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vegplot

Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 21301
Location: Bethesda, Gwynedd

Posted: Fri Sep 17, 10 9:39 pm Post subject:

Bernie66 wrote:

vegplot wrote:

Wouldn't shoot rabbits with an air rifle myself. Wood pigeon shooting is controlled by the Wildlife and Countryside Act.

It depends on how close you get. I can spend three hours on shooting nothing when using an air rifle which probably wouldn't apply with a FAC gun. Or be lucky and stalk well and get a couplequickly. Fieldcraft is essential.

It's something I wouldn't do from personal choice.

misty07

Joined: 22 Jan 2010
Posts: 2223
Location: swindon wiltshire

Posted: Fri Sep 17, 10 9:40 pm Post subject:
am a marksmen on air rifles well a few yrs ago so can shoot air rifles ok just need to make sure i know what i can shoot and when il eat what il shoot and dispatch anything i injure with in reason but im not aiming to injure im aiming to kill im only target tbh and 50p is a bit to big at to short a distance i would go for 10 p or a 2 p coin myself smaller if i can get it

vegplot

Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 21301
Location: Bethesda, Gwynedd

Posted: Fri Sep 17, 10 9:40 pm Post subject: Re: .22 air rifle

daddymatty82 wrote:

basicly what wot would you shoot and where would you shoot? as i want to get some rabbits and pidgins?

Have a look at this for guidance on wood pigeons..

https://www.basc.org.uk/en/codes-of-practice/woodpigeon-shooting.cfm

vegplot

Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 21301
Location: Bethesda, Gwynedd

Posted: Fri Sep 17, 10 9:41 pm Post subject:

daddymatty82 wrote:

am a marksmen on air rifles well a few yrs ago so can shoot air rifles ok just need to make sure i know what i can shoot and when il eat what il shoot and dispatch anything i injure with in reason but im not aiming to injure im aiming to kill im only target tbh and 50p is a bit to big at to short a distance i would go for 10 p or a 2 p coin myself smaller if i can get it

Good attitude to have. Both rabbit and pigeon are tasty fayre.

matt_hooks

Joined: 01 Aug 2010
Posts: 312
Location: Lambourn(ish) Berkshire

Posted: Sat Sep 18, 10 8:36 pm Post subject:

If you search the BASC website there's a list of legal airgun quarry. Pigeons you need to show that they are a pest, and that other reasonable means of preventing them being a pest have been tried.
Rabbits are good airgun quarry. Know your limitations, and those of your gun. The energy required to kill a rabbit is very low, around about 3 foot lbs at the point of impact, maybe less, as long as you put the pellet in the right place. Get lots of practice, your kill zone is about 25mm (1 inch) so make sure that the majority of your shots fall within that size group at the range you hope to shoot at. The absolute maximum realistic hunting range for a non FAC air rifle is around 40 yards, if you're very good. Some people claim to shoot further away, and indeed some DO shoot rabbits succesfully further away, but for the sake of a humane kill it's not recommended.

The three priorities of the hunter, in order of importance, are.

1:- Safety. Obviously
2:- A Humane Kill
3:- minimum meat damage

Rabbit is great meat, I love eating it, and nothing tastes better than food that you know the history of, and have killed/grown yourself.

Wood child

Joined: 08 Jun 2010
Posts: 45

Posted: Mon Dec 06, 10 6:37 pm Post subject:
I love rabbit pie, but I was wondering about the 'killzone'. Is it really so small? If I hit the rabbit, say, below the shoulder, will another shot be required? I cannot believe that a rabbit can only be killed if shot in such a small place.

Shane

Joined: 31 Oct 2005
Posts: 3467
Location: Doha. Is hot.

Posted: Tue Dec 07, 10 4:15 am Post subject:
If you shoot it with an air rifle, you need to hit it in a small zone behind the eye and below the ear. If you can't hit a target that small every time, don't try to shoot live quary.

bigpaul

Joined: 06 Mar 2012
Posts: 62
Location: North West Devon

Posted: Tue Mar 06, 12 5:10 pm Post subject:
you need permission to shoot somewhere, you cant just walk down the road taking potshots at anything that moves!

Colin & Jan

Joined: 03 Mar 2006
Posts: 203
Location: Dover, Kent

Posted: Tue Mar 06, 12 6:53 pm Post subject:

An air rifle in the right hands is a suitable tool for rabbits up to 25 meters. In my younger days I shot dozens; probably hundreds, with an old 'Original' .177 break-barrel air rifle. It taught me an awful lot about field craft and was great fun. Killing lots; as I do now with a .22 and lamp doesn't seem so my fun.

Aim for the head; if you hit, it generally results in a kill. With body shots there is much more chance of wounding.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46233
Location: yes

Posted: Thu Mar 08, 12 12:35 am Post subject:

umm recently i have had issues with bunny hunting ,safety ,long vegitation ,bunnies with a sense of humour etc

in the past

head shot to 40 m =kill with non fac air powered springer

front on chest shot at 20m m is fairly effective with a flat top ,in and out with enough mess to give a fast death (,50 m for rats)

very close is good if range is a limit to delivered energy 12ft lb is about 6 after 40 m with most pellets

chest or head shot with 30ftlb fac =kill if you hit it up to 50 m

fac air weapon is ideal for bunny ,good safety if used well

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Thu Mar 08, 12 8:17 am Post subject:

matt_hooks wrote:

Rabbit is great meat, I love eating it, and nothing tastes better than food that you know the history of, and have killed/grown yourself.

I agree with that, which is why given the choice I would rather eat a home reared chicken than a wild rabbit or pigeon.
I'm very wary these days with the increased industrialisation of agriculture, & its reliance on agro-chemicals, that everything bunny & woody are eating might not be all that wholesome.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46233
Location: yes

Posted: Thu Mar 08, 12 3:59 pm Post subject:

bunny eats close to home so like foraging shellfish know the local hazards

the only thing i have heard of is that they can eat enough solinacii spp to deliver a toxic dose by eating a whole bunny per person

it aint common but it has happened afaik

part of hunting is observation of the environment and the implications of what you learn

at 30 m you should be very aware of what they are having for dinner

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Thu Mar 08, 12 6:15 pm Post subject:
I know from experience that there are certain times of year when I don't like eating wood pigeon. When they are grazing young oil seed rape plants they can be tainted with brassica flavour & now when they are eating ivy, again because of taint. You are what you eat goes for game as well as us.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46233
Location: yes

Posted: Thu Mar 08, 12 11:58 pm Post subject:
yep

Ruralnaedowell

Joined: 11 Nov 2010
Posts: 121
Location: Welshpool

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 12 2:16 am Post subject:
I would join the airgunbbs.com forum which has loads of airgun and shotgun/ rifle info,

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