When you look at the hunting scenario, a lot has changed over the course of time. Back in the day, people used to use stones, bow and arrows for survival hunting but today there is enough feasibility to use many other tools. When you seek advice from hunters on what to use for hunting, they would suggest an air rifle because that is what suits the current requirement.
Keeping in mind the set up and conditions, hunting as a sport allows people to hunt specific animals with ease and this is easier when you have the right set of equipment. They are plenty of reasons why you need an air rifle for hunting in survival scenario. Below listed are a few reasons why you need it and this will help you understand its usage as well.
Compared to the advances in the design and making of air rifles, they are considered as more safe, easy to use and reliable options. Surely, it is used for hunting but when you need to chase away an animal, you can use these rifles, modulate the FPS and scare the animal away. therefore, these reasons clearly suggest that you can use air rifles for hunting, even if there are multiple other options, this is a very easy to use mode with less or no complications.
In addition to this, you must note that air rifles are relatively quieter compared to other hunting tools. A regular rifle with a hunting scope will make your hunting process simpler and easier, you can shoot multiple times as the target slowly approaches you or vice-versa. Moreover, it is a very efficient form of firearm and does not require any extensive training as well.
The market is filled with innumerable designs for air rifles; choose the one that suits your needs and requirements. Check for a quality product; ensure it is a warranty-based rifle, ensuring that if you need any replacement, you can do so without any difficulty.
Guide To Choose the Air Rifle for Survival Hunting
If you are planning to buy an air rifle for yourself, you need to first know where you stand in terms of experience. Hunting is a very fascinating sport, however, you need to address your skills, learn all about it and only then get into it. Given that air rifles come in varied types and kinds, you must know which category you belong to before choosing any air rifle.
Related article: Ten Survival Hunting Essentials
Usually the categorization is between beginners, intermediate, lastly advanced. For someone who is looking for hunting purpose must note that they don’t necessarily come in advanced category always even with many years of hunting experience, because hunting is one of the aspects of air rifle usage. So, beginners and intermediate categories are usually the ones aiming at hunting in many cases.
Choose From the Types
As stated above there are three types of air rifles. The categorization has been made so that you understand what each of them functions like, as decision making then gets easier. The sole purpose of an elaborate explanation on the type is because not many are aware of it and amidst their ignorance, some end up taking the wrong decision.
You can decide on the right air rifle by knowing its caliber. When you enter a store asking for an air rifle, they would ask you to specify the caliber you need, usually it is 0.177 or 0.22. The 0.177 one is a bit inexpensive and known to be the standard kind, whereas the 0.22 comes with a large pellet and is often used for a larger prey. So, based on your personal preference you can choose the right kind accordingly.
Recommended reading: 5 Guns Every Prepper Should Own
There is no harm in being open about the fact that you need to invest in an air rifle that suits your pocket and it does justice to the amount spent. A lot of people amidst their enthusiasm and excitement for buying an air rifle forget the basic law of purchasing, which is to know if the chosen product is worth the price or not.
For someone who is very particular about bringing home the right kind of product, be it an air rifle or something very small and low priced product, research always helps. You have multiple sources to know about air rifles, to begin with, you can start with the World Wide Web, and it has immense information on almost all kinds of products. Knowing about the brands and some basics about air rifles will only make your buying task easier. In addition to this, you can also seek advice from family and friends who already own a rifle.
Safety Manual Air Rifle
Whenever you use equipment like a rifle that can cause damage to any living being, you ought to take the necessary measures. Assuming it to be a toy is the single worst mistake you will be making as it could lead to rather worse consequences. Every firearm comes with standard rules for safety and you ought to follow them.
Make sure you are cautious while using the firearm, having a very casual approach can lead to a very disastrous outcome. This can be avoided if the firearm user is well trained in handling, using and maintaining the air rifle.
Ensure that you keep the rifle unloaded when you are not using it because if it lands up in the hands of children, they might misuse it thinking it to be a toy.
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While aiming at the target, keep the finger on the trigger and only when you are sure go for the kill. Random shooting without managing to get a target can lead to unforeseen circumstances. Also, know what is beyond your target, because if the target moves, you should not cause any harm to any other living object behind it.
Never use an air rifle in public or even display it amidst people because it can cause havoc where people might think of the person as a criminal. Therefore, you have to be highly careful while using it, knowing not just how to use it but also where to use it.
Legal Problems When Using a Rifle
Every country has its own legal parameters associated with firearms. No matter what purpose you use a firearm for, what you need to understand is that it is vital to keep yourself updated with the laws associated with firearms. There will be a clear directive associated with firearms, as long as you are aware of it, you will be in a better position because under any unforeseen circumstance, you will know what best you can do in such situations.
Of course, misuse of firearm calls for penalties and punishments, but knowing in detail what kind of penalties and punishments for what crimes is only going to be helpful to you. The best way to gather all the information you need is by using the world’s most reliable tool i.e. the World Wide Web.
Conclusion
Many people wish to own an air rifle; if you are one of those then you must bring home a good quality rifle. Given that there are plenty of options in the market, you must choose the right kind suiting your personality and catering to your other needs. Above mentioned is a clear description on everything you need to know about air rifles, allowing you to get a better understanding of the firearm so that you end up taking the right decision.
This post is written by Douglas Brooks for Prepper’s Will. He is the founder of ProReviewly.com . He was enthusiastic about hunting from the first shot. Douglas is also Rifle optic guru.
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Good article and information.
It wasn’t until the last two years or so that I had considered buying an air rifle for anything other than pest control. I started out with an inexpensive .177 single pump that turned out to be quite accurate if somewhat underpowered. I use it a lot to shoo off pesky feral cats and a BUNCH of river toads come monsoon time here in the desert of SW AZ.
But I wanted something with more oomph, longer reach and and in .22 caliber. Something I could actually hunt small game like cotton tail rabbits or small game birds like Dove or Quail when in season.
I would have preferred to have an airgun that used a cylinder holding up to 3,000 psi and able to hunt larger, but still small, game but the cost, complexity and accessories required (specialized air pumps), etc., was more than I wanted to endure.
Consequently I purchased a break-barrel .22 caliber rifle and was AMAZED at the differences between it and the .177 caliber version. One difference is velocity. The .22 really steps out there. Another is accuracy. Again, the .22 really seems to have promise, although I have yet to fully wring it out. And the last difference of note is the noise.
Boys and Girls, this ain’t your Daisy Red Rider BB gun, Nosiree!
The .177 has a mild report, not offensive at all to me but the .22? Now that is a whole ‘nother beast, Yessiree.
Without a sound meter, my ear equated the sound to something like an Aquila Hummingbird Subsonic round fired out of a pistol. Not terribly offensive but probably should encourage the shooter to wear at least a modicum of hearing protection, especially if shooting indoors.
In my opinion the airgun does have a place in a survival gun collection for some of the reasons I mentioned above but I don’t think it would be an appropriate gun for offensive capabilities outside of the (much) higher velocity cannister rifles firing MUCH larger projectiles, some I’ve read can be .45 caliber and larger. But don’t be fooled into thinking one of those guns is silent because they are NOT. Not by a LONG shot!
Quieter than a centerfire cartridge, to be sure but not Hollyweird sniper quiet by any stretch of the imagination. Think along the lines of a standard .22 LR cartridge out of a 6 inch barrel. Easily absorbed by forest foliage and nothing like a high powered round, though. But the larger calibers CAN be effective at serious hunting of even large game but silence is improbable. Others WILL know something is amiss, especially in a total grid down situation where stealth is of utmost desirability.
Just remember to research wisely for features and pricing but don’t let a low price be your driving factor. Better to spend once, even if uncomfortable, than to buy cheap and end up with junk.
If your life depends on putting a rabbit or squirrels on the dinner table or starving because of inferior equipment, well, you’ll be the one to suffer, not me. But maybe also your wife and children? Those reasons alone dictate MY choice (although I have neither kids or a wife).