Hunting & Fishing Long Range Airrifle hunting

[NickS510]

Hi guys,

I've been doing the long range airrifle thing for about 3 yrs now and its starting to pay off. When you think about airrifles, you think 50yrds maybe 60 or 70yrds. For the last 2 years I've been concentrating on taking starlings at 100yrds+.
Winter is the only time of year when the starlings land on the high power lines which makes taking them easier.
The starlings are only practice for my favorite quarry which is CROWS.
They're a major problem here and their numbers have exploded over the past 3 yrs or so.

In the pics below, the pic with the single crow was taken at 144yrds with my Airforce Condor. The other pic (3 crows) where taken between 45-212yrds. This morning I got another crow at 172yrds and lost one that I hit on the wing at 225yrds. The last pic shows one of the hides I use as these devil birds are extremely wary-if they see anything that looks remotely suspicious, they'll fly off.

I can assure you that this is extremely addictive and the best of all is it costs roughly $5 a hunt. I do this every weekend-when I was shooting long range CF, I could do it maybe 2x a month as ammo costs are hideous here in South Africa.
I hope this will awaken the curiousity in some of you, it will do wonders for your long range shooting as many of the same variables apply.

Unfortunately I don't have vids of crow hunts yet but here's one of a starling taken at roughly 140yrds. The vid is abit shaky as the starling mades its appearance I was setting the angle of the camcorder.

121m starling with Airforce Condor .22 - YouTube

 

[mkollman74]

Cool, very cool... So I am assuming you like your Airforce rifle? I have been contemplating buying one. I have had questions RE: accuracy, but your results seem to lay those to rest. Would you mind giving more specifics? I know VERY little RE: higher end air rifles. What are your avg velocities? scope?

 

[NickS510]

Cool, very cool... So I am assuming you like your Airforce rifle? I have been contemplating buying one. I have had questions RE: accuracy, but your results seem to lay those to rest. Would you mind giving more specicifs? I know VERY little RE: higher end air rifles. What are your avg velocities? scope?

Yes I have a Daystate shooting at the same power level but the Condor is my 'go to' rifle when I go hunting. What I like about it is the versatility. You can set the rifle up for any application for instance if I wanted to go ratting I could fit my .177 barrel which takes a few mintues, adjust the velocity or power and I'm off. The rifle is a 'take down' so it fits in a backpack.
Accuracy is world class as these rifles come standard with a Lothar Walther match grade barrel.
For long range shooting I set it up to shoot Jsb 18gr (.22)pellets at 920-950fps. At 120yrds it has more than enough power to knock down a rabbit. You guys are lucky that you don't have caliber restrictions so most guys in the US go for .25 or convert it to .257 or 7mm. No other airrifle offers you the same flexibilty as the Airforce range.

Power wise, it can deliver more power than a .22 HV round depending what your needs are.
The Condors love the heaviest ammo you can put through it, they're designed for serious power. Without a silencer it'll sound like CF rifle but adjust the power and add a moderator and its so quiet you could shoot in your backyard and your neighbours won't know about it.

The scope I'm using is a Vism 10x42, its a cheapy but the optics are crystal clear and the quality is excellent.
Please feel free to ask if you have any other questions.

Atb Nick

 

[timjoebobbradley]

Nick have you watched some/ any of edgunUSA's video's? It looks like you are set up for shooting very well, but he has some pretty nice camera and shooting combinations.

 

[broylz]

im assuming my .177 wont go that far with much power...

that's some great shooting. that makes me want to take the air rifle on this weeks squirrel trip just to see how it does.

 

[NickS510]

Nick have you watched some/ any of edgunUSA's video's? It looks like you are set up for shooting very well, but he has some pretty nice camera and shooting combinations.

Hi Tim, yes I'm facebook friends with Ted. I've got all the cameras, just waiting for a camera mount for my scope cam. My idea with the vids came from guys on our local airgun forum that wouldn't believe when I told them at what ranges you can shoot with an airrifle. Wind sensitivity on a pellet is serious when shooting at these distances, so you need to learn what effect a certain wind will have on a pellet, but that's the fun in it.

 

[NickS510]

im assuming my .177 wont go that far with much power...

that's some great shooting. that makes me want to take the air rifle on this weeks squirrel trip just to see how it does.

Thanx Broylz, if you're just going to plink, .177 will knock your socks off if you see how accurate they can be at 100yrds+. Powerwise, you'll need a 10,5gr pellet at around 950fps and for squirrels you'll be fine out to about 90-100yrds as long as its headshots. I've taken starlings at 150yrds with an Hw100 at that power but being close to the coast there's always abit of wind which makes it that bit more difficult. The big issue with this kind of shooting is to be very precise with shot placement so that its ethical. Nothing grates me more when I wound a critter due to poor shot placement when the wind etc caught me by surpise.

 

[Nuttshooter]

Do you have brandy and coke while doing this? If not I don't believe you are from RSA! Please verify your favorite brandy?

I am just kidding. Looks like alot of fun. I know alot of guys down in RSA that have airguns due to the restrictions. We had many a fun night shooting Castle cans.

Cheers,

Nutt

 

[NickS510]

Hi Nutt, man I had a good laugh. You definitely know our guys well. I don't drink anymore as it interferes with my time behind the trigger but when I did my preference was KWV or Richleu brandy.

Yes the airgun thing in SA has grown into something huge. Many of our guys take part in international comps.
Hopefully we'll have long range airrifle comps at the Olympics someday.

 

[bohem]

Excellent!

I just got a Kalibrgun Cricket USA Rifle in 5.5mm from Wild West Airguns, it's incredible how much power the modern PCP platforms have, I have only had it to 102yd in my backyard but it makes for a formidable pest killing platform.

Nice shooting on starlings at 200m+

 

[NickS510]

Excellent!

I just got a Kalibrgun Cricket USA Rifle in 5.5mm from Wild West Airguns, it's incredible how much power the modern PCP platforms have, I have only had it to 102yd in my backyard but it makes for a formidable pest killing platform.

Nice shooting on starlings at 200m+

Thanx Bohen, I don't know if you realize it but you have one of the best pcps ever built. Not even the most expensive electronically regulated airrifles produce the consistency (absolutely critical for long range accuracy) that the Kalibr rifles do. Your rifle will do sub MOA at 100yrds with ease in windless conditions.
That's one rifle I really want, I'll never get rid of my Condor as its the most versatile airrifle ever built with world class accuracy and reliabilty BUT the Kalibr Cricket is in another class.
I've done headshots on starlings at 115yrds with a friends Cricket.

The next time you go plinking, put up a few 9mm empty cases as targets at 100yrds. That rifle will drop them with ease if you do your part.

 

[bohem]

Thanks, Nick.

Libertyman777 was explaining to me how good they were and I saw a bunch of youtube clips that supported it. I mounted a Steiner 3-12x50 on it... probably overkill but it was what I had handy. The trigger on it is easily as good as the Timney triggers that I have on my other rifles and the thing just plain old shoots. I'll try the 9mm cases next time, I've never taken it to the range, I've only ever shot it off my deck.

We have a set of starlings that are busy ripping my attic insulation apart. I smoke-checked 2 of them already, even got 1 with a blow-gun but I haven't gotten blood on the Kalibr yet...

 

[libertyman777]

Excellent!

I just got a Kalibrgun Cricket USA Rifle in 5.5mm from Wild West Airguns, it's incredible how much power the modern PCP platforms have, I have only had it to 102yd in my backyard but it makes for a formidable pest killing platform.

Nice shooting on starlings at 200m+

Thanx Bohen, I don't know if you realize it but you have one of the best pcps ever built. Not even the most expensive electronically regulated airrifles produce the consistency (absolutely critical for long range accuracy) that the Kalibr rifles do. Your rifle will do sub MOA at 100yrds with ease in windless conditions.
That's one rifle I really want, I'll never get rid of my Condor as its the most versatile airrifle ever built with world class accuracy and reliabilty BUT the Kalibr Cricket is in another class.
I've done headshots on starlings at 115yrds with a friends Cricket.

The next time you go plinking, put up a few 9mm empty cases as targets at 100yrds. That rifle will drop them with ease if you do your part.

Yes agreed, outstanding shooting Nick.

All the above is spot on. I snapped a snapping turtles head off at 90 plus yards in two shots (bad wind call). They are incredible and make great practice platforms. Mine will wear a Steiner soon as well. And they are just handsome rifle IMO.

 

[NickS510]

Brilliant stuff, do you guys guess the holdover or do you shoot in your distances?
Many people don't know how effective that is, my scope has true mildots and I zero in on the very top md at 30yrds. The very last mildots is my 160yrd mark. Any crow or starling within 160yrds is fairgame.

 

[libertyman777]

Brilliant stuff, do you guys guess the holdover or do you shoot in your distances?
Many people don't know how effective that is, my scope has true mildots and I zero in on the very top md at 30yrds. The very last mildots is my 160yrd mark. Any crow or starling within 160yrds is fairgame.

I do about the same. I'm zeroed for 40 and when I had a Mildot scope on the rifle it would reach that far on the reticle. But I will vary the magnification on a SPF scope to better match some pre-lasered points in the pond. That particular scope didn't have half mil marks and I liked having the second mil dot down equal to 100 yards on the turtle range.