Small Game to Big Game.....Airgun Hunting!

Hunting with an airgun is enjoying somewhat of a revival these days. And as America becomes more urbanized, and the countryside continues to be chopped up into smaller and smaller sections that eliminate vast tracts of land, I believe the airgun will become even more useful to the hunter.

Not everyone knows it, but some states are beginning to put laws on the books allowing specific kinds of airguns to be used, even for big game. For instance, starting in 2008, Missouri has added a section to their game laws that specifically addresses the use of big bore airguns for deer hunting. This is an encouraging sign for the avid air gun hunter, and it is my fond hope that other states will follow their lead.

Not all states have laws that make sense. For instance, Texas will allow exotics, ferals, and non-game species to be hunted with an airgun, but doesn't allow air guns for game animals, even small ones like squirrels. So you can hunt an Axis deer with an airgun, as well as hogs, but you can't shoot a squirrel with one. Go figure!

Other states, such as Pennsylvania, don't allow air gun hunting of any kind. So be sure to check your local and state regulations before going hunting with your airgun. You want to be sure of your legal status before an unfortunate set of circumstances messes up and otherwise enjoyable hunt.

I'm including in this post some pictures for your enjoyment. These are pictures of animals that I and my friends have harvested over the years using nothing but airguns. Many of the guns I use were purchased and acquired right here at Compasseco, others were custom-made for me. But by and large, you will find a gun in the warehouse at Compasseco that will allow you to take pretty much any game animal the size of a deer on down to the smaller game.

Tech Force Contender Series Rifle Case

Tech Force has come out with a new carrying case in conjunction with their Contender series rifles. The case is made of nylon fabrid with a reinforced tip, weather-resistant, and lined with a soft foam padding to help cushion and protect your rifle.

As you can see in the picture above, it is spacious, holding this QB-78 with length to spare. The overall length is 48.5", so figure a 46" gun will fit just fine. The width is enough to handle a 50mm scope mounted on the gun with medium-height rings, so most of your scoped rifles that use the smaller scopes should fit just fine.





The outside pocket is a spacious 9" x 4.75" x 2.25, spacious enough for pellets or accessories, and comes with a brass buckle to seal it shut and secure the contents.





This case is ideal for carrying your gun into the field, from the car to the firing range, or to prevent dust, an airgun's worst enemy, from wreaking havoc on the gun's ability to hold air. It also comes complete with a handy carrying strap, and at $19.95, will provide a much better degree of protection than wrapping it in a blanket and throwing it in the back seat. So for an affordable, easy-to-use carrying case, check out the Tech Force Contender Series Rifle Cases at Compasseco.

Webley Omega

Webley & Scott is one of the most recognized names in the airgun industry. Recently, the plant located in England was closed and a new plant was opened in Turkey. The Webley Omega that I have for this review is one from the Turkish plant.

Now many folks will tell you that anything made in Turkey simply can't be as good as what is made in England. I've owned airguns from both locations, and I find it hard to tell the difference in appearance, fit and finish, between the two guns that I have seen. Granted, they were different models, and I didn't have them for a side-by-side comparison, but I'm not going to automatically write off a gun just because of on-line bias from folks who haven't actually held one of the Turkish models in their own hands.

Last blog entry, I reviewed the Webley Typhoon pistol, and if you read it, you'll note that I was not overly impressed. However, the Webley Omega is a different animal all together! The gun I was given for review is a very nice example of what can come from the new plant, and in .177, I was very pleased with the firing behavior and accuracy this model delivered. Let's take a closer look at the Omega.


As you can see, the stock is truly ambidextrous, suitable for left or right handed shooters. The wood is a nice hardwood, though the grain is plain. I found the comb of the buttstock just a tad high for open sight shooting....I had to lean my head a little more sideways than I liked to get my eye down and in-line with the metal open sights. However, any scope you put on it works well.



The rear sight is a nicely adjustable, metal affair. Nicely made and very useful if you are an open sight shooter.



The front sight is incorporated into the muzzlebrake affixed to the end of the barrel. It works very well with rear sight and provides an extra grip to cock the gun, which has a substantial cocking effort.



One of the nicest things that I enjoy about the Webley line of rifles is that the safety is so well located, and easily placed on or off. This hasn't changed in the Omega rifle, and the safety is well positioned for easy access.

I shot several pellets through the gun, and here are some pics of chrony readings and the pellet used to get the result you see. The Crosman Premiers, weighing 7.9 grains, were the slowest pellet tested. I believe this is because of the thick skirt on this pellet, which doesn't expand as easily as some others, sealing off the barrel during the firing process. I averaged 709 fps with the Crosman pellets.



The Meisters that I shot were wadcutters, and they clocked in significantly faster at 771 fps.



The RWS Superdomes were the fastest pellet I tested in this weight range. They clocked in at 841 fps. Once again, I believe the skirt on the pellet makes the difference in the velocity of the projectile.



Accuracy was excellent, and the following pic is of a 4-shot pattern that I shot after I mounted a Nikko Stirling scope to the gun. The range was 20 yards, and as you see, three of the shots were touching, a nice cloverleaf arrangement. The 4th shot was a called flyer....I knew the shot was off before I even checked the results.



My only complaint on this gun is that the robust spring causes the scope to creep somewhat. I was using a one-piece mount with three retaining screws, but it still managed to creep along on each shot. So a scope-stop is called for, or Webley needs to provide a milled hole in the top of the receiver for a scope stop pin to be used.

How do I rate this gun? Very nicely....I'm pleased with the power and accuracy, and it is an appealing gun to look at as well. Shot behavior is nice, with hardly any twang from this gun. I recommend it with little reservation as a worthy addition to your airgun collection.

The Webley Typhoon Semi-Recoiless Pistol

The Webley Typhoon is a semi-recoiless spring-piston airgun that is made in Turkey in Webley's new Turkish plant. As you see in the picture, it comes with a manual and a muzzle cover that extends the barrel's length, making it easier to cock. You can shoot it with or without the extender, but I found it much easier to cock when you use the provided accessory.



The front sight is spring-mounted....in other words, the blade of the front sight will recess into the plastic housing. This is helpful when you cock it without the extender in place. It keeps the sight from digging into the hand during the cocking process.





The term "semi-recoiless" is in reference to the fact that the upper portion of the gun slides forward and back during firing. This is an effort to reduce the felt recoil, and it probably does a reasonable job of that. The problem with this system is that it causes the point-of-aim to move during the squeezing of the trigger. In other words, I found it hard to stay on target because I could never count on the upper portion of the gun to hold still while I squeezed the trigger. This translates into less-than-needed accuracy for anything other than shooting cans.



The safety is not automatic, which is nice for plinking. No need to reset the thing every time you cock it. The rear sight is adjustable and if you can figure out how to make the top of the gun hold still during the firing process, would prove very useful.

I chronied the .177 version of this gun that I received (it is also available in .22 caliber), and noted the following velocities from pellets weighing approximately 8 grains.



The Typhoon is an interesting gun.....but the recoiless system isn't hashed out to my liking just yet. If I'm knocking cans around at close range, it is no problem to enjoy. But I would hesitate to use it for pest control or any kind of shooting that requires more refined accuracy. At $139 for the current price, I might add it to my battery as an interesting piece. I can't help but wonder how it would do with a slightly longer compression chamber, a longer barrel, and a small rifle stock put on it!

Rat Shooting with Airguns

One of the most useful tools for pest control is the modern airgun. In this blog entry, I want to direct you to a video clip provided by a gentleman in the UK.
Using night vision scope setups, the owner of the video goes through about 10 minutes of rat removal in an extremely target-rich environment. It is the use of the pellet gun that makes this such a great video. Just enough power for the pest in question, without destroying property or endangering lives. This is putting an airgun to very good use.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deMYhq3YvEE

Take note of the dead-on accuracy required for head shooting a rat. This airgunner knows what he is doing, has the correct equipment for the job, and has obviously done this a time or two. There are 3 videos, each lasting 3-5 minutes.

This video was shot in the UK where night-time lamping and shooting of rabbits and rats, as well as other pests, is legal and regulated. Depending on your location, similar opportunities for airgunning may present themselves, and it is up to you to determine the legality of such activities in your location. If you get the chance to engage in such a shoot, be sure to remove the carcasses of the dead pests and thank the owner of the property for the opportunity to provide such a service to them.