[tell me about airgun ballistics]

I have shot rabbits at 50m with a .22 and 73 metres with a .177, not difficult, just use the right scope, a laser rangefinder and chair gun, then practise like hell! Nothing is more satisfying than seeing that rabbit at 70 metres roll over when it gets a pellet behind the eye! You just have to know your gun, your ammo, your scope, also if the conditions are windy, forget it, but on a calm still day a 210 foot distance rabbit is not a problem, all I would ask is that you practise aiming and firing at those distances, see what can be done!

 

What is the energy loss of your pellet at 70 yards?

[tell me about airgun ballistics]

Let me qualify again at UP TO 35yds there is no advantage in trajectory. Twice the weight and a bigger hole definatly kills better, thats just a fact.

45 yds is at least ten yards too far for most competant shots to garantee first shot kills without ranging and in any sort of wind. Get 45 yds wrong and its 48 and you are out of the kill zone on most quarry even with .177

 

Hmm, well, my tables say this if I zero at 8 yards:

 

On a .177 8.44 grain pellet with a BC of 0.022 there is half an inch drop between 45 and 48 yards. At 33 to 38 yards the drop is just under half an inch too.

The flat..ish range is between 15 and 33 yards which means a rise of .55 inch at 15 yards, a peak of .8 at 23 yards and down again to .46 at 33 yards but that is still a variance of a quarter inch.

 

Quarter of an inch on a pigeon headshot plus a little bit of trigger pull and/or wind makes for an easy miss, even if it is at 30 yards. So I think, ranging is crucial whatever the range, whatever the calibre.

 

Also, with that BC in mind, I have to allow for a pellet drop of 2 inches from zero at 50 yards. That means the pellet dropped an inch in its last 5 yards which is lot of energy loss. I'd estimate that the pellet had lost a third of its energy between 45 and 50 yards.

 

And, if you go for a BC of say 0.014 then that last 2 inches becomes 3, so I think pellet choice is important too.

 

Dicky

[whats the best all round air rifle priced £200-£300]

I shouldn't buy any PCP with this budjet personally, least of all if your a long way from a charge up. Once you have forked out for the filling gear it leaves too little for a scoped up gun. There is a lot of people about who think PCP is more accurate - IT IS NOT, however it is easier to learn to shoot but actually less consistant shot to shot than a good springer. Personally it would be a second hand TX or HW in tidy condtion and the very best scope and mount you can run to without going too big

 

Why? coz you will get thousands of shots before you even need think of a service, it won't leak and loose all its puff unexpectantly, will withstand rough weather better, will always be ready to go and will teach you too shoot well

 

Hmm. Agreed. I am a newbie and I am still learning to correct many mistakes, handling especially, as the recoil exaggerates holding and trigger faults. Well, on me it does . At HFT comps the sporting class requires good shot to shot consistency. I entered one at Newbury and my score was pants Best way to learn though eh?!

 

Would people agree that learning to fire a springer at a club, accurately and consistently ...and safely... is probably the best entry level platform before moving on to other disciplines? Dicky

[bit of a clear out]

Hello harv, i'll have the knives if they are still for sale. PM sent. Dicky