Ranges

[Adrian Kenny 64]

Hello all, bit of a question.. What are your average ranges?

I know mine and the limitations of my rifle and ability.. But I keep hearing stories of 70 yard shots with a sub 12...

 

Sooooo perfect conditions, perfect pellet, shooting well that day.. What is the MAX you would go for? (Non FAC)

 

My range never really strays more than 45yrds ish as I have never needed to be much further away but I assume different permissions may offer different shots, but consitantly hitting 70's would be a bit out of my comfort zone, I have had a hit at a bit over 60 but I know if the wind took it I would miss or hit the kill zone..

 

Clean kill shots I mean obviously!!

[Adrian Kenny 64]

I am in no way advertising to take wild shots and hurt anything.. Just an argument I am having with a guy and his gaystate

[Rez 4,961]

Out to 50 yards myself.

 

Anyone, even the stars and there uber long range shots are risking it even though Ive actually praised some Youtube videos. They'll be posts about "if you know your set up" and such, but no sub 12ftlbs air rifle is as accurate at 55 yards as it is at 25-35 yards, and that doesn't take into account the shooter. Indoors most decent set ups will stick um within the inch no doubt, but with so many variables in the field, I think its a risk.

 

A rifle that can put pellet on pellet, literally like a 100 can at 30, at 70 yards is my next one.

[pianoman 3,589]

I've shot and killed rabbits out to yards with my HW77 .22 but, I can still count on the fingers of both hands how many times I've done that! The wind has to be none-existant for a start off!

 

I class myself as a decent shot but I seldom take a shot on a rabbit's head at much over 50 yards unless I'm certain of the wind speeds and how much deflection I'll need. This is after decades of shooting experience that has taught me exactly how my sub 12 spring rifle and pellet behaves in a variety of changing and different winds.

 

I zero my FAC .22 HW80 and sub 12 ft/lbs HW77 .22 rifles at 30 metres. On 7X magnification. Religiously.

 

This leaves only 20 more to 50 and halfway to 60. So, zeroing at this range gives me leeway to take long range shots on rabbits. A 63 metre headshot on a rabbit carried out recently required 7 inches of deflection off for a lightish breeze and about 2.5 to 3 inches elevation from its head before I was able to confidently slip the trigger. The shot hit hard just forward of the ear lobe and killed it humanely. But there is no way I would have taken the shot unless my experience and self-training was thorough enough in the first place.

 

The difference in velocity between my HW80 and HW77 is purely for covering same-range distances faster. Not for any advantage in longer range itself.

 

Most people bullshit aboiut the distances they can shoot to with precision accuracy. The truth is, most of them are plain lazy. They will not put in the hours to practice and train themselves to the standard needed to produce shots like this.

 

I'm a boring b*****d really, because I don't do holidays abroad with all that shit getting pissed. I prefer being out here with my rifle and training on hitting bottle caps side-on at all close-range to mental ranges till my reticle is a map for where the pellets are going.

 

most inexperienced shooters will miss the head of a rabbit or rat at short ranges as they do not practice finding out where the pellet is BEFORE it has risen into line with their reticle at zero-point blank, or, the point where the shot first meets, then bisects the zero line of sight.

 

I reckon good shooting is where you know exactly where to place your crosshairs to effect a full-on accurate shot on the target/vermin.

 

Not see who can piss furthest.

 

Next time someone says he can hit a gnat's knob at 70 yards, ask him about his training discipline.

 

All the best.

Simon

Edited May 5, 2015 by pianoman

[random 659]

I don't go any more than around 40 because that's about as far as I can keep a tight group,most are more like 30/35 I would say,I have taken rabbit cleanly at over fifty but don't attempt it often as my confidence is closer although I know I can do it if I so choose...

[davyt63 1,845]

try asking on the BBS

[bigmac 97kt 13,825]

I class myself as a decent shot but I seldom take a shot on a rabbit's head at much over 50 yards unless I'm certain of the wind speeds and how much deflection I'll need. This is after decades of shooting experience that has taught me exactly how my sub 12 spring rifle and pellet behaves in a variety of changing and different winds.

 

I zero my FAC .22 HW80 and sub 12 ft/lbs HW77 .22 rifles at 30 metres. This leaves only 20 more to 50 so, zeroing at this range gives me leeway to take long range shots on rabbits. The difference in velocity between my HW80 and HW77 is purely for covering same-range distances faster. Not for any advantage in longer range itself.

 

Most people bullshit aboiut the distances they can shoot to with precision accuracy. The truth is, most inexperienced shooters will miss the head of a rabbit or rat at short ranges as they do not practice finding out where the pellet is BEFORE it has risen into line with their reticle at zero-point blank, or, the point where the shot first meets, then bisects the zero line of sight.

 

I reckon good shooting is where you know exactly where to place your crosshairs to effect a full-on accurate shot on the target/vermin.

 

Not see who can piss furthest.

Feck me

 

you been watching me :icon_eek:

 

Simon

 

atvbmac :thumbs:

[villaman 9,982]

I have missed more rabbits at 20 yards than at 60 yards , With a springer no more than 40 yards for me , but with a pcp of a bi-pod with excellent conditions I have shot out to 65 yards ,not very often though , but I do know my set up

[random 659]

Agree with the last point there simon,a good shot is someone who can hit a given target at differing distance and elevation in different conditions etc,rather than someone who consistently hits a can at 60 yards plus over and over,the varied shots would put more game in the bag I would expect??

[Adrian Kenny 64]

Could not ask for a better answer than that!

[charlie caller 3,654]

I remember a time, and this is not too long ago in the scheme of things, when some bloke saying he shoots rabbits at 50 yards with a sub 12 air rifle, would be regarded as a Walter Mitty type character, and would be sneered at and thought of as a pri*k, and I am talking in the pcp era too, I still have great trouble convincing some shooting mates that some lads are shooting vermin at 50-60 yards with air rifles, my personal limit is 45 yards, not because I dont think my rifle's or myself are up to the job, far from it, I just feel that if I need to stretch it out any further I have a .22 rimfire, which I am happy to head shoot bunnies at -90 yards with all day long, for instance I am pretty sure I could hit a fox @ 600 yards with my .243, would I do it? No as I feel there are too many variables that come into play, to ensure a clean kill, so I limit myself to 400 yards or so, and that is how I feel about really pushing the 12ftlbs envelope, that said I greatly admire people that do shoot bunnies @ 60, or 70 yards with an air rifle, to be able to do that with something that does not require a license is pretty cool, and that is a big part of the attraction of air rifles to me, that a man can still go out and hunt with something he has just walked into a shop and bought, long may it continue.

[jonnie bravo 572]

Some constructive responses here keep them coming!

 

Personally about 45yds.

 

I parallax and zero my scope to 25yds, so the closer to that the better.

 

I use the parallax to range find and find it very useful, saw it on anston ftc website. But shooting past hft ranges parallax error becomes a bit more of an issue so I leave it alone

[bigmac 97kt 13,825]

I shot two rabbits a while back at a good distance and wittiness,d by vis off here

 

shot the first one then its mate came over to see what was up and a quick reload (raider single shot )

 

and its mate was down to two shots and when vis paced it out it was 75 yards

 

but iv not done this since

 

vis says quite often that im better at long distance shots than i am at short distance shots

 

but these days and with my eyes being affected by my diabetes i tend to just stick to 40 50 yards tops

 

ill not say what my longest shot was and with a kill one shot one kill

 

and witness,d by vis to it will just coarse a ruckus lol

 

But let me tell you a 12 ftlb rifle can kill at a lot farther than you think

 

atvbmac :thumbs:

Edited May 6, 2015 by bigmac 97kt

[mark williams 7,568]

Very interesting post.

 

To my way of thinking and shooting with an air rifle, i want to be as close as i can get to 30/ 35 yards maximum.

The "love affair" of over 45 years hunting with sub 12 ft/lb is to be able to get myself within the blessed 35 yards range and is one of the most "unspoken",most essential skills of our air gun hunting, - Field Craft.

I love to leave home, take my hunting mad German Short Hair on lead and walk my shoots taking note of what the wildlife is up to.

I consider getting natural hides built in the right positions absolutely essential .It is like a game of chess, thinking ahead of the Magpies, crows, pigeons etc and to lay in wait.

So to cut this short, (for me), we are governed at sub 12ft/bs which is enough to get by on.The accuracy of a modern air rifle is unbelievable.

Good field craft,and good practice makes good bags. Practice on shortening the ranges not lengthening them.

 

atb

[bigmac 97kt 13,825]

Very interesting post.

 

To my way of thinking and shooting with an air rifle, i want to be as close as i can get to 30/ 35 yards maximum.

The "love affair" of over 45 years hunting with sub 12 ft/lb is to be able to get myself within the blessed 35 yards range and is one of the most "unspoken",most essential skills of our air gun hunting, - Field Craft.

I love to leave home, take my hunting mad German Short Hair on lead and walk my shoots taking note of what the wildlife is up to.

I consider getting natural hides built in the right positions absolutely essential .It is like a game of chess, thinking ahead of the Magpies, crows, pigeons etc and to lay in wait.

So to cut this short, (for me), we are governed at sub 12ft/bs which is enough to get by on.The accuracy of a modern air rifle is unbelievable.

Good field craft,and good practice makes good bags. Practice on shortening the ranges not lengthening them.

 

atb

SPOT ON

 

:thumbs: