.177 Pellet Gun for European Sparrows

[jedec]

Hi! New poster here.
Was hoping to get some advice on what kind of airgun to get. Mostly for taking out non-native European Sparrows which are killing our other nesting songbirds.

* Accuracy.
* The range will be ~25-40 yards.
* I'll need a good site with magnification.
* Would like to use ammunition that isn't lead-based since we grow vegetables in the backyard.
* Quieter is better.
* Would prefer either a CO2 or PPA, or break-barrel.
* $400 is my maximum spending limit for gun, scope, and accessories.

Thanks.
Jedec

 

[cliffy]

American .177 caliber air rifles approach 21 ft/lbs of muzzle energy, whilst British-wielded air fare is restricted to 12 ft/lbs of muzzle energy. Guess Brits don't want to "put-out-an-eye." Joking aside, 12 ft/lbs of muzzle energy is okay to about 30 meters of distance, then pellet drop becomes a serious issue. Using light (7.2-7.8 grain) pellets should help velocity and still put a sparrow's eye out. Cliffy

 

[cliffy]

My RWS Diana Model 350 Magnum issues forth 8.9 grain Beeman Field Special pellets at 1100 fps. Sparrows and ground squirrels will succomb to these lethal lead pellets at up to 50 yards away. DON'T use GAMO RAPTER 5.1 grain pellets, as these are VERY HARD material and ricquochet dangerously. They aren't extremely accurate either. Other than lead? Some company will surely develop a solution, since such is capitolism. Cliffy

 

[cliffy]

Hate to keep adding, but . . . how is a lead pellet going to harm the eating quality of a tomato? So long as you don't hurt a tooth on the pellet! Biting into a non-lead pellet could crack a tooth, since they will likely be of harder material. Due to the limited power provided by a cheaper air rifle, stick to lead pellets for now. RWS Diana Air Rifle about $385, a scope DESIGNED for Air Rifle fore-aft recoil about $100, good mounts and rings that won't wander about priceless. Buying a lesser quality package will ony force one to purchase another later. cliffy

 

[hottshott526]

Gamo makes the "Whisper" model air rifle. It has a "noise reduction chamber" on the end of the barrel. I call it a silencer. It's a break barrel that shoots lead pellets at 1000 fps and does it fairly quietly or the PBA raptor pellets at 1200+ but has the super sonic "crack" more like a .22 rimfire. The Raptors are harder than lead but I have found them to shoot very good out to 50 yds meaning 1" to 1.5" groups.
Maybe my gun likes them better than others.

My rifle also likes the Gamo "Rocket" and "Tomahawk" pellets. The rocket has a copper colored BB formed into the tip for penetration. The Tomahawk has a polymer "ballistic tip" on its nose. Both are lead but shoot extremely accurate.
The only alloy pellet I know of is the PBA Raptor.

The Whisper comes with a scope and mount for 257$ at Cabelas I got the deluxe model around X-mas 2 years ago on sale for 199$.
The scope mount that comes with the gun has a pin that acts as a recoil lug to keep it from sliding around. I zeroed mine 2 years ago and it has stayed that way after many many tins of ammo.

One thing you need to remember on an air rifle with a spring piston is that it has a double recoil both forward, from the spring and backwards so it will trash a standard rifle scope quickly. So you need a scope specific for an air rifle.


Pellet/gun combos are like any other ammo/gun combos some will shoot better, some worse, you just try them all till you find one that your gun likes the best. Then you let your friends shoot up the not so accurate pellets while saving the "good" ones for more serious things like long range sparrow sniping. ;D

Happy Hunting
Brian

 

[jedec]

If I can't find the pellets and they end up in the garden bed, they may leech lead contaminants into the soil that might get absorbed by the plant roots? That's what I'm concerned about.

Cliffy, isn't a pellet traveling at 1100 fps significantly louder than one traveling at 900?

hottshott526 - with the gun you mention, is the scope a magnification scope as well? It seems like I'd read of a lot of people having to replace the scope on it.

 

[hottshott526]

Yes it's a 3x9x40 Gamo air gun scope. It came with the gun, I've had it for 2 years and no problems so far. Probably had 3 to 4000 rounds shot through it.

A friend of mine got one for his boy and had to replace the scope after the first year but I think he was pretty hard on his gun, I know he left it out in the rain a couple of times but that can be expected from a 10 year old. Don't know if it was the rain or a bad scope that caused the need for replacement. His gun looks like it's been rode hard and put away wet.(Pun intended)

As for the lead in the garden thing, if you hit the sparrows the pellet will probably go through although velocity is slowed down considerably they will still not land in the garden. If you miss, the pellet will definately not land in the area unless your garden is VERY large meaning several acres. A pellet fired level with the ground from the standing position will travel at least 100 yds before hitting the ground if it doesn't impact something else first.

I took some hale mary shots at some crows out in a field, I guessed them to be about 150yds away so I aimed high and fired I got 3 shots off before they flew away but all impacts were close because I could see the dust kick up around them.

Moral of the story is that pellets fly farther than you might think.

Good Shooting
Brian

 

[snert]

I have 32 years of Diana/RWs experience. I have a 1960's Winchester/Diana 450 in 177 and a RWS Diana 48 in 22. I love both. The 177 is death on little birds. The 22 is a thumper. Both love RWs pellets and the Winchester loves the pointed Beeman pellets. Both will DESTROY a regular scope in minutes. I have had good luck with air rifle rated scopes, even BSA, which is not known for being a high price point scope. As far as lead in your tomatoes... I suggest you simply worry about more important things, like how many sparrows you rack up! That Winchester has accounted for nearly a thousand birds (figured 75 birds per 500 pellets it has fired, as a VERY LOW estimate). The 22 is a great barn pigeon/starling killer. Last year in one shoot, the 22 accounted for nearly 200 pigeons and starlings in one barn, in one evening. (Best to hunt at night, in -15 degree weather, in dairy barns) And when you have shot that many, you will likely absorb more lead by loading than you will eat from leaching. ;D If you want to avoid the joy of learning the recoil imulse of a springer, try the Marauder. GREAT PCP gun. Cheers!

 

[Nomo4me]

Forget about 1000 fps cheap springer airguns if you want to shoot accurately. You surely don't need that velocity to pot a sparrow and internal hubbub and TWAAAANG as you try to follow through on your hold will usually mess up your aim = innacuracy.

I shoot a home-tuned Beeman R7 with a peep sight. I pulled it out for the first time in a year the other day and potted a starling at 35 yards offhand. It barely does 650 fps but that has shot through every starling I've ever aimed at.

Beeman R7 is a winner. You will get some twang as delivered from the factory and can home tune if you want to research the procedure on the net or shoot it as is - it's still better than any spain or china product. Mine is tuned with no twang, sounds like slapping a yard stick onto a tight bedspread when the trigger is pulled.

Finally, if you end up with a mild springer hold it with about as much force as you'd grip a feather - just support it in the air rather than wrap your thumb over the grip and squeeze.
Rest the forend over a horzontally extended index finger rather than gripping your fingers around it.
if you buy a 1000fps banger from walmart all bets are off. There will be a lot of commotion when you pull the trigger and you'd better hang on good.

 

[snert]

Forget about 1000 fps cheap springer airguns if you want to shoot accurately. You surely don't need that velocity to pot a sparrow and internal hubbub and TWAAAANG as you try to follow through on your hold will usually mess up your aim = innacuracy.

I shoot a home-tuned Beeman R7 with a peep sight. I pulled it out for the first time in a year the other day and potted a starling at 35 yards offhand. It barely does 650 fps but that has shot through every starling I've ever aimed at.

Beeman R7 is a winner. You will get some twang as delivered from the factory and can home tune if you want to research the procedure on the net or shoot it as is - it's still better than any spain or china product. Mine is tuned with no twang, sounds like slapping a yard stick onto a tight bedspread when the trigger is pulled.

Finally, if you end up with a mild springer hold it with about as much force as you'd grip a feather - just support it in the air rather than wrap your thumb over the grip and squeeze.
Rest the forend over a horzontally extended index finger rather than gripping your fingers around it.
if you buy a 1000fps banger from walmart all bets are off. There will be a lot of commotion when you pull the trigger and you'd better hang on good.

I agree 100% No need for all the "big booming". The R7 is a great gun for your purposes. STAY AWAY from the walmart guns, GAMO etc if you want a long-lasting sweet shooter.

 

[jedec]

Where do you suggest I buy from?

 

[Nomo4me]

My order of preference:

Precision Airguns
Airguns of Arizona
Pamona Airguns

Pyramid Airguns is the 'walmart' of the airgun world and may be a few $$ cheaper. I prefer the expertise of the others.
Two notes:
- NEVER DRY FIRE A SPRINGER
- When you buy from one of the above sources ask them also for their recommendation for quality pellets and buy a tin or two with the gun. JSB are really good if they are in stock.

Google 'yellow airgun forum' if you want to enter that world of dimented hobbiests

 

[cliffy]

Never dry fire a springer is great advise. 1100 fps versus 900 fps is arbitrary, so long as one stays under 1160 fps. It's a fine line worth observing regarding supersonic "CRACKS." Supersonic swiftly turns into subsonic with .177 caliber pellets and during that rapid transition, tumbling will occur which will cause loss of accuracy. STAY Subsonic and avoid inaccuracy. These ain't .243 Winchesters powerwise. Cliffy

 

[65BR]

Son has an R7, it is very quiet, and deadly accurate, would be MY choice at any price point for what you are doing. Scope of choice, but a simple 4x in good mounts would work fine in my opinion.

Match flat head or crosman premier lite 7.9 gr would be my choice, but RWS superpoints were my choice years back in a light springer BSA Meteor. Flats/dome-rounds will impact harder/transfer energy better though any pellet will kill those little pests.