Hunting with air rifle, which .177 or .22 ?

[Tampon]

Fume Troll said:

Tampon said:

shoot the bottom of can on coke

Does steady the hand.

Cheers,

FT.

Doh ! spell checking is great, doesn't stop you writing like a spacker though.

[offroading.net]

NDA said:

This thread has had me looking at a range of .22 rifles...

Any thoughts on the BSA Ultra?

http://www.bsaguns.co.uk/?ID=53&ProductID=589

Bit low on the shot count, you need this (blatent plug ) http://www.airarmsownersclub.com/viewtopic.php?f=4...

[julian64]

Tampon said:

Right thought i would update, i took everybodies advise, wne and got a Gamo cf-30 .22 full power rifle. Been practising loads, indoors to start with hen target shooting outside, eventually could shoot the bottom of can on coke from 30-40yards 9 out of 10 times. Went for the rabbits for the first time last night and came back with 7 of them. Skinned my first ever rabbit ( after watching, and have it run in the background a vid of it on youtube ).

One question though, I got one in the chest ( rest were head shots ) and once it was skinned there was a blood clot where it had been shot, just wondered would you bother eating one like that ( it is skinned and in the freezer now ).

Thanks for all your help.

I kid you not, I don't think I'm that good'er shot but at 40yds I could hit a five pence piece with some degree of regularity.
I think its the gun, not me. You really want to try one.

[Fume Troll]

Tampon said:

One question though, I got one in the chest ( rest were head shots ) and once it was skinned there was a blood clot where it had been shot, just wondered would you bother eating one like that ( it is skinned and in the freezer now ).

Just chop out any damaged bits. I normally don't bother with the ribs anyway, but you can make stock or something like that out of them if you want.

Cheers,

FT.

[tonyvid]

Tampon said:

Went for the rabbits for the first time last night and came back with 7 of them.

Was that 7 kills from 7 hits? I feel you should be shooting from a shorter range TBH, 40yds is getting a bit on the long side for accuracy if you are still learning and the power is starting to drop off. You could be ending up with injured bunnies bolting down holes.

[julian64]

tonyvid said:

Tampon said:

Went for the rabbits for the first time last night and came back with 7 of them.

Was that 7 kills from 7 hits? I feel you should be shooting from a shorter range TBH, 40yds is getting a bit on the long side for accuracy if you are still learning and the power is starting to drop off. You could be ending up with injured bunnies bolting down holes.

??

[Tampon]

julian64 said:

Tampon said:

Right thought i would update, i took everybodies advise, wne and got a Gamo cf-30 .22 full power rifle. Been practising loads, indoors to start with hen target shooting outside, eventually could shoot the bottom of can on coke from 30-40yards 9 out of 10 times. Went for the rabbits for the first time last night and came back with 7 of them. Skinned my first ever rabbit ( after watching, and have it run in the background a vid of it on youtube ).

One question though, I got one in the chest ( rest were head shots ) and once it was skinned there was a blood clot where it had been shot, just wondered would you bother eating one like that ( it is skinned and in the freezer now ).

Thanks for all your help.

I kid you not, I don't think I'm that good'er shot but at 40yds I could hit a five pence piece with some degree of regularity.
I think its the gun, not me. You really want to try one.

40 metres, outdoors in the open (wind and weather ), with a .22 ( not a .177 ) spring powered rifle with regularity in a half inch or so space, you are a very good shot.

I am not hunting from 40 metres, normally with in 20metres, that why I am having problems getting close enough without spooking.

40 metres is target shooting, thought like snooker or golf etc, if you can get used to making the long shots the short one don't really pose much challenge.

Edited by Tampon on Monday 23 June 15:58

[tonyvid]

julian64 said:

tonyvid said:

Tampon said:

Went for the rabbits for the first time last night and came back with 7 of them.

Was that 7 kills from 7 hits? I feel you should be shooting from a shorter range TBH, 40yds is getting a bit on the long side for accuracy if you are still learning and the power is starting to drop off. You could be ending up with injured bunnies bolting down holes.

??

It was a question as to whether Tamps got 7 rabbits in the freezer from 20 or so hits - with all respect to him, beginners need to be able to hit your 5p pieces at that range before going after the live stuff - IMO it is not fair for the animals to be basically target practice. I have no idea how many rounds he has shot of late but it needs to be hundreds in open conditions before bunny-pie should be thought about

[Tampon]

tonyvid said:

julian64 said:

tonyvid said:

Tampon said:

Went for the rabbits for the first time last night and came back with 7 of them.

Was that 7 kills from 7 hits? I feel you should be shooting from a shorter range TBH, 40yds is getting a bit on the long side for accuracy if you are still learning and the power is starting to drop off. You could be ending up with injured bunnies bolting down holes.

??

It was a question as to whether Tamps got 7 rabbits in the freezer from 20 or so hits - with all respect to him, beginners need to be able to hit your 5p pieces at that range before going after the live stuff - IMO it is not fair for the animals to be basically target practice. I have no idea how many rounds he has shot of late but it needs to be hundreds in open conditions before bunny-pie should be thought about

I have gone through 3 bisley 200 pellet tins, and half way through a 500 pellet tin. I end up with a very sore wrist hold the rifle, and I have a very rough and mucky left elbow even with scrubbing, from being outside now every evening and shooting targets with my mates.

I will admit that the first 5 shots i took at rabbits went absolutely nowhere near them, so much so I went back and check the zero on the scope, it was me, just getting a shot of adrenaline being nervous at doing it for the first time, once I hit the first one they then dropped cleanly ( except for the one in the chest which dropped straight down but was twitching like a bugger when I got there so I stuck another in the head to make sure ). I will have a lot more confidence next and imagine I should get many more. ( last night I was only out for the half hour before sunset, couldn't see much through the scope after that, got a better scope coming now though.

[tonyvid]

Tampon said:

tonyvid said:

julian64 said:

tonyvid said:

Tampon said:

Went for the rabbits for the first time last night and came back with 7 of them.

Was that 7 kills from 7 hits? I feel you should be shooting from a shorter range TBH, 40yds is getting a bit on the long side for accuracy if you are still learning and the power is starting to drop off. You could be ending up with injured bunnies bolting down holes.

??

It was a question as to whether Tamps got 7 rabbits in the freezer from 20 or so hits - with all respect to him, beginners need to be able to hit your 5p pieces at that range before going after the live stuff - IMO it is not fair for the animals to be basically target practice. I have no idea how many rounds he has shot of late but it needs to be hundreds in open conditions before bunny-pie should be thought about

I have gone through 3 bisley 200 pellet tins, and half way through a 500 pellet tin. I end up with a very sore wrist hold the rifle, and I have a very rough and mucky left elbow even with scrubbing, from being outside now every evening and shooting targets with my mates.

I will admit that the first 5 shots i took at rabbits went absolutely nowhere near them, so much so I went back and check the zero on the scope, it was me, just getting a shot of adrenaline being nervous at doing it for the first time, once I hit the first one they then dropped cleanly ( except for the one in the chest which dropped straight down but was twitching like a bugger when I got there so I stuck another in the head to make sure ). I will have a lot more confidence next and imagine I should get many more. ( last night I was only out for the half hour before sunset, couldn't see much through the scope after that, got a better scope coming now though.

It sounds like you are doing things the right way. Practice, practice and practice. If you can stick with one well known brand of pellets it will help your consistancy.

[julian64]

Tampon said:

julian64 said:

Tampon said:

Right thought i would update, i took everybodies advise, wne and got a Gamo cf-30 .22 full power rifle. Been practising loads, indoors to start with hen target shooting outside, eventually could shoot the bottom of can on coke from 30-40yards 9 out of 10 times. Went for the rabbits for the first time last night and came back with 7 of them. Skinned my first ever rabbit ( after watching, and have it run in the background a vid of it on youtube ).

One question though, I got one in the chest ( rest were head shots ) and once it was skinned there was a blood clot where it had been shot, just wondered would you bother eating one like that ( it is skinned and in the freezer now ).

Thanks for all your help.

I kid you not, I don't think I'm that good'er shot but at 40yds I could hit a five pence piece with some degree of regularity.
I think its the gun, not me. You really want to try one.

40 metres, outdoors in the open (wind and weather ), with a .22 ( not a .177 ) spring powered rifle with regularity in a half inch or so space, you are a very good shot.

I am not hunting from 40 metres, normally with in 20metres, that why I am having problems getting close enough without spooking.

40 metres is target shooting, thought like snooker or golf etc, if you can get used to making the long shots the short one don't really pose much challenge.

Edited by Tampon on Monday 23 June 15:58

40yds = about 36metres. I tried to say I don't think I am that good'er shot. My other gun is a BSA lightning and despite having a theoban gas ram in could only hit a dinner plate at 40yds. So if the accuracy is not down to me, I think you'll find modern psp like airarms and daystates are actually that good.
If you are near me why not come over and try it.

P.S. if you are having trouble getting near the bunnies, one idea is a nightsight. Bunnies have good eyesight but gen1 scopes have substantially better. During the day 30yds is about as close as I can get to the bunnies in my back garden without spooking them. (never tried a hide cos I'm too used to the good life to sit in a hide). In pitch black you can get to about 20yds before they will run, much closer.

[VanGogh76]

Tampon said:

MK4 Slowride said:

Tampon said:

Fume Troll said:

Agreed, go for hollowpoints (but don't then plan on eating what you kill).

Cheers,

FT.

No eating, why, is the bunny destroyed ?

Not to much of a problem, I would be taking most of them out at my rugby club, they keep digging up the pitches.

I want to come along!

Where abouts are you?

I'll bring my pistols.

Edited by MK4 Slowride on Tuesday 10th June 11:42

Surrey, in Weybridge, if you fancy it I can let you know when we are going, there are tons of the buggers, and it is a lovely place to be ( on a island on the middle of the Thames ). Also there is the clubhouse which we can use liberally

Any room for an Esher player with some guns as well?!

[liner33]

BSA lightnings in fact all air rifles i have tried retrofitted with gas rams have been lousy , often people fit the .177 gas rams in in the search for more power , usually with bad results .

I would also disagree with the 5p piece comment , few air rifles and even fewer shooters can always hit a 5p piece at 40 yards, if you could do that with a spring gun you would be winning trophies left and right, anyhow the kill zone on a rabbit is far larger a 2p piece would be a better and more reasonable standard to aim for and perfectly acceptable imo

Good on you mate a good tally and no i wouldnt worry about the blood clot , marks around the eyes or white spots on the liver and i wouldnt eat it or feed it to the dog , otherwise enjoy , Chicken tonight sauces work well with rabbit

[Tampon]

VanGogh76 said:

Tampon said:

MK4 Slowride said:

Tampon said:

Fume Troll said:

Agreed, go for hollowpoints (but don't then plan on eating what you kill).

Cheers,

FT.

No eating, why, is the bunny destroyed ?

Not to much of a problem, I would be taking most of them out at my rugby club, they keep digging up the pitches.

I want to come along!

Where abouts are you?

I'll bring my pistols.

Edited by MK4 Slowride on Tuesday 10th June 11:42

Surrey, in Weybridge, if you fancy it I can let you know when we are going, there are tons of the buggers, and it is a lovely place to be ( on a island on the middle of the Thames ). Also there is the clubhouse which we can use liberally

Any room for an Esher player with some guns as well?!

Just seen this, Esher eh?, hummmmmmm, not sure about that.

PM me your details and I will let you know when we are going down next.

[too_spicy]

Plotloss said:

.20 for bunnies isnt it?

Do they even make .20 anymore? Prometheus used to do .20 pellets but this was some time ago, admittedly.

.20 yes .. now were talking.

I have a HW-97k and its a .22. Takedown at 35 meters with a head shot no problem.
anyone rekoning on 40 - 50 yards with a standard 12lb gun is a little optonistic

[SpydieNut]

too_spicy said:

Plotloss said:

.20 for bunnies isnt it?

Do they even make .20 anymore? Prometheus used to do .20 pellets but this was some time ago, admittedly.

.20 yes .. now were talking.

I have a HW-97k and its a .22. Takedown at 35 meters with a head shot no problem.
anyone rekoning on 40 - 50 yards with a standard 12lb gun is a little optonistic

standing - i agree, but sitting down with a .177 on a quiet day and 40-45 yrds is fine.

[jimmyjimjim]

julian64 said:

P.S. if you are having trouble getting near the bunnies, one idea is a nightsight. Bunnies have good eyesight but gen1 scopes have substantially better. During the day 30yds is about as close as I can get to the bunnies in my back garden without spooking them. (never tried a hide cos I'm too used to the good life to sit in a hide). In pitch black you can get to about 20yds before they will run, much closer.

Thousands of the buggers here. You can get within about 20 inches of the things before they spook and run a couple of feet away. Shame suppressors are illegal; you could knock off a couple of hundred in an evening just wandering around with a pistol.

[too_spicy]

SpydieNut said:

too_spicy said:

Plotloss said:

.20 for bunnies isnt it?

Do they even make .20 anymore? Prometheus used to do .20 pellets but this was some time ago, admittedly.

.20 yes .. now were talking.

I have a HW-97k and its a .22. Takedown at 35 meters with a head shot no problem.
anyone rekoning on 40 - 50 yards with a standard 12lb gun is a little optonistic

standing - i agree, but sitting down with a .177 on a quiet day and 40-45 yrds is fine.

yes, quiet day or on a range with no wind ... yes.

My springer is kicking out 11.6lb at last dyno. this goves me consistant 1 - 2" groupings at 30 meters.... actually, just to piss off the guys at the gun club, I frequently cut the pull strings on the popup targets at the end of the evening just for fun.

DO actually prefer a rimfire / centre fire though for the 30 - 50 meter targets.

[jshell]

jimmyjimjim said:

Shame suppressors are illegal;

Are they really?

[DIW35]

jshell said:

jimmyjimjim said:

Shame suppressors are illegal;

Are they really?

In the States they are, which is where the poster of that comment resides. They can be used only if granted a special license, but apparently to get such a license is difficult/costly.