small game hunting with air rifle
 

My son and I have been squirrel hunting in our woods with a 410. Once the leaves fall from the trees, I believe we should switch to a rifle. The problem is, although we live on a little acerage, I still feel uneasy about using a .22 rifle. Some of the neighbors are just too close for comfort.

The other day in an outdoors store, the clerk showed us a 1000 fps GAMO air rifle with a nice scope. They also have hollow point pellets. The GAMO is rather pricy, especially when you compare the price to the typical Wal-Mart Crosman or Daisy.

Does anyone have experience with the high powered hunting air rifles for small game? Are there other brands just as good, but cheaper than the GAMO? Is the GAMO worth the price...you get what you pay for?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. We are thinking of buying one near Thanksgiving.

I always hunt with an air rifle!
 

A air gun is great for squirrle hunting. and 1000 fps is perfect. just make sher that you get head, lung, and spine shots. i have a Gamo shadow 1000, it is great for hunting small game. i have been air gun hunting for about 2 years now.

RE: I always hunt with an air rifle!
 

I too have a gamo shadow 1000 .177 cal. I recently picked up on clearence at wally world. I added a daisy 3-9x32mm air rifle scope the rings that came with the scope didnt fit well on the gun so I used a set of leupold rifleman rings instead. I zeroed the gun in for 50 yards with 7.9 grain crosman pointed pellets. I am very pleased with the accuracy at 50 yards I can punch half inch 5 shot groups all day long. so far ive taken 2 jack rabbits and 4 ground squirrels all with head shots one of the jack rabbits was a 60 or so yard shot.

dont be affraid to put down a hundred bucks on a quality air rifle like a gamo you deffinately get your moneys worth, I feel I deffinately got my moneys worth and then some.

RE: I always hunt with an air rifle!
 

O.K. I'm no expert about air rifles.The new Gamo air rifles work ok on squirrels and rabbits and other small game.But they had a show on tv yesterday morning showing this guy hunting with dogs chasing hogs using a gamo air rifle.He was shooting them between the eyes and trying to claim that it was dropping themin their tracks.The problem I have is this .You hear the air rifle go off andanother shot just about the same time.The show was claiming that the air rifle was dropping 175 lb wild hogs. COME ON !!!. I grew up living on a farm and we had hogs.When it came butchering time.We shot them between the eyes with .38 special.Then it a couple seconds for them to drop.Like I said no way Maybe small animals but not bigger game like hogs.

RE: small game hunting with air rifle
 

If you are hunting, best to shell out the bucks and get something that works. 1000 fps will get you there. Locals use the .177 cal pellets.

RE: small game hunting with air rifle
 

I love taking out backyard pests with my Gamo. You can also get a pellet trap and practice your marksmanship in your own yard. Once you get the rifle. The pellets are cheap, and you only need to clean it once in a while (some people never do).

RE: small game hunting with air rifle
 

I live in nevada and i'm only 10 but I love dove hunting.I use a grizzly air gun.It's pretty nice,but the biggest it can kill is a cottontial rabbit.I'd switch to a rifle ,but just make sure you read rules andregulations.

RE: I always hunt with an air rifle!
 

im with ya on that one theres no way I could see a 177 or even a 22 cal airgun dropping a hog in its tracks unless maybe it was shot point blank in the eye with a direct path to the brain. I could see a RWS career 9mm air rifle do it though the career rifle shoots a 100 grain 9mm pellet at a MV of 900 fps. the career 9mm has been known to take deer asfar as 100 yards.

RE: small game hunting with air rifle
 

Thank you everyone for your input. I've also been searching "The Google" on the "Internets" and I have found several articles stating that a .22 air rifle is preferred for hunting.

I found a Crosman .22 spring cocking, 800fps, with a 4x32 scope for only $99.99 at BassPro. I'm going to have to check that out.

They also had a Beeman, same specs, for $149.99. Would anyone stress one over the other? Or for the price, it wouldn't really matter?

We are going to hold off hunting anymore squirrels with the 410 shotgun. It's just too hard to get a 100% headshot. I prefer not to have to search the meat for lead. One shot to the head would be much better for cleaning and cooking.

thanks again.

RE: small game hunting with air rifle
 

i shot a beeman 1150 fps and got a heart shot on a squirrel and it went through him and he didnt get 10ft from where i hit him he was gone. just remember, theese high power air rifles can be just as powerful as a 22 depending on which model u buy. in germany they use air rifles to hunt there version of deer which way about 60 pounds.