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AirForce Texan Big Bore Air Rifle vs.Crossbow -Which has More Power for Hunting?

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UpNorthAirGunner

UpNorthAirGunner

Member
Oct 19, 2017
401
120
MI, United States
A local crossbow hunter got a little vocal with me the other day about how he felt the recent changes in the Michigan Deer hunting laws to allow air rifles to be used during the firearm deer season was inhuman and unethical. The irony is I was at a sporting goods store buying some broadheads for my own crossbow for the upcoming archery deer season when this little kerfuffle occurred.

This video difinitively puts to the rest not only the question of - are air rifles powerful enough to hunt deer with, but also the question - which is more powerful - a big bore air rifle or a crossbow. The results may surprise you - check it out!

 
This is an unfair comparison, and it should be obvious why. If not...

Broadheads not only penetrate flesh they also cut through internal organs fairly significantly on their way through the game before they exit out the other side. If they do not exit, it is because they hit something solid like bone or very dense muscle. Bullets, pellets, projectiles, whatever can go clear through too, but unless they hit something very solid, their mushrooming effect on flesh is minimal compared to the damage caused by a broadhead under the same circumstances. 

Interior (cartridge and barrel) ballistics, and exterior (projectile flight) ballistics are very-well known sciences. However, wound channel science is iffy at best. Before, and immediately after a shot takes place, no one knows what the projectile hit, cut, or passed through, and how vital that part of the animal it hit, cut, or passed through was? In other words, no one really knows whether a broadhead or a bullet is going to be the most effective, the perceived or real damage to a watermelon notwithstanding. 
 
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We have had more than once for my 7 mag, 3006, 6.5-284,338 Win mag and other to pass through and deer run over a hundred yards with a heart/lung shot. That's why we started shooting just in front of the shoulder, they drop in their tracks. Head shot are like any other head shots, a lot of dancing around. Big bore air rifles are like some of the big bore hand guns use for hunting, about the same fps. I don't thank an arrow will drop a deer in its track like a big bore air rifle would. JUST MY $.02 WORTH
 
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I like the discussion but it gets blurry. In NY they started to let crossbow be used for deer. But only during gun season. Not bow season. Why??? Because the "traditionalist bow hunter" has complained and fought it. Why? Ultimately we are KILLING an animal. If it is humane and the end result is the same...who cares. Big bore airguns can definitely kill a deer and comparing razor blades slicing through a deer and a chunk of lead smashing a deer can not be compared apples to apples. They both have their place but traditional hunters both gun and bow don't like change or anything showing you don't need 3000 foot pounds to kill. I bow hunt also and don't care if someone uses a crossbow down the road. And I can't wait till the day they allow big bore airguns for big game.
 
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I’ve been a bow only hunter for the last 35 years and last 7 with crossbow only due to my disability and I’m also new to Airguns which aren’t legal in my state for deer hunting yet but the way I look at it is the same as bow. As a old rule of thumb goes. If I can constantly hit my target at 50 yards and keep 6 arrows touching or close to touching(I hate ruining arrows) my optimum shooting distance is half of that which is 25 yards on deer. now being new to airguns and owning a Texan .45 I kinda feel the same way to a point, if I can take and shoot a 5” group with let’s say 220 grain hollow points and do it regularly at 100 yards then my optimum shooting distance with the Airgun for deer should be around 50 yards..I am new to airguns and haven’t shot enough to be as proficient as I would like to be but I’m working on it, now with that being said I hope no one ever try’s to take a animal down farther then their ability allows them...Would I take a deer at 50 yards with my crossbow, yes because I know my crossbows and I’m confident with them, would I take a deer at 100 yards with my Texan .45, no because I don’t feel proficient enough to do it but I would take it at 50 yards or so if I could hunt with it.
So back to the question...It all depends on the distance at which you shoot and the weight of the projectile and how confident and proficient you are with your tool of choice.
 
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When PA announced that this arrow was coming out and worked in .357 guns with 26” or 28” barrels and seen a article referring to them fitting the BullDog I thought about it and even put in for a pre order but when they became available they went on to say that the arrow will not work in the BullDog due to length and the broadhead interference with the end of the muzzle so I didn’t get the arrows, they did mention that it would work with a field point but that doesn’t do any good if you want to hunt with it, sure you can shoot rabbits and squirrels but not as effective as with a broadhead and I don’t want to buy a 50 just to shoot arrows when I already own several Crossbows.
 
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