Conservative Political Forum

General Category => Survival Tips => Topic started by: Murph on August 04, 2012, 05:01:58 PM

Title: Air rifles
Post by: Murph on August 04, 2012, 05:01:58 PM
They're cheap, the ammo is cheap, if you know how to use 'em they're accurate. I was thinking that air rifles would make excellent light duty survival tools. You can buy 1000 rounds for about twelve dollars and they will less than 10oz if you're using alloy pellets. Break barrel guns typically offer highest velocities and most economic pricing, PCP is generally more expensive and requires an air compressor or high pressure pum, but offers repeating fire, Co2 is all over the board in terms of price, with having velocitiesof 600fps to 800fps. Multi pump is very economical with guns around $40 these can gereally also use steel BBs velocity is depending on the number of pumps.  Pistols are also available in all of these variations generally very light, but with slightly less power these can be kept handy in a backpack or at your side, some can be used with detachable shoulder stocks.I know that there are some very notable trade offs, lead pellets weigh generally about 10gr, with alloy pellets at about 5gr(weights for .177 pellets). Naturally .20,.22,.25 caliber pellets weigh more and have more energy. .22 caliber is in my opinion ideal, fairly good sized projectile, good velocity 850fps is typical with break barrel guns. Of course these would not be effective against large game, though I have heard of deer being dropped by idiots with air guns, these are most effective on small game such as rabbit and squirrel, and sometimes predators such as coyote. They offer little in terms of self defense, with super light projectiles and slow loading, but nevertheless thaey are better than nothing in a survival scenario.
Opinions?
Title: Re: Air rifles
Post by: Solar on August 04, 2012, 05:32:53 PM
Good points...
There is also another advantage to them, especially if you are trying to avoid attention, they're quiet, no one will hear you beyond 100'.

About 50 years ago, I was with a church group, the old man that took us up to the mountains for the day had an old pump pellet rifle.
He said see that rabbit over there? I'll scare they carrot farts out of him.
He fired and the jack rabbit only flinched and he claimed he hit him, so he fired a shot at the dirt in front of him, dust flew up in the rabbits face.
So we all started walking towards the rabbit still sitting there, walked right up to it, he pushed it with the barrel of the gun and it fell over.
He either died of shock, or hit it's heart so hard it stopped dead in it's tracks.

Needless to say, we kids were traumatized, "You killed a Bunny....wah!!!" :laugh:
Title: Re: Air rifles
Post by: Murph on August 05, 2012, 08:02:22 AM
Definitely a usefull trait, if you have supersonic velocities you can make a pretty decent supressor out of just a soda bottle and some tape.
Title: Re: Air rifles
Post by: tbone0106 on August 05, 2012, 11:43:57 AM
When I was a kid, a buddy of mine had a Sheridan Blue Streak. Used .20 cal. pellets, which I think is, or was, exclusive to Sheridan. We were messing around out behind his house one day a shot a woodpecker with that thing. It literally tore the bird's head off, which surprised the shit out of me!

My buddy took the gun back, reloaded it and pumped it 11 or 12 times, and said, "That's nothin'. Watch this." He swung around and fired a pellet through both sides of an old galvanized steel garbage can.

Pellet guns ain't toys.
Title: Re: Air rifles
Post by: Solar on August 05, 2012, 01:21:18 PM
Quote from: tbone0106 on August 05, 2012, 11:43:57 AM
When I was a kid, a buddy of mine had a Sheridan Blue Streak. Used .20 cal. pellets, which I think is, or was, exclusive to Sheridan. We were messing around out behind his house one day a shot a woodpecker with that thing. It literally tore the bird's head off, which surprised the shit out of me!

My buddy took the gun back, reloaded it and pumped it 11 or 12 times, and said, "That's nothin'. Watch this." He swung around and fired a pellet through both sides of an old galvanized steel garbage can.

Pellet guns ain't toys.
Thank you, I was racking my brain trying to remember the name of his pellet gun, not pretty, but it was a Sheridan.
Not to mention, they are very accurate.
Title: Re: Air rifles
Post by: Ford289HiPo on August 06, 2012, 08:33:29 PM
Quote from: Murph on August 04, 2012, 05:01:58 PM
I know that there are some very notable trade offs, lead pellets weigh generally about 10gr, with alloy pellets at about 5gr(weights for .177 pellets). Naturally .20,.22,.25 caliber pellets weigh more and have more energy. .22 caliber is in my opinion ideal, fairly good sized projectile, good velocity 850fps is typical with break barrel guns.

I recently bought thew wife a Beeman break barrel pellet gun. It came with the .177 and .22cal barrels. We found that it's highly accurate with .177 pellets at 25 - 30 meters. The .22 pellets seem to have poor ballistics though. Where we aim directly at a target with .177, we have to aim a full target form higher using .22cal pellets.
Also, .177 pellets will cleanly penetrate a #10 can at 25 meters.

Quote from: Murph on August 04, 2012, 05:01:58 PM
Of course these would not be effective against large game, though I have heard of deer being dropped by idiots with air guns, these are most effective on small game such as rabbit and squirrel, and sometimes predators such as coyote.

I don't know about the deer. We've shot several of the scrawny things in our area with the pellet gun and they aren't affected that much. Small game would easily be dropped though.

The Mrs really likes it because we can shoot on our 5 acre property without nosy neighbors complaining, and I like it because I didn't have to buy her a Circuit Judge in .410/.45long.
Title: Re: Air rifles
Post by: kramarat on August 07, 2012, 04:14:01 AM
I have an air rifle pellet gun. I'm pretty sure I could bring down a squirrel or bird with it, in a survival situation.

I'll set up cans in my front yard, sit on the porch, drink beer, and target practice with the cans. It's the absolute cheapest way to go, for target practice and improving accuracy. Plus, I can drink beer...................which I don't do while firing the real guns. :wink:
Title: Re: Air rifles
Post by: AndyJackson on January 09, 2013, 01:16:59 PM
lol, didn't know this thread was out here.  Didn't mean to poach / plagiarize you.
Title: Re: Air rifles
Post by: Ford289HiPo on January 13, 2013, 06:27:02 PM
Quote from: Ford289HiPo on August 06, 2012, 08:33:29 PM

I don't know about the deer. We've shot several of the scrawny things in our area with the pellet gun and they aren't affected that much. Small game would easily be dropped though.
OK, I have to correct that statement. I did manage to take a deer with the pellet gun. Chest shot at 20 meters. It walked 30 ft and dropped.

Quote from: Ford289HiPo on August 06, 2012, 08:33:29 PM
The Mrs really likes it because we can shoot on our 5 acre property without nosy neighbors complaining, and I like it because I didn't have to buy her a Circuit Judge in .410/.45long.
Yeah, well........the Mrs DID get that Circuit Judge after all.
Title: Re: Air rifles
Post by: Murph on January 13, 2013, 09:22:25 PM
Quote from: Ford289HiPo on January 13, 2013, 06:27:02 PM
OK, I have to correct that statement. I did manage to take a deer with the pellet gun. Chest shot at 20 meters. It walked 30 ft and dropped.
Yeah, well........the Mrs DID get that Circuit Judge after all.

What sort of gun and pellet did you use?
BTW, How is the Circuit Judge?
Title: Re: Air rifles
Post by: mhughes on January 14, 2013, 07:20:37 AM
My father-in-law owns a christmas tree farm.  On the farm last summer, a small herd of deer moved in.  All summer long, he worked in close proximity of them, eventually they got closer and closer to him without worrying.

Come deer season, he was walking with his air rifle.  A doe was feeding ~15ft away.  He took aim, and took it down with a single shot to the neck.

Lucky shot?  Probably.  But still impressive.
Title: Re: Air rifles
Post by: Solar on January 14, 2013, 08:33:14 AM
Quote from: mhughes on January 14, 2013, 07:20:37 AM
My father-in-law owns a christmas tree farm.  On the farm last summer, a small herd of deer moved in.  All summer long, he worked in close proximity of them, eventually they got closer and closer to him without worrying.

Come deer season, he was walking with his air rifle.  A doe was feeding ~15ft away.  He took aim, and took it down with a single shot to the neck.

Lucky shot?  Probably.  But still impressive.
What area  is his tree farm in?
Title: Re: Air rifles
Post by: mhughes on January 14, 2013, 08:42:50 AM
In MA, ~50 miles west of Boston.
Title: Re: Air rifles
Post by: Solar on January 14, 2013, 08:56:41 AM
Quote from: mhughes on January 14, 2013, 08:42:50 AM
In MA, ~50 miles west of Boston.
Ahh OK, I thought you lived out here in Ca.
Title: Re: Air rifles
Post by: Ford289HiPo on January 14, 2013, 05:37:57 PM
Quote from: Murph on January 13, 2013, 09:22:25 PM
What sort of gun and pellet did you use?
BTW, How is the Circuit Judge?

I used the Beeman break barrel with a .177cal pellet. It sends the pellet downrange at around 1500fps.
It was a cute little button-buck. Tasty too!

We haven't had a chance to take the Circuit Judge to the range yet. She like it because the short stock fits her stature, and with .410 slug, there shouldn't be much recoil for her to contend with.
Title: Re: Air rifles
Post by: AndyJackson on January 15, 2013, 06:57:27 AM
I was kind of suspicious of the idea that the more powerful pellet guns couldn't take a deer.  Or something similar like a coyote, wolf, bobcat.

They're not far off from .22's, and it's all placement - eye, ear, neck, etc.

Same with a bad-guy target.  It's just as well that you would only be wounding and escaping in that scenario, but the various possible outcomes are similar.

These 1200-1500 fps pellets aren't gonna just be bouncing off animals, generally.
Title: Re: Air rifles
Post by: Ford289HiPo on January 15, 2013, 06:44:51 PM
It was surprising, to say the least. I normally shoot them in the hindquarter, but this one was giving me a frontal presentation. I thought I hit it in the shoulder until we found the carcass a few minutes later.
Title: Re: Air rifles
Post by: Cyborg on March 19, 2013, 08:28:08 PM
I did not see it mentioned but they now have .50 Caliber Air Rifles and lesser hunting Calibers.

Take a Look

http://www.quackenbushairguns.com/ (http://www.quackenbushairguns.com/)

http://www.airgundepot.com/big-bore-article.html (http://www.airgundepot.com/big-bore-article.html)
Title: Re: Air rifles
Post by: Solar on March 19, 2013, 08:30:31 PM
Quote from: Cyborg on March 19, 2013, 08:28:08 PM
I did not see it mentioned but they now have .50 Caliber Air Rifles and lesser hunting Calibers.

Take a Look

http://www.quackenbushairguns.com/ (http://www.quackenbushairguns.com/)

http://www.airgundepot.com/big-bore-article.html (http://www.airgundepot.com/big-bore-article.html)
Holy Crap! Thanks for the link. :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Air rifles
Post by: simpsonofpg on May 05, 2013, 03:35:39 PM
Quote from: Ford289HiPo on August 06, 2012, 08:33:29 PM
I recently bought thew wife a Beeman break barrel pellet gun. It came with the .177 and .22cal barrels. We found that it's highly accurate with .177 pellets at 25 - 30 meters. The .22 pellets seem to have poor ballistics though. Where we aim directly at a target with .177, we have to aim a full target form higher using .22cal pellets.
Also, .177 pellets will cleanly penetrate a #10 can at 25 meters.

I don't know about the deer. We've shot several of the scrawny things in our area with the pellet gun and they aren't affected that much. Small game would easily be dropped though.

The Mrs really likes it because we can shoot on our 5 acre property without nosy neighbors complaining, and I like it because I didn't have to buy her a Circuit Judge in .410/.45long.
I prefer a357 magnum it operates using rapidly expaning gas just like an air rifle but will penetrate almost anything.  It is also very effective in protecting your self from people with air rifles.