Not Your Grandpa’s Airgun: New Technology A Game-Changer
The following appears in the October issue of California Sportsman:
By Tim E. Hovey
Like many hunters, my introduction to the shooting sports started with airguns, which we called BB guns.
At 9 years old, I found a Benjamin pump pistol in my grandfather’s garage. After a little instruction, I was given a small tin of pellets and started plinking around his wild half-acre property in the back hills of Southern California.
Seeing my interest, my dad wrapped up a break-barrel BB gun and stuck it under the Christmas tree the following year. With a brief safety lesson from my dad, I was out hunting our property in Central California. I don’t recall the brand name of the airgun, but I learned proper aiming much that it eventually fell apart in my hands.
From there I acquired a Crosman pump pellet gun in .177 caliber at a garage sale. My dad put me to work tackling the rats that gathered near our chicken coop eating their feed. When I turned 18, I shelved the air rifles and moved on to real firearms and never really gave air-powered firearms a thought. That all changed in 2022.
FOR THE LAST FEW years, my good friend Eric Mayer has been trying to get me to pick up one of the new airguns out on the market for ranch work. I have access to a few properties and their ranchers are always wanting me to tackle their pigeon and Eurasian dove problems. Due to the location of the
Eric and I met at one of the properties with a couple of his air rifles. At the tailgate, Eric walked me through the specifics of the air rifles we’d be using for the day. I was aware that air rifle designs had made tremendous strides in power and accuracy over the last several decades. However, I was about to be pleasantly surprised with the ease of use and accuracy of those Eric brought.
Both rifles were precharged pneumatic, or PCP, airguns. This means they carry a carbon fiber tank under the barrel that charges the airgun with pressurized air. Eric was using a .25-caliber LCS Air Arms air rifle, and I was using a Daystate Huntsman in .22 caliber. Neither rifle looked anything like the BB guns I and trigger squeeze shouldering the properties, small-caliber rifles are out used when I was a kid.
heavy BB gun. I used that present so of the question. With no other choice, We spent the afternoon hunting the dairy property for Eurasian doves.
While I was impressed with the consistent power of the .22-caliber pellet rifle, the accuracy of the Huntsman was absolutely amazing. At 50 yards out, I was consistently placing a pellet in a quarter-sized target and easily dropping birds. Despite being a little heavier than the rifles I was used to using, I really enjoyed plinking around the property with the air rifle.
AFTER THAT FIRST TRIP, I decided that I needed an airgun of my own. Using Eric’s expertise, I decided on an FX Panthera PCP air rifle in .25 caliber. I also picked up a filler tank to charge the Panthera.
Today’s air rifles are built well and are beyond accurate. Out of the box, I sighted in the Panthera and was able to put 10 pellets inside a dime-sized target at 40 yards. The muzzle velocity is steady at 900 feet per second, and it has plenty of power for hunting small game animals.
Many models come with pellet magazines and charging handles that advance the next pellet and air charge. Honestly, to prepare for the next shot is as easy – if not easier – than working a bolt on a conventional rifle. The FX Panthera magazine holds 16 .25-caliber pellets, and I can usually get through three magazines before I need to hook up the filler tank and refill the air rifle.
AIRGUN HUNTING RULES IN California are surprisingly open. Both small game and nongame animals are legal to hunt in the Golden State with any type of air rifle. Open-game species include cottontail rabbits, jackrabbits and tree squirrels. All species of upland game, including pheasant, turkey and quail, are also legal to hunt with an airgun in California. Add in nongame species like Eurasian doves, starlings and pigeons, and airgun hunters can stay busy just about year-round.
On that first trip to the dairy, Eric and I were able to drop almost 30 Eurasian doves. Roger, the rancher, saw our first day’s haul of birds and quickly asked us when we’d be back. He explained that each bird will take a fist-sized amount of grain twice a day, which seriously impacts his bottom line. Eric and I gladly made plans to return soon.
The following week I decided to head out and actually hunt public land with the airgun. With cottontail season well under way, I decided to hit one of my favorite rabbit spots and give it a try.
After arriving early, I set up with the sun at my back and waited. I was on a mound overlooking a sage-covered area filled with rabbit droppings and within minutes a cottontail popped out from behind a bush at 40 yards. I eased the shooting sticks over, found the rabbit in the scope and squeezed the trigger. The rabbit tipped over dead. The quietness of the air rifle kept the other animals calm. I ended up dropping one more rabbit before heading back.
Over the next year, anytime I headed out to hunt, the airgun was loaded up in the truck. I chased upland birds – both game and nongame varieties – and thoroughly enjoyed my time outdoors hunting with the air rifle. It honestly took me back to those early days when I just started shooting – only this time, the toys were a lot nicer.
Now, Eric and I talk a lot about airguns and accessories. We hunt the dairy when we have time, as we have an open invitation to help Roger out whenever we can. The more desired targets are pigeons and Eurasian doves, and we have dropped a lot of them.
IT’S ALWAYS A GOOD idea to check on the state and county hunting regulations before you head out for a hunt. Some species are open for hunting with an air rifle, and some aren’t. With all the specific regulations out there, it’s best to make sure you understand the rules before heading afield
Today’s airguns are a lot different than those childhood BB guns most of us think of. They are sophisticated devices capable of delivering a pellet of varied sizes with incredible accuracy and short-range hunting velocity. They are easy to use and very fun to shoot. If you’re thinking of hunting a little differently, check out the new age of air rifles currently out on the market. Just keep in mind that these are definitely not your grandpa’s BB gun. CS