Beginner to Air Rifle shooting

[Groverdog 0]

I bought myself a webley omega .22 air rifle a couple weeks ago to help the rabbit and rat conrol on the farm. I am new to air rifles and wondered if you could help me out.

 

Its quite an old rifle that came with a scope, silencer and a laser scope called a 'single point' made by telepoint (great britain) ltd.

 

At the moment i am practising on targets until i feel confident using it on live prey.

 

I have concerns that i will not make a clean enough humane kill and would appreciate any advice as to how effective this make of rifle is what pellets i should using, if i should get the rifle serviced, and at what range would this rifle make a clean kill ( i am assuming head and engine room shots are the humane aim).

 

My parner has shotguns but i am not very confident or good with them thought an air rifle would be the way to go while hes away working.

 

Cheers

[Guest Scuba1]

If it is an old air rifle, I would suggest, that you take it to a gun shop and have them look it over and if possible, adjust it to just under 12 flb . Then have a load of practice with it, until you can hit a bottle cap at 30 yards consistantly. After that have a go at the rabbits. And please do head shots only.

 

HTH

 

 

Michael

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Head shots only. Yeppers And Hollow Points are what I always used for air rifles. I'd avoid engine room shots as a mistake or lazy shot will become a gut shot and that's not nice, any way ye look at it. Head shot's as likely to miss altogether as blow a nose off. Make a clean hit and nothing's going anywhere.

 

What I always did was line the | cross hair on the ear base and drop down just a shade. That's where the bulk of the brain is. Below the ear and behind the eye. Strike there and it's a clean kill. If shooting a rabbit from behind I'd got for the top of the orangy patch on the back of his neck, if showing. Or, again, just below the ears. That way, go low and ye shatter the spine. Go high ye either plough a furrow across the brain or else miss alltogether. Dead on and ye blow his brains out.

 

Come across a pest bird that's legal? Head shot too. Pigeons and crows can be surprisingly tough customers. Especially when hit in the chest. It's not nice to see one glide down and flap and sprawl about the place, gasping. Shoot them in the head and they drop like a stone.

 

But, before trying all that stuff, Do practice, practice, Practice on paper targets and bits and pieces ~ always against a good, earth bank back drop. And practice from a range of firing positions too. Don't be afraid to use artificial supports like chairs and sand bags. Thing is to get ye scopes working first. Bang away untill ye know that the slug will hit where the scope / lazer points. Once ye certain of that, then it's down to you to find how ye best manage to Keep the sight steadily on target till she fires and sends that slug where the sight was trained. That's when ye leave the chair alone and start practicing from 'field' supports, such as leaning on / against a fence post or door frame. Try it laying down. Kneeling. Standing. (Standing shots are f*cking murder, unless the gun's light and perfectly balanced).

 

When ye feel quite confident that ye could give anyone on this forum a run for their money with that rifle? Get out there and produce some pale pink

 

Above all, remember; NEVER let that muzzle pass across Anything ye wouldn't want dead. And Always check it's not holding a slug, just before ye enter the house with it. Check. Don't Ever 'Remember' not even loading it in the field.

 

It's not a toy. Treat it as ye would any other firearm. With the uttmost respect

[stoaty 171]

bloody hell an omega was 1 of my 1st decent guns along with the hw80. must say wouldn't mind another 1 of them their great guns grover get it too a gunsmithand get it to its best potential and you'll have a superb gun there

all the best

Stoaty

[Groverdog 0]

Thank you so much guys and nice to know the gun ive got is a good un. Am ringing our local gunsmith today to get it in for a full once over and service.

I will certainly be doing alot of practise and i am a bit nervous with guns ie making sure i make a clean kill. I also have a left master eye (apparently) so i am shooting off my left shoulder as i cannot close my left eye while keeping my right open. Is that a common problem?

 

Ive no idea how to work the laser scope that came with it hopefully the Gunsmith will not think i am a coomplete idiot when i ask him!

 

 

Thanks again i'll keep you all posted on my slow progress

[kreet 0]

good luck with your new gun mate youl get there

[stubby 175]

was told at bisley that if you can keep both eyes open while using a telescopic, it makes it easier to hit target, dunno how true that is,

cant do it myself

[Guest little_lloyd]

Head Shots are what Everyone is and should be aiming for

 

Below i have included a picture of the kill zone for a Rabbit. A shot to the Blue will bring instant death and shots to the yellow with cuase the rabbit to die in a few seconds.

Edited August 28, 2007 by little_lloyd

[Hob&Jill 258]

Head Shots are what Everyone is and should be aiming for

 

Below i have included a picture of the kill zone for a Rabbit. A shot to the Blue will bring instant death and shots to the yellow with cuase the rabbit to die in a few seconds.

Just go for the head with rabbits. I have shot rabbits in the parts on LL's diagram and its not as simple to say they will die if you hit them there etc. I have had some stone dead, some will still be alive. I only go headshots now.

 

I find birds are ok with head/neck. Some say wing joint shots are also fine, never tried it though.

[marko 30]

i do a fair bit of vermin shooting and find the head shots work very well however with rats they will sometimesrun as soon as you hit them so keep your eye on where they run to and make sure they are dead be safe at all times consider the gun to always be loaded and you wont go far wrong also when not shooting get into the practise of always pointing at the floor it works for me and i have been shooting for over 25 yrs that way if you get clumsy the worst you can do is shoot yourself in the foot better than your mate or the dog,if you are going to be doing a lot of shooting on other peoples land get yourself some insurance here you go.

http://www.basc.org.uk/

[bullmastiff 615]

Before you take the gun to a gunsmith, try the yellow pages test as a rough guide to what state your air rifle is in (might be able to save yourself a pretty penny). Put an old one against a suitable backstop, then take three long paces away from it then shoot for the centre. Penetration over 350 pages (look for slight tear in the page not just a crease) and you should be fine on all legal quarry under 30yds (headshots)

A 12ftlb air rifle (.22) should tear at least 400 pages.

My old springer (with a new spring etc.) will get through 384 pages, whilst the precharged will get through 442 pages.

As for pellets, most pellets will do the job under 30yds but try to avoid flat faced pellets (wadcutters)as their just for target shooting.

 

Hope this helps

 

Luke.