New Member: Air Rifle Hunter from Southern California

[Air Rifle Hunter]

Hi All,

 I wanted to introduce myself here on the forum. I started getting into air guns around 6 months ago and now I'm hooked. I have my California Hunting License and own a few powder burners as well. However, I'm really getting into air rifles now because of the quietness and power of these modern air rifles.

 I started with a Gamo Whisper .22, which in retrospect I feel I should not have purchased. But I now have it and use it once in a while. I've only used it for shooting pest birds (Starlings, European House Sparrows and a few pesky crows in my parents yard). I may in the future purchase the nitro-piston upgrade for it so that it is up to my expectations. It also needs a better scope (currently still has the stock one which stinks) which I may get for it some day.

 My second air rifle was a Benjamin Trail NP XL 1100 (.22). It is a great break-barrel gun and I do like it. I've bagged ground squirrels with it out to around 65 yards with head shots. It fires the Crosman Premier Hollow Points at an average of 930 FPS. It's a good gun, but I quickly had the urge to own a gun that I did not have to cock before every shot. Many times doing so took to long and a secondary shot that was needed was not fired in time to bag the intended game.

 That leads me to my latest purchase which is a Benjamin Marauder .22 Air Rifle. What a sweet gun! The only tuning I've currently done to the rifle is to have the Velocity Metering Screw turned out to 3/4 turn counter clockwise from stock settings. With this adjustment using JSB 18.1 pellets I'm getting a string (bell curve) of 845 low to 875 high with a starting pressure of 2850 to 2900 PSI and ending with around 2000 to 2100 PSI through 30 shots. I've not gotten out with it too much, but I've already bagged (5) ground squirrels, (2) Eurasian Collared-Doves (during dove season with Upland Game Bird Tag), (2) Gophers and (3) crows (pesky depredating birds!) in the month and a half that I've owned it. I plan to soon get out rabbit hunting with it also. I do love shooting this air gun though. I've gotten head shots on squirrels at 65 yards easily with this gun and the pellets were still passing clean through the squirrel's head and hitting the dirt behind the squirrel. That amazed me.

 Well, I'll be around and look forward to reviewing the posts here from all of you.

[lizzie]

Welcome to the GTA Air Rifle Hunter!

As I'm sure you've probably noticed, we have a very active hunting gate, so make yourself at home. You'll be in good company

[amb5500c]

Welcome to the GTA. We'll look forward to seeing some pictures and reading of your guns and hunts.
Richard

[.22 Varmint]

Welcome to the GTA! I'm in Southern CA too, where do you like to hunt?

Andrew   

[jonnnyboy]

Greetings, Air Rifle Hunter.  It sounds like you already are 'hooked!'  You've got some great guns and we look forward to hearing more about your hunts.  Lots of folks enjoy hunting as well as talking guns so you will fit right in.  You are going to love that Mrod. 

Oh, we like lots of pics too!
joe

[dk1677]

Welcome to the GTA! Yes we would love to read about your hunts

[Air Rifle Hunter]

Welcome to the GTA! I'm in Southern CA too, where do you like to hunt?

Andrew   

 Right now the only places I've hunted are on Family Property near the Central Coast of California, but I'm researching places to hunt down in Southern California so that I don't have to travel so far in the future.

[redone1992]

Welcome to the GTA

[SAADE]

Look up Art Burciaga at the C.A.S.A. club (Ca Airgun Shooters Assoc) and ask him about airgun hunting in So Cal.

I used to hunt in Riverside and S.B. counties but... that was way back before the second round of 15 million people showed up in So Cal!

Now I shoot/hunt on 1 million acres of my backyard in Idaho.

[Addictedtoair]

Welcome to the GTA. Looking forward to seeing and reading about your weapons and hunts. Like Joe said,...we really love pics.

Brett

[crayfish]

Welcome to the GTA