Air pistols: a feasible hunting tool?

[sharp88]

I came about this website a while back http://www.airgunhunters.com/Gallery2.html and it made me wonder, what are the limits of an air pistol?

I'v never really thought of an air pistol as a feasible tool for small game hunting - maybe as a coup de grat or final blow tool if your not too keen on using your hands.

I wonder at what ranges you could take say a pidgeon or a squirrel. I would imagin range would be a great factor, as well as a great deal of marksmanship.

Has anyone ever used an air pistol to take small quarry?

 

[spamel]

6 ft lbs compared to an air rifles 12, you have half the power if that. It really isn't humane to kill anything over rat sized from more than ten paces with a pistol!

 

[sharp88]

Thats what I thought. Trust the over fed Americans to take it a bit too far, shooting birds with Gamo BB guns aswel. Air pistols are just a bit of fun really.

 

[grebo247365]

If your looking for a lightweight air weapon try a crossman ratcatcher, its a small co2 powered rifle and the stock screws off quite easily if you want to put it in a pack, you could probably take squirrel and small birds with one, I used to have one for plinking a few years back, it was quite accurate and has no recoil.

 

[sharp88]

Im into a 'phase' again, even though Im happy with an AA S400 that Im learning to shoot well with and that I spent tonnes of S&I money on lol it was mean't for a car.

I was just curious is all, perhaps if they were more powerful I'd purchase one and use it for lightweight hunting perposes.

I went off Crosman after I found out there Rabbitstopper sucked.

 

[Bernie Garland]

an air pistol at 6ft lbs as way under powered for vermin
the ony problem now with air weapons is you have to have written permission for vermin control,where ever you go for pigeons,rabbits and squirrels, and if caught without permission are liable for prosecution, the days of a stroll down the river with your airgun are over

 

[demographic]

With the amazing capability of the 6 foot pounds muzzle energy you too can kill an edible doormouse...

Yay

 

[Shewie]

I had a Webley Hurricane when I was a kid, it was good fun but nowhere near powerful enough for a kill of any description. Used to shoot upturned matches from about 20yds which was cool, especially when you add an aerosol can into the equation.

 

[BushTucker]

I still go with catapults.
I had a hurricane as a youth and shot a bird from 10 feet in the chest, a few feathers and the bugger flew off.
A catapult will take it down as long as you can hit it......At 20 feet or so with a catapult I can hit a bird usually on the 2nd shot, first one is practice, height, wind and soberness equation.
Dont like guns, sorry

 

[pothunter]

From memory air pistols are not legal to hunt with full stop.

From a practical point of view useless.

If you are after something compact try a bullpup style Co2 rifle, although personally I think they are hugely over priced and would much rather have a .22 rimfire for bunnies etc.

If you are after something for pothunting a catapult as previously suggested.

Pothunter.

 

[FGYT]

there is no law in UK AFAIK That bans hunting with air pistols

the USA dos not have a 6ft lb limit and most of those you see will be custom specials and doing 10-12 ft lbs some well over this 24ftlb air pistols are not unusual
others are the ratcatcher as its known over here and are clasified as Rifles

so no hunting with a UK 6ftlbs CO2 massproduced pile of junk isnt a good idea

but a high powered custome Job is possible but still a lot harder than a Basic rifle kit

a few years ago i used a Custom Ratcatcher (so clasiffied as a Rifle) with std barrel but new internals tweeked to a massive 10ft lbs a resonable power increase but most of the work was to get accuracy and consistancy of power etc this combined wit ha £1500 night sight made a great close Ratting gun and for Feral pigions inside buildings in the dark ( yes i did have the relavant DEFRA licence) but i wouldnt use it for rabbits n squirrels at range

though an FAC Air pistol is theortically possible i know of no target disapline that used one so you wouldnt get on on range use only and i expect getting one for hunting would be difficult we al;ways joked about settin up a Longrange air pistol sillouette comp just to get FAC airpistols

ATB

Duncan

 

[nicodiemus]

Pretty sure UK firearms law woudl make an FAC pistol impossible and illegal.. Good friend of mine with a set of 2 rifles and a pistol all handmade FAC had to turn in his air pistol in when the law changed. They gave him 100 quid for it, it was part of a £3k set.

 

[FGYT]

Pretty sure UK firearms law woudl make an FAC pistol impossible and illegal.. Good friend of mine with a set of 2 rifles and a pistol all handmade FAC had to turn in his air pistol in when the law changed. They gave him 100 quid for it, it was part of a £3k set.

no i still maintain its legal this is the Met Police page while not actual legal document and its the police doing its one of the better quick refs for Fire arms
http://www.met.police.uk/firearms-enquiries/airguns1.htm

the only Illegal Pistols recently where the Brocock Cartrige guns which where made Section 5 but a special FAC could be applied for current owners to keep them though they could never sell them on

as i say the main problem for FAC pistol i see is finding a good reason to have one granted


ATB

Duncan

 

[sharp88]

I don't understand the popularity of airguns in America. They have all that land and you can buy a rifle without a licence at 18 and a handgun at 21. Whats the point in airguns .22s over there are cheaper than airguns anyway. Must be a fetish.

 

[Buckshot]

though an FAC Air pistol is theortically possible

I dissagree Duncan
Once it goes over the 6ft/lbs limit it becomes subject to all the normal restrictions and controls within the full firearms legislation. Handguns are banned to all extents and purposes (except for antique weapons, loose black powder and VERY occasionally humane despatch of deer, none of which help here) therefore FAC air pistols are also banned.

My local Police team are very helpfull with advice, give yours a go and ask, I'm sure you'll get a no from them.
Shame really becasue that might make an interesting sport...

Mark

 

[SteveUK]

Airguns are totaly different to firearms, being cheaper to run and requireing a great deal of fieldcraft to get the best from them, this challenge is the reason that airguns are still popular even in the USA, in certain states you can shoot vermin with an airgun inside city limits but you can't discharge a firearm. Airguns are relativley silent to use, remember silencers/suppresors are illeagal in the US.

 

[British Red]

Actually Steve, they aren't - they do carry a $200 tax stamp and more than the normal restrictions but a number of my US buddies use them. Its roughly the equivalent of them being Section 5 restricted in the UK. They aren't immediately accesible but they are available if you are willing to fill in the form and pay the fee

Red

 

[nicodiemus]

There are clubs in most of the states where you can shoot suppressed SMG's, assault rifles and such. Been to one in Texas. Great fun.

I second Red's statement.

 

[FGYT]

I dissagree Duncan
Once it goes over the 6ft/lbs limit it becomes subject to all the normal restrictions and controls within the full firearms legislation. Handguns are banned to all extents and purposes (except for antique weapons, loose black powder and VERY occasionally humane despatch of deer, none of which help here) therefore FAC air pistols are also banned.

My local Police team are very helpfull with advice, give yours a go and ask, I'm sure you'll get a no from them.
Shame really becasue that might make an interesting sport...

Mark

the law bans handguns on barrel length an overall length as you say .......But airguns are Oks due to an exclusion which you have missed out

Section 5 includes
(aba) any firearm which either has a barrel less than 30cm in length or is less than 60cm in length overall, other than an air weapon, a muzzle-loading gun or a firearm designed as signalling apparatus.

please quote the sections correctly

so a FAC airpistol is as valid as a muzzle loading black powder pistol or a flare pistol (though the 12ga conversion sleeves are illegal)
antuqie are Section 7

this is something ive had discussions with with several police FAC deps gun dealers etc etc over many years
Local police FAC units are very variable on their knowlege and application of the letter of the act depending on the counties experince an the Chief inspectors Views

ATB

Duncan

 

[sharp88]

How do they upgrade to FAC? Is it just like a bigger air resovoir, thus more air pressure or do they change the valve to let more air propell the pellet? And do the cops still hassle you now n then, knocking on your door to see if your guns are locked up?