An Air Gun Hunting Overview

A jack-rabbit is "big game" when using "air".
Air rifle hunting is in some ways like bow-hunting or even a little like fishing with ultra-light tackle.

Similar to bowhunting in that you need to get fairly close with most air rifles and many require you to cock or pump before you can shoot, somewhat like drawing a bow.

When doing ultra-light fishing you are more likely to get some action because there are usually many more small fish. When using an air gun you are hunting for more abundant small game and pest. If such hunting is too slow you can start sniping at insects for fun.

There are exceptions, some very specialized larger caliber air rifles, but that's not what this page is about. The more typical air guns, even the best, will not reliably take game much bigger than jack-rabbits.

Advertising claims using words like magnum power, high power, extreme power, and such are a little misleading. Those words are true only when comparing air guns to air guns, not when compared with firearms. Claims of pellet rifles shooting at speeds of 1200, even 1600 fps. (feet per. second) are often made.

You can "bet the farm," those claimed muzzle velocities were with very light weight pellets. Some .177 caliber pellets weigh as little as 5 grains, that is about 40% less than the weight of a typical 8 grain .177 pellet. Such light weight pellets will start out faster, but loose the speed advantage quickly. For air rifle hunting many experienced hunters prefer pellets of normal weight or heavier.

Velocities of the best guns with "normal weight" pellets will most often range from about 800 fps to around 1100 fps and most often nearer to the low end of this range in the larger calibers.

Although the advertised velocities may be a bit misleading; we can still use them as a rough guide to categorize air gun power. For simplicity I'm only talking only about .177 caliber guns here. If you choose the same gun in a larger caliber you will get slightly to considerably less velocity depending on the gun type.  Less velocity can make it a little harder to shoot accurately because of a more rapid pellet drop, but the larger or heavier pellets sometimes add a little more energy or killing power.

Mouse in Hay Barn

400-600 fps.  Low end guns will usually shoot pellets at these speeds. These can be basic cheap spring air, pneumatic, or CO2 powered guns, or they can be expensive and extremely accurate target rifles or pistols.

Most pellet handguns shoot in this range of speeds. Even such low power guns can be used at close range for pest birds, mice, rats, frogs, snakes, insects...


600-800 fps.  Many guns in this middle range are used for hunting; especially in Europe. Some places in Europe don't allow firearms and limit air guns to about this power level. Many spring-piston rifles, inexpensive pump-up pneumatics, and even a few CO2 powered rifles can reach these velocities. The pre-charged pneumatic handguns can also reach these speeds. Head shots on animals of rabbit size at 20-25 yards are reasonable targets.

800 fps.-up.  Many shooters in the USA are going to buy these guns which will be advertised to shoot at much higher speeds. These guns can extend the range, but not by a huge amount; pellets loose velocity and energy rapidly. No gun, no matter how powerful, gives us an excuse for careless shooting. An air gun hunter should be thinking precision head shots, not power. Scopes made for air guns are highly recommended. Note: Spring air guns have reverse recoil and will eventually wreck any scope not made for that reverse recoil.

Fox Squirrel

Accuracy is 'possibly' even more important when air rifle hunting. While some air guns are extremely accurate; not always under hunting conditions. Hunters can be shooting with wind, poor light, around limbs, leaves, grass, from awkward or unsteady positions...

Some guns have excessively heavy, rough, trigger pulls. Some of the guns, especially spring air guns, can shoot differently, depending upon how they are held. Even the heaviest pellets will get blown  around by the wind.

Air rifle hunting is fun, but sometimes challenging.

.17 HMR Rifle? Almost!

Taurus .22 Win Mag

Note: I originally wrote this for my website years before the .17 Winchester Super Mag.

When the .17 HMR cartridge was introduced a few years ago it renewed my interest in rimfire cartridges. This new rimfire cartridge would fire a .17 grain bullet at 2550 fps. almost as fast as my .22 Hornet centerfire.

At that time I had a TC Contender Carbine with a .22 Hornet barrel. I seldom hunted with it, but took it along in the truck when going to the farm. I liked having a varmint rifle with me. It was accurate, easy to shoot, but I was getting bored with it, and with reloading the ammunition for it.

When I originally bought the Contender it was a 10" barreled handgun chambered for the .22 long rifle. Some years later I changed it into the carbine by buying the carbine stock, and a 21" .223 barrel.

Next I decided I needed the Hornet barrel for some reason. I also had a 21" barrel in .410 shotgun and a barrel chambered for the 7-30 Waters which took a few deer. I could have simply added a .17 HMR rifle barrel for the Contender, but I was ready for a change.

My new big idea was that I would buy a large tool box to carry everything I wanted to take when going to the farm. I could simply grab that toolbox and go. I thought about a .17 HMR handgun for the toolbox. But handguns are difficult to shoot well, so I quickly switched back to thinking about a .17 HMR rifle.

The short little Taurus M62 take-down carbine caught my eye. Loosen one screw on the frame and this little carbine is two pieces about as long as a long barreled handgun. The M62 Taurus was a copy an old Winchester pump but available in .22 long rifle, .22 mag. and .17 HMR rifle or carbine.

The .17 HMR rifle ammo is noted for accuracy, but I knew the M62 would not be a best choice to utilize that accuracy. It's a top ejection pump action, not an especially accurate rifle, not a great trigger, and it doesn't readily take a scope. But I simply wanted one... I also wanted to try the tang mounted peep sight option.

A reason for taking a gun to the farm was that I sometimes see a coyote, bobcat, skunk... "But!" I reasoned a tiny 17 grain bullet at 2550 fps. is not a great coyote round, actually no rimfire is a great coyote round in my opinion.

The fast and accurate .17 HMR ammo would blow up a blackbird, a ground squirrel, a crow... But after thinking about it the cartridge didn't seem like a great choice for bigger pest.

There was another choice in the M62; the .22 magnum. Actually the HMR is based on the same brass. I never remember being excited about the .22 mag. not even when it was new. But I thought I should consider it. I started comparing the ballistics of the .17 HMR and the .22 WMR.

I remembered long ago the then new the .22 magnum ammo pushed a 40 grain bullet at 2000 fps. Now the charts now say only 1875 fps. Not the first time I've noticed an older cartridge loose some zip :-) Why? To help sell new cartridges and guns, maybe.

Anyway, 1875 fps. is close to half way between a High Velocity 40 grain bullet in the .22 long rifle, and the 17 grain bullet at 2550 fps from the HMR.

There are several .22 mag. loads at 2200 fps. with a 30 grain bullet which is almost twice the weight of the 17 grain HMR. There is one load with a 50 grain bullet, and one bird shot load. Still, I believe the standard 40 grain load is likely to be the best for most uses.

I quickly realized the old .22 magnum would probably be a little better coyote load, and more versatile than a .17 HMR rifle. I bought a stainless steel M62 Taurus carbine in .22 mag.

I've never shot a coyote with it, but it was devastating on the few critters I did shoot. I never really tested the accuracy. I believe the standard 40 grain bullet .22 WMR load is a better choice than the .17 HMR for bigger pest up to about 100 yards. I wouldn't suggest using either at greater distance.

I tried the shot shells for the .22 magnum and even took a couple of blackbirds flying at close range with the shot loads. I really liked the M62 and the .22 mag, but I have to laugh at myself sometimes; I had a case of "I want a new gun" I didn't 'need' the gun...

If I wanted a more serious rifle for smaller pest and a little longer range I would choose an accurate bolt-action or single shot with a scope in .17 HMR. For small game I think the .17 Mach 2 could possibly even beat the king of rimfires the .22 long rifle. But, "as it is", I doubt that the Mach 2 cartridge will last long.

IMO a low cost load is needed in both the .17s for plinking, it could then "beat" the .22 long rifle. It could even be an alternative to a pellet rifle. If Hornady, CCI, Federal... would make a simple lead bullet version of the .17s at around 1200 fps. (Don't hold your breath waiting for it!)

Note: The new .17 Winchester Super Mag has now changed the rimfire "game". This cartridge shoots a slightly heavier 20 grain bullet at a reported 3000 fps. If this cartridge has the accuracy of the other .17 calibers, it will likely be the new choice for many varmint hunters.

This new .17 rimfire should be deadly at considerable range for any small pest and more capable on larger critters such as coyotes. I often wondered if the .17 HMR would stand the test of time, but I never expected it to be "gunned down" by an even faster rimfire round.

 

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Daisy Model 25 Memories

An add similar to this got my attention!

My first gun was a hard earned Daisy Model 25 BB gun. I can't remember if it cost $8, or if I was 8 years old; I think both. Probably the summer of 1955 and I would be 9 in November.

Me at age 8

I begged for the Daisy, Dad finally caved and said I could have it. If I cleaned out his 30 foot cattle trailer to earn it. I'll never forget that! A huge, nasty, job, and especially for an 8 year old kid.

I was neat and clean and liked to "keep my ducks in a row" as a young boy. I'm pretty sure Dad thought I'd not do the job and he wouldn't need to buy the gun. After a couple of hours work I was also thinking I'd never finish the job. But I kept working and thinking about that magnificent Daisy and what we could do together. It took most of two miserable days. I learned the value of a dollar. That gun, IT COST A LOT!

The Daisy Model 25 looked like a pump BB gun. I read somewhere that it was actually more popular for a few years than the better known lever action Daisy Red Rider. I personally learned that it would shoot harder. Mine model had rotating open and peep sights. With the peep I became fairly deadly within the guns very limited range. For a few years I felt like I was a step ahead of my cousins who had Daisy Red Riders.

Some of the shooting, I don't recommend:

• I learned that by standing directly under a high-line wire I only had to concentrate on left to right gun movement (windage); I could hit the wire about half the time. Not a great idea, but it made a cool sound when the BB hit the wire. PING!
• Jimmy (my cousin) borrowed my gun one day for some pay-back. He and his older brother Ronny both had Daisy Red Riders. Ronny had done something to make his shoot a little "harder". Ronny had also learned to stay just far enough away to hurt Jimmy, but not get hurt in their BB gun battles. When Jimmy borrowed my Model 25; it was Ronny who ended up dancing, yelling, and running for cover.
• One day, bored, and not in one of my smartest moments, I decided to shoot at my grandmother's concrete steps at short range. The BB came almost straight back and hit me in the forehead just above the eye. (Yea! You know what they say about BB guns and eyes.) It hurt, got my attention, and I learned something. 
• On another day a trick shooter came to our school. (Can you even imagine that happening today!) After seeing him strike a match using a twenty-two rifle, I spent the rest of that day after school trying to do it with a BB. I stuck a kitchen match between the boards at one end of my grandmother's old picnic table and rested the gun across the other end only about two feet from the match. After using most of a small pack of BB's and half a box of mom's kitchen matches; I finally did it!  

I was taught by the whole family not to shoot at songbirds, bottles, windows... I hunted almost every day. The Daisy and I were greatly feared by pest birds, lizards, snakes, frogs, insects... in the area.  I missed or didn't have enough gun for most of the shots, but it worked often enough to be great fun.

It was a simple, but very special, time. The gun was my constant companion until my twelfth summer. That summer I worked in the hay fields for an uncle and earned enough to buy a Browning twenty-two. The new gun was certainly an advancement, a step-up, but I'm not sure anything is better than being a young boy, free to roam with his imagination and his Daisy.

My impression of the "New" or reintroduced Daisy Model 25:
First I'll say that I'm better about passing up on things I don't really need today. But I "caved-in" and bought one of the new Model 25s for my two year old grandson. :-)

Don't count this as a review, only my first impressions, I've shot less than 100 BB's through the gun. Most important to me, this new gun felt very familiar in my hands, even  after being absent for more than half a century:

• Yes! It's made in China. 
• No safety on the original, but this new one has a simple trigger block, cross bolt safety. 
• The magazine tube has a different male screw-in adapter (I think it's easier to screw in.)
• Something which seems backwards to me: The new one has a wooden stock. Plastic was not that common in 1955, but I believe my old gun had a plastic stock.

I set up a Campbell Soup can (classic) at about twenty steps. I could hit it easily. The gun shoots harder than I remembered; it put solid dents in the can's thick metal. That hard shooting could be from "dieseling" there was some obvious factory oil and a little smoke when fired.

The trigger is numb, but better/lighter than I remembered, and the gun much easier to cock.

I'm not sure if this should be attributed to small changes to the gun, or more likely big changes in the shooter. I did pinch my hand when cocking it once. I smiled, thinking, maybe neither the gun nor I have changed too much.

Rimfire Scopes

A compact one inch scope seems appropriate on this small youth rifle.

The rimfire scopes and air rifle scopes are not too different from the centerfire scopes used for deer... If you choose the wrong scope it won't matter how good the quality or the brand-name you won't have the best.

What is different when choosing a rimfire scope?

• Small game and pest offer a smaller target. 
• Often they are at shorter range. 
• Rimfire rifles have very little recoil.
• Some air rifles have reverse recoil.
• You could want parallax correction. 
• The guns can be smaller and lighter.

A smaller target may suggest more magnification, but I caution you only slightly more magnification. Excessive magnification leads to more magnified movement, less field of view, shorter depth of field, less bright optics, and/or bigger scopes with bigger objective lenses.

If one magnification was offered most would suggest 4x. The 4x works for big game, small game, and most other uses. Sometimes it's a little too much for close up moving shots. Less often we need more magnification when we can't stalk any closer.  For small game the ranges are shorter, but the target is smaller so it often works out about the same. My point is that 4x is simple and most often it works fine.

The .22 long rifle is still the most popular rimfire. Small game and pest are usually shot at 50 yards or less. A 2-7x30 or 3-9x30 variable of decent quality makes sense. For small running targets at close range the 2x could be slightly better. For longer shots with good light and a solid rest the 9x could be slightly better.

The hot .17s, Winchester .17 Super Mag and .17 HMR have extended the rimfire's range. They offer a higher velocity, flatter trajectory (less bullet drop), and sometimes better accuracy. For all around shooting of small game and varmints with the hot .17's a 3-9x30 or 40 would be my choice. For more specialized small pest (ground squirrels maybe) and varmints at the max range a 4x12x40 could be in order.

Air rifles are still generally less capable than a rimfire. BUT! Good air gunners often get into precision shooting. Many enjoy plinking at very small targets, insects... While more typical air gunners use a 4x30 or 2-7x30. If your into precision shooting with a fine accurate gun you could want a 3-9x40PA or even 4-12x40AO. (I'll explain the PA & AO later.)

Recoil is not a problem with a rimfire and you can sometimes watch the bullet strike the target. Any good quality scope will not be affected by the recoil of a rimfire. Some air rifles however can require a scope made specifically for them.

Spring piston air rifles have reverse recoil. Don't put a fine quality $1000.00 scope on a spring piston air rifle. Even if it's designed for elephant rifles it may not be able to take the recoil from the opposite direction.  You need a scope designed for these air rifles.

Tube size:  Most scopes have a one inch tube diameter, but a few inexpensive air gun or rimfire models have smaller 3/4 or 7/8 inch tubes.  They work, but not very well.  I wouldn't recommend these cheap small tube scopes.

Scopes labeling: 4x30, 2-7x30, 3-9x40PA, 4-12x50AO... The first number indicates how much the image is magnified; for example a 4x will make the image appear 4 times larger. A 2-7x variable (zoom) can magnify the image 2 times or a ring can be turned to vary the magnification up to 7 times on that scope.

The x30, x40, x50 is the diameter of the objective lens bell or front lens of the scope. That objective lens size should be about 5 times the maximum magnification power of the scope. If the objective lens is less than five times the maximum magnification, it will work fine in strong light, but appear dark at dawn or dusk.

There is no serious advantage to such a big scope in normal light or at the low and middle zoom settings on a scope. Such big scopes can't be mounted low, they can look awkward especially on a smaller rifle, and they can unbalance smaller, lighter rifles.

PA or AO Sometimes the x40 or x50 is followed by the letters PA (Parallax Adjustable), or AO (Adjustable Objective Lens) which do the same thing.

To demonstrate parallax point your finger at an object across the room, close one eye, and then the other. You lined up the object using your dominant eye, and when you close the other eye, it's not lined up. This is a simple but dramatic example of parallax.

Rimfire scopes are set to be free of parallax at a typical rimfire use range (50 yds. maybe). Centerfire scopes at a longer but typical centerfire use range (maybe 150 yards). Both are compromises, but work fine for most use. Many hunters don't even know about parallax.

AO scopes allow you to adjust or focus for more precision shooting at the range of each shot. I've owned a few and my opinion is, "Most shooters shouldn't loose any sleep over parallax or having a PA scope."

If you get to be a precision air rifle shooter you may want one, but I've set mine for 20 yards, then forgot and used it on that setting for much longer shots, some I made, some I missed, the same as with no PA. Now I most often set it at a compromise range for the hunt and I often forget about it.

What else is needed in rimfire scopes; I believe very little. I like crosshairs which taper or step from thicker to thinner toward the center. The thick part is easier to see quickly, and the eye goes naturally to the central or fine aiming point which doesn't cover or hide too much of a small target. Most scopes now come with something like what I just described.

$ Money: I do believe money can buy quality up to a point, after that it only buys some possible prestige in the owners mind.

I don't feel the rimfire (or other) scopes need lighted crosshairs, bullet drop computation, or other such things. They only clutter and add to the confusion and sometimes at a critical moment; again my opinion.

Permanent Pages

I have added a new feature, "Permanent Pages" to the right column of the blog. These pages will be the ones which are always there for reference or possibly more important in some way.

This first additional page: "Rimfire Cartridges" list some interesting and popular .17, .20, & .22 rimfires.  It was one of the most popular pages on my website for years.

Simpler is sometimes better.

What do I mean when saying; "Simpler is sometimes better."

I've taken lots of game with firearms,
but taking this turkey with my bow means more.

I'll try to explain:

• Many of us like having gadgets! Some pay thousands of dollars for sun roofs, navigation, hands free blue tooth phone connection in a car and then can't or don't use them.
• In my "Buchanan Photography" blog I've noted that buying an expensive DSLR camera does not always lead to making better pictures.
• We like cool gadgets or tools, and they do most often make it easier to accomplish what we want.

But easier does not always equal more fun! Too Easy is soon... Boring.

I enjoy casting lures into pockets, around logs, stumps... when fishing. Making a good cast is somewhat entertaining. Trolling from a big fine boat, in open water, unless I'm catching lots of fish, I find that boring.

I enjoy plinking at almost anything with a simple slingshot for several reasons:

1. When I make a good shot, I am more involved in the shot with the simple tool, I, not the tool did it.
2. Even a miss with the slingshot, I can see the ball's flight, and there is something beautiful about that.
3. No big disturbance to the natural, no loud "bang!", big impact, more natural, more fitting.

• Shooting my recurve bow Is much the same as the slingshot but I must recover arrows.
• Hunting and getting within bow range of a deer is an accomplishment even without a kill.
• Taking a deer with my .243 is still fun, but no longer much challenge.
• I've also enjoyed putting together a great squirrel rifle, including the scope, and ammo combination, but with experience taking a squirrel that way can become too easy.

We approach most task in two ways:

1. We continue to find ways to improve our skills with the tools we are using.
2. We continue to find or buy tools which help us to accomplish the task more easily.
3. With simpler tools we may use both strategies, but the emphasis is on #1.

Simpler offers a more direct connection between the task, the accomplishment, and the user.

• For hunting simple tools such as the slingshot and the bow require more skill.
• To my mind simple also offers a greater reward to the user.
• I'll continue to love guns and gadgets, but simpler is often better for me.
  

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Shooting a Slingshot

In the last two post I discussed some favorite slingshots and my transition from a novice with a wrist rocket to an advanced shooter (didn't say expert) with a more traditional slingshot.  

What I didn't talk much about is, SHOOTING! 

There are always exceptions, but:

• It's usually easy to identify a new shooter:
• He may hold his slingshot with the handle.
• He may hold his slingshot vertical.
• He may be looking between the forks at his target. 
• He may shoot a wrist rocket or gadgety slingshot of some type.
• More advanced shooters:
• May hold a slingshot with the hand higher and fingers wrapped around the forks.
• Often tilt/cant the slingshot 45-90 degrees.
• May aim down the bands/tubes or not appear to aim.
• Often shoot with a more basic Y shaped slingshot and no gadgets. (It could be custom made to fit their hand, a work of art, but still a simple slingshot at heart.)

When a new shooter I found:

• A wrist brace helped me steady and shoot more consistently.
• Thousands of shots reduced the need for the brace.
• The brace became a gadget which only added bulk and got in the way of my shooting.
• I was comfortable tilting/canting my slingshot around 45 degrees and shooting much like I do with my recurve bow.  
• My line-of-sight was my slingshot hand's relationship to the target. 
• I shot quickly and made some amazing shots.
• I was not consistent and often missed easy shots.

As we advance at anything we learn the little, but important, nuances about what we are doing. 

The picture below shows how experienced slingshot shooters sometimes grip their slingshots and hold them at 90 degrees rather than vertical.  

BUT! It was difficult to take the picture and hold the slingshot at the same time. The tubes/bands should be coming straight back under the eye and be lined up one over the other where you can only see the top tube.

This particular grip is all the way up on the forks.  Some slingshot designs lend themselves to a slightly lower grip than what is shown below.

For me:

• Tilting the slingshot to about 90 degrees allows me to look down/over the bands like an arrow.
• When lined up correctly I only see the top band.  The other band is directly under it.
• This gives me a good line-of-sight to aim over.
• Better points to line up to be more consistent.
• Slow aimed shots with fairly good results.
• Shooting this way has tightened my groups and improved consistency.
• I seldom have a 'big' miss anymore.
• With thousands of shots I can now shoot quickly.
• I can shoot fairly instinctively but also have the reference line-of-sight.

I'd like to say this method of shooting has made me a great shot, but actually I'm only a pretty good shot.  I make some amazing shots, but I still miss some easy shots.  My best shots come when I don't think too much and the shot just seems to flow naturally.  

When I'm not shooting well, or a shot doesn't feel right, I sometimes go back to the basics and aim down the tubes releasing when the target seems lined up. That's not how I like to shoot or make my very best shots, but it's available when I need it.

More Favorite Slingshots

My newest slingshot above with Chinese 2040 tubes.
This picture was made while on a recent deer hunt.

In the last post I wrote of my progression from wrist braced slingshots (wrist-rockets) to more traditional slingshots, and included a little modification to my Trumark S9 slingshot.  

The slingshots I'd used to this point were available in local stores.   There is a wide assortment of slingshots, bands, tubes, pouches... more often produced in small numbers and sold by individuals on the web. Some of them are made from man made materials and some from wood.  Some are works of art, but I went with a more practical model.

• Most of the slingshots in this group use large flat latex bands.
• Some can use common office bands, Chinese tubes, or most any elastics.
• The bands, tubes, and pouches can be attached in different ways.
• These bands or tubes are most often hand cut and hand assembled.
• There are many flat latex rubber compounds with each having some different virtues. 
• The flat latex can be straight cut or tapered in different ways for longer life, speed, power...
• The small office bands are sometimes used chained together in various ways.
• The larger office bands are sometimes doubled or even tripled for more energy.
• The Chinese tubes come in several different diameters and wall thicknesses. 
• The Chinese tubes can also be single, doubled, or tripled for easy pull or more energy.

There's almost no end to the slingshot setups in this group.  Some shooters want all the speed and power possible.  Some want the longest band life or an easy pull.  Many including myself are looking for a good combination of speed, power, band life, and easy pull.

BTW this is as good a place as any to explain that harder pulling bands do not necessarily offer more power or speed. Some materials snap back or retract faster than others and that along with the ammo's size and weight is what gives more speed and power.

SimpleShot Maxim Champ Polymer Slingshot is the big name of my tiny new slingshot.

This is a very versatile little slingshot.  I can use flat bands, office bands, Chinese tubes, or even the larger commercial Trumark, Daisy, Barnett... tubes.

In this picture the Champ has double looped office file bands, but I seldom use it that way. With any looped tubes or bands you simply snap/pull them in the fork slots.  Changing or replacing the tubes is super fast, easy, and simple.

The office file bands are dirt cheap, fairly easy to find (Walmart), and shoot 1/4 inch steel ammo with moderate speed when double looped. But with four small bands on each fork they tend to get tangled up after a shot.  The small yellow rubber bands around the forks helped some, but did not stop the tangling.

I also enjoy plinking with tiny BB's and only one of the same looped office file bands per fork.  They are only good for practice, but super easy to pull, fair speed with a tiny BB, don't get tangled too much, and I can shoot all day for pennies.

For most shooting and maybe for hunting I'm trying the double 2040 Chinese tubes in the picture at the top of the page.  The 2040 tubes have good speed/impact with 3/8 steel ammo I've tried, a reasonably easy pull, and are said to have good life.

What I like about this slingshot:

• The tiny size and simple flat shape fits very easily in a back pocket.
• Simple, tough, material! I don't worry about scratching, breaking...
• It can use almost any band and style of band attachment; I can experiment.
• The looped office bands and Chinese tubes take half-a-second to change or replace.
• I can buy the Chinese tubes and pouches and easily make my own for less money.
• Office bands are fun, available in many places, and dirt cheap.
• A good size package of the file bands at Walmart was less than $4.00 if I remember correctly.  

What I don't like is that while most of my shots are accurate I'm also making some wild shots especially with the Chinese looped tubes. I very rarely had wild shots before.

Both the slingshot and the pouch are smaller than I've used before. While I like the small size and it feels good in my hand I've got to figure this out.  I think it's the pouch hold, but I'm not sure.

• I could be letting the pouch go at an angle for some shots.  
• I could be holding the slingshot at a different angle for some shots.
• The slingshot could be moving in my grip for some shots.

If you're an experienced shooter maybe you can offer me some suggestions.

I don't care about having a lanyard so  I added a couple of tiny magnets to the lanyard hole.  The magnets allow me to easily pickup steel ammo or to keep a ball handy on each side.  If you'd like to know more about how I did it, leave a comment below and I'll make a short post about it.

My Favorite Slingshots

If you're not a slingshot shooter; I'll repeat what I've said many times before. "You're missing out on a lot of fun!"  I own guns and bows but I shoot a slingshot the most!

You may even think slingshots are all about the same. Slingshots are like anything else; once you learn more about them, there is more and more to learn.  Slingshots are truly simple, but so is running, jumping... and not all of us are going to the Olympics.

I started with a Marksman 3040 which is a wrist braced slingshot.

This one has Trumark's heavy black tubes on it.

• I tried others but that old Marksman is my favorite braced model. 
• The long flat wrist brace is comfortable in use.
• I like the narrow forks on this slingshot.
• It folds compactly and slides into a back pocket easily.
• I don't like the plastic tips where the tubes attach. 
• I learned that few experienced slingshot shooters use wrist braces.

It took me years to learn to shoot a non-braced slingshot as well as I shot that old Marksman. (Not to give the wrong impression I never shot the Marksman that well, but better than others.)  The wrist brace is sorta like training wheels; once you get past needing them, they get in the way.

My favorite slingshot for the past several years has been the Trumark S9. 

The one above has Trumark's standard tubes.

• It's a very simple slingshot made from aluminum tubing. 
• The grip will hold and dispense standard 5/16 Trumark steel ammo.
• The grip is two clear pieces of plastic and feels flimsy.
• When filled with ammo it rattles and adds considerable weight.
• Some like the wider forks, but I don't.

With some of those points in mind I simply tied, wrapped, and glued a piece of rope which pulled the grip/forks together.  The rope did a pretty good job of fixing the things I didn't like.

This is the same Trumark S9 with my simple modifications.
This one has Trumark's red tapered tubes.

• Narrow forks now
• No rattling ammo
• No flimsy grip feel
• The small board magnet is handy for picking up steel ammo.

I used common Marksman, Daisy, or Trumark single tube bands.  I learned that there is a considerable difference in the tubes and their ammo pouches.

• Marksman's tubes have not been of good consistent quality.
• Daisy's tubes are ok, kinda hard to pull, but I hate their small pouches of stiff leather. 
• Trumark's standard gold tubes are better and all their pouches have soft flexible leather.
• Trumark's red tapered tubes are my favorites, easy to pull and they shoot a little harder.
• Trumark's black tubes are hard to pull, shoot little if any harder, but they last a long time.

I used the slightly modified Trumark S9  slingshot for several years. There is nothing wrong with the setup, but more experienced shooters often use flat latex bands or Chinese tubes.  

Several things happened to make me look for something new.

• The Academy Store dropped Trumark and only carries Daisy and Barnett bands. (?)
• BassPro has the Trumark bands but they cost about 25% more there.
• I've been getting some tubes/bands which don't last very long lately.
• I learned that some shooters are using regular old rubber bands with fair results.
• I was ready to experiment with something new! 

More in my next post!

NOTE: 

If you enjoy this blog please spread it around!

I enjoy writing it, but I'm getting a little discouraged with the low numbers.

Crosman CO2 Pistol Problems

2300T from the Crosman Website
My pistol looked similar.

I've already posted on my Beeman P1 which was a great gun and for the record I'm generally a Crosman fan. BUT! What I didn't tell in that post is that I bought another air pistol before the P1.

In those days when I made the trip to OKC I'd visit several gunshops if time permitted. I kept looking at the Beeman P1 which I eventually bought. The same gun store put a then new Crosman single shot CO2 pistol on display. It was advertised to be accurate and to have a muzzle velocity of 550 fps with light weight .177 pellets.

The gun looked similar to the Crosman 2300 bolt-action pistol made today. It was probably a model 1740, but  I'm not sure. I told myself the new CO2 gun should do almost anything a P1 could do for only $50.  The P1 was almost six times that price at $285 if I remember correctly.  I bought the CO2 gun!

The gun functioned well enough and the pellets did hit with considerably more authority than pellets  from my Crosman Mark 11.  The problem was the pellets went all over the place! At short range my Mark 11 was deadly accurate, more accurate than I could shoot it.

At short range my the Mark 11 would stack one pellet on top of the other when I did my part.  At the same short range this new gun would only shoot a two inch group, maybe.

For small game or pest  an air gun must have the accuracy needed for head shots.  I took a few small critters with this new gun, it had decent killing power, but I couldn't depend on it to shoot where it was pointed.

I know about guns and I tried everything short of those which could void the warranty:

• Going over the gun to find anything loose, improperly fitted... 
• Several different styles and brands of pellets. 
• I mounted a cheap little rifle scope on it to reduce my sighting errors.
• I shot it from several different kinds of rest.
• I tried holding the gun in different ways.
• It sounded and hit like the CO2 was metered consistently. 
• I couldn't see anything, but my hunch was that there was something wrong in the barrel.
• I wanted it to work for me, but it simply would not.

That gun is one of the few things, and the only gun I've ever returned to a store. I asked a shop employee what he could do to help me? He'd sold out of that model but offered a Crosman 357 (now called 3576, I believe) revolver of about equal value. The 357 appeared to be a good fun gun and it was. But it was not what I needed or wanted at that time.

Bow Hunting Small Game

Quail, slingshot, bow...

Most of my hunting has been focused on whitetail bow hunting for many years now.  I'll admit up front that I have only limited experience bow hunting small game.  Actually I very seldom do pure small game hunting. I more often take advantage of opportunities while deer hunting.

When I took up bow hunting in 1989 I'd always been a gun hunter.  I had no idea the bow would be my new love.  Like anyone taking up a new activity I had a lot to learn.  Part of that education was on hunting small game with a bow.

I always like to be prepared to take advantage of opportunities when hunting so I quickly added some arrows with small game points to my gear.  I soon had steel and rubber blunts, judo heads, turkey heads, flu-flu arrows... 

One day while deer hunting as I slipped over the top of a ridge there was a cottontail about twenty-five yards away.  I slipped a blunt out of my quiver and shot right over his back. (If God made animals taller maybe I'd miss much less often.) Then I spent ten minutes stumbling around, exposed, trying to find my arrow. 

On another day while creeping down a tree row I walk up to a possum perched on a low limb staring at me at eye level.  At only ten yards I bounce a rubber blunt off the hard headed thing just above the eyes.  He hardly flinched and I was more stunned thinking he'd fall off the limb. The possum simply climbed down and ran away.

After those and a few other experiences I decided judo heads would work better for small game. Judos tend to stop or tumble when they hit something, they are not as easily lost, and they are probably a little more lethal on small game. Even with the judo heads I found that I was often walking around exposing myself and my scent to a large area when trying to retrieve arrows.

The "last straw" was when I ran a squirrel up a tall tree.  He stopped at the very top.  I had three judo tipped arrows in my quiver.  Being "some dumb, but not plumb dumb" I moved around to have an open field behind him so I could easily find my arrows.

Shooting near vertical, I missed with arrow one and two, then refocused telling myself, "I can hit this squirrel."  Arrow three knocked him straight up about six inches out of the tree and then grabbing for anything all the way to the ground. He never got a grip, but to my surprise he hit the ground running.

No squirrel and I spent the next half hour hunting and eventually finding my three arrows in an open field.  Even brightly fletched arrows in an open field can be difficult to find. At $10+ per arrow I don't walk away without a thorough search.

The extra arrows were a bit of a pain to carry anyway so I decided to give up on small game with a bow.  I bow hunted without any small game heads for a while, but the missed opportunities bugged me.

I nailed an armadillo one day with a broad head just behind the shoulder. Darn thing was invincible. He ran off with my $15 arrow sticking through him. I'll bet he has trouble going between trees.

I was thinking about carrying a handgun, maybe an air pistol, but that didn't seem appropriate or always legal for a bowhunter. I eventually came to realize the slingshot could be the best answer for me.  The slingshot is more appropriate, simple, cheap, quiet, and easy to carry.

As I've said many times before my slingshot shoots very much like my recurved bow and is good practice.  For me both the slingshot and the bow have proven to be more fun than effective.  I find both a challenge and I don't often take home small game. But it works for me and I don't need to hunt for small game arrows anymore.  

.22 Rimfire Shortage

There are many rimfire rounds but the standard .22 long rifle is sometimes hardest to find.

The .22 rimfire shortage is not a new thing, the store shelves have been empty for some time.  Is this because of some secret government plan to take our guns?  Is Obama behind this devious plot? Some people believe such radical rumors and there are plenty of rumors. That could be a part of the problem!

We're all more alike than we are different.  I found myself thinking, "I don't really need it, but the next time I find some reasonably priced rimfire ammo, I'd better stock up!"   I once went through a fair amount of rimfire ammo, but now I shoot a slingshot and bow more often.

Still, it has been troubling me to see so little rimfire ammunition available. The common .22 long rifle is the starting place for new shooters, the most popular small game round, the fun round, and the most popular practice round.

I've done a little research and this is what makes sense to me:

1. The ammunition companies say they can't keep up with the demand. They say the profit margins on the rimfire sales is low.  They don't want to raise the price too much and stifle shooting. They believe the ammunition supply will eventually catch up with the demand so they don't want to invest in more machinery.  
2. Many individuals have large supplies of ammo stored and if it becomes readily available they may not buy again for years. A part of the reason for higher demand is because many are buying and hoarding large amounts of rimfire ammo. The shortage is causing some hoarding. The somewhat popular fears of extremist groups is also a cause of ammo hoarding. Some people probably have tens of thousands of rounds.  
3. The above also makes sense to me because when I look in Walmart I see fair to good supplies of most other ammo types.  Centerfire rifle and shotgun shells are available, and even the less popular or more expensive rimfire rounds are sometimes there.  It's the more common and less expensive .22 long rifle rounds in short supply.

I'm sure I don't know as much about this as some people, but I believe the .22 rimfire shortage is only a temporary thing.  

Small vs Big Game

Small vs big game for many hunters is sorta like comparing ice cream and sex. Many of us enjoy both. I love ice cream and have some almost every night, sex... Now that I have your attention I think I'll keep the sex part as private as it should be.

When I was eight years old I started hunting some very small game with a Daisy BB gun, small pest actually; sparrows, lizards, insects...  Eventually I moved up to a .22 rimfire for crows, rabbits, squirrels...  My point is that I have a long standing love of small game and small pest hunting.

Small game hunting is as rewarding or in some ways even more rewarding than big game hunting. It can be more abundant, offering more opportunities, and in some ways more fun than deer hunting.  I should mention that most of my experience has been quail, dove, squirrel, rabbit, turkey, and whitetail hunting.    

My very favorite is actually quail hunting which I did as a young boy/man most often with my dad. Life, living, location... can changes what you do sometimes.  As a boy I could hunt in my back yard and until two years ago I had a fairly short drive to hunt. I haven't gone on an actual small game hunt in several years, but I harvest small game several times a year anyway.

To keep this really simple I'll just say small game hunting has become somewhat impractical or inconvenient. My primary hunting area is now a 150 mile drive to a 300 acre farm.  The farm has a fairly limited small game population.

I've always been one to take advantage of opportunities or to do some mixed bag hunting anyway. The increased distance to my hunting area has intensified that.

For several years now I've gone deer hunting and turkey hunting most often with a bow in my hand and a slingshot in my pocket.  Admittedly the slingshot is not the best tool, but I occasionally get a close-up shot at small game and the slingshot does little to disturb my hunting for bigger game.

At first the game I was shooting at was in very little danger, but that is slowly changing as I continue to improve with the slingshot.  The slingshot has proven to be a challenge, but also great fun, and I now shoot it more than any of my guns or bows.

I see no reason for not taking advantage of both small game and big game hunting. One compliments the other.  In my case I'll be doing some small game hunting while deer hunting this year.

If for some reason I had to choose one over the other it would be difficult. I would probably choose small game because it can be easier to find and there are more small game hunting opportunities.

Shooting Fun!

A poor choice and a bad example of a target. 

My last post was on insect hunting and the one before on a tiny BB slingshot I made.  It seems I'm  thinking small scale shooting fun lately.  

Like most people I have a lot of "stuff" I seldom use.  I sort of rediscover some of it from time to time.  I found some little metal silhouette targets which I'd forgotten about. Rounded up some CO2, pellets, and my old Crosman 357 pellet revolver and... It wouldn't hold a charge! The seals were bad, probably due to years with little oil on them.  I went for a slingshot in the truck and shot silhouette targets with it.

Very few people would call shooting a .460 Weatherby Magnum fun.  That round's recoil could possibly register on the Richter Earthquake scale.  Most of us want something mild, cheap, and less serious when shooting for fun.

The .22 rimfire has long been 'the' fun round to shoot, but places to shoot and ammunition is harder to find than when I was a boy. The quieter, lower power rimfires, air guns, bows, slingshots... can sometimes  offer more shooting opportunities, more safety, and less chance of disturbing the neighbors.

I personally don't shoot actual targets unless I'm sighting in a gun, checking some loads for accuracy... I find bullseye targets boring unless there is competition or something to add interest.  On the other hand I enjoy walking around and plinking at random cans, leaves, berries, wild flowers, pods, sticks, chunks of dirt, insects, or other pest...

Things which break or explode make hits more exciting. We all know we shouldn't shoot and break glass because it creates a hazard which is there forever.  You can buy clay targets made for shooting. Food items such as cookies, crackers, candy... make good biodegradable targets which will break or  explode.  Plastic containers or cans filled with water can also be fun.

A target which moves adds to the fun.  Balloons can be used in numerous ways, hanging or blowing in the wind. When using a repeating gun you can try to keep a can rolling on the ground.  Cans or plastic containers hanging on a string are a simple way to add interest.

For moving target practice with a bow I've used a tough rubber ball rolled along the ground.  Some such balls can take numerous arrow hits if you use rubber blunt tipped arrows.

With a big lawn I've found judo arrow tips and old golf balls make a good combination. I don't go back and forth retrieving arrows. I throw the golf ball and shoot a few arrows, walk to retrieve the arrows and throw the ball again for a new target.

The golf ball is easy to throw and makes a small but visible target in short grass. The range is somewhat random and unknown. Good practice for shooting and range estimation. Tough golf balls last forever since I rarely hit but often hit close to keep it interesting.

Insect Hunting?

Trophy Game

We have all  most likely done some insect hunting at one time or another. Out there for hours and nothing is moving, maybe you're a little frustrated, bored, when a dragonfly comes into view, a big grasshopper, maybe a beetle running along the ground... a target of opportunity. I venture to bet that some big expensive loads are occasionally expended on such tiny prey.

When I was a kid with a BB gun I was always looking for new targets to prove or improve my shooting skills.  A wasp nest in the right place was a shooting gallery, I'd stalk a perched bumble bee or dragon fly... Insects were often the only plentiful, living, and available targets. I had great fun hunting insects.

"What goes around comes around!" Maybe I'm in my second childhood?  I recently spent the biggest part of an hour shooting perched dragonflies with my slingshot.  And! I'm not ashamed to say it was fun, even rewarding when I was accurate enough to hit maybe one of five shots.  I'm going for a flying/hovering shot next time.

This got me to thinking. Why do we hunt?

• To be out there in nature, for the fresh air, the scenery...
• For the challenge, to improve our skills, to discover...
• For recreation, to relax, to get away, as a diversion, to have fun...

People once hunted to eat! (My next post will be on how to field dress a dragonfly. ) Seriously, we should eat what we kill if possible, but not to many of us are out hunting today so we can have something to eat.  We're most often hunting because we enjoy it.

I'm calling it practice and I'm going out on a limb and saying that hunting insects is perfectly sane and fun thing to do.  The season is always open and the game is plentiful. You don't need any specialized equipment, and it's easy to find a place to hunt. 

My favorite tool is the slingshot. Even the simplest air gun is adequate for most shots. To take out a bug a lower power level is actually desirable because you can see your hit and that may add to the fun.  

It's also great fun to have a sophisticated super accurate air rifle with a high power scope to snipe little bugs with.  You may need a scope with AO (adjustable objective) as many scopes won't focus at short bug range.

I've shot flying dragonflies with a shotgun, but it's drastic over-kill.  For wing shooting at dragonflies loading a .22 with CCI shot shells is much more to scale and great fun.  

If insect hunting comes "out of the closet" I can imagine some manufacture jumping in the new nich with products such as the "super bug swatter combo package" with a thumb hole stock.  You can buy a shotgun with a thumb hole stock you know... and some think insect hunting is crazy!

Cheap, Fun, BB Slingshot

My Simple Creation with one band each side.

I never made a slingshot, in fact, I can't remember shooting one as a kid.

I had a bb gun and then a .22 rimfire.  I missed out on the joys of using a slingshot until I was middle age.

This slingshot was very simple to make. It took about ten minutes if you don't include the time to go and buy the rubber bands and little eyelet screws.  I made mine very small for easy carry, but it could be scaled up if desired.




What you'll need?

1. An appropriate tree limb.
2. Two small eyelet screws.  (Package of several at Walmart for about $1.)
3. Two or more file bands.  (Good size package at Walmart for about $3.)
4. Handsaw, knife, small screwdriver, maybe scissors if you must make the pouch. 
5. A leather pouch. If you don't have a pouch it could be more of a challenge.  I know some people have made them from old shoes, belts, wallets... I haven't made any, but with the right kind of leather you would only need to cut out the shape and punch two holes. 

With two bands on each side. Click for larger image!

What I did:

1. Walk in the back yard with a handsaw and cut an appropriate limb.   (Don't tell my wife!)
2. Cut off/round off the ruff edges with my pocket knife.
3. Spread the gap in the eyelet screws slightly by prying it with a thin screwdriver tip. (For easier band removal/replacement)
4. Screw the two little eyelet screws into the limb ends. (One limb cracked slightly, so maybe drilling a slightly smaller pilot hole first would be a better ideal.)
5. Attach the rubber bands to the pouch. (I had some old leather pouches.)
6. Attach the rubber bands to the eyelets.

How does it work? 

• Shoots Great! Much like any other slingshot.
• Easier to pull and easier to change the bands on than most. 
• One band on each side gives decent velocity for plinking. Especially with bb's.
• Two bands on each side may be enough to take a close-up small pest or bird with bb's and maybe a little better with 1/4 inch steel ammo.

Advantages:

• Great project to do with your kids or grandkids.
• It's fun to shoot something you made yourself.
• Simple, very little cost to make and continue to shoot. Especially if you use bb's, rocks... for ammo.
• Quick and simple to replace or repair broken bands in the field.
• You don't need to tie anything. (See the image below.)
• The pouches should last a long time with the lower pull resistance.

Other:

• I do get a little more hand slap with this very small slingshot.  
• Since the rubber bands are relatively weak the hand slap doesn't bother me much.
• If I'd made my slingshot bigger I'd try it with three bands on each side. Three bands could possibly propel bigger ammo with enough speed to hunt, I'm not sure.

Click to enlarge!

You don't need to tie anything!

• Push the doubled/looped rubber band through one of the pouch holes an inch or two.
• Push/pull the longer/other end through the big loop you just created where it went through the pouch hole.
• Gently draw it up snug. (It should look like the on in the picture.)
• Pull one strand of the rubber band through the slot in the screw eyelet. (You may want to stretch the band a little to make it thinner if your eyelet slot is narrow.)

My Beeman P1

Image from Amazon.com
My P1 was similar but all silver colored with a walnut grip.

The Beeman P1 has been around a long time and it is highly regarded as a great gun, one of the best available. But, I made a mistake when buying my P1.  This could save you from making the same mistake.

• The P1 is a high quality all metal German air gun. 
• It's made in .177, .20, and .22 caliber.  
• It's accurate and it has a fantastic adjustable two stage trigger. 
• It has a built in rail for easy scope mounting.
• A full cocking stroke requires only around 18 pounds of force.
• The spring piston moves toward the shooter giving it a little recoil similar to a firearm.
• Broken-in-guns can push a light weight .177 pellet near 600 fps, .20 to 500, .22 to 450.
• .177 caliber guns offer a "half-cock" lower power level if desired.

I already owned a highly regarded CO2 pistol, the Crosman Mark 11. That gun is somewhat popular today even though it has long been out of production.  The Mark 11 was a real bargain at less than $50 back in those days.  It's easy to shoot, has a decent trigger, mine was super accurate... but it only pushes a .177 caliber pellet a little over 400 fps.

I wanted a more powerful air pistol for more hunting capability.  I wanted to add a scope to further increase my range and accuracy.  I wasn't expecting too much range or hunting power from an air pistol, but I wanted to see what was possible.

After reading and  researching what was available I knew I wanted a Beeman P1. The P1 was/is an expensive air gun for me; the only one I could find was almost $300 (today $500.)  The only gun available was in .22 caliber, silver finished, and not a first choice for me.

Every time I made a trip to Oklahoma City for anything I would go for another look at what was available.  I wanted a blued version and I especially wanted it in .177 caliber. When I could stand to wait no longer, I told myself the .22 would give me a bit more range and I bought that gun.

My new P1 was great, everything I'd read and expected.  Beautifully finished, easy to cock, accurate, probably the best trigger I've ever used (My TC Contender's trigger was also great, but had a different feel.)

But I bought the gun to have more hunting capability.  The .22 pellets did hit with a little more authority, but not that much.  My old Crosman Mark 11 shot the smaller .177 pellets about as fast and while not nearly as nice a gun it could do 90% of what my P1 could do.

In my opinion very few air or CO2 pistols (generally only the pre-charged guns) have enough power to offer any advantage in larger than .177 caliber.  Had I waited and found a .177 caliber Beeman P1, I believe it would have fully met my expectations.

Squirrel Hunting

Fox Squirrel

The first game animal I took was a fox squirrel at age eight.  Dad took me on what I'm sure was a short quail hunt. Buster (the smartest dog who ever lived according to dad) treed a squirrel.  I was carrying dad's old hand-me-down 12 gauge Winchester 97 which was taller than me and seemed heavier.

I'd only shot that big gun a few times, but after dad loaded it I tucked the too long stock under my arm and nailed my first squirrel.  I hardly noticed how bad the thing kicked me.  I was too excited about getting some real game rather than the sparrows and lizards I hunted with my bb gun.

I kept that spent 12 gauge hull for years, well into my teens.  I kept the trophy squirrel's tail for a while.  It somehow disappeared and I suspect mom may have had something to do with that.

As I grew older I realized that Dad was a quail hunter who only occasionally took a squirrel if the opportunity presented itself.  Usually when old Buster treed one. Dad said most bird dogs couldn't be allowed to chase rabbits or squirrels, but Buster was smart enough to know we were after quail first.

We had plenty of squirrels in East Texas for me to hunt. I eventually learned that Dad also knew how to hunt them without a dog.  My twelfth summer I worked for my Uncle John in the hay fields and earned over $360.00 A lot of money in 1958.  I bought all my school clothes and more importantly a Browning .22 semi-auto.

My Daisy started gathering dust in the corner and that big old Winchester 97, well, I'd never liked it anyway.  Twenty-two's were made for tin cans, rabbits, and especially squirrels in my opinion.  I'd killed enough squirrels with a shotgun that it was not much of a challenge anymore.  I'd learned the basics of two ways to hunt squirrels by that time.

With a dog:

1. The dog trees a squirrel
2. You circle the tree looking for the squirrel.
3. If two hunters they get on opposite sides of the tree.
4. If you can't see the squirrel you shake a bush or make some noise and you may see him move.
5. If alone you throw a stick or rock to make some noise on the opposite side of the tree.
6. You shoot the squirrel or move on.

Still hunting:

1. You slowly move as silently as possible into a good plot of timber.
2. You stop often to listen and scan the ground and trees for any sound or movement.
3. When you see or hear something you plan the best stalk possible.
4. Sometimes you're spotted and you sit or stand until the squirrel relaxes and shows again.
5. Sometimes you get a shot and sometimes you move on.

I took to the still hunting quickly. Heck! My Daisy BB and I had been training on birds for years.  I eventually got a cheap 4x scope for the .22 and when the crosshairs settled on a squirrel's head it was usually "lights out".

Today I still shoot a squirrel from time to time, but it's often while deer hunting.  I most always have a slingshot with me today.  I sometimes try deer hunting using my old still hunting squirrel techniques, but deer are much more wary than squirrels.  I haven't gone on a real squirrel hunt in years.  I don't know why, I always loved it.

The Best Air Guns

Your best choice may be a little foggy with so many guns and gun types.

In recent weeks I've written individual post on the different types of air guns. I'll try not to repeat myself too much, so if you want more details please look back at some of those post.

Keep in mind that the best air gun for me, you, and the guy down the block are probably different. I'll work my way through each type of air gun (actually type of power plant) and offer some suggestions as to what may be the best uses for that type of gun.

Spring or Gas Piston: I'm starting with this group of guns because I believe they may offer the most to the largest group of shooters. Spring powered guns could include BB guns and some cheap clunky Chinese models, but that's not the guns I have in mind.

I'm talking about the group of guns which cost at least $100 and produce velocities of at least 600-700 fps in .177 caliber. Most of these guns actually are closer to $200 and are around 1000 fps in .177 caliber.

These are the best air guns for the house, the barn, or the truck to grab and use to take out some pest, do some hunting, or just go plinking when you feel like it. Simple, reliable, and with enough power and accuracy to get the job done.

If your main objective is occasionally shooting for fun choose a lower powered easier cocking model in .177 caliber. If hunting is high on your list, I'd make it a more powerful although harder cocking model. I'd prefer the gas piston in .22 caliber for hunting.

Pre-Charged: I see these guns as the guns for the more serious air gunners. These are generally not the guns you can grab and use without any preparation. With that said, these are the guns which can be the most capable of taking bigger pest and game at greater range.

These are the guns which may be able to stack pellets on top of each other at the greatest range and with the most impact. If I was planning to do some serious air gun shooting I'd go for one of these in .22 caliber.

CO2: These gas powered "air guns" are the fun guns. If you want to shoot in the backyard for fun or practice these could be your best choice. The CO2 cost extra, but it does the work so you don't need to do any heavy pumping or cocking.

Many of the guns are repeaters which function like firearm counterparts making them great for some kinds of practice. Most are 400-500 fps in .177 caliber so hunting is limited to a close up mouse or small bird occasionally.

Pump-Up: If you don't want to spend much money but you still want a gun capable of taking out some pest these guns can work. You pump these guns 2-3 strokes for lower power plinking or the full 8-10 strokes for better power and hunting... Some shooters are happy with this type of air gun, but I can't honestly say I'd recommend them for fun or hunting.

Single-Pump: While these are similar to the pump-up guns in many respects I can see more uses for them. The lower cost guns are also similar to most CO2 guns in that they can be great for backyard shooting. They do take a little more effort to cock or pump for a shot, but you don't need to buy the CO2,

The high-end guns are target guns capable of great accuracy. Even the best of these guns offer little to the hunter unless he wants to take out a wasp, a butterfly, or nail a mouse between the eyes at ten yards.

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Rimfire or Air

L-R .22 's WMR, LR, Super Colbri, Short, Pellet, & .177 Pellet

Not too many years ago a rimfire would have always been my first choice for most small game and pest hunting, but things have changed.

For many years the price of common .22 rimfire ammunition increased very slowly. When I was a boy 50 rounds of .22 long rifle ammo was about $.75 and when I was middle age I could still find it for under a dollar. Yes! Those days are long gone.

Cost is a factor for most of us, and it's not only cost, it's also the availability. Although I don't shoot guns much anymore it distresses me to see store shelves with little or no rimfire ammunition on them.

So what are the advantages of a rimfire over an air gun. Ah! Actually not much if we compare the ordinary .22 long rifle to the better .22 caliber air guns.

• Tradition - some simply can't wrap their head around using an air gun.
• Simplicity - with a rimfire you load and fire while an air gun may require more of you.
• Versatility - guns chambered for the long rifle offers a wide variety of power levels, different velocities, bullet configurations, and even shot loads.
• The heavier .22 long rifle bullet is a little less likely to be blown off target by the wind.
• Power - the .22 long rifle is considerably more powerful than most air guns.
• Range - the .22 long rifle can sometimes be used at longer range than air rifles.

Do air guns offer anything over rimfire. Ah! Considerably More Sometimes!

• Pellets cost less than rimfire ammo and may be easier to find.
• If you shoot enough the savings in shooting cost may eventually pay for the air gun.
• Air guns are generally quieter and this sometimes allows shooting in more places.
• Air guns are somewhat less dangerous so you may gain access to more places to shoot or hunt.
• The best air guns can kill small game and pest further than a typical hunter is able to hit them.
A well placed pellet from a reasonably powerful air gun is deadly on small game.
Animals don't get any more dead because a more powerful round was used.

Real world, bottom line, or whatever you want to call it. I've shot a considerable amount of small game and pest with rimfires and pellets. Basically any well placed shot from a reasonably powerful round or pellet stops a critter and a poorly placed shot seldom does.

If you don't mind blowing up the animal a higher velocity more explosive round like a .22 Stinger, .22 mag., or a hot .17 caliber allows for more sloppy shooting than any pellet rifle. The ordinary .22 long rifle, not so much.

The air gun shooter may need to understand more about shooting and the limitations of his tools. He needs to pay attention to the details. He may need to spend more for a better quality gun and scope combination. Remember it's the gun which provides the power with air; not the cartridge.

I most often use a slingshot today, but if I wanted a gun for squirrels, rabbits, and small pest it would be a gas ram or pre-charged .22 caliber air gun with a 3x9 air gun scope. If I wanted a rimfire to take pest out at the maximum range, it would be the .17 Winchester Super Magnum.

 

 

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