Well here we have the new boy running with the pack, the BTAS Verminator
This one is equipped with a Weihrauch silencer which makes it soo quiet, I keep think there no air left in it. There is though as there's a rather neat gauge in the bottom that tells you how much air is left. Which is nice and new to me. I'm used to having buddy bottles with no gauges. So instead I counting mags. I have four and each one of those has 10 pellets in it. 3 cycles through the mags = 120 pellets which equals time for a refill or bottle change. Having a gauge on the bottom make it’s really simple, and means I don’t have to count. Don’t get me wrong counting is no biggy, I've been counting for years. However when you go out one Friday get halfway through the mags then maybe forget the full ones next time you go shooting and refill the empty ones in your pocket then use the full one next time. Its easy to get confused and think did I do six mags or five. . .do ya feel lucky rat !!
So call me lazy, call me thick, call me a sucker for gadgets, whatever. . . I like having a gauge on my rifle.
So what’s it shoot like then.
Well firstly its light, not just a little bit light, its really light. It wouldn't surprise me if you saw a majorette throwing one up and twirling it like a baton the nxt time theres a carnival in yoru town. Yep it’s that light.
For a start there's not half a tree slung underneath it. Don’t get me wrong, I like a bit of tree under my barrel. I think a nice wood grain or smoothly carved custom stock wins hands down every time. This is my first venture into synthetic stocks, and I have to say if they are all this light, I'm impressed and could be persuaded.
I remember years and years ago some pump up thing called I think it was an AIR 17 or something. It was one of the first Air rifles I recall and saw, that had a plastic stock. It was made of ABS looked cheap and most of all breakable. I don’t get that with this. I don’t know what they make the stock out of, but it feel solid, light and willing to take a clout or two. As it’s my new ratter it’s going to have to work for a living and functionality should come into it more than looks. Saying that it’s not an ugly gun. I know ooks are in the eye of the beholder and this won’t be to everyone taste but I think it looks great. More of a girl down the road cutie, with a nice smile, conversation and her own car, then an out of your reach singer, dancer, actress, model.
I'd like a longer barrel though. No reason, just that I like longer barrels.
Loading it isn't too bad. Again I’m used to the S10's and found this a little bit fiddly to start with. The S10 ones slide right in when you pull the bolt back. Here you have to pull the bolt back, pull a retaining bolt back which holds the magazine in place. Slide the mag in, making sure it seats neatly, (which is what I found the tricky bit ), then slide the retaining bolt back in, the bolt back and your ready to go.
Saying that, the magazines are absolutely brilliant and nowhere near as longwinded as the S10's to fill. You don’t have to cycle through each hole in turn, you just push the pellets in. They are also brilliant in the dark as I can quickly see whether the mag is empty or not. With the S10's if the white dot is showing on the left-hand side of the mag, you’re empty. Thing is in the dark you can’t see a white dot, so it’s not until it just goes twang that you know. With these mags I can see through the holes. So I know the empty ones are coming up.
filling the mags is simple enough
It was putting then in I found a bit trickier
You can also see in the pic above the cocking mechanism. It so simple. Pull it all the way back then push it all the way forward. It’s that easy and I found I never had to take my eye of the prize. I cycled through three shots at three rats so quick I managed to dispatch them all whilst they were still on the bait. That also sings the praises of how quiet that Weihrauch silencer is.
So we've established that it’s light, we've established that it’s fast, that it’s super quiet, and is compact enough to work in many a confined space. The pic at the top of the page was taken in the boot of my car. Trust me the boots not THAT big.
In order to make the most of these advantages, I married it up with my Hawke Niteye and a mini lamp, the 6v tracer atom. It’s not a daylighter type light or last for hours, but it gives me enough time at the shoot to drop a few rats, and a quick once round the field for any rabbits. It gives me about an hours light. Which isn't great but its size makes it perfect for this and a nights ratting. I also have a Hawke Tactical laser and minilight on the side of the scope. The laser is tied into about 10 yards where it points is where the pellet goes. Ideal for the rats that run across your path. The minilight helps me pick my way round a pitch black farmyard without having to use the other light. I want that one for sighting.Even with all that kit on it still comes nowhere near as heavy as the S10 carbine. And if that’s not enough it has another little trick up its sleeve.
On the left hand side of the gun there is a power adjuster. Which makes it even more ideal for what it is going to be doing. It is currently up to its full power around 11.8ftlbs on the chrono with Logun penetrators. My favourite pellet. Now that is great for out in the field. A .22 slug needs that power to get out to that rabbit sitting 35-40yds away. However around the barns at 10-15 yards its overkill on a rat and can go straight through. This is where I can turn the power down the manual says to 8ftlb and 6 ft-lb but I'd prefer to say it was full 3/4 and half power. Absolutely IDEAL for not overshooting in the barns.
Overall I love it, It is a little bit more compact form what I am used to. Especially as I have mounted the scope as far forward as possible in order for me to be able to fit a NV add-on onto the scope. However everything in the stock seems to be just about 3d adjustable and I managed to compensate enough for me to still be on the ball with it. It’s a great bit of kit. You can even dismantle it and put it in its own hard case. It's winning hands down really. And it’s pretty much why the S10 Carbine is being retired from active hunting duty. But like an ex race horse going out to stud in its twilight years that little S10 is off to frolic in different fields. I've got a little something in store for it but I'll reveal all in the future.
Until then ladies and gentleman I give you the Verminator. I know it’s a bit of a hollywood-esque kind of name, and it sort of follows along the same lines of Dominator and Gladiator. But if you’re a rat rabbit or any vermin, I don’t suppose you really care what it’s called. It’s just best to avoid it.
I just can’t wait to get it up the fields and see how it fairs against the field critters.
Oh and if that isn't enough rodentness for one item. The Hamsters a damn good and fine rock-blues band that I have had the pleasure of actually seeing live. They did a tour paying homage to ZZ Top. During one of the shows they recorded a live video and called it Verminator and released originally mid-way through 1997. So that keeps The Hamster fans, who mistakenly stumbled across this page from doing a Google search happy.
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