What Caliber of Air Rifle to Choose
Choosing your Air Rifle/ Slug Gun Caliber (Sometimes called a Pellet gun in the US/UK)
Recently I went through this drama myself, do I go with the 177, or .22 caliber rifles, or something like the .357 or .50 calibers which is getting into the massive pellet range!
Most common caliber's in New Zealand are the 177 or .22. Both have their good points and their bad points but what I am most concerned with is killing things.
Like most Kiwi's I want to shoot rabbits and possums with a big enough rifle that is going to stop them dead in their tracks but also if I can get away with it, I'd rather not have to have a firearms license (mainly because I've got too much scottish heritage to pay the fees).
What I chose
I reviewed the 177 and .22 air rifles extensively online, talked to retailers then eventually made up my own mind.
I chose the 177, it's fast (1200fps on a Gamo air rifle) as opposed to the 800fps for the .22 option, the 177 packs a punch, and fires with way more power than any air rifle ever did when I was a kid. (Note to parents here, air rifles are no longer toys, they used to do 400-600fps max, they now do at least twice that and hit with pretty close to the same power as a 22 rimfire at close ranges, it will kill someone not a problem if hit in the wrong place, do not let your 12 year old run around your farm alone with one of these suckers!)
For ammunition I initially bought Gamo match pellets. Wrong choice, big time. These pellets are fine for putting a couple of hundred rounds through your air rifle to get it shooting nice and straight but other than that, they are only good for kids practice shooting, don't waste your time with Gamo pellets for anything else as I have found them to be inaccurate and do not produce enough kinetic energy to kill game in NZ effectively.
Choose your ammo wisely!
Because game in NZ is rather big (Possums, rabbits, hare) you want an accurate, hard hitting pellet. It needs to be weighty and punch into game without a problem, all the while doing disruptive, penetrating damage.
My first game hunting ammo was the accupel range. I found it pretty good, reasonably accurate and the slugs left a nice hole in whatever I shot. However they often required a second executioners kill shot to finish a possum off.
The second game hunting ammo and the ammo I now use with great effect is the H&N Barracuda 177 pellets. These are heavy, have a big mushroom effect and kill possums stone dead. (one I shot last night with a body shot got blown out of the tree and was dead before it hit the ground).
What I've killed so far (the important bit)
Hare - Accupel pellet - Hare ran off but died 50 metres off.
Possum 1 - Accupel, first shot blew it off the tree (body shot), it ran 10 metres and I found it breathing it's last. 1 to the head to finish it off, then a couple more for target practice :)
Possum 2 - Accupel, first shot missed, second shot just behind the shoulder, left a nice entry wound, didnt run anywhere, just lay there dying. Finished off with a pellet to the head.
Possum 3 - Accupel, first shot missed, second shot (body shot) dropped the possum but it ran off, I was unable to find it.
Possum 4 - Barracuda - Now my FAVOURITE ammo. First shot (body shot) smashed him off the tree with a solid thudding sound, he proceeded to fall and was dead before hitting the ground (no movement post ground impact)
Possum 5, 6, 7, 8 - I tried a new barracuda ammo The H&N Barracuda Hunter Hollow point and it is AWESOME, These possums don't know what hit them. You can head shot them or body shot them, I prefer a body shot as it basically kills them outright (shoulder area) minces up their lungs and heart etc (possums have a high brisket) and drops them like a stone. Then if needed I have been putting a pellet straight to the head to make some new brain mince :). These are awesome rounds, not to be missed on the shelf of any self respecting hunting shop!
Conclusion
For hunting small game in NZ I fully reccomend the 177 calibre rifle. Make sure you pick one that does 1200fps (or thereabouts/more) and use the H&N barracuda (or other H&N hunting rounds) as these are real powerful killers! They also have a big pellet mushroom so make plenty of damage on the way through.
Sight in your rifle with a jig (home made is fine) to eliminate your pull bias and shaky aim :)
Put a couple of hundred rounds of cheap Gamo rounds through your rifle to get all the factory burs etc cleaned out then sight in for the real ammo.
Don't use the cheap Gamo rounds for hunting, they are too light and do not mushroom properly to provide maximum impact or penetration to kill the game (especially possums).
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