One of my dearest friends has been living with the unbelievable squealing of Peacock's for years !! She has recently been approved by the township to kill Peacocks that wander on to her property, but living in a residential area can only use a pellet rifle.

I am looking for advice on what type of pellet rifle to use. Please assume that I am looking to purchase(new or used) the most velocity that I can for $100-200. Peacocks will be killed at aprox. 10-20 yds.

Thanks in advance for your assistance.
GDOG

First I would buy the most accurate pellet gun that you can. Not the most powerful the most accurate. That may be a 177 or it may be a 22 but in either case the most accurate.

Second...did I mention about buying the most accurate BTW...try a selection of pellets to give the best accuracy in that gun.

Velocity? Waste of time if it isn't accurate. These peacocks are like the bird equivalent of a moose comared to a starling. If that shot isn't right it'll just walk off.

Third. Put the most accurate 'scope on it that you can and sighted in for ten and fifteen and twenty yards. Set the "zero" at ten and remember or tape to the side of the butt the extra clicks to give fifteen and twenty yards. A decent air gun should put all the pellets into just one half inch at ten yards.

If it can't it's no good!

Next. Set out some range pegs on her property. Maybe divide it into ten yard squares. So that wherever she is she knows what is ten yards away and what is fifteen yards away and what is twenty yards away.

Shoot them in the back or side of the head. They are too big a bird to shoot and stop and kill in the body. So shoot them in the head.

Maybe she can feed them in close? But ONLY shoot one, on its own, at a time when they are used to coming in to feed?

BTW they make very nice eating I am told! If you know any fly tiers you'll acquire a bunch of friends too!

Personally? Can she not get approval for a crossbow firing a good broadhead bolt? It'll be far more effective on body shots than any air pellet!

Thank you for the feedback. You got me thinking about the bow. I will have to do some research on the legality-my guess is that the crossbow is illegal, and that she could not pull back my compound.

Is there some minimum velocity that helps with accuracy? as an example, I assume that my old 10-pump Crossman was not fast enough to reduce the variation from shot to shot at 400fps?(wild ass guess)

I'd get a big waddy stick and wail the F#@* out of them....

quote:

crossbow

and don't forget....it's easier to get forgiveness than to get permission!

quote:

I'd get a big waddy stick and wail the F#@* out of them....

On Versus TV I saw TV hunting host Steve Scott kill a 100lb+ wild Texas hog with one shot from a Gamo Wisper pellet gun. Range about 10-15yds, shot placement behind the ear. Dropped in its tracks and didn't even quiver.

There are a bunch of pellet choices with both weight and shape to choose from. I'd pick a heavy flat nose wad cutter type pellet and a heavy pointy hunting pellet and see which shot best. Assuming one shot better than the other, I'd try that first. With the pointy pellet, your looking to kill with a brain shot that penetrates, with the flat nose, one that kills with shock.

I'd bet the flat nose to the side or back of the head does the job with no mess.

JPK

Had a resident peacock in the yard for 2 years . Dirtyest creature on earth. He crossed the line of my patience boundry and I nailed him with an aguilar powderless 22. He flew away and some months later my neighboor said he died in the yard next door to him. No more dirty bird. roger

A potato gun will do it.

Actually, trap and release would be a better solution. Until you get rid of all of the birds, there will be the same problem.

quote:

Originally posted by GDOG:
One of my dearest friends has been living with the unbelievable squealing of Peacock's for years !! She has recently been approved by the township to kill Peacocks that wander on to her property, but living in a residential area can only use a pellet rifle.

I am looking for advice on what type of pellet rifle to use. Please assume that I am looking to purchase(new or used) the most velocity that I can for $100-200. Peacocks will be killed at aprox. 10-20 yds.

Thanks in advance for your assistance.
GDOG

Surely a small bounty placed on their heads will cause a kid with a Feinwerkbau or a Beeman to show up ready to go.

2 liter bottle full of rocks or cement stand it in the feeding area rubber band a smal shiv of wheat to the neck when they start hitting that place four or five small snares around the wheat with a simi stiff wire. tied to the bottle. with the snares kinda sticking off the sides like petals on a flower. when they stick their head in the snare you can kick them and the bottle of rocks into the pool or just give them a 3 stroke handycap with a 9 iron.

chinese m30+scope+base from pyramidair .. side strokes are far easier to work than most. pay the company to go through it and tune the trigger. 4x scope will be fine

This doesn't help, but there are five of the dirty buggers on our land, they slink in and out of the woodland, they will get the 12 bore up the Khyber. They spread weeds and can carry avian TB which isn't harmfull to our stock but it can show up on TB testing and as such is an incovenience we can do without. A neibour lost a good sale on some of his heifers through avian TB.
(For those of you not familiar with English slang, Khyber is short for Khyber Pass which rhymes with Ars*).

Why not find a local archer? There ought to be plenty of bow hunters in any given area of Michigan. Some cities have regs against shooting broadheads but most allow field points. If the township allowed the use of a pellet gun I would think that they would also approve broadheads for this use as the range is less than a pellet gun. The peacock ought to be as easy to kill as wild turkeys and much easier to spot.

If you can get within 10-20 yards for a pellet gun, you have a chip shot for any deer hunter who uses bow and arrow.
Just my $.02.

I have a Crossman/Benjamin Quest 1000 in .22 caliber and shoot RWS Hollowpoint pellets. I was shooting a pointed pellet but I discovered they would penetrate 2" of cedar fencing so I switched to the hollowpoints. It kills with authority. Here is a newer version for $299http://www.crosman.com/airguns/benjamin/B1122BTM

http://www.crosman.com/airguns...s/ammo/premier/LHP22

One shot to the head and game over. I think I paid $109 for mine. Countless squirels have been taken and I get roughly 6 inches of penetration, so no Peacock is safe at 20 yards.

Best of all it's a single stroke cocking action.

The .177 version is $89 and I suspect would do the trick for headshots.

It can be confirmed they are not difficult to kill. I went around the back this evening just before dusk. There were peacocks roosting in the trees. A well placed shot with a .22rim brought one crashing to the ground. The others flew off. It could have been be brought down with an air rifle, but shot placement; as always, is important. I aimed for the base of the neck flutter flop. Job done.

If they will eat bread... soak some bread in vodka.... they eat it and get so shitfaced and disoriented, you can walk out and wack them with a baseball bat... so it won't noisily upset the neighbors...

we use to do stupid stuff like that in college with pigeons and golf clubs....

An old poachers trick was to soak raisins in rum and leave them out on rides for the pheasants,come back later and pick up the sozzled pheasants.I suppose any spirit alcohol would do.Save your Midleton rare!

It would seem there is more than one way to kill a peacock ...

quote:

Originally posted by Code4:
I'd get a big waddy stick and wail the F#@* out of them....

Up early this morning and crusing the web. I opened this thread and when I got here I like to split a gut!!!!
Thanks for the great start to the day!!
Now where'd I leave that waddy stick

As to the topic, I don't think an accurate peacock killing air rifle and $100.00 intersect anywhere on the scale. Waddy sticks however were free the last I heard .

Superglue some corn on to the pan of a 1.5 Victor Coil spring, set it, and spread some more corn in the area. Works really good for urban geese as well!

We shot ours in the head with a 4/10 when it went to roost in the barn. It became dangerous as it had no hen bird to keep him sain.

They taste just like turkey

I remember a rancher that had some bird problem.
He built a large cage say 12 ft X 12 ft x 6 ft tall of chicken wire and scattered maize on the ground in it. When the birds were inside the cage the door was pulled shut with a string. Then his grandson took a tennis racket and did the dirty work.

Thanks to all for the responses!

Some very innovative ideas indeed. I will share these with my poor friend and report back with results in the coming days and weeks.

Have a great day !

Screw the air guns, what you do is go and get a long barreled 22RF, CZ makes one, then you go and get some Sub sonic ammo, you go and have a can installed and just shoot the buggers in the head. Nothing like doing a mini Phoenix program in the hood.

We "had" five [5] resident turkeys here and the dame problem arose. The $%%^&& things S%$%%t all over EVERYTHING. The F&G said they were game birds and thus protected. BS!!! One succumbed to a fire-forming load in a Ruger #1 in 17 Ack Hornet. One decided to eat my imported hot peppers and he died from a dose of machete. The other three died from lead poisioning from a 40 year old Benjamin 22 pump. Eight pumps and head shots. They walked around for a few seconds and then realized they were dead and fell over. i figure if the pellet will do a turkey at 20-25 ft it`ll take a peacock. Hell! we ate them in Nam. Not too bad-- As long as you got enough NucMam!
Aloha, Mark

Best Peacock killing tool? Me!

Give me a call!

quote:

Originally posted by 303Guy:
Best Peacock killing tool? Me!

Give me a call!

What's the hold-over on a head shot from New Zealand to Michigan?

quote:

Originally posted by Mort Canard:
What's the hold-over on a head shot from New Zealand to Michigan?

The hold-over is secondary to compensating for the bullet's reversing twist when it crosses the equator.

quote:

Originally posted by Winchester 69:

quote:

Originally posted by Mort Canard:
What's the hold-over on a head shot from New Zealand to Michigan?

The hold-over is secondary to compensating for the bullet's reversing twist when it crosses the equator.

I have often reached for the Westley Richards 425 in the early hours of the morning at my folks Farm with a desire to Bag one or more of those noisy bastards.
The thought of my mothers fury was the only thing preventing me letting loose.

I just shot a peacock (or peahen) this afternoon with my now accurate 303-25. Ha! That beastie works! I shot one or two turkeys at some 200m as well. That works too! Plus one magpie at similar distance and one rescued cow from a swamp! The poor beast was unable to get up when we got her out.

this is what you need

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...bbhs&feature=related

How about .22 cal. Aguila subsonic ammo? Cheaper than a pellet gun.

Use a bow and arrow with a turkey broadhead. If you don't own one I'm sure you know some one who does. They would probuly be more then happy to help.

quote:

Originally posted by Burlington Rd:
How about .22 cal. Aguila subsonic ammo? Cheaper than a pellet gun.

didn't kill a possom at muzzle touching hide distance for me

Yeah, but possum are tough! My mates have shot Peafowl with 22 subs. Single shot kills - DRT. Possum, on the other hand ..... well ....! Even turkey take some killing. 22lr is just not enough for them!

quote:

quote:
Originally posted by Burlington Rd:
How about .22 cal. Aguila subsonic ammo? Cheaper than a pellet gun.



didn't kill a possom at muzzle touching hide distance for me

Really? You sure you aren't confusing the SSS with the colibri?

The Sans Poudre aren't worth two cents a box... Do a search for that on this site. I talked about shooting a gray squirrel with one and it just made him mad...

Remington is making a nice hollowpoint CB cap, cheaper and quieter than most airguns Russ