cheap but humane air rifle

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cheap but humane air rifle

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lottie

Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 5059
Location: ceredigion

Posted: Sun Sep 28, 08 9:34 pm Post subject: cheap but humane air rifle

We have an old .22 air rifle that we use for killing the domestic rabbits we breed and the odd ones we catch in the live rabbit trap.
Today I was in the living room with an open window and a cheeky rabbit was underneath it---I went and got the gun and shot it at fairly close range---it was o.k. and it's tomorrows dinner---my question is ---although this rifle is fine for rats---what's the cheapest realistic option for rabbits at a longer distance than the 8ft I shot from today today.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46246
Location: yes

Posted: Sun Sep 28, 08 9:51 pm Post subject:
i am still looking for thetidy 25 m shot fac may be good

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Sun Sep 28, 08 10:10 pm Post subject:
2nd hand HW80.

lottie

Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 5059
Location: ceredigion

Posted: Sun Sep 28, 08 10:39 pm Post subject:

Jonnyboy wrote:

2nd hand HW80.

discovered someone at Rotherham does these---I'll follow it up when I visit my parents---thanks for the ref.

RichardW

Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 8443
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales

Posted: Sun Sep 28, 08 10:57 pm Post subject:
HW's are good but do command high prices. Pop along to the air gun forums to see what else is avaliable. Whats your budget? Richard

lottie

Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 5059
Location: ceredigion

Posted: Sun Sep 28, 08 11:26 pm Post subject:
Couple of hundred quid tops

kevin.vinke

Joined: 19 Dec 2006
Posts: 1304
Location: Niedersachsen, Germany

Posted: Mon Sep 29, 08 5:38 am Post subject:
have the HW77k very solidly built.

Brownbear

Joined: 28 May 2007
Posts: 14929
Location: South West

Posted: Mon Sep 29, 08 7:26 am Post subject:
It may be worth getting the FAC and buying either a .22 or .17HMR. The .17 gets you headshots at 100 yards with a decent scope and steady hand, and you can get a CZ for about �220, new. Superb barrels on those little things. It's also good for corvids, and even fox at close-ish range.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Mon Sep 29, 08 7:36 am Post subject:
Lottie, if you go for reasonable priced air rifle then I expect it to be a spring powered one. If you're going to use it it's worth having a go cocking it before you buy it because some can be much harder than others.

vegplot

Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 21301
Location: Bethesda, Gwynedd

Posted: Mon Sep 29, 08 8:38 am Post subject: Re: cheap but humane air rifle

lottie wrote:

what's the cheapest realistic option for rabbits at a longer distance than the 8ft I shot from today today.

I'd estimate about 10-15 yards is about a far as you'd want to shoot, if keeping within the 12ft.lb limit, and can place a pellet accurately.

lottie

Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 5059
Location: ceredigion

Posted: Mon Sep 29, 08 9:51 am Post subject:
Thanks for the advice---we both need to be able to use it as we are looking at it as a joint christmas pressie to each other, as tolerant of the local wildlife though I am the rabbits are really taking the michael---and they've just got under my nets and eaten all the redrussian kale and cavalo nero kale plants---but not touched the pentland brig. We get the odd one with the trap but not enough.

gil
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18415

Posted: Mon Sep 29, 08 7:18 pm Post subject:

Treacodactyl wrote:

it's worth having a go cocking it before you buy it because some can be much harder than others.

Agree. I like my Webley Exocet .175 ('blows rats clean across the yard' according to one review), but sometimes I have to use the weight of my forearm to cock it.

Old-Chads-Orchard

Joined: 07 Dec 2005
Posts: 394
Location: Malpas, Cheshire

Posted: Wed Oct 01, 08 8:07 pm Post subject: Re: cheap but humane air rifle

vegplot wrote:

lottie wrote:

what's the cheapest realistic option for rabbits at a longer distance than the 8ft I shot from today today.

I'd estimate about 10-15 yards is about a far as you'd want to shoot, if keeping within the 12ft.lb limit, and can place a pellet accurately.

The limit is how far you can shoot and hit a 10p sized target, engergy wise if you hit a rabbit in the correct spot a 12lb/ft air rifle will kill to well over 40m. I can hit a 2p at 40m with my pcp and 30m with my spring rifle, so these are my limits.

As to rifle any modern spring rifle, Air Arms, HW, BSA etc are good for the job if they are specified as being over 10lb/ft when new

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