Bare minumum power in hunting for survival?

[Savagefox]

Hi, I'm new to the world of air still loking for a decent rifle.

I want it for plinking and back yard shooting, but one question is always rounded mind, if everything goes to poop (wich is going to happen someday...) and there ir no other option than our thrusty, low powered air rifle to hunt, how low can we go?

I ask because the legal limit in my country is around 17 fpe, I know I can hunt rabits and small game whit that whitout much problem, but, if we don't have acces to anything else, and we MUST hunt to survive, whit shoot placement in small distances can we really hunt large game whit 17 fpe?

I see a video of a .177 spring rifle droping a hog on the spot, I know is not very ethically and all that, but we are speaking of a survivalist scenario.



Whit a well place shot, can a 17 fpe rifle drop a hog at 10 meters? at 20? at 50?

 

[Spray1Mark]

You would be better off using it as a club!

 

[crittahitta]

That video is nonsense. yes it worked, and if it was survival i would shoot a horse with a slingshot (lol) but........that 17 fpe would be plenty powerful for all your small game needs and would keep you fed. I always say if the s hits the fan and i could only grab one airgun it would be my sheridan pumper.

 

[GLPalinkas]

That video is nonsense. yes it worked, and if it was survival i would shoot a horse with a slingshot (lol) but........that 17 fpe would be plenty powerful for all your small game needs and would keep you fed. I always say if the s hits the fan and i could only grab one airgun it would be my sheridan pumper.

Sheridan pumper all the way... lol. Only one that makes sense. Self contained and been killing rabbits and squirrels since the late 40’s. Now I don’t think it would bring down a hog but if it was SHTF feed my family crunch time I think I would try.

 

[Clifford]

When SHTF your gonna try whatever you can to put food on the table. If you study the anatomy of the target animal and focus on shot placement you can get away with less power. More power gives you a little wiggle room on shot timing and placement. 

 

[Hicomp]

17 ft lbs is plenty for small game. I have taken plenty of not only squirrels, but Raccoon, woodchucks and possums with 12 ft lbs (or slightly less), airguns, in both .177 and .22 pellets. The key is proper shot placement. Brain shots work and work well. Pertaining to taking bigger game with a .177, in a survival/ SHTF situation, at 10 to 15 yards, , utilizing a brain shot, coyotes, small deer and hogs could be taken, no doubt. I would suggest a .22 LR firearm (or larger), if you can own one. If the .177 airgun is all you can own... scope it, pick a good hunting pellet and shoot it until you know that gun like it's your right hand. 

 

[crosman2016]

If things went sideways, I would continually us my air rifles to kill small game, to save the ammo for my firearms for larger game. I have a lot of ammo, so I would imagine that between the two different types of weapons, we could survive (as far as eating meat is concerned) for quite a while.

 

[Scrufhunter]

a rock and pointy stick works