Is it possible to have TOO MUCH gun??

[HogKiller]

Those big PCPs are different animals for sure. Diameter and speed makes up for a lot of error in a kill.

I wait for a head shot on a tree squirrel or a rabbit for sure. I'll wait for the right shot or pass.

If I'm shooting a ground rat in the yard I can't let it get away. It will go into a hole and stink and the dogs will get into it. So I dispose with the formalities of a headshot. I'll take the quickest shot I can get that gives me time to get on top of him and step on his head.

After the head shot strategy produced mixed results I started hitting them in the superstructure. I hit too far back on a couple at range and it didn't work. But for the most part I'm having luck with the shoulder strategy.

I think every shot I've made passed through. Even hitting them across both shoulders. A "chest shot" with just ribs is iffy. But a chest shot through some shoulder bone rips them up pretty good. More like a rimfire.

My .22 springers only get 600-650 fps. at my altitude so I need all the help I can get. The farthest shot about 50 yards. Most have been about 25.

My minimum distance is 50 yards, most are 100+. But the MIA are pretty equal at either distance . Say 50%.

 

[Bandito]

I have never had too much gun. 45-70 w/ 405 grain pellets work well on whitetails. Can bark a squirrel with it too. Be Well, Bandito.

 

[Kim]

One question is whether you're pesting (for pest control) or hunting (for sport). Though quick / humane kills are always desirable, they are more critical with hunting than pesting.

We have a vineyard, so ground squirrel pesting / control is the priority. GS are very tough, and unlike tree squirrels or rabbits often run before expiring. As mentioned head shots are ideal but harder to make and easier to miss, so I go for a chest shot for this reason.

Another question is what could happen with your projectile if you miss: obviously one should be aware of what is behind the target. But this is a bigger worry with slugs than pellets (and bigger still with rimfire / centerfire). IMO this is a big benefit of pesting with air / pellets.

 

[HogKiller]

One question is whether you're pesting (for pest control) or hunting (for sport). Though quick / humane kills are always desirable, they are more critical with hunting than pesting.

We have a vineyard, so ground squirrel pesting / control is the priority. GS are very tough, and unlike tree squirrels or rabbits often run before expiring. As mentioned head shots are ideal but harder to make and easier to miss, so I go for a chest shot for this reason.

Another question is what could happen with your projectile if you miss: obviously one should be aware of what is behind the target. But this is a bigger worry with slugs than pellets (and bigger still with rimfire / centerfire). IMO this is a big benefit of pesting with air / pellets.

Answers: #1 pest control. And yes I'm very familiar with where in the H did my bullet go to. It's one of the good things about pellet guns, they tend to fall quickly, I'd done the ballistics and there is no way a pass through can reach any of the closest neighbors, hundreds of yards away at the negative angles I'm shooting. I burn off quite a bit of the energy at 100 yards, my 50 yard shots have a small berm behind them. The ground squirrels here wear body armor I swear on that.

 

[HogKiller]

I have never had too much gun. 45-70 w/ 405 grain pellets works work well on whitetails. Can bark a squirrel with it too. Be Well, Bandito.

Given my area, it could be a touch much, for the squirrels and for overall safety, ok maybe not for the squirrels but I most certainly don't need that much lead flung about. In my other posts I've got picture of where I'm shooting. Heck I have to be aware of horses, bicyclists and cars.

 

[Hal4son]

Thanks for your reply, Jim!

So, to summarize — and please correct me if I got this wrong:


You have precision sufficient for pesting —
with H&N Crow Magnums .25cal —
out to 35 yards —
at 850ftps MV —
from an FX Maverick 500mm barrel.


(➠ I am interested in high velocity precision of hollow points — as the high velocity is necessary for hollow point expansion.)


Thanks again, very helpful!
I'll give the Crow Magnums another try in my .25cal P2 500mm.

Matthias

That is an accurate summation.

I don't really consider Crow Magnums as a hollow point. They are a large flat meplat projectile with a small rim. I don't know that they expand any if at all. I can tell you the audible "pop" is exponentially more pronounced than diablo shaped pellets and they appear to be more lethal. More lethal meaning there is a lower percentage of birds that fly off.

 

[JBHC]

There's nothing like too much gun, you can only have less.

 

[Bandito]

I had to switch from 500 gr to 405 gr pellets in my 45-70. They wouldn't go through the action. Did work through the single shot though. Be Well Brothers, B.

 

[JaceSpace1369]

Actually, I'd say screw airguns and use my Savage A17, but.....the dog on the property that goes nuts with firearms is still breathing. THAT is why I got into airguns. Of course I'm very aware of shot placement but a head shot at 100 yards is problematic. My body shots are mostly in the heart lungs area, again what I'm seeing is pass through even with RMR/FX hybrids. I've got some slugs that my Raptor likes, giving them a go on Friday,

We've dug out two that have made it back to their burrows, they died half way in, but most of the get ways, there isn't a darn burrow to be seen. Most of the area has been mowed, EXECPT for one that, for some reason, they refuse to do.

A m0d on the A17 would do nicely, mine gets quiet enough to not need buds.

On the other hand, have you thought of switching to heavier large expanding slugs like varmingmt knockers? He has 30gr, 32.8gr 34gr, 36gr and I believe 40gr. 30, 32.8 and 34gr are fantastic, I haven't tried the other. The 30grs would keep you in the high 900fps range, and the expand as low as 740fps I've had these slugs expand to .58"

 

[drsquall]

A 22 rimfire has about 120 foot pounds of energy and you guys are saying 60 pounds is too much in a 25 Cal come on now

 

[HogKiller]

A 22 rimfire has about 120 foot pounds of energy and you guys are saying 60 pounds is too much in a 25 Cal come on now

Honestly it was more of a rhetorical question. It's just the number of got aways after reasonably good hits. Here are two that didn't make it today. The two of the 3 that I saw today, 100+ yards Maverick .22 Compact with heavy liner, 22gr RMR/FX Hybrids. Bottom pic is of Pete my faithful retriever walking back #1 squirrel was at farthest tree towards the far left.

 

[Ranchibi]

I just returned from a ground squirrel permission with a friend and with a really good shot placement (head or vitals) usually anchors them but that doesn't happen as often as I'd like even in low wind conditions. Our shots ranged from 40-100yds. We definitely had more DRT's at the 40yd distance than longer ones both shooting slugs, my RAW .22 @ around 37 FPE with 17.5gr NSA. I don't think one could have too much power when pesting but like said above shot placement usually matters more. You shoot very well!

 

[HogKiller]

I just returned from a ground squirrel permission with a friend and with a really good shot placement (head or vitals) usually anchors them but that doesn't happen as often as I'd like even in low wind conditions. Our shots ranged from 40-100yds. We definitely had more DRT's at the 40yd distance than longer ones both shooting slugs, my RAW .22 @ around 37 FPE with 17.5gr NSA. I don't think one could have too much power when pesting but like said above shot placement usually matters more. You shoot very well!

Thank you. Not thrilled with the belly shot, not sure what happened, it may have moved on me or I moved. There was a complete energy dump on the belly shot, it wasn't going anywhere.

 

[Vetmx]

Ranchibi brought something up that we are either in denial of or it’s just a hard pill to swallow about your prize gun. Years ago I got into a slightly heated discussion on the forum about airgun guys shooting beyond their or their guns capabilities. Knowing the accuracy of even an exceptional slug shooter, I began to wonder and then accuse guys of just considering a hit at distance a win. The consensus was they are pests so who cares. I couldn’t argue because I agree. But it’s very simple, if your gun isn’t shooting dimes or nickels at 100 yards, you aren’t planting them, you’re just hitting them. Because at the distance your gun truly will cut holes, you plant them almost all the time.

So then we start doing what PB guys do. If we can’t be precise with our shots we want to up the power or caliber. Most don’t need more power than their current slugster is producing. And even if you do accomplish powder burner accuracy at 100 and beyond, we still have to deal with wind or the temperamental PCP.