Dissapointed!

[vengeance111]

One ran off after I think it was struck on an ear and a squirrel got away once, my dog was on it but it made a hole. Three pigeons and a magpie are down too, it's taken two squirrels and two rabbits before being retired.

 

I wish to emphasise it again I have struggled with this highly regarded pistol for weeks now. My last rabbit taken was yesterday, 7yds side o' head. Rolled him over a treat. Apart from that a niggle has not left me with regard to this particular pistol hence me borrowing a chrono to test it with. During yesterday apart from taking that last rabbit I had to make a decision, and my decision was it is not fast enough to aid in humanely doing the task in question. Accuracy is not in doubt, if that was not present the whole task just would not happen period. I got the accuracy sorted but something was still missing-velocity.

These HW45's in my opinion are not what they use to be.

 

If folk want to condemn someone without a fair hearing and jump to all sorts of conclusions then thats their short coming not mine.

 

If you remember my original post with the picture was headed "that was hard" because it was bloody hard work in getting the pistol to achieve that, we now know why and it's life as a plinker has just started.

 

U.

 

at least your being honest, to be fair I've had rabbits run off from headshots with my rifle so I think its more down to accuracy and a bit of luck then power

[demonwolf444]

To be fair, It takes about 3 ft/lb to the temple area of a rabbit to kill it cleanly. Thosed HW45's are rated at 5.5 ft lbs, and in capable hands ( which we must assume the OP is ) are extremely accurate, iver personally had one lent to me and i shot my one inch spinners at about 15 yards with it, about three out of five times, and im sure someone with more experience would do better than that considering i only had the thing for two days. The same person who lent me it bought it to controll rabbits around his chicken pens, and i know he has got at least one rabbit with it, at about seven yards.If i had chairgun still i would quote some figures but at 10 yards are you telling me the pellet has lost half of its energy, i highly doubt it. The fact that he has crono'ed it shows the OP had some concern over its power however if its only putting out half the advertised energy i would have thought he would have smelt a rat before he had fired it at an animal. however that aside i dont think its stupid or inhumane for an experienced air pistol shooter to shoot rabbits at range's he or she believes is competant at and obvs tkes the guns limited power and therefore effective range into consideration.

 

I religiously practice with my air rifle at realistic ranges, before going out and for fun, to i can be assured that im going to humanely dispatch the rabbit. Im assuming the OP would have done this with his pistol before shooting an animal.

[Underdog]

at least your being honest, to be fair I've had rabbits run off from headshots with my rifle so I think its more down to accuracy and a bit of luck then power

I have been honest from the start Sir, I think thats my problem!

 

I'm glad your honest too, I know it happens. Some just seem scared of something to much to admit it! Peer pressure, big brother, ego and maybe embarrasment, I dunno.

 

U.

[Underdog]

To be fair, It takes about 3 ft/lb to the temple area of a rabbit to kill it cleanly. Thosed HW45's are rated at 5.5 ft lbs, and in capable hands ( which we must assume the OP is ) are extremely accurate, iver personally had one lent to me and i shot my one inch spinners at about 15 yards with it, about three out of five times, and im sure someone with more experience would do better than that considering i only had the thing for two days. The same person who lent me it bought it to controll rabbits around his chicken pens, and i know he has got at least one rabbit with it, at about seven yards.If i had chairgun still i would quote some figures but at 10 yards are you telling me the pellet has lost half of its energy, i highly doubt it. The fact that he has crono'ed it shows the OP had some concern over its power however if its only putting out half the advertised energy i would have thought he would have smelt a rat before he had fired it at an animal. however that aside i dont think its stupid or inhumane for an experienced air pistol shooter to shoot rabbits at range's he or she believes is competant at and obvs tkes the guns limited power and therefore effective range into consideration.

 

I religiously practice with my air rifle at realistic ranges, before going out and for fun, to i can be assured that im going to humanely dispatch the rabbit. Im assuming the OP would have done this with his pistol before shooting an animal.

 

Well said Demonwolf. I have shot over 1000 pellets through this new 5week old pistol to try to achieve the level of skill you describe.

 

Now time for an update.

 

I put a Titan spring in it last week, it was giving around the 400fps mark. I just put the factory spring back in and got 480fps, more than 4ft/lb. It feels much stronger but I would like a little more but not sure how?

 

I have a home made steel target of a rabbits head and at 16 paces connect it pretty good. 4 out of 5 hits. Now don't get out your prams, it's to far for me, soom of the hits are not central. At ten yards I can break a plastic clothes peg 9shot out of 10. Thats my sweet spot.

At 20 paces I can hit a cooking apple about 2 in 5 shots, to far for a rabbit!

 

The titan XS spring has clearly collapsed and in my opinion is sub standard workmanship.

 

If I could reach 500fps and a bit and retain good ten yard perfomance I would be satisfied.

 

U.

Edited October 24, 2011 by Underdog

[theoben fenman]

I think underdog said somewhere he has a shooting companion dog (I think???) and therefore even a heavilly wounded rabbit wouldn't be around for long if his dogs any thing like my attempt on a soft mouthed lab.

 

Ive also used an underpowered rifle before at close range and the result was a completely clean kill. Its all about the kill zone and as long as the pellet can get to the brain (or heart lung but maybe not in a pistols case) there is no welfare issue.

 

Ive seen rabbits run after being hit by a rimfire and if underdog is saying hes knocking them down then theres no real problem

 

Just stop arguing and accept that peoples views are different

 

Personally pistol hunting isn't my thing but why can't you people just put your views forward as having a full scale rave about it dosen't make you right

[Underdog]

I think underdog said somewhere he has a shooting companion dog (I think???) and therefore even a heavilly wounded rabbit wouldn't be around for long if his dogs any thing like my attempt on a soft mouthed lab.

 

Ive also used an underpowered rifle before at close range and the result was a completely clean kill. Its all about the kill zone and as long as the pellet can get to the brain (or heart lung but maybe not in a pistols case) there is no welfare issue.

 

Ive seen rabbits run after being hit by a rimfire and if underdog is saying hes knocking them down then theres no real problem

 

Just stop arguing and accept that peoples views are different

 

Personally pistol hunting isn't my thing but why can't you people just put your views forward as having a full scale rave about it dosen't make you right

 

Thankyou Sir

[demonwolf444]

keep going with it U. I shoot my co2 pistols for fun at home made aluminium targets hanging from 5 - 25 yards, they are challenging and - therefor allot of fun, ive recently been shooting paper, and im getting some nice groups. got me to Thinking a while ago that with a powerfull enough gun shooting rabbits wouldnt be out of the question and i thought of buying a HW45 .22 flavour or another decently powered .22 spring air pistol just to have as an extra dimension to a)target shooting and also) to take a few rabbits with oppertinistically. Keep us updated on how you are getting on, and ill keep looking for a decent gun. just money at the moment

Edited October 25, 2011 by demonwolf444

[Underdog]

keep going with it U. I shoot my co2 pistols for fun at home made aluminium targets hanging from 5 - 25 yards, they are challenging and - therefor allot of fun, ive recently been shooting paper, and im getting some nice groups. got me to Thinking a while ago that with a powerfull enough gun shooting rabbits wouldnt be out of the question and i thought of buying a HW45 .22 flavour or another decently powered .22 spring air pistol just to have as an extra dimension to a)target shooting and also) to take a few rabbits with oppertinistically. Keep us updated on how you are getting on, and ill keep looking for a decent gun. just money at the moment

Ta DW444.

 

I honestly wish I bought a Crosman 1377, cheaper and I use to use one years ago. People complain about the trigger but I have never been not able to improve trigger,,,,,

 

Last night I chrono'ed the 45 and now it's doing 500ish fps.This is still on the factory spring, it was not doing this before but feathering the piston seal may of helped me out here. In saying that it is no easier to shoot! The extra vel does not increase it's range as far as a rabbit is concerned! For me it is still a 10yarder.

 

The dodgy titan spring I can stretch very easily by hand, The cheese content must be very high in the steel!

 

U.

[paul87]

A bit late now but if you had a HW45 in .22 would it not be easier to achieve the results you are after. With the added pellet weight and larger surface area 6ft/lbs should be very achievable with your tinkering capabilities. Should also hold a bit more energy when connecting with a rabbit at 10yds.

I am not too clued up on air pistols but surely they should work on the same principals as air rifles only scaled down.

Is it possible to change the barrel etc to make it .22?

Would the pellet drop much by 10yds at 6ft/lb in .22?

 

Paul

Edited October 27, 2011 by paul87

[Underdog]

I did wonder about a 22 Paul but like the idea of the sooner that pell leaves the barrel the better.

 

Besides I have been a lover of 177 for donkey's years now and prefere velocity to ft/lbs any day

 

I often wonder just how different they behave though!

 

U.

[Catweazle]

I too prefer 0.177 for hunting, but with a rifle - simply because it's easier to hit the killzone with. At 10 yds there will be no trajectory advantage for 0.177 over 0.22. The 0.22 will have an advantage on momentum, and that might make the difference, knocking a rabbit senseless until you can walk 8yds and neck it.

[Underdog]

I too prefer 0.177 for hunting, but with a rifle - simply because it's easier to hit the killzone with. At 10 yds there will be no trajectory advantage for 0.177 over 0.22. The 0.22 will have an advantage on momentum, and that might make the difference, knocking a rabbit senseless until you can walk 8yds and neck it.

 

Fair point CW on the trajectory (I never thought of that ) only the rabbits that have been taken just rolled over anyway!

 

U.

Edited October 27, 2011 by Underdog

[demonwolf444]

U, next time im shooting guest days ill ask about borrowing his HW45 for a week or so and stick something in the forums. His is .22 in a rabbit hunting pistol i would go for .22 for maintained energy, although for plinking .177 for higher velocity in co2 and added realism. I was always told OX springs.. dont know if they do them for pistols ? all the best DW

[old rooster]

Ta DW444.

 

I honestly wish I bought a Crosman 1377, cheaper and I use to use one years ago. People complain about the trigger but I have never been not able to improve trigger,,,,,

 

Last night I chrono'ed the 45 and now it's doing 500ish fps.This is still on the factory spring, it was not doing this before but feathering the piston seal may of helped me out here. In saying that it is no easier to shoot! The extra vel does not increase it's range as far as a rabbit is concerned! For me it is still a 10yarder.

 

The dodgy titan spring I can stretch very easily by hand, The cheese content must be very high in the steel!

 

U.

 

Reading through this post I was waiting for somebody to mention the Crossman. I have one but the seals inside need fixing and I can't be ***** at the moment. It was a handy little tool while it was working though and you could fit a skeleton stock and little scope if you wanted to.

[Underdog]

Reading through this post I was waiting for somebody to mention the Crossman. I have one but the seals inside need fixing and I can't be ***** at the moment. It was a handy little tool while it was working though and you could fit a skeleton stock and little scope if you wanted to.

Is it for sale Ole' Rooster?

 

U.

[Scarpa]

I usually use air rifle and shotgun for hunting but have taken the odd rabbit with my old .22 HW45. I had some shooting on old quarry land and I could shoot over rocks which I used as hand rests onto areas of long grass. Up to 10 yds with a lot of practice.

[Underdog]

I usually use air rifle and shotgun for hunting but have taken the odd rabbit with my old .22 HW45. I had some shooting on old quarry land and I could shoot over rocks which I used as hand rests onto areas of long grass. Up to 10 yds with a lot of practice.

Nice one scarpa, the old 45 were much better IMO

 

U.

[demonwolf444]

if you ever fancy selling that give us a bell scarpa! need some more money coming IN at the moment... all theese hobbys get a bit expensive...