Not Powerful Enough? Says Who?

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As many readers know, my shooting interests extend beyond the wonderful world of airguns so I meet many people from the wider shooting world. Almost everyone I meet has their own airgun story, from those beloved memories of their father’s English-made break-barrel, to their own first airgun, and almost to a man they tell the stories with heartfelt affection. However, every now and then I get confronted with a shooter who says that airguns are just not powerful enough to make them humane sporting rifles. This is usually backed up with an anecdote about how he once shot a rabbit, pigeon or squirrel and that it didn’t die on the spot.

If the teller of the story allows me to explore the circumstances of that shot, it can usually be explained. I ask was the rifle zeroed? The answer is most often ‘no’, or ‘what do you mean?’

Was the rifle in good working order, and had the power been checked recently? Answer ‘no’.

How far away was the quarry? “

Oh, only about 55 yards.” This one always upsets me.

2000 FT.LBS