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hitting to many that fly away??


airarmsandy
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hi guys, im having trouble with the amount of pigeons that fly off after being hit with my .22 air rifle. its an f.a.c and running at 26lb pressure and im using airarms diablo field which are good quality pellets, ive been out this afternoon hit 10 and picked 5 and of them only 2 were stone dead. i know they dont go very far as ive picked some that flew off on the way back to the truck but its annoying me as to how many leave the trees seeming fine, i know people say head shots only ect but its not always possible to see the head due to branches ect, and im a farmer so my main priority is crop protection. do u think more power is needed? atb andy

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If they are side on aim at the wing 'shoulder' joint, that is where the heat and lungs are, they should drop on the spot. If facing away aim between the shoulder blades and if front on then neck/crop area works best. Not so easy shooting from beneath but with fac I would go straight in beneath the breast. I don't go for head shots anymore unless it is the only one available.

Edited by FalconFN
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Have you checked the power over a chrono?

FAC air should stop pigeons without any problem with back or armpit shots out to 50+ yards, I don't want to offend you but this problem is usually shot placement related when using sub 12. It would be worth plucking a couple of birds to see where the pellet hit and where it travelled, did it hit vital organs?

That may give you a clue,

Regards

Tim

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hi guys, im having trouble with the amount of pigeons that fly off after being hit with my .22 air rifle. its an f.a.c and running at 26lb pressure and im using airarms diablo field which are good quality pellets, ive been out this afternoon hit 10 and picked 5 and of them only 2 were stone dead. i know they dont go very far as ive picked some that flew off on the way back to the truck but its annoying me as to how many leave the trees seeming

fine, i know people say head shots only ect but its not always possible to see the head due to branches ect, and im a farmer so my main priority is crop protection. do u think more power is needed? atb andy

Definitely not a power problem, pellet placement/ pellet type is more than likely the problem.

 

Rich

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You can easily take down a wood pigeon, stone dead, at 40 metres with a sub 12 ft lb .22 air rifle. I have done it myself many times. BUT they are hardy beasts, shot placement is everything. If you hit them just behind/under the wing then you will go straight in to their lungs and kill them. Hit them anywhere else other than the head and perhaps the middle of the back and they will fly off. A woodies chest is like a kevlar vest.

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Pluck the birds and compare shot placement on birds that were dead before they hit the ground and the ones that managed to fly away-any difference? You might also be blasting a hole clean thru the closer ones and the pellet is not delivering its kinetic energy (shock)-these birds then die of blood loss within a short time but enough to fly a short distance-try a softer/heavier/or hollow pointed pellet if you are in a situation where you are likely to encounter birds at shorter ranges (i.e. under a sitty tree).

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i seem to have more trouble with the closer birds flying off than say the ones at 30yds+ thanks for all the replies tho most interesting...looks like the next job is practicing!

half hour of practice will sort you out,try all ranges you shoot at and make a drop chart to help you remember and it will soon become second nature

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andy as well as shot placement mate , I would certainly change your pellet to a heavier one, your rifle is running at 26ftlb so if I was you I would step up to a JSB EXACT HEAVY,

 

believe me you hit a pigeon with one of them and it wont fly off lol,

 

they are 21 gr and are an accurate pellet, certainly in fac, but I do think your shot placement is an issue bud ,

 

give the exact heavies a try and let us know how you get on

 

atb Evo

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Its about placement, shoot them with .22 LR and it will still occur. Next one you kill skin it and examine carefully with a knife were and at what angle you can place shots into the vitals. In general many aim to high on frontal / side shots. In through the back is ten times as instantly deadly as the front BTW

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But the head and neck are highly mobile and a small area, I mean on a pigeon feathers not included 5mm-8mm across the neck?

There is much BS about head shooting pigeon with airguns when they are down and feeding its 80 % luck 20% skill, but reads well in the comics. The target area is here there and everywhere and I am convinced they often move to the sound of the shot before it gets there (not kidding, its not a hard shot if they are sleeping). If the goal is good efficient kills always take the easy shot as long as its available (same with all quarry really)You cant kill them double dead its just dead.

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You can easily take down a wood pigeon, stone dead, at 40 metres with a sub 12 ft lb .22 air rifle. I have done it myself many times. BUT they are hardy beasts, shot placement is everything. If you hit them just behind/under the wing then you will go straight in to their lungs and kill them. Hit them anywhere else other than the head and perhaps the middle of the back and they will fly off. A woodies chest is like a kevlar vest.

 

I agree with most of your post except where highlighted, a back shot is as good as it gets, it not only breaks bones which prevent the bird from being able to fly properly, there is every chance you'll hit the lungs and heart.

 

Like others I believe the OP's problem is shot placement, if as I suspect you're taking your shots at varying ranges you have to know what your pellet combo does with regards to POI. A frontal shot from an FAC can be instantly fatal when the pellets path is through vital internals, an inch or so lower will produce clouds of feathers and a big thud but not lead to instant kills.

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The point that's being missed is not always were to aim but the path the pellet takes through the body (angle matters a lot). Back shots will send little fragments of backbone into the vitals creating extra wound channels to that of the pellet, it really is lythal

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I agree with most of your post except where highlighted, a back shot is as good as it gets, it not only breaks bones which prevent the bird from being able to fly properly, there is every chance you'll hit the lungs and heart.

 

Like others I believe the OP's problem is shot placement, if as I suspect you're taking your shots at varying ranges you have to know what your pellet combo does with regards to POI. A frontal shot from an FAC can be instantly fatal when the pellets path is through vital internals, an inch or so lower will produce clouds of feathers and a big thud but not lead to instant kills.

 

I don't know if it translated in type differently to how I intended? I meant yes a back shot will take them down I only said 'perhaps' because it's not something I have generally done myself in the past, intentionally anyway!

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The point that's being missed is not always were to aim but the path the pellet takes through the body (angle matters a lot). Back shots will send little fragments of backbone into the vitals creating extra wound channels to that of the pellet, it really is lythal

 

 

A very good post :good: ' Angle matters a lot' :good:

 

When shooting at varying angles into trees etc. you really have to picture where the vitals are and 'drill' into them at the correct angle to do maximum damage.

 

Rich

Edited by rapid rich
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