200 to 2500 psi. Next, you need to reduce the hammer spring and stroke to open the valve at the best rate for this pressure.  Finally you will need to turn the metering screw to get 600 ft/s with the medium pellet weight (8.4 to 9.5 grain in .177).  Now, you can get the velocity down this far, just by closing the metering screw, but that is not all that efficient.

There are other PCPs that are just as tuneable, but cost a bit more and are not quite as quiet unless you get them with a silencer (usually aftermarket--- Donny FL, and Hugget are the two top brands for airguns).

The PCP gives you the advantage of a magazine that allows more shots with minimal movement.  The spring guns require breaking position to cock and are slower to reload.  If your rat/vermin problem is a target rich environment, then the PCP is  by far the better choice.  If the problem is of one critter shows up every once-in-a-while, and your budget is a bit tight, then the spring gun gets the nod.  Also, at the power level you need, don't overlook the Single Stroke Pneumatic 10 meter target guns either.  They are similar to the spring guns but use a compressed charge of air instead of a spring.  (Daisy 753/853)

No matter what ammo you use in this, a wood fence is not going to be a good backstop.

Based, on further reading of your post, the 10 meter rifle power level will suit your needs, and I'd recommend the target wadcutters as well.  My underpowered 10 meter pistol (500 ft/s with lighter pellets) does quite well on mice.  The pellets go through but only dent the baseboards.  Misses, however, do put a lodged pellet in the baseboards.  The 10 meter rifle velocities and pellets are a bit more aggressive in penetration, but a wood fence should just about stop them, and very little energy would be left if they manage to get through.

The HW30/R7 I recommended above will punch through most cedar fences, but would lose much of their energy.  Lining the bottom of the fence with sand bags where you are likely to take your shots would reduce any issues with putting lead into neighboring properties.

So just to clarify, these vermin emerge and lay on the ground after poisoned. My intent is to walk up and shoot them point blank. Was just looking for something < $50?

But now, what have I got myself into? lol

Thanks for the suggestions.

If they are incapacitated by the time you are walking up, why not just use the shovel that you are about to use to pick them up?

None of my airguns were ever that inexpensive, so I can't keep my suggestions <$50. Even a decent single stroke pneumatic costs more than $50. I stand corrected, I see one that is fun to plink with and still meets the budget.

https://www.pyramydair.com/s/m/Beeman_P17/614

ArimoDave summed it up well for any lasting uses. Accurate air rifles (and pistols) are way under-appreciated by powder burners. I started down the rabbit hole about six or seven years ago, starting with a scoped .22 cal FX Royale 400, 6k psi N2 fill tank, and a 72 ci fill bottle. I then followed up by building a custom PRod, dual air tubes, supplemental LDC, M4 stock, and tuning. My buddy kept the PRod for his uses. Those "uses" have been pounds of Northen Curly Tail lizzards, and Green iguanas in S. Florida. The previous two PCPs are really quiet, and pellet stacking/touching out to an easy forty yards - good enough to nail baby lizaard head shots about 90% of the time (100% within thirty yards.)

Earlier this year, I turned in my N2 lease and bought a 4.5k psi dive compressor. Last month, I added a HW44 pistol, which is as accurate as the FX, and just took a forty-three yard Curly Tail from my sister's second floor. The CT was  about three inches long, a girth less than a sharpie, and a head smaller than a dime. I could ramble on and on; I routinely state, "... best money I ever spent." Attached on every SMS corpse, lol.

Anyway, if your rats are delirious enough for walk up head shots, you could do just fine with any Walmart BB gun. If you are going to be taking shots that might skip (into the fence,) then consider the Marauder for the cheapest entry - just like ArimoDave suggested. PCPs are not cheap toys, but they excel at what they do.

For your needs. Close range, enough oomph, and around $50, the Crosman F4 would nearly check every box. Sell them at Walmart for around $80. So a little more, but a decent air gun for the money.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/crosman-exclusive-f4-classic-np-break-barrel-air-rifle-with-scope-177-caliber/53968155

Seen them after eating poison, if they move they don't move real well.  It is not going anywhere.  

My suggestion shovel right behind the head and over and done with.  Use same shovel to toss them in the trash where other animals can't get to them.


STORY TIME!!!!!

Not long after I got married we are in a new house and are having mouse problems, seems neighbors had mouse problems had someone come out to spray something for them and now they are all at my house.  I start setting out traps, and I am getting 3 in one snap trap.  It is not letting up.  The traps are not really intended for use over and over again, and are falling apart, so I get some glue traps.  Really I find glue traps about the most inhumane thing out there and will NEVER use them again.

So one night laying in bed we hear screaming.....mouse screaming.  I get up and he is stuck to the trap, being tired I go back to bed.  The wife will not let me sleep as she can't sleep with the mouse screaming.  Ok I will get up and toss it outside it will be dead by morning.....OH NO you can't let him suffer all night.  This goes on and on, as it would from one person that does not want to get out of bed and another person that will not let him go back to sleep.  

To make a long story short don't hit it with a hammer unless you want to take a shower after.

I've used a self customized scoped crosman 1322 carbine (.22 cal) with a 12" barrel to take down countless large rats out to 18 yards with nothing but precise head shots (right under the ear), full energy dump with no exit hole. This setup shoots at around 8 foot pounds of energy (480 ish fps) at the muzzle and shoots one hole 1/4 inch groups out to 20 yards with 15.89gr JSB Exacts, the only pellet I'll use on live vermin out of this gun. Guys like to chase the magical 1000 fps, but I learned over the years that with airguns pinpoint accuracy is what kills.

Honesty the 1322 pistol at $60 came to mind when OP said point blank. Pump a few times walk over and pull the trigger....done

Here you go OP.

You don't need much power at all to kill a rodent at close range. This package will be fairly accurate and comes with pellets that will do the job.

Beeman P17 Bundle
Edit out of stock


Here, get this and a tin of wadcutter pellets
Beeman P17

The Beeman P17 is the answer for your up close shots. Hell, I'm holding a quarter size group at 8 yards off hand. Yesterday I was hitting a can in the back yard at about 12 yards 90% of my shots.

The Beeman P17 is only $33 at Amazon Here, listed as the previous "Sportsman Delux 2004" but sure as heck, P17 right on the slide...
And quite enough for suburbs.

Full auto C02

Attached File

If you are in Texas make sure your city doesn’t consider an air gun a “firearm” as many municipalities do and specify it in their ordinances.

Browning 22 lever action w scope. You can use shorts or longs... I can’t tell you how many pests have Been cleared with mine. This might be my favorite gun...

Dude, just stomp them if this it what you want... $0.00

So why does everyone come to the airgun forum and suggest firearms when this guy has a simple question?

Hell nuke the whole site from orbit, it's the only way to be sure, right?

Just about any pneumatic pumper will take rats, and there's tons of video on youtube on guys who do it. A lot of guys use expensive gear, but I've seen it done with a Co2 gun and homemade night vision.

I like the 1322, 1377 guns with the stock adapters because those things are easily mod-able. 2240 would be a Co2 version of the same gun.

But probably any big box store air rifle, short of a Red Ryder will do it. Any even then, I remember my dad plugging a mouse with my POS daisy/ Red Ryder knock off when I was a kid. That thing probably made only 200fps.

Just bagged. Stoeger scoped using Gamo Raptor pellets with Power pellet lube (probably Kroil), >1200 fps. I've been trying to get him for a year, climbing on the house. Ran 10 yards, climbed 6' wooden fence then dropped.

I was wondering that myself.

I was surprised that nobody suggested a centerfire or shotgun.  It's fun to watch the suggestions tossed out when someone asks for advice for a pistol for the mother/girlfriend/arthritic grandparent that has never shot a gun in their life but now needs one and after shooting one time, they will never shoot it again.  The arm chair commandos chime in with their semiauto 9mm or .380 pistol.

I have already provided the perfect solution, but OP is probably a California transplant.