newbie advice please, yes i know its annoying having to explain it al

[FBF]

Hi all, ive been given permission by a local land owner to cull his rabbit population, and this is something i want to do. i have a cracking land rover that i use for green laning etc and im about to apply for my first FAC this week. i come from a clay pidgeon back ground and have been to many shoots. i was also the under 14 national scout air champion many years ago... ive also spent time training disabled kids to shoot too, so the basics of using and shooting rifles are there.

 

now having been out of the sport for many years i want to get something with the right power and for the right money. i probably have a £500 budget give or take £100..

 

ive only ever used spring loaded 12ft lb guns in the past

 

what would you guys suggest would be the best options for me and maybe you could take a little time to explain why and what?

 

also what do i need as a full package to hunt the bunnys?

 

any help really appreciated, ive done some searching and im picking up basics.

 

Dan

[pob]

Dan

 

This struck me as a very informative thread, assuming you don't want to apply for .22LR. http://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/ind...showtopic=39610

[FBF]

yes i was jsut reading that thread but it just confused me a little more.

 

from what ive read here so far, pretty much any rifle mentioned has lovers and haters, i would assume from that, that they are all pretty good in reality is that right? or are there certain manufacturers i should avoid?

 

i have looked at the "gunpower" range and i like that kind of modern look and from what i can tell its a pcp set up and its cheap as chips. but would it be any good for what i need to do? is pcp even the way forward for me? and is there any type of system that i can recharge just using a compressor? ive seen foot pumps for recharging.

 

what kind of power should i be looking for to target rabbits from a stationary vehicle? ive only hunted rabbit with spot and whippets which is totally unrelated really.

 

im keen to get the right rifle in the first instance rather than steam in and by what is recommended to me by a shop owner, only to find that its not the right rifle for the job. sure does look like i have a LOT to learn

[LEFTY478]

yes i was jsut reading that thread but it just confused me a little more.

 

from what ive read here so far, pretty much any rifle mentioned has lovers and haters, i would assume from that, that they are all pretty good in reality is that right? or are there certain manufacturers i should avoid?

 

i have looked at the "gunpower" range and i like that kind of modern look and from what i can tell its a pcp set up and its cheap as chips. but would it be any good for what i need to do? is pcp even the way forward for me? and is there any type of system that i can recharge just using a compressor? ive seen foot pumps for recharging.

 

what kind of power should i be looking for to target rabbits from a stationary vehicle? ive only hunted rabbit with spot and whippets which is totally unrelated really.

 

im keen to get the right rifle in the first instance rather than steam in and by what is recommended to me by a shop owner, only to find that its not the right rifle for the job. sure does look like i have a LOT to learn

 

Yes, treat like 'plague' anything by SMK or (currently) from China, they're not fit to shoot yourself in the foot with from 18 inches, literally! There are plenty of good manufactorers out there, though. Especially English & German.

 

£500 is a good starting budget for a gun, but unfortunately, is all the other bits that will mount up; a good moderater, decent scope, (real-tree?) camo clothing and face netting plus spare mag and re-charging gear for the PCP rifle you're gona end-up buying.

 

And you haven't even gotten into the .177 or .22 debate yet! B)

[BSA Shaun]

A 12ft/lb rifle is more than ample to shoot rabbits with mate, no real need to apply for FAC if you don't want to, unless you cant get within 40 yds of them?

 

Go for something Air Arms, BSA or Weirauch and you wont go far wrong, a decent PCP from any of these companies can be got for around your budget.

 

Take a look at uttings.com, they do some good deals and I have bought from them on numerous occasions and the delivery is really good too.

 

I have an AAS400 and find this to be fine on both rabbits and pigeons, corvids etc and paid in the region of your budget. As for the calibre that is down to personal preference, .177 has a flatter trajectory tho and is the calibre of my S400. Hope this helps.

[FBF]

thanks to all who have given me some great begginer advice, its really appreciated and youve all made it simple for me to understand so far. keep it coming,i just want to make sure i have the right kit for the job

Dan the more i can learn the better.

 

as for getting within 40 yrds of the rabbit, is that easily done in a vehicle? when lamping with the dogs we always sat at the gate lamped the rabbit and sent the dog so i have no idea how close i can actually get. i will be getting the FAC anyway and maybe the shotgun version too so i can also clay shoot. so its not much of an issue for me either way.

[Axe]

Your best bet by far would be to get a PCP in .22. Ideally you want it running between 28 to 33 ft/lb, this will give you the best balance between trajectory and efficiency. Im not to up with prices but a decent 2nd hand rifle will cost you around £450 upwards with scope and moderator etc. You'll then need either a divers bottle and gauges or a hand pump to refill it. If you get a PCP with a removable tank I would suggest a Divers bottle as a hand pump will get very energetic. Either way 2nd and the divers bottle and gauges will be around £150 ishthe pump I think around £90 ish.

 

You do have other alternatives, you could consider a rimfire. This would almost certainly be your cheaper option. You will have to find out what the land is cleared for but it is worth it. shooting from your Landy will make the .22LR a perfect choice too.

[FBF]

Your best bet by far would be to get a PCP in .22. Ideally you want it running between 28 to 33 ft/lb, this will give you the best balance between trajectory and efficiency. Im not to up with prices but a decent 2nd hand rifle will cost you around £450 upwards with scope and moderator etc. You'll then need either a divers bottle and gauges or a hand pump to refill it. If you get a PCP with a removable tank I would suggest a Divers bottle as a hand pump will get very energetic. Either way 2nd and the divers bottle and gauges will be around £150 ishthe pump I think around £90 ish.

 

You do have other alternatives, you could consider a rimfire. This would almost certainly be your cheaper option. You will have to find out what the land is cleared for but it is worth it. shooting from your Landy will make the .22LR a perfect choice too.

 

 

spot on. thats what i was after someone telling me. so .22 is the better choice for me, around 30 ft/lb and a divers bottle.

 

anyone have any thoughts on the gunpower range? will a longer barrel make for a more accurate weapon over longer distance? and a shorter barrel provide less drag and more force over the same distance?

 

what are the key things i should be looking at when picking a rifle?

 

Dan

[stevethevanman]

Realtree clothing hasnt really done anything for me, it may give me te abilllity to shoot 2 in a row sometimes, but other than that, I started of life in the airgun world with a fenmen profile, shot well on the range, and did bunny control with it, then at bisley airgun club a guy actually swoped gun for gun a A&A S410 carbine for my fenmen profile, as said stay from SMK (mass produced plastic ****), a precharged rifle is obviosly the better choice but if you are just starting out get a springer.

 

hop it helped

 

Steve

[Axe]

If you go with a PCP you trade off your total number of shots the shorter the barrel you get. It all depends on how many shots your going to need in the field. Another consideration is that on a PCP you get a 'sweet spot' this when the rifle operates at its best over a number of shots. So although you may have a total of for example 40 shots, only 15-20 of them will be in the sweet spot.

 

When looking for your rifle the best thing you can look for is fit, how comfotable you feel with it. Not forgetting that you want to use it in your landy. As for what to go for, i'd be looking at a Theoben Rapid or Air Arms S410. If had the money it would be a Daystate.

[stevethevanman]

oh and B) to PW

[FBF]

oh and B) to PW

 

 

thanks. seems a really friendly forum here. loads of experts too. thanks for all making this newbie feel welcome. give me 6 months of reading up and learning and im sure i will be up to speed on whats what

 

Dan

[FBF]

had a really intense day of googleing diffrent guns offered for sale and im getting a feel for whats good and bad. not found anything really within my price range that really takes my fancy yet.

 

 

could anyone point me in the direction of some rabbiting tip threads? ive done a search but seem to come up a blank. i clearly need to learn a lot about hunting them, are there any really well recommended books on the subject?

 

 

Dan

[BSA Shaun]

Air gunner magazine has some good rabbiting write up I find.

 

They have just done articles on stalking and static shooting on bunnies.

 

If I can find them I will scan and e-mail them to you if you want?

[FBF]

Air gunner magazine has some good rabbiting write up I find.

 

They have just done articles on stalking and static shooting on bunnies.

 

If I can find them I will scan and e-mail them to you if you want?

 

Hey shaun thats really generous and id be more than happy to have a look at those. if you get the time to scan them my email address is willisweston(AT)hotmail.com

 

Cheers fella

Dan

[BSA Shaun]

Air gunner magazine has some good rabbiting write up I find.

 

They have just done articles on stalking and static shooting on bunnies.

 

If I can find them I will scan and e-mail them to you if you want?

 

Hey shaun thats really generous and id be more than happy to have a look at those. if you get the time to scan them my email address is willisweston(AT)hotmail.com

 

Cheers fella

Dan

 

No worries, happy to help. May take a couple of days to find articles tho

[dusk2dawn]

Hi FBF,

 

For what you want to do forget the air rifle and get a semi auto .22 with mod, I have night shot rabbits out of a landy for years and the ease of a semi with two pre loaded mags is ideal, especially on a cold winters night.

When you do get to shooting, if you are shooting on your own, wind the passenger window half way down and slip a foot long section of split pipe lagging over it,this together with a remote deben rotolight fitted up top, just the job

 

D2D

[FBF]

Hi D2D. can ypou explain a little more about semi auto? thats a rifle with a magazine right? how do you creep up on the rabbit in the vehicle? this is what we are using..

 

 

 

with the ally back removed i was hoping it would ideal for shooting from the top of it. really glad to get any tips. do you suggest entering each field and get the lamp on the rabbit and then move closer for the shot?

[airssassin]

To answer your question about the Gunpower Stealth... a friend of mine uses one of these on rabbits. They work well. Quality construction, lots of shots per fill, walther barrel, very light and accurate, great to use rested or off a bipod. Capable of 25-30 ft/lb. The downsides are they are single shot and not all that comfortable when compared to a wooden stocked rifle - but you would get used to it quickly.

 

An FAC rifle won't give you all that much more range. Just flatter trajectory and more kill zone options.

 

You could get out to 50 yards and beyond with a 12ft/lb PCP in .177 and make clean kills if you can hit the spot consistently.

 

Otherwise, a .22 LR will take things to the next level with range and versatility.

 

 

Your best bet by far would be to get a PCP in .22. Ideally you want it running between 28 to 33 ft/lb, this will give you the best balance between trajectory and efficiency. Im not to up with prices but a decent 2nd hand rifle will cost you around £450 upwards with scope and moderator etc. You'll then need either a divers bottle and gauges or a hand pump to refill it. If you get a PCP with a removable tank I would suggest a Divers bottle as a hand pump will get very energetic. Either way 2nd and the divers bottle and gauges will be around £150 ishthe pump I think around £90 ish.

 

You do have other alternatives, you could consider a rimfire. This would almost certainly be your cheaper option. You will have to find out what the land is cleared for but it is worth it. shooting from your Landy will make the .22LR a perfect choice too.

 

 

spot on. thats what i was after someone telling me. so .22 is the better choice for me, around 30 ft/lb and a divers bottle.

 

anyone have any thoughts on the gunpower range? will a longer barrel make for a more accurate weapon over longer distance? and a shorter barrel provide less drag and more force over the same distance?

 

what are the key things i should be looking at when picking a rifle?

 

Dan

[SPARKIE]

like a lot have said an air rifle is ideal if ya can get close to the rabbits but a .22lr is far superior or even a .17hmr if ya can get the land cleared for it i shoot 10x the amount of rabbits with the .22lr rimmie compared to air rifle dont get me wrong air rifles have there place but if ya want out and out stopping powerr get a rimmy i use a bolt actgion rimmie fraction of the cost of a air rifle and just as quit if not quiter and the extra range comes in handy when shooting from a 4x4 you also havent got the problem of sweet spots it should shoot fairly consistant bullet on bullet and half the price of a airgun and 2-3 times the power so why compromise if ya can get the land passed for it get 1 you wont be dissapointed

[FBF]

like a lot have said an air rifle is ideal if ya can get close to the rabbits but a .22lr is far superior or even a .17hmr if ya can get the land cleared for it i shoot 10x the amount of rabbits with the .22lr rimmie compared to air rifle dont get me wrong air rifles have there place but if ya want out and out stopping powerr get a rimmy i use a bolt actgion rimmie fraction of the cost of a air rifle and just as quit if not quiter and the extra range comes in handy when shooting from a 4x4 you also havent got the problem of sweet spots it should shoot fairly consistant bullet on bullet and half the price of a airgun and 2-3 times the power so why compromise if ya can get the land passed for it get 1 you wont be dissapointed

 

 

sparkie you are a bad bad man! now you've set me off on yet more reading up and learning. the whole rimmy thing is intresting but the only issue for me is the (what seems like) hassle to get permission for the rifle on the land. also without having put a rimmy rifle on my FAC application am i too late to make any changes? what would i apply for if i can change it? is there any way i can apply for it and then pick something at a later date?

 

this is one steep learning curve and i cant thank you all enough for having the patience of saints.. this sure is a cheaper hobby than cars, i can tell you that much!

[Gonna Shoot a Wabbit]

if you are shooting from a vehicle in my opinion discount the full length rifle barrels and go for carbines. If an air rifle is your choice then just take the hit on shots per fill (pcp) the shorter rifle is much more manageable in confined spaces and much safer. if you can live with a springer in carbine length make sure it has a decent sound mod on it.

 

As stated any of the big manufacturers build excellent rifles (BSA, wheirauch, air arms, webley,gunsport) will not disappoint.

 

Regarding the rimmy debate, i served a long apprenticeship with an air rifle before graduating to a rimfire this taught me to be safe , accurate and sneaky. 12ft/lbs doesn't leave much margin for error in marksmanship or fieldcraft but does give a little if you misjudge the backstop if you are a novice out at night most people would agree better to make a mistake with 12ft/lbs of oomph!! rather than 98+! that comes down 3/4 of a mile later. i hope this doesn't sound condescending it isn't meant to be!! but you do say you are a novice!

 

Regarding lamping in a vehicle. only ever let the lamp go 30 - 50yds in front of the vehicle to avoid spooking bunnies that may be a long way in front of your vehicle. do not put the lamp directly on the rabbit but place it at its feet, thus the brightest part of the beam isn't in its face spooking it. and the man on the rifle looks for the spot beam off the lamp looks above it and there is his target. If he misses which he occasionally will fingers crossed the bunny will not associate a face full of light with a high speed pellet / bullet. Thus not making rabbits lamp shy (theory works for us anyway)

 

please keep us posted on your progress, wonderful to hear from you and keep your questions coming.

[FBF]

thanks ypou cant condesend me, im here for help and all i can get is great. im an accurate shot and have been shooting air rifles for almost 20 years despite being nearly 30, but i certainly dont consider my self an expert or even close. im really after all the help i can get especially when it comes to catching the rabbit. i agree when you say its safer to stick with air for mow, i plan to do just that then an upgrade to FAC air and then maybe the .22lr at an even later date. i need to keep my options open..

 

oh and i got my first genuine conformation of a 20 acre permission today!! great news. i have 2 others that are only verbal right now but if they do pull off i will have 50 acres within a fortnight. plenty for me to cut my teeth on.

 

just need to learn more about the rabbit and the way it lives etc.

 

whats a good time to get on the permission with a lamp and rifle? i dont want to annoy the farmer for starters. will i pi$$ him off going too late?

 

Dan

[Gonna Shoot a Wabbit]

Excellent news on official permission.

 

always for the time being discuss with landowner when you plan to go, time you will arrive, time you will finish (ish) as long as he knows your vague plan most landowners are fine with late finishes. In my experience it doesn't take long for farmers once they know you to say COME WHENEVER YOU WANT. then all that is required is a courtsey phone call to say you will about with the lamp on the alloted night.

 

Re. the bunnies. rabbits begin to leave their burrows for evening meals at sunset. if you time your start times around this time and your finish times a couple of hours after you will not go far wrong.

[FBF]

Excellent news on official permission.

 

always for the time being discuss with landowner when you plan to go, time you will arrive, time you will finish (ish) as long as he knows your vague plan most landowners are fine with late finishes. In my experience it doesn't take long for farmers once they know you to say COME WHENEVER YOU WANT. then all that is required is a courtsey phone call to say you will about with the lamp on the alloted night.

 

Re. the bunnies. rabbits begin to leave their burrows for evening meals at sunset. if you time your start times around this time and your finish times a couple of hours after you will not go far wrong.

 

 

Thanks GWS. thats firm advice too. i think i will take him a bottle and have a chat with him when he takes me out to show me the boundaries. lot of "do as you likey" near the land though as there is a camp about 1/2 a mile up the road, i think he likes the thought of someone being on the land late at nite that he can trust.