Pellet Impact - Could Less Be More?

[Jonjon79 13,357]

I've noticed lately, while shooting pigeon, that a slightly lower powered impact seems to have more of an effect. Obviously a head shot is a head shot, it goes down every time. But for heart & lung shots with my .177 HW100, they seem to just drop if they're hit from 40yrds +.

I shot 2 in the same way lately at less than 20yrds - I saw the impact in the right place and heard the pellet hit but, they both flew off.

 

I also shot 1 with a 22 FAP pellet from my TX which was doing 10.8ftlb. This was around 25yrds. Again, the pigeon just dropped. The pellet had put a fair sized wound in it's chest.

 

So, it got me wondering if that slight reduction in power is actually helping when the pellet lands on target.

 

I'd be interested to hear others thoughts on this.

 

Thanks.

Edited April 5, 2016 by Jonjon79

[mark williams 7,550]

When all is said and done with air rifles/ calibers, shot placement "is the answer".

You do not get fly away ( fly and die) birds shot correctly, ( head, heart/lung,or between the shoulder blades, if you will) with any of the calibers and within sensible air rifle ranges of course.

 

 

 

atb

[villaman 9,983]

Exactly mark and more who say under 11ft/lbs is OK and good enough, then the powers to be will say bring the ft/lb down and that is the last thing we need

[walshie 2,804]

By that logic, anyone using a 100ft/lb rimfire would be hard pushed to kill a bird.

 

Either there is something wrong with the gun or you aren't hitting them in the right place.

[jonnie bravo 572]

What pellet in the .177 buddy

[Jonjon79 13,357]

Fair comments. Thanks for the replies.

 

I never push my shots past 45yrds in .177 and 35yrds in .22 while hunting. I've had my night time permission for a while now and I know it well. For any day time shooting, I always take my lrf.

I always check my kit and zero before I go out.

 

..... it looks like it was just shit aiming/shooting on my part.

 

I took on those 2 shots because the heads were obscured by branches. I wasn't happy with the results. I'd shot a few more that day, same way and, they just dropped. Mostly front on, chest shot, heart & lung.

 

It got me doubting myself a bit so, I checked my kit again when I got home. It was spot on from 10 - 35yrds.

 

That's what got me wondering about the pellet impact speed. I wondered if my .177 at closer range was piercing with a higher velocity, thus delivering less shock and, allowing the bird to take off.

 

I'm at the range later this week so, I'll have a good look at my technique.

Edited April 5, 2016 by Jonjon79

[Jonjon79 13,357]

What pellet in the .177 buddy

I was using JSB Heavies (10.34gr).

[jonnie bravo 572]

Cool. Just a thought, the heavy .177 will have a lot of pentration. The light .22 won't, and it will slow down fast causing more trauma and knock down power.

 

Edit: Just read that last bit of your recent post, looks like we are both thinking the same

[Jonjon79 13,357]

Cool. Just a thought, the heavy .177 will have a lot of pentration. The light .22 won't, and it will slow down fast causing more trauma and knock down power.

 

Edit: Just read that last bit of your recent post, looks like we are both thinking the same

I've always used the heavies because I mostly shoot rabbits and, for that, they're fantastic.

 

I've got quite a selection of pellets so, I'll try a few at the range.

 

Thanks for the reply.

[David Aiken 253]

What time of day and what were they feeding on? If the crop was full and the bird was shot from the front then you'll get flyers! If the same gun had shot the same bird between the shoulder blades, I doubt you would have had a flyer!

[Jonjon79 13,357]

What time of day and what were they feeding on? If the crop was full and the bird was shot from the front then you'll get flyers! If the same gun had shot the same bird between the shoulder blades, I doubt you would have had a flyer!

They were shot early afternoon, around 2pm. I don't know what they were feeding on - I was shooting in and around an industrial unit.

[Rez 4,957]

I've never had an issue with 9 let alone 11+

 

As an edit, it's always nice to have the gun running around what it was set it. Just because it shows its all running ok I guess.

[bigmac 97kt 13,751]

Iv gone back to jsb exact jumbos 22, 15,89gr i use them on all the pray i shoot from rabbits to crows and pigeons and magpies

 

nothing runs , or fly,s away there dead end of

 

just put the pellet where it needs to be

 

and fill your bag

 

by the way my hw100s is running at 11,78 ft/lb

 

and she is staying at that to

 

atvbmac :thumbs:

[si brown 8,486]

 

What time of day and what were they feeding on? If the crop was full and the bird was shot from the front then you'll get flyers! If the same gun had shot the same bird between the shoulder blades, I doubt you would have had a flyer!

They were shot early afternoon, around 2pm. I don't know what they were feeding on - I was shooting in and around an industrial unit.

 

probably shite n rubbish left behind by polish lorry drivers!

not food for the pot then

check out what this bloke has to say about pellet weights and impacts, he's put a lot of time into it

https://youtu.be/OJX3xg1nUAY

[pianoman 3,586]

It's not wise to have comments on how effective low power is taking currency. Next thing you know we'll have Terry Doe and the Airgun press editors advising the Government Home Office that the consensus of shooters is 9-10 foot pounds is more than enough and that's how precedents can end up being set.

 

Knowing what an ignorant bugger Theresa May is on most things she is required to examine and rule in the Law on, she'll likely say;

 

"Oh well there's no further need to issue Firearms Licenses for air rifles or any weapon less than 223 cartridge! Look at the money we'll save on applications processes.!!""

 

Oh no no no! That's dangerous to set in motion here gentlemen.

 

I had my Daystate Regal .177 running at 10.3 ft/lbs when I first took it out hunting and it was useless for rabbits, pigeons or anything really unless a clean headshot was taken at reasonable close to medium ranges.

 

.I badly head-wounded a rabbit at 40 metres with it. That was enough for me. Back on my spring rifles while I sorted out the Regal's shortcomings. By that unhappy experience, I am not going out with anything less than 11+ ft/lbs in the tank! I want every shot to kill outright or it gets away. Not have its head bashed in at reasonable distances.

 

With birds, a clear clean headshot is not always possible.nor practical. What do you do, if your bird you are sighting on, has its head covered by a branch or twigs of a tree and alll you see is either its chest and crop or its shoulders and back? I would think twice with a rifle doing 11.3 ft/lbs But it would be a mighty tempting shot; let's be brutally honest..

 

Show me an FAC holder who says he agrees with that level of low power and I'd say it's fair to ask why does he bother with higher performance air rifles, rimfire rifles, ammo limits, police checks and secure cabinets ? If all we need is 9-10 ft/lbs.for hunting rabbits and corvids and woodies.

 

Don't forget that, rats' bodies are tough stuff and a Squirrel 's skin is as tough as armour plate as it is. I've heard of them able to survive a shotgun blast , only to crawl away to slowly die out of sight elsewhere. So as we shoot more than pigeons we need a minimum power level that encompasses all our quarry. Not just one specimin.

 

If you can safely say you can hunt effectively over everything, including squirrels, with 9 ft/lb or so then best of luck to you. It's no business for me or anyone else to tell you where you should be.

 

As far as my shooting goes, 11+ foot pounds is the minimum effective power I should be hunting with. Not the "just enough" barely adequate, surely?