I'm perfectly legal to shoot on my property, as it's unincorporated Ventura Co, but also had a neighbor complain when she kept hearing the pellet gun. A 1200fps pellet gun actually produces a much more penetrating sound than a CCI Quiet-22 in 20" barrel.

P.S….She stopped complaining completely when I shot the coyote that was eating her chickens and attacked her Aussie. Now she smiles and gives me free eggs :D

You're rapidly becoming a favorite person of mine.

You hit the yote with a subsonic?


Sent via Jedi mind trick.

Lived on a half acre in CA years past...would walk around and plink to my hearts content.
One day as I was shooting squirrels out of my Fig tree, our resident b!tchy old lady neighbor walked along outside of my 6' fence...said, "What are you doing, Don?"
So from then on I'd open both French doors to the back yard, sit in the house and plink away...better for distance shooting anyway.
Surprised that she didn't report me.

Yep! Right in the top of his head from about 50'. Much to my surprise…Dropped the cheeky bastard like a rock.

Momentum = mass x velocity; energy = mass x velocity^2. Energy figures are very deceptive when discussing terminal ballistics, as they significantly weight velocity. Lighter, faster projectiles from a given size power plant (be it compressed air, a compressed spring, or gunpowder in a case) will always show higher energy numbers than heavier, slower projectiles. Heavy and slow usually wins the momentum calculation, however.

I've run my own rather extensive ballistics tests on my various air guns. The spring-air guns deliver the most energy with the middle weight pellets, dropping off with either heavier or lighter pellets. The pneumatics, however, deliver more energy with the heaviest pellets I can find in a given caliber. I think both of these traits have more to do with power plant efficiency.

As far as penetration, I have fired a variety of pellet weights in .20 and .22 caliber into various test media. Everything from the "soft pine" mentioned in vintage Sheridan ads to wet phone books. Pretty predicable results, but it's nice to see it play out as predicted: heavier pellets, even in the spring-air guns after having exceeded their most efficient pellet weight, simply penetrate better. The heavier the better.

The only fly in this ointment is trajectory. The heaviest pellet I currently use is the .22 caliber JSB Exact Jumbo Monster, at 25.39 grains. Neither of my most powerful rifles (steroid Benjamin 392 pneumatic or RWS 48 spring-piston) will crack 600 fps with this pellet. That can be a real factor in my back yard, where my longest shot can be 40 yards. If I zero it at that range, its mid range trajectory will have it shooting right over a rat. If I zero it at, say, 20 yards, it will shoot under a rat at long range. "Standard" weight for .22 caliber is ~14.5 grains. Both rifles are well into the mid 800 fps range with that weight. I can zero at 30 and pretty much hold dead on a rat anywhere I can see them around the back yard.

Playing with this stuff is fun but, in the end, dead is dead. I've pretty much gone back to 14.6 grain H&N field trophy pellets for all of my .22 shooting. I've gone for trajectory and accuracy over weight. These things shoot through every rat I hit (as do the 14.3 grain Sheridan .20 caliber pellets), and hitting is easier with them. That's what really counts, all theory aside.

I will not buy an air gun, I will not buy an air gun, I will not...

LMAO!!!! Famous last words. You know you want one…no…You know you NEED one. :cool:

I rarely read a post or reply with more than two short paragraphs. My A.D.D kicks in and down I scroll. …Except when Jeff is educating us on Spoon stuff. I find firearm ballistics, old guns, and hunting tips super interesting.

My nail measure board test seems like a cave man throwing two rocks at a mammoth skull now.

Like a 90mph baseball or a 60mph bowling ball.

Ha ha - I love it. When my two boys were but young pups, it did in fact come down to this, right there in front of them...

We had a bird feeder hanging on a tree in the front yard in those days. One day, both of the little grunions came running up, all excited at the sighting of a rat on the bird feeder. So, in defense of hearth and home (and to play it up a bit for a couple of really excited kids), I grabbed the mighty Sheridan as they watched through the front window, from the safety of the living room.

Apparently the rifle was not enough for them, and before I went outside, they expressed concern over the prospect of their father being charged by a wounded rat, with no time reload. They insisted I bring a sidearm to the fray, so I grabbed my Sheridan pneumatic pistol, loading it and sticking it in my waistband. Now I was more than ready for whatever fate had in store...

Darn good thing I heeded their advice, too. The rifle knocked the little varmint right off the feeder, but did not kill him. He hit the ground and headed straight for me... The pistol was drawn, and I nailed him right through the top of his head right off the toe of my boot. I've been their hero ever since.

Truth be told, the little rat bastard was dead before he hit the ground. He just hadn't gotten the memo. And, it was the purest of blind ass luck I didn't shoot my own toe. But the boys didn't have to know any of that...

Back in 1968 my parents and I went to Germany so I could visit my one remaining living grandparent. While we were there my dad took me to an old gun shop that his dad took him to. Not sure what model number it was but we bought a Diana .177 pellet rifle. I think the thing that impressed me most was the quality of the sights for a pellet rifle. I killed a lot of cans with it :D . It was a squirrel/chipmunk terror machine. I still have it but haven't shot it in years. I've kept her oiled up and I recently bought some pellets I think over the Christmas break I'll dust her off and see what she can still do.

Those old Diana side-cocking pellet guns still go for good money. Very cool dial-in rear sight (but I'm a sight whore). Very nice pieces. Hang on to it.


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1450557761.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1450557772.jpg

Craig T yes that's the dial in rear sight pretty impressive for an air rifle. I'll have to run downstairs to the gun safe and pull it out to see what model number it is. And yes I'll never let go of it. Heck the wood stock/forearm are very nice pieces also.

Mine is a Model 35 here's a few pics.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1450563650.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1450563660.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1450563670.jpg

"Mine is a Model 35 here's a few pics."
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How old is your Mod. 35?
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Also, how often do you guys clean your barrels?

Sweet.

I asked a few years back about what to use in an urban hood to off a ground hog. I think it was vash that suggested sub-sonic 22LR. Bought a Ruger 10/22.

Worked like a charm. Less noise than my GAMO.

You had a thicker skull to go through. My shot was behind but into the head.

Good job.

VERY nice piece! Pretty sophisticated front globe sight. More like what you see on a Winchester 52.

Here is my RWS/Diana side cocker, a modern Model 48 in .22 caliber. I have since removed the Leapers scope and RWS "droop compensating" mount (meant to compensate for barrel droop on barrel cocking springers, it's angled at 2 degrees down in the front) and have mounted an otherwise unused Leupold VX-2 3-9x in Weaver mounts.

This thing is amazingly powerful, approaching 25 ft lbs with the right pellet, going into the mid 800 fps range with the H&N 14.66 grain. Exceedingly accurate as well. Very much on the heavy side (way over ten pounds with scope), though, it's more of a fixed stand shooting than a carry around and hunt rifle. Perfect for baited backyard rats, it's taken its fair share.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1450579559.jpg

When I was getting ready to move into my house several years ago, I had a lot of ground squirrels around. The land had been wild, dense scrub oak before the area for the house was graded. I didn't know a thing about air rifles - & actually still don't. I went online & decided on a RWS 48 in .177 cal. from the place in Arizona that sells them. I zeroed it in at about 90 ft. on the top of my table saw using sand bags. It's deadly accurate & seems to have a very flat trajectory. The first day I used it, I killed off about a dozen ground squirrels. After that for about six months, I'd kill one every few weeks or so. Now I have almost no ground squirrels living within range and the rifle hardly ever gets used except for a little target shooting once in a while.

We bought it new in Germany in 1968 so at least 47 years old .

Thanks she's in great shape for her age and has sentimental value because my dad bought it for me from the gun shop his dad used to frequent. Mine is not a side-cocker it's the type that the barrel folds to set the spring mechanism. Definitely way over built for an air rifle but I guess that's why it has lasted this long.

I just love guns that have soul. It doesn't matter if it's a .177 air gun, WWI 1911, or a 44-90 Hi-Wall. Nobody can tell you a gun has soul, you just know it when you see it. Purchased by your father 47 years ago on a trip to see your last living grandfather…That rifle has got it.

I don't think the new AR's or "black guns" will ever have it, no matter how old they (we) get.

P.S. I think the Diana side-cockers came about in the early 80's.

"...Diana side-cockers..."
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When I bought my Diana I recall that the side-cockers had a bit more poop to them. (?)
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I'll ask again...how often do you guys clean your air barrels?
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Merry Christmas, all...and don't be afraid to say it.

I really don't want to sidetrack the original post but we're already there. My grandfather ( my fathers father ) was a sniper in the German army. My dad told me he was a fantastic marksman. I have from my grandfather a Mauser single shot .22 cal bolt action rifle that is damn near mint condition and I have no idea how old it is. I still have the original wooden gun case for it that is lined with German newspapers !!! Now that I think of it I'll have to see what the date is on those papers. You can just feel the hand made craftsmanship that went into it I'm going to have to fire some rounds through her also and tip a beer to my ancestry :D

My M 48 side cocker is the most powerful spring piston gun I own. Yes, they have a bit more poop.

I never clean my air rifles. Ever. I've got well over 10,000 rounds through many of them, some likely several times that, and I have yet to clean one. They don't lead, and there is no powder fouling, so what would we be "cleaning"?

Oh, and a big "plus one" on Craig's observations on guns with "soul". They either have it or they don't, some shooters appreciate it, some don't. I just wish some of them could talk, like Opa's single shot Mauser .22 bolt gun. Imagine what it could tell you...

Jeff you are spot on I can't imagine all that my grandfathers Mauser has been through and has seen. The stories it could tell ! I still remember walking into that gun shop in Germany back in 1968 I was 10 years old and my eyes must have been the size of saucers. I was so proud walking into that shop holding my dads hand as we walked into this new world to me. The sights/smells I would hold onto for my lifetime. I think my dad was actually looking for a .22 but " settled " for the Diana and I'm glad that he did. The newer/younger generation might not " get it " when it comes to guns with souls but I sure do and cherish the moments.