Gamo Hunter 890 In .177 Cal.- Can I Hunt With It ?

I just bought a Gamo Hunter 890 in .177 cal. I wanted a break barrel semi light weight rifle to hunt with and the only reason I got the 890 in .177 instead of .22 was the price, $109.00 with a BSA 3-12 50mm scope brand new. I have read that the most important thing in air rifle hunting is accuracy but I have also read that a .22 cal. is the better of the two for hunting. So for those who hunt if the 890 is accurate, and myself also, can I fill confident taking this gun hunting for most small game ?

I know they say use the most accurate pellet your gun will shoot but what are some good hunting pellets in .177 cal. I will probable have to order them because where I live there isn't a lot of places that sell pellets.

Thanks Bill

The best so far have been those predators. Wickid little pellets they are, but it all depends whats most accurate in your gun. For mine it loves the crosman pointed hunting pellets. Altho not really pointed they kinda look domed to me, they are the most accurate ive found.  Also to hunt in .177 its been my rule of nothing over 40yards or so, and shot placement is KEY. i.e. headshots if you can...

Oh sorry I seen you  also asked for brands..

Jsb predators (gander mtn, pyramidair.com, airgunsofarizona.com just to name a few)
Rws superdomes are another favorite
and crosman pointed (get them at walmart)

[longislandhunter]

Hi Bill,
   
I ordered the same 890 you did from Cabelas, according to UPS it should be arriving tomorrow. You certainly can feel confident taking it small game hunting, that's why I bought mine.  I've hunted quite a bit with a couple of my other .177 caliber airguns such as  my S1k and my Winchester 1000, and they have proven more than capable of taking out a rabbit or squirrel.  By the way, the S1k and the 890 share the same power plant, and my S1k matched up with JSB Predator pellets has proven very lethal on small game, so the 890 should be no different.

I do have .22 caliber airguns that I do most of my hunting with, and yes the .22's do hit harder, but if you shoot at reasonable ranges and practice good shot placement the .177 will certainly get the job done.  The key with either caliber, .22 or  .177, is shot placement.  When I'm hunting with my .177 cal guns I always try for a head shot, if I connect the result is a fat squirrel or rabbit for the pot.  

For small game hunting I pretty much exclusively use JSB Predator pellets.  I'm lucky in that most of my guns shoot them amazingly well.  I usually order them either form Pyramydair.com or Cabelas, whoever has them in stock.  Most of my guns also shoot the Crosman Pointed pellets dead on and I've used them to dispatch game with good results.  As the other fellow said, the pointed crosmans aren't really pointed, and you can get them at Walmart really cheap.  The predators tend to be a little pricey, but well worth it IMHO if your gun shoots them well.  I've also read many reports from other guys who have taken many a rabbit or squirrel using the RWS Superdomes.  I've used the superdomes with great results on starlings and pigeons and they are accurate in just about every gun I have.

Do yourself a favor and see what pellets shoot the best in your gun before buying a seasons supply.  I don't know of any pellet sampler packs that include the Predator pellets, but some of the sampler packs give you a good selection to try out.  I think RWS offers a pellets sampler pack, I think Straightshooters.com also has such a pack.  Here's the link to the straightshooter.com sampler pack..........................................
http://straightshooters.com/straightshooters/sssampler.html

Anyway, once you find the right pellet for your new 890 take that rifle out into the woods with pride and confidence because if you do your part the gun will provide you with the makings of some fine small game cuisine.  Good luck with the new gun.  

Jeff

What you can hunt with your 890 depends on where you live.  If you're hunting, then it goes without saying that you need a license do so in most states, and you need to be doing it "in season" and with an approved method of take.  So your first step is making sure that killing animals with an air rifle is actually legal where you live.

If it is legal, then the question really isn't whether your rifle is up to the task.  It is whether you are.

I've used .177 in the field with complete satisfaction for well over 25 years.  I still use .177 when I KNOW that shots are going to be longish.  For me, the key is sticking with pellets like Kodiaks, FTS, Premiers, Exacts, and others with ballistic coeffecients of .020 or higher......

.....and practice, practice, practice.

-JP
http://www.uplandhunter.net