discreet hunter Posted March 9, 2009 Report Share Posted March 9, 2009 (edited) Hi All Hoping to get a new or (second hand) air pistol for plinking and a backup weapon when hunting, any advise on which one to get, previously own a smith & wesson co2, looked at the hw45 seems a very good gun, but, a bit expensive.... any advise is appreciated thanks present own HW 100 .22 Theoben evo .22 Many thanks forall your input finally got a it......HW45 .22, accurate.....excellent trigger...i could go on and on..... its thumbs...up...10/10 Edited March 18, 2009 by shootfirst Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy. Posted March 9, 2009 Report Share Posted March 9, 2009 and a backup weapon when hunting Not really sure what sort of a kill you're going to get using a 6ft/lbs CO2 pistol on live animals. I would probably stick to the original weapon you've got and just avoid ending up in a situation where it doesn't work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bullet boy Posted March 9, 2009 Report Share Posted March 9, 2009 Get a co2 pistol for plinking only-great fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet hunter Posted March 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2009 Hi,It will be general use for mainly for plinking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur Posted March 9, 2009 Report Share Posted March 9, 2009 I've got a Crosman 2240 CO2 which is excellent as a target pistol and I use it to administer the coup de grace head shot if something is still twitching. I have head shot both a pigeon and a squirrel at less than 10 yards with it, but it wouldn't be my primary choice of gun for either. It's sold as a "Ratbuster", and I could imagine that it would be useful in a confined area against rats - but so far I've not come up against any Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark_mjs93 Posted March 9, 2009 Report Share Posted March 9, 2009 airpistols in hunting are a no no, UNLESS they are touching the legal limit and still then i wouldnt recomend using it unless it was an inch from the quarrys head, i considered it once but trust me mate it ent worth it, just sick with your air rifle and when you bring the rabbit/pigeon/squirrel whatever quarry it is down, if its still alive, learn how to humane dispatch ie; neck break, priest, or even shoot point blank with the air rifle, but be careful with the point blank, if the pellet goes straight through (which it deffinatley should at point blank with an air rifle) it could ricochet off of something buried in the ground IE; a stone and could fly back up and hit you... but for just general plinking mate id say a webley tempest, lovley pistol, my cousin has one and i have shot it, and i would love to own one... so that is my 2 cents lol Happy Shooting Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruno22rf Posted March 9, 2009 Report Share Posted March 9, 2009 the only reasonable air pistol worth considering for hunting is the crossman pump up pistols.Dont buy a new one as the quality is c**p-search out an early model in .22 with the metal breech cover and ask on the airgun bbs website for someone to replace the o-rings and check the power output-the model i think is a 1322 and they can be tuned way over the limit-they are also very accurate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 airpistols in hunting are a no no, UNLESS they are touching the legal limit .......... learn how to humane dispatch ie; neck break, priest, or even shoot point blank I would not necessarily agree - at close range (less than 10 yards) anything shooting more than 4 ftlbs will penetrate a pigeon or squirrel skull. The objection to using a pistol is their inherent inaccuracy compared to a rifle, so you can't guarantee a head shot. At point blank range, I'd rather dispatch a squirrel with a pistol than a rifle - and certainly would not want to handle one to kill it - it might bite! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enemyofthecrow Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 im suprised that the selfrighteous no it alls havent all been WRITING in BLOCK capitals SAYING THINGS LIKE NEVER NEVER NEVER use an air pistol on live quarry if you have got a rat in the vicinity shoot the **** with what ever cross bow, cannon, spud gun its a ******* rat. and if a pidgeon lands on a fence 10 yards away and you can hit him in the head go for it. sorry misses moaning and needed to let of some steam but to all the pompus ***** **** *** ahh thats better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleeh Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 (edited) im suprised that the selfrighteous no it alls havent all been WRITING in BLOCK capitals SAYING THINGS LIKE NEVER NEVER NEVER use an air pistol on live quarry if you have got a rat in the vicinity shoot the **** with what ever cross bow, cannon, spud gun its a ******* rat. and if a pidgeon lands on a fence 10 yards away and you can hit him in the head go for it. sorry misses moaning and needed to let of some steam but to all the pompus *********** ahh thats better Doing that would also be ******* Illegal, and could end you up in ******* jail. Futhermore, be carful what you write - Shooting in this country is a privalge, not a right, and everything you say reflects upon the shooting community. ( I can't type **** - ing, as in star-star-star-star-ing? what on earth?) Edited March 24, 2009 by henry d Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markbivvy Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 im suprised that the selfrighteous no it alls havent all been WRITING in BLOCK capitals SAYING THINGS LIKE NEVER NEVER NEVER use an air pistol on live quarry if you have got a rat in the vicinity shoot the **** with what ever cross bow, cannon, spud gun its a ******* rat. and if a pidgeon lands on a fence 10 yards away and you can hit him in the head go for it. sorry misses moaning and needed to let of some steam but to all the pompus *************** ahh thats better im suprised that the selfrighteous no it alls havent all been WRITING in BLOCK capitals SAYING THINGS LIKE NEVER NEVER NEVER and so they should when nobbers encourage illegal acts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airssassin Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 I bought a crosman 1377 with the intention to use it for short range hunting. It was right up to the legal pistol limit.... but.... the sights are useless, the build quality is rubbish, it requires about 8 pumps before you load the pellet and cock it making it inhumane for any animal waiting for a coup de grace. I was going to put a lightweight stock on it, change the breech for metal, replace the plastic grips for wood, fit a scope rail and scope and tune it up - which you can do if you fit a stock to it because it is then technically a rifle.... then I costed it and decided to put the extra money towards a decent multishot PCP carbine instead! People in the US have turned tuning air pistols into an art form but if you consider the cost to make one suitable for anything other than very short range hunting, it really isn't worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur Posted March 11, 2009 Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 Doing that would also be ******* Illegal, and could end you up in ******* jail. From where have you formed the view that shooting a pistol at vermin on your own land is illegal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tosspot Posted March 11, 2009 Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 Don't think they are on about the pistol bit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy. Posted March 11, 2009 Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 and if a pidgeon lands on a fence 10 yards away and you can hit him in the head go for it. From where have you formed the view that shooting a pistol at vermin on your own land is illegal? Possibly from this... I'm sure the guy means a garden fence, meaning that is an illegal thing to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur Posted March 11, 2009 Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 Possibly from this... I'm sure the guy means a garden fence, meaning that is an illegal thing to do. To be absolutely pedantic, you have to be shooting beyond your permission boundaries to be illegal. If a pigeon is perched on an internal fence, eyeing your veggies, and you have some dvds or tinsel up to deter it and there is no risk of the pellet leaving your land - then as far as I am aware it is legal to pot it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tosspot Posted March 11, 2009 Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 there was a reference to a crossbow I believe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleeh Posted March 11, 2009 Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 From where have you formed the view that shooting a pistol at vermin on your own land is illegal? What? no, not the pistol, I was talking about the cannon/spudgun/crossbow bit. I'm pretty sure that was obvious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy. Posted March 11, 2009 Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 (edited) there was a reference to a crossbow I believe Yeah, true. That too is illegal. Also immoral, if you don't use the correct arrow head. Edited March 11, 2009 by harfordwmj Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur Posted March 11, 2009 Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 What? no, not the pistol, I was talking about the cannon/spudgun/crossbow bit. I'm pretty sure that was obvious. ... and surely obvious that enemyofthecrow was taking the p*** by mentioning them as potential weapons! The topic was on the potental use of a pistol for killing pest species. IMO not ideal, but certainly possible at short range, and, I believe, legal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enemyofthecrow Posted March 12, 2009 Report Share Posted March 12, 2009 (edited) Possibly from this... I'm sure the guy means a garden fence, meaning that is an illegal thing to do. there we go assuming once again.........cant shoot out of boundarys bla bla bla iv read the codes of pratice mate and get the jist of it its common sense no!!! if a pigeon lands within ten yards of you within your permitted shooting zone and you can shoot the thing in the head then why not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you can yes or not am i right or wrong wrong no doubt. your sincerly a light hearted pompous *** slater ps the reference to using a crossbow would have been on a rat you cant go firing arrows at pigeons on my garden fence the people down the road have already been trying to find out whos pellets are hitting there cars lol lol lol JOKE BTW *** Edited March 12, 2009 by enemyofthecrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarpa Posted March 19, 2009 Report Share Posted March 19, 2009 I had a rabbit at 8m with a HW45 .22. Headshot and clean kill. I just fancied something different to my rifle. BUT... I had practiced for months and was using a rested two handed grip. At very close range it is possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
claybreaker Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 I would not even try to hunt with a pistol. Might mame it, if bad shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 Many thanks forall your input finally got a it......HW45 .22, accurate.....excellent trigger...i could go on and on..... its thumbs...up...10/10 Well done, have fun, practice, practice, practice on targets - then if a short-range vermin target shows up ..... go for it. But usually you are better using your rifle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarpa Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 I would not even try to hunt with a pistol. Might mame it, if bad shot. Same as with a rifle. I used my rifle for most shooting but one area consisted of little rock outcrops and ledges in long grass. By sneaking up you had a ready made hand rest and any shots were looking down at ranges between 3 and 10m. At that range with a supported grip my groups were the same size as off hand with a rifle at 30m. I wouldn't recommend doing so for everyone though as a piston air pistol takes a lot of practice to become accurate consistently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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