Air Rifle Thread

[BigEasy]

A friend of mine is a pretty impressive rifle shot and a .22 FREAK i.e. he squirrel hunts with an Anschuts (sp?) target gun with a 20 something power Ziess scope. He turned me on to shooting sub sonic .22 bullets and they make very little noise.

Don't know if I'd shoot them "in town" but in the burbs with a clear down range picture I don't think you'd disturb the neighbors, freak em out if they found out but likely not disturb them

[4ad]

Originally Posted by BigEasy

A friend of mine is a pretty impressive rifle shot and a .22 FREAK i.e. he squirrel hunts with an Anschuts (sp?) target gun with a 20 something power Ziess scope. He turned me on to shooting sub sonic .22 bullets and they make very little noise.

Don't know if I'd shoot them "in town" but in the burbs with a clear down range picture I don't think you'd disturb the neighbors, freak em out if they found out but likely not disturb them

My experience with .22 subsonic ammo is that it is just as loud (without suppressor) as a LR .22...the subs are meant to be used with a suppressor.

ANY round (including pellets) that go hypersonic ( around 1100fps) is very difficult to suppress as the sonic wave happens outside of the barrel. With pellets travelling this fast ,the wave will actually catch up with the round and disturb its flight, affecting accuracy.

Most 9mm rounds are subsonic 800-1000 fps which make them well suited for a suppressor.

[4ad]

Originally Posted by FPGT72

Sorry I missed the tree rats in there as well. I know this will likely start a storm as it has happend at least one time in this threat but I would do a .22 rifle....yes yes I know a 177 will work, and you will loose some FPS with the 22, but I always thought that the larger would be better on squirrel sized critters.

I prefer a .177 over a .22 for squirrels because of the much tighter accuracy..I dont have to worry about holdover or holdunder at all from 10yds to 40yds...it just feels so much more surgical to put the crosshairs right where you want the pellet to go and not just blasting away hoping for a bodyshot. I,ve taken around 30 so far with my 650fps .177 and all but 3 or 4 only needed one head shot.

[a1fa]

I have no such problems with my .22....

[FPGT72]

Originally Posted by 4ad

My experience with .22 subsonic ammo is that it is just as loud (without suppressor) as a LR .22...the subs are meant to be used with a suppressor.

.

I have an older colt pre woodsman and they have a problem with even standard .22 rimfire ammo...springs and such have to be upgraded to shoot modern ammo. I am guessing that modern standard 22 is hotter then it was in the 1920's when theis pistol was made.

I also have an old mauser 22 rifle that just loves subsonic 22....anything else and it is all over the paper. I think a lot of the older guns just like the slower stuff.

But we have drifted....I was suggesting a 22 air rifle, not a rimfire...just saying that my big pelet rifles are about as loud as a subsonic rimfire.

I only had one 22 pelet rifle and that was years ago and I don't remember it being bad as far as putting pellets on target.

I think a great deal of it has to do with the pelets themselfs....I liked this video when researching the QB

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UTa1VjyyXI

skip down to 4:55 for the groups....it is amazing how the different pellets group.

I really need to get off my butt and order one of these rifles....I think they are the best that I have found.

[Craneguy]

[QUOTE=GSWayne;18433194]How about one of these: http://www.pyramydair.com/s/m/AirFor...ty_Hunter/1968
Looks like would ruin a squirrel's day.

I have one of these in .22. Let me tell you, the damn thing would spoil a coyote's day at 200 yards.

It is the most accurate "gun" I have ever fired. In fact, it's almost boring to consistently put your shots through the same hole as the last. It gets a huge amount of attention at the range.

It also got me a huge amount of abuse from my friends in Tennessee: "you spent HOW MUCH on an air rifle, boy?"

Since it's in Houston, and I'm in Mexico, I may have it up for sale when I go back. If anyone's interested, PM me and I'll get in touch when it's available. Comes with a scuba tank and Mueller scope.

[Nailhead]

Originally Posted by Mr. B

What's an "AR"?

This.



Not as well known as I had assumed I guess.

It has some recoil, though not in both directions as you pointed out.

Yet more food for thought.

Thanks.

[Nailhead]

Now I'm wondering about this.

I read accolades of the Nitro Piston system on one airgun vendor's website, how it doesn't take a set like a steel spring, how it works better in cold weather, etc., but what are the cons? Does an NP rifle need more maintenance, like seals or something? More frequent lubrication?

[UnderNewOwnership]

From what I've read, price is the biggest downside. And eventually the seals leak.

[Snapper]

Originally Posted by Nailhead

....I live in town, so stealth is an important consideration.

Anyone got any insights?

The bird shit is building up on my fence, truck, patio, etc., & something has to be done.

I have similar pest problems and have a nice scoped RWS Diana .22 (posted on an earlier page), however, neighbors can see my property from most sides and it get pretty awkward trying to hide a full rifle walking around my house.

Recently picked up a modern flat band slingshot and seriously love it. Comparing it to a Wristrocket (which I just re-banded for kicks) with commercial tube bands is like comparing an cheap old recurve bow shot with wood arrows and finger gloves, to high end compound bow with sights, mechanical release and carbon arrows... night and day!

I've been practicing (which is frankly more fun than shooting my pistols, bows, or airguns) and I think I'm almost ready to start pest control duties with it.... 25' targets. Speed should be around 250ft/sec with 7/16 steel ball bearings around 90gr... rocks are also good and leave no evidence.

[FPGT72]

Hay now watch it....cheap old recurve bow....that is all I shoot....I love my recurve bow.....well I did before I lost the ability to draw it.

Archery they way it should be....Old school

compound takes a great deal of the skill out of archrey.

back to your regular program.

[Nailhead]

Originally Posted by UnderNewOwnership

And eventually the seals leak.

I suspected something like that.

Thanks.

[Snapper]

Originally Posted by FPGT72

Hay now watch it....cheap old recurve bow....that is all I shoot....I love my recurve bow.....well I did before I lost the ability to draw it.

Archery they way it should be....Old school

compound takes a great deal of the skill out of archrey.

back to your regular program.

You are actually right sir, it's not the proper analogy, the compound has too many mechanical implements that start to make it like shooting a gun.

Sorry for the hijack folks.

[4ad]

[QUOTE=Craneguy;18930606]

Originally Posted by GSWayne

How about one of these: http://www.pyramydair.com/s/m/AirFor...ty_Hunter/1968
Looks like would ruin a squirrel's day.

I have one of these in .22. Let me tell you, the damn thing would spoil a coyote's day at 200 yards.

It is the most accurate "gun" I have ever fired. In fact, it's almost boring to consistently put your shots through the same hole as the last. It gets a huge amount of attention at the range.

It also got me a huge amount of abuse from my friends in Tennessee: "you spent HOW MUCH on an air rifle, boy?"

Since it's in Houston, and I'm in Mexico, I may have it up for sale when I go back. If anyone's interested, PM me and I'll get in touch when it's available. Comes with a scuba tank and Mueller scope.

do you find you have to use heavy pells for accuracy with it?

[UnderNewOwnership]

Originally Posted by Nailhead

I suspected something like that.

Thanks.

You can send it to the factory for a rebuild, though.

The advantages (consistent performance irrespective of temperature, elimination of scope-killing rebound recoil, lack of metal memory/fatigue issues etc.) completely overtake any downsides.