Foundations...

[Rez 4,961]

Why do we stick with airguns?

 

Often, airguns, mainly air rifles in my own case, are seen as a 'stepping stone' to other calibres and styles of shooting... Jess just asked me why I've not moved on from typical airguns, and I couldn't give her a valid reason.

 

I could, get my ticket, I could get a shotty, maybe a 17hmr or rimmehhh. But I don't. I choose to stick with my poncy little airguns. I know some of you have all types of rifles/firearms, but it would seem most always go back to the simple old air rifle.

 

I thought I'd ask you lot.

[si brown 8,486]

i recon it down to the simplicity of it rez...

most of us started off as kids with springers and although most of us own a couple of pcp's we've nearly all got springers

and a fair few of us like tinkering with them

 

but as soon as I've got me cabinet bolted to the wall under the stairs ill be putting in for fac as I'm wanting to do a bit of foxing

still won't get rid of my air rifles though!!

 

atb si

[PeskyWabbits 464]

Range and danger?

You can still shoot in your back garden with your shotgun or cartridge rifle, but probably only the once.

 

You can make a mistake with an air rifle. Shotgun? Cartridge gun? Mistakes are life changing, life ending.

 

Most people have either grown up with air guns and stuck to them, simplicity, self contained propellant, challenge, fun, economy, else moved away from guns all together as life kicks in.

 

I like machines: bikes, cars, power tools, hand tools, etc. Most of my airguns are springers. Springer bliss.

[Rez 4,961]

Range and danger?

You can still shoot in your back garden with your shotgun or cartridge rifle, but probably only the once.

 

You can make a mistake with an air rifle. Shotgun? Cartridge gun? Mistakes are life changing, life ending.

 

Most people have either grown up with air guns and stuck to them, simplicity, self contained propellant, challenge, fun, economy, else moved away from guns all together as life kicks in.

 

I like machines: bikes, cars, power tools, hand tools, etc. Most of my airguns are springers. Springer bliss.

Bit drunk. So tapped like and unlike about 4 times as the like buttons to close to quote button... coff admin.

[pianoman 3,589]

The trouble nowadays is, this is not a gun-culture country.

 

When I was a youngster growing up, we made machine guns like stens, brens and MP40 schmiessers out of bits of scrap wood timber and went playing war games ( Imagine kids doing that now?). Then we got an air rifle for plinking at tin cans and then, "progressed" to something with a bit more poke for rabbits. You could get a shotgun certificate from the post office for ten bob. And a .410 shotgun was considered a "Garden Gun".

 

Not any more.

 

Now, in 21st century Britain, people faint and swoon with the panic and shits if any kid has a bloody cap gun to play with outdoors! But that's a rare thing now anyway, as he'll now have a smartphone or games consol with shoot em up games involving nothing more than a computer animation of a gun within the screen, aimed and fired by buttons...

 

Not everyone can meet the criteria for a licence. Or can't be bothered with the form filling rigmaroll of applying for an FAC, police assessments etc. etc. .

 

I've got mine but, there really is all there is to shooting in a microcosm with an air rifle and a bunny field to go hunting in. It's an accessable shooting sport to just about everyone and it involves real skills to be learned and develloped.

 

Maybe I'll buy a .22 rimmy one day, but I'm in no hurry to spend money on something that gives more lethal range, when I can get within 30-50 yards and enjoy hunting the same rabbit fields at closer ranges. I get far more satisfaction out of hunting with my air rifles than any other type of shooting I've indulged in previously.

 

Just my point of view.

 

Pianoman

[David.evans 5,323]

Totally agree with you Simon, air rifles , because of range limitations you have to get into a position to take a sound shot

As with fac your range has been extended considerable, and field craft is not quite so important , I still enjoy and still find it a challenge to get within 40 yards of rabbits on open fields , with the air wolf 177

 

But at the same time I love been out with 17/22 fac , taking rabbits out to 80yards 22 and 150 yards 17 hmr

I'm really glad I got my FAC , and should have done it years ago ,

 

But when all is said and done , I'm lucky to have both and I wouldn't change a thing

Atb

[johnny.w 316]

Just my tuppence worth... Putting that question in the airgun section isn't going to get you a balanced response as mostly only airgunners will answer it.

 

Like most I started with an air rifle I got from my Mum's catalogue. In those days you could take it almost anywhere you wanted and using open sights was just what you did back then.

 

Once I got my FAC and SGC. I kept an air rifle for many years "just in case" and each and every gun had a different purpose. My last air rifle was a big heavy HW80 and I reckon I used it once a year or less, so got rid of it a couple of years ago as my other guns cover all my shooting needs.

 

At the end of the day, if airguns are your thing and you have a specific use for them, why not? Bit too limiting for me though.

[David.evans 5,323]

As said Johnny

Some times it's, good to get back to basics

Atb

[charlie caller 3,654]

Like many others, both on here and in the wider community I started with air rifles,got my shotgun certificate when I was seventeen, and have had both fullbore and smallbore section one rifles for many years now, despite all that and the firepower and extended range that they bring, I will always have an air rifle, as much as I enjoy deer stalking, foxing, etc, there is still a great deal of pleasure to be had from sitting in a wood using an air rifle, air rifles teach you field craft, they can be safely used where a firearm would be dangerous and perhaps most importantly for a lot of us (certainly me) they remind us of a simpler time, when we did not have mortgages etc endless carefree days, I do feel for young lads nowadays, sadly they will never know the freedom my generation had, I think people my age were the last to ever know it like that, it is a different world to 30 odd years ago.

[bigmac 97kt 13,834]

Just my tuppence worth... Putting that question in the airgun section isn't going to get you a balanced response as mostly only airgunners will answer it.

 

Like most I started with an air rifle I got from my Mum's catalogue. In those days you could take it almost anywhere you wanted and using open sights was just what you did back then.

 

Once I got my FAC and SGC. I kept an air rifle for many years "just in case" and each and every gun had a different purpose. My last air rifle was a big heavy HW80 and I reckon I used it once a year or less, so got rid of it a couple of years ago as my other guns cover all my shooting needs.

 

At the end of the day, if airguns are your thing and you have a specific use for them, why not? Bit too limiting for me though.

You have to know your limitations with an air rifle what it is capable of doing and what not

 

i was out last week end and saw three deer over 1000 yrds i picked up there eye shine

 

i got to with in 70yrds of them two dowse and a stag the stag never took his eyes off me not once whether he new i was not a threat ill never know but it was me that walked away not them and when i went into the other field i looked back through the scopes and the stag was still looking at me it was a good moment and some thing i enjoy ,

 

the point is if i had the right rifle would i have shot one ,,,,id like to think no ,,,,

 

some things you can shoot with an air rifle some you can not

 

would i give up my air rifles ,,,,,not a chance .

 

there in my blood and most others on hear and some cost more than a bullet rifle why ?lol

 

atvbjimmy :thumbs:

[johnny.w 316]

 

Just my tuppence worth... Putting that question in the airgun section isn't going to get you a balanced response as mostly only airgunners will answer it.

 

Like most I started with an air rifle I got from my Mum's catalogue. In those days you could take it almost anywhere you wanted and using open sights was just what you did back then.

 

Once I got my FAC and SGC. I kept an air rifle for many years "just in case" and each and every gun had a different purpose. My last air rifle was a big heavy HW80 and I reckon I used it once a year or less, so got rid of it a couple of years ago as my other guns cover all my shooting needs.

 

At the end of the day, if airguns are your thing and you have a specific use for them, why not? Bit too limiting for me though.

You have to know your limitations with an air rifle what it is capable of doing and what not

 

i was out last week end and saw three deer over 1000 yrds i picked up there eye shine

 

i got to with in 70yrds of them two dowse and a stag the stag never took his eyes off me not once whether he new i was not a threat ill never know but it was me that walked away not them and when i went into the other field i looked back through the scopes and the stag was still looking at me it was a good moment and some thing i enjoy ,

 

the point is if i had the right rifle would i have shot one ,,,,id like to think no ,,,,

 

some things you can shoot with an air rifle some you can not

 

would i give up my air rifles ,,,,,not a chance .

 

there in my blood and most others on hear and some cost more than a bullet rifle why ?lol

 

atvbjimmy :thumbs:

 

 

I wasn't saying people shouldn't have air rifles. I was just saying if you have a need for one, or even just want one, then go for it. It's just in my case, I don't have that need at this moment.

 

I agree on the deer point though. If I see a deer when I'm out shooting other stuff, I wouldn't shoot it just because it's there. If I go out specifically for deer, then it's a different story.

[charlie caller 3,654]

Perhaps I should come up and bring the deer rifle Mac, sure you would like some venison in the freezer

[bigmac 97kt 13,834]

I did not mean it to come across that way Johnny and sorry if it did

 

most like your self as you stated started off with air rifles then went on to better stuff and rightly so i would love to have my fac but never got round to it to much of a bad lad in the past and dont want the knock back if i did put in for it ,

 

but if the need come up for the use of an air rifle would you get one ,

 

as say,d its in our blood lol

 

and with most its an addiction (with me any way lol)

 

atvbjmmy :thumbs:

[bigmac 97kt 13,834]

Perhaps I should come up and bring the deer rifle Mac, sure you would like some venison in the freezer

Any time you want CC

 

your more than welcome

 

atvbjimmy :thumbs:

[johnny.w 316]

I did not mean it to come across that way Johnny and sorry if it did

 

most like your self as you stated started off with air rifles then went on to better stuff and rightly so i would love to have my fac but never got round to it to much of a bad lad in the past and dont want the knock back if i did put in for it ,

 

but if the need come up for the use of an air rifle would you get one ,

 

as say,d its in our blood lol

 

and with most its an addiction (with me any way lol)

 

atvbjmmy :thumbs:

 

No I didn't think it came across like at all mate.

 

Yes, if I had the need for an airgun I'd get one tomorrow. As it is, if I need to shoot things in trees I use a 410 or 12 bore. If I need to shoot things on the ground i use a rifle. I wouldn't use a 300 win mag to shoot a rabbit or a 22lr to shoot a boar, so to me it's all about the right tool for the right job and at the moment I don't have any use for one.

 

As said before, I had an airgun for many many years but I didn't see the point of having one sitting there idle.