Big game hunting with PCP's

Good info!! Hoping Ohio someday allows big bores for whitetail deer.

pcphunter: one thing you didn't mention is that a pb pistol used for self defense rarely has the advantage of a lot of planning and forethought. It's just aim for center mass and hope for the best. (often, without the use of sights, much less scopes)

So, for example, that Benjamin .357 Bulldog, compared to the lowly .380 ACP. Remember that, for self-defense rounds, the standard is higher than just "an ethical kill." If someone is coming at you with a knife, you're not happy to know he will die within 30 seconds. You want him down NOW. That takes an upper chest hit with what, 400 FPE? and good expanding ammo.

As to your question (having come from PBs myself): "As for the others, would you give you wife a .25 acp., a 32 auto or a .380 acp to protect herself?????"

I would probably give my wife a 22LR with high velocity, solid point ammo. (120 FPE) Otherwise, she will be almost as afraid of the recoil as of her attacker. I'd rather give her the confidence that comes with a chance of good shot placement and easy follow-up shots than "enough power" and higher odds of missing and not getting a follow-up shot. Also, let's not forget the psychological advantage of just HAVING a gun at the ready. Often, that's enough to skirt the bad situation, so that shooting is not even required. (source: The Armed Citizen column from American Rifleman magazine)

Another example: Bow hunting is considered ethical, even though the large game doesn't drop on the spot. Most times, it will run off and die of blood loss, rather than massive internal damage. It's good enough for hunting, but not for self defense.

For home defense I bought my wife a shotgun!!!
Its a BULLPUP !!! that way I can shoot geese and stuff with it. 

While I agree with the thought that we need to be careful of wounded game when hunting with an air rifle, I don't get the comparisons between the air rifles and corresponding PB's as it can be misleading to some that may not have a selection of air rifles to choose from. Just because my .408 (thanks BWalton) is capable of generating over 400 fpe with a 230 grain slug at the barrel, it by no means says it will have 400 fpe at the point of impact. And if you don't hit the right spot, it doesn't matter how much energy the slug had. 

There is not much in North America that can't be killed by a .22 LR under 50 yards. How fast the animal will expire will depend on where the shot placement was as well as the amount of trauma that has occurred. A bullet that hits an artery or bounces off several rib bones is going to put an animal down much quicker than one that punches straight through. Even though you may not get the maximum amount of trauma from the shot, a well placed shot will kill the animal and I'd much rather have someone use a smaller caliber (.25 or .30 depending on species and legalities) that they can group 2 inches at 50 yards with over a .357 or larger caliber if they can't consistently hit a 3 inch circle out to 50 yards with it.

If you look at a CCI .22 short with a 29 grain bullet going 710 fps, it generates 32 fpe at the muzzle but retains more than 30 fpe out to 50 yards. Now, if you look at a 26 grain Polymag going 760 fps, you get more than 33 fpe at the barrel (so more than the .22) but at 50 yards, the energy has dropped down to just over 22 foot pounds. Here we have a case where the .25 caliber pellet is more powerful at the barrel, but less powerful after 10 yards and potentially under powered at 50 yards based on what you're shooting. My point is that not only do we need to be careful when hunting, we need to be thinking about more than caliber as there any many factors than pellet/bullet size involved with killing an animal.

As for the .380, my wife carries one and I carry a .45. She is comfortable with it and that comfort makes it more enjoyable for her to practice with it. Is it as powerful as my .45? No, but if she ever needs it she's capable of using it to make the necessary shot(s) and I'd rather have her using that .380 than having nothing. I'm not picking on what was said, but I do feel too many times people read/hear these conversations and think that they need the biggest and fastest when a lot of times that just isn't the case. Last I checked, dead is dead and while it may take more time for a smaller caliber to put out the lights, a bigger caliber is worthless if you can't hit the light switch to begin with.

22 shorts shoot over 1000 fpc cci are generally hotter. The fpe is more like 70.
cci CB,s shoot from 350 to about 800 fpc depending on barrel length. They use
only the primer to launch a powdered metal bullet. But are not available in a short.

I wonder as laws change and big game hunting is approved with air guns. Will we be picking up our air rifles at a FFL dealer?(in certain calibers) Which I do now for some PB rifles I order. But person to person sales may end up being limited?

CCI lists the round as the .22 Short CB, which as you stated is different from a .22 short and lists the velocity at 710 fps.

Fair enough have never seen a cb short. My bad, in your post you
left off the CB. Lets call it a tie LOL. The cb,s are not very accurate
at any real usable range. I suspect its because they are run through
rifling designed for a heavier bullet at close to twice the velocity. 
If they made a barrel with rifling to match the velocity of its length
for a 29 grain bullet. The CB could easily match the performance
of pcp,s with out the cost and hassle of high pressure air. With a
long enough barrel it would be no louder than a shrouded air gun.

Goodtogo 
No need to wonder, hells coming!