Heart/ Lung Shots With .22 Cal V .177 Cal On Wood Pigeons.

[mark williams 7,558]

Took my HW 100 ks .22 out today for a change (VM`s recent post was my nudge i think), any way from the hide, on shooting sticks,, at exactly 30 - 31 yds i nailed 7 wood pigeons, six with head shots and one with a boiler room shot as his head was obscured.

The pellet struck home perfectly with a very loud "thock" !!! and i was horrified to see it fly a good 70 yds, both legs down and then "fold up and plummet" dead into the new ploughing.

Now then lads my .177 rifles would drop that pigeon stone dead every time .

The .177 smashes it`s way through and out of a pigeon boiler room every time out to 40 yds and much further but i try to keep as close to 30 yds as much as possible (decent fieldcraft) .

I use AA fields in all my rifles.

 

 

 

 

Your thoughts lads please. (i did open the breast and it was mashed the same as my .177`s achieve)

 

 

atb.

Edited August 16, 2015 by mark williams

[J Darcy 5,871]

If a pellet hit the frontal breast bone it's not going to get through IMO. I would never recommend chest shots on woodies, I've seen far too many fly off. if a chest shot is to be under-taken I'd always recommend shooting off centre, to avoid that bony pellet-stopping ridge....

[mark williams 7,558]

Sorry my mistake,- side on shot was taken, i only ever use .177 front on and as said to one side of the ridge, i always shoot to my right of the ridge bone, pigeons left and at 30 yds front on the .177 also "smashes" it`s way through at 8.4 grain and around 11.4 ft/ lbs.

[j j m 6,547]

I try to hit woodys from the side if im going for a chest shot, as that shield they have at the front is a waste of time shooting at it they just fly off injured

[mark williams 7,558]

Please lets not drift away from the original question, - a side on shot to the boiler room .

[villaman 9,983]

Just one of those things Mark , If you shot another 30 in the same place they would more than likely go down straight down

[mark williams 7,558]

Hi mate - it annoys me, .177 for two years and everything i shoot - falls, period !

I pick up the 100 in .22, bang on the money,- Mitch "precise",- it flew and then "folded" opened the bird up and the internals were mush, so why ?

 

atb

 

" Puts me off .22" sorry lads/ gals.

Edited August 16, 2015 by mark williams

[bigmac 97kt 13,803]

Pellet, 22 jsb,15,89

 

Rifle, pro sport, hw97 s

 

both ,11,48fp

 

No mater where i hit them head or heart n lungs

 

result dead end of whether rabbit, pigeon, or crows

 

but the hw100 sitting at 11,78fp iv had this happen a few times mark

 

more power and they fly and fall and the same when you open them up all mush

 

its had me scratching my head a few times

 

atvbmac :thumbs:

[Rez 4,961]

I've shot pigeons in the boiler room with 177 and they've flown 50 yards and dropped. It's all down to circumstance. You cannot guarantee in that situation and at that time 177 would of dropped it. Every pigeon, if that's the quarry were using as a example, has dropped like a stone when shot with a 22.

 

I'm not arguing re the calibre issue, just saying it's literally circumstance.

[The one 8,484]

Some times you can't help it , you've made the shot the animals dead but the body's not told the brain they get that adrenalin buzz and they go you just have to quickly reload while keeping a eye on the animal . Sometimes they will fly or run a bit after getting shot with a shotgun so your going to get the odd one with a air gun . It's not about a wounded animal it's about how you recover it and deal with it humanly

[charlie caller 3,654]

I have mentioned this before, over the years I have seen countless woodys fly of after a side on hit with a .22 even fac .22, I have however shot hundreds with the same shot in .177 that have folded and dropped stone dead to the deck, now my personal limit with a sub 12 air rifle is 40 yards, however, a few weeks ago my mate took a shot at a woody with his .22 pcp (Titan) for some reason his scope was off (he is an excellent shot) and he winged it, it flew into a tree a long way off, but as I cant stand to see anything suffer, and trying to approach any closer could have caused it to fly again, I took aim with the .177 Cometa Lynx, two milldots holdover and crack, it dropped stone dead(boiler room shot) I paced it out to 67 yards, and I have a long stride, I am pretty sure that same shot with a .22 would not have dropped it stone dead like that.

[mark williams 7,558]

I have mentioned this before, over the years I have seen countless woodys fly of after a side on hit with a .22 even fac .22, I have however shot hundreds with the same shot in .177 that have folded and dropped stone dead to the deck, now my personal limit with a sub 12 air rifle is 40 yards, however, a few weeks ago my mate took a shot at a woody with his .22 pcp (Titan) for some reason his scope was off (he is an excellent shot) and he winged it, it flew into a tree a long way off, but as I cant stand to see anything suffer, and trying to approach any closer could have caused it to fly again, I took aim with the .177 Cometa Lynx, two milldots holdover and crack, it dropped stone dead(boiler room shot) I paced it out to 67 yards, and I have a long stride, I am pretty sure that same shot with a .22 would not have dropped it stone dead like that.

Exactly Charlie, in the two years i have been shooting .177 almost exclusively, i have never had a boiler room flyer. I find the .177 pellet "far more effective" for that shot whereas any calibre for head shot.

[villaman 9,983]

You beat me to it , the old sayng .177 feather .22 fur ,might stand true

[Yokel Matt 918]

I've shot them through the chest with a .22LR and some still fly off. The only thing you can apply rules to is ballistic jelly, living creatures at different angles / states of alert etc will always try to find a way to make themselves an exception to the norm.

[Yokel Matt 918]

.22 every time by the way... A mans caliber!

Edited August 17, 2015 by Yokel Matt