# Air Guns and Predators...



## Mark Steinmann

I'm about to pull the trigger on a .25 Benjamin Marauder PCP air rifle. I am wondering if anyone on here has used air guns on predator hunts?

With 50 FPE out of the .25 cal I will be limited to head shots at sub 60 yard ranges. I have 2 main reasons for wanting to get into this...

1. Use in certain town/city limits will open up new country only a few minutes from areas I frequent while on trips with family.

2. Near silent shots = more doubles & triples. I plan to use this in areas where we call Bobcats and Fox regularly. If any animals come in then the thinking is I will take them with the air rifle so we can continue to call in more predators.

I thought about getting a Ruger take down 10/22 and putting my suppressor on it but I still can't use it in town & city limits. Also even a supersonic 22lr suppressed is putting out 118 decibels at least. This air rifle puts out 75 decibels... the pellet hitting a skull is louder than the gun going off.

I have seen a few guys online take out Coyotes with this rifle so I guess it can be done. The picture below is just for food of thought as I grabbed it from Google...

Thoughts on this?

- Mark
















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## prairiewolf

Mark, there use to be a guy on here from down by Tucson, that hunted a lot with a PCP air rifle. I think his name was Brian, With some searching I am sure you could find some of his posts. I think he was using a 9mm though. He did very well with it.


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## youngdon

Yeah, he killed a few coyotes with it as I recall.


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## sneakygroundbuzzard

i know a guy in Hawaii that hunts hog with a .50 cal air rifle

one shot kills all the time with it too


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## Mark Steinmann

Oh cool I'll try to find the posts. I'll update this thread with any issues/successes I have with the PCP rifle for predators too. I'm excited to give it a try!

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## prairiewolf

I just need to get back out and call !, but I am anxious to see some results from a .25 caliber PCP


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## Mark Steinmann

prairiewolf said:


> I just need to get back out and call !, but I am anxious to see some results from a .25 caliber PCP


Well hopefully I'll have some early success with it! I'll keep the thread updated from getting the rifle to hunting with it.

- Mark

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## Mo Mo

I have been thinking of picking up a .22 cal break barrel pellet rifle. Now a days, the woods and hunting areas around town are so congested with people that I want to almost use one of these for small game, foxes and even the occasional close rang coyote encounter in some of our smaller state wild life areas. I have all but put my .22LR to bed, gave it to my daughter for plinking. Can't really use it where I want to out here. And if I go hunting out east or up in the hills, I am going to take my 6.5 Creed. Maybe I will just have to pick one up and try for a fox this year.


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## Mark Steinmann

Mo Mo said:


> I have been thinking of picking up a .22 cal break barrel pellet rifle. Now a days, the woods and hunting areas around town are so congested with people that I want to almost use one of these for small game, foxes and even the occasional close rang coyote encounter in some of our smaller state wild life areas. I have all but put my .22LR to bed, gave it to my daughter for plinking. Can't really use it where I want to out here. And if I go hunting out east or up in the hills, I am going to take my 6.5 Creed. Maybe I will just have to pick one up and try for a fox this year.


I hear you on that. Something about shooting almost silently and not disturbing the woods is intriguing to me as well. I'm going the .25 PCP route for that extra power downrange... but that doesn't come too cheap either unfortunately. Some of those break barrels are pretty good now too!

- Mark

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## azpredatorhunter

Mark, Fur-N-Dirt was using a pellet rifle... I thought he had one in .40 cal. I am not sure. I told him where to go calling years ago when he was in Tucson. He started posting pictures of coyotes and bobcats and then he moved on to bigger and better things. He got some extra help from a guy who's been predator hunting since the 80's... and that guy had the "Coyote Professor" aka Rich H. as his mentor who's been predator hunting since the 1950's .

I see you already found him.


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## Mark Steinmann

azpredatorhunter said:


> Mark, Fur-N-Dirt was using a pellet rifle... I thought he had one in .40 cal. I am not sure. I told him where to go calling years ago when he was in Tucson. He started posting pictures of coyotes and bobcats and then he moved on to bigger and better things. He got some extra help from a guy who's been predator hunting since the 80's... and that guy had the "Coyote Professor" aka Rich H. as his mentor who's been predator hunting since the 1950's .
> 
> I see you already found him.


 Thanks, yeah I found about 6 threads that touched a bit on hunting with air rifles. Just none went very deep on successes and failures.

I'm hoping to keep this thread updated on all my experiences with the .25 Marauder. Ordering it today, will update soon!

- Mark

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## Mark Steinmann

Well Cabela's got my business by dropping the price($80 cheaper than anywhere else) at the perfect time. Now to find a decent scope under $150 and a high pressure hand pump.

- Mark

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## Mark Steinmann

Got to pick up the rifle today and I'm quite impressed with the comfort of the stock and just how light this air gun is! Crosman included a 10 yard, 5 shot grouping...which looks like a 1 shot hole. I'm excited to get out up and running for this coming season!

I'm still waiting on my Amazon gift cards to be sent so I can order the rest of my gear. After looking at a lot of reviews I've decided to try a "Hawke Sport Optics Vantage 4-12x40 IR Riflescope, Mil Dot" scope. I've read you need the Mil Dot so it's easier to shoot different distances.

- Mark
















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## prairiewolf

Nice, cant wait to see what it does to a coyote or fox


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## youngdon

Me too !


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## Mark Steinmann

Me three! Haha... getting very excited to break skulls with this bad boy. My buddy at PVCI has one and hasn't tried taking a predator yet. He did shoot clean through 2 pigeons and proceeded to dent in his metal shed wall after all that. Powerful gun.....he said it will easily kill with a head shot out to 50 yards for sure.

- Mark

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## Larry

Go get em tiger...

Just had a thought, why dont you kill a yote with a regular rifle. Then use it as a target at different ranges.


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## Mark Steinmann

Larry said:


> Go get em tiger...
> 
> Just had a thought, why dont you kill a yote with a regular rifle. Then use it as a target at different ranges.


Hey Larry, yeah I have thought of doing that if I get the chance. See how far out the pellet will penetrate the skull....I like it!

- Mark

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## Larry

Mark my point is respect the life. I respect the animals I kill. I dont like Cripples and never have., I belive you feel the same. Why add any stress at all to the animal.

In fact I don't like animals that are in my traps for long. Despite I use offset jaws and they have allot less pressure on their foot then the old days, They are still restrained and that adds allot of pressure to an animal in itself. Fortunately for just a few hours, the animal just thinks its stuck and focuses on that. It has no idea man caused this and the strees really spikes then!

Just keep in mind you original challenge was to fool them with your call and mine is to fool them with food or sex lure/bait when I trap and not call. In the end our goals have been met and the animal should only undertsand for a as brief of time as possible man was involved.

Thanks for reading...hope you undertsand.

Larry


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## Mark Steinmann

Yep, on the same page Larry. I always go for the best chance of a quick kill. With powder burners in my mind that is the heart/lung shot as that is the area with the biggest target that will put them down quickly. The airgun however will never have the expansion or penetration needed to kill effectively in the pumphouse, therefore a close range head shot is my only option.

- Mark

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## Larry

Many years ago we military guys had a motto "Shoot "em" in the head, their dead" hard to argue with it. Thats the G-rate version BTW!


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## Mark Steinmann

My final shipment came in right at dark last night. I just had to throw it together and get a few pellets downrange(in my backyard). This thing is even more powerful than I thought it would be! I had an 8" thick box stuffed full of cardboard and the pellets still came out with enough force to chip my block wall and flatten all the way.....whoops!

Almost all sighted in now(the attached target is free hand shooting at 15 yards or so). Then I'll shoot it at paper in 10 yard increments from 10-60 yards so I can draw up a trajectory chart to tape onto the stock for easy reference while hunting.

My final step will be penetration testing downrange to make sure I know my limits for head shots on predators. Getting exited to be able to hit the field with it this season! I want to get a few squirrels with it as well as that sounds like a great time with this air rifle.

- Mark






























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## youngdon

Sshhhh don't tell the wife.

That seems to have good penetration. How many shots to a fill up ?


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## Mark Steinmann

youngdon said:


> Sshhhh don't tell the wife.
> 
> That seems to have good penetration. How many shots to a fill up ?


Haha she just rolled her eyes at me and told me to be smarter. 

I'll get 16 shots before they start dropping off.

- Mark

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## Larry

breking new ground is always fun Mark. Dealing with the Mrs. while breaking new ground...you will be held accountable! hahaha Next time shoot outdoors , stop clobbering her kitchens walls!

Mark,,,I am only having a little fun, I am actually a little jealous as that thing looks like it juts mught work on yotes. Has anyone does a coversion wear they used a compressed air tank?


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## Mark Steinmann

Larry said:


> breking new ground is always fun Mark. Dealing with the Mrs. while breaking new ground...you will be held accountable! hahaha Next time shoot outdoors , stop clobbering her kitchens walls!
> 
> Mark,,,I am only having a little fun, I am actually a little jealous as that thing looks like it juts mught work on yotes. Has anyone does a coversion wear they used a compressed air tank?


Haha nice Larry. I knew I was doing something wrong!

Yep guys use scuba tanks all the time. The only issue is that ups the cost of the operation by $300...lol. My hand pump took me 6 minutes to get me back to operating pressure after shooting 16 shots. Not bad!

- Mark

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## Mark Steinmann

Alright... got it sighted in at 25 yards for 1" high. That puts it at .25" low at 10 yards, 1" high at 25 yards, and should be back to 1" low at 45 yards. The goal in doing this was to have my air gun at "minute of Coyote brain" from 10-45 yards. That is the yardage I'm expecting to be using this at the most.

Even at 25 yards those pellets are soaring through the 8" of cardboard and still penetrating a 2x4 halfway! Seems like plenty of power to me! I've attached pictures of the 3 types of pellets that I have tested, all at 25 yards. The "Exact King Heavy" was a 5 shot grouping and the other 2 were 3 shot groupings. Not too shabby at all!

The hand pump takes about 5-6 minutes to re-pressurize the gun back to full operating pressure...I'm happy with that.

I'll have to wait to get it on paper at further distances as the backyard only allows me the 25 yards...

- Mark





































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## glenway

Once it's charged, how long will the charge hold?


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## Larry

Mark I bet you could use a portable air tank. You can buy from Autozone or Haborfrieght. If it was me I would build one from an 20lb propane cylinder. But then if you left the propane in it iy would be cool to see flames come out the barrel every shot! 

Of course I am a dumb man and maybe you need high pressure?????


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## Mark Steinmann

Larry said:


> Mark I bet you could use a portable air tank. You can buy from Autozone or Haborfrieght. If it was me I would build one from an 20lb propane cylinder. But then if you left the propane in it iy would be cool to see flames come out the barrel every shot!
> 
> Of course I am a dumb man and maybe you need high pressure?????


Haha, Yeah I don't think that would work. You have to use 4,500 psi tanks to fill these guns. The issue also is a scuba shop is where you take the tanks to get them filled as buying a high pressure compressor is about $1k. And the scuba shops will only fill inspected and approved tanks.

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## Mark Steinmann

glenway said:


> Once it's charged, how long will the charge hold?


Indefinitely or until you shoot it down. Rifle doesn't bleed air and it doesn't hurt the gun to leave it charged...in fact you have to leave at least 1,000 psi in it to hold all seals in place. Pretty cool system these high end air guns have!

- Mark

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## glenway

Agreed, Mark. I had a break-action RWS but couldn't use it for hunting, because it couldn't be charged and held for over 15 minutes.

Good luck with it.


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## Mark Steinmann

glenway said:


> Agreed, Mark. I had a break-action RWS but couldn't use it for hunting, because it couldn't be charged and held for over 15 minutes.
> 
> Good luck with it.


Oh bummer! So far I've seen zero leak with the Marauder. Hopefully that keeps up. The good thing is this rifle is able to break all the way down to fix issues. There are also tons of mods out there to custom tune it should I desire to do so.

- Mark

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## Mark Steinmann

Well a quick outing to the desert to shoot my air rifle at further distances rapidly turned into a bad situation. Luckily after hours out in the field I'm sitting at home with a truck in my driveway on all 4 tires again. Thankful this didn't happen at high speeds!

While I was waiting on help I figured I had time to shoot the rifle...lol. There's the outcome from 10-60 yards on paper. I'll get it zeroed at 10 yards which will give me a 2" spread from 10-50 yards. After that I'll definitely need to know where I'm hitting and adjust accordingly.

- Mark



















































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## youngdon

I'm glad to see you got it fixed.

So that's where all the " just for feet " security tape went.


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## Larry

You are a braver man then I relying on a high lift. Or is your jack stand really holding the truck?? My high lift is moslty because I am a whimp and I use it as a cheap winch.

Glad its fixed and I am glad your safe, that mohave behind you in the scrub when your putting the break on could care less...made you look! Hahaha.

Your peas shooter looks good enough for a head shot! Question, you feel safe holding a 4500 psi bomb is 100 degree heat? hope theres a relief valve somewhere?


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## Mark Steinmann

Larry said:


> You are a braver man then I relying on a high lift. Or is your jack stand really holding the truck?? My high lift is moslty because I am a whimp and I use it as a cheap winch.
> 
> Glad its fixed and I am glad your safe, that mohave behind you in the scrub when your putting the break on could care less...made you look! Hahaha.
> 
> Your peas shooter looks good enough for a head shot! Question, you feel safe holding a 4500 psi bomb is 100 degree heat? hope theres a relief valve somewhere?


Yeah just after this picture I raised that Jack Stand and got both supporting the truck.

Haha, never thought of the reservoir as a bomb....now I won't be super safe feeling. Thanks Larry 

- Mark

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## prairiewolf

Glad to see you got it fixed and out of there before it got stripped !!


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## Mark Steinmann

prairiewolf said:


> Glad to see you got it fixed and out of there before it got stripped !!


Yes sir me too! That was a big fear I had. Turned up we were the last on that road the night before and first ones back the next day!

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## Mark Steinmann

Well I went out this morning. First stand I had a Coyote come into 50 yards but stayed in the thick brush and kept walking slowly. No shot!

Was able to test it out on a cottontail though and zipped one right through the brain at 43 yards while standing and using a monopod. Pellet penetrated and I heard it buzz into the air with a bunch of momentum leftover. Rabbit flipped over and was dead.

Until next time Wiley.......

- Mark
















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## Mark Steinmann

I'm also thinking that I need to put some type of camo on this gun...kinda sticks out like a sore thumb. 

I may have to rattle can it...

- Mark

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## prairiewolf

Congrats on the first kill with the new gun Mark !


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## azpredatorhunter

Poor bunny... ????

That air cannon could use a little camouflage


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## Mark Steinmann

Haha, yeah that bunny never saw it coming. 

I think I will need to camo the gun if I want consistent success getting the Coyotes in close enough to shoot with it....50 yards is not very far!

- Mark

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## Mark Steinmann

I went out for 1 stand with the air rifle....and it paid off! Shot this big ol' Female Bobcat at 40 yards! I'll post up the whole story of how it happened on my quick hunts thread soon...

- Mark






























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## glenway

Success! Dang good looking cat there, Mark. You're going to make AZP jealous, don't you know? Don't need no stinkin' cages.

Way to go. And, another chapter in your upcoming book is complete.


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## prairiewolf

Now thats the way to break in a new air rifle, Congrats !!


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## Mark Steinmann

Thanks guys, I'm still on cloud 9 from that. Cats are always special, but taking one with a near silent air rifle was something else entirely!

Oh....and yeah, who needs traps or camo? Lol

- Mark

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## hassell

Congrats. on the hunt.


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## azpredatorhunter

Congrats Mark


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## prairiewolf

"Oh....and yeah, who needs traps or camo? Lol"

Love that statement and I agree


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## youngdon

Congrats Mark...How'd I miss this ? Nice cat !


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## Larry

Nicely done youg man! You are breaking new ground in the predator calling world you know! Now go get a yote or a lion!


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## Mark Steinmann

youngdon said:


> Congrats Mark...How'd I miss this ? Nice cat !


Thank you Don. My biggest Bobcat to date and I nailed her with the brand new air rifle.... couldn't be happier!

- Mark

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## Mark Steinmann

Larry said:


> Nicely done youg man! You are breaking new ground in the predator calling world you know! Now go get a yote or a lion!


Thank you Larry! This rifle really opens up a lot of new country(or should I say City....) for me! Not legal for lion unfortunately in AZ. I believe the smallest air rifle they allow you to take lion with us 35 caliber. You know a Coyote and Fox is next on my list though!

- Mark

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