Retiring my sub 12ft/lbs air rifle

[danebrewer10 6]

some interesting comment on here, quite different to the some of the condemning comments on the airgun forum HERE i'll still use the airgun for quarry, bu the conditions just have tobe perfect for me to guarantee a clean shot, otherwise i'll pass the shot up.... respect for quarry.

[Mr_Logic 5]

Personally I agree that air rifles are not brilliant hunting tools. I accept that they work, and I accept they have their place - from a safety point of view they are good as they barely hurt anything.

 

Around farms and livestock, they are good - farm building shoot has short range and delicate conditions and the air rifle works well.

 

BUT

 

Most of MY shooting is out and about at longer ranges than air guns can manage. Most of my rabbits get shot with centrefires as I reload and it's cheap. I am a fan of being able to knock them over at 200-300 yards, as I prefer marksmanship to stalking. I can't imagine anything more dull than stalking a rabbit to 20 yards. It's personal preference though - some people like it.

 

Rabbit clearance is one of the facets of the vermin control I do, and there are far too many bunnies to have to stalk so close.

 

I do prefer the finality of a 223 or 22 Hornet hit on a bunny - it's game over and very reassuring - you really don't get a slow death there!

 

22 RF is about as low as I would go for bunny bashing, I prefer them to air rifles anyway. But hey, it's personal preference

[stealthy1 3,964]

I've seen pheasants with there wings blown off with shotguns after a shoot, deer with thier bottom jaws blown off after careless shot taking by stalkers, rabbits with limbs blown off, the issue is not what your using, its the person staring through the cross hairs that decides when to pull the trigger, and whether the shot is on.

[aaronpigeonplucker 32]

Personally I agree that air rifles are not brilliant hunting tools. I accept that they work, and I accept they have their place - from a safety point of view they are good as they barely hurt anything.

 

Around farms and livestock, they are good - farm building shoot has short range and delicate conditions and the air rifle works well.

 

BUT

 

Most of MY shooting is out and about at longer ranges than air guns can manage. Most of my rabbits get shot with centrefires as I reload and it's cheap. I am a fan of being able to knock them over at 200-300 yards, as I prefer marksmanship to stalking. I can't imagine anything more dull than stalking a rabbit to 20 yards. It's personal preference though - some people like it.

 

Rabbit clearance is one of the facets of the vermin control I do, and there are far too many bunnies to have to stalk so close.

 

I do prefer the finality of a 223 or 22 Hornet hit on a bunny - it's game over and very reassuring - you really don't get a slow death there!

 

22 RF is about as low as I would go for bunny bashing, I prefer them to air rifles anyway. But hey, it's personal preference

 

stalking rabbits up to 20 yards with an airgun is a lot more skillfull and more enjoyable than nocking them over at 200 yards with something wich could easily kill a deer let alone a rabbit well thats my opinion anyway.

Edited May 13, 2009 by aaronpigeonplucker

[the Verminator 0]

Personally I agree that air rifles are not brilliant hunting tools. I accept that they work, and I accept they have their place - from a safety point of view they are good as they barely hurt anything.

 

Around farms and livestock, they are good - farm building shoot has short range and delicate conditions and the air rifle works well.

 

BUT

 

Most of MY shooting is out and about at longer ranges than air guns can manage. Most of my rabbits get shot with centrefires as I reload and it's cheap. I am a fan of being able to knock them over at 200-300 yards, as I prefer marksmanship to stalking. I can't imagine anything more dull than stalking a rabbit to 20 yards. It's personal preference though - some people like it.

 

Rabbit clearance is one of the facets of the vermin control I do, and there are far too many bunnies to have to stalk so close.

 

I do prefer the finality of a 223 or 22 Hornet hit on a bunny - it's game over and very reassuring - you really don't get a slow death there!

 

22 RF is about as low as I would go for bunny bashing, I prefer them to air rifles anyway. But hey, it's personal preference

 

stalking rabbits up to 20 yards with an airgun is a lot more skillfull and more enjoyable than nocking them over at 200 yards with something wich could easily kill a deer let alone a rabbit well thats my opinion anyway.

 

i say more enjoyable to shoot along way off, and it requires a fair bit of skill to do that. but you do need to be skilled to stalk close into rabbits

[andyfr1968 772]

Personally I agree that air rifles are not brilliant hunting tools. I accept that they work, and I accept they have their place - from a safety point of view they are good as they barely hurt anything.

 

Around farms and livestock, they are good - farm building shoot has short range and delicate conditions and the air rifle works well.

 

BUT

 

Most of MY shooting is out and about at longer ranges than air guns can manage. Most of my rabbits get shot with centrefires as I reload and it's cheap. I am a fan of being able to knock them over at 200-300 yards, as I prefer marksmanship to stalking. I can't imagine anything more dull than stalking a rabbit to 20 yards. It's personal preference though - some people like it.

 

Rabbit clearance is one of the facets of the vermin control I do, and there are far too many bunnies to have to stalk so close.

 

I do prefer the finality of a 223 or 22 Hornet hit on a bunny - it's game over and very reassuring - you really don't get a slow death there!

 

22 RF is about as low as I would go for bunny bashing, I prefer them to air rifles anyway. But hey, it's personal preference

 

stalking rabbits up to 20 yards with an airgun is a lot more skillfull and more enjoyable than nocking them over at 200 yards with something wich could easily kill a deer let alone a rabbit well thats my opinion anyway.

You've kind of missed the point there, Aaron.

 

Go back and read again. It's the guys job and needs the best tools for the job. He's not having a mooch around shooting for the pot.

 

Cheers.

 

P.S. You try hitting a rabbit and those kind of ranges, then come back on here and tell us there's no skill involved!

Edited May 13, 2009 by andyfr1968

[aaronpigeonplucker 32]

i completely agree that if you want to control large numbers of rabbits then shoot them in most effiecent way possible and the wya wich will get big bags. but if you wan to have the thrill of stalking then try get as close as possible. it may not be the most effective way of getting big bags of rabbits, but it certinaly IMO is the most enjoyable.

[top gun 0]

i completely agree that if you want to control large numbers of rabbits then shoot them in most effiecent way possible and the wya wich will get big bags. but if you wan to have the thrill of stalking then try get as close as possible. it may not be the most effective way of getting big bags of rabbits, but it certinaly IMO is the most enjoyable.

 

The enjoyment is there in all disciplins to do with shooting with different skills..lol

[clubshot 22]

As covered - does not matter what Gun or Calibre used - sometimes life is not finished off - cleanly

 

But then one can not used a Powder burner out in to most Gardens

 

Reason I like using multi shot Air Gun's - believe the first one did not do the Job

Give it another Shot

 

BOB/R

[Guest Scuba1]

As with all things made and used by humans .......... they are never 100%

 

ATB

 

Michael

[LOGUNSOLO177 0]

What it comes down to is knowing your own skill level with whatever rifle you are using, air rifle or firearm. If you are ever unsure about a shot dont take it!! Its that simple. Me and my friend do alot of target shooting as well as hunting and we are comfotable with our range finding and marksmanship skills. We take rabbits out cleanly at distances of 30-45 yards with .177 12ft/lb air rifles and we can do this because we have spent alot of time developing our skills and we know when not to take a shot.

 

The story you told above was definatley a case of you were unsure as you didnt take the wind into account. And we all owe our quarry respect and should do everything in our power to ensure a quick and humaine dispatch!!

 

Yes air rifles are low power but when used correctly they are very effective hunting tools. And you can have a .308 centre fire but if you dont know how to use it properly and dont hit the kill zones on big game then would you say the same about them?

 

I understand what your getting at but as I have mentioned any hunting tool is useless if not used correctly!!

Edited May 14, 2009 by LOGUNSOLO177

[Mr_Logic 5]

Aaron, I take your point that you enjoy the stalk, which is fair enough. I'll be honest, I do too, but not on bunny rabbits. My permissions are mostly very flat, there is little cover. This means crawling for hundreds of yards, which IMHO isn't worth it for a rabbit. On deer, which I do shoot for the pot, and don't shoot many of, it's satisfying. Though, again, I have to stalk fairly gently to get to within 200 yards, and I don't like shooting them much over that. Have done out to 250, but 200 is nice and close, so it's easy enough.

 

200 on a rabbit can be bloody hard though, given the wind, and the fact that you're often as not off the sitting not prone bipod. Not done a clean headshot at that range yet (i.e. one that removes the head neatly but leaves me a carcass - edible ones get dropped off with a neighbour on a permission who wants them!)

[Mr_Logic 5]

Of course, bear in mind that in the firearms world, any calibre that requires a head shot for a clean kill is considered marginal for that species, at best.

 

Given that air rifles (<12 ft/lbs) do really need a headshot for a clean kill on a rabbit, that makes them marginal

 

To say a 12 ft/lb air gun is properly up to the job is like saying that 22LR is OK for fox or for roe deer. It will kill either with a head shot, but somewhat less than fabulous otherwise.

 

Now, as I said, there are reasons for using air guns and there are no laws to prevent their use on rabbits, but the situation is distinctly comparable.

[LOGUNSOLO177 0]

I see what your getting at but not only does the law state that that calibre is not suitable for those species but I think most people would consider the 22LR the wrong tool for the job even though we know it is capable.

I would say an air rifle on rabbits within 30-40 yards is much more capable and accepatble than the example you have given.

[Malt 379]

Of course, bear in mind that in the firearms world, any calibre that requires a head shot for a clean kill is considered marginal for that species, at best.

 

Given that air rifles (<12 ft/lbs) do really need a headshot for a clean kill on a rabbit, that makes them marginal

 

A shot to the chest area of a rabbit will drop a rabbit as quick as a head shot, and in most cases stands less chance of bouncing off thick bone, which can and does happen from time to time with headshots.