Radio Control Varmint Control

It would be useful to first see how close you can get to various varmints with an RC mobile device.

I suspect that none of the "control" measures you suggest would work, regardless of range. I can guarantee that none of the mentioned varmints would be controlled by a CO2 BB pistol.

In my experience, training and/or motivation doesn't work with varmints. The only ways to control them are to exclude them with barriers, or kill them as humanely as possible. Even livetrapping and transport often doesn't work because they find their way back.

Bet you'd enjoy the novel "Butcher Bird" by Dean Ing.

It didn't get great reviews but I enjoyed it a lot and I'd think that any RC enthusiast would find it fun.

The general idea is to leave this vehicle in the car port and set motion detecting software to work with the image from the camera to alert me to take a look at the camera. When the varmints come in to the carport to steal the cat food or get in the trash is when the vehicle is in range. Hopefully the first audible noise being made will be firing.

If I had to try to aim a gun while driving the vehicle and hit a target, now that would be challenging! I've also wondered how a vehicle would handle if I installed a heading hold gyro from a model helicopter in one.

RogerN

Bait the critters so they come close to the servo that throws a switch and ignites charge that could be a H-100 dipped in glue and rolled in BBs. Protect the receiver/servo with some well placed steel. All you need is binoculars and the transmitter. You could make them directional like a Claymore. BB gun = little girl, C-4 = MAN!!!

Please keep us posted on your inventions and progress. Having fun is job 1 as long as it's legal and not harmful to other people.

If you enjoy tech challenge, accurate shooting while moving at high speed (for tanks, speed classified but >45km/h) was possible with '70s technology -- with the target also moving. Should be cake with today's DSP's and such.

Need "real" gun to be effective. .22 loaded with shot shells is usually preferred for close range varmint elimination with minimal risk to the surrounding area.

The CCI blue nosed shot rounds in 22lr are rather effective if fired in a smooth bore. Which means its rather easy to make up a firearm in the home shop. Perhaps a single shot action with a 12" barrel

And legal as well

Gunner

"Upon Roosevelt's death in 1945, H. L. Mencken predicted in his diary that Roosevelt would be remembered as a great president, "maybe even alongside Washington and Lincoln," opining that Roosevelt "had every quality that morons esteem in their heroes.""

How about a robot topped by a fanged rubber mask that uses a pyroelectric detector to chase warm objects? From my observations it should appear to have moving legs, I can get quite close to wild animals on a wheeled vehicle like a Segway.

I've been watching the other gun thread and knowing you are located a fair way from navigable water, and that you are temporarily recoil adverse, I've been having visions of a punt gun mounted on a mechanic's creeper. Now with this thread, its all come together . . . .

+

• the guts of a RC model

=

A remote control punt gun creeper :-)

Further thoughts:

Aim the whole vehicle. Maybe a extra channel for a fine lateral drive of the butt end

Another RC channel needed for an elevation screw or wedge.

TWO webcams needed. One for general forward view, with a 1/3 field periscope for backing up, and a gauge for the amount of elevation also visible in its field and the other looking through the telescopic sights.

Then all you need is some targets . . . . . . .

(and an appreciative audience)

Keywords:

What about a Taser?

Doug White

That would be neat. I used to be a machine vision system integrator and always thought it would be interesting to use visual feedback to aim a camera (or gun) to track an object. Using a night vision video camera with IR illumination and software to track a varmint while moving, and calculate the target position based on bullet and target trajectory would be interesting.

If I do something along this line, the first attempts might be to mount a stationary gun turret pointed toward the cat food bowl and a couple of servos to adjust the aim. Many of the varmints around here don't scare too easily, maybe a little noise from servos wouldn't scare them away. But then again if the servo noise scares varmints away I guess I've accomplished my goal.

RogerN

After shooting a small snake 5 or 6 times with shot filled 9mm cartridges and watching the snake continue to slither away into the weeds, I was under the impression (hopefully false) that the shot filled cartridges were ineffective. They were fired at close range but the gun was a Ruger 9MM (p89 or something like that). The snake may have later died but I was left with the impression that the cartridges were useless.

The 22lr with a smooth bore 12" barrel might be just the thing for close range varmint control. I was afraid that pulling the trigger with R/C might be illegal for FOID required ammo. Anyway, I have some shot cups for 44 magnum loads, that would make an interesting model tank!

RogerN

Sounds like a neat project, but it also sounds like it's a bit more than you need for the task at hand. If you build it, build at least 2. Mobile armor search and destroy missions in the back yard sounds like fun.

You have 2 stationary targets. Cat's food and trash can. You don't want to scare off the cats, so short of a target identification system, it's going to be manual.

Motion detector triggered alarm with a camera focused on the target area. ID target and then activate deterrent system. Bright/strobe lights, high frequency sound, water spray. Recording of a raptors cry or a dog growling? Heck---gut a junker bug zapper, lay the screens down under the cats bowl. When you hit the switch on that one it will get their attention! An electric airsoft machine gun at close range has a nasty sting, and it would be easy to rig for remote operation.

I know from experience that it can take quite a few hits from .22 shot shells to stop/drop a good-sized rat at close range. I don't know about 'possums, but raccoons are pretty tough.

Humm....we could have a new Olympic sport...Uphill Luge.....

Gunner

"Upon Roosevelt's death in 1945, H. L. Mencken predicted in his diary that Roosevelt would be remembered as a great president, "maybe even alongside Washington and Lincoln," opining that Roosevelt "had every quality that morons esteem in their heroes.""

The big problem with the various shot loads is the effect rifling spin has on the shot column. As it exits the barrel, it becomes a swirling cloud that disipates in very short order. A smooth bore keeps the shot in a column.

Ive....er...ahum....Had... an elderly Thompson Contender (well..several) in 44 magnum, with the "Hot Shot" choke (might be illegal in California..so Had one..thats right...had.

Similar to this

With the choke screwed in, I regularly rode on the front of a cotton picker and shot pheasants as they flew up in front of the machine.\ With the choke out...it would be hard pressed to put a couple shot hits on a soda can at 25 feet.

Gunner

"Upon Roosevelt's death in 1945, H. L. Mencken predicted in his diary that Roosevelt would be remembered as a great president, "maybe even alongside Washington and Lincoln," opining that Roosevelt "had every quality that morons esteem in their heroes.""

That would be interesting, I have a friend that is big into his Halloween display that would like something like that too :-)

RogerN

12" shotgun, FOID, Illinois? Just forget the whole thing while you are still free.

Wes

When did anyone in Illinois become free? Maybe I need a battle bot with a baseball bat! :-)

RogerN