Hunting with an Air rifle

[bigandrich44]

Does anyone here hunt with an air rifle? I use a Beeman GT600 with a Simmons 4x32 scope, which has a .177 8.2gr pellet cruising along at 660 FPS. Rabbits, squirrels, skunks, and possums aren't safe. (Neither are pigeons.) Any stories to be told while using an airgun? Does anyone here use a PCP?

[michiganhunter]

man did i used to love my pellet guns, i have a winchester 1000x in .177 cal shooting at 1000 fps, it was a blast you really learn dang good shot placement on the little varmints though a squirrel get em right around the base of the ear and they'll go a rolling, groundhog just above the eyes and right inbetween, rabbits you can almost shoot them anywhere the shot half scares em to death but anywhere in the ribs and head and they will die in seconds.
we used to use those little pumpmaster 760s or whatever 6 pumps at 400 fps plenty enough to take on squirrels and rabbits i wouldn't shoot anything much bigger then that with them little baby pellet guns.

[bigandrich44]

I hear people say it takes 1000 fps to kill a rabbit. I laugh and take them hunting with my Beeman. Headshot at about 30 yards will do the trick. I use Beeman Kodiak pellets. Excellent pellets.

[michiganhunter]

i always used copperhead flathead pellets not the greatest for penetration but the damage is maximized and it still passes through any small game i shoot, with the pumpmasters, beeman, etc i like my domed and pointed for better penetration and still plenty of power for a rabbit as isaid before you don't need much to kill a rabbit the sound almost scares em to death as it is.

[bigandrich44]

I prefer hollowpoints, Crossman Premeirs. Knocks em dead. Use domed if you want expansion and damage. Or try the poly tipped predators. Knocked off a squirrel at about 50 yards with a Crossman Premier. He wanted to play peek a boo, so I obliged. Head shot too.

[Midas]

Yes, I hunt with an air rifle, its a Crosman 760 Pumpmaster, good for those backyard rabbit hunts

[bigandrich44]

Get a high quality airgun, 338winmag, and be amazed at the accuracy. Mine consistently shoots 1/2inch groups at 50 yards. Shoot em from a hella far away, and your prey can't hear it.

[Midas]

Originally Posted by bigandrich44

Get a high quality airgun, 338winmag, and be amazed at the accuracy. Mine consistently shoots 1/2inch groups at 50 yards. Shoot em from a hella far away, and your prey can't hear it.

I have been considering it, it would be hella fun

[bigandrich44]

But keep in mind if you get a PCP, you'll have to pay another $255 atleast to get it to run if you don't have a SCUBA tank to charge it. I've been using a Benjamin 392 in .22 with devastating results on the local squirrel and starling population.

[just_a_car]

BAR44, if you haven't already, make sure you either have a Small Game License or check to see if your state requires one for the game you're taking. Your state may also have law for taking nuisance/varmint animals caught in the act of depredation of a crop or herd that makes for an easy loophole for any authorities asking about meat or pelts.

"Yes officer, this rabbit was eating my Freedom Garden in my backyard, so I had to take him down out of respect for my country."

[DWARREN123]

Airgun hunting can make you a better hunter. Have to get closer and be more selective in target area.

[bigandrich44]

Agreed. I strive for headshots, but sometimes a double lung shot is all I get. Still kills em dead.

[michiganhunter]

i have never used hollowpoints in a pellet gun, didn't even know they had em, well i guess you learn something new everyday, i have made my own by taking flathead pellets and like a 1/16 drill bit and drilling a hole through the center, then kinda shaving out the inside of it with a scribe or something, didn't notice much difference though everything was just as dead when i shot it. anyone know how to make a neighbors dog stay the helloff your property, they pretty much trained the stupid thing to crap in my yard, i have shot in its general direction like 10 times but it doesn't get the point i don't wanna shoot it but i am getting pretty close to running out of ideas, i have talked to the neighbor about it and they don't seem to care, is there a law against shooting your neighbors dog if they refuse to even try keep it off your property?

[Lng Rng]

Its probably not a great idea to shoot your neighbors dog, at least with an airgun. You could contact the police, or maybe snatch the dog and take it to the pound, either way, you couldn't get into legal trouble for it.

[michiganhunter]

i think i might take him to the pound, if i ever did shoot it it would be with a 12 gauge.

[SilverRun]

Don't shoot the dog with the pellet gun. The way the stupid law is nowadays you will be in jail longer than if you had shoot the dog's owner with the pellet rifle.

I had some dogs that kept showing up in my yard. I called the neighbors like 3 or 4 times and asked them to keep them away from my wife's cats (they killed one cat). The last time they showed up. I tied them up and called the county pound to come get them as they were "strays" with no collars or tags! They hauled them off and I never saw them again.

Now to the origanal thread. I have a scoped "Crossman" that is a .177 at 1000fps. It is very accurate. I have not been hunting with it yet, but plan to go shoot some squirels one day when I get time. Whenever that will be?

[bigandrich44]

I use mine for controlling the skyrocketing squirrel and pigeon population around here. The hollow points make a nice *puff* of feathers when you hit a pigeon with one. You could always get cleaning pellets for your pellet gun, they are felt pellets. They're like shooting a paintball that doesnt break . Make sure your at like 60 yards if you have to shoot the dog with normal pellets. Only use wadcutters, and shoot it in the buttocks.

[Lng Rng]

I don't really "hunt" with airguns, just mainly pest control. I was reading all the post on different pellets, and was thinking, at a velocity of an airgun- most "1000" fps airguns don't shoot 1000 fps- does it really make a difference what pellets you use?

[Mikey]

Hunting with an air rifle is just like all other hunting. Select your game. Determine what is a decent distance to take the game. Select the right pellet to kill the game efficiently.

I have a Gamo 1000fps. rifle with a small scope. It is very accurate. I never try to exceed it's capabilities so I stalk my game and work up as close as is practicle. A long shot to me is 25 yards. Small game beyond this range, I opt for the 22 long rifle or bigger, depending upon circumstances.

The pellets come in several types: flat point, round, pointed, and hollow point are the basic families with varriations just like rifle bullets.

Flat point: I find these best for birds at close range. They kill them efficiently. They work well on farm pond bull frogs (yes, I cook the legs). Flat rounds are best for close ranges and target practice. Not good penetration at longer ranges than 15 yards.

Round: Good all purpose round. I do not use them except for targets and plinking at cans anymore. They will take bigger critters but I would opt for the pointed rounds for large critters like rabbits and such.

Hollow Point: these will penetrate but expand quickly and sometimes break up. I have found them to be unpredictable in their stopping power with an air gun. They are great on birds and sqirrels. Large critters I would opt for the pointed rounds.

Pointed: This is by far the best penetration round for the bigger game. They also seem to have a more stable flight for longer ranges and will take down rabbits out to 50 yards because I have dome this. These are my favorite for everything bigger than birds or frogs.

I don't know how to explain all the science, just relating what has worked for me in the past. Hope this helps clear up round selection for you. I do recommend some experiments on your own with targets to check penetration etc. Be creative with old junk in the garage you can fashion into a target and then disect it to check penetration of each type of round and compare the sizes of the holes made, etc. I used an old piece of panneling on top of a thick sheet of styrofoam.

Good Luck,
Mikey

[bigandrich44]

Yes it does. I choose my pellets based on where I'm hunting. Predators for long range squirrel and pigeon hunting, wadcutters for urban pest control, domed for prairie dog and gopher shooting. Lng Rng, if I were you, I would get the most accurate pellet in your gun. The ability to put that pellet right on the crosshairs every single time will matter a whole lot more than the pellet you select.