How to choose an airgun - part 1

Hunting nuisance pests (especially rodents and birds destroying orchards and your other premises) with an air rifle is quite common and actually one of the oldest methods of hunting, dating back to the 16th century. When hunting, you need the best air rifle possible and, most importantly, you should know how to use it. In all the years that air rifles have been around, there have been a large number of calibers that have been used to hunt smaller animals – e.g., rabbits and foxes.

Many professionals use air rifles for training during the off-season. Shooting and training with them is inexpensive, noiseless, undemanding, and you can train with them at home in the backyard, or in more extreme cases, even inside the house (with proper precautions).

Competitive air rifle shooting is very popular in many countries and has even found its place in Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games. There are several disciplines for both men and women.

Modern air rifles serve several purposes - from hunting for pleasure and sport, to pest reduction. For pests such as mice, rats and crows, conventional air rifles with a range of approximately 28-30 meters will suffice. However, if you are serious about air rifles and hunting, range is one of the factors you should think about when choosing an air rifle. You don't want a shot animal to escape and live the rest of its life with a bullet in its body. Let's look together at all the factors that make a quality air rifle. Please note, however, that you can only hunt with an air rifle if you are a properly licensed hunter.
 

WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING AN AIR RIFLE

Accuracy: 

The main intention when shooting an air rifle, and indeed any other weapon, is to hit your target. Accuracy thus becomes more important - especially when dealing with novices. Novices usually don't know what distance to shoot from and start with small prey, which requires even more precise aiming. In addition, they must keep their distance from their prey so as not to scare it away by getting too close. When you shoot, you should already be sure that you hit where you want, otherwise you can scare away all the potential prey around you and come back from the hunt empty-handed.
When choosing an air rifle, always make sure you find out how accurately and at what distance it can be fired.

Power:

Humanity is the first priority. You really don't want your prey to run away after being shot and hit. You should be sure that it will fall on the spot. Warning! Speed does not immediately mean the power of the weapon. All air gun manufacturers state their velocity in meters per second, but this figure can vary considerably depending on the weight of the ammunition used. Experienced shooters can estimate the power of the weapon, but our advice to novices is to always make sure that the weapon and the follow-up shot will generate sufficient force in joules.  

Easy to use:

So, you're buying your first air rifle, great. Do you know how to handle it, lock it, break it, load it? Find out ahead of time so that your air rifle doesn't surprise you later with its complexity. How do you plan to hunt? Will you sit still and wait for your prey, or will you stalk it and walk around a lot? In the latter case, you will also give importance to the target weight of the weapon and quick preparation for shooting.

Price:

Price is one of the factors we consider when buying almost anything. Air rifles are no exception. The more powerful and stronger air rifles are naturally more expensive than the less powerful ones - designed for beginners. Think carefully about how much money you are willing to spend on an air rifle, do your research in the shops and on the internet so that you end up getting the most for your money. Remember, it doesn't stop at the air rifle - you'll still need a holster, ammo, possibly a belt, and a scope.

Caliber:

Currently, they are among the most widely used 4.5- and 5.5-millimeter calibers. The 5.5-millimeter caliber is, logically, heavier than the 4.5-millimeter caliber, so the result is more kinetic energy being transferred to the hit. You don't have to be a physicist to understand that the larger the caliber of the weapon - the more powerful the impact it can produce.

In the sequel of the article, we will talk a bit about the categories of air rifles and the different parts of an air rifle.