Pellet guns

[dewalt18]

Been years since I really did anything with pellet guns, but am considering getting something again for plinking, or some shooting with my nephew. Can anybody tell me if a typical 495fps pellet gun would be huntable? So something to grouse size with good pellets and clean head shots? I typically pack my 410 with me while big game hunting, and figure the pellet gun would be a bit lighter

[elkhunter11]

I would go with a 22 caliber, and you might be surprised what air rifles weigh.

[Flieguy]

if you want something lighter get a .22 air pistol


I shot a looooot of squirrels and cowbirds with my canadian tire special when I was younger, and put down a couple roosters

[gitrdun]

Howdy dewalt18. I shoot a Gamo Big Cat, it's a 1200 fps with PBA's. I kill gophers with it. I don't know much about the slower 495's etc. When brand new, the accuracy isn't all that great as you have to go through the "dieseling" process. But after about a half can of pellets it settled down nicely and is very accurate.

[bobtodrick]

Have spent years shooting competitively (Olympic style) and some hunting.
The sub 500fps .22 will pack more of a punch than .177, but it has a real loopy trajectory...the .177 is much flatter shooting.
As you are going to want a head shot with the sub 500fps gun, accuracy is what matters. At whatever distance you are going to shoot at you need to be able to consistently hit a quarter.
A good sub 500fps gun should to this out to about 35m on a windless day. A little less with the .22
Whether it be gophers or grouse 25-30m would be my max distance.
Another thing...though they look 'deadly' the pointed pellets tend to be the most inaccurate. I've found them to only be good for showing my friends how far into a pine plank my pellets will go.
One of the best all round hunting pellets are the JSB Exact, a domed pellet that has excellent accuracy and good penetration on small animals.
All that being said if hunting is going to be your main usage I would step up to a PAL rated gun if possible.
Something in the 800-1000 fps would be ideal.
The 'magnum' (1000+fps) guns, though more powerful tend to be less accurate than those in the 800-1000 fps range.

[Pioneer2]

[elkhunter11]

Whatever gun you choose, be aware that most if not all of the advertised velocities are with extremely lightweight pellets, and some of the advertised velocities are pure fantasy.

[oilngas]

Pioneer2; what is that firearm??

[Brian Adams]

Originally Posted by bobtodrick

Have spent years shooting competitively (Olympic style) and some hunting.
The sub 500fps .22 will pack more of a punch than .177, but it has a real loopy trajectory...the .177 is much flatter shooting.
As you are going to want a head shot with the sub 500fps gun, accuracy is what matters. At whatever distance you are going to shoot at you need to be able to consistently hit a quarter.
A good sub 500fps gun should to this out to about 35m on a windless day. A little less with the .22
Whether it be gophers or grouse 25-30m would be my max distance.
Another thing...though they look 'deadly' the pointed pellets tend to be the most inaccurate. I've found them to only be good for showing my friends how far into a pine plank my pellets will go.
One of the best all round hunting pellets are the JSB Exact, a domed pellet that has excellent accuracy and good penetration on small animals.
All that being said if hunting is going to be your main usage I would step up to a PAL rated gun if possible.
Something in the 800-1000 fps would be ideal.
The 'magnum' (1000+fps) guns, though more powerful tend to be less accurate than those in the 800-1000 fps range.

Hi. Can you recommend a good .177 pellet gun. No PAL.
I bought a $60 princess auto special with cheap adjustable
open sights. Could not hit the broad side of a barn. Thanks

[Pioneer2]

Custom built Crosman 2240 with valve mods,steel breech,10" barrel ,shoulder stock and velocity adjustable hammer spring set at 495fps with 14.3 gr pellets.Shot a wack of chickens with it last fall.Ping pong ball accuracy at 20 yards. Having a pumper Crosman 2289 done up the same way stock 14 barrel ,brass piston and valve mod with steel breech just under 500fps uneffected by cold.Never had an issue with the 2240 as it's C02 truck gun or a velcro handwarmer over the compression tube if nasty..........Harold

[heretohunt]

I bought the gamo rocket last year and it is rated for 1300 ft./s it is .177 caliber. Pretty sweet light weight gun with lousy trigger. Definitely kill grouse and gopher with it when shot in the head. It is perhaps some of the best possible target and trigger pull technique practice that you can get.
If I was to do it again I would buy the .22 calibre but definitely the PAL +500 ft./s version for sure.
They are fun even for adults and cheap to shoot. When I take my kids out after gophers i use it for the extra challenge.

[Pioneer2]

Speed sells but it's doesn't do much for accuracy after it goes subsonic as it makes the guns very hold sensitive.A .22 running 700-800 fps does the trick on anything under 20 lbs.........Harold

[bobtodrick]

Originally Posted by Brian Adams

Hi. Can you recommend a good .177 pellet gun. No PAL.
I bought a $60 princess auto special with cheap adjustable
open sights. Could not hit the broad side of a barn. Thanks

Lots of choices, but you'll spend a bit more than $60.
At $200 the Diana Panther (German made) or the Crosman Venom are tack drivers.
A bargain is the Slavia 631. Again about $200. Slavia is made by CZ and the fit and finish is every bit as nice as their powderburners.
I know to many $200+ seems a lot for an air rifle, but when you look at the guts of an air rifle they are more complicated than a bolt action...so quality is going to be pricey.
Check https://www.dlairgun.com/Air-Rifles/ They are in Langley and have, on the whole the best pricing in Canada. Though I spend a lot of money at P&D....I can have something shipped from D&L for less money and there after sales service is excellent. Unfortunately most (all) local shops seem to consider selling airtguns a necessary evil, and their knowledge of them is horribly lacking.
Few people here will know, but at 25m a good air rifle will outshoot a rimfire accuracy wise.
If you see anything you like and have questions PM me.

[elkhunter11]

Few people here will know, but at 25m a good air rifle will outshoot a rimfire accuracy wise.

Quality air rifles can be quite accurate, but I wouldn't go that far. I had an HW-97 and I now own an Air Arms TX200, and both are quite accurate, but neither will out shoot any of my Coopers, or Anschutz 54s with quality ammunition.

[bobtodrick]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

Quality air rifles can be quite accurate, but I wouldn't go that far. I had an HW-97 and I now own an Air Arms TX200, and both are quite accurate, but neither will out shoot any of my Coopers, or Anschutz 54s with quality ammunition.

Those are spring guns. Pneumatic guns (Olympic 10m are pre-charged pneumatics) are quite a bit more accurate.
This is one of my rifles https://www.dlairgun.com/Air-Rifles/...th_Sights.html
At 25m it will literally put 5 pellets in the same hole.

[bobtodrick]

To give a bit of an idea how accurate these things can be check out Olympic air rifle.
10m standing, offhand (though a shooting sling is permitted and a shooting jacket with stiffened sleeves and torso support).
The '10' ring is a period . That period is the 10 ring.
60 shots in, if I recall about 45 minutes.
Often they will need to do a 'shoot off' (much like hockey overtime) because at least 2 competitors will have perfect score...in other words they will have hit 60 'periods'.
This is an Olympic air rifle http://www.targets.ca/products/air-r...-model-800-alu

[Brian Adams]

Originally Posted by bobtodrick

Lots of choices, but you'll spend a bit more than $60.
At $200 the Diana Panther (German made) or the Crosman Venom are tack drivers.
A bargain is the Slavia 631. Again about $200. Slavia is made by CZ and the fit and finish is every bit as nice as their powderburners.
I know to many $200+ seems a lot for an air rifle, but when you look at the guts of an air rifle they are more complicated than a bolt action...so quality is going to be pricey.
Check https://www.dlairgun.com/Air-Rifles/ They are in Langley and have, on the whole the best pricing in Canada. Though I spend a lot of money at P&D....I can have something shipped from D&L for less money and there after sales service is excellent. Unfortunately most (all) local shops seem to consider selling airtguns a necessary evil, and their knowledge of them is horribly lacking.
Few people here will know, but at 25m a good air rifle will outshoot a rimfire accuracy wise.
If you see anything you like and have questions PM me.

Thank you for the info. I will take a look.

[58thecat]

10 yards....177=dead tree rat.

image.jpg

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by bobtodrick

To give a bit of an idea how accurate these things can be check out Olympic air rifle.
10m standing, offhand (though a shooting sling is permitted and a shooting jacket with stiffened sleeves and torso support).
The '10' ring is a period . That period is the 10 ring.
60 shots in, if I recall about 45 minutes.
Often they will need to do a 'shoot off' (much like hockey overtime) because at least 2 competitors will have perfect score...in other words they will have hit 60 'periods'.
This is an Olympic air rifle http://www.targets.ca/products/air-r...-model-800-alu

The accuracy is impressive, but it's also only at 10m. At only 10m, a high quality rimfire with match ammunition is also going to shoot one hole targets.

[Jimbob.303]

Originally Posted by dewalt18

Been years since I really did anything with pellet guns, but am considering getting something again for plinking, or some shooting with my nephew. Can anybody tell me if a typical 495fps pellet gun would be huntable? So something to grouse size with good pellets and clean head shots? I typically pack my 410 with me while big game hunting, and figure the pellet gun would be a bit lighter

Might want to check the regulations for using an air powered firearm to hunt chickens. I believe must be over 500fps.

[bobtodrick]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

The accuracy is impressive, but it's also only at 10m. At only 10m, a high quality rimfire with match ammunition is also going to shoot one hole targets.

Yes, you are correct, a match grade rimfire will shoot as well as a match pellet gun at their respective distances. The scores for Olympic rimfire (50m) are comparable to the 10m air rifle scores.
What I'm trying to hi-lite is the misconception that many here will have is the 5" groups at 20m that they are getting out of their $40 Princess Auto pellet gun is not what a good pellet gun is capable of.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Jimbob.303

Might want to check the regulations for using an air powered firearm to hunt chickens. I believe must be over 500fps.

You might want to verify that for yourself before posting your assumption.

[Dick284]

Originally Posted by Jimbob.303

Might want to check the regulations for using an air powered firearm to hunt chickens. I believe must be over 500fps.

Please provide the necessary reference to support this.

And you won't find it, btw.

Just say'n.

Arrows, sling shots, thrown rocks, spit balls, and truck bumpers are all legal. All you need is a valid licence.

No velocity rules exist within the Alberta wildlife act or it's regulations. The 500fps rule is a federal requirement used to describe what is a firearm.

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by Jimbob.303

Might want to check the regulations for using an air powered firearm to hunt chickens. I believe must be over 500fps.

I Believe a chicken in flight with a tail wind doesn't exceed 500 FPS...gotta check the regs

[Tactical Lever]

Originally Posted by dewalt18

Been years since I really did anything with pellet guns, but am considering getting something again for plinking, or some shooting with my nephew. Can anybody tell me if a typical 495fps pellet gun would be huntable? So something to grouse size with good pellets and clean head shots? I typically pack my 410 with me while big game hunting, and figure the pellet gun would be a bit lighter

Yes, but get a .22 caliber for a bit more punch. If you are after lightweight, you could get a "back packer" (forget the brand) 13" barrel .410. Or an air pistol.

Originally Posted by bobtodrick

Have spent years shooting competitively (Olympic style) and some hunting.
The sub 500fps .22 will pack more of a punch than .177, but it has a real loopy trajectory...the .177 is much flatter shooting.
As you are going to want a head shot with the sub 500fps gun, accuracy is what matters. At whatever distance you are going to shoot at you need to be able to consistently hit a quarter.
A good sub 500fps gun should to this out to about 35m on a windless day. A little less with the .22
Whether it be gophers or grouse 25-30m would be my max distance.
Another thing...though they look 'deadly' the pointed pellets tend to be the most inaccurate. I've found them to only be good for showing my friends how far into a pine plank my pellets will go.
One of the best all round hunting pellets are the JSB Exact, a domed pellet that has excellent accuracy and good penetration on small animals.
All that being said if hunting is going to be your main usage I would step up to a PAL rated gun if possible.
Something in the 800-1000 fps would be ideal.
The 'magnum' (1000+fps) guns, though more powerful tend to be less accurate than those in the 800-1000 fps range.

Not seeing how there is a difference in trajectory with any under 500 fps gun, regardless of caliber, if using the same brand and model of pellets.

As far as accuracy, you'll have to see what the gun likes. The round, flat, or semi flat hunting points seem to perform a little better on game, though.

I have a Benjamin Discovery in .22 that can get under 1/3" at about 32 yards.

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

Whatever gun you choose, be aware that most if not all of the advertised velocities are with extremely lightweight pellets, and some of the advertised velocities are pure fantasy.

That is very true for some of the overblown, cheap, break barrels in the velocity race. But the more moderately rated ones seem to be close. The Crosman 2240, 1322, and Discovery are pretty much right on the rating.

[Tactical Lever]

Originally Posted by Brian Adams

Hi. Can you recommend a good .177 pellet gun. No PAL.
I bought a $60 princess auto special with cheap adjustable
open sights. Could not hit the broad side of a barn. Thanks

If you don't mind a pistol, take the PA gun back, and go to the cabinet there, and get a Crosman 1377. Probably the best deal for a sub 500 out there.

[Tactical Lever]

Originally Posted by bobtodrick

Lots of choices, but you'll spend a bit more than $60.
At $200 the Diana Panther (German made) or the Crosman Venom are tack drivers.
A bargain is the Slavia 631. Again about $200. Slavia is made by CZ and the fit and finish is every bit as nice as their powderburners.
I know to many $200+ seems a lot for an air rifle, but when you look at the guts of an air rifle they are more complicated than a bolt action...so quality is going to be pricey.
Check https://www.dlairgun.com/Air-Rifles/ They are in Langley and have, on the whole the best pricing in Canada. Though I spend a lot of money at P&D....I can have something shipped from D&L for less money and there after sales service is excellent. Unfortunately most (all) local shops seem to consider selling airtguns a necessary evil, and their knowledge of them is horribly lacking.
Few people here will know, but at 25m a good air rifle will outshoot a rimfire accuracy wise.
If you see anything you like and have questions PM me.

DLairgun is alright, but the best I found was Speciality Shooting Sports for price. At least for what I was after at the time.

[Tactical Lever]

Originally Posted by Dick284

Please provide the necessary reference to support this.

And you won't find it, btw.

Just say'n.

Arrows, sling shots, thrown rocks, spit balls, and truck bumpers are all legal. All you need is a valid licence.

No velocity rules exist within the Alberta wildlife act or it's regulations. The 500fps rule is a federal requirement used to describe what is a firearm.

Dick's right. Except for maybe the truck bumper.... but I would have to check the regs!

The thing that trips people up, is that the reg books specified a that an air PISTOL, and only an air pistol be under 500 fps. Of course, it is hard to get an over 500 fps air pistol in Canada without making or modding one, because as soon as you do, it is now a restricted gun.

[bobtodrick]

Originally Posted by Tactical Lever

Yes, but get a .22 caliber for a bit more punch. If you are after lightweight, you could get a "back packer" (forget the brand) 13" barrel .410. Or an air pistol.

Not seeing how there is a difference in trajectory with any under 500 fps gun, regardless of caliber, if using the same brand and model of pellets.

That is very true for some of the overblown, cheap, break barrels in the velocity race. But the more moderately rated ones seem to be close. The Crosman 2240, 1322, and Discovery are pretty much right on the rating.

See here about trajectory. At under 500fps it will be less pronounced than the PAL rated guns, but still needs to be considered. http://www.crosman.com/get-hunting/airgun-ballistics

Absolutely correct. The cheap Chinese guns all have suspect ratings, and Gamo is reputed to be the very worst.
Any of the decent guns (Crosman, Daisy, Diana, Slavia, etc) all measure with lead (though lightweight pellets). The Chinese and Gamo all measure with very lightweight non lead pellets that mostly have absolutely terrible accuracy.

[Newellknik]

I have one , Princess auto $69.99 Reg $89.99 ,
Came with a rifle stock attachment .

I find it quite accurate cock 3 ,at 45 ft. Penetrates a
treated fence board . Cock 6 or more buries itself
In same fence board .
I have a scope for it but rings that mount on a tube
hard to find ! D&L Airguns show some but out of stock .