Brand new to airguns

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joefelkey

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Sep 5, 2022
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Denver, Colorado USA
Hi, I’m totally new to airguns. I have a fair amount of experience with firearms and hunting. I’m in Colorado and I manage a ranch with a severe prairie dog infestation. Several people have told me that airguns might be a better option than conventional firearms to control them. Their position is that, because of the lower amount of noise and cheaper ammo, airguns would be better.

I’m looking to get a pistol (with a scope) that would be capable of making fatal shots out to, say, 25 yds. The prairie dogs are use to seeing my truck, and I think I’ll be able to get quite a few from the window of my truck. I’ll also get a rifle (also with a scope) that could be lethal out to 100+ yds. I would probably be shooting from a bipod.

So some of my desires/concerns/requirements are that I want to make clean humane kills with one shot; I don’t want to use lead projectiles (trying to keep lead out of the scavengers diets, as there will be scores of dead prairie dogs to dine on, and that’s a lot of lead if I were to use lead). I’m well aware that by not using lead, longer shots will be problematic, so I’m looking for info on how to maximize my success… ie caliber, power, actual hardware (guns), scopes, projectiles, etc.

Also, If there’s a better forum on here that I should be posting on, that info would be much appreciated.

Thank you.
 
Welcome! You'll certainly get lots of good info here. I'm not a hunter myself but I would not recommend a conventional handgun configuration for 25 yard pesting with an air gun. The power is really not there for a humane kill. There are some PCP pistols with the appropriate accuracy and power for shorter range hunting but many chose to make them into carbines. They just look better as rifles IMO:). For the 100 yards you specified you want an air rifle capable of shooting slugs, probably in 25 or 30 cal. Conventional pellets are really not 100 yard ammo, you want slugs. There are many slug shooters/hunters on these forums that can give you specific recommendations. Welcome again. Regards, Badger
 
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For Airguns, this is one of the best places on the 'net.

Your question can be seen as several different topics....

Rarely does the pest capture the pellet, in my experience shooting ground squirrels. An immediate kill will involve enough energy to pass clean through the animal.

Pistols are generally not my go-to tool for hunting. For truck/ATV pesting, I like a carbine length or even a bullpup format gun. The bullpup is handy for shooting from the cab of a truck, IMHO.

100 yards is a magic number that is bandied about on the net by nearly everyone. Forget the number. Get a laser range finder. Concentrate on 30-50 yard shooting skills. Once proficient and confident at that range, them consider moving to longer ranges. Yes, I have taken jackrabbits over 150 yards. Those are exceptions rather than norms.

Take the time to read all you can in the HUNTING subforum.

And welcome to Airgun Nation. I am sure you will find plenty of advice and volunteer help with your Prarie Dog problem.

Shoot'em good
 
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Welcome to AIr Gun Nation, tons of good information here, especially in the Hunting section. I second the bullpup rifle suggestion over a pistol. More power and higher shot count. I suggest watching videos on youtube, there are a lot of good videos and excellent reviewers.

The biggest hurdle for you will be the air supply. Tanks and compressors cost up front but pay off in the future. I purchased my first compressor five years ago, best decision ever. The good news is that compressors have become more affordable. There is a whole forum here on them. They are a hot topic.

This is a very deep rabbit hole, I suggest setting a budget and arranging a neutral place (Gotta love UPS hold at location) for all of the packages, bits and bobs that are going to start showing up. Enjoy!
 
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Your biggest obstacle is not wanting to use lead, what happens if you decide on a gun and it doesn’t like any of the non lead projectiles, my Brocock doesnt shoot the greens or the copper coated pellets as good as regular pellets, enough difference that I wouldn’t take a fifty yd shot and expect a clean kill,so if you have a clear background I would go for a pass thru shot with lead or you can head shoot them all and then just twist off the head like a rabbit. I would also look for a carbine to shoot out of the window. Do plenty of research before you buy this isn’t a cheap hobby to get started in , check around for someplace to fill an air bottle none close you’ll want a compressor, you can fill with a hand pump but pumping rifles can become a pain,compressors have come way down in price from just a couple years ago, go to the hunting section and start reading,I’ve spent more time on this site reading in one week than watching tv the whole year, also check out the video reviews on AoA, the Brocock Atomic xl is a pistol and carbine expensive but all good air guns are be prepared to spend $$$$$$$$$
 
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Hey Joe welcome to the Rabbit Hole er Forum. I also am in Colorado (Denver) and have killed hundreds of prairie dogs with my air guns. Forget the no lead idea, I havent found any green pellets that shoot well. There are so many good guns out there that it can be confusing. Same with pellets or slugs, some guns shoot slugs well some not so much. I agree that a Bull Pup would be better as a truck gun than a pistol. For long range I shoot a Vulcan 3 with the 700 mm barrel in 22 there under $1400 at Krale. If you need more info you can PM me any time.
 
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Hello and welcome to the group.

Yep, I agree. I think a bullpup in 25 caliber would be ideal. I have never heard anyone discussing shooting airguns accurately or hunting with anything other than lead pellets. Abandoning lead will not work for air guns at this time that have enough power for your needs.

You mentioned a surprisingly short range of only 25 yards.... A 22 lr powder burning pistol with a scope would certainly do the job... And most likely the slug would pass through into the dirt at that range. 22LR makes close to 100 foot pounds. A 25 bullpup air gun pushing a typical jsb 25 grain diabolo pellet at 890 ft per second, for example, makes a little over 40 ft lb. I feel certain that this would be lethal for prairie dogs but I cannot say from actual experience whether it would be a pass through. Others can chime in with their hunting experience.

An air gun can certainly be far quieter than a 22LR if this is a problem for you. Most PCP air guns come with built-in moderators and people more than 50 yards away probably won't even notice the sound of the discharge.

As far as choice of forums, this seems more suited to the hunting forum.

Have fun exploring the world of airguns. There have never been a more dizzying array of choices.
 
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