I was just wondering if anyone uses airguns for hunting. Not your Daisy Red Ryder but something much more serious.

There are many quality high powered air rifles out there.

Two of my favorites are the Benjamin Discovery PCP 22 and the Air Force Condor PCP 22 rifle.

With either one,I can shoot less than die sized groups at 50 yds from a rest.

Wayne

A couple of years ago "Cheaper Than Dirt" had refurbished Ruger Blackhawk Elites on sale for $45 shipped. I bought a few for the Nephews and my Grandson.....and kept one for myself. It's not a premium air rifle, but it's a lot of fun and shoots pretty good out to 50 yards.

I have a Gamo with scope and silencer for varmits. 1300 fps and very accurate.

Pap

I have 2 Air Rifles,first is a Weirauch HW100 KT PCP in .22 in the UK we are restricted to 12 ft lbs which equates to about 600fps in this rifle,astonishing accuracy,pellet on pellet out to about 35 yards ,no recoil,70 shots per fill and quieter than a mouses fart.Top quality German engineering.
My other air rifle is a BSA Lightning XL SE break barrel springer in .177,about 800fps I have had it tuned to reduce the 'twang' and Spring noise and it shoots very smooth with reduced recoil, 1/2" groups at 30 yards and very quiet with its built in moderator,also made in Birmingham ,England.
Air rifle quarry in the UK is mainly,rabbits,squirrels,pigeons and corvids classed as agricultural pests,the quarry is plentiful but having somewhere to shoot it is more difficult to come by.
Plinking and target ranges are plentiful and the airgun sports of Field Target and Hunter Field Target can be shot at many clubs,my nearest is about 1/2 a mile from my house.

Have had great success with my Sharp Variable pump up in 177 Cal.
Very versatile as you can pump up. Each equates to approx.
100FPS maximum at 1200 fps. This enables you to shoot a Rat indoors or Rabbits outside.

I have 2 air rifles. Both are Diana RWS’s.

Model 34 .177 1000 FPS
Model 54 .22 recoiless - 900 FPS. Heavier than my M1 Garands
Both are single pump/lever action.

Brought them back out a couple of years ago when .22 ammo disappeared off the shelves. Model 54 drops a rabbit or squirrel with no problem. I am now back to my 10/22 and Browning .22 auto for plinking.

Neale,
I noticed that in the UK,you folks are very serious about your airgunning. Some very fine examples of fine airguns come from your country.

In the US,airgunning has been growing by leaps and bounds and some big bore air rifles are now being made.

One shop,Quakenbush Air Rifles,has at least a two year wait. It is a one man shop and he specializes in big bore (cal 45) air rifles.

I enjoy hunting small game with my high powered air rifles as it affords me to hunt in smaller parcels of land where even 22 lr or 410 shotguns could not be utilized.

Plus,during inclement weather,I can shoot indoors in my house at my "indoor range". (you know, from the laundry room,through the shop into the pellet trap against the wall)

Wayne

I have three, a Daisy Model 25 BB gun I got as a kid, a Benjamin Titan .177, and a Weihrauch HW95 .22 caliber.

Wayne,we have some world class airguns made in the UK,Air Arms,Daystate,Ripley to name a few.I am looking at my next air rifle purchase and have got it down to the Air Arms Pro Sport or TX200,both fantastic under lever Spring guns,wide choice of aftermarket tuning products to further enhance their performance,with the right 'tweaking' both these springers can achieve PCP level accuracy.
When I was a kid we grew up shooting BSA Meteors,I think they are making the mk6 version of that rifle still in Birmingham today.
I also have 3 pistols,a Webley Tempest,Victory CP-1m and a Webley Mk6 service revolver,the last two are Co2 powered,not very powerful but great for back garden plinking.

Years ago, I was visiting my buddy who is a Gunsmith. He showed me a metal walking stick, and said "watch this"
He shot/demolished a block of wood at the end of workshop.
It was a 38 Caliber air gun. Wouldn't have noticed in a million years. Even had a set of notched sights.
Apparently, they were very popular in England back in the days of the Yorkshire Ripper era.
I certainly would not have liked being at the receiving end.
It was not a toy.

Neale,
Looks like you have a nice collection of fine airguns there!!

Needfull,
The only "cane gun" I ever saw was about 5 decades ago,It was made by Remington and was in 410.

Stuff of that sort is now list as NFA but I guess that an airgun cane would not come under NFA rules being that it is an airgun.

I might check into something like that.

Wayne

I have a Sheridan Silver Streak that my Bride bought for me 30+ years ago.

There is no way to tell how many squirrels I have shot with that gun.

Coach,
Over the (many) years,I have acquired three Sheridan Blue Streak air rifles. Unfortunately they stopped making them a couple of years ago.

If you do experience some problems,Dennis Baker of Baker Airguns in Ohio does repair them. Like getting a new gun.

I did two articles on the airguns in Airgun Hobbyist Magazine a few years ago.

A number of years ago,my father was walking the dog in the nearby woods and he had his Sheridan with him. A grouse flushed and he beaned it on the fly!!! A gazillion to one shot!!

I had been trying that for years with a shotgun and never connected!!!

Wayne

Wayne,

When I first got mine, my daddy took a look at it and asked to borrow it to shoot crows and jaybirds that were stealing pecans out of the big pecan trees in his yard.

Since it was much quieter than his 12 guage, it did not scare the others away so bad and he had much success “thinning” the crows and jaybirds. Mama liked it since it didn’t make her jump ever time he shot. He also collected a steady supply of cat squirrels.

I was coaching football at the time and we had suffered a painful loss in the playoffs. I brought my wife & kids back “home” that next weekend. Daddy, my uncle, and a couple of the other kinfolks had made a big 2966 squirrel stew. It really hit the spot.

I remember Daddy bragging to my wife how much he really liked that Silver Streak. On our drive back on Sunday, my wife noted that she knew what to get Daddy for Christmas. And I told her that if I was ever gonna get mine back, she better get him one!

She did and he enjoyed that gun for the next 20 or so years until he died. Mama still has it and it stays in the closet next to the porch, handy for crows, jaybirds, and cat squirrels.

Coach,
The Sheridan company was named after the famous General Sheridan.

They chose the 5mm pellet as it seemed to be more efficient (and still is) at the time.

Predator pellets makes a very good came 5mm pellet. You can get them and many others through Pyramid Air in Ohio,or closer to you,Airguns of Arizona.

All of mine have the Willaims receiver peep sights and I have a dab of orange expoxy on the front sight. Makes a difference.

The beauty of these Sheridan Air rifles (and others too) is that during inclement weather,I can use my own personal indoor range.

You know,downstairs,from the laundry room,through the shop to the pellet rap on the wall. Works just fine for me!!!!!

Wayne

Dangerous place to be,an airgun specialist when you are bored and vulnerable.Walked out with a new Weihrauch HW97 KT in .22,probably one of the most proven under lever air rifles ever built,has won more HFT springer competitions than any other,fitted it out with a decent mid range Nikko Sirling 4-16 X 44 AO IR scope.
Superb German quality,adjustable butt pad,can't wait to zero it at the range later today.

Neale,
I bet that airgun is a real tack driver. I bet from a rest at 50 feet,you can shoot one hole groups.
I will be interested to hear how it does on the range.

Seeing that you are from England,you might be interested to know that my late wife's maiden name was Cromwell. Yep,her family Bible goes right back to the entry of Lord Oliver Cromewell.

The Bible is now in the archives at the University of Toronto.

Wayne

Had a good session at the range with the new Weihrauch HW97KT,got it on target in about 5 shots at 10 yards then took the target out to 25 yards,after another 10 shots I was getting groups you could cover with a 10p piece (smaller than a quarter) really pleased with first outing,after a bit of practice I would hope to close that group down by half again.
Related to the Lord Protector,not a bad claim to fame Wayne.Ruled like a monarch but was never a King.
Back at the range again next week,looking forward to it.

Neal,
Now that is one accurate air rifle!!! Glad that all worked out OK at the range.

If I am not mistaken,"ratting" is a pretty popular sport in the UK and also gets rid of the pests at the same time.

Do you do that.????

Wayne

Wayne,ratting is a form of vermin control over here,referring to it as a sport is unfortunately very politically incorrect in the nanny state known as the UK
I have shot rats with an air rifle,using a lamp mounted on top of the scope at night when they have been causing a problem,it's all about having land or permission to shoot on private land,there is no shooting allowed on public land in this country.
Other pest species that are legal quarry for sub 12 ft lb air rifles include Rabbits,pigeon and corvids,but you have to be at close range,usually within 30 yards although it can be stretched to 40+ if you have a real steady rest.
I really like the new Weihrauch 97kt,a little on the heavy side but that makes it great for absorbing recoil,I can follow the flight of the .22 pellet to target which is impressive for a spring piston rifle,my other springer is a .177 that has been tuned but is still way to jumpy to do that.
My HW100 KT PCP rifle is almost like cheating in comparison to the springers,it literally places pellet on pellet out to 40 yds it can actually be a little boring to shoot.The modern scopes I have on the rifles are up to 16x magnification with adj objective lens that can focus pin sharp down to 10 yds and also have illuminated reticles,quite a contrast to the BSA meteors with 4x20 scopes I had as a kid

Neale,
The main problem with me is that I am not politically correct in any way shape or form. Really don't play well with others.

That HW100 sounds like a real nice rifle,a real tack driver!!

I am fortunate here as I have 349 acres nearby of State Forest and 11 miles away,right behind my grand daughter's house is a State Forest of 11,000 acres. And less than 1 mile from e is a Sate Parcel of land of 83 acres. A good turkey spot.

Wayne

Wayne your right the HW 100 is accurate beyond belief,at the range last week we stuck .22 rimfire shot brass cases in the target,sent them out to 30 yards and hit five out of five,no misses,we literally have nothing small enough to shoot at,the Rekord trigger is peerless,with no recoil and a superb trigger they are possibly the best factory pcp air rifle on the market,all the gunshops I visit say they are their number 1 seller.
All that land available to you on your doorstep is the stuff of dreams,I am lucky in as much as I have farmer friends on whose land we wing shoot pheasants and partridges in the game season,finding a nice piece of woodland to roost shoot pigeons with an air rifle is high on my list to find.
Back at the range tomorrow morning,just taking the Hw97 KT,really enjoying the challenge of a spring gun again.

Neale,
Pigeons,also known as Rock Doves in my area are considered a pest bird and can be harvested with no limit.

I would presume that the ones gathered from the farm fields and such would be good eating in comparison to the ones that would be "dump fed".

Pigeons as well as Starlings are a pest to the farmers and ranchers and if an airgunner shows up there,they more than likely would be most welcome.

Let us know how the Hw97 KT does on the range.

Wayne

Hi Wayne,great morning at the range,the HW97KT was grouping superbly at around a 1/2" .Very smooth to cock and the release was very gentle.
This rifle is straight out of the box,no tuning and only about 100 shots through it,I think it will improve more as I get some more pellets down range.
I shot using Falcon Accuracy Plus pellets,domed head,waisted and a nice light 13.43 gr. Very accurate and consistent,they are about the lightest .22 pellet available over here,they are also marketed as JSB Exact Diablo RS.
I have emailed a photo of a target to Captain Chris as try as I might I just cannot seem to attach photos to my posts,hopefully he will get a moment to post it up for me.

Howdy everyone,
Per Neale's request, I am posting a pic of his airgun target/group.
Nice...Capt. Chris

Neale,
That is a super nice group!!!! Looks like you have that piece dialed in just right!!!!
Fortunatley over here,we have a huge choice of pellets and calibers.

The pellet I use when air gun hunting is Predator pellets. They perform well beyond normal limits of standard pellets and are very accurate in all my air gun hardware.

Wayne

Thanks Wayne,that group fits under a penny,the Grail group fits under a 5p coin which is about exactly the same as a dime,bit more practice and I'll get there.
Likewise we have a bewildering selection of airgun ammo,when I was pellet testing for the pcp I wanted a light flat shooting pellet,I chose a13.43gr domed pellet that Chrono'd at 11.4 ft lb's /Falcon Accuracy Plus.
I have not had a chance to do any pellet testing yet for the springer,to keep it shooting as smooth as possible I Want to find a pellet that chrono's around 10.8 ft lbs,I Want to try Bisley Magnums and Air Arms Field Diablos both a little heavier.
I guess I will just have to get down to the range again

That is part of the fun of owning any weapon is testing out various loads to see how they work

I see that some activists groups in the UK are protesting the grouse hunts.

Now,what next??? I don't even want to know. Seems like nobody can have any fun in the UK.

Wayne

Where shooting and Fieldsports in general are concerned your not far wrong.
We have one of the most closely regulated systems of gun ownership,and there seems to be a tree hugging anti around every corner.
The way I see it is this,if you don't like something,then don't support it or take part,but equally don't try and stop those who do want to support it and take part.
There is now even licensing for airguns in Scotland ! ,let's just hope it doesn't spread south.

Neale,
Is rook hunting still popular/allowed??? I might be wrong on this but are rooks like our crows???
Are they edible??? Yeah I know they taste like chicken!!!!!

I am so glad to see that the governments are protecting everybody but nothing can protect us from them!!!

Scary sentence: "We are from the government,we are here to help"

Wayne

Wayne,yes rooks are legal quarry when taken for crop or wildlife protection,they are part of the corvid family and can be shot with airguns.
I have never eaten rook and to be honest don't really fancy trying it,their diet can include road kill,carrion and the like ,so doesn't fill me with confidence or curiosity.
I am looking into the Weihrauch HW35 for my next airgun,been around for decades and still in production,walnut stock,carbine length barrel,probably stick with open sights for a change,stick with .22 just shoot so much smoother in a springer.

That HW35 sounds like a very good air rifle.

I presume that there are many air rifle clubs in the UK where you have access to indoor ranges???

I have read some airgun magazines from the UK and it looks like you have a very active bunch of folks who are really into airguns.

Ain't nothing wrong with that!!!

Wayne

Managed to find a very nice new Weihrauch HW35K in .22 at a relatively local gunshop,a deal was struck,hopefully get to the range this weekend.

Neale,
I would be interested to see how that new piece does on the range.

Much paperwork involved in the UK to purchase an airgun?? I know that there are restrictions on foot pounds and stuff but anything else.

Do they have to be registered??

Wayne

Buying a sub 12 ft lb air rifle (6ft lb for pistols) is hassle free in England,Scotland however is another matter,I was in Scotland on holiday last year and the one gunshop I visited said that airgun licensing had all but killed his airgun sales to the point he no longer stocked any.
There are no restrictions on the number or type of airgun you can own,there is a good and healthy following of antique/vintage rifles and pistols as well.If you want to up the power and go over the 12 ft lb limit then it has to be aquired via a Firearms Certificate,these are issued by your area Police Firearms Licencing Dept and are only available to those shooters who can prove they have a need for and acceptable land to shoot on with the landowners written permission,you really have to jump through hoops.
I relinquished my Firearms Certificate at the last renewal as I was not doing enough shooting to maintain permission on the land I had available,plus it is now becoming the norm to have doctors written testimony that you are a 'fit' person etc,I didn't feel as though I would miss my .22 rimfires which is one of the reasons I have got back into airgun shooting,much easier access to ranges.

Neale,
Hopefully it will not come to this in the US. Need a doctor to certify that you are fit??? Who certifies that the doctor is fit?

What about archery in the UK? Crossbows??

Wayne

I am not very familiar with crossbows other than they are only for use on targets in the UK no hunting of any kind of game is permitted with them.

Wow Neale, never realized how strict your sporting laws are across the pond. Sounds like the land of NO. It's ridiculous enough here in New York. I'm afraid we are heading in your direction if the left gets their way.

It has been years since the UK smallbore Olympic rifle team was forced to practice out of the country, which should tell you all you need know as to draconian laws.

Ask Neal as to knife restrictions there, if you truly wish to be depressed.

To stay only somewhat on current topic, I still own my very first BB gun in box and with papers from the late 60s, and only other air rifle is my trusty Benjamin .22 pump, which has pasted uncounted raiding and smaller bird killing grackles at feeders, oftimes 30yds out and then up in treetops, likewise squirrel and even hawk using feeders as lunch buffet.

It is a Federal Offence to kill Hawks Owls or Eagles or to even to have any feathers unless you are Native American and I think they have to get a permit now. That is how it is in Va. may be different in other states but I don't think so since it is a Federal law.

shh...the Hawk Poiice might raid in black helicopters to prevent my watching bluebirds, tufted titmice, orioles, etc ripped to pieces while screaching before my very eyes. Using a human set feeder as a buffet is not part of the natural cycle, and the raptors are getting to be highly overpopulated in many areas, and take pets, as well.

In most states,farmers can kill hawks if they are destroying their poultry and stuff.
Eagles,owls and Ospreys are on the forbidden list period. Kill an eagle and the popcorn will hit the fan BIG TIME and rightly so.

Gosh,Neale! What in the world has happened to the UK??? I thought that you were basically a nation of archers with crossbows pretty much the norm!!
Here,crossbows are gaining by leaps and bounds. Pretty much now most states have crossbow hunting in addition to archery hunting.

Wayne

FPS on crossbows are wicked!

Target archery is alive and well but again no game can be taken with a bow.
We are restricted to carry sub 3" blade non locking folding knives,anything else is an offence,unless you have good reason and that is open to interpretation.
Carrying any kind of blade in a public place carries its risk even a legal carry model,police powers of stop and search are in place to try and combat the increasing level of knife crime in the UK,personally I support it.
Having a knife on your belt when out in the field is not a problem,just make sure you leave it in the car before you go into the pub,it's common sense really.
There is no private ownership of any kind of full bore pistol the exceptions being veterinarians and some game keepers when used for humane dispatch of injured animals.
Shotguns,sporting rifles and black powder guns are all restricted to police issued certificate holders.There is plenty of sporting and target opportunities in the UK but gun ownership of most kind is closely regulated and monitored.

Chief,
I am starting to check out the Excaliber series of crossbows. But this is in the thinking stage right now.

Neale,
Take no offense to this,but I am glad that I live in the US. I would be in the slam for sure in the UK within about a minute upon arrival.

The Bobbies there would take just one look at me and I would be in the slam for sure.

Wayne

The Excalibur crossbows are extremely accurate and simple, but harder to cock vs the compound versions.

Pap

The Excalibur Matrix Mega 405 is the creme de la creme, but as Pappy mentioned, the draw weight can be an issue. The 405, for example, has a 290lb draw weight.

Does it have a cocker?

The most expensive one comes with a 6'4" Native American to set it, but you have to feed and house him too.

Pap

The 405 is a true monster, in every sense of the word, and this includes cocking it. Even with the included rope cocking device, it will take some strength, stamina, and supreme focus. The reward is 405fps.

Eric,

The company website said it was introduced in 2014, discontinued in 2016. There's a few You Tube out there. It shoots long arrows not bolts.

Thanks, Warren Same story...everything I really like gets discontinued. Next.

Pappy,
I saw some of the torture tests on the Excaliber Crossbows.

Seems that they are very well made and the strings last much longer than other crossbows.

I tend to think of compound bows/crossbow pretty much in the same light as bicycles. Just too many things that can go wrong.

Wayne

My first and only bow was a Bear laminate recurve, I guess circa '67. Was pretty much on own trying to make my own lemonwood stave long bow, and in pre-internet days, and lack of communication with like minded folk, including about zero press where even knives were only sidelines in other magazines and books, ended up dropping out of such and concentrated time and energy in shotokan.

In the latest Backwoodsman Magazine there was a nice article about the Asian Horse Bows. I might check some of them out. Looks interesting.

Wayne

Yeah, I saw that article. Love that magazine.

Pap

Pappy,
Yes,that magazine is great. I love the stories about Big Foot encounters.
There have bee sighting of BigFoot down in Chappaqua,NY but I think that it was someone else.................

Wayne