Air pistol for hunting suggestions

M

MOntario

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Hi all,

I know nothing about hunting with an air pistol other than that it is legal. I am looking for suggestions and information on what I should be looking for in a pistol. I would like to be able to holster it while walking and be able to take a squirrel.

Should I get a pellet pistol opposed to a BB? What pistols are best? What pistol do you use?

Thanks,
M
 
The BC regulations include pellet and air guns in the definition of a firearm and also state that hunting with a handgun as illegal (firearm... fired by the action of one hand or barrel length under 12") .

Are you sure that in ON its legal to hunt with an airgun?
 
lineofsight said:
The BC regulations include pellet and air guns in the definition of a firearm and also state that hunting with a handgun as illegal (firearm... fired by the action of one hand or barrel length under 12") .

Are you sure that in ON its legal to hunt with an airgun?
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Read the Ontario Regs.

Yes, he's sure. They don't have the same stick up their ass as the BC regs writers.

Second on the .22 cal Crosman. The one from CTire can be tuned up a bit to push it a little closer to the legal limit, and the .22 is a better choice as it carries a heavier pellet at teh same speed as the .177 is allowed to shoot at. Equals more energy at the downrange end of things.

If you are hunting in the cold a lot, consider the 2289, or the 1322, if you can find either. Both based on the same action, lots of parts interchange between them. The multi-pump pneumatic is a bit slowwer to reload, but they are not sensitive to cold like CO2 can be, and the ammo is the only other thing you would need.
Lots of custom parts for the Crosman guns, available, and you can easily spend a LOT more than the gun price new, on parts to improve accuracy reliability, durability, and cool factor.

Cheers
Trev
 
The .177 nitro pistol already shoots low 400's with a lead pellet (despite the 600+ claim), with a .22 barrel it'll barely break 300.
 
The .177 nitro pistol already shoots low 400's with a lead pellet (despite the 600+ claim), with a .22 barrel it'll barely break 300.
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Hence my wait for them to release a .22 pistol rather than rebarrell the .177. The nitro piston technology has great promise for a light, quiet and hard hitting hunting air-pistol that is also relatively temperature insensitive.
 
Another one to consider...the Webley Alecto .22. It's pretty big but works great. I've never had an issue with mine and it's pretty quiet.
 
"...sure that in ON its legal to hunt with an airgun..." Yep. Daft ain't it? Considering all the other BS that goes on here.
I'd be looking at a spring powered target pistol vs CO2. Especially if you're thinking Crosman. Crosman stuff isn't exactly high end and the CO2 powered pistols lose power as the cylinder goes down.
 
Leonidas said:
Hence my wait for them to release a .22 pistol rather than rebarrell the .177. The nitro piston technology has great promise for a light, quiet and hard hitting hunting air-pistol that is also relatively temperature insensitive.
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We'll never get it anyway lol. They'll probably put a toilet paper wad in it and claim 1000 fps, even though it does 450 with standard pellets.
 
I have a pretty well NIB HW45 Silver Star .22 that has seen less than a tin of pellets if interested ?
 
Hunting with air pistols in Canada is not a very good idea. The pellet pistols (don't even think of BB for anything requiring accuracy) in Canada are all under 500 fps. This means that they are relatively low powered. Unless you are a bona fide marksman you are more likely to waste your time and wound animals.
 
The HW45 in 22 is anywhere between 480-500 fps with a heavier round headed hunting pellet like JSB exact. I know of no .177 pellet that's heavy enough. If you could find one heavy enough that would increase sectional density and penetration but I haven't found a need for it. I haven't shot a lot of game with it but one time I miss judged the distance to a ruffed grouse buy quite a bit and instead of a head/neck hit I got him in the back as he looked away from me. The pellet penetrated clean trough back and exited a breast. Not an ideal shot but it resulted in a clean kill. Haven't shot anything but grouse with it.
 
grauhanen said:
Hunting with air pistols in Canada is not a very good idea. The pellet pistols (don't even think of BB for anything requiring accuracy) in Canada are all under 500 fps. This means that they are relatively low powered. Unless you are a bona fide marksman you are more likely to waste your time and wound animals.
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I shot quite a few grouse with both a Crosman .22 CO2 pistol and a 1322. The CO2 gun was nice, but as another poster pointed out, it was sensitive to weather. as far as power dropping off, I didn't find it to be an issue until the last 10 shots or so. The pump-up was much better. I shot mainly spruce grouse with it, a few ruffed grouse and several rabbits, and they all died right there.
 
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