Anyone on here hunt deer with PCP air rifle or air bow

[possumman]

Had a conversation with DNR guy about the airgun regs--vs the straight wall cartridge requirements---very illuminating----any discussion?

 

[Hibs]

I don't use anything air powered, but what was illuminating about your conversation vs SWC?

 

[Cool_Moo5e]

I would like to know what conversation was had about air rifles for deer

 

[StantonCree]

I saw a bear taken with a 45cal one. Might have been 50. Anyway that bear DROPPED! Hunting guide Initally said no then looked at regs and said okay.

 

[Biggfoot44]

Enlighten me about current DNR Regs , it's been a couple years since I paid attention.

From occasional paying attention to Big Bore Airguns , I know they are out there that exceed the Handgun Hunting requirements, where I usually Handgun Hunt , so it's certainly possible and viable . But we know MD DNR has their own take on such things .

Added - I realized my antecedents could have been unclear .

I meant that Big Bore Air RIFLES running 3000 psi, can exceed modern Handguns legal in ( the places I implied ) . But the dead deer won't have any opinion if the .45 bullet of certain weight and velocity that killed him came from a 5 inch bbl smokeless pistol , or 26in bbl with compressed air .

 

[possumman]

Air gun regs 400 ft lbs of energy. Handguns need 700 ft lbs. Rifle is 1200 ft lbs. Therefore many pistol caliber carbines are not generally legal yet far exceed airgun requirements. Makes little sense to me. He kind of agreed and said they may look at rewriting that. If you use s lever action .38/.357 you could be in violation ymmv!

 

[Biggfoot44]

Ah ha , 400 ft lb is the answer .

Notice , I carefully mentioned Handgun Hunting not in Maryland.


For triple reverse irony , it is possible ( with handloads anyway ) to make 1200 ft lb with a 20 inch .357 . But they will be less suitable for Bambi that lots of other loads in 1000 ft lb range .

 

[BigCity]

Wait, deer take PCP?

 

[Biggfoot44]

You're joking .

But seriously, the Original use of PCP was as animal tranquilizer .

Don't know if still the practice, but PCP was what was used in the dart guns to relocate nuisance bears .

 

[C.Alls]

I went through the process in 2015 to get approval for the first legal airgun deer kill in Maryland. Back then the regulations said airguns weren't allowed due to the fact there was none made that could meet the 1200ft/lbs requirements. I got in contact with Capt. David Larsen of NRP and we went through my plan.

Back then I was big time into the PCP airgun game. I had worked with the guys at Extreme Big Bore and we hatched a plan to get one of their .72 caliber airguns up to the 1200 ft/lb requirements using a 730 grain custom hollow point bullet mold and 4500 psi of helium. Long story short, I ended up tuning the rifle for 3 shots on a single 4200psi helium charge. I was pushing the 730 grain slug 950 fps and was cranking out north of 1400ft/lbs of energy.

Surprisingly, when I went through the process of explaining what I wanted to do to multiple dnr and nrp agents I was surprised to find out a bunch of them were also into the PCP guns. After assuring them I was making well over 1200 ft/lbs of energy and wasn't confused with 1200 fps I got the green light. I was told I should keep a chronograph and a scale in my truck in case I had to prove what the gun was capable of. I was hoping for the nice 8 point that was roaming our property, but on the last day of rifle season I had to settle for a little 5 pointer at 113 yards. Needless to say it dropped where it stood. Lol...

 

[Biggfoot44]

Hats off to you !

 

[C.Alls]

Thanks, it was fun to do but PCP rifles can be a pain to tune and get shooting accurately. I mostly got into them because you can make the smaller bore rifles really quiet without the form 4 wait. After getting my first suppressor I dumped all the airguns and started rolling my own subsonic rifle rounds. Now my deer rifle (45/70 whisper) lobs a 570 grain fracturing bullet at 1000fps without the need for air tanks and "whisper" quiet.

 

[AlBeight]

I’m still very much a “you do you, none of my business” kind of guy, but for the life of me I still get weary reading stories and watching videos of everyone that seem to specifically want to hunt deer with the least most ballistically powerful or effective firearm they can get their hands on. These same people will argue for days about THEIR specific home-grown load and tout their foot-pound energy numbers and bullet performance stories with the greatest of almost religious pride and defiance.

While the DNR regulation numbers are of course suspect, even seemingly contradictory at times, I still have to laugh at the efforts people go thru to challenge the lower limits of those regulations. I’ll exclude the air bows from this criticism as they seem to be able to move their similarly-sized projectiles faster than even most crossbows. It’s the smaller and even smaller caliber rifle people that make me raise an eyebrow. I don’t know for a fact that 1,200 ft lbs is a real needed minimum number, but I do know that it’s extremely easy to buy a “normal caliber deer hunting rifle” and ammunition off the shelf that very easily complies with the minimum energy standards. I just don’t get the obsession with pushing that envelope as low as it can go.

 

[possumman]

Seems to me that a low caliber rifle is at least as effective at at short ranges as a crossbow or black powder pistol---I mostly bowhunt --all of my shots are less than 40 yards--usually 20 or less--a .357 or even a 9mm carbine would work just fine at similar ranges.

 

[Doco Overboard]

Had a conversation with DNR guy about the airgun regs--vs the straight wall cartridge requirements---very illuminating----any discussion?

What did he say about poaching attempts with suppressors and or even air rifles?
Where was your guy located?
I think eventually thats will be a determining factor for how some of the newer tools and their applications becomes defined.
Did he mention how many deer he or his area were seized this year so far for being taken via illegal means?

 

[possumman]

Was not a DNR cop--actually a guy WAY up in the DNR administration--to remain nameless---I had emailed Paul Peditto with the question and he referred me down a step or 2---had long phone conversation with him---very enlightening and nice guy--said they set the 400ft/lb standard for air rifles because thats about all you get from most blackpowder pistols and they want to allow those.

 

[Doco Overboard]

Was not a DNR cop--actually a guy WAY up in the DNR administration--to remain nameless---I had emailed Paul Peditto with the question and he referred me down a step or 2---had long phone conversation with him---very enlightening and nice guy--said they set the 400ft/lb standard for air rifles because thats about all you get from most blackpowder pistols and they want to allow those.

I wonder if he shot a deer with a black powder revolver.
When you miss, the ball or ball et will ricochet around some frozen maple saplings like you wouldn't believe.

 

[Vic]

I have a Texan 45 cal rifle. I have taken turkey, pig, and a couple deer with it. The turkey actually went the furthest. I used a round ball on it. I shot the pig and deer with a 350 grain slug. Originally I was using the basic Texan set up. 2 years agod I upgraded to a higher pressure tank with a better valve. It generates 600 ft lbs. It hits pretty hard and deer die. I bought air rofles for the quiet nature of the beasts. I use a .25 for squirrel, works well.
V

 

[outrider58]

I wonder if he shot a deer with a black powder revolver.
When you miss, the ball or ball et will ricochet around some frozen maple saplings like you wouldn't believe.

I had a 20g rifled slug do a 90 degree turn after hitting only two trees. Shit happens.