All manner of wildlife benefits when predators are kept at manageable numbers.
By Charles Bull
Tuesday, 02 March 2010
Cartridges for vermin: The game season might be finished but now’s the time to mount an onslaught against those birds and beasties which, given half a chance will steal game bird eggs and kill sitting hens come the nesting season.
Cartridges for vermin review
Everybody involved in shoots large or small knows just how important it is to keep vermin in check - and not just for the sake of game interests.
All manner of wildlife benefits when predators are kept at manageable numbers.
Yet as much as we might hate rats, foxes, stoats, crows and magpies for the damage they do, they are living creatures and deserve to be despatched as humanely as possible whether by trap or gun.
So this month let's look at a selection of cartridges that will do the job perfectly.
EXPRESS SUPER GAME
Charlie Fox is probably our most destructive enemy and most gamekeepers face a never-ending battle with him, waging war throughout the year in one form or another.
Most are snared or shot at night with a rifle but the shotgun is equally effective at shorter ranges when required.
If you can get close enough to them then my recommendation is to go for a big load with big pellets and my favourite is Express Super Game firing a 42gm payload of No.1 shot.
BB's will do just as well of course, but I favour the 1s because they are large enough to do the job at humane ranges and those extra pellets help fill the pattern too.
Whatever you do, steer clear of buckshot loads unless you know for a certainty you are going to get really close to your quarry.
The big pellets are certainly lethal but there are too few of them in a cartridge to guarantee a clean kill at longer ranges – in fact it becomes something of a lottery as to whether you connect.
The Express Super Game works for me, but any equivalent load will do the job. It comes in a 70mm case so can be used in a standard 12-bore gun chambered for 2.3/4in cartridges. It costs £9.50 for a box of 25 or £84.75 for a case of 250.
» Wad: Plastic
» Powder: Vectan
» Muzzle Velocity: 1375fps
» Case length: 70mm (2.3/4in)
GAMEBORE SUPER GAME
Carrion crows and magpies are both ruthless chick killers and egg nickers, so I recommend a two-pronged attack where they are concerned - nest blowing and trying to shoot the homeowner.
Both birds build super-strong nests which take some blowing apart, even with heavy loads of big shot it may take a few shots to destroy the nest and all it contains.
Don’t forget that adult birds will probably try to rebuild, so keep an eye open and keep blowing them up as required!
Magpies are small birds and don’t take an awful lot of stopping, so any 30 or 32gm load of No. 6 shot will be ideal.
Carrion crows however are a little tougher and therefore need a cartridge carrying a little extra oomph - Gamebore’s Super Game High Bird in 5 shot being an ideal candidate. This 32 gm (1.1/8oz) load comes in fibre or plastic wad and costs £214.50 per thousand.
» Wad: Plastic or fibre
» Powder: Baschieri and Pellagri
» Muzzle Velocity: 1375fps
» Case length: 70mm (2 3/4in)
ELEY .410
Rats can also be a problem where eggs and nesting birds are concerned and often need to be dealt with inside barns and rearing sheds.
The perfect solution in places like this is the Eley Hawk two-inch .410, which delivers a 9gm payload of No. 6 shot.
This might not sound a lot, but believe me, where rats are concerned it’s absolute mustard!
At £185 per 1,000 it won’t break the bank either.
Also worth considering is a 9mm garden gun if you have such a thing. They used to be extremely popular for rat control but because their barrel length is less than 24in the authorities decided they could only be held on a firearm certificate. If you do have one remember that Fiocchi do a great little load at £10.50 for a box of 50.
» Wad: Fibre
» Powder: Maxam
» Muzzle Velocity: 1350 fps
» Case length: 53 mm (2in)
ELEY HUSHPOWER
As we are on the subject of pest control, it is maybe worth mentioning subsonic loads where noise may be an issue. Choice is extremely limited but they are available!
In 12-bore, the only one is Eley Hushpower in a 32gm fibre 6 shot at £219.25.
In 20-bore, the only one is a cracking load from Gamebore available in 30gm fibre 5 shot at £245 per 1,000.
Finally in .410, guess what? There is only one in the shape of Hushpower, in magnum 3in 18gm 6 shot only, at £233 per 1,000.
Not a huge choice admittedly, but something is better than nothing! All these are subsonic remember, so not only is there less noise but the added benefit of less recoil too.
Muzzle velocity in all cases is approx 1050 fps, just below the 1084fps speed of sound at sea level.
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