It can get quite frustrating if you have a rat in your home. They can damage your property, contaminate food, or even spread diseases. You must make them run away, or you can kill them, but can you kill rat with BB gun?
BB guns are air guns that are not used to kill rats but can only injure them. These BB guns fire small steel balls, making them potentially deadly, yet they cannot instantly kill the mouse.
Other air guns are similar to BB guns that can kill rats, including pellet guns and air rifles.
Why Is a BB Gun Not Strong Enough To Kill a Rat?
Ball-bearing guns cannot kill rats; instead, they can only injure them. They are pretty brutal as they damage the animal to the extent that it might die later in a cruel manner. The metal missiles or steel balls from BB guns can penetrate the skin and thorax and even cause bone fractures.
To kill a rat humanely, you will need a powerful air gun, whereas BB guns are too low-powered to kill a rat instantly as it shoots. They can penetrate the skin but not the internal tissues due to their reduced power and only cause the rat to die brutally.
This killing of animals is against humanity, so one might opt for a more subtle way to kill a rat.
What Is The Difference Between An Air Rifle And a BB gun?
They all fall into the term of air guns with slight differences in their function as some air guns might not have enough power to kill a rat and only injure them, such as a BB gun, whereas an air rifle is more suitable for killing rats.
The main difference between an air rifle and a BB gun, i.e., that air rifles can fire various caliber projectiles. In contrast, BB guns can fire only one projectile motion, making them more competent in killing rats.
BB guns shoot small projectile motions as they have low strength. Air rifles can fire projectiles similar to BB guns and attain higher movement.
So for the competitive shooting of rodents, farmers prefer an air rifle.
Will A.22 Air Rifle Kill a Rat?
Yes, air rifles of .22 and .25 calibers can quickly kill a rat, but you can use them for shooting at a close range of about 700 FPS. Usually, an air gun that fires from 400 to 500 FPS can quickly kill a rat, but we prefer one with a higher range. One can use these guns for shooting rats from a shorter field, giving them a headshot.
People usually prefer an air rifle of .177 air gun caliber while shooting from a long range, with an average velocity of 921 FPS. One can use them from a more subtle distance, and you can target the rat more efficiently.
Best BB Gun To Kill Rats
1. Smith & Wesson M&P 40 .177 Caliber BB Gun
Product Description
Immerse yourself in precision and performance with the Smith & Wesson M&P 40 .177 Caliber BB Gun Air Pistol. Encased in an aesthetically appealing dark earth brown color, this high-powered air pistol propels .177 caliber steel BBs at an impressive speed of up to 410 fps.
The reliable manual safety feature and the integrated accessory rail for tactical lights or lasers enhance usability and versatility. The 19-shot drop-free magazine and a single 12-gram CO2 cartridge add to the pistol’s convenience and efficiency, making it an ideal choice for training or backyard plinking.
Pros
Powerful: Users praise the high velocity of the BBs, noting that they outperform other brands.
Sturdy: Despite being primarily made of plastic, reviewers highlight the gun’s substantial feel and weight.
Efficient: Customers commend the economical use of CO2, with one cartridge providing many shots.
User-Friendly: Reviewers appreciate the easy-to-load magazine and the effortless opening packaging.
Cons
Inadequate instructions: Some customers reported the gun arriving without directions, making assembly and operation difficult.
Accuracy: A few reviewers remarked that the sight alignment could be off, reducing accuracy at longer ranges.
Quality of components: Concerns were raised about the plastic parts of the gun, particularly the CO2 screw and the magazine release button.
Non-adjustable sight: Customers voiced frustration over the fixed sights, which could result in off-center shot
2. Crosman 1911BB 40001 Semi-Auto CO2-Powered BB Air Pistol
Product Description
The Crosman 1911BB Semi-Auto CO2-Powered BB Air Pistol is a compact, high-powered tool ideal for skill development training. It features a polymer frame and a 20-round drop-out clip and is powered by a 12-gram CO2 cartridge (not included). This pistol ensures accurate aiming with a fixed blade front sight and adjustable rear sight. It’s designed for thrilling airpower adventures.
Pros
Accurate: Adjustable sights allow users to hit targets with precision.
Power: It delivers surprising power, shooting at speeds of up to 480 fps.
Price: It’s affordable and offers great value for money.
Versatile: It’s handy for outdoor activities and can help scare off pests.
Cons
Loading: Some users find loading the magazine challenging.
Trigger stiffness: The trigger can be stiff, which may affect aiming.
Durability: The magazine release button may fail after limited use.
Weight: Although the lightweight design makes it portable, it may feel less authentic to some users.
3. Umarex Strike Point Multi-Pump Pneumatic Powered Pellet Gun Air Pistol
Product Description
Unleash your inner sharpshooter with the Umarex Strike Point Multi-Pump Pneumatic Powered Pellet Gun Air Pistol. This gas-piston-powered beast with a plastic barrel allows you to adjust its power with as few as three pumps or as many as 10. The pellet gun utilizes .177 caliber pellets, delivering a speed of up to 650 fps. Its key features include a 5-chamber SilencAir sound dampener and a durable all-weather frame that ensures reliability regardless of the conditions.
Pros
Accurate: Achieves remarkable precision up to 25 yards.
Versatile: Handles .177 and .22 caliber pellets of many designs and weights.
Sound Dampening: The 5-chamber SilencAir reduces noise and enhances stealth
Economical: Saves money in the long run compared to CO2-powered guns.
Cons
Physical effort: Requires substantial pumping effort, especially beyond five pumps.
Heavy: The gun is somewhat front-heavy, which can hinder stabilization.
Sight limitations: The protective element on the front sight might obscure some of your targets.
Pumping difficulty: Some users found it difficult to pump, almost to the point of impossibility.
Which Is The Best Rat-Killing Rifle?
Air rifles are of various ranges and can kill a rat, but they all may be slightly different, and it depends on which one you want to use according to the situation.
For shorter-range headshots, a.22 caliber air rifle is. It has low initial velocity and high muzzle energy, which helps it shoot at closer ranges.
The .177 air rifle has a higher initial velocity and low muzzle energy. This air rifle is better suited to shooting at relatively long ranges. It has a 6-yard higher kill zone range than the other.
Because a.177 air rifle is 25% more effective than a.22, we can conclude that larger calibers are more effective in hunting down small animals like rats.
Will a CO2 Pistol Kill a Rat?
Multi shots CO2 pistols are BB guns that shoot with pressure, so we will stick to the above answer that it cannot instantly kill a rat but injure it, which may lead to its death.
A rat can be pretty hefty, and compressed-pressure air guns are preferred and more suitable for killing rats rather than a CO2 bb gun.
If you are considering using CO2 air guns, prefer targeting the head or severe fortitude, although challenging to achieve. This will ensure a chance of killing them humanely rather than the callous killing of rats.
So we would not prefer or advise a CO2 pistol or BB gun to be used in killing a rat; instead, we prefer a high-pressure air rifle.
How Much Power Does a BB Gun Have?
A BB gun is an air gun with a smoothbore barrel and steel balls of about 0.33 to 0.35 g. They are powerful enough to hit and move across the skin but not fast enough to instantly penetrate the internal tissues and kill the animal.
These BB guns can fire up to 550 FPS, and using them to cause injuries to the animal is quite mean.
BB guns are powerful enough to have a shot, but why kill a rat in such a brutal way when we can use an air rifle with a speed of 1000 FPS that may cause an instant kill? One may use a BB gun if there is no other option but to prefer an air rifle over a BB gun.
Can a Plastic BB Gun Kill a Rat?
No, a plastic BB gun cannot even injure a rat to the extent that it may die later. Plastic BB guns are also airsoft guns with plastic bullets that may hurt the animal. These airsoft guns can fire projectile motion, are far safer than any other BB gun, and can be used in shooting practices.
The primary difference between these two BB guns is only in the ammunition they fire. Typically, BB guns have steel balls used for targeting and cruelly killing an animal, whereas these plastic BB guns have plastic pellets, so they are not powerful enough to kill a rat.
Plastic BB guns have only a few hundred FPS, rendering them ineffective in killing mice.
Where To Shoot A Rat To Kill It?
Using firearms to address rat infestations is likely ineffective and is often considered inhumane and illegal. The following key considerations can help clarify this perspective:
- Striking precision: Aiming for a rat’s head, its most vulnerable part, is a difficult task due to its small size and agile nature. This leads to a high chance of missing the target, resulting in unnecessary pain for the animal.
- Unnecessary suffering: Missing your target could cause undue injury and prolonged suffering to the animal. This outcome is both cruel and inhumane.
- Legal Implications: Many local authorities forbid the use of firearms, including airguns, within residential areas due to their safety risks.
- Potential Dangers: Firearms always carry risks such as unintentional harm to people or property damage.
- Humane Solutions: There are various effective and humane alternatives to deal with rat problems, such as hiring professional pest control services, using live traps, or deploying repellents.
- Respect for Life: It’s crucial to respect all life forms, including pests like rats. Avoid causing fear, pain, or harm wherever possible.
Conclusion
BB guns are air guns that can potentially kill a rat depending on the gun’s strength as they shoot small projectiles. They are known for their cruel killing of animals as they have low FPS, so the bullet may not penetrate the tissues. To protect the animal from such brutality, one can kill them with an air rifle.
Air rifles with a higher FPS can instantly kill a rat without having it bear much pain like with a BB gun. They differ slightly from BB guns only in their velocity; that is why people tend to prefer an air rifle over a BB gun in case of killing a rat.