Walther LGU and the 600fps hunting question

[no9]

I've been kicking around the idea of getting a Walther LGU in 22cal. My only issue is that the power may be a little on the light side if I need to dispatch a skunk, possum, woodchuck or maybe raccoon. My usual shooting is target but I also don't want to put a round into a pest and have it end up in some PETA members backyard. I haven't shot an air rifle with that low of fps since my Crosman 760 Pumpmaster days. I know that with the 22 I'm putting more lead down range, but I also know that with the 760 you had to be pretty precise to take out even a squirrel. The backyard (my normal hunting grounds) is only 10yds to the outskirts. Should I be looking at something more like the much louder RWS 48? I have the Hatsan 135 currently, but that may go away if the LGU can serve all my needs.

[56S]

If you have your heart set on the LGU forget about game larger that a squirrel.
If you have your heart set on controlling large pests find the most powerful airgun you can get your hands on.  Racoons used to be over running my land.  Using a CCI Mini-Mag 22 LR Hollow point I could not expect clean and quick kills unless I hit their brain, a target the size of a ping pong ball.
Oh, let us know how shooting a skunk in your backyard works for you

[no9]

I've taken a couple woodchucks and one skunk with my Winchester 1000. I placed the skunk shot just about perfect through the heart. He took 1 step and dropped. I may have gotten lucky that it didn't spray. Probably because he had just sprayed our Jack Russell in the face. Makes for a fun 11:30 pm sober up moment when you get home from a wedding reception and the dog decides to make friends with the business end of a black and white kitty.

[56S]

I had very similar results with my LGU 177 vs a Skunk at 35 yds except he managed to get in the last word so to speak.  Mt savior was the that it was downwind from the house.  It was a whole new level of stink when I went to bury it.   I buried the carcass in an area that is wet in heavy rains and the moving water took the stink down the hill to the pond and stank that up for over a month.  It was a part of my life I wish never happened.  At least my dog didn't get sprayed.  All in all I'm the lucky one.

[grauhanen]

The LGU (and LGV) in .22 is a 12fpe air rifle.  In the U.K. the majority of shooters use 12fpe air rifles, unless they have an FAC, which will allow for more power, and they successfully shoot rabbits and squirrels.  It's all about shot placement.  The .22 in 12fpe shoots a typical 14ish grain pellet at about 600 fps, the .177 shoots an 8ish grain pellet around 800 fps in 12fpe.  The energy is the same, but the .177 has more penetration and shoots flatter.

For pesting with an LGU, the .177, which is full power, is probably the better choice.  A full power .22 air rifle is probably even better.

[56S]

Has anyone upped the power of the .22 LGU with any success?  Not that I've looked but, are there any spring kits available?  If I owned both, I would have done a swaperoo with the .177 long ago.

[uglymike]

My .22 LGV shoots AA 13.4 gr. @ 580 fps, my LGV .177 shoots AA 8.4gr @ 840fps. I wouldn't use either for the bigger pests you're after IMHO.

[no9]

I've read about spring swaps but it doesn't seem like you could get it up to say 800 fps without killing accuracy

[Blue]

I can't speak to the LGU specifically but my go to rabbit busters are all UNDER 600fps.

I use an XS-25 converted to .22 that shoots 560fps with a 14.6 grain pellet, a 2400kt in .22 that shoots right at 500fps with a 14.2 grain pellet, and my 2240 (stock) has taken more rabbits than anything else I own.

I used to use a stock .177 XS-25 that shoots 8.3 grain pellets at 800fps that did the job fine but felt really long in the field.

I like the carbines better and have had no problems with "low" power.  Stalking skills, distance, and shot placement are the keys to success.

Blue

[wahoowad]

My yard squirrel gun shoots 9 to 10 fpe depending upon pellet. It always passes through the head at your distances. I would think an 11 fpe gun acceptable for well-placed headshots on a skunk or possum. Raccoons (at least here) are a little bigger and I would go up a few fpe if I was going to pop one.

My .22 LGU was last chrony'd at 11 fpe with a 14.3 gr Crosman Premier. That was right around the 100 shot count and not fully broken in. I passed 500 shots yesterday and plan to shoot across the chrony again. I am resigned to not getting the advertised 12 fpe based on most people talking about 11 fpe results. I too am interested in aftermarket tunes/kits but don't know of any. I think right now the only US option is a lube tune to clean it up, and maybe transfer port work.

I was reading last night that many our UK brothers feel opening up the transfer port makes the gun shoot sweeter. I would like to know if there is any incremental increase in velocity but didn't see any quantitative performance change listed, just qualitative references to it shooting smoother. I am wondering if the transfer report improvement might balance out a slight increase in power via spring/washer work?

[EMrider]

If you are shooting inside of 20 yards, a 12fpe headshot on a racoon, skunk or possum will drop it no problem. 

But if you have any doubts about power, then go with an R9 or an hw95 in either .177 or .22.

R

[56S]

My yard squirrel gun shoots 9 to 10 fpe depending upon pellet. It always passes through the head at your distances. I would think an 11 fpe gun acceptable for well-placed headshots on a skunk or possum. Raccoons (at least here) are a little bigger and I would go up a few fpe if I was going to pop one.

My .22 LGU was last chrony'd at 11 fpe with a 14.3 gr Crosman Premier. That was right around the 100 shot count and not fully broken in. I passed 500 shots yesterday and plan to shoot across the chrony again. I am resigned to not getting the advertised 12 fpe based on most people talking about 11 fpe results. I too am interested in aftermarket tunes/kits but don't know of any. I think right now the only US option is a lube tune to clean it up, and maybe transfer port work.

I was reading last night that many our UK brothers feel opening up the transfer port makes the gun shoot sweeter. I would like to know if there is any incremental increase in velocity but didn't see any quantitative performance change listed, just qualitative references to it shooting smoother. I am wondering if the transfer report improvement might balance out a slight increase in power via spring/washer work?

I believe the .177 sold to the NA market has the transfer port opened slightly.  If there is someone in the East/Central Ohio area with a .22 LGU and wants to come and play for a day...