First of all, I'm sorry this isn't really about taxidermy. But it is related, and I really need some advice, so I thought I'd post here.
After much persuasion, my parents have finally consented to let me have a rifle! I am very excited. My primary reason for wanting one is squirrel hunting, although I will also use it for target shooting. I sell so many squirrels on Ebay but keep having to buy them from people, which is really silly since my house is surrounded by pecan trees and we have TONS of squirrels.
I've been looking in the Cabelas catalog. I think I should get an air rifle, that shoots .177 cal. pellets. But there's so many ones to choose! Can anyone help me decide? Like I said, the only thing I'm interested in is hunting squirrels. I'd like to get something under $200, since I'm paying for this myself. And, it needs to be a gun that I can easily handle. Being only 15 and fairly small, lol, I don't want something that is going to be incredibly heavy or too big for me. Should I get a real adult rifle, or would it be best for me to go with a smaller youth model? I'm also a bit confused about the feet per second. Some of the rifles boast speeds of over 1000 fps, while the cheaper and/or youth rifles only shoot 500-600 fps or less. What speed is required for squirrel hunting?
Yes, I'm a bit confused and I need some help. If anyone here can help me, please email! I'm really excited to get me a rifle, but I don't want to get the wrong thing!
Thanks,
Amy
www.AmysTaxidermy.com
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is called an RWS, I think Cabelas sells them, you want propulsion greater than 750 fps or you'll just be wounding animals. I don't think you'll find a "cheap" air rifle, maybe inexpensive but then it will be "cheap". Two different things in my eyes. You can try going to Gunbrokers.com and see what they have to offer and there was someone in the "for sale" heading with a couple for sale recently. ,Just remember, the higher fps, the lesser chance of wounding an animal. You want the dispatch to be quick. Also check out a site called "Cheaper than dirt" they have some reasonably priced air rifles. If you intend to "scope" it, make sure you use an air rifle specific scope. The springs from those guns do more damage to retics than high power loads because of the many directions the recoil comes at the crosshairs. Good luck and be safe. Even air rifles are not toys and can cause great harm. Maybe a hunter safety course and license may be in order.......
Hi Amy,
My son's first rifle was a Benjamin, Model 397 PA in .177 calibre. The gun is near ten years old, The blueing has not faded, the stock is high quality walnut and comes drilled and tapped for a scope. These sell for about $120. This gun will drive a pellet through a 3/4 inch pine board at 50 feet. Definately not a kids toy.
On the other hand, I own a Browning lever action that shoots 22 shorts which is my personal choice for shooting all the squirrels I sell. I would recommend this setup as nearly as safe as a pellet rifle as the 22 shorts only attain speeds of 1095 fps but you still have enough power and bullet weight (29 grains) to dispatch larger critters someday. I have no problem knocking down porky's and coons with one shot and the best thing is no exit hole. Any more questions give me a holler.
Amy, I was at sports authority the other day and saw a really nice pellet rifle for 139.00. I cannot remember the maker though, but it had a really nice walnut stock and a nice tasco scope. It felt like a nice deer rifle but was BB, 177 pellet, and 177 competition pellet. It has a FPS of 1100 and keeps a group the size of a dime at 75 yards. Not bad for a pellet rifle
Tom
Amy, Same gun as mentioned above I am sure. But any way, Wal-Mart sells them for $100 and they shoot 800-900 feet per second, basically the same as a 22 short. Inexpensive, accurate, and fun. We shoot rabbits, squirrels, and rats with them. Have fun, Dan
They sell alot of seconds. I know of one case where a customer brought a gun back because it was defective. Another friend asked the manager of the Sporting Goods department what they did with it since he knew him. He indicated they sold it to someone else.
Although I tried to tell him not to, my dad purchased a 20 gauge from Wallmart. Sure enough there was something wrong with it.
Just don't want you to be taken.
Yes they will resell a gun with problems, I bought one such shotgun Mossberg Ulta-mag. $225.00, I did know it was used, but $225. for a little used nearly new shot, how could I turn it down? What was wrong with it was the 1st owner had not cleaned it prior to using it. The Wally World, sporting good manager did not have a clue on how to clean it. I got all the chokes and even talked them out of a couple more for saving them labor of shipping it back. Yes I will sign a afadavit to that affect.
Go with the Sheridan or the RWS, I perfer a spring loaded pellet rifle verse a pumpup air models. Consistant shot groups, and you know when its ready, one pump and you can shoot again.
Amy, Skip the kid air rifle deal and go with a 22 long rifle. Much better for killing game, cheap to shoot and you wont have any problem shooting it. If you get into trapping or something latter, it will be good for that too. Much better for killing things bigger then squirls (kitty,kitty)!
Make sure NC(that is where you live ,right?) allows hunting with an air rifle. My home state of IL does not allow hunting of any kind with an air rifle. Must be rimfire, centerfire ,or muzzleload rifles. I'd go with a nice Browning or Ruger in .22 if it was my money.
The Benjamin's are pump up and seldom duplicate the same results for the same number of pumps. RWS makes a precision weapon that a simple break of the barrel will attain over 1000 fps (well within lethal range of tree rats). My wife is about your size and thoroughly enjoys taking grackles off the bird feeder each morning with mine. We have the .177 caliber and we use the precision pointed pellets for lethality. The .177 CAN generate projectile speeds in excess of a .22 rifle. RWS states that they have self imposed speed limits on projectiles so that governments don't declare them lethal weapons. It is NOT a toy and people HAVE been killed by air rifles. Chuck's advice is great as many states do not allow air rifles for hunting.
go to the bass pro in charlotte. they have some under 200.00 air rifles that produce 1000fps. also, they are single cock as opposed to pumping that thing 10 times!
You will shoot your eye out just like the boy in christmas story.
Amy go to a pawn shop and look i would bye a 22 any brand that shoots long rifles or shorts. i baught my marlin 22 semi auto for 75 bucks i would go with 22. it killes game more sefisiantly .
P.S. amy wouldnt shoot her eye out. hell im a boy im 15 beem shooting guns since i was 10 i still got 2 eyes. amys pretty responsible im shore her parents will supervise her.
happy hunting amy!
travis c
when you buy your rifle PRactice a lot till you shoot half way descent
I would skip the air rifle all together and go with a 22 long rifle, I use a ruger 10/22 for small game and have used the same gun for 20 years with no problems. You will be able to handle a 22 as easy as any air gun and you can get a nice 22 for less cash then many of the top end air rifles. I started out at 9 yrs old with a crossman 760 177 cal. air rifle and although I took down a few squirrels and rabbits (and a bunch of cans) I had much better results with quicker kills when my parents let me switch to a 22LR. I would also reccomend that you take a hunter safety education class. If your going to go with an air rifle anyway check the laws where you live, in Mo. an air rifle is the same thing as any firearm and can't be used within city limits so make sure before you shoot if you live within city limits.
Dont know if you will find this answer. I just picked up the latest issue. It has all the air guns covered.
The best squirrel gun that i came accros was in a cabelas master catalog. i purchased the gamo shadow 1000 for $174.99. i have killed over 40 squirrels with it in the last month it is a great gun. it shoots 1000 fps. the best pellets to use are BEEMAN hollow tip pellets because they make big holes and ussually kill anything like squirrels or rabits in 1 or 2 shots. A $30.00 gun at walmart called a powermaster 66 shoots about 685 fps it will kill squirrels but after several shots. so i recamend a gun that shoots between 800-1000 fps to kill squirrels.
try gamo.com, they're the leader in air rifles, with some pretty amazing ones in the inventory.
In response to your question about pellet rifles Amy, I personally have found that the .22 caliber pellet rifle is the most effective. It has a further effective range, more weight to the pellet, and a harder impact. What I would take into consideration, is how much of an area you have to shoot in. If you only have a small area, a .22 long rifle is certainly not ideal due to the fact that it carries alot further. I currently have the Crosman 522, which I've found to be very effective. It shoots a .22 caliber pellet up to 825 fps, which is plenty for squirrels. I do agree with Cody on the Beeman Super H hollowpoints-they do some serious damage.
Amy, I have been shooting for about 35 years and hunt many types of
game, including the occasional grackel off the bird feeder.
I own a Crossman 760 .177 cal and have found that it does not shoot
a reliable patern when equipped with a scope. The problem I have
found is that the barrel is not rigidly mounted to the reciever (where you
put the pellets in). The reciever is where the scope is mounted so
the barrel doesn't stay pointed the same as the scope.
Anyway, back to my reason for getting the .22 short if your Mom and Dad agree.
Its just plain old better. A single shot .22 with a four power quality
scope will shoot circles around virtually any pellet rifle and is a heck
of a lot more fun to shoot. Be sure to keep the gun properly cleaned
and by all means,attend a hunters safety course - try it, you'll like it.