Air Gun Shooting (1 Viewer)

[PhilandMena]

Thanks guys.

 

[trophychap]

To be classed as an air gun it must be below 12ft lbs at the muzzle if its a rifle and 6ft lbs if its a pistol. Anything over those limits is classed as a firearm and must be licenced as such, put simply!

Those limits were suggested originally by British Air Gun manufacturers because they were having difficulty competing with foreign manufacturers at the time with regard to power output, That's the generally held belief I am not certain if its true or not, so please don't shoot the messenger.

 

[jonandshell]

To put that in context, the muzzle energy of a 7.62 NATO round is approx. 2600 ft/lbs!
Air rifles are quite puny in comparison but quite capable of taking out bugs bunny at 50m with an accurate setup!
Many a good rifle shot started out with an air rifle. The limited capabilities demand great skill from the shooter.

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[Chockswahay]

if shooting rabbits how far away could you shoot from tom obtain a clean kill.

I looked into this a while back...... depending on your skill....... 10 metres for a deffo head shot........ 20 metres for a 'quite likely' head shot..........30 metres if you are really good............and up to 50 metres if you don't care about a humane kill

I still quite fancy the idea of a few bunnies or pigeon for the pot....

 

[Abacist]

No problem.

The law in the UK, for an air rifle, is the power must not exceed 12ft/lbs (and I think 6ft/lbs for an air pistol).

You need to be careful with an air rifle, as it's easy to exceed that merely by using a different weight pellet.

Brian

This is correct as far as it goes. If you satisfy the above restrictions then you do NOT need a firearm certificate.

If your air rifle or air pistol exceed the limits then you need a firearm certificate hence the dire penalties for breaking the law in this respect.

 

[funflair]

Have one or two. AA Pro Target (.177) is the most accurate:

One or two centerfire as well, this one off in 6.5x47 being the most accurate at distance:




Brian

OK I have seen it said on here that there is no such thing as a stupid Question, so. Why the two barrels is the top one carbon fibre.

Martin

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[Brian_K]

OK I have seen it said on here that there is no such thing as a stupid Question, so. Why the two barrels is the top one carbon fibre.

Martin

Hi Martin,

That's one of my old rifles (now sold). Only the one barrel, the lower "barrel" is in fact the air cylinder. This is a PCP (pre charged) rifle as opposed to a spring activated rifle.

The barrel was covered in heat shrink tubing, just playing around with barrel vibration damping.

Brian

 

[funflair]

Hi Martin,

That's one of my old rifles (now sold). Only the one barrel, the lower "barrel" is in fact the air cylinder. This is a PCP (pre charged) rifle as opposed to a spring activated rifle.

The barrel was covered in heat shrink tubing, just playing around with barrel vibration damping.

Brian

Hi Brian

Thanks for that, I did a little bit of work with a rifle guy, we wrapped the barrel in carbon fibre, applied for all the police certificates etc but then the customer started to get a--y with the police so they took him away for a long chat and we never heard of him again.

Martin

 

[Brian_K]

You wouldn’t believe the lengths some of the guys go to, especially when shooting benchrest. Washing, weighing, measuring, lubing, rolling on sheets of glass and re-sizing pellets.

Then someone will come along, pick them straight out of the tin and give everyone a spanking.

90% of shooting accuracy come from the head, bit like golf, ask Tiger Woods

Brian

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[Charlie]

No problem.

The law in the UK, for an air rifle, is the power must not exceed 12ft/lbs (and I think 6ft/lbs for an air pistol).

You need to be careful with an air rifle, as it's easy to exceed that merely by using a different weight pellet.

Brian

Correct..........

Max muzzle velocity is 12 foot pounds but target shooter adjust the velocity below that and to a speed that gives the best string of accuracy. IE if a rifle shoots a string of ten shots at an equal velocity at 11.4 foot pounds that is the sweet spot for that rifle.

From memory a .177 pellet travels at about 800 feet per second (FPS) while a .22 travels at 550 ish...

A .177 has the accuracy but a .22 even though traveling slower has the hardest hit because it carries much more kinetic energy.

It is easily possible to cleanly kill a rabbit at 50 to 60 yards but as above shooting targets was my think not killing.

We measure Muzzle velocity with a Chronoscope and if set at the sweet spot of say 11.4 we then check with a heavy grain pellet to make sure it doesn't stray over 12 foot pounds.

It is a criminal offence to possess an air rifle which is over the limit !

An air rifle set at high velocities is as deadly if not more deadly than a full blown firearm. I have seen the damage a pellet can do when it hits a wooden post at 100 yards when fired from an air rifle set at over 40 foot pounds.. Incredible !

My guns were all within the limits and we spent hours tuning for accuracy. Hitting the target was the only thing we were concerned with

 

[Steve]

I have a Vulcan Raptor pre-charged .22 fac version at 28flb very accurate.

 

[bigtree]

My wife and I both shoot Walther LG300 air rifles doing Field Target,along with a friend we run Scotia FTC based near Clydebank in Scotland.Since taking early retirement/redundancy I have been back at my old employer getting rid of feral pigeons using an Air Arms Pro Target and a Big Nikko,admittedly not an ideal vermin rig but very accurate.

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[bigtree]

No longer shoot .22 rf or 12b shotgun but shoot AA Mpr, TX200 and Brocock Atomic target shooting at Idleback and field shooting at Anston FTC.

You will know my mate Andy Calpin then!

 

[Gromett]

When I worked on a pig farm many years ago we had a serious rat problem due to the open top high protein pig feed hoppers. These rats grew to the size of small rabbits. We used poison on them initially but they became immune to it. We had people come round with ferrets and jack russels but there was so many rats they didn't make the slightest bit of difference to the population. We tried using pipes off an old diesel tractors exhaust into their burrows. The bloody things just laughed at us. They started undermining the buildings so we had to get serious...

We bought a couple of second hand break barrel air rifles, mine was a .22 Diana. At the start we were laughing and jumping around so much as the rats ran over our feet that we killed very few. By the time the second year came we were killing up to 100 a night. We developed tactics such as one of us held the torch the other opened a shed door then we both dived in. After a bit we started to figure out where they ran after the initial shock of being blinded and started aiming at their exit points and pulling the trigger as they passed. They got smart to this and started avoiding routes where others had been killed before. It was a real hunt against a pretty smart opponent and it was fun as well as a necessity.

We did try scopes on the rifles at one point but they got in the way and unless it was daylight (no rats) we couldn't hit jack with them. We got to the stage where we could hit a moving target at 10-20 Mtrs with open sites at night. We figured out which pellets where the most accurate and which did the most damage to the rats. We would use different pellets depending on range and if we were indoors or outdoors.

I both love and hate rats. They became the much respected enemy... They also make great pets due to their intelligence.

I have not shot one in 20 years or so and would love to have another go at it..

 

[Wildbill]

was out the other day with my son we killed 95 rats
bill

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[Go Humberto!]

I did some HFT (Hunter Field Target) shooting. I found it a great test of marksmanship.
I was put off though by the large percentage of wannabee "Rambo" types . Sometimes the Tea Room resembled a scene from a Vietnam war movie.

As implied by Brian_K, some old guy would invariably come along with a tuned Weihrauch "springer" and win the competition.
PCPs are super accurate but add an intermittent crosswind and they are no more accurate than a springer. Then it all comes down to experience and judgement.
It's really quite amazing just how far you can miss by when it's windy (or when you are shooting up or down a steep incline). Everyone's accurate indoors, shooting off a rest.


Go Humberto!

 

[Just smiffy]

I'm after a reasonable small air rifle (gas) if anybody is selling one..?

 

[Wildbill]

I did some HFT (Hunter Field Target) shooting. I found it a great test of marksmanship.
I was put off though by the large percentage of wannabee "Rambo" types . Sometimes the Tea Room resembled a scene from a Vietnam war movie.

As implied by Brian_K, some old guy would invariably come along with a tuned Weihrauch "springer" and win the competition.
PCPs are super accurate but add an intermittent crosswind and they are no more accurate than a springer. Then it all comes down to experience and judgement.
It's really quite amazing just how far you can miss by when it's windy (or when you are shooting up or down a steep incline). Everyone's accurate indoors, shooting off a rest.


Go Humberto!

Winding hold over hold under can be a art in its shelf
Bill

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[Go Humberto!]

I'm after a reasonable small air rifle (gas) if anybody is selling one..?

Depends what you mean by gas. You mean CO2 or Pre-Charged Pneumatic?

I'm selling my PCP Full Kit here - Air Arms S400 Kit

It's more accurate than you probably think is possible.

 

[Just smiffy]

Depends what you mean by gas. You mean CO2 or Pre-Charged Pneumatic?

I'm selling my PCP Full Kit here - Air Arms S400 Kit

It's more accurate than you probably think is possible.

Nothing too professional, I'm just after a co2 (I think.?) ratter....

 

[Go Humberto!]

Nothing too professional, I'm just after a co2 (I think.?) ratter....

I don't think you can beat a basic "Springer" for occasional plinking and "Ratting". Something like the timeless BSA Meteor.

I know a few people with CO2 rifles and they never have any bloody CO2 cartridges when we decide to go shooting.

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[bigtree]

Bought a cracking Weirauch HW80 from a friend the other week, 80's model that has been tuned and modified with a locking Anschutz .177 barrel.It has a Jap optic Tasco 2-7x32 scope from the same era on it,crystal clear optics.Had a good laugh shooting it last week up at the club compared to my Walther PCP.

 

[vin0114]

You will know my mate Andy Calpin then!

@bigtree sorry mate, did not see your posting about Andy. Got to be one of the best guys I've ever met. He sorted my rifle out in seconds that would have taken me hours!!! If he'd only stop buggerin about on roofs he'd be the Worlds No.1
I only get to shoot outdoors rarely now but do try and make the Springer memorial shoot each year at Anston.
ATB
Vin

 

[bigtree]

@bigtree sorry mate, did not see your posting about Andy. Got to be one of the best guys I've ever met. He sorted my rifle out in seconds that would have taken me hours!!! If he'd only stop buggerin about on roofs he'd be the Worlds No.1
I only get to shoot outdoors rarely now but do try and make the Springer memorial shoot each year at Anston.
ATB
Vin

He was 3rd this year at Lisbon !

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[Wildbill]

Depends what you mean by gas. You mean CO2 or Pre-Charged Pneumatic?

I'm selling my PCP Full Kit here - Air Arms S400 Kit

It's more accurate than you probably think is possible.

I have a air arms s 400 .22 the best gun I have ever owned
I have another addition to my armory the BSA ultra in 177 I personality think it is not as good as the aire arms
Bill

 

[Go Humberto!]

I have a air arms s 400 .22 the best gun I have ever owned
I have another addition to my armory the BSA ultra in 177 I personality think it is not as good as the aire arms
Bill

BSA always seem to have quality control issues nowadays.

Air Arms are a top quality outfit. Their TX200 springer took the Weihrauch HK97 design (that I also own) and improved on it.

I originally went shopping for the TX200 but then held the HK97KT in the shop (KT - with the thumb-hole pistol grip) and just felt more at home with it.

I'm hoping to get a tuning kit for the HK97 to bring it up to TX200 smoothness.

 

[Wildbill]

BSA always seem to have quality control issues nowadays.

Air Arms are a top quality outfit. Their TX200 springer took the Weihrauch HK97 design (that I also own) and improved on it.

I originally went shopping for the TX200 but then held the HK97KT in the shop (KT - with the thumb-hole pistol grip) and just felt more at home with it.

I'm hoping to get a tuning kit for the HK97 to bring it up to TX200 smoothness.

I only soot vermin with my one and it seems very good at it cleen kill every shot
Up to 50m I do not shoot over that on live targets
Bill

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[Go Humberto!]

I only soot vermin with my one and it seems very good at it cleen kill every shot
Up to 50m I do not shoot over that on live targets
Bill

The Ultras I experienced were great. If i were in the business of vermin control I think I'd go for the Ultra Multi-shot with the polymer "Tactical" Stock.

They are almost as easy to carry as a pistol and 10x as accurate. They aren't that much longer than a FT Scope.

 

[vin0114]

He was 3rd this year at Lisbon !

and still climbing and falling off roofs

 

[musson]

Ripley XL9 22 and AA 510 SL few springers

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