Air Rifles

[modplod]

I agree for the most part but I have a webley typhoon pistol which is semi recoiless!!! and its in 177 calibre. with promethius pellets it puts rabbits down at ranges which are supposedly only at rifle level!! ie 20/25 yards with no problem at all!!

With respect, this is complete TOSH!

Air Pistols should NOT be used to hunt any animal of any size. That said, you can use a full power pistol to humanely dispatch rats at close quarters but only if the pistol develops 6 ft/lb at the muzzle. Not many air pistols develop this kind of raw power, I know of only TWO capable of this.

A Webley TYPHOON only produces a maximum of 4 ft/lb of power at the muzzle (point blank) therefore it is totally inadequate for the purposes described here. At 25 yards the power will decrease to about 1 ft/lb. It is known that to kill a rabbit you need to hit the head (brain) at 6ft/lb to kill it humanely, a rat will require 4 ft/lb.

Airgun hunting ranges for sub 12 ft/lb go like this:

.177 = 40 YARDS max
.22 = 35 YARDS max

A FAC airgun (sect 1 firearm) (24 ft/lb) will increase these ranges to a maximum of about 60 yards (for rabbits). With FAC airguns you're best option is to go for .22 as it produces more raw power than a .177 FAC.

A sub 12 ft/lb airgun does NOT have the penetration power to reliably (humanely) kill rabbits over these distances (they may however still be accurate at those distances).

Don't believe all the tosh you read about shooting out to 60 yards plus with a UK legal (12 Ft/lb) airgun. It is plain wrong on every level to attempt to kill living creatures like this.

If you wish to increase your effective killing range (for rabbits) to over 60 yards, get yourself an FAC and buy a .22LR rifle instead. This will give you upto 120 yards for rabbits. A .17 HMR will give you upto 150 yards.

I'm sure the person who posted this is a very decent chap and that he is merely repeating what he's been told by someone without the required knowledge. We all sometimes make comments which we later go on to regret and that includes ME!

[tom2tom]

When i am using an air rifle i use a spring powered 'BSA Meteor' had to get the spring replaced a few years ago and think the guy who did it made it a bit to powerful to fit into the guide lines lol =P

It's really reliable tho and has lasted a few generations and recommend it to anyone who is thinking off getting a new air rifle!

Edit: Never mind just discovered that they no longer sell the model i use><

[Joe Poncho]

As I am new here this point may very well of been covered but I just wanted to say that is you want a decent air rifle with no fuss or bother go for a break action springer every time. less to go wrong and easier to fix plus you don't have to mess around with air tanks or Co2 capsules. They are a lot cheaper too. Maybe a good idea to get a decent scope fitted too.
JP.

[modplod]

The old BSA Meteor is an awesome hunting tool if it's the full power model. Some were made to only produce 6ft/lb and these are no good for hunting live creatures.

Nothing wrong with an old faithful BSA or Webley. I still possess my dads old .22 Original 45 airgun (German made now called Ruag-Diana) and it's perfectly okay for hunting out to 35 yards.

[tom2tom]

The old BSA Meteor is an awesome hunting tool if it's the full power model. Some were made to only produce 6ft/lb and these are no good for hunting live creatures.

Nothing wrong with an old faithful BSA or Webley. I still possess my dads old .22 Original 45 airgun (German made now called Ruag-Diana) and it's perfectly okay for hunting out to 35 yards.

Yeh it's full powered and them sum'. Ohhh nice noting wrong with an old gun! =)