I'm sorry., I missed the last sentence about your 80 years. Thank you for your service. You are 'the Greatest Generation", and I mean that truly. I'm only 72, and was 7 when WWII ended, but I wish I could have been there with you..
You won't believe the power of spring air rifles these days. Get on down to your local Walmart and pick up a Storm X - it is essentially the same as Crossman's Quest 1000- but it is about $100 at Walmart.
Mine has dispatched 100s of squirrels and a few rabbits. Head shots at 100 feet are standard fare. I tossed the scope and use iron sights. [well- fluorescent plastic-- but they are open]
Take it to the basement for the first 10 shots or so. when new it has some extra oil & sounds like a 22 long rifle.
And watch your backstop- this isn't your 80 years ago air rifle. [neither is this-
Second the CB caps, but put a small balloon on the end, maybe even like those used for blow up "sculptures". Just an inch or two is all you need. A poor man's silencer. The loud pop of a regular .22 is from the powder, but it is also from the projectile going supersonic, and the CBs are subsonic. The balloon will take almost all the pop out of it.
A good pump air gun would be good, too. CO2 costs too much for those little cylinders. Trouble is, unless it is a clean head shot, they go off wounded, and when several dead ones show up, some tree hugger will start the dominos falling. If you do get an air rifle, get the .22 cal for a little more punch, and go for head shots. Be patient and don't take any long shots. Try to have them against backdrops that will stop any errant lead, or that tree hugger I mentioned will now have a slug as evidence to start the dominos.
Compare fps velocities. You can pump some up to very good velocities. Even more than the 850 fps of CB powder driven .22 caps. Buy a quality gun, not a cheap one, and not one of the $1,000 ones either.
Most places that have strict laws about shooting guns will bust you for an air rifle too. Of course there are also game laws that cover shooting a rabbit just about anywhere. "Come and get me copper" I guess The reality is, as long as there is food around, you won't make that much of a dent in the rabbit population but they are good eating. Why not just trap them? Tell the neighbors toy are taking them out to a friend's farm. Fillet and release. ;-)
My wife complained about the Deer eating her plants. I had a couple of long rifles, including a .22 cal., a 30.06, and a .69 cal. flintlock musket. I just like guns because they are machines. I don't hunt or want to kill anything, except maybe some low life humans, so I went out and bought a Crossman BB rifle. The first time I drew a bead on a a Deer, I choked. Although I didn't want to kill it, I didn't want to hurt it either. My wife told me it's her, or the deer. I helped her pack. :-)
Most states have gun laws pertaining to Firearms, not BB guns, except for the age of the bearer. Some states have restrictions on how close to a residence a firearm can be discharged, like 500 ft in NYS, which is really stupid, since a 12 cal shotgun can fire a deer slug almost a mile (5280 ft).. The only laws pertaining to BB guns in NYS are usually menacing, reckless endangerment, assault, or criminal mischief, etc..
Strange as it may sound..In the police state of New Jersey, an air rifle or pistol, is legally classified as a firearm. This applies to any type BB or pellet, pump, spring or CO2. I have seen people charged and taken to court for weapons carrying offenses here for having an unloaded Red Rider BB gun in their auto trunk.
Be careful with that assumption. New York Statute Section 265.35 "Prohibited use of weapons" says
" 3. Any person who, otherwise than in self defense or in the discharge of official duty, (a) wilfully discharges any species of firearms, air-gun or other weapon, or throws any other deadly missile, either in a public place, or in any place where there is any person to be endangered thereby, "
If you are in a suburban setting they will say you were ... in a public place, or in a place where there is a person to be endangered thereby,
That is particularly true if someone calls the cops.
That looks nice, even has an illuminated red dot scope, adding a Laser would top it off. Illuminated red dot sights really make it easier to see the target.
I seem to recall that one of the police state's city law enforcement arresting some guy for making a gun with his thumb and index finger. I don't remember what the charge was but it was silly.
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