While trawling through YouTube I saw a video entitled Hunting Eland with an Air Rifle!!! I did watch it and the guy drops an Eland with a high powered Air Rifle. This thing is .45 calibre and produces 600 ftb of energy, the obvious question is why but as they say only in America
Only In America
- Thread starter Tazz
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Each to their own I say. Some people like to use bow and arrow.
Foxyboy43
Well-Known Member
Aye, there is a recent thread relating to the use of very high powered air rifles firing extremely heavy bullets at various animals including deer and pigs invariably from a blind some 15 yards away. Like you I don’t get it so haven’t included the link but I guess each to their own, just not for me.
Rake Aboot
Well-Known Member
Why not indeed.
Not sure why you would question it really.
Not sure why you would question it really.
Franchi Matt
Well-Known Member
Murica....
Sad as I am I read the spec for the riffle he used, given he did kill the eland fron just inside 100 yds you get 2 full power 600 ftb from each refill. I am just guessing here but I doubt he is using a stirrup pump set up to reduce weight
Heym SR20
Well-Known Member
Those large calibre air rifles are about the equivalent of large calibre black powder muzzle loaders. A big slow bullet punches a big round hole. They kill by causing a massive wound channel, not by transferring lots of energy. A bow and arrow will have even less energy but they still kill very effectively if used correctly.
Big bore air rifles are nothing new.
And the Austrian Army was issued with the Giradoni repeating air rifle in the 1780s
en.m.wikipedia.org
Big bore air rifles are nothing new.
And the Austrian Army was issued with the Giradoni repeating air rifle in the 1780s
Girardoni air rifle - Wikipedia
Cootmeurer
Well-Known Member
NRA Family | Throwback Thursday: Lewis and Clark’s Air Rifle
A lone air-powered gun served as a Potemkin village in motion for the explorers.
Absolutely nothing new. The Lewis and Clark expedition were so impressed by the Air Rifles of the Austrian Army they took one on their famous exploration of the Western US, when it was still newly purchased. As the above article states, this one was built around 1779.
At that time it held several advantages over existing rifles, including follow up shots could be fired prone, rather than requiring a standing reload
Heym SR20
Well-Known Member
And Forgotten Weapons has a very good article and detailed video on its operation. Its fascinating especially as this was in line issue well over 200 years ago.
www.forgottenweapons.com
Girardoni Air Rifle - Forgotten Weapons
The Girardoni (also spelled Girandoni) air rifle was a very advanced design adopted in 1780 by the Austrian Army. While the standard arm of the day was a single-shot flintlock, the Girardoni offered a massive firepower advantage to the men who carried it. The guns (designed by Bartholomäus...
www.forgottenweapons.com
Isn’t an air-powered deer rifle, propelling a solid copper head/projectile bullet of suitable weight and at velocity to be legal, the obvious progression in our desire for a carbon neutral Deer Management footprint?
K
K
Stalker-of-the-deer
Well-Known Member
The Benjamin marauder in 375 was designed for "big game" in Africa.
There's a few videos of a British bloke shooting various things in Africa with one!
There's a few videos of a British bloke shooting various things in Africa with one!
Heym SR20
Well-Known Member
Possibly, but think of all the energy required to produce the compressed air. A better option would be a cross bow manually cocked, firing a broadhead arrow.
With a firearm its all about pressures. Let’s say we try to duplicate ballistics of a shotgun slug. You will need air pressure at around 12,000 psi, and enough volume to accelerate it down the barrel. If you were trying to duplicate a 308 rifle, you would be looking at 55,000 psi.
Think of the strength of air cylinder. Mind there are some pretty clever lightweight materials being developed for storing liquid hydrogen - but still in the experiment al phase.
alberta boy
Well-Known Member
Large caliber air rifles are very popular in SE Asia . There are a number of different models made in the Philipines in particular . I looked at a few when I was there , including a .50 cal rifle that was designed for feral pigs . It's very common in that part of the world and they consider it very normal . As to it only happening in the US , you're right , it's not . It's far more common in other parts of the world and doesn't even get a second look .
AB
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