Air Rifle Hunting, Rabbit Hunt, MAY 2010.

I was asked if I had any footage off airgun rabbit hunting, so since it was a nice evening and the silage on the farm I shoot over had been resently cut, I loaded up the van and headed out to see if I could get some. Then put this short film together with the footage I got.

[@SkinGripz]

Really enjoy watching this guy from the US. (Even if he does talk a wee bit funny). ;). Awesome job mate !

[@HuntersVermin]

Thanks very much.

[@HuntersVermin]

The best tip is to practice with your rifle at different ranges as much as you can to when you get a shot you can make the best of the opportunity. When you are in the field take your time move slowly and keep your eye's open for any movement just be cause you don't see anything doesn't mean there isn't anything there. Spot the rabbits before they spot you then slowly stalk into range and take your time to line up your rifle for that one well placed shot.

[@HuntersVermin]

@jalyan1 Hi i'am using a Theoben MFR pcp powered air rifle in .22cal but it is an expensive rifle at about £900 pounds in the UK. But you don't need an expensive rifle to hunt rabbits as there a plenty of good spring powered air rifles on the market from Crosman , Gamo and others suitable for hunting rabbits so long as they are producing about 12ft/lb of energy or more. The best place to hit a rabbit for a clean kill is in the head just behind the eye and below the ear.

[@HuntersVermin]

@MyFenderOwnsYours Ah that is a problem as not every one has a big garden to practice in when they feel like it like i have. You could look at joining a club if there was one near by or if you have a small bit of garden or a garage that you could practice in safely buy shooting into a big cardboard box packed tightly with old newspapers or cuttings of carpet to act as a back stop for the pellets.

[@HuntersVermin]

@Grrrrreekman That sounds like a bit of a mess, natural predators are all fine and well but what happens when those predators realize that farm animals can be easier to catch than a quick footed rabbit, plus if these predators have done their job and cleaned up all the rabbits what are they going to eat next? And how many thousands are they going to spend on this predator program that can be cheaply solved by letting people hunt the rabbits.

[@HuntersVermin]

@gokujr13160 Depends on how much you have to spend, A Webley Stringray or Weihrauch HW95 would make a good starter rifle or the HW97 or Airarms TX200 if you can spend more, then the pcp powered guns like the BSA R10 or the Airarms S410-510, the list is endless, try and get some of the air gun magazines and read up on as much as you can about them to give you a better idea of what you would like.

[@HuntersVermin]

@airgunner123 Well there's nothing for it but to get out there and start knocking on farmers doors. You need to look clean and tidy, dress nice No camo and polity ask if you can shoot vermin on Their ground, and if the answers no don't blow your top but thank them for their time and go ask somewhere else. Because you never know they might change their mind later. Getting some shooting insurance would be a wise thing too.

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@danishconsumer Hi, most of the farms i shoot over are just open fields where the rabbits like to burrow into the banks in the hedgerows so thats were i look for them, but not every farm has rabbits on it. You need to look for sign like rabbit holes, rabbit dung and scrapes where the rabbits have been digging for roots to find where they are. And 1200fps is plenty to kill a rabbit cleanly with a head shot out to 35-40 yards.

[@HuntersVermin]

Well i started by getting an air rifle and practicing with it till i could shoot well enough. I was lucky enough to have an uncle who let me shoot on his land but i soon started to ask to local farmers for permission, where if i did a good job and showed them and their land respect i sometimes got recommend to others.

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@AmericaStandsStrong1 Yes i know what you mean, hunting isn't for every one and if you don't like the idea of killing something then maybe hunting isn't for you. But if you do go practice as much as you can before hand so when you do take a shot you kill cleanly and if you don't feel confident with the shot don't shoot, because if you wound if you will regret it.

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@moviemakerman911 The more money you spend the better an air rifle you will get that will shoot smoother and more accurately but you don't need to spend hunderds of $ to shoot rabbits. An air rifle that can produce about 12ft/lb of energy and put all its pellets into a 1 inch group at 25-30 yards will be fine for rabbits.

[@HuntersVermin]

@raych4tobias There are spring powered air rifles out there for that money but you have to make sure that they say they can produce about 12ft/lb of energy for hunting as some will just say full powered which could mean anything. Have a look at something like the AGS Value Max from Webley or BSA Meteor mk7etc.

[@HuntersVermin]

@cool14x Yes as far as i can see on the manufactures websites the Gamo shadow has about 18ft/lb of energy and the Daina 350 Magnum has about 29ft/lb of energy in .22cal so both of them have plenty of power for taking down rabbits cleanly out to 40 + yards so long as you can shoot accurately out to that range.

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@69100andy As far as i can find out the 1049f only has about 6 ft/lb of energy which is about half the power we like to use for vermin control here in the UK so it would be ok for the likes of rats and mice at 15-20 yards but you would be better off with some thing nearer 11-12 ft/lb of energy for crows or rabbits.

[@HuntersVermin]

@Grrrrreekman I look at it this way, if it wasn't for people who wanted to hunt then there would be very little of the wonderful woodland, meadows or countryside left that wildlife live in, it would all be houses or cut down for open farm land. People want to hunt and are prepared to pay to keep these places wild and free for the wildlife to flourish in.

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@welshryan96 I would hide near to where they are causing the damage and look out for any trees or roof tops that they like to sit on before they land to feed. Look for some where to hide weather its a nice dark corner in a farm building or set up a hide and ambush them at first light when they come to feed.

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@2k10emmett You don't have to spend big money on an air rifle to hunt rabbits but i would look for one that can give a full 11-12 ft/lb of energy, have a look at some of the BSA models like the Meteor Mk7, Supersport, and Lightning. Weihrauch HW80, HW95 and HW97. have a look through some of the air rifle magazines to see what there is.

[@HuntersVermin]

Ant air gun with about 12ft.lb of power will take wood pigeons, rabbits etc out to 35-40 yards with a well placed shot. For a Grand there is plenty to chose from, look at Theoben, Daystate, Airarms, Weihrauch, FX air rifles as they will have high powered models as well as 12ft/lb ones.

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@2010blackhawkdown There is a power limit of 12ft/lb above that you need a licence for an air rifle in the UK. You don't need a licence to hunt vermin on any land in the UK so long as you have to permission of the land owner. Have a look at the BASC website w w w .basc .org .u k

[@HuntersVermin]

@adamismeithink Yes i am from Northern Ireland and you can only buy an air rifle from a gun shop with a RFD registered firearms dealer, he can order in what you want if they do not have it in stock and help you with the licence paper work. Look up gun shops in the yellow pages.

[@HuntersVermin]

@reedyspeedy12 Rabbits are hard enough to shoot never mind catch alive, plus where would you move them to release them, they would be left out in the open with no burrow to hide or shelter in plus what land owner would let you move someone else's rabbit problem onto their land.

[@HuntersVermin]

@THISisMATTYx I usually spot the rabbits from a far and stalk into range which takes a lot of patience as you need to move very slowly and quietly so not to spook them, but you might find it easier to sit down wind of where the rabbits borrows are take them as they come out to feed near dark.

[@HuntersVermin]

@shaybert100 Yes i do have a licence for both my air rifles as here in Northern Ireland we need a licence for any air rifle, the Theoben MFR i am using here has 30ft/lb of energy but any air rifle with 11-12ft/lb of energy would be fine for rabbits out to 35-40 yards with a head shot.

[@HuntersVermin]

@marcmercer1 Hi, yes i have a BSA super 10 Mk2, and if your gun is running at 12ft/lb you should have the power to cleanly kill rabbits out to 45-50 yards but your maximum range depends on how far you can shoot accurately enough to place a pellet into a rabbits brain with confidence.

[@HuntersVermin]

@marcmercer1 Since rabbits mostly come out after dark in the winter most people hunt them at night with a high powered lamp, but if there are a lot of rabbits in the area then you can stalk them on those bright sunny winter days as they will come out to feed and bask in the warm winter sunlight.

[@HuntersVermin]

@bazzaba1 Both my air rifles are FAC but the BSA super 10 that i use for the magpie and crows vids is 14ft/lb which is only 60fps over 12ft/lbs and i use it at 20-40 yards when shooting around farmyards, which you can see on my lats vid i up loaded. Glad you have enjoyed my other vids.

[@HuntersVermin]

I think that the best way to start is to look for some airgun clubs near you. You can learn to shoot on targets plus there will probably other hunters there that might take you under their wind so to say and help you get started.

[@HuntersVermin]

In the UK you don't need a licence to shoot rabbits so long as you have a good reason for doing so (the protection of crops etc) and the permission of the land owner. But you do need a licence to own an air rifle in Northern Ireland were i live.

[@HuntersVermin]

.177cal is the better one for target shooting and shoots faster and flatter than a .22cal, but the heavier .22cal has more knock down power and better for hunting. But both will put game in the bag cleanly with a well placed shot when hunting.

[@HuntersVermin]

Most air rifles in the UK will be tuned to produce about 12ft/lb of power 780fps in .177 and 560fps in .22cal but the MFR can be tuned like mine to 30ft/lb 832fps with a 21gr pellet. But check out the Theoben Ltd website for more details.

[@HuntersVermin]

@bays1001 I don't know much about what is on the USA market but a spring powered air rifle with about 12ft/lb of power in .22cal or .177 will kill cleanly out to 35-40 yards with a well placed pellet. Also have a look at the crosman range.

[@HuntersVermin]

@hdxxcodxx15 I think its called hawking or something like that. You make a small hole in the rabbits leg between the bone and the tendon with a Sharpe knife then pull the other leg through it past the first joint to make a loop.

[@HuntersVermin]

@ardlan111 Its a .22cal Theoben MFR and it comes with a single shot try for target shooting or a magazine like i use, but the Phantom probably wont come at 1000fps in the UK unless you get a licence for it, as it will be over the 12ft/lb legal limit.

[@HuntersVermin]

@THEMRJISHERE I started with a 4x40 myself but a 3-9x40 or 3-9x50 is a good choice for an air rifle, but remember the high the magnification the harder it will be to hold a steady sight picture, i generally hunt with my scope set at 6 power all the time.

[@HuntersVermin]

@THEMRJISHERE 570fps works out at about 11.47ft/lb with a .22cal 15.9 grain pellet which is as near as you will get to the UK legal limit and is plenty for hunting out to 35-40 yards so long as you can shoot accurately at that range.

[@HuntersVermin]

@jonlee29 Yes a 12ft/lb air rifle is fine for hunting rabbit sized game out to 35-40 yards so long as you can shoot accurately out to that range. I haven't shot the Benjamin Trail nitro piston yet but it seems to be getting some good reviews.

[@HuntersVermin]

@ButtPlugPooFace Well your probably looking something like the AirArms 400, 410 and 510 and the BSA R10 at around that money if they haven't gone up in prise, but you'd be better off with an FAC gun for ranges out to 50 yards which will put the cost up.

[@HuntersVermin]

@Gunny2k6 The TX200 is a good rifle and at the UK limit of 12ft/lb it should have the power to cleanly kill out to 35-40 yards but it really depends on how far you can shoot and still put all your pellets into about a 3/4 inch group.

[@HuntersVermin]

@ditdatdot I was stopped once by the army a long time ago while walking home with my air rifle, but unlike your guy i had only one rabbit and didn't sell it. but was allowed to go my marry way thankfully once they saw it was only a pellet gun i had.

[@HuntersVermin]

The best tip is to practice as much as you can on paper so when you do get a shot you can make the most of it. Plus take your time when stalking one slow step after another and always watching for movement in front.

[@HuntersVermin]

I don't think its a good idea as they say it takes 3ft/lb to kill a rabbit and most air pistols only produce 3-5 ft/lb at the muzzle so at 10-15 yards you might not have the power even if you could hit it in the head.

[@HuntersVermin]

It really depends on the rabbits and the area they are in, if they see people a lot or are shot at often they will be very hard to get close to. But if no one has shot at them before then they could be very easy to stalk.

[@HuntersVermin]

@armyperror1 Not for vermin, there is a general licences but its open to everyone, you don't buy it just obey it's rules ie, you have to have a reason to shoot the vermin like protecting crops, farm livestock etc.

[@HuntersVermin]

@AdminiumWarrior You don't always get enough time to walk up to a wounded rabbit for a point-blank shot before it hopes into the hedge so i always take the first shot available on a wounded rabbit before i lose it.

[@HuntersVermin]

@r1ch4rd35 Yes the big patriot is really hard on scopes, Hawke have a good range of scopes that would be good to look at and you could try SportsMatch mounts as i think they have a damper mount for spring guns.

[@HuntersVermin]

@koolkid32100 I am using a .22cal Theoben MFR pcp powered air rifle. The Beeman rs2 should have the power for hunting rabbits and doves out to 35-40 yards so long as you can shoot accurately at that range with it.

[@HuntersVermin]

@danishconsumer Well they like grass, and there,s miles of the stuff, so baiting doesn't really work, you just have to spot and stalk them, or sit and wait for them to come out of their burrows to get a shot.

[@HuntersVermin]

Any air rifle producing about 12ft/lb will be fine for rabbit sized game out to 35-40 yards in ether .22cal or .177, but if you are after foxes i would recommend getting a rim fire or center fire rifle.

[@HuntersVermin]

Honestly even though i know that the higher powered air rifles (30ft/lb +) are able to take a fox at close ranges you would still be better off using a rim fire or center fire rifle for fox control.

[@HuntersVermin]

The air rifle i am using is .22cal with 832fps and about 30ft/lb of power but you can take rabbit sized game out to 35-40 yards with a .177cal so long as it is producing about 780fps 12ft/lb of power.

[@HuntersVermin]

No worry's, I was asked by the farmer to reduce they're numbers because he had to reseed the same field twice in the same year as the rabbits were eating the grass quicker than it could grow.

[@HuntersVermin]

Both will do the job cleanly, the .22 has more knock down power and good for heart shots but the .177 shots flatter so needs less correction at different ranges and better for head shots..

[@HuntersVermin]

@freeton123 I was asked to try and reduce the number of rabbits on this farm as the farmer had to reseed the field twice in the same year as the rabbits were eatting the grass quicker than it could grow.

[@HuntersVermin]

@weejason55 I don't really know anywhere in my area who has a good stock of air rifles any more, so i ususlly just pick out what i want from the magazines and get a gun dealer to order it in for me.

[@HuntersVermin]

@jtowen06 To be honest you would be far better off buying a rim fire rifle in .22mag or .17hmr as these have the power you need to take down a fox that an air rifle hasn't especially one for under £200.

[@HuntersVermin]

@eat4peace I know which parts of the fields that the rabbits are to be found and slowly make my way to it keeping a close eye out for the rabbits as i go then stalk into them it it i see one.

[@HuntersVermin]

@reacky1 Hi, its a simple pellet holder that i made my self out of an old welly boot, you can see how i made it if you go to my channel and watch the film marked how to make a welly boot pellet holder.

[@HuntersVermin]

@Mrtoaser Yes i do eat some if they are healthy, or i feed them to my cats who love them, plus some i keep to use for crow bait on other hunts. But i alway take them home and find a use for them.

[@HuntersVermin]

The rabbits here live in and close to the hedge rows in the UK which probably makes it easier to get closer to them. Have a look at the likes of AirArms, Weihrauch, Daystate or FX.

[@HuntersVermin]

Well to keep it simple a decent air rifle that can produce at least 12ft/lb 560fps in .22 or 780fps in .177. A tin of good pellets a sharp pocket knife and plenty of practice.

[@HuntersVermin]

@Jpoitrasrecords If its a .177 no but a .22 at 495fps might just have enough at close range 20 to 25 yards max. You'd be better off with something nearer 600 fps in .22 and 800fps in .177.

[@HuntersVermin]

@ViiT4LG4MiiNG Yes you need a licence for any air rifle in Northern Ireland, mine is about £900 from Theoben Ltd but there are others like the Airarms 400 and 410 that are a lot cheaper.

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@porkstar1992 Well it really depends on how accurately you can shoot with it but power wise is should have enough energy to cleanly kill a rabbit out to 35-40 yards with a head shot.

[@HuntersVermin]

@Steeve149 Well the biggest game here in the UK you could take is the rabbit and possibly the hare. I usually like the round head pellets as these are usually the most accurate shape.

[@HuntersVermin]

@Plorticus Thank you, the Americans seem to like my accent too for some reason, but the Irish accent can change in strength depending on what part of the country you are from.

[@HuntersVermin]

@Jindotennis I do eat some of the rabbits the rest i give to my cats who love them and some i keep and use as bait for crows and magpies, but i always try and find a use for them.

[@HuntersVermin]

@lonesomeotter Well if i don't eat them myself i feed them to my cats who love them or i keep some to use as crow bait on another hunt, but i always try and find a use for them.

[@HuntersVermin]

@zombieslayer324 At 500fps you will only be getting about 8.8ft/lb of energy which is a little low but at closer ranges of 20-25 yards it should do the job with a clean head shot.

[@HuntersVermin]

@maharbaman Yes it should be ok for hunting rabbits as it has about 1000fps in the USA but in Canada the limit is about 490fps which is too low for hunting rabbit size game with a .177.

[@HuntersVermin]

@bobboomshakaboom Ah sorry you mean a .22 rim fire? Yes you can shoot rabbits with a .22 rim fire or one of the newer .17hmr so long as you have a safe back stop behind your target.

[@HuntersVermin]

@harry9623 I am using .22cal Bisley Magnum pellets here, but i always try and use round head pellets as they are usually the most accurate. The scope i am using is a Meopta 4-16x44.

[@HuntersVermin]

@lewism1132 Yes i have heard of it and if it's anywhere near the same size as Randalstown you,d probably miss it driving through it if it wasn't for the speed bump in the middle.

[@HuntersVermin]

It really depends on the rifles power and caliber combo, but with a 12ft/lb air rifle you usually zero in a .22cal at about 25-30 yards and a .177 at about 35-40 yards.

[@HuntersVermin]

If its done right and you pull off a good clean shot and drop the rabbit on the spot after a long stalk i do get a feeling of a job well done. But hunting isn't for everyone.

[@HuntersVermin]

No i would say not as it only has 400fps with BB,s, you would be better off with a proper pellet firing air gun with about 780fps to be powerful enough for hunting.

[@HuntersVermin]

@IBenjaminHDI I do like hunting but i also like the outdoors and the other wildlife i get to see and watch as i am out, even if i don't get a shot it still can be enjoyable.

[@HuntersVermin]

@steelunite I eat some of them if they are healthy, but a lot of rabbits around here have myxomatosis, so they go to feed my cats or i use them for crow bait on other hunts.

[@HuntersVermin]

Oh now thats an idea. Now here we see the rear lesser spotted kangaroo rabbit which only comes out on a blue moon (Bang) and i took it with a clean head shot.

[@HuntersVermin]

Have a look at the Hawke or Nikko Stirling ranges, you don't have to go mad on mag power something like a 4-12x40 or 50 with a parallax adjustment would be fine.

[@HuntersVermin]

Yes you can as most people in the UK use air rifles with 11.5ft/lb of power for hunting rabbit sized game out to 35-40 yards depending on how well you can shoot.

[@HuntersVermin]

I don't know about accuracy but the power figures for the high powered models would be more than able to take rabbits at 50 yards + with a well placed shot.

[@HuntersVermin]

This is a Theoben MFR pcp powered air rifle which is about £900 pounds UK but you can buy good spring powered air rifles for a lot less that will do the same job.

[@HuntersVermin]

@TheGarrrettHB Well yes as the faster the FPS the more energy you should have but too low a FPS and you wont have enough energy to cleanly kill your quarry.

[@HuntersVermin]

@weewaaTV Well in the USA something like the Gamo big cat would be powerful enough for small game like rabbits out to 35-40 yards without spending alot of money.

[@HuntersVermin]

@TheArai64 Yeah but the only livestock on this ground is cattle and the foxes don't touch them so they are happy to rome free and eat as many bunnys as they like.

[@HuntersVermin]

@eastyg I would love to but i don't have one on my licence at the moment as we need a licence for any air rifle here in Northern Ireland but maybe some day.

[@HuntersVermin]

@dannyjw123 Sorry there isn't any market for the skins here so i don't try to cure them but there are other vids on that subject on you tube that might be useful.

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@welshryan96 I hope by Blackbirds you mean crows, rooks or jackdaws and not the smaller garden song bird as they are not a pest species and protected by law.

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@1994jmoore Yeah it did get a little hairy at times as i have been buzzed by one or two army helicopters wondering what i was doing 20 years or more ago.

[@HuntersVermin]

There should be a video add on my channel for my Corvid Chaos DVD with the info on it and a link in the description box to a website where you can buy it.

[@HuntersVermin]

Thank you. Yes a 12ft/lb airgun in ether .22 or .177 will take a rabbit with a head shot no problem as i have taken a few with my 12ft/lb .177 HW97.

[@HuntersVermin]

No as BB's are not very accurate and don't pack as much punch as pellets. But there are some manufactures starting to produce non lead pellets now.

[@HuntersVermin]

Any air rifle with about 12ft/lb of power 780fps in .177, 560 fps in .22 will kill rabbit sized game out to 35-40 yards cleanly with a well placed shot.

[@HuntersVermin]

@sharonscw Rabbit in the UK can be shoot all year round so long as you have a good reason for doing so (protection of crops etc) with no bag limits.

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@CraziMEXICAN96 You might be able to bait birds and squirrels to a safe place for a shot in your backyard but rabbits don't really respond to baitting.

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@1997temuka At about 7ft/lb of energy its a bit too low powered for rabbits, you'd be better off looking for something with about 12ft/lb of energy.

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@sebastian987654321k Yes a 4.5 cal (or .177cal) will kill rabbits cleanly with a head shot so long as the airgun can produce around 12ft/lb of energy.

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@1111111111163 Well if they are healthy i would eat some or use them to feed my cats who love them or even keep some to use as crow bait on other hunts.

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Well a simple spring powered break barrel air rifle like the HW95k wouldn't set you back too much and last you a life time if looked after..

[@HuntersVermin]

I use a .22cal 30ft/lb pcp powered Theoben MFR. The higher end smk rifles are ok just make sure it produces about 580fps in .22 for hunting.