Do people really go hunting with an air rifle? I though that was another name for a BB-gun. Like we used for target practice when I was
10 years old at summer camp.
What is the advantage over a real rifle: cheaper? less likely to kill the neighbor kid? are there laws that apply to rifles that don't apply to air rifles? something else?
This ain't your daddy's Red Ryder. There are certainly some small game than can be taken with an air rifle. Modern air and CO2 guns will approach .22 short ballistics at short range and would be plenty to take down a squirrel or maybe even a rabbit with a well placed shot. Advantage is they can legally be suppressed and they are not that loud to start with. There may also be fewer laws around discharging in suburban environments. They are certainly a lot cheaper to shoot.
i have a single pump air rifle with a nice scope on it. good for almost any small varmint. most the time a warning shot with light ammo will do it and they'll go away (sounds like a 22).
no stupid licenses needed and very inexpensive to shoot, non-lead ammo, etc.
only for a rural area. would not use in the city.
yes. my previous gun had heavy enough ammo that i could take down full grown rabbits or groundhogs with it. my current one uses much lighter ammo, but discourages them well enough.
i'm still looking forwards to the day when i can get rid of it (and the lawn mower)! now that we've found a way to keep the rodent population in check i hardly ever use it.
They work well for shooting sparrows perched in buildings. Ground squirrels and regular squirrels drop with a well placed shot. Power can be varied with pump versions just by varying the number of pumps.
In Canada, un-regulated air rifles are limited to the less powerful models < 500 feet per second muzzle speed >. The more powerful models require a gun licence - like other firearms. .. not sure about all the other details in the regulations but I wouldn't be surprised if they were treated just like firearms. More than once, over the years, I wished I had a powerful air gun in the car trunk, so I could dispatch a suffering cat hat had been hit on the road. I'm not sure our gutless air pistols would do it. John T.
I got one for the fun of it and would not use it to hunt but have used it to dissuade pesky critters in the back yard. I think the article is fairly accurate. My Gamo has a suppressor and shoots light weight pellets at supersonic speed. It is not loud but it does crack. I prefer to shoot the subsonic pellets. Has a great scope but not too accurate beyond 25 yards. I recall calculating muzzle energy at about 7 ft/lb which I am sure does not approach that of a 22 short. 22 lrs go above
100 ft/lb. Crossbow bolt is maybe 50 ft/lb but can readily kill a deer with a broad head.
There are high caliber air guns that could kill big game. Lewis and Clark even used them:
We used one to discourage the neighborhood kids from playing football in the back yard. Our yard used to be a muddy mess because of their shenanigans.
Just be sure if you use one in this manner, nobody sees you. Also, make sure you pump it up just enough to put a good welt on them. Watch out because you don't want to make a head shot. They'll think bees are attacking them and go play elsewhere.
Even back in 1963 I shot several squirrels out of a tree in the back yard with a Crosman pellet gun. The kind you could pump up to 10 times. There are some now that are even more powerful, and I think it only takes one pump.
There is quite a selection. I have a Crossman 1377 pistol that is the multiple pump style and a Baikal springer that's a single stroke. The Baikal, in particular, is meant for 10 meter competition rather than hunting and is around 450 fps.
Then there are the PCP (pre-charged pneumatic) types. Typically they are filled from a skin diving air tank at about 3000 psi.
The coyotes keep the squirrels down but with the Obama Ammo Shortage .177 pellets were inexpensive and obtainable unlike .22 LR. Air guns have their quirks but basically marksmanship is marksmanship.
An air rifle with comparable ballistics to a .22 cal rimfire also has a comparable report!
Q. Why does one of the greatest pistols in the World --.22 cal Ruger Mk III Bull Barrel Marksman-- also has almost the worst trigger action in the entire gun world? (shrug)
Q. Why does field stripping a Mk III resemble a Chinese puzzle? The II was bad, the III outdid itself.
A. Those crafty people at Ruger want me to buy a Mk IV. They even threw in an ambidextrous safety. Dammit I thought I had enough guns to last the rest of my life.
I bought one of the variations called the 22/45 or something like that. It is like a Chinese puzzle just to field strip it. I have several other hnadguns and usually pressing one button and they fall apart for cleaning. I hate Ruger arms, but always did want one of the 22 autoloader handguns.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.