Pigeons * PICS *

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Squirrelhunter91

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Our buddy who owns a farm around the corner from our land in Sullivan County knows about my addiction to airgun hunting. He asked me to kill the pigeons that he has in his barn. Of course I said yes and I went to go fufill the task. Two weekends ago, I shot 4 and recovered 2. I am shooting a .177 airgun at around 640fps and I need a really good shot on these pigeons to drop them without hitting them and having them fly off. I recovered two, but the farmer found 2 more dead a few days after. So I killed four actually. So this past weekend, I went back to the barn with the pellet gun and found two more pigeons that didn't fly off. They were tucked away in the dark, and you could just make out their sillouhettes. I confirmed they were pigeons because Bill would flip if I shot a dove. The first one I shot laid right down with one shot. The other pigeon that was maybe 18 inches away from it just sat there and took a pellet as well. The second one took like 3 shots, not as quick as I wanted it to be, but stuff happens. I have to bring the faster pellet gun next time though. Anyway, of course it was a photo oppurtunity and my dad took some pics of me with the kills. Also, as we were standing there, me, my dad and Bill, a pigeon lands on top of the barn and Bill took aim with the pellet gun and shot it. There was just a puff of feathers and it flew away. But of course it was hit, it just died a while off. No recovery on that one though. Free meal for a fox or coyote. Sorry to rant, but I have been on a varmint tear lately. LOL

6-25-06pigeonsatmillersbarn1.jpg


6-26-06pigeonsatmillersbarn2.jpg


6-26-06pigeonsatmillersbarn3.jpg


Here is the reason that first pigeon laid down with one shot:

6-26-06pigeonchestshot.jpg
 
Do the pigeons a favor and use a more powerful Air Rifle. I am not against shooting pigeons, but it is wrong to not make clean kills on any living thing.

I would not shoot anything slower than 900fps in your situation.
 
Nice going /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif. I had a bunch of them around here last year. So far none this year /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif. I was popping them at up to 80 yards from the house using my .22. The ones you shot and got away died from the "bird flew" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif.
 
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Do the pigeons a favor and use a more powerful Air Rifle. I am not against shooting pigeons, but it is wrong to not make clean kills on any living thing.

I would not shoot anything slower than 900fps in your situation.



I guess I'll have to do the deer a favor and never hunt them with my bow again, because it only shoots 313fps. Point is, sometimes you just can't control whether it's going to be a clean kill or not, whether it's my 22-250 or a BB-gun. There is a lot of factors that go into it, that I'm sure you know. Nothing is guaranteed.

Good shooting on the pigeons, you should try shooting them with a .22 long Bird Shot at night. They won't fly at night and you can get right up under them with a flash light.. Good Times.
 
i love dead pigeons /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

i wacked one last saturday with my 17hmr at 50 yards. DRT.
 
soreloser, I appreciate the support, but a bow and gun kill two diferent ways. A gun kills with shock and trauma while a bow kills by hemmorage (destroying vital tissue). I am waiting to get some omoney and then I will buy a scope for my airgun that shoots 1000fps and that will for sure put an end to it fast.
Also, as for the flashlight at night, I have thought about doing that too, but haven;t done it just yet. We're going back up this weekend and I think I'll give that a try.
 
There are also BB-caps and CB-caps you can shoot in a .22 rifle. The BB-caps just use the (.22) primer to fire the ball. The CB's have a pointed bullet and just a pinch of powder. The BB's are low velocity and ideal for inside barns, and the CB's are great for roofs and silos. They are really short so it's single fire only.
 
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soreloser, I appreciate the support, but a bow and gun kill two diferent ways. A gun kills with shock and trauma while a bow kills by hemmorage (destroying vital tissue). I am waiting to get some omoney and then I will buy a scope for my airgun that shoots 1000fps and that will for sure put an end to it fast.
Also, as for the flashlight at night, I have thought about doing that too, but haven;t done it just yet. We're going back up this weekend and I think I'll give that a try.



I am aware of the things you listed.. To defend you from the Pigeon Lovers I was trying to find some way to reference the fact that critters ain't gonna just fall over and die 100% of the time, no matter what your shooting. It looks to me like you had 4 clean kills, two just had to be blood trailed..

It's all good, There PIGEONS!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif
 
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Do the pigeons a favor and use a more powerful Air Rifle. I am not against shooting pigeons, but it is wrong to not make clean kills on any living thing.

I would not shoot anything slower than 900fps in your situation.



I guess I'll have to do the deer a favor and never hunt them with my bow again, because it only shoots 313fps. Point is, sometimes you just can't control whether it's going to be a clean kill or not, whether it's my 22-250 or a BB-gun. There is a lot of factors that go into it, that I'm sure you know. Nothing is guaranteed.

Good shooting on the pigeons, you should try shooting them with a .22 long Bird Shot at night. They won't fly at night and you can get right up under them with a flash light.. Good Times.



313 /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Mine only shoots about 185 or so. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif Probably has something to do with those heavy cedar arrows. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gifYou made a valid point there.

We used to shoot them when they were flying in and out of the barn like they were skeet. fun times, haven't done that in a while. It looks like you did well enough with the air rifle you were using. Get out there and kill some more of those birds. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
Squirrelhunter91,

First off a guy w/a beavis and butthead avitar who wears a skynyrd t-shirt and a camo hat and kills pidgeons -well you're the Man!!

I also have a 1000fps pellet rifle -gamo cfx royale- it's a fixed barrel and very accurate.Here's some advice on pellets -forget yes i said forget the light pellets!
Shoot nothing less that a 10gr. pellet the lighter ones will near the speed of sound in turn wobbling approaching and wobbling more when slowing from near the speed of sound.Meaning you'll more than likely get very erratic groups!The heavy pellets will be much more consistant and accurate and kill better than the light ones everytime.
Try the rws flat nose match pellets or the heavy kodiak match pellets your gun will knock pidgeons and crows down w/authority.
Try midsouth for good prices and take a look at a leapers scope -i have a basic 4x w/ parralax objective -best of luck -Stewart -winger rules!
 
Those pigeons eat just like a dove! they cook up good!

by the way how many dove and pigeons a like get shot with 12 and 20 ga.and fly away to die later? more than you think!
get a grip!
 
I agree with what Mike says about the heavier pellets. I would recommend a 20 cal pellet rifle instead of the 177. I shoot a Beeman R1 in 20 cal. I usually use the Crow Magnum pellets made by Beeman, they work great. The 20 cal seems to have great knockdown power along with good velocity (around 900 fps depending on pellet used) and shoots flatter than a 22 cal.
I love shooting them flying rats, one time I used my 9mm to shoot them off their roost. Didn't have to be as careful about shot placement with it!!

kevlars
 
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Do the pigeons a favor and use a more powerful Air Rifle. I am not against shooting pigeons, but it is wrong to not make clean kills on any living thing.

I would not shoot anything slower than 900fps in your situation.



I guess I'll have to do the deer a favor and never hunt them with my bow again, because it only shoots 313fps. Point is, sometimes you just can't control whether it's going to be a clean kill or not, whether it's my 22-250 or a BB-gun. There is a lot of factors that go into it, that I'm sure you know. Nothing is guaranteed.

Good shooting on the pigeons, you should try shooting them with a .22 long Bird Shot at night. They won't fly at night and you can get right up under them with a flash light.. Good Times.



I'm no pigeon lover As I STATED ABOVE. Don't compare apples to oranges, bow hunting is about " shot placement ".

Now get along and go play cops and robber with your daisy.
 
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Do the pigeons a favor and use a more powerful Air Rifle. I am not against shooting pigeons, but it is wrong to not make clean kills on any living thing.

I would not shoot anything slower than 900fps in your situation.



I guess I'll have to do the deer a favor and never hunt them with my bow again, because it only shoots 313fps. Point is, sometimes you just can't control whether it's going to be a clean kill or not, whether it's my 22-250 or a BB-gun. There is a lot of factors that go into it, that I'm sure you know. Nothing is guaranteed.

Good shooting on the pigeons, you should try shooting them with a .22 long Bird Shot at night. They won't fly at night and you can get right up under them with a flash light.. Good Times.



I'm no pigeon lover As I STATED ABOVE. Don't compare apples to oranges, bow hunting is about " shot placement ".

Now get along and go play cops and robber with your daisy.



Correct me if I am wrong but isn't every kind of shooting about "shot placement".
 
Yes and no hooklip. With a gun, and a bad shot, 9 times out of 10 it will die. With a bow and a bad shot, 9 times out of 10 the animal will survive. I can't tell you how many times we have found dead deer on our land from people that shot them with a gun. Bow season, we find no deer. Now we can get into if the shooter is a good shot or not, but with a gun, you know that animal will die eventually. I have hit deer with the bow and had them run off and never find them. Not because of lack or searching, because they survived. Bow hunting is all about shot placement because of the way it kills. It kills by hemmorage, or in simple terms, destroying vital tissue. A gun kills by shock and trauma. If you understand how both weapons kill then you will understand why it's all about shot placement.
 
Amen about shot placement. Not every shot placement is going to be absolutely perfect but we must put our very best foot foward to do so. Pellet selection is a good point as I too airgun hunt. The heavier the pellet the more kinetic energy is transfered into the target when it strikes. I have a precharged Daystate Huntsman in .22cal and use Beman Field Target Heavys. My .22cal pellets weigh in at close to 16grains. Light pellets dont group worth a darn in it. On large birds like pigeons a head shot is the way to go. Those among us that have shot and not lost any game animal or bird let them cast the first stone I say. Great pics and story. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
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