Air Gun Home :: View topic - Newbie going through rough times needs some advice.

Jaxom · Senior Member

I'm not going to sit here and whine about my circumstance. Nor will I belabor everyone with all the details. Because of my situation and some of the people I have met, I fully realize that I'm not alone. Quite often there are other people in worse circumstances then I.

I do have to relate some of the details about what I am going through in order to gain the advice that I seek.

Right now I'm jobless. In 2006 I was fired from a job without good cause. And was able to prove so to the state in order to recieve unemployment. Because of this termination I qualified for state assisted training in a trade. The class for welding I took was a bust. They never bother to teach our class how to read blueprints!

I recieved my basically useless certification January of 2007. A few weeks later my 70yr old mother was diagnosted with stage 4 breast cancer. I spent the whole of 2007 taking care of her. With the Lord's blessing she is now in remission.

I did work a seaonal job this spring for a national home improvement store. But because of the economy I, along with many of the other workers taken on earlier this year were all laid off. I didn't work long enough or pay into the unemployment fund to reiceve benifits again though. This leaves my mother and I struggling to put food on the table. And that is why I'm here.

A few years back before all this happened I bought myself a Crossman 1077s. Now I'd like to put it to some good use putting a few bits of meat on the table.

After reading about it some on the net, I do realize this is a borderline at best hunting rifle. Luckily for me, when I was younger I spent a great deal of time at the boyscout rifle range. This pellet rifle is alot like the old marlin, remington and so on .22's we shot back then.

Without doing any mods on this rifle. What am I looking at as an good range to stay within. I just mounted one of those cheap 1" tasco 4x15 scopes on it. Still have to sight it in though.

Game I'm seeking are of course your standard small fare. Squirrels, Pigeons, Dove, Rabbits. From what I heard about this rifle I don't think it'd be usefull on anything much larger. For anything larger I have a pistol sized 80lb crossbow.

Addtionally I also have a Crossman 1008 pistol. Again, I know this less then desirable when it comes to hunting with. But with the pistol I have an advantage. Where I live there's many bridges. And pigeons being rather stupid birds, will sit there while you stand only feet away. Figure I could get off a few rounds before they take off. And that beats hauling a rifle around and being more obvious with it.

Which ammo to use? I have a full can of 500 Crossman Premier hollow points 7.9g's or the Gamo raptors? I didn't pay anything for the gamo pellets, just happen to be at the sporting goods store when the Gamo rep was there and he gave me two "slugs" of them for free to try.

Direct questions about hunting. Honestly, I've never done it before. Always wanted to. These pellet guns were really only ment for times when I didn't want to go to the range and to practice with in my basement. I am however an advid fisherman. So I'm use to dealing with innards and things. That won't bother me in the slightest.

About field dressing though. If I bring a cooler loaded with ice, can I put fresh kill in it and dress at home? I'm speaking of pigeons of course. I don't think the 1008 has the power to take anything larger. While dressing game, what should I be looking out for in the way of parasites? I do realize everything will need to be cooked well and hit a miniium inside temps of 170F before eating. But if something has a really bad infestation, what should I look out for?

Any other tips or suggestions would be greatly apperciated!

Thanks

Jax

23ib0d0n · Moderator

Within 15 yards a 500fps muzzle velocity should take small game with an upper spine / brain stem hit, but at such low energy, it needs to be a precise aim / impact.

Used to hunt squirrel with a Crosman 760 and as long as it separates the spine from the brain, a squirrel won't move. With brain impact, a nervous system "break dance" occurs.

I'd prefer to not chase critters . . . Twisted Evil

yourdaddyjoe · Supporting Member

Hey Jaxom,

I feel your pain... I've been off "regular" work since last October and had the same fight and won the EDD... I now have no choice but to say home and take care of my disabled wife and work from home...

God gave you talents... use them to make extra $$$!

A pastor friend of mine has a great quote... If you can bake a cookie... do it! then sell them on the corner if you have too... We all are given talents to use them to make our way through this world.

Find your passion and DO IT!

Don't give up... you are not alone.

Some guys get a little nervous when I get on my soap box... so I don't stay there long...

God Bless

thepaladin · Senior Member

Ya, I've been there to. Your 1077sn't a real hunter, but it should take squirrel nicely. Like you've been told, head shots, close range as possible.

Also if you can weld, even without reading blue prints you can probably get on with a constructrition crew or find a spot in any kind of mainteance. Thru plants, body shops etc. You may have to start low but you can learn from the guys who know more.

God bless you and your familly. Hope things go well.

AirGunEric · Site Admin

Sorry to hear of your problems. Can't help you I'm afraid, but I can maybe help point you in the right direction with your airguns;

The 1088 you can bring down those pigeons- but at very close range- I don't think the 1088 could be considered the most accurate of pistols, so anything over 10-12 feet is probably not going to work well.

Next, the 1077 in general has been known to have poor barrel crowns, which results in accuracy issues. First- you need to see if yours is problematic. Set up a 10 metre/30 foot target and see if the gun shoot consistently. If not- check the barrel crown and fix it yourself if it's in rough shape: http://www.airgunhome.com/agforum/viewtopic.php?t=15

As for cleaning/dressing your kills- not my field of expertise- maybe someone else here can help you with this.

Beyond that- good luck, and Welcome to AirGunHome.com!

thepaladin · Senior Member

A squirrel is an easy clean. Cut the skin of the tail through from the botttom through the spine at the tails base, without cutting through the skin on the top of the tail. Slit the back of the rear legs a few inches, grasp the legs through the cuts, stand on the tail and lift. You'll pull off most of the skin, may have to trim the belly or back a little. Just cut the head away as I assume you don't plan to eat the brains.

Rogerflat · Silver Status Member

yourdaddyjoe · Supporting Member

That is the most intelligent thing I have heard you say all week Roger.

Bravo!
Clap Clap

Old Pa · Member

Use the heaviest round nose pellet your rifle can handle and shoot from within the range you can keep all your shots inside on one inch. Use specific targets in your game; the brain and the lungs/heart complex. Brain shots, of course, lead to less bloodshot meat. With a small sharp knife and quart bottle of clean water, you can eviscerate, wash, and cool your game in the field before it goes into your cooler. Illegitimi Non Carborundum! Good luck.

cw · Banned

Yeah, Roger's spot on with that one. It's just like when deer hunting.
You bleed (not necesarry with pigeons) and gut. I was taught by my
Dad and Grandad that you do this to keep the intestinal and organ
parasites, such as liver flukes, from migrating into the meat
(muscle tissue).

After spilling the guts, we always build a fire on top of them, to burn
and cook any parasites, so that coyote and other scavengers don't
pick them up.

thepaladin · Senior Member

Unless it's a very young one, squirrel tends to be a little tough and require long cooking anyway. Pasasites are usually not an issue. The only ones that would be in muscle at all (as mentioned before) some types of worm eyc., would cook out, as they do in pork.

cw · Banned

Yeah, it's no big deal if you don't mind eating dead worms.

thepaladin · Senior Member

Like you do any time you eat pork or chicken say????? Rolling Eyes

cw · Banned

Are you refering to the Trichinellosis also known as Trichinosis
worms that are in almost all pork products?

thepaladin · Senior Member

That's one. Actually there are a lot of good reasons to cook our meat. Still tastes good though. Laughing