Prove Me Wrong! Big Bore Airguns are DESTROYING the Sport of Airgunning?

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UpNorthAirGunner

UpNorthAirGunner

Member
Oct 19, 2017
400
115
MI, United States
Attention Airgunners: Prove me wrong! Comment below... Time for me to get on a soap box... buckle up buttercups because I am going to put out there what needs to be said.
So to echo the words of recent comment from a fellow field target airgunner - "big bore airgunning is just brute force... hold my beer - watch this... airgunning".

If this is true, then ya - hold my F*&^king Miller Lite and watch this because it is awesome and I love it - every fricken hollow-point expanding, massive wound creating, fruit salad making bit of big bore airgunning:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vzZyGHILfE&t=4s&fbclid=IwAR0IhgPxNBn64N4YUQqwCIr4k5hTPCjM0kWSwJoTpaOdhM3xFyVZM0WrS-E



So here it is.... Big bore airguns and smaller caliber airguns that are now powerful enough to push larger caliber and heavy slugs with any real authority IS NOT DESTROYING the airgunning community! Period.

First off - I get it that that the airgunning community is a global community with various and differing laws with restrictions around airguns, but I am writing this from the U.S. of F&^$ing American from the High Five State (Michigan) where it is legal to hunt EVERYTHING with an airgun that can be harvested with a firearm. With that said, state and federal law dictates that airguns are NOT FIREARMS.

So if you don't live in the U.S. - sorry for ya - luck of the draw I guess where God decided to plop you out onto this beautiful planet.

I am part of a few online groups that have a lot of members from the UK and other countries that have VERY restrictive laws around anything that goes PEW! PEW!. Comments like "big bore airgun technologies are going to ruin it for all of us" or the "efforts to get airguns legalized for big game hunting is going to ruin the airgunning community" - that Sh*&T is just down right false.

I wouldn't even be in the airgunning community if it wasn't for big bore airguns. If it wasn't for Airgun Depot and their Long Ranger Challenge and AirForce Airguns and their Texan line of big bores I would still be a powder burning shooter and hunter.

I fricken LOVE it that companies like FX Airguns are coming out with .35 caliber and higher PCP airgun options and I plan on being the first hunter in the U.S.A. to take a white tail deer with an FX .35 this year during the regular legal season (not behind a high fence hunting ranch using a special hunting permit either).

My choice to sling big lead at big game or shoot 100s of yards with slugs our of my airgun isn't hurting your (I mean OUR) sport. Your 12 FPE or less field target metals aren't any less shiny because I now can go into the woods and hunt whitetail deer with my .35 caliber or higher big bore airgun here in Michigan.

The fact that I have deer antlers hanging on my wall harvested from the massive air belching efforts of my Airforce Texan .45 doesn't take anything away from your efforts of shooting at metal squirrel targets at 25 yards with a little wind indicator feather tied to the end of your barrel.

I beg you all to avoid turning the airgunning community into what the self righteous archery community has become! I have been on that roller coaster of hunter-on-hunter and shooter-on-shooter attacks and it sucks. Primitive recurve bow hunters scoffing at compound bow hunters who can hold their draw forever or compound bow hunters thinking crossbow users are a bunch of pussies because they choose to use a crossbow vs. being a "real archer" by shooting a traditional bow. It's all STUPID!Whatever gets you into the woods or on the range behind an airgun - that is all that matters.

Prove me wrong! Comment below....
 
One should always consider the source of SHRILL ALARMISM! Examples-

"WOLF!"

"THE SKY IS FALLING!"

"Emissions standards and insurance regulations are gonna be the end of muscle-cars!"

"GUNS KILL!"

"GLOBAL WARMING is killing the planet!" "Errr... I mean... CLIMATE CHANGE is killing the planet!"

You can just about take it to the bank that the more SHRILL an argument, the less supported it is by facts. Consequently ALARMISTS seldom have facts on their side, so also often find it difficult to keep their BS straight.






 
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Agreed! I also hate this idea that we should operate in the shadows and lay low so we won't be noticed by law makers. Here in the U.S. we live in a nation of laws - period. If you want to make sure laws are made or not made that can have an impact on your life or choice of lifestyle, get fricken engaged. I have heard so much flack about the Airgun Sporting Association approaching wildlife agencies to legalize airgun hunting. If you are hunting with an airgun in a state that it isn't legal yet - you are a poacher. Period. If you want to be able to hunt with airgun - get involved. Hunting with one in the hopes you don't get caught isn't a good strategy for anyone.
 
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T be blunt? (and I am in a major way)....I love big bore stuff....I own MANY, MANY PCP's in many calibers....I have frankly become bored with the "pea shooter" category of airguns (.177 to .25 cal)......I buy what I want, I buy what I like, I am all for the evolution and innovation of the hobby....Big bore? yep. Semi auto? yep. etc.... Some fear the "impending" regulation of such.....Me?....*Shrug*....I build AR 15's...(a LOT)...and I live in ILLINOIS...(wanna talk about regulation?)....I still manage to find my nirvana.....Airgunning wont be any different. Let me really make some asses itch.....I don't hunt either.....strictly paper and steel...



DJ
 
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I think the talking points at our level are simple. 

1 - the more widely (or bigger the game) we get approved for hunting with any cal. airgun the closer we get to wider recognition of these guns capabilities (like documented in the hunting rules...) and getting sucked into firearm regulation.

2 - the more we brag about the power potential of any airgun, bigger bore airguns in particular though, the closer we get to the same. 
 
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As far as I see it, any of us that pull a trigger to project anything down range that is called a gun should be on the same side.



I never understood the “us against them mentality” within the airgun community ie. pcp, springer, small bore, big bore. It’s all great stuff. Big bore doesn’t float my boat. I like the airguns for the ease of use at my home and it’s quiet and convenient. If I want a kick in the shoulder or some more oomph, I’ll grab a PB.



Its always the idiots and law breakers that destroy the freedoms many of us enjoy.



cool video! I like the way you make fruit salad 🥗 
 
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I'm not a big bore fan either. But I like .177 high power guns and believe that anyone should be able to shoot whatever they want. I don't think there is any "us against them" going on here, period (interesting how that PERIOD works-does my PERIOD trump someone else's PERIOD). People are just noting concerns that may or may not turn out to be valid. Being informed is good.
 
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I'm not a big bore fan either. But I like .177 high power guns and believe that anyone should be able to shoot whatever they want. I don't think there is any "us against them" going on here, period (interesting how that PERIOD works-does my PERIOD trump someone else's PERIOD). People are just noting concerns that may or may not turn out to be valid. Being informed is good.
Click to expand...

I agree being informed is very important, but it isn't just our airgunner community that needs to be informed about what big bore airguns are and what they are not. If a proactive approach isn't taken with those who establish and enforce the laws under which we live, those laws will be made for us and just may not be based on real information and data. I gave a handful of presentations to State Wildlife agencies and on a PBS outdoors / hunting show in the past year and you would be surprised at the ignorance that was displayed. It ranged from comments like - "So you want to hunt Bambi with a BB gun" at one end of the spectrum to "I heard that killing a deer with an airgun is much easier than with a firearm and it will decimate the deer population in the state". I have no idea where that comment was coming from, but literally had an official tell me that in a meeting.
 
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Been hunting all my life I have taken more game than most have seen through the bars at the zoo. 4 yrs ago stopped shooting all my 270,308,3006,7mag. etc. went to a 223 for the challenge of having to make a perfect shot, head/neck I am not nor do I want to be a bow hunter but 1 year ago I saw a Keith Warren vid. with a dragon claw and I was amazed I am very new to the sport but I can tell you if you ever shoot a big bore you are addicted. I now own 5 and I haven't pulled a powder burner out since. By the way I live in TEXAS and we just got approved this year any air gun 30 cal or larger 300+ fps. For whitetail. Hogs any way any means day or knight.
 
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I'm not a big bore fan either. But I like .177 high power guns and believe that anyone should be able to shoot whatever they want. I don't think there is any "us against them" going on here, period (interesting how that PERIOD works-does my PERIOD trump someone else's PERIOD). People are just noting concerns that may or may not turn out to be valid. Being informed is good.
Click to expand...

I agree being informed is very important, but it isn't just our airgunner community that needs to be informed about what big bore airguns are and what they are not. If a proactive approach isn't taken with those who establish and enforce the laws under which we live, those laws will be made for us and just may not be based on real information and data. I gave a handful of presentations to State Wildlife agencies and on a PBS outdoors / hunting show in the past year and you would be surprised at the ignorance that was displayed. It ranged from comments like - "So you want to hunt Bambi with a BB gun" at one end of the spectrum to "I heard that killing a deer with an airgun is much easier than with a firearm and it will decimate the deer population in the state". I have no idea where that comment was coming from, but literally had an official tell me that in a meeting.
Click to expand...

No doubt that the ignorance "out there" is often surprising. But that is at the heart of the problem. No matter how much people try to educate and inform our "lawmakers", the ignorance is tenacious. I have no idea how it will all play out, with air guns and firearms in general. I hope it all works out for the best, as I bet it will.
 
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Will it ruin our sport?nope won't happen but it can possibly change it for the worse?yes it probably will..

Just think about it,all these videos showing high powered airguns killing hogs,deer even bear will eventually catch the eye of gun haters and laws will possibly get passed to consider airguns same as firearms.I have heard folks talking about airguns being people lethal now, videos are up showing just how devastating they are even out passed 400 yards.

If they ever do lump airguns into firearms territory here comes paperwork,tax stamps even possible background checks to even purchase one.That would mean our beloved ldc/moderators would become a pain to even buy one.Im not saying big bores or high-power airguns are bad by any means but I do think that with the way things are going it will inevitably bring about changes to our sport in the future.The pellet guns of old we're more ment for Young folks to shoot a can or kill a small pest animal but now we are talking big bores like 308 to 50 caliber capable of killing most all game animals.There just seems to be a large push for more and more power shooting slugs .I mean if it can shoot slugs more accurate than a pellet at much greater distances is it even a pellet gun anymore?I love our sport and honestly don't think big bores are bad by any means but it won't take but one dipstick to do something really really stupid with one and our sport could be changed very easily by lawmakers.

Just food for thought really .


 
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It's things like big name firearm guys reviewing our airguns and demonstrating the massive wound channels a .45 hollow point causes in ballistic gel with measurements all on video associates firearms with airguns.

It's hunters posting videos of killing two hogs with one shot on YouTube.

It's using terms like silencer,rifle,gun,pistol,hollow point and hunting that associates our sport with firearms among other terms when posting videos for all the population to see.

Punching paper is not perceived as threatening or dangerous but dropping a large animal can be as that's what firearms have been doing for a long time.I have both firearms and pellet guns with a love of both but we as a community need to be more mindful of what we throw on YouTube for the whole world to see.

This is just my opinion and not intended to ruffle any feathers.👍
 
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I feel like the day is coming that ordering airguns online and having them shipped to your door is going to end.

And it will be because of big bore airguns. 

Once it becomes an equal amount of hassle to buy an airgun vs.a powder burner, and they all become heavily regulated by law..... every airgun company will be filing for bankruptcy.

Prove ME wrong. 😊
Click to expand...

Yup this is going to happen....and it will also bring to light what is called LDC now.



Is this going to "ruin" airguns, well it depends on how you define ruin.

I have flown RC planes going back to the early 1980's, and I can say that "drones" have ruined the RC flying hobbby....flat ruined it. It was not cheap foam airplanes that are easy to "build"....it was not electric flying....it was Drones, flying with out any skill required. This is what has ruined it, idiots flying next to airports did it.....and it is drone flyers that do that.



Now I am not saying that a set of air gunners is irresponsible or anything like that.....but they are bringing a focus to the sport that was not there before....just like RC planes....After the guberment got its nose stuck in.....anything it is never going to end well.

You are only one step away from someone doing something that will bring the spot light on this area of shooting, and all it takes is one video to end things as we know it.
 
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Kinda like saying big 4x4s are the reason all the regs on automobiles, They burn more fuel than is required to get from point A to B so everyone needs elect cars. NOOOOO hate to turn it political but Vote the right way and teach our young people responsibility and respect is exactly what we need to do. God gave us our rights and we need to keep them and not hide under rocks and let the crazy's make laws to infringe on our rights. Corvettes, camero's etc go over 100 mph so we need to ban them or regulate the speed you can only drive 75 mph any way legally. See were this is going? I didn't know pcp's existed till seeing Keith Warren shooting pigs with a dragon claw. This was the most expensive video I have ever seen in my life, but because of that I purchased several guns, bullet's compressor, tanks fittings etc. Making it possible for pcp manufactures bullet makers tank makers etc. to continue their business and making profits. Sorry bout the preaching just my 2 cents.
 
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