Air Rifle Thread

[Mr. B]

Originally Posted by UnderNewOwnership

If you want to poke holes in things which scream and bleed, go with 5.5 mm (.22). 4.5 mm (.177) doesn't always get the job done.

See post #30 in this thread.

[jiggliemon]

Originally Posted by fz6kd7

Groundhogs are too tough for air rifles
You must have made a perfect hit

Well, i'm a perfect man.

[4ad]

Originally Posted by fz6kd7

Groundhogs are too tough for air rifles
You must have made a perfect hit

Gotta match the gun to the game!...50 cal....not for skinny guys http://www.airgunartisans.com/Video/20mmshort.wmv

[UnderNewOwnership]

Originally Posted by Mr. B

See post #30 in this thread.

Why risk it? I mean, yeah, .177 might work well for ~80% of cases, but why not go for that extra 20%? There's no real money reason; ammunition cost difference is very small.

[jiggliemon]

for what it's worth... it's the .22 cal version of the rifle and i was using rws super h-point pellets.

[Zecatfish]

Originally Posted by skovach

i bought a rws diana 34 panther rifle about a year ago and it is a nice rifle. i got it so i could eliminate a couple of groundhogs that were wrecking my garden and rose bushes. i was too unsure of my skills to attempt to take one out last year but i did a lot of target shooting/plinking last summer/fall and honed my skills a bit. anyway, i finally took aim at my first varmint groundhog about two weeks ago and i nailed it with a head shot which lead to a clean death BUT i took aim at a second one the next day and even though i hit it in the head, it did not die right away... it was gurgling/ rasping for breath and crawling away and i had to reload and shoot it again at close range. it was not a pleasant experience... i still shudder at it. for now on i will not take aim at another critter with my air rifle... maybe i'm a pussy but it really had an affect on me. i felt so bad for that creature for those few minutes.

Skin em out, toss em in the pressure cooker and let it cook them off the bone and then pull the meat off the bones and pour in your favorite BBQ sauce, let it simmer on low heat and serve.
You would be surprised just how tasty it is.

I grew up in my Uncles house and he was the proverbial redneck before the term was coined, we ate nearly anything. He drew the line at Possums or so he claimed I wouldn't bet he didn't mix one into a coon pot once or twice.

No more feeling bad you are the apex predator. Rule at our house, if you shoot it, you better plan on eating it. The wife will cook nearly anything!

[Bun-bun]

I picked up a really nice Beeman Tempest yesterday. I had one when I was younger, and always enjoyed firing it.
It was part of a package deal, along with a Beretta 92f compact and a couple of AR-15's. I'm certain I'll be putting more rounds through the Beeman than through any of the others.

[Warney]

Is there a concensus on "bang for buck" in this thread? Is there a KLR of Air rifles? My only exposure was 40 years ago with a Crosman 760 and 30 years ago with a Crosman 454 CO2 pistol. Sure those German ones look great but are priced accordingly.

[Bun-bun]

Originally Posted by Warney

Is there a concensus on "bang for buck" in this thread? Is there a KLR of Air rifles? My only exposure was 40 years ago with a Crosman 760 and 30 years ago with a Crosman 454 CO2 pistol. .

IMO, the Crosman 760 or the Benjamin 3xx series would qualify as the KLR of air rifles. Both are cheap, reliable, and versatile.

[lewismedlock]

It's been my experience that an air rifle can't drive a hollow-point fast enough to make it expand.

[UnderNewOwnership]

The thing about hollowpoints and airguns isn't projectile expansion, but, rather, tumbling. Pointed pellets have a lower chance to tumble through whatever critter you're shootin' at. OTOH, bluntheads of all types (hollowpoints, wadcutters) are more vulnerable to crosswinds.

[jbcaddy]

I made a lucky buy years ago at Beeman when it was in Santa Rosa, CA. bought a scratched FWB300 for an amazingly low price. still loving it after all these years. shoot paper mainly, but worked several years at a resort that had horses and the resulting ground squirrel problem. Did lots of population control with wadcullters at close range. couldn't shoot a firearm due to the politics of horse owners, but they loved the quiet report of an airgun and the rodent control.

[4ad]

as far as pellets go...one should pick one which is most accurate in their gun. I find the wads and the h-points to generally be better due to more weight forward....brainshot or no-shot on tree rats or larger is my deal.

[DC950]

Originally Posted by skovach

i bought a rws diana 34 panther rifle about a year ago and it is a nice rifle. i got it so i could eliminate a couple of groundhogs that were wrecking my garden and rose bushes. i was too unsure of my skills to attempt to take one out last year but i did a lot of target shooting/plinking last summer/fall and honed my skills a bit. anyway, i finally took aim at my first varmint groundhog about two weeks ago and i nailed it with a head shot which lead to a clean death BUT i took aim at a second one the next day and even though i hit it in the head, it did not die right away... it was gurgling/ rasping for breath and crawling away and i had to reload and shoot it again at close range. it was not a pleasant experience... i still shudder at it. for now on i will not take aim at another critter with my air rifle... maybe i'm a pussy but it really had an affect on me. i felt so bad for that creature for those few minutes.

don't feel bad - they were wrecking your garden and rose bushes. Your dog wouldn't have killed them as cleanly as you did.

[Mr. B]

For those who want to see what a powerful and accurate PCP airgun can do, watch the video in this thread: Warning--GRAPHIC!!!

http://www.network54.com/Forum/79537...21++GRAPHIC%21