New Guy saying hi and have a question about which air gun for deer

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latenighthunter2000

Member
Jan 18, 2021
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Tennessee, United States
Hey all I'm David here in Tennessee, I had a few questions about big bore air guns and found this site. I'm here to ask the experts. Back ground on me and air guns is limited. I have owned Daisy red riders/Gamo/RWS. I do have a back ground in guns. I'm a retired army weapons specialist and now teaching Sniper school for the Army. I have just about any ballistic software you can think of. Lathe/reloading/silencers/ Machineguns at home. My question is which air gun for deer hunting. Below is my list of requirements.

1. .357 or bigger (Tennessee law for deer hunting with a air gun) 

2. Quiet Hunt in urban area (all my guns have silencers and enjoy that)

3. Full top rail, want to be able to mount night vision and thermal scope, also IR lazers

In my research. The Airforce Texan SS and Benjamin Bulldog Bullpup are my best options. I did find after market rail for the Texan. I think the Texan LSS is just to long. 

I like the Bullpup design with its rail and 5rd mag plus its .357 caliber. But that Texan SS sure gets alot of attention and its does look good. 

Thank you for any and all insight. if needed email [email protected]




 
I can’t answer your question because I don’t have a .357. However, from the outside looking in, It certainly seems like you hear of far more people hunting big game with a Texan than you do with the Bulldog.

I really just wanted to reply to your post to say hello and welcome you to AGN. There are so many knowledgeable people that frequent this sight and are willing to help everyone, it’s really awesome.

Share some pictures of your gun when you make up your mind, make the purchase and get it all lined up and dialed in.

Have a great evening. 

Stoti
 
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Welcome to AGN! I've had a Texan SS for 2 years. I haven't been fortunate enough to take a deer with it yet, as filling it was a problem for me until after our airgun season closed here in MO this year. It's a gas hog, so be prepared to have a SCBA tank or compressor at the ready. Obviously, since you're intimately familiar with ballistics, I would opt for that which opens the biggest hole in the side of your deer. Airguns aren't killing by ballistic trauma like a 5.56 or other powder burners. They're killing with a wound channel more tantamount to a bow. I've taken several deer with .45 Colt rounds of various velocities from pistols and rifles chambered for it. That's a pretty equivalent round to a Texan in a slow-moving .45 Colt loading. With a well placed shot it was definitely humane.



The Texan isn't crazy quiet, not "back yard friendly" as we're fond of quoting here. It's got some pop to it. I'd put it right about where a sub .300 BLK is suppressed in terms of noise level with a different acoustic signature than the .300 but same level (volume) of noise. Never been around the Bulldog, but people seem to love them. I think either will serve your purpose if you learn the system and place ethics and solid hunting skills above all else. 
 
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Hi David. Glad you could join us. I recently got into the big bores for hunting coyote and the like, plus longer range shooting at silhouettes. I hope that I can help based on my experiences. I am a fan of the bullpup for the shorter length, especially for in the woods hunting on your feet rather than sitting in a blind waiting for a deer to arrive. A modified-for-power Bulldog is what I would get. Even after you put a decent lengthed moderator on it to quiet it down, the thing still gets pretty long. There are several companies that make parts or do the performance work to the Bulldog platform. As a bonus, it has has a magazine. But that limits your length of bullet to under .740" long.

Being a retired Army guy who likes and uses that style of weaponry, you may not like the single shot and long Texans, especially if you are seeking to quiet it down by putting a long moderator on. There are a few other single shot big bores on the market that would serve your purposes, and a variety of calibers as well if you already have casting equipment and molds. Extreme Big Bore and XP-Airguns make more conventional styled classic looking guns, but use higher fill pressures to throw the heavy lead. You won't have that with the Bulldog's, unless you send it to be modified for power (which is the first thing I would do.) Exanax is another that may be worth looking into, similar to the Texans in how they look and operate.
 
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WELCOME.

The Donny Bulldog adapter and Emperor with extension makes it pretty dang quiet compared to the $200 largest Pitbull LDC. Get at least the Emperor and depinger that's boarder line back yard friendly and with the add on extension your neighbors shouldn't grumble. I felt no need to hotrod any of my Bulldogs for more power.

https://www.airgunnation.com/topic/what-could-be-the-cheapest-big-bore/?referrer=1
 
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I can add a vote for the bulldog being plenty capable of taking the biggest deer with proper shot placement. Here’s the bucks I’ve taken with air. Plenty of does in the freezer from air power. 
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The big eleven pointer was quartering away from me and I placed the shot right behind his ribs. The slug travelled diagonally and caught both lungs. He took two steps and stood there like nothing happened. 30 seconds later he collapsed. The shot was quiet enough he had no clue to what had happened. When I stood up from the ground to gather my stuff, another buck spooked and ran off. I didn’t see him and he hadn’t seen or heard me until I stood. Be confident in whichever big bore you choose as long as you can consistently put the projectile where it needs to be. 
 
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Check out Veridium Air, I just sent my bulldog to them, will be sending me back a Taurus by the end of the week, cant wait. I also have a texan 45, the original never carried it hunting much because it was soo long with a moderator on it, sent it off and had a carbine made out if it. Upgraded bottle and spring and hammer valve , tx2 I believe, which makes it much better to hunt with. Also check out AEA airguns if you want to gamble a little.
 
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