I got pellet guns!!!!!!!!!!

No, the speed is only one element in the equation. Mass is the other. Bullets are much heavier than pellets/bb's, and as a result they require chemical propellants. The trade-off is that they do a lot more damage to the target. While the pellet may be going faster, it loses inertia more rapidly and delivers a lot less energy to the target.

Pellet guns have their uses. I would much rather use them for varmint hunting than a real rifle, because there's more left to eat. While it may be hilarious to watch guys take their .50 cal ground-hogging, there's nothing sensible about it if you need to eat what you kill.

I like pellet guns, despite the fact that one almost got me killed by a cop. In all fairness to myself, I didn't know he was a cop until he drew his sidearm and ordered me to the ground. I was running through the woods, and when I heard him behind me, I turned, gun still in hand. He could have shot me and been perfectly justified in the eyes of the law. It was also dark, so he had no way of knowing that it wasn't real. That cop saved my life, by exhibiting (perhaps undue) restraint.

Just a tip, from me to you. Pretend it's a real gun, and act accordingly. Be safe, and be smart. Oh, and rock on.

Here's the pellet rifle I prefer. The FPS is low, but it does the job nicely, and it requires no CO2 cartridges to operate (making it superior from a cost standpoint). I believe OrangeTom mentioned this one earlier... It's only real drawback, IMO, is the weight.

Just remember, over kill is bad, but using airguns in hunting is allso a risky, because my point of view is that if you kill something do it with firts shot and this is not allways doable with airguns, not even with .22

Well, you have a point.

But I'd like to counter by saying that if you find yourself in a survival situation, you'd have to be Annie 'F-in' Oakley to shoot enough game to keep your belly full, nevermind feeding the family - regardless of how big your gun happens to be. Traps and fishing are the only safe bets I go by when in the woods.

However, for shooing varmints off your property, pellet rifles are fine. Birds especially, because their bones are so brittle. I can't be held responsible if people decide to take on a feral badger or buck with a .22 pellet gun though. You've been warned, the musculature is too dense to penetrate with something as piddly as an air rifle.

Given the choice between a .22 rifle and a pellet gun, I'll take the real gun every time, but sometimes it's just not an option.

I've never seen/owned a pellet gun that I would classify as a survival weapon. Most of them are simply too heavy and weak to be useful. But they do have advantages, most (if not all) of which have already been mentioned on this thread.

The pellet rifle I had did not recommend that you pump over 8 times. Thus indicating that it has a larger piston and stroke.

To my limited knowlege you tighten up on the velocity losses of these tools by keeping good tight seals in them. Seals wear out whether CO2 versions or pump. This would mean some mechanical dexterity and knowlege. It is good to keep several sets of replacement seals for them.

I just prefer the pumps because of the lack of dependency on the C02 bottles. For myself in this type of tool I would prefer the .22 caliber models but the .177s can be found almost anywhere.
In the .20 cablier I had years ago..I would stock up on pellets enough to last years because they could not at that time be found in just any store.

I also recall that some company made a pistol pellet/BB gun which was also a pump. I just dont remember the company. Perhapsed someone can bring me up to date on this.

I own slingshots , Blow guns and a crossbow. I am planning to add a pellet rifle down the road to my tool collection.

By the way...were they not making some of them years ago which would operate on a small bottle of Freon? I dont think this is practical today with the cost of feon but I seem to recall this being done. It never seemed to quite catch on or became popular.

Thanks to all for their posts.
Orangetom

Pellet guns most definitly are dangerous, my Shadowmatic has excellent penetration and will penetrate almost anything that is not concrete or brick, it can kill clay planting pots, dent most steel (old zippo lighter I had) and even some coins are not safe from this gun.

I decent jugular shot on most creatures will probably take it out, maybe even some centre-mass shots might be fatal on some larger species like racoons but I can't vouch for that since I never shot one.

BB-guns are good training tools, esspecially airsoft guns since they so close simulate a real gun and it's operation, my daisy is just a fun plinker though.

Here are my two side-cocking spring-piston air rifles; an RWS/Dianawerk 52 in .22 cal with a Bushnell 4-12x40mm scope and an RWS/Dianawerk 48 in .177. These rifles are tack drivers; @ 30yds you can group in the same hole no prob; @ 50yds it'll do consistent sub 1" groups on a nice day. The 48 is completely box stock and I only use in my basement at 10yds or let people borrow it when i'm in the mood to go out and shoot some critters. The mod 52 is good for up to 23ft-lbs at the muzzle; the 48 good for up to 18ft-lbs or so.

[edit on 9-6-2006 by vinrock]

[edit on 9-6-2006 by vinrock]

Yup, the Benjamin is a heavy bugger to tote around, but it makes up for that in simplicity and ruggedness. I use it around my house to put squirrels and rabbit in the freezer. When using it on squirrels, the location of the squirrel is critical as the .177 pellet doesn't have the oomph to knock the critter out of a fork or off of a large limb. Gotta' tag 'em while they're on the side of the trunk.

Mr Penny,

Sage hunting strategy...well said.

Vinrock,
Very nice rifles in your picture. Nice checkering on the stock. Thanks for the pictures.

Orangetom

Originally posted by angelslayer
this is one of the bad boys i would love to put my hands on

www.tokyohobby.net...

but checl out that price

u can get a car for that much..

Holy Moley! $2350.00 for a pellet gun!!! You could buy a late-model Ninja 250 on eBay for that price!

I have had a pellet gun since I was a kid. They are excellent for target shooting, I never considered shooting something with it, I had no idea it packed enough punch to kill a bird. i also have a .38 and huge old double barrel shotgun. I fantisize about getting a Tarus 7 shot revolver!