what calibers are best? i have heard .25 and .30? is shot placement different than with a powder burner. i see youtube video's of guys shooting squirrels with 25-30 and they head shoot them?
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deer hunting
- Thread starter foxhunterbubba
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id go .30 or larger and yeah, headshoot them .. id say the big bores like 45, 50 could easily take down a smaller deer to 100 or a bit more but your dealing with alot of drop using an airgun .. youll need to know it very well to consider that crap .. id blast um up close right in the head, bam done lol .
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Here in Michigan it’s 35 and up. I agree as no way on 25 and 30 is completely marginal. That opinion goes along with my opinion that head shooting is a bad choice. There is a larger area for wounding than u think. I know the airgun world is different on this but I think you are doing a large animal injustice by not picking a projectile with enough energy to do the job when placed in the chest vitals. To me that is probably more like 45 cal or larger being best.
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I have an AEA .50 cal. challenger and I'll be aiming for the heart lung kill zone. I'm sighted in at 60 yds.
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<---- Not a hunter so I have a question. Can you legally hunt with an air rifle in a treestand? If so, would a head shot from a air rifle with lets say 300 FPE be ethical / legal? Or are body shots better through heart / lung? Or shoot from a blind?
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I have the AEA Zeus 72 cal (24" barrel) with 1000 fpe. If your going to buy a big bore I would suggest the 72cal or the 58cal Zeus. The 58cal is only available with the 32 inch barrel, over length of 50 inches. I purchased mine from the Pellet Shop.
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@foxhunterbubba Where’d you hear that? The caliber used is largely ditacted by hunting regulations. Different states and counties have different regulations about what to use, where and when they can be used, and at which part(s) of the season they can be used. Shot placement to the vitals, head, or neck can work.
Placement can depend upon your gun’s capabilities, projectile, distance to target, the hunter’s skill and comfort level. Vital shots are sufficient, but you may not see a blood trail. The photo below shows the exit wound (if I remember correctly) of a vitals shot that perforated both lungs with a.357 slug. As you can see there was no blood outside of the wound.
For neck shots (I haven’t taken one), I think it’s best to break the vertebrae, for head shots aim for the brain. There are more experienced deer hunters that have had similar discussions in older AGN threads. If you conduct an AGN search using key words “deer hunting” you should encounter a wealth of information on the topic.
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@maxtrouble It’s best to consult with your state’s hunting regulations for that information. I don’t recall reading anything that would prevent me from doing so in my state. If I did, I’d use air bolts and broadheads and I’d aim for the vitals.
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Op, .25 no way. Not ethical and likely not legal. I think the number of states that even allow deer hunting with an airgun is under 20. I'm in Michigan and plan to deer hunt this fall with my 50cal pcp. You need to check if your state allows airgun hunting for deer and what their requirements are. Get er done and good luck.
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This is a question I have been wondering about. Thank you for asking it. I will be paying attention to the answers.
Thanks again!
Thanks again!
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You really only need around 60 FPE for a brain shot on a deer as long as you do your part and use the right ammo,......you will find the deer in the spot wher it was shot.
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.357 and up. broadside double lung, study deer anatomy to avoid bones. head shots do the trick too.
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I've neck shot 2 deer first one with my Badger 40cal 180gr Mr. Hollowpoint slug at 69 lasered yards dropped in her tracks I aimed about 3 inches down the neck from her head and the 2nd one with my 45 Texan at 25 yards with a 280gr NSA right at the white spot she dropped in her tracks also.
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.357 is better than .30
No way .25
Try to avoid scapula bit try to reach lungs and heart.
If deer is infront of you with the head down, aim at an imaginary cross among horns and eyes. It will be dead before getting to ground.
No way .25
Try to avoid scapula bit try to reach lungs and heart.
If deer is infront of you with the head down, aim at an imaginary cross among horns and eyes. It will be dead before getting to ground.
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Well I hope no one with any thing. Would take the shot in bow hunters 73 picture. Shooting through limbs and grass is a bad idea no matter what your useing. Also your canting to the left lol. No offense intended just pointing out something a new hunter might not know.
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Could you please expand on that? I understand the canting to the left. But where would you put the crosshairs?
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Actually that's a screen shot from the Tactacam video just before the shot and the grass I was shooting through at 25 yards won't change the course of a 280gr slug traveling 900fps it worked for me with steaks in the freezer but to each his own.
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If you don’t know how to hunt, watching videos and asking questions on public forums is fine, but please take a hunter’s education and safety course. People have a lot of opinions and some may provide bad or erroneous information (myself included although I try not to). What one is capable of doing with an air rifle and one’s legal limitations may differ. Many questions that newcomers may have can probably be answered in online course material and by reading your state’s regulations.
Some state approved courses (for adults) can be taken online and are requisite to obtaining a hunting license. Check with your state’s wildlife department or department of natural resources to see which companies’ courses are accepted in your state in order to legally obtain a hunting license. The course I took allows access to the course material after completion so you can re-familiarize yourself with information you may have forgotten or didn’t firmly grasp.
When I see threads with questions like this one from a new member with a single-digit or a low double-digit post count it appears as if they are trying to mask ill-thought questions as a quality post in order to gain access to the “classifieds” forum. When they fail to respond to any posts that address their initial question(s) this furthers my suspicion. One of the goals of this site is to positively represent and promote the hobby and sport of airgun shooting. Obeying laws and regulations is a part of a good foundation in positive promotion of the sport and hobby.
Some state approved courses (for adults) can be taken online and are requisite to obtaining a hunting license. Check with your state’s wildlife department or department of natural resources to see which companies’ courses are accepted in your state in order to legally obtain a hunting license. The course I took allows access to the course material after completion so you can re-familiarize yourself with information you may have forgotten or didn’t firmly grasp.
When I see threads with questions like this one from a new member with a single-digit or a low double-digit post count it appears as if they are trying to mask ill-thought questions as a quality post in order to gain access to the “classifieds” forum. When they fail to respond to any posts that address their initial question(s) this furthers my suspicion. One of the goals of this site is to positively represent and promote the hobby and sport of airgun shooting. Obeying laws and regulations is a part of a good foundation in positive promotion of the sport and hobby.
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Never ever shoot through grass or limbs. Because yes it will effect any and all projectiles. Make a good shot bad right fast. Only way a person don't know that is by not knowing much. StevineHNL aim point was fine just wait for a clear unobstructed shot.
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