Air Rifles - Having fun and who uses them.

[Campfire]

Hi Guys,

I had an air rifle as a kid and had alot of fun plinking cans and small scale pest hunting. While always seen as a kids toy before moving onto bigger and better bang sticks accuracy and power was no where near the serious models of air rifles on the markets these days.

With more land being divided up into smaller hobby farming blocks to meet the demands of an increasing population, pest control on hobby farms can mean a shotgun or rifle would be too much gun or not appropriate for the small size of the property etc.

New technology in air rifle  design, power, accuracy, along with advances in air rifle pellets has seen the ole humble slug gun become a serious contender on market.

I have an air rifle Gamo CFX .177  which had a test review in a local hunting magazine by Gun Editor Nick Harvey and was tested with non lead slugs ( Gamo Raptors) and showed alloy slug projectiles in .177 penetrating clean through both sides of a rabbits head/ skull at 40 meters.

The category of license application compared to centre fire, accuracy, power and cheapness of ammo has seen a popular surge in air rifle shooting/ hunting.

While always popular in Europe the recent surge in popularity out here has seen more sales/ use in air rifle hunting, to the point now I focus more using my air rifle over a rimfire .22

I take my slug gun away on camper trailer trips to the farm property where I hunt.

Lately I've even purchased specialized hunting air rifle pellets from the US ( Sydney Gunshop stockist) for Thr Predator Polytip Pellets.

Cheers

Campfire

[Kit_e_kat9]

small scale pest hunting

Lately some kids up this way have used them to seriously injure a few koala's  :'(  Where are their parents?    Don't need a licence for them?  Not meant to be a downer and no offense intended, I'm just curious about the legal side.  I can see where they might be useful for rats and mice on small rural properties.

Kit_e

[jaym]

I haven't seen a slug gun in years! Wouldnt mind getting my hands on one. Be good for camping and teaching the kids about guns and gun saftey

[carinya]

Same licensing and rules as a firearm now.  Making it hard to teach kids.

[jaym]

Really? So I would need a gun lisence to buy one?

[Manjimike]

And a gun safe, unless stored at a club IIRC

cheers
Mike

[jaym]

Wo that's crazy. Saftey course $80, license 5 years $210 plus a safe! All for a little air rifle that will never get used.. Hmm might skip that idea. Sorry for the thread hi-jack

[Tim - Stratford]

Just picked up a Diana 48 Black Pro for Master L and Miss T. 1150fps with light pellets, most likely more accurate with heavier ones to keep below the speed of sound. Should be great on bunnies out to 50m. I'll be glad when I'm off nightshift so I can get some time to sight it in!

[Apollo]

Yeap, got one (possibly two) in the cabinet.  Doesn't get used much but as the girls are getting a bit older now, it is probably time they start to learn to use one.  We run an orchard/small cropping property, so little time is spent using air rifle as we don't hunt for sport but rather as a part of business.

[Moto Mech]

Have a Dianna M52 slug gun, shoots .177 pellets around 1150fps, great for rabbits and feral cats , but weighs a ton. Definately an adults gun due to weight.

[TOY80ST]

When we travelled Australia in the late 90's a rifle was a done thing to carry with you. Ours lived in a safe in the camper. We never used it at all. So I would never bother to carry it again on a trip.

I currently have an air rifle and it was bought primarily for the control of feral cats in urban areas. It has never been used for that purpose. My son has been on 3 hunting trips now we my Brother, father and myself. He is now 10 and still has not fired a rifle. Kids must be 12 in NSW to hold a junior firearms licence. This does not allow them to use a firearm on their own though they must be in the presence of an adult firearms licence holder. Other friends of ours allow their kids to use firearms we are just not prepared to let him use on just yet.

I totally encourage all people to at least try a firearm once in their lives and to learn to respect them. I have a problem with people who do not like them because it is a person who pulls the trigger not the gun. Everything we hunt we eat or use. If a person is educated in the correct use and the humane use of a firearm there is never a problem. There are the select few out there who do not understand this at all.

[D4D]

30 years ago I used to go out with my old man and clean up a few bunnies on my grandfather's property, too much license crap now.

That's why I like going to the US, turn up to any gun range, slap your license down, since a liability waiver and choose your weapon.

[outback jack]

Really? So I would need a gun lisence to buy one?

you need a licence to buy the ammo

[Campfire]

Lately some kids up this way have used them to seriously injure a few koala's  :'(  Where are their parents?    Don't need a licence for them?  Not meant to be a downer and no offense intended, I'm just curious about the legal side.  I can see where they might be useful for rats and mice on small rural properties.

Kit_e

Kit_e,

To answer your question

1. Air rifles are seen like normal rifles, shotguns etc and are by no means to be abused or treated as toys, I see anybody doing that I will put them into the Police as fast as I can especially if it's kids without a license, no supervision from a responsible parent with a firearms license.

2. As for the idiots who was shooting at the koala, I hope the parents get done also, and the court system throws the book at them. I bet they were unlicensed and/ or the air rifle was unregistered.

3. You CANNOT own, buy or use an air rifle without a firearms license, you cannot shoot native animals, kids can only use an air rifle if they are 12 years or over and have a junior firearms license, they must have a parent with a firearms license just to get the junior permit, and that parent must be with the junior license owner at all times, the air rifle should have only been used at an approved target shooting club under strict control of the parent and the Shooting Range Safety Officer.

5. I think what these kids done was highly illegal , absolutely sick and I'm totally disgusted / angry. I bet they were not licensed and the air rifle was unregistered, so in other words I see this as nothing less than a total criminal act , and there is always some minority who wants to wreck it for majority that want to do the right thing as law abiding target shooters.

6. Air rifles are only designed for target shooting and very small pest/ feral control e.g. Small feral rabbits, rats and pest birds ( feral).

I really want to see these culprits caught and have the book thrown at them by the justice system and do jail time.

I hope this doesn't put a negative dampner on what I hope see as an enjoyable thread topic, but I think if any body has legimate questions they should be answered.

Regards

Campfire

[TOY80ST]

30 years ago I used to go out with my old man and clean up a few bunnies on my grandfather's property, too much license crap now.

That's why I like going to the US, turn up to any gun range, slap your license down, since a liability waiver and choose your weapon.

Look at all that brass swept into the pile on the floor. What a waste. Don't they reload???

[morcon]

I've got a Gamo .177 Shadow Sport - bought it to get a feral cat that had been hanging around but ended up trapping the cat instead. Have only shot 1 rabbit with it - that was at about 25 metres and it knocked it off its feet. Other than that I just use it for targets when camping -  cheap ammo, low noise. Will teach my kids to use a gun when they are older and let them make up their minds if it is something they enjoy or not. Also find z langs in a .22 are good for low noise short range shooting.

[Renno]

I have a Gamo .177 that I have kept for my son as its not a fair dinkum air rifle. I also have a

Beeman R9	Small | Large

.20cal that I have had tuned. It is a cracker of a air rifle and super accurate. I have more fun with this than any of my other rifles.
Renno

[cdustbehindme]

I used a sluggy as a kid as did most of my country mates, having to use it taught us a lot about responsibility and respect, as did driving the car on the farm..  driving the tractor during harvest.... again responsibility, funny how farm kids always seemed to be that bit more mature (well sometimes  )  anyway we still were not angels but the point im throwing in here is we take away all the responsibility from kids these days and so they never get a chance to learn it... it so often seems to be about putting the blame on others, authorities etc...  respect came from us being taught about not being cruel and having respect for other living creatures, shoot to eat, destroy vermin... but not to put other creatures in pain...  Then you could look at the practical aspects of hand eye coordination, judging distance, physical activity/fitness because your getting outside and quite often going for a decent walk.....  enjoyment and appreciation of the outdoors

Apart from all that it really is fun being able to hit that tin can from a good distance and just cause you have a sluggy doesnt mean you have to shoot animals!!    .....

[D4D]

Look at all that brass swept into the pile on the floor. What a waste. Don't they reload???

Not worth it as ammo is cheap in the US

[TOY80ST]

Not worth it as ammo is cheap in the US

And I'm orf to the US on the 6th . Oh joy

[Campfire]

And I'm orf to the US on the 6th . Oh joy

I still can't believe I turned down a job offer earlier in the year which included 2 x free trips to the redneck capital of the world " gun toting Texas" in good ole US of A.

Campfire

[Mallory Black]

I used to own an air rifle years ago but chucked it when the new laws came around.
I was bored one afternoon and actually shot a drink can in half. took a while but I did it.
Shoot a compound bow these days. great fun, not totally into hunting but doing a field target course is same mind-set as like playing golf but without the back pain.

[TOY80ST]

I used to own an air rifle years ago but chucked it when the new laws came around.
I was bored one afternoon and actually shot a drink can in half. took a while but I did it.
Shoot a compound bow these days. great fun, not totally into hunting but doing a field target course is same mind-set as like playing golf but without the back pain.

When I was about 15 my brother, cousin and I shot a 8" tree down with a 22. I don't even know what happened to that rifle. it was shot for shot and you weren't allowed to touch the tree. I think the winner got the remainder of the bullets.

[Campfire]

I'm amazed at the development / advances in Air Rifle Ammo.

I've tried non lead alloy slugs called "Gamo Raptors" they crack the sound barrier and very loud but bloody hell do they pull up a Rabbit.

I tend to find for value , reliability, good all round value and general purpose use for hunting, I like the German made RWS Super Domes.

I have tried Gamo Rockets which are lead slugs and a copper ball in the middle, and recently I've purchased Predator Hunters which are hunting slug pellets with plastic ballistic tips.

I've found some of these rounds quite devastating on the furry and feathered feral population.

Cheers

Campfire

[sschmez]

I'm looking for a kids air rifle if anyone in Vic has one surplus to requirements.
By "kids" I mean one of those half size ones that used to be so common. Happy to pay a fair price and arrange permits and transfer.

Nick will certainly be learning about firearms and safety and respect as soon as he's old enough ... I've still got a bit of time.

I have a crosman .177 in the safe but it leaks air and needs work.
I generally carry a .22LR on trips.

Stevo