Hunting pellets

[NapalmCheese]

So I'm going squirrel hunting next week. I've always used a shotgun or a .22, but figured I'd take the airgun next week. It's a .177 Walther Talon Magnum (it was a buddy's, he's left it at my place for 6 years, I figure I'm allowed to use it). I'm not new to hunting, I'm not new to squirrel hunting; but I'm new to hunting squirrels with an air rifle.

I've shot it before, I've chronoed it with 'normal' pellets at 1130 fps, wadcutter, pointed, or hollow point but it is loud with those pellets. I've never chronoed it with the PBA pellets, but did chrono it with some 10.5 grain domed pellets at 950 fps or so (IIRC, it was up there).

So, I have 8 grain pointed, hollow point, or wadcutter pellets or 10.5 grain domed pellets.

What to use? Having never hunted with an air rifle before my presumption is to go with the hollow point or wadcutter for maximum expansion or meplat, but I like the 10.5 grain pellets for being rather more quiet. I'm not overly fond of the idea of using domed pellets on game, coming from a background of using expanding bullets or flat point bullets in center fire or rimfire cartridges.

Opinions?

[Crosman999]

Don't use those pba pellets,waste of your money and not good for the piston in your gun. I would recommend the heaviest most accurate pellets. I personally would use JSB brand pellets found online. For hunting with a .177 accuracy is the main concern. For squirrels and rabbits you don't need much fpe for headshots.

[corerftech]

I will respond and be brief. It's about energy, not expansion.
As heavy a pellet as you can send accurately is the key to instant bang flop kills.

Do not use an expanding pellet. Penetration!!

You do not need to make a wound channel, you need a surgical strike at anerve center or vital organ.

It doesn't mater what your hunting, feather for fur. Feather- when the head disappears violently which is what happens when a heavy for caliber pellets hits, problem solved.

Fur- penetration of a 177 is nil unless you send s heavy. Then vital organ damage can occur. A heavy 177 at 950 fps will go through many small animals. You are limited in energy for your gun so pick your quarry carefully or take brain shots only.

Also stay inside the qualified fpe distance range meaning you need to keep close up with a 177 or reduce the quarry to game that can stand low fpe down range and still execute clean kills.

Domed pellets are devastating- I can attest what they do down range on game. They take chunks of body parts clean off, the heavier the better!

Good luck.

Mike

[ElvenSoul]

Official Calguns Squirrel Round
375H&H

[NapalmCheese]

Official Calguns Squirrel Round
375H&H

Well, I was thinking of taking my ~1000 fps 165 grain RNFP .30-30 load because, why not right? heh.

[NapalmCheese]

I'm talking about Ground Squirrels that destroy my trees and crops. I generally fence out rabbits, and kill every Squirrel that I see. YMMV.

I'm talking about tree squirrels just under the snow line but yeah, I hear you.

Seems to me that given scale, a .177 non expanding pellet through the lungs of a tree squirrel would be similar to (or better than) a large bore rifle with hardcast through a deer's lungs; I feel fine with that and don't generally like headshots on game anyway.

I'll take the 10.5 grain pellets and the 8 grain wadcutters. I was mostly worried about the domed pellets, that didn't seem like a good game killing bullet profile.

[corerftech]

To the well experienced blood gatherer who followed up on my thread---

In my 50 years your right Ive not killed anything especially with an AG or a powder burner, LOL.

Except for my recent experience here last week with a Hatsan AT in 22 on 18r JSB doing 925 at 50-65 yards. And of course the other 40 years of hunting with powder burners. I probably don't know squat about lethality of a bullet profile.




Im pretty sure these here birds suffered greatly and seemingly were very hard to hit at 50-60 yards (over and over again). Yes domed pellets do NOTHING for killing power, except when the head pops off, or they get a tracheotomy for free, etc. Everyone says "head shots" as they should, when you can light strike anywhere matches with your rifle at 50 yards, you take head shots. But a body shot is JUST AS DEVASTATING! If your shooting 177, then shorten your range. I can do this out to 75-80 yards with minor dope all day long. Beyond that, huge trajectory changes make things far more difficult, but if the pellet lands, the body part is removed.

Um -- I think the pics are self explanatory- HEAVY FOR CALIBER domed pellets even at 50 yards and beyond make parts disappear. Things die instantly. If you can't hit the head of the animal and your under-powered then don't hunt with it or shorten the range. Go to the range and learn to shoot it to the needed distance. My 14 year old makes clean kills at 65-75 yards on small game with "HEAD SHOTS" exclusively with his AT44 also--- and he's no Annie Oakley- on sticks, on cold dirt in wind---- not once but for hours on end--- thats what you buy an AG, to do insane head shots like your old 22 RF CANT. Its an air rifle, if its not that accurate and you out shoot it, then upgrade as the rule should be just the opposite.

I know if I have a canoe carved in my melon, I likely won't have a good day. I don't think a squirrel will either. Review the pics again if there is any concern.

I really don't care if I used a 22 and your using a 177. Economy of scale kicks in, shorter MPBR, smaller quarry, nerve center shots. If it were a 25 cal or larger Id say open up the target impact area a bit, extend the MBPR and scale up. Bigger hole, double the FPE down range, double the trauma. Always use a heavy for caliber pellet for hunting. Besides your little 1050 fps pellet is crossing the SOS line twice potentially, nothing like having it Chuck Yeager twice to the target!~ That in and of itself should force you to shoot HEAVY FOR CALIBER pellets, as heavy as your twist will stabilize and stay under 1000 fps and under 975 if at all possible. Pellets don't like that speed, I don't care what propaganda GAMO has puked up. And any projectile constantly crossing the SOS line is a waste of time! Ask a BPCR shooter, they will stay to one side of the SOS all the way to the target.

Hop over to GTA and do a search on a real CA hunter, Bwalton and watch what "he" does out to 125 yards, in real time and with folks who speak the truth, not nonsense. ALWAYS heavy for caliber, ALWAYS. I would not ask the bolus of highly experienced black rifle owners here on CGN about air rifles and hunting. You get the kind of responses you just received.

Accurate- rarely
Stupid jokes- frequently
Unsubstantiated comments- predominantly

There are places to ask the question, here is not it.

[Rob112o]

X2 on that Corerftech.
With it being a magnum air rifle try finding heavies, you get the best accuracy with, to bring the speed down a bit. Too much speed causes a lot of turbulence. Domes are great for pesting short and long range and retaining FPE on target. Wads are generally good for 20yards and devastating on birds. Pointed pellets you lose a lot of FPE cause pellet just goes right thru leaving a small would channel. Also, tends to drift with the breeze as the shot gets further away.

[Revoman]

Heavier pellets work better and yes, bring the speed down.
Gamo is famous for bragging about FPS, when in most cases that is a detriment, not an asset.
As for head shots, unless you are capable and have the right equipment, go for body shots. Take a look at a squirrels anatomy online and learn where the vitals are. They are much easier to hit than the head, especially with equipment that you may not have ranged or are used to shooting.
Domed pellets work the best in my opinion, leave the wadcutters at home, they are for target shooting and the pointed, I have never had much luck with accuracy using them. Go domed.

[Crosman999]

+1 for Revoman

[NapalmCheese]

Welp, assuming I can find some squirrels, I'll start off with the 10.5s and if I like what I'm seeing I'll stick with them. They shoot well enough in my rifle, so no complaints there.

Thanks all.

[DennisCA]

Official Calguns Squirrel Round
375H&H

It eliminates the need for field dressing and skinning!

[kbstingwing]

It eliminates the need for field dressing and skinning!

I don't think he wants to Vaporize them...........

[NapalmCheese]

I don't think he wants to Vaporize them...........

Heh, yeah, I was hoping to keep some for the stew pot...

I didn't get a chance to observe the terminal ballistics of either of my pellets anyway, since I didn't get a chance to shoot a single squirrel. They were either hibernating or they all shut up for the day (it started snowing that day).

[kbstingwing]

I use H&N Baracuda Match 10.65 grain pellets in my .177, but it's a Walther 1250 Dominator PCP, it will kill squirrels and bunnies no problem, best to just find a pellet that shoots best from the gun and use those for hunting too, try to get the best kill shot on the little bugger and let er' rip.....