As someone earlier pointed out, it is worth informing the immediate neighbours, if you intend shooting the rats. If they are having problems as my neighbours were), then they should be quite pleased, in fact they were quite enthusiastic once they saw the first one "bite the dust". Always use a solid backdrop (concrete garage wall in my case), and for practice, fill an empty six bottle wine box with newspapers and magazines, and put the target on the side. I use RWS Hobby pellets, because they are a flat head, and will expand on impact. If you use pointed pellets, then they can go straight through an animal, only wounding it, and they can also go straight through other, more substantial objects. Always keep the safety on until the moment that you have sighted up on your quarry.