How many Turkey hunt with Air Rifle

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How would you hit a turkey with an air rifle? Do you mean one of those spring guns that shoot basket ball size groups at 20 yards? I think some of the PCP guns have the needed accuracy and power to reach out 30 yards or so and pop a head shot on the gobbler. But is it legal?

3C
 
3Crows said:
How would you hit a turkey with an air rifle? Do you mean one of those spring guns that shoot basket ball size groups at 20 yards? I think some of the PCP guns have the needed accuracy and power to reach out 30 yards or so and pop a head shot on the gobbler. But is it legal?

3C
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If that is what you think springers are capable of then you've never shot a decent springer. Any of mine will shoot 3/4 inch or less at 25 yards all day long and I'm not a particularly good shot at my age.
 
Never own a Springer, but my Daisy 880 and the 35 do the job...Shooting this at 45 yards and the milk plastic bottle only 3"wide..
 

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"How Many Turkey Hunt With An Air Rifle"

Probably very few turkeys hunt with an air rifle.

My neighbor has a one of the PCP type air rifles, his will smack through 1/4" ply like nothing at 25 yards, and is accurate.

Probably work well for that type of hunting.
 
I have a Ruger springer in .177 caliber that I bought from Walmart. I put a much better scope on it and can group 1-2" from a rest out to 25 yards and 2-3" out to 50 yards. The two I shot were at about 20 yards and both were head shots. I've also shot many pigeons off the power lines that generously deposit their paint destroying waste on vehicles. I don't think Texas allows turkey hunting with air guns, but when they do I would love to take one with mine.
 
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3Crows said:
How would you hit a turkey with an air rifle? Do you mean one of those spring guns that shoot basket ball size groups at 20 yards? I think some of the PCP guns have the needed accuracy and power to reach out 30 yards or so and pop a head shot on the gobbler. But is it legal?

3C
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It's legal here in Virginia.

I shoot my Diana RWS break barrel .177 with a Hawke 4-12X Airmax scope on a near daily basis and can regularly hit starlings as far as 180 feet. But I would have next to no confidence in that gun for reliably killing turkeys.
 
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Bill_in_TR said:
If that is what you think springers are capable of then you've never shot a decent springer. Any of mine will shoot 3/4 inch or less at 25 yards all day long and I'm not a particularly good shot at my age.
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Getting that close to a turkey involves some good skills and maybe some calling or luck or all three. So, your 3/4 inch group at 25 yards is what at 50 yards? I have a few mid price range PCPs that can do under 3/4 at 50 yards and I might take a head shot with one with some confidence but your break barrel with what I consider a poor showing at 25 yards, no, I would not. Turkeys have rather small heads and they do not stay still, a 3/4 inch group at just 25 yards, not good enough for me.

I took one in my back yard at 35 yards with my Mossberg 500 .410 with that TSS shot. It was a solid knock down. TSS shot is good stuff. If I had been limited to a head shot with an air rifle that is so inconsistent as a 3/4 inch group at 25 yards I would not have had roast turkey the next day ;) .

3C
 
3Crows said:
Getting that close to a turkey involves some good skills and maybe some calling or luck or all three. So, your 3/4 inch group at 25 yards is what at 50 yards? I have a few mid price range PCPs that can do under 3/4 at 50 yards and I might take a head shot with one with some confidence but your break barrel with what I consider a poor showing at 25 yards, no, I would not. Turkeys have rather small heads and they do not stay still, a 3/4 inch group at just 25 yards, not good enough for me.

I took one in my back yard at 35 yards with my Mossberg 500 .410 with that TSS shot. It was a solid knock down. TSS shot is good stuff. If I had been limited to a head shot with an air rifle that is so inconsistent as a 3/4 inch group at 25 yards I would not have had roast turkey the next day ;) .

3C
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I wasn't so much commenting on turkey hunting as I was your totally ridiculous assessment of a springer's capabilities. As I said I don't consider myself an exceptional shot at all at my age. Yes my springers are capable of 3/4 of an inch at fifty yards. I've done it. Unfortunately I am no longer able to do it consistently. I have seen plenty of examples on the airgun forums of people who can do it consistently.

People who are in love with their PCP's seem to always want to make out a springer as some sort of airsoft toy. Both springers and PCP's are very capable platforms in the right hands.

I personally would not hunt turkeys with any gun requiring a single projectile to the head. Every time I have ever watched them their heads are constantly twitching an moving.

For what it's worth I hunt turkeys with a longbow so getting within 25 yards is an objective in order to succeed so it can be done.
 
Bill_in_TR said:
I wasn't so much commenting on turkey hunting as I was your totally ridiculous assessment of a springer's capabilities. As I said I don't consider myself an exceptional shot at all at my age. Yes my springers are capable of 3/4 of an inch at fifty yards. I've done it. Unfortunately I am no longer able to do it consistently. I have seen plenty of examples on the airgun forums of people who can do it consistently.

People who are in love with their PCP's seem to always want to make out a springer as some sort of airsoft toy. Both springers and PCP's are very capable platforms in the right hands.

I personally would not hunt turkeys with any gun requiring a single projectile to the head. Every time I have ever watched them their heads are constantly twitching an moving.

For what it's worth I hunt turkeys with a longbow so getting within 25 yards is an objective in order to succeed so it can be done.
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You have your opinion of break barrel rifles and I have mine and I have no use for them.

I did not say getting close could not be done, I did infer that an anemic spring gun with 10 fpe and a barely 3/4 inch group at 25 yards would need to be that close or closer increasing the challenge. And is it ethical, IMO, no.

And, yes, there are magnum springers that make near 25 fpe and they are inaccurate and unpleasant to shoot and noisy not to mention but I will, heavy and overly long.

3C
 
3Crows said:
You have your opinion of break barrel rifles and I have mine and I have no use for them.

I did not say getting close could not be done, I did infer that an anemic spring gun with 10 fpe and a barely 3/4 inch group at 25 yards would need to be that close or closer increasing the challenge. And is it ethical, IMO, no.

And, yes, there are magnum springers that make near 25 fpe and they are inaccurate and unpleasant to shoot and noisy not to mention but I will, heavy and overly long.

3C
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I guess you only read what you want to in someone's post. Sorry that you don't appreciate springers a little more. It seems your lack of appreciation is based on inaccurate or incomplete information. We will have to agree to disagree on your position. No need to pursue it further. I just hate to see you putting out misinformation to other people.
 
3Crows said:
You have your opinion of break barrel rifles and I have mine and I have no use for them.

I did not say getting close could not be done, I did infer that an anemic spring gun with 10 fpe and a barely 3/4 inch group at 25 yards would need to be that close or closer increasing the challenge. And is it ethical, IMO, no.

And, yes, there are magnum springers that make near 25 fpe and they are inaccurate and unpleasant to shoot and noisy not to mention but I will, heavy and overly long.

3C
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Now days many companies make PCP airguns that are very capable of hunting game.
 
d2wing said:
Now days many companies make PCP airguns that are very capable of hunting game.
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Ye sir, I agree as I have a few PCP rifles. They have the consistent accuracy to take head shots, can follow up quickly and have sufficient power. It is the break-barrels where I run afoul of popular opinion. The OP titled the thread with air rifle without specifying what he meant by air rifle. For myself, where legal, I would use a PCP if using an air rifle. Clearly others have differing opinion when it comes to break barrel spring guns and they may be and probably are fully capable of doing so also. I have no reason to doubt their success. But for me, I hate the %^&$ things.

3C
 
[QUOTE="3Crows, post: 12211720, member: 250459" Do you mean one of those spring guns that shoot basket ball size groups at 20 yards?

3C[/QUOTE]

I only wish to point out that this RIDICULOUS statement was my only point of contention. If you can't shoot a spring piston air rifle any better than that then you shouldn't be shooting any rifle at any game whether it is air or powder burner.
 
If I was going to turkey hunt with a non-shotgun I would probably use my 30carbine.
My biggest air gun is a 25cal and is ballisticly similar to a 22cb.
But I have seen 45 and 50 call air rifles that shoot approximate 1oz cast bullets and will go straight through a wildhog.
 
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