Got a ground hog problem that tipped me over the edge when I found my dog 1 foot away from one snarling at it. Looking for .177 pelete gun. Thanks

Please keep in mind that pellet guns are considered firearms in NJ. .177 or 50cal, same penalties. Although a 50 on a groundhog would be a sh*t load of fun.

Please keep in mind that pellet guns are considered firearms in NJ. .177 or 50cal, same penalties. Although a 50 on a groundhog would be a sh*t load of fun.

 

Perhaps I have read this wrong, but I believe that BB guns are considered firearms. Airsoft can be bought at a Dick's Sporting Goods by anyone.

Check your local laws and all that responsible adult stuff and go from there. Wouldn't want to see someone loose their rights to own firearms for a groundhog. Just sayin.

 

 

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Perhaps I have read this wrong, but I believe that BB guns are considered firearms. Airsoft can be bought at a Dick's Sporting Goods by anyone.

 

I believe he is talkin about .177 air powered pellet gus, not airsoft. Big difference, as a kid, I had a pellet gun that fired lead pellets at 1200fps.

Got a ground hog problem that tipped me over the edge when I found my dog 1 foot away from one snarling at it. Looking for .177 pelete gun. Thanks

From everything I've read and popular consensus, you are in need of something quite a bit more powerful than your typical air rifle that range from $399.00 and above.

At that price point I personally would be looking for a .22 LR and above just to make my credentials and shooting needs worthwhile

I've been looking to get a pelet rifle myself for rats in the barn...So,.for giggles I looked online at walmart in Pa. to compare a model that is avaialable at dicks,

here's what I found.....walmart in pa.; Daisy 880 . $44. no back ground check pay the girl at the register..time in store 10 minutes?.....Dicks in jersey; $69. plus 15 for the BG check..BG check can take 2 hours upto 3 days .. with assorted ammo in pa. total is $62.....same gun/ammo in nj is..$120 total before tax/fees...

airsoft is 6mm BB's... U aint killing anything with that other then a bug... and of course it depends, but i personally have never waited more then 10mins for a NICS check.

airsoft is 6mm BB's... U aint killing anything with that other then a bug...

How about with THIS airsoft?

Check local laws I think it might be illegal to use a pellet rifle to kill groundhogs now I am pretty sure it is Ok to use it to kill " rats"

Check local laws I think it might be illegal to use a pellet rifle to kill groundhogs now I am pretty sure it is Ok to use it to kill " rats"

I personally couldn't tell the difference.....

That looks like standard airsoft power.... It would break skin but wouldn't even break a glass beer bottle.

Certain times and places you can use a rimfire on those things.

 

Friend has a single shot bolt action .22 to shoot squirrels in PA and does it with subsonic ammo. That rifle and ammo combo is lethal to squirrels at about 60 feet, but extremely quiet.

 

They are called woodchucks in NJ and there are very special hunting regs for them, but rimfire is allowed, private property only (not on public land) and a few other things i cant remember. However, air rifles are strictly prohibited for taking of wildlife.

 

 

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Im not condoning hunting groundhogs but if you did then a .177 would not cut it unless it was a lethal hit. I would go for a .22 or .25 pellet rifle.

Thanks for the heads up on the laws. I guess I will go the boring havaheart trap route.

I wouldn't use a .177 cal pellet on a woodchuck. Maybe a high power .22 pellet rifle. You don't want to wound it and let it crawl off.

go to you local agway, if you have one and buy woodchuck bombs. light it, throw it down the hole, cover hole with dirt, problem solved.

Definitely check the laws in your area. And if you are allowed to shoot them , good luck. They are tough to kill. There was another lengthy thread on the matter ..but the consensus is they take a larger round to go down , or perfect shot placement.

 

If anyone ever meets my dad at a shooting event or something , ask him about groundhogs he had on his horse farm in PA. His eyes glass over and he'll go into a long story that starts with a .22lr , goes through various weapons and methods including gasoline bombs in their holes , and ends with him specifically target practicing for hours a day with a .30-06 ( if memory serves) and purchasing a high end scope all in preparation for an all out assault from the upstairs bedroom with all 5 kids corralled in there with him for safety reasons .

 

The .30-06 killed them alright ..

 

But still they came back.

 

It was very Bill Murray and I don't think my father ever recovered. Say "groundhog" around him and it is like that Niagra Falls skit from The Three Stooges..slooooowly I turned...

Air gun ain't gonna do the job. As a minimum use a .22 cal rifle. If you are concerned about noise, use sub-sonic ammo.

As already mentioned, air rifles are not legal for taking game(woodchucks are considered game in NJ) in this state. Shotguns are permitted if you follow hunting regulations. Centerfire and rimfire are permitted but with very strict rules regarding them. Also, those who say .177 isn't enough to take a woodchuck would be incorrect. While it won't penetrate the skull, .177 is suitable if you have good shot placement(behind the front shoulder).

Just a reminder, the OP isn't looking to shoot woodchucks but groundhogs.

 

C

Look for the other thread. I am tempted to buy a .204 Ruger after seeing that video!

Just a reminder, the OP isn't looking to shoot woodchucks but groundhogs.

 

C

 

Same varmint

I often have groundhogs. I would gladly shoot them and think a .177 at high velocity would be fine, but they are too alert to shoot at close range. I get rid of them by finding and attacking their holes in certain ways. A combination of putting gopher bombs down their holes, filling them up, and leaving animal repellent and cotton swabs with oil of peppermint on them, gets them to leave. They will often come back and dig the hole over once, but they leave after the second attack. This year it only needed one time.

 

To use the gopher bomb, drop it down the hole followed by balled-up newspaper to keep the smoke in the hole.

 

Be careful not to get oil of peppermint on your fingers.

Just a reminder, the OP isn't looking to shoot woodchucks but groundhogs.

 

C

 

As stated before, a groundhog is called a woodchuck by New Jersey dept. of fish and wildlife. As such, all hunting regulations covering woodchucks are to be applied to what the OP is calling a groundhog.

 

 

 

 

 

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I have tried everything I have seen online only way I won the war was putting spear mint gum dipped in a liquid laxative. Got rid of them and pesky squirrels

havaheart with broccoli bait and a quick relocation seems to work best for us once they invade.

Each time they trench under the fence I fill the hole with quick dry redicrete and chicken wire then top off with some soil to hide the concrete, otherwise they come and go as they please, destroying every plant they see. Exclusion is the best weapon I've found. I have seen where they tried to dig and hit the concrete and chicken wire and chuckle...

 

They are very very sensitive to their surroundings and you'd have to really sneak up on them quietly to get a clean shot off from a distance.

 

only other thing that helps for us is those fox urine scent bottles.. I keep 4 of them in various places on the outside of my fence. Keeps everything but squirrels, voles and chipmunks away.

Only downside is it drives our beagles nuts trying to find the fox!

Thanks for the heads up on the laws. I guess I will go the boring havaheart trap route.

 

Just to chime in,, my mom had called animal control when she had a groundhog in a havaheart trap. They said - YOU CAN'T TRAP GROUNDHOGS,

I'm tempted to just shoot the damn thing but I'm not going to jail for it. they are a real pain to get rid of.

havaheart with broccoli bait and a quick relocation seems to work best for us once they invade.

Each time they trench under the fence I fill the hole with quick dry redicrete and chicken wire then top off with some soil to hide the concrete, otherwise they come and go as they please, destroying every plant they see. Exclusion is the best weapon I've found. I have seen where they tried to dig and hit the concrete and chicken wire and chuckle...

 

They are very very sensitive to their surroundings and you'd have to really sneak up on them quietly to get a clean shot off from a distance.

 

only other thing that helps for us is those fox urine scent bottles.. I keep 4 of them in various places on the outside of my fence. Keeps everything but squirrels, voles and chipmunks away.

Only downside is it drives our beagles nuts trying to find the fox!

 

 

I like your idea and would be willing to bet that would work very well.

Speaking of this. I have been trying to find the law on discharges in Howell township. It seems you CAN fire a gun on your own property but i cant find how far it has to be from your neighbors/the street. Someone posted here a few months ago a link to a site that lists all the local laws. Anyone know what i am talking about?