Questions about Airguns

[sharp88]

Im wondering whether buying an airgun would be worth it considering my circumstances. I would be looking to use it for small game hunting - rabbits, pidgeons, etc. I have prior firearms expierience, but not with airguns.

I have a few questions that I'd like to ask.

Where would you use an airgun? I understand some airgunners get permision from local farmers?

What kind of airgun would you reccommend for my needs? I understand BSA are very tried and tested? I have a budget of about £200, but I could go a bit higher I guess.

 

[Richie O]

Excuse me for hijacking your post but i also have an airgun question!
I bought a .22 air rifle a long time ago when i was 12 and it has just recently re-appeared from my mum and dad's loft. Would a .22 be sufficient to take out bunnies and the like? :AR15firin

Forgive my ignorance

 

[leon-b]

im no expert but a .22 would be fine for rabbits, but it does depend on the power, do you know how powerfull it is ?
leon

 

[sharp88]

Dont worry bout it.

You could always put an ox spring in it if the origional spring is dull...That is if its a spring driven airgun lol

 

[Northern Giant UK]

For a rifle around the £200 mark I reckon youd be pretty well set up with a BSA Supersport.
It comes in both .177 and .22 also you can get a carbine version with a muzzle shroud/weight that is silencer ready. Good rifle accurate and plenty of power. The one thing I would do with it is fit a gas spring to reduce spring noise other than that it's brilliant!!

I have the carbine.

Kev

 

[sharp88]

Sounds sweet. Would do me nicely I think.

I just wouldnt know where to use it, thats all thats holding me back from buying.

 

[william#]

if you can get permission from local farmers to use then you got it completed sorted .also worth checking out woodland owners too as the greys are a hell of a pest
as in type of rifle to use i cant think of the figures off my head straight away but you need a rifle that is specifically for hunting so has the power to dispatch with one shot your local gun shop will be able to advise you on that .
any thing without the power or you try and shoot beyond the optimum kill distance will only end up you having to chase down an injured (possibly screaming) and in pain animal. which really is not desirable at all - just because a riffle is a 22 may not mean it is designed or has the power to dispatch , its worth checking.
the rifle i got for rabbits and rats cost around 200 quid was of spanish make can not remember which one now - was recommended by the local gun shop owner and boy did it have some power.
worth noting that if you are taking your rifle any where it can not be loaded the pellets have to be in a separate place from the rifle and you must have a legitimate reason for carrying it ie going to range or land that you have permission to shoot on. i know its a pain but sadly there are some complete idiots out there who should not have a water pistol let alone anything else

 

[Too Much Kit To Carry]

For a rifle around the £200 mark I reckon youd be pretty well set up with a BSA Supersport.
It comes in both .177 and .22 also you can get a carbine version with a muzzle shroud/weight that is silencer ready. Good rifle accurate and plenty of power. The one thing I would do with it is fit a gas spring to reduce spring noise other than that it's brilliant!!

I have the carbine.

Kev

Also comes in .25 flavour - which has a hell of a whack I have thw .25 carbine that I bought from hunter-zero, lovely piece of kit

Phil.

 

[Northern Giant UK]

You should be able to gat good advice (specifically on airgun use) here. . . .
http://www.airgunforum.net/

Always a good idea to know where you can't use one and what you can legally do so . . . .
http://f4bscale.worldonline.co.uk/gunlaw.htm

Hope this helps

Kev

 

[Northern Giant UK]

Also comes in .25 flavour - which has a hell of a whack I have thw .25 carbine that I bought from hunter-zero, lovely piece of kit

Phil.

Wow, I wasn't aware they still made .25's (last one I knew of was the old BSA Cobra).

What would the .25 be used for and whats it's accuracy/power like?

Kev

 

[decorum]

Sharp88 - best option is to join an airrifle shooting club. At a club it is possible to learn and hone the new skills that you will gain and also meet people who might be inclined to offer you a chance to hunt. Try out Field Target shooting and/or Hunter Field Target shooting as both will give you the chance to hone skills to get humane kills while lessening the chances and concerns of wounding.

Same for you Richie O - and .22 is fine for hunting vermin. Please get it checked over/serviced at a reputable gun shop before you use it. An airrifle may seem to be ok right up til the point that you pull the trigger.

You need to be aware that, in Britain, possessing an airrifle which has a muzzle velocity 12ft/lbs or over requires an Fire Arms Certificate (6ft/lbs for an airpistol).

Checkout this link www.ateo.org.uk (Airgun Training and Education Organisation) and I would also strenuously suggest that you join BASC (British Association for Shootinh & Conservation) http://www.basc.org.uk/content/home. Most important of all learn the law as it relates to shooting with airrifles. The penalties for breaking firearm laws are quite severe.

 

[decorum]

You can still get .20 as well.

 

[sharp88]

Yeah the thought did occur to me to join a club. Its just I lack the mobility to get to clubs, as Im not driving at the mo and I havnt much time during the week because I go to the gym and have to do my A level work.

Im kinda put off clubs aswel because I did belong to the local smallbore rifle association, but I didnt like being truss up like a chicken on my belly, firing from what I beleive to be a bizarre and unessesary method of prone shooting. I find club types just irritate and patronise me. Anywho theres no stressing how important a clean kill is, Im thinking of finding a club where I can squeeze in some practice on weekend. There should be some people there who can tell me where to shoot and what rifle would be best suited.

 

[Too Much Kit To Carry]

Wow, I wasn't aware they still made .25's (last one I knew of was the old BSA Cobra).

What would the .25 be used for and whats it's accuracy/power like?

Kev

Kev,

It's is bang on the legal limit and zero'd for 30m and I can get 30mm grouping with no problem making it suitable for hunting small game. It's a good rabbit and vermin gun.

In the US the full power versions are used for hunting racoons.

Sticking a .177, .22 and then the.25 pellets side by side is quite interesting

Phil.

 

[woodstock]

I have a few questions that I'd like to ask.

Where would you use an airgun? I understand some airgunners get permision from local farmers?

What kind of airgun would you reccommend for my needs? I understand BSA are very tried and tested? I have a budget of about £200, but I could go a bit higher I guess.[/QUOTE]

For about the £200 you could get yourself a great little starter BSA supersport with scope this is more that adequate for your need giving you a kill range of about 30 mts, You will however need permission prefferably written before going onto anyones land
when getting a new gun spend some time firing at targets before using it for hunting
in answer to the other persons Q of power all non FAC rifles in the UK are restricted to
12FT LB or less you only need about 4ft lb at 30 mts to kill a rabbit with a head shot
PS 177 is far more forgiving when hunting

 

[sharp88]

The information I have been given is most usefull.

Iv got some commissions for the future already. A mate of mine in Steyning needs some magpies gotten rid of and theres plenty of rabbits to be gotten rid of at his dad's house, because the poor old fellow is in a nursing home and my mate hasnt been able to go round there to bag any. Im going to do some other plodding around as well later.

To set that in stone I just need to get round to some target practice.

 

[decorum]

Sharp88 before you go any further you need to check the law - I don't know your age but you mentioned doing your A levels. Legal age to possess an airgun is about to be raised to 18, if it hasn't already (this also means that under 18 you can't possess pellets either). Possessing is not the same as owning, you don't need to own something to have it in your possession.

Be careful Too Much Kit To Carry, the Police don't have to use the pellets which you know to come in on or under the limit - they can use any type of pellet to check your rifles muzzle velocity and people have been caught unawares. The legal situation is that if, without tinkering with the mechanism, a rifle is capable of exceeding the limit you stand the chance of being caught and prosecuted - in this context the word capable is very dangerous as temperature can play a small role in the power an airgun can put out. The arguement that it doesn't exceed the limits with your usual pellets will carry no weight at all.

If the property you shoot on backs onto or borders someone elses property you need to either get their permission to shoot or keep well away from their boundary. The reason for this is that if any part of your kit and especially a fired pellet crosses into their property you can be done for armed tresspass.

I'm not an expert on the firearms law, I really do suggest that if anyone goes shooting, make sure that you are familiar with the laws pertaining to firearms.

 

[Too Much Kit To Carry]

Be careful Too Much Kit To Carry, the Police don't have to use the pellets which you know to come in on or under the limit - they can use any type of pellet to check your rifles muzzle velocity and people have been caught unawares. The legal situation is that if, without tinkering with the mechanism, a rifle is capable of exceeding the limit you stand the chance of being caught and prosecuted - in this context the word capable is very dangerous as temperature can play a small role in the power an airgun can put out. The arguement that it doesn't exceed the limits with your usual pellets will carry no weight at all.

Thank you for the advice decorum.

I bought the air rifle which had just been fully serviced and fully tested to conform to the law. I have not altered and tinkered with any of the mechanism. But I find it very interesting your comments most interesting and will have the air rifle checked out for my own peace of mind. Thank you.

Phil.

 

[decorum]

Hi Woodstock,
The best advice I can give you about choosing an airrifle is pop along to:

The Country Store,
Hillside,
Shawbury Lane (1 mile off B4114 opposite Griffin Pub),
Shustoke,
Warwickshire,
B46 2RR.

Tel. 01675 481006.

I've found the staff to be friendly, helpful and willing to share their knowledge. They have good quality second-hand as well as new airrifles - I recently bought an aged Webley from them. The reason I mention second-hand is that it gives you the possiblity of getting a tried and tested rifle whilst being able to move up through the range without stretching the purse strings. My primary airrifle's also second-hand - the guy who owned it before me 'Just couldn't get on with it' & I ended up saving a couple of hundred quid. An expensive bargain?

 

[decorum]

Forgot to put this in my previous post; The Country Store is a bit out of town but it is surrounded by rolling fields and while I was there the other week the staff told me that they were in the process of opening a range on site. This means that if you did want to turn your hand to hunting, it might be possible for you to prove to local landowners that you're the sort of person that they'd want shooting on their land.