Air rifles for tree rats

A 22 long rifle, such as this Browning T-Bolt, remains a top choice of squirrel hunters.

Little-known fact: The Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1803 used an air rifle to harvest game and keep hostile peoples at bay.

Fast-forward to the present day and all the technology that made modern sporting arms what they have become. Well, similar advancements have been incorporated into air rifles and make them an interesting alternative for small game hunting.

With a muzzle velocity exceeding 1,400 feet per second and modern rifling, today’s air rifles are as accurate and deadly as many rim-fires. Commonly bored for .177 and .22 pellets, a modern air rifle is quite capable of dispatching small game or nuisance animals.

Fitted with a modern scope they are as accurate as most .22 rifles at identical ranges.

About David Hawkins 195 Articles
David Hawkins is a freelance writer living in Forest. He can be reached at hawkins2209@att.net.