Air rifle question.

[Mike8472]

I want to start getting into air rifle shooting but havent a clue!

Eventually I want to shoot rabbits for the pot. My inlaws have some land so I will be doing the shooting there.

I will prob be starting with target shooting in the garden until I get good enough to hit something where I intended to aim at.

What would be my best option .177, .22? Spring/CO2? my budget is around £100 ideally.

 

[mace242]

For £100 you should just about get a second hand .22 springer. You will need scope, etc too but second hand you should just about be ok. I would recommend finding somebody experienced or joining a club. They will be able to help you get good enough and let you know when you are. I woukd say you're looking to achieve 20p sized groups at 50, 40, 30 and 20 yards prone and 30 yards standing. Thats what I worked towards before a I went out.

 

[blacktimberwolf]

£100 should just about cover a tin of pellets ...........Don't forget the pneumatics...they have several advantages over the spring powered guns....... they can be charged ready to fire for long periods ( will eventually weaken a springer) ..... no recoil & you can adjust the power, less for plinking, max for hunting.
A cheap 4x 20 scope (parallax adjusted to 30 yards) is all you'll need & for hunting you will need a gun that shoots to the maximum legal limit (12 ft lbs) which is roughly a muzzle velocity of 600 fps in .22 & 700fps in.177
Some will tell you that they shoot rabbits from 50 yards but to put all the chances on your side ( & the bunnies) for a clean kill, 30 yards should be your limit.

 

[mace242]

I totally agree with the range and wasn't clear. I like to ensure that I am accurate to 50 yards but don't shoot much beyond 30. I am zeroed at 30 but shooting to 40 and 20 and places between help me know where to aim over and under, etc.

 

[Mike8472]

Which would be the best to go for .177 or .22?

It will prob be quite a while before i change it for something else. Im going to be majorly skint after i get married in september.

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[vizsla]

Id go for a springer 177 with the right pellets you get more distance and a good punch

 

[mace242]

For what you want to pay it wont make much differece. Bear in mind that 177 flies flatter than 22. Both will take bunnies as accuracy is what matters most. Get the best you can for the money. Or, and this'll be the cat among the pigeons, save half the money, buy something nice for the new Mrs with rhe other half and save until you have 150 or 200. Itll go further and you may not end up replacing it too quick if you end up shooting a bit.

 

[adestu]

to be honest unless your very lucky you wont get much of a decent hunting rifle for a 100 quid even without a scope.as said .177 does fly flatter but you have to be spot on with pellet placement as the smaller pellet carries less impact energy and with a rifle of the price range even at 30 yards could be difficult.its down to how consistant it is shot to shot.i shoot an air arms s410 pnematic 10 shot in .22.it has alot of clout which can allow for minor accuracy issues.by accuracy i mean brain shots only.i have on occasion taken bunnies out to 45 yards but from a rest.it takes pratice and a state of mind.throw a spanner in the works and consider .20 as an inbetween. save your money as buying a cheap rifle now will only be upgraded later i guarantee it.put a request on the wedding list for a set up.
have a look at airgun bbs.

 

[Johnnyboy1971]

Mike, where in West yorks are you?

 

[Andy BB]

Bunnies have a really fragile skull - at 30 yards you should be capable of putting a shot ideally between eye and ear in profile. A .177 will kill easily there (in fact tests show that to kill a rabbit with a head shot only requires about 4lb/ft of force, so even with a 10lb/ft air-rifle, you'll still have plenty of oomph to spare at 30 yards). Of course, so will a .22, but you'll get greater drop at that range - as has been said the .177 has a flatter trajectory. But please, before you hunt, make sure you're capable of putting repeated shots into a 1p target at 30 yards - if you hunt you should always wan an instant kill-shot.

The comment about wanting to upgrade your airgun in time is quite true. Trouble is, there'll always be something better than your gun out there, so "upgrading" tends to be an ongoing process anyway!

 

[ex-member BareThrills]

For hunting id be looking at a .22 pneumatic. the ability to call on a second shot quickly is always a bonus when hunting and the lack of recoil makes it easy to get good grouping. Will be above your budget though. Springers reqire a lot of skill to get good groups with so from a purist point of view tend to make you a better shooter. Any tom dick or Harry can be a crack shot with a pneumatic but it gives you a kill shot 9 times out of ten. Ive shot both and was shockingly poor with a springer at 30 yards but with a pneumatic i could knock the hairs of a knats Bo***cks

 

[adestu]

Give yourself an inch kill zone at realistic ranges and youll have bunny pie every night.regardless of caliber it's knowing your aimpoints at various ranges that's the skill.

 

[Adze]

Give yourself an inch kill zone at realistic ranges and youll have bunny pie every night.regardless of caliber it's knowing your aimpoints at various ranges that's the skill.

Not to mention knowing the ranges based on nothing more than experience.

 

[ex-member BareThrills]

A milldot scope will help with range adjustments but like the guys say, judging distance is an art in itself

 

[adestu]

If you're on unfamiliar territory use a laser rangefinder.

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[Steve13]

Go 22 cal and a good springer ,with round or flat headed pellets , no nead for a scope until you learn to shoot properly then a fixed 4x is more than good enough , keep your range down to 20-25 yrds and learn to get close , that is the real skill and links well into bushcraft.

Practice on paper targets to get all your shots inside a 30mm dia and only then try on animals

Always respect your quarry and eat what you kill

 

[Mike8472]

Thanks for the advice i think im going to get myself a 2nd hand springer for now cheap to practice with and save up while im doing so to eventually buy a decent one.

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[Sttrory]

Have a look at Blackpool airrifle site good selection of secondhand gear

 

[peaks]

Manchester Airguns also very good for 2nd hand, good gunsmith and provide good advice/service. No affiliation etc, just a very satisfied customer of over 10yrs.

 

[ZEbbEDY]

Ive got a hatsan 60 S. Cost 115 new and was good for the price, then i tuned it with a welsh willy tuning kit and now shoots like a much more expensive model, so they can be upgraded... The smk 19s are supposed to be decent with a tune also