Fastest Airgun?

[Luke]

I used to have a Remington that would zip a pellet 1000 fps, but my buddy just got a Beeman that pushes 1200 fps.

I was wondering if there is any pellet guns going 1200+ fps?

[gitano]

Depends on the weight and composition of the projectile (pellet). Simply put, "Yes".
 
I've seen 1600 advertised for 17 caliber, ultra-light-weight pellets.
 
Paul

[Luke]

Depends on the weight and composition of the projectile (pellet). Simply put, "Yes".
 
I've seen 1600 advertised for 17 caliber, ultra-light-weight pellets.
 
Paul

wow, thats faster than my shotgun

[gitano]

wow, thats faster than my shotgun

Maybe... "All that glitters is not gold."
 
Paul

[Brithunter]

Hmmm I wonder why this speed thing is so important with air guns. Surely it's the power and accuracy which is much more important as it matters not how fast the pellets that misses the target is going, it's how the accurate pellet performs on and in the target which is important.

Here in the UK normal air rifles are limited to producing 12 ft lbs muzzle energy. After this power limit they become firearms are are licenced just the same as a normal firearm. There are companies which produce special mainly pre charged pneumatics which produce much more power and 45 ft ls has been seen but there are a few spring powered high power air rifles. The problem is that these high velocities and power levels is that special design pellets or bullets are required as normal types become seriously unstable with the result that accuracy is almost non existant.

Now there are those who think that 12 ft lbs is not enough to cleanly kill anything would be surprised. For many years the pest controllers and air gunners have been sucessfully taken Rabbits, Pigeons and Rats at ranges up to 45 yards with no problems. Of course this does require learning how to shoot and judge range something which I am out of practice with as I have not brought the airguns out for some time but at one time I was shooting about 500-700 pellets a week through my Feinwerkbau 127, this rifle I brought in 1979 or 1980 and still have it, it has had to have the seals and springs replaced over the years.

  Oh I am talking about normal air gun calibres here and not the exotics like the pre charge .45 cals which have appeared in the last few years that produce more like 70+ ft lbs energy. Normal calibres are of course .177", .20", .22" and .25". Thses calibres have been about since spring powered air guns came about around 100 years of so ago.

[txc45]

Edited by Rockinbbar. Reason: Inflammitory.

[greywolf]

here is about the same , only we don't go by ft lbs , it is fps anything under 500fps is not licensed , anything over is treated as a regular firearm , but anyways the speed thing , most pellet guns have a very short effective range , i have yet to see a pellet gun under 500fps to hit and kill a rabbit at 100 yards! whereas the new spring powered pellet guns can and do break 1200 feet per second and  CAN hit and kill a rabbit at close to 100 yards if not more (never tried it) and the new pba hunting pellets are way cool! needless to say i think is a difference same as  the diff between a "regular " pellet gun and a .22 rimfire , which one is far more effective, and you have just answered your own question :) take care :)

[greywolf]

oh , i must add , they are great when you are moose hunting , and not finding a moose, shooting grouse as you go , no loud bang , no scare  biggame off and still at least getting some "chickens"

[gitano]

Surely it's the power

[/COLOR][/SIZE]

Is the point of velocity. "Power" (force per unit time) is a function of velocity.

Paul

[scoper-uk]

Yes we covered this somewhere, where the integrity of the pellet diminished on its journey to the target,, some lead pancaked at just a few yards, with the massive pressure placed on the nose of the projectile, causing misshapen noses tending to veer the pellet anywhere but at the target , then we have the long sheng shung,,, i may have miss spelt this,, but its similar theyre long heavy .177 fac airgun pellets that seem barrel fussy, for extreme high powered airguns pushing 60-90 foot pound, with solid heads and longer bodies,,, but then power in an airgun dictates the amount of lead contact with the inside of the barrel ,, friction etc, renders a projectile incapable / unsuitable for the job,, as most flat headed pellets are more suited to low power target work,,, i choose .177 myself as i have the choice now to pick an heavyweight pellet for predators like fox, at a given range for a hefty kinetic hit, or a relative light pellet such as crosman premier lights, 7.9 which will bowl rabbits over at 90  yards plus,

[scoper-uk]

some airgun barrels tended to shred the lead pellets  on their way up the barrel, they wouldnt grip in the rifling so had a rasp affect on the lead,,, so specific barrels were made out of older BSA airguns as they had wider land in the rifled grooves, and the twist wasnt so tight,,so Weihrauk ( Beeman)made the barrels better,, to cope with the higher velocities their rifles were capable of, an 80 or long stroke 77/97 1n 177 could easily reach 1200 fps,,but were rarely accurate with the pellets  of that era / early 80,s     so now  1000 fps with cp heavies is good enough for small game to 100m,,,

[Paul Hoskins]

Scoper, I would like you to explain how the nose of a pellet can be deformed in flight when fired from a pellet rifle. The nose of lead bullets fired in a cartridge rifle at 3000 FPS doesn't deform in flight. How is it possible for a lead pellet to deform at 1200 or even 1600 FPS? ......Paul H

[firebird]

Issues here are velocity and pellet weight. Accuracy has also been mentioned. The higher velocity pellet guns are not often as accuarrate as lower velocity air guns but the difference isn't often an issue in hunting, more in match target shooting.  Air guns physics are the same as firearm physics when projectile wieght and velocity and energy on target are considered. Light wight pellets shoot at higher velocity than heavier pellets from the same gun . Lighter pellets also have much less energy on target and lose their smaller amount of energy much faster than heaver pellets as the range is extended. I used a .22 cal. pellet gun that shot at 800FPS. I took many pigeons out to 50 yards but rabbits was a headshot only proposition out 40 yards or so. Pellets just don't have the projectile weight necessary for penetration on rabbits past very cose ranges even with heavy pointed pellets. Pellets lose velocity and energy very quickly over distance. Only  at  short ranges of 20 Yds or so would I trust a .22 pellet gun to penetrate a small rabbit for a clean kill. Wounding is never an option with me. I would never consider a .177 for hunting rabbits or anything bigger unless it is at very close range and head shots only. At 50yds a 800fps  22 cal. pellet  will penetrae and kill much better than a .177 pellet with a muzzel velocity of 1000 FPS . In firearms a .17 cal remington will fire a 25 grain  bullet at over 4000 fps second but it is usless on anything much bigger than a coyote. Due to its tiny 25 grn bullet, it has minimal  energy compared to a Winchester .458 shooting 500 grn. bullets at 2000 fps. At half the speed of the .17 Rem, the .458 Win   500 grn bullet  will drop an Elephant or Rino.
Lighter pellets will shoot faster  but will create less energy on traget and will lose energy much faster over distance than a heavier pellet at lower velocity.

[JaDub]

I`d take a heavier pellet at a slower velocity every time when I`m droping squirrels out of a tree at 30 yards with my .22 Gamo.  Tree rats around here have pretty tough hides and complete shoulder pass throughs are the norm.  I do use Kodiak Extra Heavy pellets for both accuracy and penetration........ out to 30 yds. I`ve never shot further than that so I can`t vouch for longer shots. At 30 yards I can punch nickle sized groups with consistancy.

[firebird]

Knowing your limitations is essential to taking game cleanly with an air gun. I have never excepted wounding animals as a sport. Shooting a racoon with a pellet and waiting for it to die of infection doesn't sit well with me. If your going to shoot at bigger game with a pellet gun, make sure you have both the energy and shot placment for a clean kill. Squirrels are no problem for a good .22 cal pellet gun or a higher velocity .177 at closer ranges. I don't even consider shooting the many big Jack rabbits in my area with a pellet gun. Jacks are muscular as **** and I have seen close range #5 shot, shotgun pellets fail to penetrait through the muscle.  They are tough as nails. I use the pellet gun on barn rats, squrrels and occasionally sitting rabbits at very close range. In winter I used to put out leftover veggies near the barn to attract rabbits within airgun range at night.