The benefits of air rifles

Many people spend most of their time thinking about which guns to invest in for their Bug-Out supplies. One weapon that is often overlooked is the simple, quiet Air Rifle. Perhaps it isn't so useful for defense as a more powerful weapon, but for small game hunting and rodent control, they are a survivors best friend. They come in many calibers but the most common are the .117  and the .22.

They are basically very quiet and they can bring down a bird, squirrel, rabbit, and if you're good, ducks, geese, pheasant etc... One of the major bonuses is the relative silence of an air rifle. You are not broadcasting your presence to everyone within a mile or so. This might be a life savor if there are gangs of looters or whack-jobs in the area.

Another bonus it the availability of ammo. I have fired BBs, Pellets, tiny stones and small nails with killing accuracy. If it fits the barrel properly to be propelled by the air you pumped into the weapon (or CO2) then generally you can fire it. Yeah, it isn't always good to fire non-rated projectiles, but in a pinch, you do what you must. Options are good to have.

I killed this squirrel with a framing nail from my .117 cal Air Rifle this morning

Another one of the solid bonuses of an air rifle is the low weight. It can easily be carried in a cut out holster or strapped to your bug out back pack. 

Power

The general rule with air rifles is that .177 is good for birds and .22 is for fur. This is because the .117 lacks the stopping power and penetration of the heavier .22 pellet (Not to be confused with a .22 cal firearm). But I have been able to kill squirrels with a .177 air rifle as long as I pump it ~30 - 35 times and take careful aim at the kill zones. To kill a squirrel you will need a weapon with a muzzle velocity above 600 fps. I have read that you can kill small fur bearers with a MV as low as 300 fps, but I have not achieved it. 

You can pick up an efficient air rifle at Wal-Mart for ~$25, but if youre going to use it for hunting, splurge a bit and get the $50 - $100 range. Picking up a .22 cal with a 1000fps MV would make rabbits, and other such game much easier to harvest. I once killed a Massive Canada Goose with a .22 1000 fps air rifle firing pointed tip pellets. A good friend has even been able to use his air rifle to fire long thin harpoon-like projectiles with 20lb test fishing line attached and has had amazing success harvesting Salmon and large spawning fish during spawning season.

Air rifles can be a great addition to the survival pack for hunting anything from bullfrogs, to waterfowl to jackrabbits. They're quiet, light, the ammo is variable and cheap. They don't need a re-loader because there is no gun powder. Many come with tac-rails for mounting a scope and if it comes down to using it for defense... "You can shoot someones eye out with that thing Kid!"

Gutting and Skinning a rabbit

This is actually the clearest and best video I have ever found on this topic. You can follow the cooking and serving tips too if you want to, he really knows what he is doing. Personally, I prefer to roast the rabbit over the fire instead of poaching it, but his method allows for 100% safety. A 2 hr hard boil will kill anything.

With Rabbits, always check the liver for yellow spots/tularemia, and be wary of parasites in the skin/body. Mostly rare problems but it is better to be safe than sorry. Wear gloves if you have them just to be on the safe side. If you want to take an added safety precaution, gut the rabbit while it is submerged in the water. Tularemia can be spread by breathing in infected particulate. If tularemia has infested rabbits in your area, clean any rabbits killed in a basin of water and check the liver for spots before skinning. If the liver shows signs of disease, throw away water and rabbit, sterilize the basin, refill it and move on to the next rabbit.

JKD