First Air Rifle for a woman to shoot wascally wabbits???

[jcando]

3n00n:

Thanks for your input. I was  little lost when starting to read what you had written (still learning the lingo!) then things started to gel a bit.

"Right now the best bbgun deals are made here in the US and a Daisy 953 or Crosman custom shop co2 are both accurate plus plenty potent enough at 15 yards on most garden problem sized rodentia. " when you say bb gun's do you also mean guns that shoot pellets?  (sorry in advance for my ignorance, still learning)>

Seems like the Daisy 953 will go on my list of rifles to look at....I think I'll put off a custom shop rifle for now if at all possible but since I have a short LoP....dunno.

Julie

[jcando]

To everyone that has responded in any way to my question about the first air rifle:

1. sorry I didn't mention that I was short...and that my LoP appears to be around 11.5 inches

2. I am forever indebted to all for really opening my eyes and pointing out different things to consider....springer vs co2, various brands of rifles, and also the scope and other thing that I can't quite remember, and the "pellet size"?? 22 vs 177, etc... I sure am glad that I contacted this forum and didn't just go to a store  blind.....that would've been fun (not!)

I am truly touched, flabbergasted, whatever at the extent of knowledge shared in the replies.....

still shakin' my head in amazement....you'll are great!!

[jcando]

cool!!!

Thanks for your input on being able to shoot the Silent 7 while neighbors are picnicing....not that I plan to shoot at such a particular time, but its nice to know how quiet it is!

[jcando]

ac12basis:

what a great site.....I did note that accuracy is important, so I think that with this gun and lots of practice, it would do the trick.  Maybe a good starter?


"I do have a question for you.
From where you would plan to shoot from, how far will the distance to the wabbit be?
This would determine how low power you can go down to. Example, in the linked review of the Gamo Delta, the reviewer had a max range of 15 yards (45 ft) that he did not shoot beyond. "

15 yds or 45 ft seems reasonable....we have 2.5 acres so its not all that large.


"#2, shoot from a rest whenever you can. This makes the weight of the rifle less of an issue. Standing and shooting is only when you can't find anything to support the rifle with. I only stand and shoot because I shoot 10-ring targets and that is the required stance. You can easily make a rest almost any place; rolled towed on the window sill, shooting sticks, back of a chair, etc. There is an old hunting rule, never shoot unsupported if you can rest your rifle on anything. In a practical sense this lets you shoot a heavier rifle than what you could shoot standing, and a rest gives you a MUCH steadier position for more accurate shooting. "

ok, got it.  I think the images of ol west cowboys riding their horses and shooting with one arms is...well.....just an image!!  I'll never shoot unsupported if I can rest on anything...what a great idea!

"#3, in general, noise level goes up as the power level goes up. And because of how the air/gas is release, springers have less of a muzzle blast noise than CO2 or compressed air. Although many of the CA rifles have a sound suppressor built in. "

Thanks for explaining this....makes sense.

#4, you NEED a scope for magnification. You cannot hit what you cannot aim at, and you cannot aim at what you cannot see. The one caution is, the max length of the scope is determined by the rifles design. Example, your scope cannot go beyond the breech on a break barrel, or you can't cock and load it.

I'd have to agree with what you say "can't shoot what you cannot see".  I've yet to gather much data on scopes but that's next on my list.

#5, as others have said, you don't need a repeater. Practice and you should be able to do the job with one shot. The follow up shot to a wound does not have to be FAST. And ALWAYS shoot off a rest, so the rifle is solidly supported and there is little movement to the rifle, and your accuracy will go up. BUT, it is a lot easier to shoot a co2 or compressed air rifle more accurately than a spring rifle, simply because of the lack of recoil/spring vibration. A properly tuned spring rifle will have less vibration than an untuned one, and thus be easier to shoot more accurately.


hm...ok I think I've got it.  easier to learn to shoot accurately with a co2 than springer due to less recoil/spring vibration and a properly tuned springer is easier to learn to shoot accurately than an untuned one.



#11, pellets. And when you get the rifle, get a variety of different pellets (easiest way is with a sample pack). Each rifle will shoot pellets differently, it may hate one brand and love another brand. And the longer the range the more important testing to see which pellet YOUR rifle shoots more accurately. But don't use the sample pack until you shoot say 200 pellets, to break in the rifle, or your testing may not be valid.

ok....another thing to research as I;ve no idea how to tell when a rifle likes a particular pellet....

silly me...i thought I was just going to go to a store, buy a rifle, a box of pellets and start shooting/practicing.  

With the research (and trying out in stores) for the rifle, scope, pellets, etc..... AND my practicing till I get good, I think the wabbits are going to be safe for a while....unless they venture into my neighbors' yards......

  :emoticon:

[jcando]

3n00n:

Nice pics!!  And thanks for the info, they've been added to my list of rifles to check out...still haven't decided whether it;ll be a springer or co2!!

[jcando]

Hey Riarcher:

I don't think you were asking me if its a good price, were you?  If you were, it sure looks fine to me.  And from the description its good for women and juniors!!

I'm assuming a scope could be added....

Thanks so much for the url.....its a g-r-e-a-t help!

Julie

[jcando]

SirNomad:

Thanks for your response...you shooters are always thinking of another angle.  I think I didn't explain our crawl space very well....its not an open crawl space for the most part. The way the wabbits have gotten into the crawl space is they use the shelter that the cantilevers and decks provide and then burrow in.....as I write this I realize that I'm not sure exactly how they are burrowing in since there  is concrete foundation all around the house....need to check with the exterminator on this!! And human access to the crawl space is via a "hatch" in the floor of the master bedroom closet.

so, I'll not be shooting lying on my belly to get wabbits under the house (I don't think I physically could, could I?) .....because

1. I've put up "rabbit - proof" mesh all around the house (especially the cantilevers and decks where there is no exterior cement foundation ).   ~ 6 in of the mesh goes up the side of the house and is now covered with stucco and ~ 2.5 ft of mesh goes along the ground next to the house, is pinned down and covered with a layer of plastic followed by mulch.......I'm hoping this keeps them OUT of the crawl space, but if it doesn't then I'll

2. access to the crawl space via the indoor "hatch" and just go down the ladder to the crawl space, wait, and shoot squatting/kneeling.....but hopefully we'll not ever get to that point again.  (FYI the exterminator also said that if I placed "Irish spring" soap shavings around the exterior of the foundation wall it would help to deter the wabbits from coming close to the foundation....but I think the mesh should suffice, has anyone heard of rabbits either getting or eating thru 1/2 " mesh??)

OR

3. shoot them outside before they get into the crawl space....which is what I plan to do


Yikes....this is such a crazy situation with the wabbits and the crawl space!!!

[ac12basis]

About the LoP, remember it is simply a STARTING point to fitting the rifle, not a final number.
There are a bunch of factors that have to be taken into consideration for a fit; are you wide or narrow in the shoulder, how thick is your shirt, do you have long or short fingers, do you have a long or short neck, how long is the scope is and how far back it extends and what is the eye relief of the scope, what position do you shoot in, etc.  Sometimes a slightly longer rifle will feel just fine.  The final goal is how the rifle feels/fit you when you get into your shooting position, which is preferably seated at a rest or other solid support for the rifle.
The pictures in this thread show a rifle where the LoP of the rifle is WAY to long for the shooters.
http://www.gatewaytoairguns.com/airguns/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=9377&mid=69181#M69181

Just be aware that the rifles that I mentioned are all LOW powered rifles.  I have not chronographed them, so I can't give you accurate velocity numbers for them.  However, I think the 953 is the slowest of the bunch.  

I don't think you want to look at the P70-jr.  That is a pure target rifle and is WAY WAY above your budget.  I just mentioned it as it is my target rifle and is also a Junior size rifle.

The single shot IZH-60 is not imported into the US, only the IZH-61 repeater is.  By repeater it means when you cock the spring, the rifle advances the next pellet into position, you don't have to manually load the pellet.  It does NOT mean a semi-auto where you simply pull the trigger and the rifle autoloads.  The IZH-60/61 is not the easiest rifle to put a scope on, as it was not really designed for a scope.

My rifle coach was specifically for competition target shooting, and he was very hard to find.  I put a request on the http://www.targettalk.org forum asking for help finding a rifle coach.  The targettalk web site is for international/olympic style rifle/pistol discussions.  But they might be able to help you find a general rifle coach as well.

"Vertically challenged" ... like what Garfield says, I'm "under-tall."   :-)
At least women can wear high heels to get a few more inches of height.  Guys don't look right in platform shoes.

[derekmcminn]

I think this thread has run amuck on you. I won't be surprised if you are more confused now than ever. My suggestion is go do the opposite of what "seasoned veterans" have done and take it from the point of view of a beginner air gunner. Namely me. We moved into our custom built Mediterranean house back in January. We have a pretty large backyard. As soon as we moved in the "rats with wings" started pooping all over my beautiful red tile roof. One time I swear i counted about 25 pigeons up there. Since my house had the highest roofline, it became their favorite. I tried scaring them off using owls (useless), ultrasonic pest repellants (worthless), aluminum strings tied to branches and leaves (waste of time), etc., etc. A family of squirrels also started to invade my garden which was just in its infancy stage. I did not pay 675K for a brand new house and 50K for landscaping just to have pigeons and squirrels deface my dream home.

I went to Walmart and bought a Daisy Powerline 880 .177 rifle (36 bucks) and Daisy 22SG .22rifle (55 bucks). I went to town on these pests and I have killed plenty of pigeons and squirrels using these affordable pumpers. The Powerline 880 is very deceiving. It weighs almost nothin and at 10-12 pumps, a well placed shot should get rid of your wabbits. You can have a powerful PCP or springer but if you can't aim it properly or are afraid of recoil or vibration, then it does not matter if it spits them out at 1200 fps if you can't hit the broad side of a barn.

Later, I discovered that families of pigeons found an entrance hole in one of my eaves that led to my attic. I went back to Walmart, bought a Crosman 1377C, put on a headlamp, crawled into my attic, and  I went Pulp Fiction on every pigeon I found trespassing up there.

Getting rid of pests is a multi-system approach. You can't just rely on airguns. Since then, I have applied bird spikes on strategic places and smeared bird repellant liquid on the apex of my roof. I have also sealed all possible entry points. It's funny now because we don't have a pigeon problem anymore. I go out in the morning drinking my coffee and LMAO because all the pigeons are now nesting on my neighbor's roof. I have no poop problem anymore.

So my suggestion, buy an affordable rifle like a Daisy 880 and practice with it, get comfortable, and who knows, you might end up like me, an airgun "enthusiast" now. After discovering I'm a pretty good shot, I started buying and modifying Chinese air rifles. I like my new hobby. Don't buy a Sumatra as your first rifle. Start slow and work your way up.

Happy Hunting.

[ac12basis]

2.5 acres is not large...?
OK maybe for where you live.
My lot is less than 5,000 square feet, which I think is less than 1/8 acre.

You need to look around and measure range for yourself where you would likely shoot from and to.  Visual guessing is tricky and it is very easy to miss-guess, at least for me.  I recommend getting/borrowing a 100ft tape measure and do a few measurements.  That way you KNOW how far you will be shooting.  The pellet impact will change based on range, so this is important for you to know and practice.

#5  If you read many postings on the various forums you will see references to tuning a rifle.  
This has a decent write up about what a tune is.
http://charliedatuna.com/Tune-ups.htm

I asked CharlieDaTuna about tuning the Gamo Delta, he recommended only replacing the trigger.  I think it was because you can buy the Delta for about $60-70, but the tune would be more than 2x the cost of the rifle.

#11 get a box of cheap pellets to practice with.  After you shoot thru a box of pellets, the rifle should be "broken in" and you should be familiar and comfortable with your rifle.  Ideally at this point you can shoot, with the rifle on a rest, reasonably tight groups of 5 shots at 25 feet or 10 yards (30 feet).  Ideally the groups should be an inch or less at 10 yards.  If you have trouble getting a good group at 10 yards, you should work on technique before proceeding.  This is where it is easier to shoot a Single Stroke Pnumatic (SSP) or a co2 than a spring rifle.  The recoil and vibration of a spring rifle makes it harder to shoot accurately.  The trick is consistency.  Hold the rifle the SAME way each time, as how you hold the rifle will affect where the pellet will hit.

Then set up a target at the range you expect to shoot mostly at.
Then take the "sampler" and shoot at the target, say 3-5 shots per target for each type of pellet.  

What you will see is that the rifle will not shoot some pellets well and will shoot nice groups with other pellets.  That is the purpose of this exercise.  Now you know what pellets will shoot accurately out of YOUR rifle, and that is the one to buy.  

You NEED to do this at the range you expect to shoot the wabbits at.  Different pellets may shoot better or worse based on the range.  Example, wadcutters (flat front pellets) typically don't do well much beyond say 15 or 20 yards, and pellets with round noses typically do better at the longer ranges.  

As for why the 10 yard test.  From my experience, on my 10 meter (33 feet) range, any pellet that I've tried has been acceptably accurate out of any of my rifles.  This includes the cheap Daisy and Crossman pellets from WalMart out of my inexpensive Daisy 953.  The same pellet and rifle might be a disaster at longer ranges.  This is why you have to test at the range you expect to shoot at.

If you decide on co2 for easier shooting, take a look at:
- Chinese made QB78, many people like this rifle.   This guy seems to have good feedback:   http://airgunartisans.com/flyingdragon/
   I may get a QB78 to play with...one of these days.
- RWS 850, A newer rifle that I've read several posts that people like it.
These are full size rifles that you will have to have the stock shortened for you.

[Daniel L]

Howdy from New Zealand!

My wife is petite as well (not much over 5') and if I was to buy her an air rifle, I would skip the whole pumping / spring rifle thing and stick with CO2 (with a fat shroud to dampen the report).

The rifle I'd recommend is the Model 13 from Mountain Air - its a Crosman 2250XT but has been tuned by a professional (Roy Weid).  http://mountainaircustomairguns.com/model_13.htm  and a shroud:
 http://mountainaircustomairguns.com/Large_accessories_pages/Large_shroud.htm

You should come to about $300 total and that INCLUDES a reasonable 4x scope.  All you need is pellets (.22) and the Crosman AirSource bottles, which essentially are a larger version of the 12gram cartridge for your air pistol.

WHY?
It has a very nice short length of pull, light, no recoil, minimal noise, and no hassles provided you have a spare CO2 bottle for when you need to change it.
The Crosman AirSource CO2 bottles sell for around $15 for 2, and you will get 200+ shots from each.
Certainly enough power to take rabbits with good shot placement at 30 - 40 yards, though for starting out you will probably want to stay under 25 yards till you're confident in shot placement.

I think you would (like my wife) enjoy shooting a light, quiet rifle that isn't too big or long. You will practice more, become a better shot and then you might want to move to something more expensive.

Another way to solve the problem is to find a local airgun club and tell them you have rabbits - they'll be gone in no time