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

[Fume Troll]

mickken said:

I just find it laugh out loud funny that small game hunters are willing to spend time and money in the pursuit of shooting small animals.

As you later said, they're vermin. They need to be controlled.

mickken said:

I am trying to understand where the joy comes from?? Is it the fact that you stalked it, approched from downwind etc?? Is it the fact that with your hollow point pellet you, with the aid of a 1000 X 1000000 telescopic sight, managed a head shot, one shot, one kill?

There's a certain satisfaction from it, but no joy. I don't enjoy killing things but sometimes it has to be done.

Hollowpoints are used as they are more humane. And frequently a headshot is preferable for the same reason, to reduce suffering of the target.

mickken said:

Do you wear face paint, camo's and NI gloves? Do you skin/eat the Squirrel there and then?

^ That's the part that made you sound stupid.

Cheers,

FT.

[Mutt]

mickken said:

Mutt said:

And, if I'm honest, I looked at your profile, saw what you drive and have immediately dismissed you as a hybrid driving Guardianista who wafts along on a carpet of smugness thinking that the countryside starts at Enfield and ends at the M25.

I chose a GS450h due to the massive miles I do (I've done 50k since Dec 07). I wanted the most reliable, comfy car I could find...and I found it. I will drive, rather than fly to Europe weekly for meetings. Very boring car though.....

If it makes you feel better.....i'm a true petrol head and found my Integrale on Sat! (see last weeks topic)

Good man

Didn't think you'd get my description surfing PH!

Fixing quotes...

Edited by Mutt on Tuesday 10th June 14:25

[richyb]

Has anyone tried hunting rabbits with a bow? DON'T!!! I went along with someone who used one and it was the most traumatic 2 mins of my life. The screams of this little rabbit where chilling.

[Mutt]

richyb said:

Has anyone tried hunting rabbits with a bow? DON'T!!! I went along with someone who used one and it was the most traumatic 2 mins of my life. The screams of this little rabbit where chilling.

Grim.

[devonshiredave]

richyb said:

Has anyone tried hunting rabbits with a bow? DON'T!!! I went along with someone who used one and it was the most traumatic 2 mins of my life. The screams of this little rabbit where chilling.

just smack its head on the corner of a landie, problem solved

a regular despatching method with some i used to shoot with

[Plotloss]

richyb said:

Has anyone tried hunting rabbits with a bow? DON'T!!! I went along with someone who used one and it was the most traumatic 2 mins of my life. The screams of this little rabbit where chilling.

Its illegal to hunt anything in the UK with a bow, slap your mate.

[richyb]

Plotloss said:

richyb said:

Has anyone tried hunting rabbits with a bow? DON'T!!! I went along with someone who used one and it was the most traumatic 2 mins of my life. The screams of this little rabbit where chilling.

Its illegal to hunt anything in the UK with a bow, slap your mate.

Wasn't a mate and it was in the Rep of Ireland. Definately needed a slap though. It honestly was horrific.

[Gylen]

Mutt said:

richyb said:

Has anyone tried hunting rabbits with a bow? DON'T!!! I went along with someone who used one and it was the most traumatic 2 mins of my life. The screams of this little rabbit where chilling.

Grim.

??

Not tremendously effective I would have thought?

In all seriousness, I would have thought a crossbow or equivalent would be a much more effective weapon than a small air rifle - is that way off base?

[Plotloss]

Still illegal in the Republic.

[richyb]

Gylen said:

Mutt said:

richyb said:

Has anyone tried hunting rabbits with a bow? DON'T!!! I went along with someone who used one and it was the most traumatic 2 mins of my life. The screams of this little rabbit where chilling.

Grim.

Not tremendously effective I would have thought?

In all seriousness, I would have thought a crossbow or equivalent would be a much more effective weapon than a small air rifle - is that way off base?

I think it is more effective with large game. Deer etc. I imagine its the arrow head thats the most important factor.

[Fume Troll]

?

Cheers,

FT.

[SpydieNut]

richyb said:

Has anyone tried hunting rabbits with a bow?

a you say?

well that's not even going to scare them, never mind kill them

Edited by SpydieNut on Tuesday 10th June 14:38

[richyb]

SpydieNut said:

richyb said:

Has anyone tried hunting rabbits with a bow?

a you say?

well that's not even going to scare them, never mind kill them

Deadly.

[indi pearl]

Whatever happened to SABO pellets.I used to shoot up to some 12 years ago and SABO sabbot rounds (.22) were lethal for rabbits even over 50 yards.The round was a copper coated bullet that fitted into a black plastic sleave.On leaving the muzzle the sleave fell away having gripped the rifling and imparted spin.The accuracy was unsurpassed and Mr Rabbit never new what hit him.Digging the gun out of the attic a year ago for some garden target practice I found these rounds were no longer available,anyone know why??

[Plotloss]

Dunno if they went bust or were legislated against.

They used to come up on ebay from time to time.

[Fume Troll]

I found sabot pellets a pain to load, I think they just became unpopular.

Cheers,

FT.

[NDA]

mickken said:

Nope, generally interested in people's mindset with regards to hunting vermin.

I can understand clearing Rugby fields of Rabbits/holes etc....

I have a few acres of land and rabbits are destroying everything - we have crows raiding the nests of the small songbirds and squirrels doing the same.

So I shoot a fair bit, I get pleasure from knowing there's one less pest, but no pleasure from the kill itself.

I don't wear a special outfit either....

If you own land, have livestock or indeed are trying to protect your sporting ground, then I'm afraid pest control is part of the responsibility. The vast majority of those shooting take no particular pleasure from killing, moreover they would be horrified to injure an animal. A quick kill is what's required - always.

[dern]

Plotloss said:

Dunno if they went bust or were legislated against.

According to a quick google I get the impression the breached someone's copyright and were forceably removed from sale on that basis.

[julian64]

My recommendation for bunnies is a .22 daystate airwolf with a silencer. You pretty much don't hear anything but a click. The bunnies often don't even scatter. A big problem if you are using rimfire or even a normal airrifle silenced. Fairly spooky when I consider the other airrifles I had as a boy. What bothers the bunnies is seeing their mate fall over more than the noise of the gun.

expensive though, but you seem to get what you pay for

[dern]

Is it true that a sprung break barrel won't benefit that much from a silencer as the majority of noise comes from the spring unloading or would it still make some difference?