Long Range Shooting: With an Airgun?

This post will be short, but have two interesting links in it that will aid in you, the shooter, understanding just what your airgun is capable of, as well as introduce you to a fun event that is just getting started in the airgun world.

First, an interesting post from a gentleman named Harry who lives in Australia. Harry is an excellent shot, and if you read through all the posts he has made in the past on some of the airgun forums, you'll quickly find out how knowledgeable he is in understanding how ballistics work, and how to most effectively use your smallbore airgun at extreme ranges. Harry is known for his research into just what you can accomplish with a smallbore airgun at ranges of 100+ yards. He has taken small game such as rabbits and starlings at extreme ranges of 100+ yards with regularity, because he has shot, and shot, and shot, and studied how his gun works at such ranges.

Let me link you to an interesting post he made concerning leveling the playing field between a .22 caliber PCP and a 10m match rifle like the FWB 300S in .177 caliber. Read over the post and notice how Harry takes into consideration the apogee of each caliber rifle's pellet flight. With such information at his command, Harry is able to produce amazing shot patterns at 71 yards with a 10m match rifle!

Here's the link:

http://www.network54.com/Forum/414006/message/1229390317/Comparing+apples+and+bananas+...+with+a+touch+of+mini+sniping+hunting++tagged+on.......

Inside this link, you'll find two additional links to further discussion on the subject. Increase your fun factor in shooting airguns by extending the ranges you shoot at, trying to master them in such a way that what seems impossible to the average shooter falls well within your ability.



Now, on to the bigbore airguns. Just how far is it feasible to use a bigbore? If you are into silhouette shooting, then there is a new organization that has just held its second match of long range bigbore airgun competition. L.A.S.S.O. (Longrange Airgun Silhouette Shooting Organization) is the brainchild of Eric Henderson, an airgun hunter who wanted to extend the use-able range of his airguns and to challenge airgun shooters the world over. Eric has set up a shooting event that has steel rams with pie-plate sized kill zones at extreme ranges of 100-350 yards, with the intent of allowing the shooter 2 shots within a 30 second time period. The intent is to simulate hunting conditions, and the competition is fierce.

In the link below, you'll see a pictorial of the Second Annual L.A.S.S.O. shoot, with Brian Cook winning for the second year in a row. You'll also see some very interesting airguns, most made by Dennis Quackenbush, with others of homemade design competing right along with them. The categories are .25 caliber and under for the smallbore long range shooting, and .308 and larger for the bigbore long range shooting.

http://www.bigboreairguns.com/lasso08.htm

And last but not least, if you have broadband, here is a 9 meg video of a shootoff between the winner, Brian Cook, with his homemade rifle, and Johnny Magness who is using a Korean bigbore. In the above link, look near the bottom of the page and you'll find a link to this video that will amaze you at how well these bigbore rifles perform in long range silhouette shooting.

So, what is your airgun capable of? You'll never know until you get out there and try it! Be safe and considerate of others in your efforts to increase your airgun knowledge, but do stretch your shooting muscles a bit and reach out further for more fun from your airguns. And don't forget to get the best of your gear here at Compasseco, from guns to ammo.