Pellet gun for rabbits?
#21
Spike
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 13

When you are done shooting. Before you put the gun away.Be sure to pump it 2 to 3 strokes.That will help to keep your seals from losing a seal. Even a Co2 guns seals last longer with a Co2 cartridge that has some life left in it than one that is empty.
#23
Spike
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Houston
Posts: 1
#24

Good points made in posts:
1 keep the seals oiled; recommend a silcone spray, keep pressure on seals
2 there are a number of ways air rifles delivever their air, a break barrel uses a spring loaded piston which has a brisk small kick forward then backward, I can't hit much past 30yds with one and some quality scopes will simply break after some use on such gun. Of course some folks prove this wrong. If using a break barrel, hold loosely, don't grip tightly.
3 CO2 smooth shots but generally underpowered for rabbits
4 multi-pump rifles work well
5 pcp high pressure rifles work great, are the bees knees if you have more money for air rifle than a 22lr
6 safety, a falling 16gr pellet smarts, yet barely leaves a red mark on bare skin; a falling 40gr bullet can break skin, cause injury, or pit a hole/break glass on reentry; 25ft/lbs pellet vs 125ft/lbs subsonic 22lr
7 noise, power roughly correlates to noise, double your 'crack' at 1100fps due to sonic wave affect
8 power, a 17 pellet loses power rapidly, a 22 pellet at 13-15ft/lbs would be a desirable minimun for a bunny headshot (though perfectly placed shots much less) 18ft/lbs at muzzle doesn't deliver 15ft/lbs at 40 yds
9 pellet shape; do not use hollow point pellets (or pointy pellets) commonly sold at Walmart, unless shooting inside 30yds, even then, there's no advantage, further out they have a ruinous coficient, don't fly straight, and haven't the velocity to expand on shots past 5yds. Soft lead dome pellets best, crossman sells fine pellets not too hard to find.
10 match pellet to power, 20ft/lb rifle around 15gr; 30ft/lb magnum pellet rifle around 20gr
http://www.straightshooters.com/
If you have good credit and credit card check out this site; loads of great info.
Checking the bunny population, what fun!
1 keep the seals oiled; recommend a silcone spray, keep pressure on seals
2 there are a number of ways air rifles delivever their air, a break barrel uses a spring loaded piston which has a brisk small kick forward then backward, I can't hit much past 30yds with one and some quality scopes will simply break after some use on such gun. Of course some folks prove this wrong. If using a break barrel, hold loosely, don't grip tightly.
3 CO2 smooth shots but generally underpowered for rabbits
4 multi-pump rifles work well
5 pcp high pressure rifles work great, are the bees knees if you have more money for air rifle than a 22lr
6 safety, a falling 16gr pellet smarts, yet barely leaves a red mark on bare skin; a falling 40gr bullet can break skin, cause injury, or pit a hole/break glass on reentry; 25ft/lbs pellet vs 125ft/lbs subsonic 22lr
7 noise, power roughly correlates to noise, double your 'crack' at 1100fps due to sonic wave affect
8 power, a 17 pellet loses power rapidly, a 22 pellet at 13-15ft/lbs would be a desirable minimun for a bunny headshot (though perfectly placed shots much less) 18ft/lbs at muzzle doesn't deliver 15ft/lbs at 40 yds
9 pellet shape; do not use hollow point pellets (or pointy pellets) commonly sold at Walmart, unless shooting inside 30yds, even then, there's no advantage, further out they have a ruinous coficient, don't fly straight, and haven't the velocity to expand on shots past 5yds. Soft lead dome pellets best, crossman sells fine pellets not too hard to find.
10 match pellet to power, 20ft/lb rifle around 15gr; 30ft/lb magnum pellet rifle around 20gr
http://www.straightshooters.com/
If you have good credit and credit card check out this site; loads of great info.
Checking the bunny population, what fun!
Last edited by Sosalty; 09-24-2013 at 01:49 PM. Reason: power needed very subjective
#25

x2. i'm saying a .177 standard break barrel pellet gun shooting 1000-1200 fps wont hurt anyone over 150 yards. those light pellets lose energy very quick, and the almost explode on impact of anything hard at closer ranges.
#26
Spike
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 20

Considering the "average" back yard, most pellet guns will work. Before spending a large sum on a pellet gun, have you tried the Aguilla Colibri .22 cal ammo? It's 20 gr. lead;shoots about 375-400 FPS,extremely quiet,almost silent. It won't cycle an auto but works well single shot or bolt. The round has primer only no powder.