Shooting air rifles

[lizzie]

I kinda doubt this is the forum to ask on, but do any of you shoot air rifles? I bought a cheapie about 6-8 weeks ago, just for the helluvit, and started learning how to shoot it, just for something new to do.:mrgreen:. It turns out that I love shooting it! For a cheap air rifle (Airmaster 77 made by Crosman), it's a pretty accurate little gun- light weight, easy to pump, and fun for plinking and target shooting. I'm shooting groups of 1 or 1 1/2 " consistently, and beer bottle caps are my favorite targets:mrgreen:. The scope that came with it is a piece of crap, but I can see well enough through it, and it holds a zero well.
And now to my question- if I wanted to upgrade to a better air rifle, I would want something small enough for a teenager or small woman, accuracy is a must, speed is secondary as long as it will shoot in the 500-800 fps range. Any recommendations?

 

[Hoplite]

A .22 rifle would probably work. They're pretty cheap and the ammunition is readily avalible and inexpensive.

It's a bit of a step above an air rifle, but not by much.

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

A .22 rifle would probably work. They're pretty cheap and the ammunition is readily avalible and inexpensive.

It's a bit of a step above an air rifle, but not by much.

I second this suggestion.
A Ruger 10/22 is a good all around rifle.
Not crazy expensive with tons of after market options, like a target barrel and different stocks.

 

[lizzie]

Thanks. I've heard rave reviews on the Ruger .22, but one of my target areas has three houses in view, and I'm not willing to take the chance on a stray hitting a house or a person. Air rifles are much safer, and I'm really just shooting for fun.

Plus- I can buy 500 Crosman Premier hollow point pellets for less than 5 dollars.:mrgreen:

 

[Goshin]

A buddy of mine takes his air-rifle shooting very seriously. I can't remember what he's got, but he was bragging on it up and down not long ago (high quality and not too expensive)... let me check and see if I can get ahold of him and I'll ask him what it is.

 

[lizzie]

A buddy of mine takes his air-rifle shooting very seriously. I can't remember what he's got, but he was bragging on it up and down not long ago (high quality and not too expensive)... let me check and see if I can get ahold of him and I'll ask him what it is.

That would be super! Thanks a million!

 

[Goshin]

That would be super! Thanks a million!

He's not home right now, but hang on, I'll get that info for you.


While we're waiting, this is a good site:

http://airrifleusa.com/air_rifles.html


Did you have a price range in mind?

 

[winston53660]

I kinda doubt this is the forum to ask on, but do any of you shoot air rifles? I bought a cheapie about 6-8 weeks ago, just for the helluvit, and started learning how to shoot it, just for something new to do.:mrgreen:. It turns out that I love shooting it! For a cheap air rifle (Airmaster 77 made by Crosman), it's a pretty accurate little gun- light weight, easy to pump, and fun for plinking and target shooting. I'm shooting groups of 1 or 1 1/2 " consistently, and beer bottle caps are my favorite targets:mrgreen:. The scope that came with it is a piece of crap, but I can see well enough through it, and it holds a zero well.
And now to my question- if I wanted to upgrade to a better air rifle, I would want something small enough for a teenager or small woman, accuracy is a must, speed is secondary as long as it will shoot in the 500-800 fps range. Any recommendations?

My parents back yard fence was riddled with BB's. We had a blast pumping those things up and just popping it off.

 

[lizzie]

He's not home right now, but hang on, I'll get that info for you.


While we're waiting, this is a good site:

Air Rifles - Air Rifle USA


Did you have a price range in mind?

No problem, and thanks for the link.

I'm thinking 250-350 dollars including a decent scope. Leaper makes a good air rifle scope that's not too pricey (40-70 dollars). I'm not in a hurry- still just learning.

 

[lizzie]

My parents back yard fence was riddled with BB's. We had a blast pumping those things up and just popping it off.

I wasn't raised around guns of any kind, and my mom would have gone ballastic if we shot at anything.:mrgreen:. I did break out the glass of the back door with a baton one time.:mrgreen:

 

[Goshin]

No problem, and thanks for the link.

I'm thinking 250-350 dollars including a decent scope. Leaper makes a good air rifle scope that's not too pricey (40-70 dollars). I'm not in a hurry- still just learning.

Okay...

Pricey: RWS/Diana

Somewhat Pricey: the better Beeman rifles, Walther "Hunter Talon"

Cheaper but good: Winchester 1000 or GAMO.

 

[Ockham]

I remembered the RWS 350 I shot at a buddy's house a few times. He claimed it had as much velocity as a .22 shooting "shorts" and it was spring fired - not pump or CO2. It was .177 caliber and shot accurate as hell at 50 feet. I don' think his had a scope but it probably could have one put on it. I had a beeman for a while as a kid which was pump and I think I left it out in the rain or something because it rusted shut and that was that.

 

[Goshin]

Just to mention, I got a second "Amen" from another bud on the Winchester 1000, as to quality at a reasonable price.

 

[lizzie]

Just to mention, I got a second "Amen" from another bud on the Winchester 1000, as to quality at a reasonable price.

Thank you very much. I'm not familiar with it, but will definitely try to find some info on it.

 

[Glinda]

A few questions:

I am plagued by rabbits (among other things) in my yard. They eat every freakin' thing I plant. I don't want to kill them, I just want to sting them enough to get the eff out of here, and think twice about coming back.

I tried using paint-gun pellets with a slingshot and I was surprised to find I was damned good at it, but the pellets didn't sting the rabbits enough to make them run very far. Just left 'em with blue butts.

Any suggestions as to what else I might use? I've got a Mossberg 12-gauge (for coyotes, raccoons and other nasty things that want to eat my chickens), but again, I don't really want dead rabbit guts strewn all over my lawn. I just want to sting them bad enough so they run like hell and never look back.

Is an air rifle what I need?

 

[Goshin]

A few questions:

I am plagued by rabbits (among other things) in my yard. They eat every freakin' thing I plant. I don't want to kill them, I just want to sting them enough to get the eff out of here, and think twice about coming back.

I tried using paint-gun pellets with a slingshot and I was surprised to find I was damned good at it, but the pellets didn't sting the rabbits enough to make them run very far. Just left 'em with blue butts.

Any suggestions as to what else I might use? I've got a Mossberg 12-gauge (for coyotes, raccoons and other nasty things that want to eat my chickens), but again, I don't really want dead rabbit guts strewn all over my lawn. I just want to sting them bad enough so they run like hell and never look back.

Is an air rifle what I need?

When I was growing up, we regularly used a pellet-rifle to run off unwanted animals, like stray cats and dogs. The pellet rifle we had was not especially high powered, and many stray cats would run off but come back another day.

My buddy uses the Winchester 1000 to kill squirrels with headshots. It might not kill a rabbit, but I think it would certainly get their attention.

 

[lizzie]

I am pretty objective when it comes to pesty animals on the farm. Rabbit is excellent to eat (if you aren't already aware). The problem I would have with using a pellet rifle is that you may not kill them, but you could very well maim them, making them vulnerable to other predators. I personally favor killing an animal to eat over injuring it just because it's getting on my nerves, but that's just me.

Pellets would probably run the rabbits off if you use a low power rifle, but I really doubt rabbits have the ability to connect the dots, and there are people who hunt squirrels and other small game with air rifles, so they can be deadly to rabbits. Maybe I'm wrong, but it may or may not achieve your desired results. Sorry I couldn't really be any help.

 

[Goshin]

I am pretty objective when it comes to pesty animals on the farm. Rabbit is excellent to eat (if you aren't already aware). The problem I would have with using a pellet rifle is that you may not kill them, but you could very well maim them, making them vulnerable to other predators. I personally favor killing an animal to eat over injuring it just because it's getting on my nerves, but that's just me.

Pellets would probably run the rabbits off if you use a low power rifle, but I really doubt rabbits have the ability to connect the dots, and there are people who hunt squirrels and other small game with air rifles, so they can be deadly to rabbits. Maybe I'm wrong, but it may or may not achieve your desired results. Sorry I couldn't really be any help.

Well yeah, frankly I know nothing about shooting rabbits with air rifles. We typically shot them in the noggin with a .22 and threw them in the pot. :mrgreen:

Animals can be extremely stubborn about anything involving food or sex. Cats are probably far smarter than rabbits, but they'd come back repeatedly after being stung with a pellet gun if there was food to be stolen, or a female cat in heat nearby.

 

[Glinda]

I am pretty objective when it comes to pesty animals on the farm. Rabbit is excellent to eat (if you aren't already aware). The problem I would have with using a pellet rifle is that you may not kill them, but you could very well maim them, making them vulnerable to other predators. I personally favor killing an animal to eat over injuring it just because it's getting on my nerves, but that's just me.

Pellets would probably run the rabbits off if you use a low power rifle, but I really doubt rabbits have the ability to connect the dots, and there are people who hunt squirrels and other small game with air rifles, so they can be deadly to rabbits.

Yeah, I don't want them to be maimed either. Just gone. (And you're right; they're not particularly smart critters). Maybe I need to start looking at recipes for rabbit stew.

 

[lizzie]

Cats are probably far smarter than rabbits, but they'd come back repeatedly after being stung with a pellet gun if there was food to be stolen, or a female cat in heat nearby.

Exactly. Rabbits aren't too bright in my experience. But they make an excellent gumbo!

 

[lizzie]

Yeah, I don't want them to be maimed either. Just gone. (And you're right; they're not particularly smart critters). Maybe I need to start looking at recipes for rabbit stew.

In all honestly, rabbit is one of my favorites for eating. We don't have many here because we have two cats who love to hunt.:mrgreen: Maybe outdoor cats is what you need.

 

[Goshin]

Yeah, I don't want them to be maimed either. Just gone. (And you're right; they're not particularly smart critters). Maybe I need to start looking at recipes for rabbit stew.

If you're not overly fond of rabbit stew, no-kill cage traps can be put out for them. As for the captured bunnies, you could sell them, give them away, or find someone who WANTS more rabbits on their place (for hunting) and release them there.

 

[Glinda]

In all honestly, rabbit is one of my favorites for eating. We don't have many here because we have two cats who love to hunt.:mrgreen: Maybe outdoor cats is what you need.

I've got a couple of cats, but they're strictly indoor. Outdoor cats tend to get carried off my hawks and owls and eagles, in this neck of the woods.

Care to pass along your best rabbit recipe?

 

[lizzie]

I've got a couple of cats, but they're strictly indoor. Outdoor cats tend to get carried off my hawks and owls and eagles, in this neck of the woods.

Care to pass along your best rabbit recipe?

Yeah, we've lost a couple of small cats to owls too, and they caused colony abandonment of my small purple martin colony three years ago.
Our outdoor cats are always cats that wander up after someone dumps them along the creek. I believe one of them was born in the wild and had no exposure to humans until she showed up here, because it took two months of feeding her before she would let me touch her. Wildest cat I've ever known.:mrgreen:, but now I can't sit in a chair outside without her being in my lap and/or face.

As to recipes- my favorite way to cook rabbit is in gumbo, and my recipe is tedious to make and an all-day affair, but if you want the recipe, I'll give it to you next week after I dig it out of it's hiding place (I have to work over the weekend).

Other than that, rabbit is good for just about any stew recipe, it's just that it takes quite awhile to cook to a tender stage. It's organic (if it lives here), low in fat, and no added junk from the farm.

 

[TurtleDude]

I kinda doubt this is the forum to ask on, but do any of you shoot air rifles? I bought a cheapie about 6-8 weeks ago, just for the helluvit, and started learning how to shoot it, just for something new to do.:mrgreen:. It turns out that I love shooting it! For a cheap air rifle (Airmaster 77 made by Crosman), it's a pretty accurate little gun- light weight, easy to pump, and fun for plinking and target shooting. I'm shooting groups of 1 or 1 1/2 " consistently, and beer bottle caps are my favorite targets:mrgreen:. The scope that came with it is a piece of crap, but I can see well enough through it, and it holds a zero well.
And now to my question- if I wanted to upgrade to a better air rifle, I would want something small enough for a teenager or small woman, accuracy is a must, speed is secondary as long as it will shoot in the 500-800 fps range. Any recommendations?

I own dozens. the absolute best air rifle in that range is a Beeman R7 or the slightly cheaper HW 30. shoots in the high 600 level. wonderful trigger. Very accurate-my 12 year old son and I both use them. I have everything to the ultra powerful Theoben Nitrogen Ram guns and the Beeman Rx-1 that go over 1100 FPS as well as a couple Air Arms PCP repeaters to A Feinwerkbau 601 Olympic and the Anschutz PCP olympic as well as the Old Webley/Beeman 25 caliber Kodiak that I kill coyotes with and the R7 is my favorite