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artofwoc
04-13-2009, 01:13 AM
pellet gun, in the wilderness?

Rick
04-13-2009, 01:22 AM
I guess it depends on what you intend to hunt. But yes, like a .22LR or .22mag you can harvest small game and survive for a short time using a quality pellet rifle that you've spent time practicing with. Like any other tool, you need to practice with it and know how to use it.

tennecedar
04-13-2009, 02:01 AM
With my pellet gun yes. I don't know about some of the slower ones. I just ordered a 36 caliber air rifle that shoots lead round balls over 800 fps. After I get used to it I think my chances would improve.

http://www.quackenbushairguns.com/outlaws.html

crashdive123
04-13-2009, 07:01 AM
I recently picked up a Beeman dual caliber air rifle. I'm quite impressed with it, and have no doubt in its ability to harvest small game.

vthompson
04-13-2009, 08:37 AM
My son owns a real nice pellet rifle, and last fall I took 3 squirrels with it one morning and I came away impressed. So to answer the question, I could use a pellet rifle to survive.

wildography
04-13-2009, 10:31 AM
One very important part of using a pellet gun for hunting is shot placement - which means practice, practice, practice. Another good aspect to master is camouflage and stalking.... using a pellet gun requires being close - much closer than you would need to be with a .22 rifle.

One good thing about using a pellet rifle is the low noise... you can use a pellet gun in areas that you wouldn't want to pop off a round from a .22 or larger gun.

So, yeah... a pellet gun is indeed a good option... that's why I have my Crossman air pistol.

SARKY
04-14-2009, 01:15 AM
Hunting with a pellet gun..... heck yes! I have the dubious distinction of recieving an award from my command for taking out 197 roosting pigions which were pooping all over our aircraft and causing a great deal of damage to the airframes.

Rick
04-14-2009, 07:57 AM
Pigeon dinner?

FVR
04-15-2009, 04:54 AM
Oh yeh. Take my pellet gun and check my traps everyday.

RobertRogers
04-15-2009, 06:14 PM
In a survival situation your most likely and consistent source of meat is going to be small game like squirrels, birds, rabbits, and the like. A good pellet gun would work quite well.

My choice would be a .22lr but that may not be available to you.

Rick
04-15-2009, 08:41 PM
I still have the old Crossman 760 that I used when I was a kid. Forearm pump. It's taken more than one squirrel. Of course that was back when the company was called Crossboy.:innocent:

Gray Wolf
04-16-2009, 12:24 AM
I think you would still need a knife, to dress your kill, make a fire, make a shelter etc.

Rick
04-16-2009, 07:21 AM
I don't think he wanted to leave the rest of the gear at home. I sure didn't. I think he was just concerned whether or not he could harvest game using a pellet gun. That was my impression anyway.

sh4d0wm4573ri7
04-16-2009, 07:31 AM
I believe a pellet gun is a good option I use a RWS 48 Dianna model its a .177 caliber that throws a pellet at around 1100 fps with a single pump. It is very accurate and I don't believe would have much trouble feeding myself with it.

Rick
04-16-2009, 07:46 AM
So you bring up a good question. What's the best caliber to use? .177 is good and popular but .20 and .22 are out there. You can even get .25, .45 and .50 caliber. So, which is the best survival caliber?

crashdive123
04-16-2009, 07:51 AM
As far as best, I'm a newb to pellet guns (other than my Daisy Red Rider as a kid). I purchased the one I did because of the ability to change barrels and calibers. On mine it shoots at 1000 fps with .177 pellets and 800 fps with .22 pellets. I don't know that there would be too much difference in the size of game that either were able to take.

erunkiswldrnssurvival
04-18-2009, 07:58 AM
My 10 pomp daisy can jam a pellet completly through a rabbit at 50 yards. the pellet rifle is a favored piece of equipment for me. abundantly adequet to hunt small game.

Alpine_Sapper
04-20-2009, 06:56 PM
Ok, so here's the scoop;

My in laws live outside of the city limits, but in a residential enough neighborhood that John Law would try and confiscate my weapons and pass along a nice little fine if I let off any .22lr. Nice, huh?

Anyway, the issue is that there is a pack of feral chickens (yeah, I said chickens) roaming the neighborhood that everyone wants gone, but is either to squeamish, scared, or lazy to do it for themselves.

So they solicited my help, since they know I'm not the type of guy that's going to just leave the carcass laying there or toss it in the dump, at worst I'm going to use them to feed the dogs. Which, I can't really let 'em have at while the birds are still alive since there's all kinds of kids around, and Off-leash Akita's + Wild Chickens = bloody gory feathers everywhere and one helluva show.

So, I'm thinking...Maybe I can use a pellet gun (.177 caliber is what I have, and not willing to go buy a new one just to take out 10-15 chickens)...A scoped head shot while they are roosting in the trees should do it...But maybe not, and then I'm screwed. I've thought about bows and snaring as well, but I'm hesitant, since Johnny Lawdog has already warned me about launching "missiles" in the 'hood, and I'm not sure how they would look on the snares, as the prevelance of domestic cats, etc.

I should be able to get pretty close while they are roosting, 20 ft or so? So whatcha think?

erunkiswldrnssurvival
04-20-2009, 07:07 PM
they may be hard to approach, chickens are lazy but they do fly short distances,(my dominickers did) mabe bait them up and catch them scratching,they wont eat if they are nervous. and good luck, i like ghetto chickens myself.(PIGEON)

crashdive123
04-20-2009, 07:09 PM
Anyway, the issue is that there is a pack of feral chickens (yeah, I said chickens)Those aren't feral chickens, that's feral lunch.
I should be able to get pretty close while they are roosting, 20 ft or so? So whatcha think?Not sure what the muzzle velocity is, but the one I recently picked up is 1000 fps. It'll take feral lunch pretty easily.

Rick
04-20-2009, 07:29 PM
Just be very, very careful who you go picking on.

http://th09.deviantart.com/fs16/300W/f/2007/199/c/5/Pollito_Ninja__Ninja_Chicken_by_KUMIKER.jpg

crashdive123
04-20-2009, 07:31 PM
Never bring a Katana to a pellet gun fight.:lol:

erunkiswldrnssurvival
04-20-2009, 07:43 PM
mabe he studied under jet lee, crash

Rick
04-20-2009, 07:48 PM
http://www.obamaskatana.com/media/img/katana.jpg

erunkiswldrnssurvival
04-20-2009, 07:49 PM
open mouth insert high rise.

laughing beetle
04-20-2009, 07:49 PM
Seems you could have a neighborhood chicken bbq if you were to put out some live traps. Then no worries about snaring the wrong critter. No worries about the local leo getting uptight over shooting firearms in the area either.

crashdive123
04-20-2009, 07:58 PM
...or invite them in. Afterall, range time is somtimes difficult to get.

Alpine_Sapper
04-20-2009, 08:20 PM
Thanks guys. For the advice and the humor. :)

@LaughingBeetle: Wish I had, or knew someone who had, live traps. Only ones I know around here have live traps are hog traps, and uh, that's a little much.

Hopefully I'll be able to get more than one per spot anyway, but it's not like they go THAT far. I should be able to plink the whole flock by mid-morning if I get started at day break. I've stalked them a couple times before just to guage their reactions. Never had to deal with feral lunch before, only domestic egg layers. This should be fun. Will let you know how it goes. Wonder if they'll react differently when I have a rifle in hand...:transformer:

nell67
04-20-2009, 09:07 PM
AP,I would think that catching a feral chicken would be about the same as catching a domestic chicken,wait until it is dark,and then nab them where they roost,once they have set to roost,they usually do not go very far in the dark,as they have poor night vision.

My chickens are free range,they go to the barn to sleep at night,on their own,when I need to catch them,I simple wait until dark,and pick them up off their roosting spot.


Maybe help you a little if someone would feed them in an area close to where they roost at night,then they would be used to a human coming close,and may even come running when the food is tossed down for them,once they know where that food is coming from,just a thought.

Alpine_Sapper
04-20-2009, 09:26 PM
AP,I would think that catching a feral chicken would be about the same as catching a domestic chicken,wait until it is dark,and then nab them where they roost,once they have set to roost,they usually do not go very far in the dark,as they have poor night vision.

My chickens are free range,they go to the barn to sleep at night,on their own,when I need to catch them,I simple wait until dark,and pick them up off their roosting spot.


Maybe help you a little if someone would feed them in an area close to where they roost at night,then they would be used to a human coming close,and may even come running when the food is tossed down for them,once they know where that food is coming from,just a thought.

hmmm....Going to have to try that. Grabbing one and wringing it's neck would be the easiest way I guess...best way to conserve ammo anyway. :) Sounds like a good way to get ****ed up too, though. :triage: I can hear the comments now if I show up Tues. with no pictures of dead chickens and a ****load of beak and claw marks. :surrender::gimp: :blushing: You guys would laugh yourselves silly.

What the hell. I like adventures... :eyepoke:

I wish someone would bait them for a couple days before I get there, but they already complain about not being able to get rid of them (my wife puts the dog on a lead and lets him take off, but with 115lbs of dead weight at the other end of a 6ft lead, Kashi is rather hindered in his attempt at dragging her through the east Texas brambles and poison ivy to get to them. And she can only do it when the kids aren't around.

Oh well, we'll see how it goes. If nothing else I'm thinking I can go grab a bag of feed and and just bait them myself when I get there. Most of the chickens I've dealt with are stupid enough to come back to the same spot, but if not, there are several places where I can ambush them if not using something like a .22lr where I needed a backstop.

nell67
04-20-2009, 09:30 PM
Another thing,take a fishing net (as in large dip net)with you,much easier to catch them with a net if they do try to get away,and also,if they are roosting higher up,you can just reach up with the net without having to get close enough for them to take off if they become so inclined,just went and cought a pair of peacocks,just before dusk,and the nets made it sooooo much easier.....