which pellet

[The Big Lebowski]

Ah, so over there the big bore air rifles are legally the same level as having an actual cartridge type firearm.

In the Americas, the only place that really does that is Canada and a couple of former British colonies in the Caribbean. In most places they have about the same legal status as a slingshot, even in Mexico.

Unless you order over the web or find a shop that carries them, most of the pellets available locally are the flat head type Crossman pellets you get at Wal-Mart, either .177 or .22. However, I've found that they work fine on smaller game, especially tree squirrels and birds. Air rifles or a high powered slingshot are best for harvesting squirrels out of trees, especially in a populated area. When you are shooting upwards with a .22LR (which is approaching overkill on a squirrel) and you miss, you have sent a bullet on a parabolic trajectory over a populated area. However, I have relatives in Arkansas that shoot them out of the trees with a 20ga and think nothing of it.

Of the big bores, one of the most practical for here is probably the .45 caliber Korean rifles. A careful shot can drop a feral pig or a white tail deer. I like that all you need is a cast bullet, you don't have to rely upon powder and primers which a person can conserve if things get rough.

Yep, in th UK we are limited to air rifles roughly 1/3 of the power that a standard rifle is in the states (based on 30-40ftlb). If you apply for an FAC, you just really have to show the police you have somewhere to use it, a reason for doing so and it will be kept securely when not in use (in very simple terms).

Its maybe not such a bad thing with limited power, as there still seems to be the odd careless person around and tragic accidents have happend, even with reduced power.

I used to be a member of the Talon Owners Group, and had several shooting friends Stateside. The passion for air rifle shooting was just the same, despite a different culture.

Regards, al.

 

[treelore]

Bisley magnums or the pest controls, I use the pest controls on rabbits and tree rats etc and the magnums on flying rats. I know a chap who works for BSA and he said years ago to me use the pellets that your manufactor of your rifle produce as well. But I would do the same as what I do with my centre fire rifles, try different pellets and see what your rifle likes and then stick to them.

 

[santaman2000]

...In the Americas, the only place that really does that is Canada and a couple of former British colonies in the Caribbean. In most places they have about the same legal status as a slingshot...

Almost. Many states place minimum age limits on unsupervised use of BB or pellet guns.

 

[santaman2000]

...Air rifles or a high powered slingshot are best for harvesting squirrels out of trees, especially in a populated area. When you are shooting upwards with a .22LR (which is approaching overkill on a squirrel) and you miss, you have sent a bullet on a parabolic trajectory over a populated area. However, I have relatives in Arkansas that shoot them out of the trees with a 20ga and think nothing of it...

The 22LR is the single most popular round over here for taking squirrels; a 12 or 20 gauge shotgun is a very, very, very close second for that title (there's a reason why #6 shot is referred to as "rabbit and squirrel" shot)

 

[Lee Wright]

Try RWS superdomes as a decent starter, they seem to suit a lot of guns and are nice and reasonable. Air Arms field are a decent pellet in my experience although the soft lead they are made from allows them to become deformed easily, throw the deformed ones away or reprofile the skirts with the head of another pellet but dispose of if the head is deformed.
AA Fields give a circa 10mm group from a kneeling stance from my .22 BSA S10 and a ragged one hole group from rested at my self imposed limit of 35 meters, the brain size on a rabbit is generally overestimated so put plenty of time in on the targets first

 

[Samon]

The advice already mentioned is great and trying several brand/shapes first is wise. Personally I like to use .177 flat heads to nail close range vermin like rats because the light pellet fires very fast and the flat head will cause greater impact damage than a domed. However a decent .177 domed for longer ranges like birds and bunnies, don't be put off by using the light weight .177 pellet for bigger kills as they work brilliantly(and don't drop as much!) .

 

[plastic-ninja]

As has already been said the best one is the one that YOU personally using YOUR rifle can shoot a 20mm group of six at ranges out to about 30 metres or so.
The size of pellet has little influence on the final outcome unless you can put it in the brain of your intended supper.
I shoot .22 in a Logun S16 and have recently bought a Hammerli in .177 for targets.I would be happy to use either of them on bunnies out to about 30 metres
with Bisley Pest Control or Crosman domes.
I also shoot a .20 CO2 pistol occasionally and fancy a .20 rifle instead so I think it will have to go soon.Watch this space.
Cheers , Simon

 

[The Ratcatcher]

My work rifle is an AA s410K in .177, and the only ammunition I use is Prometheus. It shoots a tight group at 30 metres, and gives a nice flat trajectory, which avoids adjusting the scope as the zero range is on line from 8m to 37m. I also use .22 Prometheus in my pistol for despatching cage trapped mink. I get good results with both, in terms of lethallity.