Luke's guest this week is Mr. Alan Cain, Whitetail deer program leader for Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Alan and Ellis Powell, also with TPWD, recently used big bore air rifles to do a bit of research into the effectiveness of big bore air rifles for harvesting game. Earlier this week, Cain spoke at the TPWD Commissioners meeting in Lufkin and gave his opinion of the power and effectiveness of big bore air rifles in cleanly and humanely dispatching deer sized game. At present, it appears there is a good chance that big bore air rifles might be allow for hunting big game in Texas next year.

http://ketr.org/post/big-bore-air-rifles-hunting-big-game-texas

I looked at an air rifle (like ten years ago) that shot .357" pills at 38 special velocity. It was like $1200 rifle.

That will hunt for sure.

The air rifles have come a long way in the last 20 years. Some are still toys but some are real killers.

How much more quiet is a big bore air rifle compared to a normal bolt action deer rifle? I would imagine there's a big difference, but I don't know anything about them.

Check out the Girandoni Air Rifle used by Lewis & Clarke.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girandoni_air_rifle

It would be nice to have a powerful air rifle in the stand along with your regular rifle in case you saw a predator like Bob Cat or Coyote you wanted to drop without making to much noise

Interesting listen. I'm all for it, but it sounds like they need to hash out the laws on felon ownership of these weapons before they'll move forward.

Curious as just how loud they are when fired....I'm sure they make less noise than a traditional firearm.....just not sure how much less.....also, could one be quieted with a suppressor?

I see your point, but not what the two have in common. Felons can still bow hunt, so why could they not use an air rifle to hunt? Don't get me wrong, I'm dead set against a felon in the woods with any type of weapon. Just opening up the discussion.

Guy takes a .38 special rifle to the woods to deer hunt, he gets ridiculed till the cows come home.

Get a ballistic replica in an air rifle, however, and it's a awesome game harvester....I don't get it

This.

From the videos I've seen. Yes they can kill a deer. But a 17 to the skull will too.....

If you want to kill a deer buy a rifle. If you want a challenge get a bow. If somewhere in between is What you want get a muzzleloader.

I shot and killed 9 hogs this weekend with mine. You ask how quite it is and I can tell you that on 3 different occasions this weekend I shot 3 or 4 hogs before they alerted they were being shot. Mine is a .257 and is powerful enough to blow through a 2 x 4 at 60 yards. It is also baffled with a shroud around the barrel that muffles the report. Without the shroud, it would be as loud as a 30-30. Here is a video from this weekend there is no sound. Let me be clear I would not shoot a deer with my gun but there are other rifles 30 cal and above I wouldn't hesitate using.

Non-shrouded big bore air rifles are pretty loud. Since they aren't considered a firearm you can legally add a "moderator" to quite them down without going through the NFA hassle.

I've looked at them for a while, but they're pricey. About the CHEAPEST I've seen hover right around $1000++ price of a scuba tank for filling. If you really get in to it you're going to want to invest in an HPA pump which can easily run $500-$1000. Slugs are fairly cheap, with many learn how to cast their own after a while.

If it brings more people to the woods to hunt, I don't see it as a bad thing as long as there are restrictions. I.E. nothing less than 308 caliber or 400 caliber etc.


Even if this does pass most people won't get in to it due to the large investment required. It's cheaper (and quieter) for me to go out and build an SBR, equip it with a can, and shoot subs.

What advantage does one of these have over a cross bow?

What is the max effective range?

Depends, but basically, crossbows and the such are limited to around 100 fpe and a projectile speed of 500 fps. Big bore airguns produce 3 or 4 times the energy and twice the speed. So a 300 fpe 30 caliber bullet has a flatter trajectory and is capable of shooting sub moa groups at 200 yards.

This depends also, here is a 1000+yrd shot from a gun similar to mine. 1108 yards with a .257 Airforce Condor

These are the "pellets" I have found are the most accurate I shoot in the gun pictured above. The left is a NOE 260-GC-HP 80gr Ranch Dog and the one on the right is a .257-85 Gr Swagged, Nielsen Specialty Ammo Airgun slug.

X2.....

they already exist, and that doesn't have anything to do with texas parks and wild life regulations.

Basically, from what I have read it is exactly the same as any other sub-sonic round. I personally do not have a big big bore. Mine is a .257. I know guys in California that have taken Yotes out past 250 yard in the desert with .30 calibers. For deer I would say 150 yards.

Personally, I don't really see the attraction, but I don't begrudge their use by others. To each his own.