Yupp.
Unless I have a reasonable chance at hitting my quarry —
I won't take a shot at my quarry either.
Matthias
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Iguana: Minimum Acceptable Caliber, FPE & Kill Zone
- Thread starter elbeau
- Start date
Yupp.
Unless I have a reasonable chance at hitting my quarry —
I won't take a shot at my quarry either.
Matthias
As soon as I saw that Airgun Depot say a .177 isn’t recommended for squirrels and rabbits I stopped reading.
Frankly, inside of 40 meters a 12 fpe springer will take them out every time provided the pellet hits that kill zone.
I’m not saying it’s the best option but let’s not forget…accuracy is king.
A .25 slug doing 60 fpe that misses the vitals will not kill as quickly and effectively as a .177 pellet doing 10 fpe that impacts right behind the eye.
(Notice I said inside of 40 meters)
Frankly, inside of 40 meters a 12 fpe springer will take them out every time provided the pellet hits that kill zone.
I’m not saying it’s the best option but let’s not forget…accuracy is king.
A .25 slug doing 60 fpe that misses the vitals will not kill as quickly and effectively as a .177 pellet doing 10 fpe that impacts right behind the eye.
(Notice I said inside of 40 meters)
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Shot placement, of course is king. Although I have routinely used .177 on raccoons humaley out around 40 yards plus or minus, I would never suggest that .177 is a good round for raccoons. I also deer hunt with 5.56, but when asked what rounds are good for deer, I'd never suggest that round. I know my .177 is generating around 20 FPE at the muzzle, and I know my 5.56 is generating 1000 FPE at 100 yards, but more importantly I know anatomy and behavior patterns throughly on almost ALL animals and I thoroughly know my abilities and limitations as well as the trajectory of my projectiles. My worst nightmare would be to have an animal suffer, so when I pull the trigger I know where my shot will place. Of course, we all know that in life, things happen. Animals move, wind interrupts, branches sway into the trajectory, a projectile veers for any of numerous reasons... there are a ton of variables and you are responsible for that projectile once it leaves your gun.....so know your quarry, it's anatomy, it's habits (do they often suddenly move, etc), and be intimately knowledgeable with your firearm, the projectile and it's characteristics, and your abilities and limitations...
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From all the vids I watched of iquana hunting seems to be in suburban areas, seems crazy to be shooting .30 cal and .25 cals shooting slugs near houses and streets.. I mean come on, do you really need a 60fpe air rifle to dispatch a damn lizard lol..
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Lol. I can tell you they are tough buggers. Much tougher than squirrels, which pound for pound are probably one of the toughest buggers.
I agree 60 FPE is a ton. Often, there are areas in PR where you can pest well past 100 yards and the backstop is safe, so the extra FPE can be appreciated!!
I would never shoot near a street, especially with that powerful of a projectile.
My backstop in PR s never a house. Treed areas, water, etc are my backstop. Attached below are some random pics of some of my backstops where I have hunted them..
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I would love to come try that looks like a poop ton of fun, been thinking about making that my next vacation
, send the wife to the beach and shopping while I snipe iguana’sUpvote 0
It is a ton of fun..and I can even snipe some at the beach. I've been fishing for snook one moment, then hear a rustling behind me, and take an iguana that is climbing the uvas plant...I would love to come try that looks like a poop ton of fun, been thinking about making that my next vacation
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Where in PR is that? I stayed in Fajardo a few months ago and didn’t see a single iguana but many little lizards, a bunch of chickens, and lots of kittens.
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The area I'm mostly in is west of fajardo... loiza, rio grande, etc...but we travel all over PR.
There are TONS of iguana all over. Sometimes they are there and unless you're really looking for them you don't see them. I've heard there are over 14 million iguana in PR. Once I started really looking for them, you see they are all over.
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You are correct; however, iguanas, like many other reptiles are quite resistant to shock. Body shots, even those from 30 cal. airguns usually fail to kill them albeit any well placed head shot will, even from a .177. PR is a small tropical island densely populated therefore shooting iguanas in trees in close proximity to residential areas or public roads could be dangerous and an unnecessary risk. Common sense should always pre empt any happy trigger desires.
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Like many have already said, shot placement is everything. If you have issues with shot placement then be sure to use the right tool for how off you might be. If don't have the confidence to hit kill zones then may I suggest 30mm airburst rounds. Iguanas are tough critters but you might need a bigger tripod.
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