New airgun varmint hunting member.

V

VarmintAir

New member
Been varmint hunting with powder burners for over 45 years, and close to 35 years with airguns.

Thought I would sign-up and say hello.

Heading over to California in a few weeks for 5 days of ground squirrel hunting with several of my PCP air rifles.

I've got a half dozen airgun varmint hunting trips planned for this year. It's always fun to get out among 'em.

Anybody else varmint hunt with modern adult airguns?


Airgun varmint hunting blog: http://varmintair.typepad.com/varmintairs_blog/
 
I have managed to collect a few airguns over the years. I've let a few go, but my collection currently consists of, by caliber:

.22 cal.

FX 2000- PCP
RWS Rapier- PCP
AA 410ERBSL rifle- PCP
AA 410CRBSL carbine- PCP
FX Monsoon semi-auto- PCP
FX Whisper- PCP
Benjamin Discovery- PCP

.20 cal.

Logun MK II- PCP
Beeman R9- Springer
HW-97-Springer

.177 cal.

FWB 300S Sporter- Springer
FWB 300S Tyrolean- Springer
HW-97- Springer
Benjamin Discovery- PCP

I hunt with all of them, even the FWB 300S rifles. They are usually thought of as 10 meter match rifles. Old technology be today's standards, but I use them to take ground squirrels out to 45 yards with no problems at all.
 
Good to see you here, VarmintAir!/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif

I'm going after nutria, grey diggers, starlings, red sqwerls, etc; making due with my 909, until I can get my hands on another .25 air rifle.

What are your thoughts on .25 caliber?
 
I like the idea of a .25. I'm going to pick something up before the Fall. Going to be looking for a rifle in the 50 to 60 fpe range. I want to go after coyotes with a .25 cal air rifle and shoot video of it. Head shots only.

I've had a conversation with Van at AIRHOG about one of his Air Force rigs. He can make it do pretty much anything I want. I don't need high shot count since it will be a dedicated coyote gun.
 
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Normally I would suggest a larger caliber suited for heart/lung shots.

However I have seen enough of your shooting skills in less than ideal conditions to know you are fully capable of putting that .25 pellet where it needs to go.

Are you aware of the 50-80 grain airgun slugs being made by SureFire? There's your coyote pellet right there. Guys with hot Condors are getting 130fpe using them, and they are retaining more energy out past 80 yards than a .22lr.

I am PM'ing you a link.
 
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I had a chance to experiment on some coyote skulls last Fall, and just out of curiosity, I put some 21 grain Kodiaks doing 920fps into them. They went clear through at 40, and 50 yards. That's about 40 fpe.

I'm thinking for insurance, a 31 grain .25 cal. doing 950 at 60 fpe is more than enough. Over the years, I've called them into 40 and 50 yards many, many times. I'm looking to take head shots only. That's my preferred target on pretty much everything I hunt.

I'll look for the link, thanks.
 
Great thread guys!

I think many would be surprised at the power and accuracy developed by the newer "PCP" and even some of the "Springer" airguns.

I look forward to reading more posts and seeing your results! Most just don't see these new airguns as hunting weapons but I know what they will do...

Keep your shots delegated to close range and make an ethical kill shot!

Welcome to PM "VarmintAir"!

Nikonut /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
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I had a chance to experiment on some coyote skulls last Fall, and just out of curiosity, I put some 21 grain Kodiaks doing 920fps into them. They went clear through at 40, and 50 yards. That's about 40 fpe.

I'm thinking for insurance, a 31 grain .25 cal. doing 950 at 60 fpe is more than enough. Over the years, I've called them into 40 and 50 yards many, many times. I'm looking to take head shots only. That's my preferred target on pretty much everything I hunt.

I'll look for the link, thanks.



yea I've seen a few smaller wild hogs taken with headshots using .25 Kodiaks at around 930-950fps. If they will work on a wild boar, they will certainly do the trick on a coyote with a headshot.

I figured the SureFire slugs would extend the effective range a bit, and help buck the wind. I noticed you seem to find yourself hunting in near-hurricane conditions at times /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Thanks for the welcome. "Modern Adult Airguns" really are in a league all their own. The things I like about them are, they are powerful, amazingly accurate, and many of them are very, very quiet, and for all practical purposes, the standard caliber PCP's are recoilless.

On my way up to hunt prairie dogs with my airguns last year, I stopped in the high country for a day of rock chuck shooting with them also. What a hoot. Head shots at 75 yards were not a problem. Twelve pound chucks dropped like someone had kicked their power cord out of the wall. Too much fun.
 
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I took a look at the slugs. Interesting looking critters. Thanks for the link. If nothing else, I'm patient and won't take a shot unless it's the one I'm looking for. Being retired, I'm not in too much of a hurry about much of anything anymore. LOL.
 
Hi Portland Guy/AirRifleGuy. Do you still have your AA 410? If I recall correctly, you would really lay some hurt on the squeaks with that thing.
 
with my condor and the samyang 32 grns in .22 cal i am getting 64 ft lbs,
with the .25 bbl and the 84.6 gr surfire 9 ring slugs with my setup it will be getting 152 ft lbs and the 9 rings are very accurate ive seen some nice pics of gps with these
heres some pics that surefire has posted on them
9ringat50.jpg

Billsgroup.jpg
 
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Hi Portland Guy/AirRifleGuy. Do you still have your AA 410? If I recall correctly, you would really lay some hurt on the squeaks with that thing.



I currently have:
1) AA400ERB/.177
2) AACRB/.22 (has the Classic air tank)

I am still chasing the ground squirrel but mostly spooking them and playing peekaboo lately.

John
 
Well I got close. I just remember reading some of your stories about hunting ground squirrels, and remembered you used an Air Arms rifle to do it.

I'm starting to get the fever. It's just about time for me to start getting after the wily California ground squirrels again this year. Too much fun.
 
not to hi jack your thread

I just got my new custom built .25 air rifle
It was waiting for me when I got home from work Friday night (1st good thing that happened to me all day)

anyway

my 1st thought on shooting it was that it was a lot louder then I had expected. then after shooting it more, I realized that the gun is actually very quiet (mouse fart quiet), it's the down range crack that I was hearing, so I'm pleased with that part. (I started shooting from inside my garage to a target outside the garage to avoid any interference from the wind. and didn't need any hearing protection at all)

then came the target part, I zeroed in at 50 feet, after a bit of shooting there, to see it holding zero, I went to 100 feet, and did an adjustment at 100, hitting a 2 inch square piece of metal I have hanging. every shot a hit. I then focused on another 2 inch piece of metal hanging at 250 feet, and started whacking it with every shot (again every shot a hit), with no adjustment necessary

I get about 20 maybe 25 shots before having to refill the air tank on the gun.

it flings a 34 gr bullet down range at about 1020 FPS, less then 30 gr, and I get the sonic boom crack, so I'll stick with the heavier pellets

here's a picture of it.
condor.jpg


this will be my go to gun for anything smaller then a raccoon out to 250 feet, which is basically what I can see out in the yard, before the treeline.
 
hey everyone!
all this talk about air guns latley has got me intrested
any info for a novice? links? or refrences?
makes and models of good beginner rifles?
not loookin to spend alot right out of the gate, am willing to spend on quality if needed

Thanks!
HCS
 
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