any other pellet gun shooters?

[backwoodsbob]

I think I have more fun plinking with my pellet gun than anything else

http://www.crosman.com/airguns/rifles/break-barrel/B1500STM

Anyone else plinking with a *serious* pellet gun?

[leveymg]

1. No. and you can get labeled as a "terrorist" for playing around with paintballs and pellet guns

As ridiculous as that sounds . . .

[backwoodsbob]

3. they will label me as a terrorist

for a lot more than a pellet gun :loveya:

I hear ya.My poor little pellet gun will be taking down jets and be armor piercing before it's over

[leveymg]

7. Remember the paintballers in Virginia, and the laser pointer dude near JFK Airport?

They thought it was a game. DHS didn't think it was funny. Just saying . . . eom

[ProgressiveProfessor]

2. I have a couple. Use them to teach basic marksmanship before moving up to something with some kick

[backwoodsbob]

5. they are the greatest teaching tool ever made

I take my neighbors 8 year old nephew squirrel/rabbit hunting with mine.


He learns how to handle a rifle and the basics of hunting at the same time.I impress on him clean kill to the max.If it isn't a straight shot/clean kill..don't take the shot.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

10. Try chukar hunting with one

Instead of getting them to rise, you have to stalk them and not spook them.

[backwoodsbob]

11. chukar?

[ProgressiveProfessor]

35. Yes, Chukar, its a kind of Partridge

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chukar_Partridge
http://iron-horse.us/chukar/how_to_hunt_chukar.shtml

I don't entirely agree with the 2nd one, but is gives some idea what a challenge they are to hunt.

[backwoodsbob]

52. we dont have them here

closest I guess would be grouse.

I wouldn't dream of grouse hunting with a pellet gun..thats what the 20 pump is for :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grouse

[tridim]

4. No, but I think this country would be better off if more gun people used pellet guns

I'd like to see the majority of large caliber guns traded-in for non-lethal air rifles.

Problem is they don't go boom, and unfortunately that's probably the deal-breaker. They're not "bad ass" enough for the serious gun nut.

[backwoodsbob]

8. I can promise you

you would label me a *gun nut*

I have LOTS of guns.

I plink with my pellet gun

So where does that put me?

I have my beloved .300 wsm a .30-06 a .243...a .22 a .17...many shotguns

But I plink with my pellet gun

So where do I fit into your gun nut fantasy?

[tridim]

12. You're proving my point that you can get satisfaction from using a pellet gun

I'm just saying that maybe others could as well?

Lack of "plinking" is what most gun-nuts fear (or at least that's what they claim), and I'm saying exactly what you're saying. You can get the same target shooting satisfaction from firing a non-lethal round.

Trade in your lethal weapons and buy a bunch of high-end air rifles. Everyone's happy!

[backwoodsbob]

15. but I cant use a pellet gun for everything

I have MANY guns for different purposes.

.30-06 for forest hunting where the shot is probably going to be under 200 yards

.243 for longer shots

.300 wsm for BIG game..think bear..what has killed three dogs on my mountain this year

.22 and .17 for crows

shotguns for obvious reasons

But I practice with my pellet gun..so where do I fit into your gun nut fantasy

[tridim]

17. As long as you're not carrying those guns in public I'd classify you as a hunter..

And a responsible gun owner.

[backwoodsbob]

21. thank you

I would NEVER carry a rifle public.

You and I arent as far apart as you think.

I own LOT'S of guns but they are for specific conditions.I would NEVER call for public carry of rifles.

if all *gun nuts* and *gun grabbers* would be as nice we could come to a spot all could agree to

[GreenStormCloud]

51. Lack of plinking? Not even.

You said: Lack of "plinking" is what most gun-nuts fear (or at least that's what they claim),

Have we been reading the same DU guns forum? I haven't seen many say that they fear not being able to plink if they didn't have guns. Most of us have written about using guns for self defense from criminals. For that we need real guns in serious calibers.

What do you have against effective self-defense?

[Euromutt]

53. You show me a pellet gun that'll stop a dog that's threatening my kid and we'll talk

Because being able to protect my son is what makes me happy, and I don't give a flying fuck if it doesn't make you happy.

[Ian David]

19. I have an idea!

Combine an airgun with a wireless bluetooth headset, so that every time you pull the trigger, you hear a gun-like "Boom!"

[MineralMan]

40. There's a thought.

My pellet trap has a metal plate that deflects the pellets into a receptacle below. It makes a really nice ringing sound when it gets hit. It serves quite well. The audible feedback is entertaining, too. Some pellet traps trap the pellets in a gooey substance. I don't like those so much.

When I collect enough pellets, I melt them, along with collected wheel weights and use them to make fishing jigs. I'm a freaking recycler, I guess...

[Ian David]

42. I hope those are lead-free pellets you're melting. n/t

[GreenStormCloud]

23. Pellets don't work well on criminals.

If I have to defend my life, I will certainly need something with a lot more punch. I currently carry a .38Sp, but in a couple of months I intend to upgrade to a .44Sp.

I simply do not share you view that submitting meekly to violent crime is somehow morally superior to effective self-defense.

[tularetom]

I'm probably the only DU'er that has actually fired a pellet gun at a human being

I came home one evening to find a guy in my garage stealing a chain saw. I had one of those Crosman pump pellet pistols under the seat of my truck so I got out of the car and hollered at the guy to drop the saw, but instead he started running down the driveway toward the road. I chased him and gave the gun a couple pumps as I ran. I kept running and when I got close enough I fired at his hand hoping he might drop the saw. Of course I missed and hit him in the ass. With only one or two pumps I doubt if that pellet even penetrated his pants. But he was surprised and dropped the saw anyway. By the time I picked up the saw he had reached the road where he got into his car and drove off. I called the sheriff and reported the incident. I got a serious ass chewing from him about taking the law into my own hands. But he did admit that he was unable to get a deputy to my house in less than 30 minutes since he did not have routine patrols in this part of the county.

I have a lot of fire power in the house. But I don't drive around with it.

[GreenStormCloud]

50. LOL. Loved your story. Most crooks are cowards. However...

that doesn't hold true for all of them. Just in case I have to fight, I want a gun.

It is your right not to carry, and I would not try to force you too. I hope you respect my decision to lawfully carry concealed.

[tularetom]

6. My favorite pastime is to sit in my lawn chair in the summer

Under a beach umbrella with my pellet gun across my lap waiting for gophers to pop their heads up.

It ain't no "shoot your eye out" Red Ryder BB gun. It's a .22 caliber RWS model 460 that fires hollow point pellets over 1000 fps.

[backwoodsbob]

9. nice

the newer breakbarrels are awesome

mine says 1400 with alloys but I don't think it's quite that but still enough to rid my mountain of squirrels

[tridim]

13. Those gophers can be killers.

You must be so proud. :eyes:

[MineralMan]

20. What do you do about your gophers?

No gophers? Lucky you.

When I was a kid, we all used to go to the town dump with our pellet rifles and shoot rats. Does that bother you, too?

[tridim]

22. I let them live their lives.

Same with squirrels and birds.

I guess it's just because I like animals better when they're allowed to remain alive.

[GreenStormCloud]

25. Are you a vegetarian? N/T

[tridim]

28. No, I eat animals specifically bred for food.

And I have no problem with hunting as long as it's not just for sport.

Do you eat gopher?

[MineralMan]

34. I have eaten a gopher. It wasn't bad at all. I've eaten a sparrow, too.

That was really tasty, sauteed in butter after being drawn.

The world eats most things, and travelling is a good way to broaden your horizons of what's edible and what's not.

[GreenStormCloud]

45. We don't have gophers around here.

When I was a teen-ager, on my own, I limited the animals that I shot into four groups.

Food Ex: Rabbits
Danger Ex: Rattlesnakes (That was the local ethic then, over half century ago. Today, in a rural setting, I would likely let them live.)
Pest Ex: Rats, mice
Sick (Any animal that was obviously suffering and had to be put down.)

Animals that are specifically bred for food still have lives. They have to be killed before you can eat them. Why is it OK for you to hire someone to do that killing for you, but it is bad if I do my own killing?

Why is it bad for me to be ready to defend my self from violent human predators?

[MineralMan]

27. And rats? You like them, too? Around your house?

I'm guessing not, or you don't have them.

My father has a citrus farm. Gophers in the orchard prevent proper irrigation and harm his trees. There are always some around. However, if he did not eliminate all the gophers he could, he'd have a population explosion of them and be out of business.

When you eat an orange, you kill a gopher. It's that simple. The same thing applies to many human endeavors.

Rats were the vector for the plague in Europe. Not all critters are compatible with human civilization, you see.

I feed the squirrels at my house unsalted peanuts in the shell. I enjoy watching their antics. So far, their population has not gotten out of hand...we have six who visit the yard daily. If there was a population explosion of them, however, I would stop feeding. I feed the birds, too.

Humans kill animals for food. They also kill animals that are pests, carry disease, or are dangerous. There it is.

[tridim]

29. Well, I used to have a rat as a pet.

I'm not a big fan of wild rats, but I don't think a death sentence for fun and sport is a particularly sane method of extermination.

Cleaning your house does wonders if you have a mouse or rat problem.

That said, I don't think the original poster was protecting his orange grove. It sounds like he gets a thrill out of killing small animals from his lawn chair.

[MineralMan]

33. Are you sure about that? I don't remember him saying why he shot

the gophers. They can sure make a mess of the landscaping. Perhaps that was it.

[MineralMan]

36. I had a pet rat, too. It was a different story than the rats I used to

shoot at the town dump. I've never had rats in my home or anywhere near it. It was that or poison them, since they posed a health risk for the community. Agricultural pests, health risks, damage to expensive landscaping. All reasonable reasons to kill animals other than hunting.

If the animal's not harming anything, I don't harm it. Instead, I watch it.

[Euromutt]

56. Re: rats and the plague

The specific rats that carried the plague--and carried the fleas that carried the plague to and from them--were black rats, Rattus rattus. That species was wiped out in Europe by the brown rat, R. norvegicus, which can't contract the disease. Mind you, brown rats still transmit Weil's disease, viral hemorrhagic fever, cryptosporidiosis, and several other pathogens, so you still don't want to get too chummy with them.

[tularetom]

30. Not a matter of pride but it's not cool if our horses step in a gopher hole.

And it's definitely no fun to spend hours planting and tending a vegetable garden so the gophers can munch on the plants.

We grow all our own veggies - what we don't eat we can or give away to the battered women's shelter.

I have to fence the garden to keep deer out but the gophers of course can tunnel under it.

You'd kill mice if they got in your house, gophers are larger and more destructive pests.

[tridim]

31. Have you considered trapping them for relocation?

[Pavulon]

37. I relocate them with a 22-250

it seems to work quite well.

[MineralMan]

39. Send 'em to Jebus, do you?

I'm sure they don't want them in Hebben, either.

[MineralMan]

38. Relocation where? The neighbor's place. The park? Where do

you recommend that people relocate their gophers? Do you have any idea how silly it sounds to talk about relocating an agricultural pest?

As the poster said, he keeps horses. Gopher holes and horses are mighty incompatible. He also raises vegetables. Not fun to see your crop eaten by rodents.

So, can he bring them to your place and dump them?

[tularetom]

41. I guess it's possible but where the hell am I gonna relocate 'em?

It's not going to win me any friends if somebody catches me letting a bunch of voracious critters loose on their property. I mean there's lots of dry pasture around here that's probably full of gophers anyway but I doubt that the ranchers want anymore of the little bastards than what they already have.

They really do a lot of damage. And they breed like their rodent cousins, rabbits. Plus they attract coyotes that get in fights with our dogs. Believe me it's easier to shoot them.

[era veteran]

54. Relocate

I take ground hogs (live trapped) to the racist C.C. and let them go. I laugh every time.

[appal_jack]

49. relocated mammals rarely survive

In addition to all the valid points already raised about how virtually no one wants relocated gophers (state parks and the like included), a gopher who gets relocated to a new environment will most likely become road kill or hawk-dinner in short order. A mammal needs a home and knowledge of the surrounding landscape in order to survive.

Again: ignorance. :eyes:

-app

[Euromutt]

47. If you're a horse, you bet

Horse gets a leg stuck in a gopher hole and breaks it, all you can do is break out the humane killer.

ETA: Whoops, I see somebody already brought that up.

[appal_jack]

48. your ignorance is showing

A single gopher can easily denude an acre of broccoli (their favorite) or other young vegetable transplants in a day or two. Planting costs (seedlings, field prep, labor) can easily run above $1000 per acre. Will your eye-rollin' smilie be offering cold hard cash to farmers who refrain from shooting gophers to satisfy your bambi-like understanding of agricultural ecology?

Gopher holes in pastures can cause cattle to break legs. A mature grass-finished Angus steer is worth at least $2000. Where can we send the bill, tridim?

I live and farm in the mountains. On a slope, a hidden gopher hole (obscured, say, by some long grass, or even a shadow) can cause a tractor rollover when one wheel suddenly descends. Yup, I sure am willing to jeopardize my own life and limb, plus a $35,000 tractor, just to save a cute, furry gopher loved by tridim.

Take your eye-rolling elsewhere, as your post is both anti-farmer and anti-reality.

-app

[MineralMan]

14. I have a 10 Meter air rifle range in my basement.

It's a blast, and very popular with guests at parties and stuff at our house. I just made a pellet trap target holder and put it at one end of the basement. I don't have any fancy air rifles or pistols, just a Crosman 760 rifle and a Crosman 1377 pistol. Both are multi-pump and were inexpensive. Surprisingly accurate, too.

The main thing is fun, though.

[Davis_X_Machina]

26. Sounds like my set-up...

...never mind the cost of ammo, winters in Maine just aren't rifle-range-friendly, unless you're a biathlete. (Ancient Greek for 'nuts, times two'....)

[MineralMan]

32. Yah, our winters are less than pleasant outdoors, too.

Funny thing about having an air rifle and pistol range in the basement. EVERYONE enjoys it. It doesn't matter what age, political preference, or anything else. Everyone likes shooting at the target to see how they do. From age 6 to 96, everyone wants to shoot.

I grew up with Crosman pellet guns. There was never a family gathering where a few people didn't sit around on the porch, shooting bottle caps and the like. It was great fun, and was probably the reason I got my Expert Marksman ribbon in the USAF the first time on the range with the M-16. I hunted, too, but not a lot. It was the pellet rifle shooting that made me a marksman.

[Hangingon]

16. On my son-in-law's first tour after Desert Storm...

his unit moved into an old bombed Iraqi hanger that was pigeon infested. They really did a job on the planes. So, one of the guys - the dog robber - traded for a german pellet gun with a scope. They had a great time and soon the pigeons were gone. Boys will be boys regardless of age, they decided to take care of pigeons elsewhere on the base. The old man reminded them that there was a security battalion of guys just looking for people lurking around with scoped weapons. Ended the pellet fun.

[morningglory]

46. We had an old house with sort of a belfry up on top of the house.

Our 12-yo son plinked the pigeons with BB's till they never came back. Then he came home and said the school across the street was going to pay a contractor to get rid of the pigeons in their real belfry. I told him to offer to take care of the problem after school for $10. He said he was just not up to the hassle.

[Ian David]

18. Am I correct in thinking the barrel folds down into the stock for storage? n/t

[backwoodsbob]

24. no

the breakbarrel is the cocking mech.Thats what *loads* the spring

It wont fold all the way

[Ian David]

43. Hmm. That's an interesting idea. Cool! n/t

[backwoodsbob]

58. yeah they are fun

the new breakbarrels are to the old pump pelletguns what a .50 cal is to a .22 pistol.It's a whole different world.

There is a video out there *I'll see if I can find it* of a guy who dropped a wild boar with a 1700 fps breakbarrel pellet gun.

With a little practice they are quite the effective small game and varmint gun

*edit* found it


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDtxzUR422w

[morningglory]

44. Here in rural South, NRA country, we never had a gun in the house, but

everyone else has a loaded shotgun leaned up behind every door, with kids running around. A childhood friend bought their 12yo son a 22 pistol for Christmas and he promptly shot his eye out via ricochet on Christmas morning. The most cautious republics keep a shotgun in the bedroom, shells in the kitchen, and the key to the cabinet the shells are in, in the living room. None of them will ever defend the home, unless they have a baseball bat. I always kept a BB gun so I could plink dogs who tore clothes off the line, dug up onion sets, turned over garbage cans, etc. After the 2nd plink, they never come back. No blood drawn. I got a serious pump-action pellet gun. Which I keep way up high to shoot squirrels out of the yard at Christmas. My son does the shooting. He skins them and we make a big squirrel gravy, and corn bread meal. The squirrels won't let me grow a darn thing on this property.

[S_B_Jackson]

55. The first firearm I ever received was

was a Benjamin .177 caliber pump pellet gun for my 10th birthday.......I still have it. Nowadays it's used to kill those flying rats that are also known as grackles when they begin to congregate in my backyard, scaring away cardinals, blue jays, mockingbirds, and other much more desireable avians.

[dashrif]

57. Yup

I use one alot when I don't have a clean shot with 17, 22, or a 12ga, I don't need to own a dead horse. At 1100 fps it can get the job done. :hi: