Thread: Air rifle

I have been hunting with springer for about 5 years , a .177 and a .22. Both drop rabbits , its all about shot placement.
I would be talking to mintie… I know him from the airgun forums and he is a wizzzzzz with air rifles. I actually brought a cometa fusion/swapped with him and still have it .
(hope you don't mind me mentioning this mintie) . I have only just rebuilt the cometa after putting about four tins of pellets thru her.
Anyways springers are great for hunting/plinking.

I nail a few possums about the place with a 22cal multi pump.
Benjamin 392 factory rated to about 12ftlb but tuned to 20ftlb. Possums in trees fall down with 6 pumps out of a possible 14.
For research on individual rifles and types of power plant spend some time here.
https://www.pyramydair.com/blog/
NB multi pumps are fun in that you can shoot very quietly at say 5 mtr with kids on 2 pumps or step it up on fur.
Biggest problem is bullet drop so you need to pick a power level and shoot at intervals out to ????30mtr.
Z

I'm using a .25cal Diana PCP (yep, the Chinese made, German tuned ones), and it's magic on Rabbits and Hares. Might not be the go for using inside a barn, as they carry a fair bit of energy, and will quite possibly put holes in the roofing / cladding.

I guess I'm lucky. The wife enjoys shooting the .22lr and air rifle in the back yard, and the neighbors want all of their rabbits dead.
As for having the boys in blue turning up for using the air rifle at home, the Arms code has the following entry in regards to this. You are covered by the code, so should have no issues.

"Airguns may be used safely at home by setting up a properly
constructed range in your backyard or basement. In this way
you can enjoy your airgun in a safe and responsible way.
• Your range must have a ‘backstop’ e.g. a solid fence or
wall.
• No one should be able to walk between the target and
your airgun while you are shooting.
• The target needs to be fixed to a ‘pellet trap’ e.g. a
cardboard box full of sand."

My 2 cents worth, the right airgun is the most accurate airgun you feel you can afford, including for plinking. An inaccurate airgun will put kids off shooting, just frustrating.

A bit like trying to get a kid interested in science by buying them a crap microscope showing blurry rainbow edges on everything you put under it and try to focus on. Soon tire of that.

Originally Posted by quentin

I'm using a .25cal Diana PCP (yep, the Chinese made, German tuned ones), and it's magic on Rabbits and Hares. Might not be the go for using inside a barn, as they carry a fair bit of energy, and will quite possibly put holes in the roofing / cladding.

I guess I'm lucky. The wife enjoys shooting the .22lr and air rifle in the back yard, and the neighbors want all of their rabbits dead.
As for having the boys in blue turning up for using the air rifle at home, the Arms code has the following entry in regards to this. You are covered by the code, so should have no issues.

"Airguns may be used safely at home by setting up a properly
constructed range in your backyard or basement. In this way
you can enjoy your airgun in a safe and responsible way.
• Your range must have a ‘backstop’ e.g. a solid fence or
wall.
• No one should be able to walk between the target and
your airgun while you are shooting.
• The target needs to be fixed to a ‘pellet trap’ e.g. a
cardboard box full of sand."

All sensible, but as someone pointed out, you just need a hysterical gun hating neighbour. The Arms Code remember is not the law, the following is the law:

Arms Act 1983
"48Discharging firearm, airgun, pistol, or restricted weapon in or near dwellinghouse or public place
Every person commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or to a fine not exceeding $3,000 or to both who, without reasonable cause, discharges a firearm, airgun, pistol, or restricted weapon in or near—
(a) a dwellinghouse; or
(b) a public place,—
so as to endanger property or to endanger, annoy, or frighten any person.
Compare: 1958 No 21 s 16(2B), (3); 1964 No 36 s 6(1)
Section 48: amended, on 1 July 2013, by section 413 of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011 (2011 No 81).
Section 48: amended, on 1 November 1992, by section 25 of the Arms Amendment Act 1992 (1992 No 95).

Obviously this part of the act cannot be used by some gun hater hearing gunfire from a gun range, but I think it is less clear if you have a garden setup, adhering to the arms code will help of course, but you will get some hassle from a bad neighbour.

The "without reasonable course" I highlighted as it seems to be it should have been relied upon by defendants in the past cases, but was not.

Birds in a shed, sounds like a good job for a 177.
Medium power only or you will shoot holes in the tin.
Spring/gas spring as you don't have to worry about varying drops.
But that Cannon 737 multi pump suggested above from youngs would be perfect.
Many of the cheaper Spring air guns require a very high level of holding technique to shoot accurately for minute of Bird at 20 mtr type of stuff.
Fine for shooting cans but not for 1" kills on Sparrows.
Z

Young's Airgun Centre
Cannon 737 $199 plastic stock
http://www.youngsairgun.co.nz/catalogue/airguns&acc.pdf
rated to 1000 fps but I'm betting thats with a PBA / lead free pellet.
Still you probably only want 5-600 fps for birds inside.
P PS Spring guns are typically most efficient with lighter pellets while PCP's and Multi pumps are better with heavier pellets due to having a larger volume of air to accelerate the pellet.

Originally Posted by ZQLewis

Young's Airgun Centre
Cannon 737 $199 plastic stock
http://www.youngsairgun.co.nz/catalogue/airguns&acc.pdf
rated to 1000 fps but I'm betting thats with a PBA / lead free pellet.
Still you probably only want 5-600 fps for birds inside.
P PS Spring guns are typically most efficient with lighter pellets while PCP's and Multi pumps are better with heavier pellets due to having a larger volume of air to accelerate the pellet.

Happy to lend it to Paul to test out. A bit fiddly to load, but reasonably accurate and virtually nothing moving but pellet and air when you give the trigger a squeeze.

I'm tempted to have a look at those pneumatic rifles, I used to have a Sharp Ace but foolishly sold it, my Norica is powerful but has a heavy trigger.

Originally Posted by Fawls

I'm tempted to have a look at those pneumatic rifles, I used to have a Sharp Ace but foolishly sold it, my Norica is powerful but has a heavy trigger.

The Cannon 737 is a copy of the Sharp Innova made under license.

Well I went along to Young's today and picked up a Cannon 737 (wood stock), traded in my old air rifle and swapped some 22 pallets for 177's AND walked out with cash in my pocket! way happy!
A few shots to sight it in (at half power) with open sights (at 22 metres) and even happier, great gun, thanks for the recommendation.

Nice, Ron is a great guy to deal with! Was in there Yesterday myself in fact.

If anyone is interested I'll be listing a Sharp Innova for sale soon, very good original condition.

I often wondered about 22LR CCI Quiet (or the segmented version) as an alternative to an air rifle. Any thoughts?

Years ago I tried 22 slugs in a 22 rifle that I launched using low powered Ramset blanks, can’t remember the result but probably not good!

My brother inlaw uses his 22 rifle with 22 bullets that are like birdshot. Its a normal bullet but filled with sand. I was killing sparrows in a tin shed with it , was good up to about 30m. If you want I can find out what they are called.

*update*

Its called " 22 LR Federal Bird Shot #12 "

I've tried 22 air rifle pellets in 22 hornet brass with just a primer only fired about 5 just to see if it would work never did any accuracy testing it worked tho