RaySendero

The OP is jerking yawl's chain !

I don't post much on air rifles, but have one.
Its always was just a tool for:
1) teaching my son to shoot when he was young
and
2) ridding the place of harmful varmints.
I never hunted with it - I kill with it.

Just started teaching my grand daughter how to shoot with it - She loves it.
So its covered 3 generations now.

Oldtimr

Nah, he was serious, he didn't get the response in agreement he was hoping for so he didn't come back.

CalHunter

It looks like question asked; question answered.

flags

Looks like the OP made 2 quick posts and then put his tail between his legs and scurried away. I for one am not surprised based on the posts that were made.

Cicero

Yes, totally agree, I have been hunting with Air Rifles for years. A great Sport. Hate to see this kind of post. I have know many fine Airgunners over the years. I think this guy really does not know much about the sport. Not called for.

CalHunter

The OP's post (quoted above) raises 2 separate issues. First; the forum is titled AIRGUN HUNTING but was designed to include "Discuss hunting with airguns, equipment, tactics, and everything else" as shown in the forum description at the top of each page. This makes this forum a 1-forum covers all things airguns. Although most members likely don't hunt with airguns, just about every member has picked up or shot an airgun, likely in their younger years. Many members do like to read the topics and posts from time to time and the same topics and posts serve to attract new members and guest readers from the internet when they search for airgun topics.

The second topic or issue raised by the OP relates to whether airgun hunting is actually hunting if the target or quarry is "shooting finches for fun or popping off at ducks for fun..." The OP's post includes his disdain for many YouTube video clips that he apparently forced himself to watch and be disgusted with. Trashing a method of hunting does run the risk of giving anti-hunters "ammunition" so to speak for opposing hunting with that method(s). It's okay to prefer one method of hunting over another. But that doesn't necessarily mean that method is better, easier or even more sportsmanlike. I hunt primarily with a rifle but have to get much closer to turkeys than deer when I hunt turkeys with a shotgun during turkey season. The same could be said for hunting with airguns, bows, crossbows, BP, pistols, spears, knives, etc. Each of those requires getting much closer to the game to get a shot or attempt at taking the game. Each method is different and can require some additional hunting skills but each method is still hunting.

The OP "sort of" brought up a 3rd topic of farm hunting but I don't believe he was referring to High Fence hunting. He seemed to refer to hunting or shooting nuisance birds at farms. One could argue that shooting coyotes with night vision and silencers at night on cow farms is similar but I've watched and enjoyed those YouTube videos also. These may not be strict versions of hunting as in some kind of spot and stalk hunting but they still have their place and need. I like to hunt as much as the next person but frankly, I gotta admit that I would jump at the chance to shoot some coyotes at night on a cattle ranch with night vision and a silencer if it were legal in CA (score one for Texas). I also have many happy childhood memories of hunting with airguns and have bought 2 PCPs due to IdahoRon's bad influence with all of his cool topics and posts about airgun hunting. I'm planning on buying more airguns so Ron has really got me hooked on this stuff. I'm not sure if I'll ever take a bear with an airgun but I might try sometime. I guess for me the bottom line will always be that hunting is still hunting, regardless of the method or weapon. Each of them is fun, provides its' own challenges and excitement.

MudderChuck

Many people trap, some poison rodents or varmints. I prefer live traps and air rifle (or pistol). I've live trapped, Rats, Mice, Raccoons, Cats. Dogs. Blackbirds and Squirrels. I've killed a boatload of Rats and am currently working on Nutrias. Live traps and air rifles are neat, you can let loose whatever you don't want to trap and you can pick your shots. After many years of trapping and air gun hunting, I've accidentally killed one unintended bird, a Titmouse, that got smashed by the falling door in a live trap.
I detest poison, it is indiscriminant.
I kind of understand the posters revulsion about indiscriminately shooting animals. I also understand the love of hunting, it is IMO genetic. Some people have more hunting drive than others. It is up to us to teach responsible outlets for the hunting drive that is strong in some people.

idahoron

JungleShooter

On this forum I'm brand new. 🙋🏻‍♂️
And I have really enjoyed reading some threads like this one (and others) —
where members calmly but directly and with reason guide a misguided poster back on target, so to speak.
Well done.

That's the kind of forum I appreciate. 😊


Matthias

JungleShooter

And to add to that:
Yes, I'm fascinated by airgunning. 😄

It is a great alternative to powder burners — if the law (country, state, township) makes PB use complicated. 👍🏼
Or if you'd rather not alarm your neighbors. 👍🏼


Airgunning is quite challenging because our quarry has very small kill zones.
And our projectiles get mercilessly blown off by the wind.
E.g.: Using a typical .22 airrifle with a typical pellet at just 30 yards,
on a typical day with a barely perceptible wind of 5mph —
that poor pellet gets blown by the wind by more than the size of the kill zone...! 😱

Same goes for estimating range to target. Because the AG trajectories are so steep in comparison to PB even a small error in ranging easily places the shot far below or above the tiny kill zone....! 🙄


➔ AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES AIRGUNNING SO MUCH FUN!
➔ The challenge of getting the ballistics just right. 👍🏼😊


Matthias