Pigeon shooting - what works best for rockies

**Againstthegrains** · 04-09-2023, 10:20

Spent and afternoon helping a friend harvest speckled (rock) pigeons. And helping the ostrich farmer from having 10 000 pigeons carrying off half a cup of grain each every day in their crop. So a win win deal. We realised quickly that a pellet gun is more productive and a lot cheaper than a shot gun. The shot gun blast scares them away for too long, but the pile of dead birds with a quiet air gun in an area, just keeps bringing them in.

My friends shot 0.177 PCPs and one guy shot a high power .22 FX with slugs. I plodded along with my Gamo lever gun in 0.177.

At the end of the day, I found I lost a lot of birds, because the 0.177 did not have enough oomph, if I didn't get a perfect spine or head shot.

On the other hand, the FX shot birds dropped reliably, but were so messed inside that it was difficult to salvage the breasts in one piece.

Do you guys have any suggestions as what the ideal pellet diameter design and speed is for this purpose. I would like to get a better hit rate and loose fewer birds, without messing up too much meat?

Standard pellets vs jumbo?

0.177 vs 0.22?

"expanding" pellets?

**Vaal** · 04-09-2023, 10:50

What speed does your springer launch a pellet? Maybe time to change the spring? What's the range? A springer is quite noisy vs a pcp with a silencer.

**gary-t** · 04-09-2023, 11:16

Originally Posted by Againstthegrains

Spent and afternoon helping a friend harvest speckled (rock) pigeons. And helping the ostrich farmer from having 10 000 pigeons carrying off half a cup of grain each every day in their crop. So a win win deal. We realised quickly that a pellet gun is more productive and a lot cheaper than a shot gun. The shot gun blast scares them away for too long, but the pile of dead birds with a quiet air gun in an area, just keeps bringing them in.

My friends shot 0.177 PCPs and one guy shot a high power .22 FX with slugs. I plodded along with my Gamo lever gun in 0.177.

At the end of the day, I found I lost a lot of birds, because the 0.177 did not have enough oomph, if I didn't get a perfect spine or head shot.

On the other hand, the FX shot birds dropped reliably, but were so messed inside that it was difficult to salvage the breasts in one piece.

Do you guys have any suggestions as what the ideal pellet diameter design and speed is for this purpose. I would like to get a better hit rate and loose fewer birds, without messing up too much meat?

Standard pellets vs jumbo?

0.177 vs 0.22?

"expanding" pellets?

When you mention a Gamo lever rifle I assume you are talking about the under barrel cocking lever CFX. These are high powered spring rifles and should easily be able to take down a rocky. Maybe you should try some heavier pellets such as JSB Exact Heavy. They are about 1.58gr heavier than standard. You also get a JSB Jumbo. I see that JSB also has a range of hunting pellets like the predator etc. Look at Blades and Triggers.

**oafpatroll** · 04-09-2023, 12:10

I've used these on indian mynahs out of a CFX and they kill very cleanly. The CFX does have a gas ram conversion so is probably a bit peppier than standard. I realise a pigeon is a bit heavier but i'd be surprised to find they won't work well.

**janfred** · 04-09-2023, 14:53

Well, unless you've spent some money, the Gamo is probably not that accurate. It puts out 12-14ft.lb. Your limit should be the distance you can hold a 2cm group in the conditions. At a guess, that is probably around <25mfor an untuned Gamo.

Use JSB Exact (8.44gr) or Exact Heavy (10.3gr). Head or neck shots work best when side on. Do not try to shoot through the wing. From behind aim to hit centre of the back to base of the neck. From the front aim base of the neck.

For closer shots, i.e. in barns, use flat head pellets. JSB Medium Match or H&N Match. Less chance of shoot-through.

**SoldierMan** · 04-09-2023, 15:00

Quick question, are heavier pellets always a better option for hunting pigeons, rats, squirrels, etc.?
Got a 4.5mm Gamo springer.

**janfred** · 04-09-2023, 16:34

No. Just get less wind deflection making longer shots easier provided you know the trajectory.

**Brendank** · 05-09-2023, 19:14

Originally Posted by oafpatroll

I've used these on indian mynahs out of a CFX and they kill very cleanly. The CFX does have a gas ram conversion so is probably a bit peppier than standard. I realise a pigeon is a bit heavier but i'd be surprised to find they won't work well.

These ^^^ work very well, as do traditional flat nose match pellets in .177 on Pigeons. I've shot plenty with the Gamo Match and they dropped DRT.

First prize would be slugs, see here:
https://www.sharpedge.co.za/jsb-diab...2mm-500-pieces

OR

https://www.sharpedge.co.za/jsb-diab...1mm-500-pieces

**janfred** · 06-09-2023, 08:37

Slugs generally do not work well with springer rifles. Even less so for .177 rifles.

**oafpatroll** · 06-09-2023, 08:44

Originally Posted by Againstthegrains

Spent and afternoon helping a friend harvest speckled (rock) pigeons. And helping the ostrich farmer from having 10 000 pigeons carrying off half a cup of grain each every day in their crop. So a win win deal. We realised quickly that a pellet gun is more productive and a lot cheaper than a shot gun. The shot gun blast scares them away for too long, but the pile of dead birds with a quiet air gun in an area, just keeps bringing them in.

My wingshooting mates and I have discussed this at length before and the consensus we reached was that from the farmers point of view the birds being scared away was pretty much first prize and that the total number killed on a day was largely irrelevant. That because an absent, or moving, bird can't eat and that even if we shot a 1000 birds on a farm in a day it would represent a tiny fraction of the remaining flock. The win for them is that there is a day where less eating happens.