New to stalking/rifles - benefits of air rifles?

[Dalua]

Interesting topic. Was discussing lately with a newcomer to a new member at a rifle club, who's inclined to learn about stalking and acquire the necessary riflemanship. He's got enough garden, so I suggested an airgun for convenient positional practice - even just hold-practice without firing.

I didn't go so far as to suggest what kind of airgun. I use a HW100 for rabbits and such - but I did wonder whether an HW35 (I have one of these also) might be better for the kind of practice suggested practice, because more hold-sensitive: as well as not needing a supply of compressed air.

 

[Dalua]

By the way @Yeomans , learn to shoot offhand.

If you park yourself on a bipod or shooting bench at the range and never leave it, you'll find it difficult in the field.

A good suggestion - but an indictment of our times: 'learn to shoot' should be enough - for what can you do hope to do if you can't shoot offhand as well as supported. Not at long ranges, perhaps, and in the field not unless you really have to - but you do have to be able to do it, surely?

 

[User00040]

A good suggestion - but an indictment of our times: 'learn to shoot' should be enough - for what can you do hope to do if you can't shoot offhand as well as supported. Not at long ranges, perhaps, and in the field not unless you really have to - but you do have to be able to do it, surely?

Offhand and iron sights, we should all start that way.

20-25 meters is plenty for an air rifle to start with.

Not sure why we have such stringent theoretical standards... maybe because most rely on theory and not practise?

A true 1 MOA of accuracy between rifle and user will be more than sufficient to kill any deer out to 400 meters and beyond with correct shot placement, yet we have people on this forum claiming less than 1/2 MOA accuracy out of their stalking rifle?

They should be kept well away from an F-class competition as they'd be a natural and ruin the sport.

Hope they can nail a running deer/boar target 10 for 10 with no practise.

I do practise and can't achieve that.

 

[DevonRifle]

Offhand and iron sights, we should all start that way.

20-25 meters is plenty for an air rifle to start with.

Not sure why we have such stringent theoretical standards... maybe because most rely on theory and not practise?

A true 1 MOA of accuracy between rifle and user will be more than sufficient to kill any deer out to 400 meters and beyond with correct shot placement, yet we have people on this forum claiming less than 1/2 MOA accuracy out of their stalking rifle?

They should be kept well away from an F-class competition as they'd be a natural and ruin the sport.

Hope they can nail a running deer/boar target 10 for 10 with no practise.

I do practise and can't achieve that.

I think 1/2 moa bench rested can be achievable but not in field conditions. My quad sticks are good but not that good!

 

[DevonRifle]

I started on air rifles (and shotguns) and would always recommend them. I always used spring powered air rifles which teach consistency which is very transferable. PCP will teach accurate trigger discipline but I learnt that on rimfire.

 

[Jagare]

Offhand and iron sights, we should all start that way.

20-25 meters is plenty for an air rifle to start with.

Not sure why we have such stringent theoretical standards... maybe because most rely on theory and not practise?

A true 1 MOA of accuracy between rifle and user will be more than sufficient to kill any deer out to 400 meters and beyond with correct shot placement, yet we have people on this forum claiming less than 1/2 MOA accuracy out of their stalking rifle?

They should be kept well away from an F-class competition as they'd be a natural and ruin the sport.

Hope they can nail a running deer/boar target 10 for 10 with no practise.

I do practise and can't achieve that.

I was down the range yesterday and shot the running moose target for the first time in nearly two years. The first three series I shot were complete and utter rubbish . The target seemed to be moving at hyper speed. So i went up to the club house and had a coffee and cheese roll and mulled over what went wrong . I went back and had another three series and bingo I turned in a decent score . The running boar with the .22 was no real problem as I do practice off hand shooting in my back garden.

 

[Heym SR20]

A decent spring air rifle is really good practice. I have a .22 BSA airsporter since 1982 and have put thousands of pellets through it. Today I would buy an HW35 or a hW 95.

The .177 is what most target shooting, field trials etc use as its flatter shooter than a .22. The debate over whether a .177 is better than a .22 has been going on for the last 100 years and still to be resolved.

A springer has recoil, so does a centrefire and thus is a better training tool.

Appreciating drop and wind is a good thing. But with a centrefire at stalking ranges this doesn’t really come into play.

And a military training will have taught you the basics, and in particular rifle safety. Good for application.

 

[Magnificent 7]

Alternatively.

Stop. Stop now - before it is too late.

If you go down this path, you will end up buying rifles in many calibres. Justifying those purchases to yourself, your partner and your "significant other", by which of course, I mean your FEO.

Eventually, you will find yourself home loading. More kit and expense. Your mortal soul will now be in danger.

If you find yourself buying a concentricity gauge it is too late and you are damned and already in the seventh circle of Hell...


Turn back, it's not yet too late. Turn back I say. Turn back!

He is not wrong it is addictive get out now whilst you can

 

[Magnificent 7]

I always had air rifles as a kid lived them actually toying with idea of another.I have a 22 rimfire that I shoot possibly 100 a week for practice and then a few centre fire rounds just for practice

 

[enfieldspares]

The local club only lets .177 but i was previously told to go for a .22 to understand more of the ballistic principles of the arc of shot etc which would apply better when shooting with rifles. Again - does this have any merit or is it better to just get the practice with whatever is available?

Best training you'll ever get is shooting a GOOD air rifle with a QUALITY TRIGGER unsupported. Be that prone, kneeling, standing on your hind or whatever you want. It's how I started shooting some fifty years ago with a BSA .22 Airsporter MKI in the garden at twenty yards, standing unsupported, against a card target in one of those metal holders nailed into the mortar of the garage wall.

Even when the "big house" had been sold and long gone I still practiced at but six yards in my late mother's garage using a BSA Standard in .177. You'll see that where I am coming from is your air rifle must be accurate and must have a good trigger. Simply Spanish El Gamo triggers don't do it! There's no problem with .177 at all. What air rifles train is "hold" and "follow through" as the dwell time for the pellet to exit the barrel demands both be first rate from you. Even a humble Milbro/Diana break barrel .177 had back in the day a good trigger.

And best of all? A mere twenty pellets fired maybe twice or once a week will do. But as said with a GOOD air rifle that has a QUALITY TRIGGER.

 

[njc110381]

I still shoot with an air rifle semi regularly. I can open the back door and shoot targets off hand in the garden. It really does help to keep things in check and it costs barely anything. Four rounds for my deer rifle cost the same as a tin of 500 quality pellets for my airguns. I like Weihrauchs, they seem to have decent triggers and reasonable build quality. Just a plain old HW80 is hard to beat - a good old fashioned springer with a bit of weight to it. They'll fire tens of thousands of rounds without needing any attention at all besides a bit of oil on the moving parts now and again and a quick wipe over with a lightly oiled cloth before you put them away.

 

[nic531]

It does not matter what you are shooting, trigger time is always good fo the principles of marksmanship.
an air rifle at 25 yards will allow you to practice them just as well as a rimfire or full bore. You can get deer targets and scale them down/print them out to represent distant targets so you get used to the sight picture, if you want.

Once you get over 25 yards, wind plays a bigger part with air rifles, whereas over the distance that most are shooting at on a stalk, it matters far less due to the weight / speed of the bullet. ( you can also get charts for elevation and windage for your bullets if using commercial ammunition,)

the only concern, is how your neighbours may react... may not like seeing a 'rifle' in the garden and it is an offence to allow pellets to cross your boundary, so have a good safe backdrop. I used to use a shopping basket with layers of carpet tiles in it and a piece of plywood to fix the targets to. this was attached to a tree.

Enjoy

 

[Yeomans]

Best training you'll ever get is shooting a GOOD air rifle with a QUALITY TRIGGER unsupported. Be that prone, kneeling, standing on your hind or whatever you want. It's how I started shooting some fifty years ago with a BSA .22 Airsporter MKI in the garden at twenty yards, standing unsupported, against a card target in one of those metal holders nailed into the mortar of the garage wall.

Even when the "big house" had been sold and long gone I still practiced at but six yards in my late mother's garage using a BSA Standard in .177. You'll see that where I am coming from is your air rifle must be accurate and must have a good trigger. Simply Spanish El Gamo triggers don't do it! There's no problem with .177 at all. What air rifles train is "hold" and "follow through" as the dwell time for the pellet to exit the barrel demands both be first rate from you. Even a humble Milbro/Diana break barrel .177 had back in the day a good trigger.

And best of all? A mere twenty pellets fired maybe twice or once a week will do. But as said with a GOOD air rifle that has a QUALITY TRIGGER.

Many thanks for all the helpful replies. I'm definitely going to be invested on soon and figure the game fair is the best place to see everything.

Apart from Gamo triggers - are there any other brands to stay away from for quality triggers?

I was looking at the Weihrauch HW98 as it has the adjustable stock, which only seems a benefit?

 

[enfieldspares]

Any cheap secondhand BSA from the 1980s or earlier will do. A £30 Meteor even. Use the factory iron sights that it comes with or on later ones plastic sights. LOL! All "Beezers" of those days will have good triggers and be accurate. Certainly don't buy something new for hundreds.

 

[NullMac]

Best training you will get is shooting realistic sized targets at unknown distances in realistic field positions with your stalking rifle.

Nothing else provides appropriate feedback as to your capabilities. It is important to properly mimic the real world challenges you will face.

Rather than shooting something that recoils less then your stalking rig your should ideally shoot something that is heavier recoiling and less ballistically efficient.

 

[cjm1066]

An target air pistol 340 FPS, you can shoot it indoors into a cardboard box filled with rags.

Nothing punishes bad trigger technique like a pistol so they are a great training aids.

 

[nic531]

Many thanks for all the helpful replies. I'm definitely going to be invested on soon and figure the game fair is the best place to see everything.

Apart from Gamo triggers - are there any other brands to stay away from for quality triggers?

I was looking at the Weihrauch HW98 as it has the adjustable stock, which only seems a benefit?

wehirauch are a good make . the older ones had fantastic triggers (do not know the newer models) and they were built to last

 

[WellieP]

I’m a couple of years into stalking and come from an Airgun back ground (both springer and PCP). .177 is probably my preference as it is flatter and quicker. I certainly feel that airguns have given me a really solid foundation upon which I’m now building my rimfire and centrefire skills. I think that good marksmanship (and gun safety) can be gained cheaply and safely with airguns and will transfer over to powder burners. However, I wouldn’t overlook the benefit of stalking small game with airguns too as if you can get to within 25 yards of a Rabbit and kill it cleanly with what is more or less a suped up blow pipe, you can certainly take a deer a hundred yards away from a high seat!

 

[David T]

You say you are familiar with rifles from your time in the TA which is great. Therefore I would suggest you buy an air rifle and spend your time learning the art of stalking. Rabbits are a challenging quarry with a low powered weapon and you will soon learn about movement, concealment, wind direction etc etc etc. But most of all enjoy it and enjoy being outside.
D
Note - PCPs seem to cost as much if not more than a full bore rifle........just saying.