Originally Posted by Nomercy448

Let's instead discuss the INeffectiveness of a 200-400fps bb gun.

I'll also comment that I offer this response with piqued reservation, as there's a strange smell on the original post, and certainly worse yet on the subsequent responses. One glaring question I'd have is - where do you even buy a bb pistol that only shoots 200fps? I've only ever seen one model that slow - a Spring powered Marksman 1010 made for shooting darts as a game indoors. Getting within 5ft of animals aside, and killing animals outside of the context of HUNTING them... The whole thing just sounds off...

But, you've asked the question - how effective can a 200-400fps 0.177" BB pistol be?

I've shot many squirrels with a CO2 powered pistol that was specified at 480fps, and even at that level, BB's do not penetrate the animal. Head shots are the only suitable option, as they have to kill by blunt force, without penetration. Body shots will not yield death except for in the smallest of animals, and even then may not yield fast, effective, ethical kills. I shot a few pigeons with a Marksman 1010 before I realized that it couldn't be used for that purpose.

Proper multi-pump BB rifles only shoot 600-700fps, and they often don't have the energy to kill small game. Body shots on rabbits don't generally kill, even though these rifles are far more powerful than what you're talking about. Relatively speaking, you're talking about 0.45ft.lbs. compared to about 4.8ft.lbs.

So no, having done so and learned my lesson, I would not say that I'd remotely recommend that you risk injuring or abusing animals by shooting them with a 200-400fps BB gun.