| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| matt mavin |
Will a break barrel air rifle be kill a rabbit?I have a junior break barrel air rifle with scope and i can hit a 2p sized target 4 or 5 times out of 5 shots from a good 25 yards. Ive been considering going hunting on a neighbouring farm who consider them pests and the farmer is quite happy for me to hunt on his land. Would a Junior break barrel air rifle be strong enough to kill a rabbit? and if it was still alive would another shot be the best way to finish it off? |
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| vegplot |
It's possible has long as you place the shot accurately I'm not familiar with that rifle what is its muzzle energy?. If in doubt don't shoot. If you don't get an outright kill then use priest or similar to administer last rights. If you find that you are not getting consistent one shot one kill then use a more powerful air rifle or obtain a firearms certificate and use .22LR with hollow points or even a .17 HMR. The latter is somewhat overly powerful if you want the meat.
If you intend on using an air rifle get one as close to the 12 foot pound limit as you can. You can get more powerful air rifles but you'll need a firearms certificate. |
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| matt mavin |
Im not sure of the muzzle energy but its make is "Gamo" a spanish make. But thanks for the help 
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| RichardW |
Gamo make a range of sizes & powers some are ok for hunting & some are not. Whats the exact model & calibre?
Richard |
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| Tavascarow |
If its the one I just found on google I would say no.
Only 5ft lbs power. http://www.alansairrifles.co.uk/gamo.htm Not powerful enough for anything but plinking IMO. |
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| matt mavin |
Im not to sure of the answers but i went on their webstie and got this, its has.....
Velocity: 1000 feet per second (fps) with PBA, 850 fps with Lead -Single Shot -Break Barrel: Single Cocking System -Automatic Cocking Safety system -Barrel: Rifled Steel, Fluted Polymer bull barrel -Cocking Effort: 30 lbs -Trigger: Second Stage adjustable -Manual Safety -Accuracy: TBA And another website also said 177 cal |
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| vegplot |
Their Gamo Varmint claims 1000fps per second with lead a little higher than your spec. A test review of this particular rifle gave 12.76 ft-lbs at the muzzle with a pellet velocity of 745fps for 10.6 grain pellets ,which gave the best groupings.
Your rifle is a claimed 850fps so all being equal you will get less energy in the pellet at the muzzle. To be honest I'd say your rifle isn't really man enough to kill rabbits outright with one shot. Shooting with it is likely to cause the rabbit pain and suffering unless you can place the shot accurately. I'm not a big fan of using non firearm air rifles for vermin control on creatures as large as rabbits. Rats yes, rabbits no. Have you considered a shotgun? A .410 for instance? It would be easier to gain a certificate than a firearm. |
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| Treacodactyl |
Wouldn't that require a FAC as it's over 12 ft-lbs? |
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| matt mavin |
Well i would use a shotgun but the i want the meat i dont want to kill the animal for no purpose and i dont want it to suffer | ||||
| vegplot |
Yes, if that was the case. the review was US based so one you presume any imported rifles would be downgraded a little. |
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| vegplot |
A shotgun wouldn't do too much meat damage if the range is correct. You can and do get pellets in the meat but unless it's at close range it will be fine. A .410 is quite good for rabbits. |
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| RichardW |
I would say that that is more power not less using the same weight of pellet (assuming the claims are accurate). Energy is speed x speed x weight div 450240 = ftlb so 850x850x10.6/540240= 17ftlb (I also made the test review power as 13ftlb not 12.76) Thats said they also make some that are very low in power so you need to know the exact model BEFORE shooting a living thing with it. This is interesting
Richard |
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| matt mavin |
Good idea but id prefer to use a air rifel and avoid the hassel if it where to make the animal suffer i would definetly not use it. but would a clean shot to the head kill the rabit ? i also have a air pistol incease it where to run away injured as i would not want it too suffer at all .
To be honest ive only ever shot at targets and metal rabits. |
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| matt mavin |
Thats said they also make some that are very low in power soI agree i will find out the exact model and make sure it is able to kill the animal with no pain or suffering |
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| gil |
Not necessarily. Depends where on the head. Even with a pheasant (far smaller head), a clean head shot will not always kill outright. And at that point, as Vegplot says, a priest is what you need. |
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| RichardW |
I am going to assume that you are in the UK. So then a pistol is a no no for shooting animals at anything over point blank range. They have a max of 6ftlb (at the muzzel) which is the min for a clean kill of a rabbit (rats ok'ish at very (5 yards) short ranges).
Richard |
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| matt mavin |
I definetly would not use a pistol to kill it but i wouldnt want the animal to suffer if i shot it and it didnt die | ||||
| vegplot |
They measured 745fps with lead for a rifle with a claimed 1000 fps so a rifle with a claimed 850 fps would give less than 745fps. |
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| vegplot |
If you can get your rifle to a range where they have a chronograph and measure the muzzle velocity using the pellets you intend to shoot with. From that you can get a good idea of how the rifle will perform and you can calculate its muzzle energy. A pellet weighing 10.6 grains traveling at 700 fps yields 11.54 foot pounds. Just under the legal limit, you should be able to kill first shot if you're accurate at 25 metres. I wouldn't want to shoot further than that as energy drops off quickly. |
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| matt mavin |
i would be shooting from 15-20 yards away from a ditch. i went over the farmers field today and he told me where all their tunnels are and where he thought i should shoot from | ||||
| vegplot |
Give it a go. Be prepared to wield the priest. If you find you're getting clean kills then fine if not refine your shooting to get better groups or re-asses the killing potential of your rifle. |
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| matt mavin |
Good call
Thanks for all the help:D |
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| vegplot |
Is there a reason you won't shoot .22LR? You have the field and the permission. You'll need to get the land cleared with the police if it's not already on their register. A .22LR rifle is often quite a bit cheaper than a decent air rifle. CZ 452 Varmint 16" barrel £310 for example. | ||||
| matt mavin |
As i dont want to get a gun licence etc im happy with my small air rifle and if it is no good for hunting then i wont hunt
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| RichardW |
Ah but the 1000fps was not with lead
Richard |
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| Pilsbury |
If you are really unsure take it to your local gun smith and ask him to check the power, its a simple, quick test for him and you will have a good idea of it is up to the job, you want it as close to the 12ft/lb limit as it can be without the risk of it going over if you use slightly lighter pellets.
If you are still unsure post its power in this thread and those in the know will tell you if its a good idea to try it on the bunnies. |
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| RichardW |
Or heavier pellets too. I cant remember which is which but some get more power with light pellets & some with heavier ones. I think its springers with light & PCP with heavy. That said the most I can get out of mine (PCP) is not with the heaviest pellets avaliable. To stay legal your rifle must not go over 12ftlb with any avaliable pellet. So you need to be about 11.5 ish to be safe. The police will test with a selection of pellets not just the ones you use. Oh & if you do take it to the local RFD & it tests over the legal limit he can n ot let you have it back & you can not ask him to de tune it & have it back. ODD but true. However I would guess that most would do the work for a fee & give back.
Richard |
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| Pilsbury |
Just to add i have taken rabbits with my old BSA Meateor break barrel. | ||||
| RichardW |
Lol |
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| Pilsbury |
Ahh well it almost looked right last night 
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| matt mavin |
haha
thanks for all the help 
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| Lloyd |
The issue here isn't the fact that it's a break barrel, as many of the best varminting airguns since their invention have been break barrells. Take the Weirauch HW77 for example, or the early BSA's. As previously stated, the issue is muzzle velocity, coupled with accurate placing of the pellett in a kill zone of either behind the front elbow (heart and lungs), or between the eye and the ear (brain). | ||||
| dpack |
i have also decided to hunt to manage bunnies with .22 12 ft lt air weapon by using hides and sneakyness
in flat land a back stop is rarer than a safe distance into salad and i hate loud bangs yep i know a hmr(or .22 for less damage )might be better but im more inclined to get a long net than get a bunny sized fac or get used to biting shot again i recon perfect bunny weapon is a well trained dog ,or nets with or without ferrets however from experience and teaching from the good folk here there are many ways |
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| Lloyd |
I must say that in recent years using a .17hmr that the damage was always to the area of impact. I therefore always went for headshots, and invariably there was half a head left. No damage to the meat at all. That said, nothing wrong with air rifles of either calibre in the hands of an accurate handler who has zeroed the sights and knows the limitations of their weapon, and the safety issues. | ||||
| vegplot |
More than one way to skin a rabbit. |