Gun Guide: Proper Ways Of Using Pellets

Posted by: KHTS Articles in News Articles May 22, 2020 - 8:51 am 0 751 Views

Every person needs a hobby. No matter what it is, everybody needs something to destress, enjoy, and engage with. Oftentimes, we get caught up in our work. We forget to reconnect with the things we like to do. One of the best and fastest-growing hobbies is shooting. Within the realm of shooting, there are accuracy sports, there’s tactical, and then there’s a strategic team sport. Air rifle shooting is quite possibly one of the most enjoyable activities out there. If you’ve never gone out shooting, the fun factor cannot be stressed enough. You get to go outdoors, set up targets, and practice your accuracy and precision. You can do it as a solo activity, to get your mind off of things, or you can spend the whole afternoon with your friends taking turns, trying to out-shoot each other. If you’re new to shooting, or you’re thinking about getting started, here is a quick and informative guide to get you started using pellets.

Air Guns In A Nutshell

Oftentimes, when we think of pellet guns, we think of the toys that we used to have when we were kids. They were the ones our parents would tell not to point out people, not bring in the house. A lot has changed in the past few decades, although you’re still not supposed to point it at people. Class A shooters have been known to use Air rifles in air pistols to hone skills against targets. Most rifle and pistol teams on a collegiate level still use airguns or wax bullets. Depending on your level of expertise, and how you’re going to use it, the best air rifle for you can vary.

Like anything, arm length, weight, use, and relative comfort are all factors when choosing a good rifle. You can find many high-quality air rifles and purchase Airsoft gift cards from Fox Airsoft.

Light to Medium Power

If you’re looking to buy an air rifle, the first thing you have to ask yourself is: “what am I using this for?“ Yes, air rifles are a blast all on their own. But to optimize the use of your gun, it’s best to be able to get an estimate on how you’re going to use the instrument. Most people are going to buy an air gun for either pest control or target shooting. Either of those can be accomplished with a relatively lighter powered air gun. Now, enthusiasts and those with a little bit more experience know that effective use is the name of the game. But those who are new to this might see “lighter power“ and assume it’s for kids. Lighter power, of course, is relative to the amount of possible force an air rifle can transfer to a projectile. Lighter just means effective pest control and target shooting within 30 to 35 yards. That’s more than enough for your average backyard and mountain course shooting range. If you want to extend this range slightly, a medium power air gun gives you a range of about 50 yards. So if you’re looking to and act active pest control within your property or 50 yards of it, a medium power air rifle is perfect.

Magnums and Super Magnums

Magnum and super magnum rifles are used for long-range target shooting and hunting. A magnum can shoot straight onto a target 65 yards away. Super magnum can reach upwards of 80 and over. These might not be your best choices for an introduction to air guns. But again, it all has to do with your use.

Magnums and super magnums are perfect for long-range targets, skeet shooting, as well as hunting. You’re probably not going to take down a deer with an air rifle, although there are guns that are capable of doing so. But geese, turkeys, and rabbits— all good meat and game can be hunted with a good and powerful magnum.

There are some extremely high powered air rifles out there. A few of them have been clocked in at 1,000 feet per second. You can find a few demonstrations online of them blasting through concrete hollow blocks. Those, of course, may be subject to more stringent training, but ultimately are a whole lot of fun.

Types of Air Gun

There are a few types of air guns that are in the market today. You’ve got the variable pump and break-action—the one you probably had as a kid. You also have your pre-charged pneumatic rifle, in which you pump to get to a certain PSI, which gets equally divided by a pre-set number of rounds, all releasing a certain PSI. Then you have variations of CO2. The amount of vaporized CO2 used per shot is dependent on the chamber and the model of the rifle. The grand upside to the CO2 rifle is that, while in use, you only need to load the projectile unless you run out of CO2.

The majority of air rifles that are used for target practice, skeet shooting, and hunting or CO2 rifles. But that doesn’t mean you can’t pick up a few pneumatic pump rifles or a break action one. Break action rifles are a great introduction to younger phones or those who don’t have any experience with firearms.

Rifle Care and Cleaning

Like any machine with moving parts, you need to clean it. Your rifle doesn’t have to be cleaned every single day, or every single use for that matter. But you must keep the integrity of the moving parts by giving regular maintenance checks and cleans. It is not uncommon to see a little bit of oil buildup, or metal buildup in the barrel. Because pellets are made of various soft metals, dust can impede the performance of the accuracy of your instrument. This is true of any projectile. If you let too much oil build up in your air rifle, you might experience a phenomenon called dieseling. This is where the oil buildup ignites slightly due to the friction of the projectile through the barrel. Because of this, it’s always a good idea to clean your gun on a regular schedule or use a cleaning pellet.

Airguns and shooting in general, is not only fun, what a great way to hone a skill and focus on a single task. It is a great tool for learning for anybody and can be an invaluable guide on how to learn. The mythical Miyamoto Musashi said that “once you see the way broadly, you can see it in all things.“ Shooting is a prime example of something difficult to accomplish, however, skill and attention to detail will carry over to all things.