Hunting with air rifles

**Optimistix** · 17-08-2010, 15:39

As with all hunting I believe the ethics is a very personal matter ... The legal issue should be quite clear.

If the hunter uses proper equipment and does everything possibleto ensure that he/she gets close enough for a clean kill, then why not. With a powerful rifle you may be able to take the shot up to 200m or 300m, with bow you may limit yourself to a maximum of 30m and with the proper air rifle you may have to limit yourself to not more than 20m.

If you have equipment that can do it and you put in the effort to ensure that you don't suff up the shot, then why not?

I understand that you only need a license if the calibre is over 5.5mm.

Don't shoot in built-up areas, keep to distances that you can hit the brain of the animal you are hunting 100% of the time, use gun that will give you adequate penatration all the time and I can see no reason why there should be a problem.

Yes, there will be cowboys out there, but they are amongst hunters using all sorts of equipment ... we need to expose and sort them out on forums like this and leave the responsible hunters to hunt without our criticism.

**gunsports** · 17-08-2010, 16:21

Airgun hunting is quite popular world wide and as ethical as any other form of hunting - provided the gun matches the game. There are 20 cal air rifles that give very good account of themselves and are as humane as any other rifle, provided the hunter does his part; which goes without saying. In the UK air rifle hunting is quite a big sport, with birds, squirrels, bunnies and hare being taken. No reason why it cannot be done here. In fact, many .177 air rifles here have higher power ratings than the UK 12 ft lb limit. I regularly hunt with my air rifle and have never had problems with ethically killing the animals I shoot at and harvest.

**G-force** · 18-08-2010, 08:34

The law states in SA that NO hunting may be done with any air-rifle.Stupid law but it is there.You can get a 5,5mm air-rifle but not a .22 air-rifle without a liscence.Try asking the cops to take your application for a 5,5 air-rifle.The will tell you to go away.You can buy 4,5mm/5mm/5,5mm rifles here.PcP and springers.My 5,5 has 50fpe and can shoot straight through a guineafowl at 60m but it is not permitted.Pest control out of urban areas seems to be permitted with an air-rifle.A rabbit is an easy kill with a Pcp or quality springer like a Weirauch or Air Arms TX200.

**Wismit** · 18-08-2010, 08:57

Originally Posted by G-force

The law states in SA that NO hunting may be done with any air-rifle.Stupid law but it is there.

Can you please give some more info here. Which Sect of which Act state this.

I am very interested in reading the whole act.
I think it will be a good thing if we can read and/or study the said act and its regulations.

Please and Thanx !!!

**G-force** · 18-08-2010, 09:08

Give me a while I will find it on airrifle.co.za.

**yusuf_b** · 18-08-2010, 09:48

Originally Posted by G-force

The law states in SA that NO hunting may be done with any air-rifle.Stupid law but it is there.You can get a 5,5mm air-rifle but not a .22 air-rifle without a liscence.Try asking the cops to take your application for a 5,5 air-rifle.The will tell you to go away.You can buy 4,5mm/5mm/5,5mm rifles here.PcP and springers.My 5,5 has 50fpe and can shoot straight through a guineafowl at 60m but it is not permitted.Pest control out of urban areas seems to be permitted with an air-rifle.A rabbit is an easy kill with a Pcp or quality springer like a Weirauch or Air Arms TX200.

4give my ignorence but what would these 5,5 air rifles cost and is there a penalty for not having a license?

**Optimistix** · 18-08-2010, 10:29

The law states in SA that NO hunting may be done with any air-rifle

In most Provincial Ordinances bowhunting is also illegal, but you can get a permit which then makes tha activity legal. I can see no reason why this would not apply for a permit to hunt with an air rifle. One must make sure to read all relevant sections of relevant statutes and not make conclusions only on isolated sections.

**Janneman** · 20-08-2010, 11:21

I

---------- Post added at 11:21 ---------- Previous post was at 11:18 ----------

I found the Western Cape laws pertaining to hunting with air-rifles or in fact any calibre below 5.6mm be it a rimfire firearm as well . It is not allowed.

http://www.capenature.org.za/docs/41...Act%202000.pdf

Check page 45 and 46 , sections 29 and 30 . But also look at the definitions of a fire-arm early on in the document.

**Optimistix** · 21-08-2010, 12:40

Janneman, you are entirely correct, but you forgot the most important part of that section that reads:

"No person shall, unless he or she is the holder of a permit authorising him or her

to do so, hunt any wild animal—"

Under the definitions it states:

‘‘fire-arm’’

includes an air-gun having a barrel of a calibre of not less than five

comma six millimetres;"

That means that you can get a permit to hunt with an air rifle and if you have a permit the activity is lawful. Just make sure you alos have a permit to discharge an air rifle in a built up area if you wnat to hunt in town ... and with that, Your Hounor, I pack my case ...

Come on people, read the whole Act and get the full picture

**MidnightSpecial** · 21-08-2010, 14:23

I do a bit of rat and feral pigeon PC/hunting for local farmers using a .177 air rifle, I don't take shots at over 30 meters as my rifles are all 12fbs, with an air rifle there is very little chance of damage to barns and other farm equipment and live stock from a ricochet, for the kind of work I do it would not be safe to use a standard .22 or above fire arm