Hunting with Air Gun

[shaggycat]

I live in an urban county and can't shoot a gun within county limits.

So that means that I can't hunt squirrel or any other little varmints on my property. However, I COULD shoot an air gun, so I could hunt with that.

However, I know very little about air guns. What should I look for if I intend to hunt squirrel and rabbit with my air rifle? What should velocity be? How about caliber? And as far as action goes, what are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

Any recomendations on a good rifle would be more than welcomed.

Thanks a lot, I really just want to shoot some bushy tail!

 

[Q-Lock]

airgun info:

I would suggest looking at .22 caliber if you are solely using it for hunting. For a .22, velocity around 600-700 fps will suffice. I have a .177 break-barrel air rifle that I use for minor pest control...while it works great, a .22 air rifle would work much better. Of course there's also the .20 caliber if you want to go in between.

As far as action: you've got side-lever cocking, break-barrel cocking, and precharged pneumatic. At least those are the main ones. Once you get into the precharged rifles...you're looking at spending some money. The AirForce series makes a very nice rifle though.

Check this link out: http://www.straightshooters.com/genmenus/ourtake.html

Regards,
Quinten

 

[Twycross]

+1 on the .22 caliber. The .177 is enough, but the .22 provides that extra oomph. Sorta like the .243 for deer vs a .270 or '06. For rifles, 600-700 fps is good in both calibers, maybe a little more for the .177, although I would get the most power possible for your money. My varmint setup is a RWS model 34. 14.5 grain .22 cal pellets at 800 fps.

The advantage of the side-lever and break-barrel actions is that they often provide the most power, short of the rather expensive PCP (Pre-Charged Pneumatic) guns. They both use a spring-piston design to compress the air for projectile launch. However, in my experience, the break-barrel ones are not as accurate as the other actions. Not enough to affect field performance, but you won't get a teeny-tiny group.

PCP guns are the most powerful and usually the most expensive (generally speaking). You might have to buy accessories for them (scuba tank, foot pump, other charging tools). But they can send .22 or even .25 cal pellets supersonic.

In addition to the systems outlined by Q-Lock, there are the cheap pump-action guns. They can be had for very little ($50), and often have almost as much power as some of the nicer spring-piston ones. Granted, they aren't as much fun, and won't last as long, but for the occasional squirrel they should do fine if you're on a tight budget.

 

[lrhuntr]

I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN. I LIVE IN THE CITY BUT HAVE A BIGGER YARD. I BOUGHT A CROSMAN QUEST 1000X .177 (1000 FPS). NO PROBLEMS THERE KILLED 23 SQURRIELS IN MY YARD THIS SEASON. I HAVEN'T HAD ANY TROUBLE WITH THE LAW SO FAR. MY BACK YARD IS PRETTY MUCH AN ALLEY WITH HOUSES SO I HAVE TO PICK MY SHOTS CAREFULLY. I HAVE A BSA 3-9X32 ON IT AND WORKS GREAT.

GOOD LUCK

 

[Hot brass]

Airguns, oh how I love airguns. I also hunt on my property with my airguns. When I first started out with an air gun it was a Sherridan 5mm (20 cal). Pump it 4-8 times and watch out varmint. I would say get a gun from the discount store of your choice. But I think the gun to get is from http://www.benjaminairguns.com/

your choice in caliber is your choice. .177 is light, fast, shoots flat and you get more pellets for the buck. Try Beman crow magnums, wow.
.20 is great, the down fall on this cal is the pellets are sometimes made caliber heavy, by this I mean that the pellets are heavy for the caliber.
.22 is wonderful. GREAT variety of pellets.

This gun will last you for years. It has the accuracy to keep you interested in shooting it. It is not loud. Has a decent trigger. And does not weigh too much.

If you look hard you should find one for around $125.00.
This an open sighted gun. I prefer Crossman Premier pellets. I love the Crow Magnums, Beeman makes some very nice pellets also. RWS makes pellets too.

Go to a Big5 and buy a few tins of pellets, shoot them and shoot alot. Find out what the gun likes and stick to that/those pellets. Also buy a pullthrough bore cleaner. Or use fishing line.

Good luck.


Any questions PM me.

 

[shaggycat]

Thanks for all the replies!

Thanks for all the replies. They are greatly appreciated.

I would like to spend under $150 (I am a college student who just wants the gun to hunt. I don't think I will plink with it, I would rather use my browning).

Are there semi-auto air rifles that reach the necessary velocities for that price?

And what type of range can I expect to take squirrels/rabbits at?

Again, thanks a lot for the replies!

 

[7 Rivers]

A friend has an air shotgun he picked up some time back. Very good inside 30 yds. and fairly quiet. Might do a web search and be able to find one. His was imported from the Phillipines if I recall.

 

[MCgunner]

Hmm, Houston's Herman Park has a lot of squirrels.

ROFLMAO! I killed my first rabbit, big swamp rabbit, with a Benjamin .22 caliber pump up. I still have that rifle and it still shoots well! It only pushes a pellet about 400 fps, though. There are better now days. It was a one shot killer of squirrels, though. Long as I was inside 25 yards, I had no problems. I graduated to .22s, though. Actually, a .22 CB short is considerably quieter than a pump up pellet rifle when fired from a rifle. When I worked out at a chemical plant here, before they built the big expansion, it was a small plant with two units and lots of open land around it. I had one area I ran where I had some free time and on nights I'd take the truck to run samples to the lab. I'd come back via the pipe bone yard where there was no lighting, all grown up, well away from the plant, and use my .22 revolver with CB shorts that I stuffed in my coveralls to cap rabbits out to about 25 yards. It was great! I capped and cleaned five rabbits once on a four night weekend shift! There were so many rabbits, we'd all go out and throw rocks at 'em on occasion except for the poor board men who had to run things. But, I found CB shorts more successful, just couldn't tell anyone what I was doin'.

 

[shaggycat]

Hmm, Houston's Herman Park has a lot of squirrels.

ROFLMAO! I killed my first rabbit, big swamp rabbit, with a Benjamin .22 caliber pump up. I still have that rifle and it still shoots well! It only pushes a pellet about 400 fps, though. There are better now days. It was a one shot killer of squirrels, though. Long as I was inside 25 yards, I had no problems. I graduated to .22s, though. Actually, a .22 CB short is considerably quieter than a pump up pellet rifle when fired from a rifle. When I worked out at a chemical plant here, before they built the big expansion, it was a small plant with two units and lots of open land around it. I had one area I ran where I had some free time and on nights I'd take the truck to run samples to the lab. I'd come back via the pipe bone yard where there was no lighting, all grown up, well away from the plant, and use my .22 revolver with CB shorts that I stuffed in my coveralls to cap rabbits out to about 25 yards. It was great! I capped and cleaned five rabbits once on a four night weekend shift! There were so many rabbits, we'd all go out and throw rocks at 'em on occasion except for the poor board men who had to run things. But, I found CB shorts more successful, just couldn't tell anyone what I was doin'.

Yeah, on campus if you walk for 2 minutes, you will see AT LEAST 5 squirrels. You don't know how many times I have wished for a Mark II or something to take a few bushy tail!

 

[shaggycat]

A friend has an air shotgun he picked up some time back. Very good inside 30 yds. and fairly quiet. Might do a web search and be able to find one. His was imported from the Phillipines if I recall.

What is the comparison in noise between actions? For instance, how do pneumatic and breaking air rifles compare. I have no experience with air rifles, so I don't know what to expect as far as noise. Is CO2 loud?

 

[HankB]

I have an RWS M48 in .177. Using light pellets (RWS "Hobby") the rifle WILL break 1100 ft/sec . . . barely. But the most accurate pellets I've found are RWS "Superdome."

This rifle has accounted for quite a few rabbits and other small pests, and (at close range) a couple of armadillos as well. It's accurate up to about 40 - 45 yards, after which accuracy falls off proportionately faster than the increase in range.

Note that many places that prohibit shooting a firearm outdoors also prohibit shooting an air rifle. Legalities aside, if you're only worried about noise, Aguila "Colibri" .22 ammo fired out of a rifle is at least as quiet as most "magnum" air rifles, and will do about as well.

 

[Twycross]

Yup. If the legality is not an issue for you, then a .22 bolt gun with the appropriate ammo might be just the ticket. Just as good or better performance than the 'magnum' airguns, at a lower cost.

It the legalities are an issue, then you could look at Daisy, Gamo, or Crossman for airguns in your price range.

30-50 yards is about the max range for this kind of stuff.

For noise, it's about like a screen door closing. That's the closest thing to it that come to mind.

 

[shaggycat]

I would like to obey the law. I did some checking and I can use an air rifle.

I have some reservations about the barrel-cocking action. Something about applying +40 pounds of pressure to my barrel makes me a little nervous. I am afraid of bending over time. Is that an issue? How does the rifle take all that ing?

 

[Gordon]

The break barrel guns are the hot set up. There is a built in safety feature to prevent what you fear. Get a used RWS as good a one as you can afford. The model 34 up is great.

http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=44025634

If you find a Beeman .25 you really got a killer! I bought a used one for $250 , which is half of new. They are a quantuum leap over a .22 or 5mm!
The pre charged or bulk charged and pump ups are much more noisy, generally. I have a .50 cal bulk charge gun that is actually an anti personell weapon. It is as loud a a .22Lr however! I sold my 9mm Carreer to get this:

http://www.pyramydair.com/cgi-bin/model.pl?model_id=486

 

[Twycross]

I have some reservations about the barrel-cocking action. Something about applying +40 pounds of pressure to my barrel makes me a little nervous. I am afraid of bending over time. Is that an issue? How does the rifle take all that ing?

After 2000-some pellets through my barrel, so far no problems.