# Why is this section dominated by pellet gun related question



## Remington 7400 (Dec 14, 2005)

*Why do you guys only hunt squirrels with pellet guns?*​
All thats avaliable/New to hunting417.39%Age restriction/parents say so521.74%Location(need to be quiet)1043.48%Challenge417.39%Cost00.00%


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## Remington 7400 (Dec 14, 2005)

Just curious, I've killed alot of squirrels in my time, most with a .20 ga and lately the .17 HMR. Why do you guys only hunt squirrels with pellet guns?


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## Remington 7400 (Dec 14, 2005)

I'm going to vote location, because that is the only reason I would choose a pellet gun over a modern firearm.


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## Gohon (Feb 14, 2005)

Been noticing the same thing myself. Occurs to me some of these young people don't seem to have mentors around or some of the questions they ask wouldn't be asked in the first place. So I voted all that's available/new to hunting, though I don't think hunting has been learned by most of them yet. Saw one youngster that said he liked to stroll through the woods shooting squirrels, rabbits, doves and so on. In other words he just liked to go out and shoot/kill things without any thought as to why.


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## Cleankill47 (Jan 19, 2006)

Gohon, I know some kids that were the same way. They would go around in the woods in their neighborhood with a .22 and a 16-gauge and kill anything just to kill it; turtles, squirrels, doves, crows, cardinals, robins, herons, frogs, rabbits, possums, raccoons, cats, and anything else they saw while they had their gun wasn't safe at all. Most of them have moved away, and the animal populations in my neighborhood are recovering quickly.

(There was even one kid who collected robin heads and squirrel tails...)

I consider myself lucky to have chosen to learn hunting the right way, and for having understanding grandparents and family...

As for my pellet guns, I don't always use them, but they are the first weapons I used, and they work very well. I'll pick them up for a challenge or when I don't feel like making a bunch of noise, not to mention ammo is really cheap, 250 quality rounds for $3 is a good deal no matter what you shoot. Plus there's the fact that I'm in a populated area. I guess all but the first two of the poll options apply to me at one point or another...

I love my Henry.22 ...










But if I can get one of these, I'm jumping on it in a heartbeat...  :

3000 psi precharged pneumatic, 1250 feet per second in .22 caliber= sweet!!!










:sniper: :sniper: :sniper: :sniper:


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## MNgoosekiller (Aug 21, 2006)

gotta love the henry!  i use a 12 guage...very effective when their up in the top of a tall oak...only takes 1 shot.


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## clampdaddy (Aug 9, 2006)

I think it's great that these young pelletgun shooters are trying to learn from the experiances of older, more seasoned hunters. They may not have a shooter in the family to show them the ropes. Sometimes a young shooter can go overboard by trying to take game that they're equipment isn't adequate for or going after targets of opertunity that may not be acceptible, but I think it's USUALLY a phase that they get through with time. How many of us can remember when you got you're first air rifle and all of a sudden crows weren't just another bird, they were now an elusive big game animal. Every hunter started out as an exited kid with an air rifle.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

I used a 22 as a kid, but then I had a 22 bolt action Marlin when I was nine years old. Can you see that happening today? They would send the cops after my parents today. 
As I have grown older I enjoy squirrel hunting with my traditional style muzzle loader, with round balls. Sit back against a nice backrest, in the sun, take a nap, and wake up every 20 minutes for a shot. I don't know how long it takes them to calm down after each shot, but when you wake up, there they are. Restful, relaxing, and if you can stay awake there are many other things going on.


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## Remington 7400 (Dec 14, 2005)

> if you can stay awake there are many other things going on.


 :beer: :wink:


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## Bore.224 (Mar 23, 2005)

Gohon said:


> Been noticing the same thing myself. Occurs to me some of these young people don't seem to have mentors around or some of the questions they ask wouldn't be asked in the first place. So I voted all that's available/new to hunting, though I don't think hunting has been learned by most of them yet. Saw one youngster that said he liked to stroll through the woods shooting squirrels, rabbits, doves and so on. In other words he just liked to go out and shoot/kill things without any thought as to why.


I must say, this is how I started out. Does not take long to learn to respect for nature and wildlife.


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## Gohon (Feb 14, 2005)

If you think about it real hard, most likely someone or something along the way gave you a guiding push in the right direction. It would have been just as easy for you to become a slob hunter if the proper direction hadn't been presented to you. A lot of good information from a lot of experienced hunters and shooters can be learned from a forum such as this but it is a poor place for a young person to get started with absolutely no outside force to guide them. Take a look at their questions&#8230;.. what is the longest kill distance with a pellet gun, what is the largest animal killed with a pellet gun, what is the best fps for killing instead of what fpe, shoot them once to stop them then run up and whack them in the head, and so on. Questions of learning to be sure but questions that are after the fact. I would hope these young people are able to find a adult to help them or get into a club of some type so they can get hands on learning. If not then a place such as ND Outdoors is a far better learning tool then them listening to their peers who in the learning stages themselves.

I've noticed there is very little activity in the "youth" section and most young hunters for what ever reason have chosen the "Rabbit and Squirrel Hunting" section to ask their questions. Is a section just for young hunters needed in the hunting section?


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## Remington 7400 (Dec 14, 2005)

> very little activity in the "youth" section and most young hunters for what ever reason have chosen the "Rabbit and Squirrel Hunting"


It seems to me that we need a pellet rifle forum, most the stuff in Rabbit and Squirrel dosen't even pertain to Rabbit or Squirrel, but to general pellet rifle questions and gun reviews.

:eyeroll:


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## crossmanmanman (Sep 9, 2006)

gohon i am sorry but i do not know what fpe is and i enjoy hunting and i would like to know how much fps is good for a good clean shot. i am only 13 yers old. no one in my famiy knows much abot huning so i do not have much of a eduactaion. i am starting out with pellet rifel to see if i like it. i thought that nodak was for questions. and my killing fps post is a question which i donot think is a bad quetsion please say why you think that is a terrible question :eyeroll:


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## Gohon (Feb 14, 2005)

crossmanmanman, I never said the question was terrible nor did I specifically point out anyone. Please read the post again and you will see where I said "Questions of learning to be sure but". FPE stands for Foot Pounds of Energy and is also expressed or abbreviated as ft-lb of energy or just muzzle energy. Just like Feet per Second (fps) it starts out high at the muzzle and disintegrates on it's flight to the target. A lot of factors are involved in killing power of a bullet. FPS, FPE, bullet weight, bullet construction and a few others. If fpe carried that much weight then you would not see the arguments on here about the .223 being a suitable deer round when in fact it is 50% faster than a 30-30 but no one challenges the 30-30 as suitable for deer. In my mind fpe is the least of the factors I consider when looking for a hunting bullet, though it is a factor that must be considered. I know we have a couple members on here that are hung up on that number as being the most important thing when they talk about power. Maybe that's where you got the idea it was important, I don't know but somewhere, somehow you got the notion it must the most important. The destructive energy a bullet or pellet delivers at the target means a lot more but all parameters are in play, not just one. Now having said all that, fps is placed higher up on the list when discussing target shooting. But that's a different ball game and would probable just confuse the issue right now.

Your situation of no hunting or shooting members in the family is what I was posting about and in that situation you are correct to seek advice in a forum such as this, but there is a limit as to what you can learn here. I commend you for wanting to learn and hope you continue with your goal. I was simply expressing how sad that someone such as yourself is in that situation. Maybe it is a failure of adult sportsmen for not giving a little of their time. There are some on here that do just that but I suspect most don't. What about a hunting or skeet club in your area. The Boy Scouts rifle team? You would be surprised at how helpful these places would be if you were to tell them your situation. Keep asking questions, you'll get good answers on here and if one is bad or not correct you can be sure someone will correct it.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

crossmanmanman said:


> gohon i am sorry but i do not know what fpe is and i enjoy hunting and i would like to know how much fps is good for a good clean shot. i am only 13 yers old. no one in my famiy knows much abot huning so i do not have much of a eduactaion. i am starting out with pellet rifel to see if i like it. i thought that nodak was for questions. and my killing fps post is a question which i donot think is a bad quetsion please say why you think that is a terrible question :eyeroll:


We are pleased your asking questions. It is much better than just going out there with no help, and no ideas. Don't get discouraged. Also feel free to PM people with questions. Most are willing to help. It's an honor if someone thinks we know enough to ask us a question.


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