One application in which I think airguns are the best practical choice is pest control in urban areas. This is the type of shooting that calls for pigeons to be culled from under the roof of an industrial building or clearing rabbits off of a suburban golf course. In both cases these pests can have a negative health and or economic impact, and need to be removed. While the shooting environments can vary widely, there are some common threads: the need for precision, minimal but effective power, reduced noise levels, compact and discreet gun designs, and high shot count are applicable to most situations.
This urban dairy farm has equipment, buildings, livestock, and workers, and you urban shooting rig needs to be up to the task!
The optimal urban hunting gun is one that it is accurate enough to precisely place a pellet in a ½” kill zone at the required range, and is powerful enough to ensure a clean kill. The gun should be capable of surgical precision out to thirty to forty yards. I’ve been shooting a few different guns that fall into the category of urban hunters which I’ll discuss later in this post. All of these guns are capable of shooting ragged one-hole 35-yard groups all day long. With respect to energy output, note that the earlier statement was “powerful enough”; often this type of shooting takes place in close confines, so a magnum power output is not necessarily a beneficial quality. You are often hunting around industrial equipment or buildings, and don’t want a missed shot or over penetration to cause damage to either. For shooting pigeons or English sparrows around an industrial facility, a .177 at 650 fps is more than enough gun. A gun that has an adjustable power setting is an asset for urban hunting.
The reason a compact or take-down design is a positive attribute is that the urban hunter will want to move into their shoot without drawing a great deal of attention to themselves. One of the places I did rabbit control was a nursery located near an industrial park. To get back to the nursery area, I had to park in a lot shared by the nursery and one of the office buildings. Walking along with a full-sized rifle tucked under my arm was not going to work. I have a few rifles that allow me to throw the gun in a backpack, walk onto my shoot, assemble the gun and do my shooting, break it down, and head back out to the car afterwards.
The Ranger is accurate, compact, and quiet
An example of a great urban hunting rig is the ultra-compact Brocock Ranger. The Ranger’s folding stock allows it to collapse to extremely small dimensions, down to roughly 17” depending on configuration, making it easy to transport in a small backpack or even a laptop bag. Weighing in at 5.5 lbs, it is one of the lightest full‑power hunting rifles available, ideal for navigating tight spaces like alleys, garages, attics, and backyards.
The gun is capable of generating up to 20 fpe, but includes a multi‑step power adjustment, allowing shooters to tune the rifle for low‑power shots in residential areas or higher power for tougher pests. The ability to dial down power allows shooters to avoid over‑penetration while still delivering quick and efficient kills. The removable moderator and regulated action help keep the rifle very quiet, a major advantage when working in noise‑sensitive environments.
Adjustable power allows gun to be tailored to a specific application.
Accuracy is always important, but perhaps more so in a compact urban rig. The Ranger uses a match‑grade barrel paired with a Huma‑regulated floating hammer system, producing consistent velocities and tight groups for precision shot placement around buildings, equipment, and workers. I find the Ranger an excellent option for pigeons, rats, ground squirrels, and iguanas, and have used it extensively in industrial, agricultural, and suburban settings.
Backpack ready with stock folded, it is quick to deploy when it’s time for action.
The Ranger provides the performance of a full sized gun. in an Ultra-compact package!
So, to summarize, the urban hunting gun should be compact, have the appropriate power level (not too much not too little), and have a low sound signature. With the right gun, the urban hunter/pest controller will have access to pest shooting areas not available to larger, louder, and more powerful gun. This will, in turn, open many shooting opportunities in areas where other options might be scarce.
