mr williamson Posted July 7, 2012 Report Share Posted July 7, 2012 I shoot both shotgun and air gun and was suprised to see that a standard airgun thats producing a muzzle energy of 12ftlbs has around 7ftlbs striking energy at 40yds. A standard 30grm cartridge of 5 shot is a fairly normal cartridge that i use at ranges beyond 40yds and is very effective, now a peice of no5 shot has less than 1ftlb striking energy at 40yds. Is any 1 suprised by this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian28 Posted July 7, 2012 Report Share Posted July 7, 2012 Dont know where you got your data its wrong. Lymans 5th edition does not show anything that low even moving down a shot size. other extreme foster slug 100 yards 1014 ft/lbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian28 Posted July 7, 2012 Report Share Posted July 7, 2012 And that was after converting US to english size Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr williamson Posted July 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 7, 2012 Dont know where you got your data its wrong. Lymans 5th edition does not show anything that low even moving down a shot size. other extreme foster slug 100 yards 1014 ft/lbs air gun world magazine and spirting gun. Im definately not rong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cant hit rabbits 123 Posted July 7, 2012 Report Share Posted July 7, 2012 (edited) It certianly sounds a bit dodgy numbers wise. Howver, thinking logically, a piece of No. 5 is alot smaller and lighter than an air gun pellet, so it will not carry the same energy to begin with. Also consider that an air rifle fires one projectile where as with a shotgun you will have many pellets impacting on the target at the same range and the difference in energy transfer starts to decrease. Edited July 7, 2012 by cant hit rabbits 123 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karpman Posted July 7, 2012 Report Share Posted July 7, 2012 I'm a tad surprised by it and also fail to see were an airgun would be out and out more effective at 40yards. Don't get me wrong airguns have there uses and I use one fairly regularly but more effective. Not for me in most situations I shoot in. Anyhow bet some boffins will be along shortly with there take on it. Karpman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted July 7, 2012 Report Share Posted July 7, 2012 There are too many variables involved , yes the airgun is very effective at 40 yards if you can do your bit. But a airgun pellet is leaving the barrel around half the muzzle energy of a shot gun , the smaller pellets of a shotgun will penetrate better at that range and of course you have so many more pellets to achieve that clean kill we all desire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HW682 Posted July 7, 2012 Report Share Posted July 7, 2012 As an indication, the Hull cartridge website shows approx 2.7 ft.lb at 40m for a 30gm 5 (high pheasant 1450fps). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr williamson Posted July 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 7, 2012 My appologys it is 2.7 ftlbs at 40 yds just checked. But still 12 ftlb airgun give or take still carries more kinetic energy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cant hit rabbits 123 Posted July 7, 2012 Report Share Posted July 7, 2012 (edited) My appologys it is 2.7 ftlbs at 40 yds just checked. But still 12 ftlb airgun give or take still carries more kinetic energy. Like I said, a pellet is larger and heavier than a single piece of No.5. It stands to reason that the pellet will carry more energy. Lets say (as an example) 10 pellets hit a target at 40 yards. So, an airgun pellet has 7 ftib of energy at the target. The shotgun pellets have a combined energy of 27ftib at the target. Details are definately relevent here, and it seems to be a classic case of making numbers lie. Edited July 7, 2012 by cant hit rabbits 123 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pimpkiller Posted July 7, 2012 Report Share Posted July 7, 2012 I was just going to say, get a mate to stand 40yrds away with shotgun and tell him to give you a barrel to the chest, at 1-2.7lb you will be fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted July 7, 2012 Report Share Posted July 7, 2012 yes but each pellet carries that energy x 30 hits or more and its a lot more lethal. Why do people still read these magazines? full of rubbish and adverts and darn near £5 a pop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cant hit rabbits 123 Posted July 7, 2012 Report Share Posted July 7, 2012 yes but each pellet carries that energy x 30 hits or more and its a lot more lethal. Why do people still read these magazines? full of rubbish and adverts and darn near £5 a pop Something other than the news paper at the end of the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian28 Posted July 7, 2012 Report Share Posted July 7, 2012 no1 buck 40 yards each piece has 80 ft/lbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr williamson Posted July 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 7, 2012 We wernt talking about buckshot if you look i said no5 shot its in writing in sporting gun theres a chart that has the figures of each shot size at 40yds and the ftlbs of energy it carries Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blunderbuss Posted July 7, 2012 Report Share Posted July 7, 2012 (edited) Not in the least bit surprised. No 5 shot is half the diameter of a .22 pellet, much lighter and a spherical pellet has **** poor ballistic coefficient so will shed energy and velocity fast. However, there is only one pellet per pull of the trigger from an air rifle, as opposed to 220 (1oz load) from a 12 bore. Even at 40 yards a rabbit or pigeon in the main part of of the pattern is going to be struck with multiple pellets, the combined energy of which is going to far outweigh an single air rifle pellet. Edited July 7, 2012 by Blunderbuss Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian28 Posted July 7, 2012 Report Share Posted July 7, 2012 Your title air guns more efective than shotty at range. OO 40yard 125 ft/lbs each pellet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catweazle Posted July 7, 2012 Report Share Posted July 7, 2012 To think of it differently, at 40yds would you consider a well aimed shot from an air rifle to be as/more effective than a shotgun hit ? Actually, I would. A pellet through the brain beats random pellets any day. To paraphrase a well known saying: Power is fine, accuracy is final. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian28 Posted July 7, 2012 Report Share Posted July 7, 2012 To think of it differently, at 40yds would you consider a well aimed shot from an air rifle to be as/more effective than a shotgun hit ? Actually, I would. A pellet through the brain beats random pellets any day. To paraphrase a well known saying: Power is fine, accuracy is final. Well aimed shot from shotgun at flying pigeon dead pigeon could you hit it with air rifle, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pboro shot Posted July 7, 2012 Report Share Posted July 7, 2012 i wouldnt even compare the 2 a shotty will still kill at greater distance and a moving target horses for courses i suppose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
secretagentmole Posted July 7, 2012 Report Share Posted July 7, 2012 All I know is an air rifle pellet has a lethal effect on pigeons and pheasants at 40 metres, with an effective silencer on you are also less likely to scare the other animals in a 100 metre radius as well! The air rifle is quieter and with a competent user effective at ranges up to 70 metres (sub 12 foot pound that is). Conditions have to be ideal as wind will have an extreme effect at extreme ranges! It is different horses for different courses, it is damned nigh impossible to take a bird in the air with an air rifle, much easier with a shottie. But at roost or on the ground and at ranges that may surprise people the air rifle is quite happy to phut them out of existence. By the way Squirrel tastes good.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamiedenny Posted July 7, 2012 Report Share Posted July 7, 2012 2ftlb doesnt surprise me. shotgun and airgun are used for different reasons. I wouldn't take my motorbike lamping now would I (hmmm, or would I ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karpman Posted July 7, 2012 Report Share Posted July 7, 2012 All I know is an air rifle pellet has a lethal effect on pigeons and pheasants at 40 metres, with an effective silencer on you are also less likely to scare the other animals in a 100 metre radius as well! The air rifle is quieter and with a competent user effective at ranges up to 70 metres (sub 12 foot pound that is). Conditions have to be ideal as wind will have an extreme effect at extreme ranges! It is different horses for different courses, it is damned nigh impossible to take a bird in the air with an air rifle, much easier with a shottie. But at roost or on the ground and at ranges that may surprise people the air rifle is quite happy to phut them out of existence. By the way Squirrel tastes good.... Ya right squirrel is a fairly good meat pal, swines to skin mind, air rifles have there place and can be a dam good tool at times. I doubt you or anybody else will be posting 100+ bags of pigeon taken with one to frequently though. The right tool for the right situation to say a sub 12 or any other air rifle is more effective than a shotgun is flawed fatally. Different tools different jobs. And to be fair if people don't like being called morons or getting a little bit of stick ya should be a tad more careful what you post on open forums. Always gonna be someone to jump on ya nuts, and to be honest swiss tony does it in the most honest and quiet often most hilarious forms. Karpman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Mongrel- Posted July 7, 2012 Report Share Posted July 7, 2012 (edited) However, there is only one pellet per pull of the trigger from an air rifle, as opposed to 220 (1oz load) from a 12 bore. Well aimed shot from shotgun at flying pigeon dead pigeon could you hit it with air rifle, With 220 goes at it then...maybe. Edited July 7, 2012 by -Mongrel- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaz Posted July 8, 2012 Report Share Posted July 8, 2012 Well aimed shot from shotgun at flying pigeon dead pigeon could you hit it with air rifle, You aim a rifle - you point a shotgun You cant compare the two in that context, its using the right tools for the right job, both have there place in their own environment Back to the OP, I'm a little surprised regarding the energy but its the accuracy side of the difference that would interest me most. I would say an air rifle is far more accurate at that range than a shotgun and its accuracy that makes the difference Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.