American Airgun Hunter

I like this gun a lot; it is very accurate from 25 - 125 yards, hits very hard and is a lot of fun to shoot. It is also very reliable, I've now put several hundred pellets through it without a problem on the range or in the field. Though it's pretty ammo tolerant, I've kind of settled in on JSB Jumbos because they are excellent performers for target or hunting.rnrnAnybody else get out shooting today?

Decided to set up a PD shoot with a buddy, and started some serious planning to maximize out time and get the most bang for our buck. Researching online and calling different contacts, found a place that charged a trespass fee to shoot over some big towns (125/day). Gas out will be about $150, hotel we'll share a room (49/day), and food another 100. So the cost of our trip will be around $400 each. not bad for three days of solid dawn to dusk shooting!rnrnBringing along several guns; particularly interested in seeing how the Marauder .25, the Evanix Windy City, and the Evanix Rainstorm handle the expected long range shooting. Will have a few other along as well.rnrnWe'll also be looking at adjunct gear binos, spotting scopes, range finders, etc. Haven't been getting a whole lot of hunting in the last couple of months, and looking forward to this trip!

(From an article in Fur Fish Game)

I use of high powered airguns for hunting appears to be gaining popularity in North America, with more and more states adding new regulations or modifying existing ones to allow air powered guns as a method of take. I hunt with firearms, handguns, archery, and airguns. While I love (my wife says obsess over) just about any type of hunting, I like nothing better than hitting the squirrel woods with an air rifle. This gets me out a couple months before deer season, and helps get my stalking and shooting chops tuned up before whitetail fever takes hold.

I’ve enjoyed hunting with airguns for several years, and whether out with a centerfire hand cannon for mulies, a .44 mag revolver for hogs, or one of my rimfires for small game, find that the added challenge of shooting a handgun enhances the experience. So considering my penchant for both airgun and handgun hunting, it is understandable that eventually the idea of hunting with an air powered handgun would take hold.

If you are going to us an airpistol for hunting, the same choices in powerplants exists as for rifles; spring piston, CO2, or pre-charged pneumatic. However, the physical dimensions of a handgun limit the practicality of spring piston designs for small game hunting; they are just not powerful enough. There are a couple of CO2 designs that do have the power for rabbits and squirrels, but for the most part these are custom built or modified guns that require a bit of gunsmithing to optimize. The bigger issue is the fact that CO2 is temperature sensitive and cannot be used in cold weather. That’s not going to fly in my region of the country, where most of the season is usually a cold weather affair.

If you want to seriously pursue hunting with an air pistol a precharged pneumatic is the way to go; these guns can be powerful and accurate, approximating the performance of many air rifles. This type of airgun is powered by compressed air operating at pressures between 2000 to 3500 psi, the air charge being delivered from either a hand pump or a high pressure air tank. The compressed air is contained in an onboard reservoir, and will generally provide as few as three shots per fill in the more powerful big bore guns to 20 shots per fill in most of the smaller caliber guns. There are limited options when it come to acquiring a PCP handgun; you can build your own, have somebody else build one for you, or you can buy one of the production AR6 or Renegade models manufactured by the Korean airgun company Evanix, which is distributed in the States by Pyramyd Air.

The Guns
Over the last several years, I have built my own air powered handguns, had others build them for me, and purchased the newer production guns. The first handguns that I built were CO2 models based on the Crosman 2240 platform: by modifying the valve, the transfer port, barrel, and altering caliber I was able to build up guns that were producing approximately 12 fpe. This is more than powerful enough to take rabbits and squirrels at twenty five to thirty yards, so long as the weather is playing along and hunting temperatures are hovering around the mid sixties. Most of these CO2 guns were set up in .22, but a few were modified to .25 and even 9mm, though I have to admit the 9mm was kind of like chucking a brick down range with a pronounced arc of a trajectory.

The next step was when I found a couple of guys that would either sell me the parts to do a conversion from CO2 to PCP, or better yet do the work for me. An example of this is one of my favorite airpistols; it is a hybrid that many people had a hand in. The 9mm barrel and receiver were made for me by Dennis Quackenbush, the father of the Modern Big Bore airgun, the lower (air reservoir and valve) was made by Canadian airgun craftsman Walter Glover, the trigger was done by the Crosman Custom Shop, and the laminate grips were built by “Grips by Rick”, then I put it together. A great gun, but talk about taking a village! Now this single shot pistol will hurl a 9mm 77 grain pellet down range at around 525 fps for 28 fpe, and when it hits a rabbit at thirty five or forty yards, he is quick to give up the ghost. It is a pleasure to shoot and looks great, but has about $600 in parts and more time than I care to admit invested. I also had to rely on help from guys I’m lucky enough to know, like Dennis and Walter, assets which most potential shooters can’t draw on. It took me close to a year to get this gun put together and performing to expectation.

I have also used a high powered .308 hand cannon that was fully built by Quackenbush on a hog hunt down in Texas a few years ago. This gun is a limited production model owned by my hunting buddy Eric Henderson, that throws a 78 grain .308 slug down range at 800 fps and generates about 150 fpe. I shot a small porker in the head at thirty yards; he went down and did not get back up. I have seen Eric do the same on multiple occasions, and have been uniformly impressed with the performance of this gun. While being one of the most powerful air pistols I’ve ever heard of, it is a handful weighing in at well over four pounds with a twelve inch barrel. I had one in .25 that I preferred to use as a carbine finding it easier to manage. If you want one of these guns you’ll have to special order it and wait, and as a standard production Quackenbush rifle has a waiting list over a year long, you may be waiting forever unless you find one on the used gun market.

There is a production gun currently available that fulfills the requirements for a powerful, accurate, and affordable PCP handgun; the Evanix AR6 and Renegade models. These guns are almost exactly the same, the difference being that the multi-shot AR6 must be fired single action and the Renegade can be shot single or double action. The other difference is that the AR6 has been configured for maximum power at the expense of shot count, and the Renegade trades a bit of the power to get a better shot count. Both of these guns are based on the proven AR6 rifle action and use a six shot cylinder that is very similar to a standard revolver. They are available in .177 and .22, though for hunting I think the .22 is the way to go. These guns are large, and have a one piece grip / forestock. I have mounted a bipod on mine that allows me to shoot this gun quite accurately, producing approximate 18 fpe and half inch groups at forty yards.

A quick word on power is necessary when discussing airguns of any type. It takes about five or six fpe to cleanly dispatch a rabbit or a squirrel. With a .22 rimfire producing around 115 fpe, an airgun producing 18 fpe doesn’t sound like much power. But in the UK where airgun hunting is arguably the most common hunting method practiced, they have been limited to a maximum power of 12 fpe without an almost impossible to obtain firearms certificate. And with these low powered guns the Brits have effectively taken rabbit, squirrel, crows, and pigeons in copious numbers and to great effect over the years.

In the field
One of the advantages of the handgun is portability, both when carrying it in the field and also for transporting it to the field. I keep one of my pistols in the car when traveling on business, where it is ready for an impromptu hunt as time and circumstance permits. When traveling by air, it is a much simpler (and in these days of one bag only airline policies, cheaper) operation to pack a locking pistol case and hand pump into my checked baggage than it is to check a separate rifle case.

On a recent squirrel hunt, I carried my gun, camouflaged coveralls, pellets, water and camera in a messenger style carry bag. I parked in the campground parking lot and hiked through the campground to get out of the designated no hunting/safety zone and into the state recreation areas hunting zone. Once across the boundary I slipped on my camo and pulled the Renegade out of the bag. There was no need to bother with a back up air source, fully charged I reckoned there would be more than a dozen shots, which should account for up to a limit squirrels any way you cut it. When heading out to shoot prairie dogs (where a large number of shots will be required) I carry a small 18 cf high pressure air tank to recharge the gun, but don’t find it necessary for most small game applications.rnrnWorking my way to the base of a tree with a fallen log next to it, I leaned back to wait. After twenty minutes I noticed motion up in the early fall foliage spreading out in front of me. Leaning forward I could see branches shaking and located a squirrel high up the tree feeding. Drawing a bead through the low magnification scope and squeezing off the shot, I watched as the bushytail tumbled down to the ground thirty yards away. Standing up to collect my downed prey, I heard angry barking behind me and slowly twisted around to find the author of this scolding sitting in a tree not more than fifteen yards away. Second shot, second squirrel. I quietly walked over to pick up the closer squirrel and as I headed back caught glimpses of a third coming through the canopy towards me. Opening the bipod and setting up on the fallen log, I was able to intercept my quarry and as the gun popped, the third squirrel was down. I found that the short barrel and compactness of the handgun was optimal for hunting in the heavy foliage still on the trees. I could maneuver through the brush with minimal noise and effort, and with my limited field of view didn’t have to worry much about shots past the thirty five yards mark. I didn’t see any more squirrels that morning, so packing up I made my way back to the car and after cleaning my game, headed home.

Concluding remarks
I’ve used handheld airguns to take everything from rabbits and squirrels to groundhogs and feral hogs. It is a challenging and fun way to hunt, and if you like handgun hunting with firearms, I am sure you’ll enjoy it. As with all airguns, the low noise signature, lower power, and limited carrying distance will result in more hunting areas opening up to you. There are several farms just outside of city limits where I have permission to hunt, but because of the new housing developments popping up can’t use a firearm, even a rimfire, because of noise and carrying range. I can get to these sites from my house in about fifteen minutes which allows much more time afield during squirrel season, so having a quiet and compact hunting tool is a huge advantage. I’ve written about using air pistols in the past, and have then received follow up emails and letters asking how somebody could get started. My response has typically been to pass along where one could find information on building up a gun, or directing the reader to one of the custom shops. While this is one solution, having a production gun that the prospective hunter can be steered towards is probably a more viable approach, certainly less expensive and faster. I believe that with the increased availability of production high powered PCP handguns, more people will pick up the sport. And if you want to jump in early there are now at least a couple guns available for you to get started with!

It was rainy and cold and didn't see an groundhogs, so ended up plinking and shooting targets. I was using the Evanix Rainstorm, and I have to say I really like this rifle. Accurate, excellent hunting power, likes heavy pellets, and yields a high shot count.rnrnhttp://www.americanairgunhunter.com/rainstorm.htmlrnrnTake a look and let me know what you think. Would like to hear from others using the gun.

And will also cover this rifle in an upcoming issue of Predator Xtreme Magazine. It's the first of a three part series on this very cool new gun. Take a look, and we can discuss here.

http://www.americanairgunhunter.com/windycity.html

is making a difference in a local economy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JC5WL5tjIkU

Well done Crosman!

My latest book, the Practical Guide to Airgun Hunting, is on sale and shipping now. This book is a comprehensive how to book that will help you get the most out of your hunting airgun. Shooting the Windy City and Rainstorm (both in .22) and am loving these guns. Also been testing the Brocock Enigma carbine and the Grand Prix pistol, accuracy and power with ergonomic designs. The Marauder .25 has provided me with a couple weeks of fun shooting, and is a sledge hammer. I'll be taking all these guns hunting in coming months. Using the uber powerful Airforce Condor to test heavy pellets and it's impressive.rnrnFriday night I'll be driving up to Findlay Ohio for their airgun show, will ride up with Randy Mitchell and will be meeting up with Dennis Quackenbush and Eric Henderson, and it will be cool to spend a couple days with these long time airgunning buddies. Will keep everyone updated on the blog!!

I guess all of us look at the various rifles available when getting ready to make a purchase, and make a list of what's important to us. There really isn't a right or wrong answer once some of the baseline criteria are met, primarily is the gun accurate enough and is it powerful enough for the game you intend to shoot? There are other questions to ask and answer; is it right for the distances you plan to hunt at, what caliber will be suited to your application, do you like the fit and feel of the gun, do you like the looks, etc?

Many of these are pretty subjective and different shooters come up with different answers. To me the two objective questions are, is the gun accurate enough and is it powerful enough? Once you get a gun generating 12 fpe, you've got enough power for small game, and this has been proven over many years in the UK where sub 12 fpe guns have taken more game than any others. If you are going to hunt bigger animals, obviously you'll need a higher power baseline. Just based on personal experience, I tend to draw the line at about 20 fpe when going after fox, raccoon, groundhog sized animal. Some draw the line higher, some lower. When you increase the power in these two scenarios, the main advantage is that it lets you reach out a bit further. So there is a net gain in upping the power, in small game upping the power from 12 fpe to 20 lets you add maybe another 10 - 15 yards to your hunting range, so long as you hit the targeted area. Depending on where the energy output falls, it may also let you hunt larger game.

The second component, accuracy, is actually the one I think is much more important in a hunting gun. This is not simply my opinion, but that of the vast majority of airgun hunting authorities in the world (most located in the UK), which have much more experience than we do in this country. My personal preference is for guns that will group whichever hunting pellet I use into a half inch at whatever range I plan to shoot at. It goes without saying that any gun has to produce adequate power to cleanly kill the intended quarry.

Let's say that we are hunting rabbits and intend to keep shots inside of 35 yards, a well placed head shot at 12 fpe will usually drop that bunny on the spot, and a chest shot will most probably kill him though it might run a few yards first. Increasing the power to 20 fpe isn’t going to kill the rabbit and deader at 35 yards, but it will let you stretch out to 45 or 50 yards. Being able to shoot further while maintaining excellent killing power is good, but you still need to hit the rabbit in the head (actually the brain) or get a good heart lung shot. Most of the airgunning authorities I’ve read over the years say it takes about 5 fpe on impact to kill a rabbit, so long as the hit is well placed, and regardless of whether the gun generates 12 fpe or 20 fpe at the muzzle, you'll easily be delivering 5 fpe at 35 yards.

The reasons that field target shooters sling lead at those little holes in reactive targets is that they are a pretty good approximation of the kill zone on small game. If your gun doesn’t have the intrinsic accuracy to keep the pellets in this area, when you add the additional instability of shooting under field conditions your chance of shooting outside of the kill zone increases. If you are shooting at the head, you may well miss the animal altogether. If you are shooting at the body, the chance of a gut or leg shot increases. That’s one of the reasons why I tend to prefer headshots when possible.

So why do I think accuracy is a more important issue? We started out stating the obvious baseline; use enough power to kill the targeted species, for instance 12 fpe knowing it takes 5 fpe to kill this quarry. Would I prefer that the gun generated 20 fpe? Probably…… it would allow me to kill that rabbit at longer range and use the same gun for larger animals. But if that gun producing 20 fpe produced say, a one inch group at whatever range I was shooting, my chance of wounding the rabbit at either 35 or 50 yards is significantly increased. The increased power would be outweighed by the inability to place the pellet where intended every shot.

This is why I shoot new hunting guns on the range for groups, then over the chrony to calculate power before taking them into the field hunting. If going out squirrel hunting I don’t really care too much if a gun puts out 15fpe or 22 fpe so long as the accuracy criteria are met, but I’d tend towards the more powerful gun (so long as it’s one I enjoy shooting). But if the 15 fpe gun is doing quarter inch groups and the 20 fpe is printing three quarter inch groups, I’ll be grabbing the former when I head out the door. The general rule of thumb is, more power is better …. Once the accuracy criteria is met.

I’ve heard it said that you can’t get target accuracy when in the field hunting (I know I certainly can’t), so hunting guns don’t have to be highly accurate. This may hold some water in the firearm world where hydrostatic shock comes into play; however in the airgun hunting world where killing is done by directly punching a hole in the vital organ, it does not. If your gun is not accurate on the bench, that accuracy is going to do nothing but get worse when you are hunting and have to shoot offhand.

Now another interesting topic related to punching a hole directly through vital organs, is the size of the hole. And this will lead to a future topic on caliber selection in the hunting rifle.

and just posted on my early experience shooting this very cool rifle. These are the types of springers that keep pulling me back from the pcp world. A lot of fun to shoot!! rnrnhttp://www.americanairgunhunter.com/nitro_trail.html rnrnJim

and spent a few hours shooting them through a variety of guns. Off to a great start, can't wait to get them out hunting to see how they perform on game. Randy Mitchell and I are going to try to get out on a squirrel hunt in Kentucky next week before the season ends. Take a look at intial results http://www.americanairgunhunter.com/baracuda.html