People hunt wild hogs with hollow point bullets shot from ... Air Rifles?

[astro]

I had no idea these things existed. I never knew that they had scaled up air rifle power to this extent.

[Lizard]

By historical standards, modern air guns are powered down.
Look up Wikipedia’s entry on air guns. I’ve done enough independent reading on this subject to vouch for its basic veracity:

Air guns represent the oldest pneumatic technology. The oldest existing mechanical air gun, a bellows air gun dating back to about 1580, is in the Livrustkammaren Museum in Stockholm. This is the timeline most historians peg as the beginning of the modern air gun.

In the 17th century, air guns, in calibers .30–.51, were used to hunt big game deer and wild boar. These air rifles were charged using a pump to fill an air reservoir and gave velocities from 650 to 1,000 feet per second (200–300 m/s). They were also used in warfare; the most famous example is the Girandoni Military Repeating Air rifle.

The Girandoni was really something, a quantum leap more advanced than most firearms of its day. But as is often the case, it’s possible to be TOO far ahead of your time.

[aceplace57]

Using an air rifle doesn’t sound very logical.

WIld Hogs are extremely dangerous to hunt. They will charge you and if your shot doesn’t take that boar off his feet you’re in deep trouble. You better get that second shot off damn quick. You won’t get a third chance.

I want no part in hunting hogs. I prefer squirrel hunting. Their bark doesn’t scare me at all.

[MichaelEmouse]

Lizard,

In your reading, did you stumble upon an approximation of the maximum practical velocity that could be attained?

Most air rifles have long barrels. Is a yard long barrel required to reach 1000 fps or would it be possible to have shorter barrels while maintaining handgun-level velocity?

[Lizard]

@MichaelEmouse

Lizard,

In your reading, did you stumble upon an approximation of the maximum practical velocity that could be attained?

Most air rifles have long barrels. Is a yard long barrel required to reach 1000 fps or would it be possible to have shorter barrels while maintaining handgun-level velocity?

No I didn’t, though Wikipedia states the rifle mentioned got roughly 1,000 fps. But that was with the technical limitations of the time. Modern .22 air rifles can already reach that pretty easily, though with a 10-20 grain pellet only. Theoretically, I suppose velocity would be dependent on the pressure that could be safely generated/maintained in the reservoir. If someone was willing to build a reservoir large and strong enough, I’m sure any velocity could be reached.

[lieu]

I had no idea guns like that existed, but the question in it’s use would be “why?”. Doesn’t make much sense to have the added weight and bulk of a large air chamber when the same velocity can be achieved and exceeded with a relatively minuscule amount of cartridge powder. Plus, how long does it take to prep for a follow up shot?

Still, major points for the coolness factor.

[Lizard]

@lieu

I had no idea guns like that existed, but the question in it’s use would be “why?”. Doesn’t make much sense to have the added weight and bulk of a large air chamber when the same velocity can be achieved and exceeded with a relatively minuscule amount of cartridge powder. Plus, how long does it take to prep for a follow up shot?

Still, major points for the coolness factor.

Well, every shell adds its own weight and bulk. Keep in mind that an air weapon requires only the projectile (the bullet) itself to be carried, and nothing else. This offsets the bulk of the pressure vessel to a large degree.
As for follow-up shots, they can be just as fast as any other type of weapon. Paintball guns are air powered, and they are (mostly) semi-automatic. The loading mechanism just loads another bullet, instead of an entire shell.