Stupid law or am I missing something.

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Chuck-in-Ohio said:
While I truly love popping squirrels in the nugget with a pin point precise .177, I find that outside of my property confines I default to a .22 with Hades for stationary hunting or a .25 shooting MKll pellets for woods roaming.

My pin point precision with certain .177s ends when I lose the use of a steady rest as an aid. Knowing my property well enough after 22 years, I am comfortable doing it round the ranch.

The .22 gives me a little fudge factor if shooting from the sitting or kneeling. I suffer from a bit of the old sight wobble, and like the added energy as a fail safe. Not a fail safe for a poorly placed shot mind you, a fail safe for a shot that goes slightly low and inside. We all get em at times....

The .25 gives me options for when multiple species are in season. I like the feeling of being equipped to smash a squirrel or ring a raccoons bell equally.

Then again, I very well may be delusional and am justifying owning multiple airguns by inventing uses for them.
My wife took that justification hook, line and sinker though! While she did not concede that it made perfect sense, she did roll her eyes while shaking her head, which means basically that she agrees. Right? :unsure:
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Well rolling eyes and shaking heads are both usually not good so if I remember my high school math correctly the double negative cancels out which means that she super agrees with your logic.
 
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Sqwirlfugger57 said:
You can make it your goal all you want but .25 is still the more guaranteed option. 25 doesn't do that much more tissue damage than a .22 and if you're going for a dome shot it doesn't matter anyway. Shoot, most non airgun hunters I know use 410 for squirrels....

I'll die on this hill. 25 cal is the best small bore PCP PELLET caliber there is. The versatility of it is amazing and it still gets a decent shot count with excellent down range energy all while being a relatively flat trajectory within reason. If I need more oomph or range than that, 22lr is my go to quiet option. 17hmr if I can go loud.
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I sense more than a little insecurity in your faith in your own accuracy/precision. (chuckle)

To each their own... (smile)
 
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BackStop said:
Apparently you missed the part where I said "if you make shot placement and accuracy/precision your goal."

.25 is overkill for tree rats. Yes, dead is dead, but blowing out massive amounts of tissue isn't necessary for good clean kills. (smile)

And the wind is rarely an issue at the distances MOST people will reasonably be taking tree rats with an airgun.
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No, I didn’t miss that at all. The law allows everyone to use .177 and not everyone will make “shot placement and accuracy/precision their goal”. And it doesn’t matter if you do, not every shot will go exactly where you want it.

Have you ever hunted squirrels? Have you ever been in the woods on a fall day? (smile)
 
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450BM said:
No, I didn’t miss that at all. The law allows everyone to use .177 and not everyone will make “shot placement and accuracy/precision their goal”. And it doesn’t matter if you do, not every shot will go exactly where you want it.

Have you ever hunted squirrels? Have you ever been in the woods on a fall day? (smile)
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Apparently you don't know me very well. (smile)

See my signature and peruse my posts about pesting... (grin)

p.s.

If shot placement and accuracy/precision is not your goal, then I simply don't know what I can tell you. Maybe try hand grenades?
 
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BackStop said:
I sense more than a little insecurity in your faith in your own accuracy/precision. (chuckle)
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Not at all. 90% of my squirrel and rabbit hunting is done with whatever random springer I decided to grab off the shelf that day., typically a .177. 20 springers and about 10 different dope cards between them and ranging anywhere from 7.8ftlbs up to 17ftlbs (a few are higher but the accuracy isn't there). Haven't had a run off in years. Would you care to guess why? Because I don't use a 10ftlb springer to take a 50yd shot in the wind. Too risky and I'm not ok with winging an animal to boost my ego. Same conditions and I have my .25 Dreamline out? Any squirrel or rabbit within 80yds is guarenteed dinner.
 
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Sqwirlfugger57 said:
You can make it your goal all you want but .25 is still the more guaranteed option. 25 doesn't do that much more tissue damage than a .22 and if you're going for a dome shot it doesn't matter anyway. Shoot, most non airgun hunters I know use 410 for squirrels....

I'll die on this hill. 25 cal is the best small bore PCP PELLET caliber there is. The versatility of it is amazing and it still gets a decent shot count with excellent down range energy all while being a relatively flat trajectory within reason. If I need more oomph or range than that, 22lr is my go to quiet option. 17hmr if I can go loud.
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I agree. And besides, speed and expansion do the tissue damage, not so much caliber.
 
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BackStop said:
Apparently you don't know me very well. (smile)

See my signature and peruse my posts about pesting... (grin)

p.s.

If shot placement and accuracy/precision is not your goal, then I simply don't know what I can tell you. Maybe try hand grenades?
Click to expand...
You apparently think wounding animals is ok, you told us all we need to know about you.
 
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Sqwirlfugger57 said:
Not at all. 90% of my squirrel and rabbit hunting is done with whatever random springer I decided to grab off the shelf that day. 20 springers and about 10 different dope cards between them and ranging anywhere from 7.8ftlbs up to 17ftlbs (a few are higher but the accuracy isn't there). Haven't had a run off in years. Would you care to guess why? Because I don't use a 10ftlb springer to take a 50yd shot in the wind. Too risky and I'm not ok with winging an animal to boost my ego. Same conditions and I have my .25 Dreamline out? Any squirrel or rabbit within 80yds is guarenteed dinner.
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Umm... that comment was not directed at you.
 
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450BM said:
I agree. And besides, speed and expansion do the tissue damage, not so much caliber.
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Precise shots kill. Tissue damage may or may not kill. Stop the heart, DRT. Head shots are much more iffy... but if done well, can result in DRT.

Location, location, location! Shot placement, shot placement, shot placement!

If you are not concerned with accuracy/precision then I guess you should go ahead and use a .50 caliber airgun for squirrels! LOL!

And even THEN, you have to hit the target within reason.
 
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BackStop said:
Well, nobody is a perfect shot, but I do strive for accuracy/precision. You have already made it clear that you do not.
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I’m sure you don’t brag about the animals you wound, I wouldn’t either. I’ve make it very clear that I believe Pennsylvania has a stupid law that allows only .177 and .22 caliber air rifles to be used for small game. You’ve made it very clear you’re not a sportsman and will use inadequate guns for hunting, I choose not to do that.
 
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450BM said:
I’m sure you don’t brag about the animals you wound, I wouldn’t either. I’ve make it very clear that I believe Pennsylvania has a stupid law that allows only .177 and .22 caliber air rifles to be used for small game. You’ve made it very clear you’re not a sportsman and will use inadequate guns for hunting, I choose not to do that.
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Get your act together and practice on paper. You need it.

Oh and that last comment... well... practice man... you need it!
 
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Chuck-in-Ohio said:
While I truly love popping squirrels in the nugget with a pin point precise .177, I find that outside of my property confines I default to a .22 with Hades for stationary hunting or a .25 shooting MKll pellets for woods roaming.

My pin point precision with certain .177s ends when I lose the use of a steady rest as an aid. Knowing my property well enough after 22 years, I am comfortable doing it round the ranch.

The .22 gives me a little fudge factor if shooting from the sitting or kneeling. I suffer from a bit of the old sight wobble, and like the added energy as a fail safe. Not a fail safe for a poorly placed shot mind you, a fail safe for a shot that goes slightly low and inside. We all get em at times....

The .25 gives me options for when multiple species are in season. I like the feeling of being equipped to smash a squirrel or ring a raccoons bell equally.

Then again, I very well may be delusional and am justifying owning multiple airguns by inventing uses for them.
My wife took that justification hook, line and sinker though! While she did not concede that it made perfect sense, she did roll her eyes while shaking her head, which means basically that she agrees. Right? :unsure:
Click to expand...
Yeah, I have a Benjamin Marauder that is incredibly accurate out to about 35 yards with no wind. It’s taken a lot of starlings in the yard and quite a few garden chewing pests, which are very easy to kill. I wouldn’t take it squirrel hunting because I have much better options and I know it’s (and my) limitations.

Now, imagine all the first time air rifle owners buying a Gamo springer because they shoot 1200 fps with 5 grain pellets. In Pennsylvania, they are perfectly legal to hunt squirrels with and I’m sure some people do. Do you think they wound any squirrels? If the Game Commission in PA was really concerned about the ethical treatment of animals that are being hunted, they wouldn’t make larger than 22 caliber illegal.

I‘m not talking about serious air gunners, I think most of us know our limits and the limits of our guns. But I’ve seen a lot guys that don’t. I’ve been shooting BB guns since I was 5. Growing up on a farm in the country my free time was spent shooting pests, hunting, reloading since I was 12 and shooting some more. I saw too many “hunters” that shot their rifles two or three times the week before deer season and called it good when they had their 4 inch group… These are the guys I’m talking about.

Yes, I’m sure your wife agrees with you, just like mine does! lol :) I’m a firm believer that one can have enough guns but not too many. Same with ammo, can never have too much.
 
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450BM said:
You sound like an ethical hunter to me. Slugs or pellets? :)

If I had a 30 cal, I’d be even madder that it wasn’t legal to hunt small game with!
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I'm a slugger myself! I shoot nearly exclusively with FX Hybrid Slugs, and they perform wonderfully!

Just look at this expansion, even on a 66 yard passthrough on a groundhog!

 
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