Pellet Gun Hunting

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Best Pellet Gun For Hunting

Published January 15th, 2010 in Pellet Hunting Overview | 2 Comments »

When it comes to finding the best pellet gun for hunting it seems that most people start with the bottom line.  They want to initially look for the cost in a certain range and then maximize the firepower they receive for that price.  This is not the optimal approach to determine which weapon we should purchase and really the way we should go about it kind of puts that thinking on its ear.  This post will try to boil down the salient points that people need to consider and define a process to come to the final selection for purchase.

What Quarry Are You Targeting With Your Pellet Gun

This is really where it needs to start.  Regardless of what pellet gun you decide to choose you aren’t going to be able to bag large animals like deer, geese, or bear.  That said, the size you can target can vary pretty dramatically.  Are you looking to mainly be after birds and maybe the random chipmunk or small animal?  Or are you likely to be targeting bigger species such as a rabbits or raccoons.  Heck, maybe it is even in the middle of that and you are buying this gun to target squirrels.  Of course there will be the person who says “all of the above” with a smile.  When it comes to this, define the largest animal you think you will ever pursue and start from there.  Now, we need to determine what size pellet to use and how fast it should travel based on this animal.  Use the below table as a guide to determine what is the minimum and suggested pellet size and muzzle velocity for your future pellet gun.

Largest Animal Pursued Minimum Pellet Size Suggested Pellet Size Minimum Muzzle Velocity Suggested Muzzle Velocity
Birds 0.177 caliber 0.177 caliber 500 feet per second 750 feet per second (0.177)
Chipmunk 0.177 caliber 0.177 caliber 500 feet per second 750 feet per second(0.177)
Squirrel 0.177 caliber 0.22 caliber 700 feet per second (0.177) 500 feet per second (0.22) 900 feet per second(0.177)

600 feet per second (0.22)
Rabbit 0.177 caliber 0.22 caliber 700 feet per second (0.177) 500 feet per second (0.22) 900 feet per second(0.177)

600 feet per second (0.22)
Raccoon 0.20 caliber 0.22 caliber 700 feet per second (0.177) 500 feet per second (0.22) 900 feet per second(0.177)

600 feet per second (0.22)

Which type pellet gun should we buy?

When I say what type, I mean the multi pump pellet gun or the break barrel kind that only requires one fast pump.  In general the multi pump models don’t last as long due to needing to build up pressure and therefore losing this pressure as time goes by.  In addition, they can be a pain to continually pump over and over again.  That said, it is a staple type model for most new pellet gun hunters.  I used one myself for years, so can’t knock them too greatly.  In terms of type of pumps, the two main players in this space are the Daisy and the Crossman.  Before I make my next statement, please realize I grew up with a Daisy and likely am a bit biased, but also own a Crossman air gun as well.  I think that the design of the Crossman is inferior and harder to pump.  Kids have a hard time using these over a long duration and I think they are generally a pain in the rear.  The Daisy models allow for a longer lever which is easier to pump and faster to get to the required 10 pumps.  In fact I would suggest the Daisy Powerline 880 as a great baseline model for the initial model if you are going with a 0.177 caliber pellet gun.  These pump type models max out around 800 feet per second muzzle velocity and therefore are only good for a certain type of pellet gun hunting and definitely have a shorter maximum range.  If you are serious about hunting with a pellet gun I would suggest going with one of the break barrel single shot models.  These are faster to get to max velocity and also afford much higher muzzle velocities.  Some will even go faster than a rimfire 0.22 caliber rifle.  Of course, they don’t offer the range of a 0.22 rifle, but that doesn’t mean that they are less effective at ranges less than 60 yards.

Which Brand Pellet Gun Should I Buy?

This is the age old question and one that seems to be never ending debate.  The longest players in the field are the Daisy and Crossman.  If you are going with a baseline model I would suggest one of these two, but again would steer you towards a Daisy as I think they are more user friendly.  There are several other brands of air rifles that should be considered when looking to purchase a pellet gun for hunting purposes.  The most prominent in these are the Gamo pellet guns and the Beeman pellet guns.  In addition there are also models by Benjamin, Sheridan, Walther, and Baikal that people are known to purchase.  I’m sure there are some other brands that I didn’t even cover to this point.  But none of that answers the question of which to buy, does it?  As stated earlier, if you are looking at a basic, pump action pellet gun I would steer you towards a 0.177 caliber Daisy pellet gun.  For those that are serious about buying a gun for hunting with I would suggest you go with a 0.22 caliber gun.  A great choice in this arena is the Benjamin 392 pellet gun.

So there you have it a way to determine what the best pellet gun for hunting is and what you should purchase for your own sport.  Remember that this can be different based on what you are attempting to pursue and also the range you plan on hunting the critters at.  One last note of caution, make sure to check your state regulations to ensure what you are using is a legal method for hunting.  Some states ban 0.22 caliber pellet guns for hunting or hunting altogether.  Hope you can use this guide to find the perfect pellet gun for hunting in your life.

Pellet Gun Hunting Today

Published January 7th, 2010 in Pellet Hunting Overview | 2 Comments »

When I think back to my youth and all the fun I had toting around my bb gun out in the woods in search of sparrows, grackles and the occasional squirrel I can’t help but conjure up great memories that bring a smile to my face.  Nothing brings that instant amount of freedom out in a kid it seems that the ability to roam the woods with your very own weapon in hand in search of prey that always seems to be two steps ahead.  To that end, pellet gun hunting is surely a fun activity for kids that will allow them time out of the house, get them expending energy that they desperately need to be getting out of their systems, and creates an early bond with the environment that often lasts a lifetime.

There are some ways that the pellet gun hunting world is different these days, though.  First, the idea of just letting kids roam completely by themselves for hours on end is something that most parents can grasp.  Given the current feeling on this, it is imperative that a parent find a way to have an adult with them as much as possible.  This likely isn’t a bad idea as a child and a bb gun it seems will often enough lead to poor decisions.  That isn’t to say that all of them will display bad judgment, just that we all know the person that shot of the neighbors light bulb / bird feeder / window while out trying to waylay a bird or similar.  Besides what way to give your child a slice of your history and fun times out in the woods than being there with them as they go about their hunting time.  Maybe they will even listen long enough to catch a pointer or two that would have taken them years to master!

Now, what is the quarry?  With a pellet gun we are somewhat limited on what we can pursue.  Shooting a deer would be a horribly sadistic idea, not to mention those that decide to turn them on neighbors pets such as dogs and cats.  We should be teaching at all costs to avoid such disasters.  Instead, let’s find animals that are sized correctly to be targeted with our bb / pellet gun.  Among these would be the squirrel, rabbit, birds (such as sparrows, grackles, black birds, and mourning doves), mice, rats and similar sized creatures.  The raccoon is likely the largest animal I would even consider trying to waylay with a pellet and I would suggest you start much smaller than that.

Keep in mind that all pellet guns are not created alike.  The key measure to keep in mind is the muzzle velocity measured in feet per second.  If in doubt, the higher the better.  If you are serious about using this gun for pellet gun hunting then you should be buying a gun with at least 700 feet per second of muzzle velocity.  Truth be told you should be targeting a gun with 1,000 feet per second or more if you are taking shots at more than 15 yards of distance.  In addition, the bore diameter of today’s pellet guns differ quite greatly.  The baseline is the 0.177 pellet, but they are also in 0.20 and 0.22 sizes.  Generally speaking, the larger the better as the pellet with more diameter causes more damage and cleaner kills.  This isn’t to say that a 0.177 pellet does work, just that you run the risk of it going through the animal and leaving it maimed, which no one wants to see happen.

As can be seen, the world of pellet gun hunting is a great area to begin your fun in the great outdoors.  A pellet gun is a ticket to everything that a life afield has to offer.  I suggest it as an excellent way to get kids involved in nature and away from all the pursuits that will lead them to a sedentary lifestyle.