Brain pickin

[PJWmids 35]

Hi I'm new to the forum and shooting in general, bought my first air rifle about 5 weeks ago, i got a hw99s, I keep horses and chickens and the last part of this year developed a rat problem, basically as usual scoffing all my chicken food. so I decided to get an air rifle to do some vermin control, not keen on using poison for various reasons. got a couple during the day, had 4 around dusk time when feed for the chickens were out last thing. decided to use a torch to light the area and got about 3 more. i was amazed that they were coming out with the light on. it was a fixed light so i just left it on for a few minutes and they just started coming out for the food. theres a couple left cause I filled some holes in and they've been dug out. so last weekend went up with my torch and rifle to finish the job, problem was the rodents seem to have gone a little lamp shy, turned off the light and went away for while came back up to my chicken pens, put my torch on, and there was one 6ft away inbetween the chicken houses, could not shoot at that range with my scoped rifle. been looking at nv equipment but its all very expensive, read about using sony handycams and ir light sources, and am unsure about nv monoculars and using them with a scope, is this possible? any advise or recommendations for some one in my situation would be greatly appreciated. I'm just not sure whats best to do next, either going down the nv root or maybe lamp and open sights.

[Lewis Ste 245]

Anything less than 10yards you could probably shoot open sighted if your confidant and its a .22 but try using a red filter aswel

[AR177 588]

There are a few threads on here about NV and there are a couple of routes you can go down -

 

You can buy a night vision setup for a rifle such as Nitesite NS50 / NS200 or Pulsar N550/750 there are many other types too, they work really well but have a hefty price tag

 

You can get a IR flood light and attach your handy-cam (must have 'Nightshot')to your rifle, try Snypercat on youtube she has some good videos on homemade setups and uses them very well on her rat shoots I think she also has a channel called Cublycat that does the same sort of videos

 

You can get a few filters for your torch and keep trying them until the rats get used to those - red is a good choice as the light does not travel as far and is less likley to spook the rats but shooting under red light can be a challenge in itself.

 

If your shooting at night a good tip is to turn the magnification on the scope right down gives you a much better picture in the low light

 

I personally would start with the red filters and use them while looking into the handycam setup

 

ATB

 

Adam

[The one 8,513]

Its good fun shooting them but look at setting a few fen's mk4s 24/7 mate

[PJWmids 35]

Thanks for the replies, I think my cheapest bet is the handycam, I've spent a lot of hours this week reading all sorts of info on the topic. I've read about ir lasers, and lamps, I read some stuff about the lasers burning out, so would I be better of getting a lamp and putting an ir filter on it. I would never be shooting over 25 yards and the rats would be 10 yards, could I use a ir torch, I've seen some on eBay from china. If I could attach the 3w torch to the rifle would that project enough light for 10 yard ranges?

[ftm 3,357]

im using a ledray 700 on top ov scope with red filter it works mate-billy

[PJWmids 35]

I looked at the lamp you mentioned it's about £180, that's a fair bit of money for a lamp. I've got a powerfull head lamp, could I just put a red filter on the lens or on the front of a torch lens and see how I get on, would that work?

[Ryanh 6]

Where about are you mate

[ftm 3,357]

it would work mate its at least worth a try -billy

[bigmac 97kt 13,813]

hi mate i use a ultra fire red beem torch and a ultra fire green torch with amazing results just look at some of my posts on the hunting section here,s the itam no,330618700926 red and the green is 230778150501 there on ebay and only took just under 10 days to get here from china and there under £18 quid with charger and battery but you will have to get a scope mount hope this helps bud atvbmac

[ghillies 209]

there is another posabity, leave the light on all the time, let them get used to it and that'll sort the NV cost out.

Edited December 15, 2012 by ghillies

[PJWmids 35]

I thought about that but I have to use a generator for electric supply, so that's out the question. I was thinking of putting a few solar powered garden lights out, but not sure if they would produce enough light. Had a shoot last night, saw about 3, shot one, but then the others went to ground and didn't come back out. I made a bracket for my torch and mounted it to my scope, I've had it mounted at the back and front of the scope, but keep getting a white glare mark in my scope, I'm not sure if it's reflecting off the barrel or summat. It's bloody annoying. Any ideas on this anyone? I've lowered the power settings but still seem to get this glare/glow in the scopes.

[bigmac 97kt 13,813]

Get a barrel clamp and fit it under your barrel that will sort it iv got one at the front of my scope and one under my silencer here,s a photo so you can look and see how its fitted not the best photo but will give you an idea hope this helps atvbmac

[PJWmids 35]

this was how my rifle was set up, how do yo stop the reflective/glow in the scopes?

[bigmac 97kt 13,813]

this was how my rifle was set up, how do yo stop the reflective/glow in the scopes?

I think it may be catching the front site as it looks like its sitting above the silencer remove it and see what its like or it could be the camo tape catching the light and glowing back your lamp is sitting high enough so that is not your problem its catching some thing on your gun switch your lamp on then sit back and look at what it is catching but i do think it is your front site or you could get a set of high mounts so it lifts your scope if you do not want to remove you site if im right the front site cover just slides off give it a go and see but you may have to remove the camo tape as well atvbmac