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packrat · Senior Member

Watching some rabbit hunting videos, from Great Britain, England to be exact, it suddenly occured to me that my thinking comcerning fpe numbers has been incorrect. Being American, I naturally think that MORE is better, regardless of what it's in realtion to...more is always better...Well, these guys in England have that silly 12FPE rifle limit (unless they get some sort of special license) Anyway,, they're out there with AA S400 and S410 rifles, knocking down bunnies at some respectable distances...40-50 yards..This got me to thinking about my 12fpe, .177 caliber AS2250 HPA gun....so with the help of Chairgun, I discovered that @ 40 yards, gun is still producing 8 fpe, and 7 fpe @ 50 yards...so, armed with this new info, I get my little .177 and head out to go sit under the huge Magnolia tree in my back yard. Didn't have to wait very long before a good size, full grown squirrel comes casually walking across the yard right in front of my backstop which is at a measured 47 yards. So, I lined his eye up and took the shot. Jumped straight up about 3 feet and hit the ground stone cold dead.......I admit luck DID play a part in my getting such a good head shot......But the point I'm trying to make here is that it isn't necessarily always about having outrageous fps/fpe numbers....I am way impressed with the little Crosman 2250...
Has this sort of thinking happened to any of you guys? or is this just another sign of how quickly my age is starting to show Faq-U

edited to correct mis-spellings...

rsterne · Moderator

Here is a chart from Robert Beeman:

These are his recommended minimums....

2 FPE for sparrow or mouse
3 FPE for squirrel, starling or pigeon
5 FPE for rat or rabbit (and grouse, IMO)
8 FPE for jackrabbit

I have shot many grouse with a .177 Slavia with 7.8 gr. pellets at 650 fps.... that's just 7.3 FPE at the muzzle, 6 FPE at 20 yards, and 5.4 FPE at 30 yards.... If you hit them in the head, they are just as dead as with my 20 FPE PCP Carbine.... The difference is that with my current Grouse Gun it literally knocks them over from the impact and really stuns them.... there is a huge exit hole, so no question a lot of the energy is wasted though....

Bob

packrat · Senior Member

Thanks for that chart, I'll save it for reference.....
One good thing about having the huge exit hole...it means you won't have to look around to see where bird got of to....it should be right at the spot it was shot Cool

sniper · Silver Status Member

i know that chart and only disagree with the rat. 5fpe is overkill. Laughing

i've taken many with -3fpe. Twisted Evil

at lower velocity pointed pellets make a HUGE difference. Twisted Evil

on another sight there is a guy who bags cottontails with a 1377
at 30 yards with only 3.5 fpe on target using rws hollowpoints. Shocked

and they're headshots. Shocked

he says they drop. Shocked

i've wondered the reality of necassary power relating to a target
like a soda can filled with water. it takes a minimum of 3ishfpe
to go all the way thru one filled with water.

a medium sized rat doesn't stop a 7.9grain .177 pellet
at 450 fps. neither does a soda can filled with water.

just thinking outloud. Razz

Mark5043 · Silver Status Member

domer_pyle · Senior Member

exactly why my B3-3 is becoming the backyard exterminator of choice, right next to the 2100. 2100 for close shots (open sights), and B3-3 for anything near or in the trees since it will be scoped. Don't underestimate a pellet moving at only 450-600 fps

oddtodd · Silver Status Member

It's the same with me. I can take a squirrel at 25 yards with my storm or my 2400 custom, but my dad can't do it with his 22lr because he hasn't practiced enough to get consistent head shots.

donwalk · Veteran Member

kanyon · Silver Status Member

Hi...
If they are the vids I'm thinking of...
well that guys no joe avarage..
he's a british army sniper..

He has a vid on how to use the scope/mill dots etc..