Airguns have been employed for hunting purposes for well over two hundred years. Perhaps the most famous example would be the Girardoni PCP air rifle used on the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The Girardoni was a big bore, multi-shot PCP airgun that was not only used to take game but also self-defense. Needless to say, it was way ahead of its time.
The question of whether airguns are humane for hunting has been answered. However, we still receive many questions about best practices when hunting with airguns. This article will try and address some of the key aspects of airgun hunting and ethics so that you have all the data you need to make an informed decision.
It’s up to you.
The debate on what’s “humane” can only be determined by the individual. For example, you may have two folks witnessing the same hunt. Let’s take a typical squirrel hunt. It’s highly uncommon for the squirrel to just sit there and provide the perfect silhouette, providing ample time to take aim and make a clean single-shot kill. More often than not, the squirrels are twitchy and on the move. That means that if you want to put one in the pot, you’re going to have to make the call about each shot. One person may never take a shot because they are never 100% sure of a clean kill. Another person may take every opportunity to take a shot. By pulling the trigger or not pulling the trigger, you are deciding what’s ethical for you. But, this scenario is not unique to airguns. It applies to all hunting regardless of the tool, i.e., airgun, firearm, bow, etc.
Can vs. Should, that is the question.
Airguns have the power, range, and accuracy to facilitate clean kills on everything from rats to bears. The better question is not: Can you use an airgun to hunt game? But rather, should you use an airgun? Again, this will come down to the individual.
Certain basic guidelines regarding caliber, energy, range, and accuracy have been discussed before, so we will not repeat them here. (If you have questions, please refer to the following articles.)
- Why Muzzle Energy is Important in Hunting
- Advantages to Hunting with Airguns vs Firearms
- Best Air Rifle for Raccoons
- Hunting Iguanas in an Urban Environment
- Pros & Cons of Hunting with Airguns
Most recently, we followed an online discussion about what constitutes acceptable accuracy for small-game hunting. It’s commonly accepted that a 1” kill zone is reasonable. So if your airgun, with you behind the trigger, can regularly deliver a shot within a 1” zone with meaningful energy (again, see our previous articles), then you and your airgun are probably good to go for small-game hunting.
While this may be the commonly accepted standard, others commented that 1” is just too big and that an airgun that could only group 1” at the given range was not suited for small game hunting. Again, we are dealing with people of differing opinions.
Because there’s no “law” stating what’s ethical or humane, it’s going to be up to the person to decide. The airgun in the discussion CAN make a clean kill, as demonstrated thousands upon thousands of times. One person would lean towards using it, while the other would lean against it. They are both correct because it’s a question of conscience, not science.
Where do you stand?
If you are wrestling with the dilemma of hunting or not hunting with airguns, then the best thing you can do is educate yourself. First of all, the idea that firearms are “better” for hunting because they have more energy and can make a more humane kill makes sense on paper, but it’s not how things play out in real life. It’s always going to be about the shooter and where they put their shot vs. the tool they use. Anyone who has done any amount of hunting and is honest about their experiences would tell you that they’ve left game in the woods at some point. It’s never what we, as hunters, want to do, but it happens. And it happens regardless of whether you are using an airgun, firearm, bow, or any other type of weapon.
Yes, Airguns are Humane for Hunting, if…
Airguns are humane for hunting. It comes down to how we prepare ourselves to use them ethically. Key elements would be to educate yourself about game anatomy, shot placement, projectile penetration, and the energy required to make a clean kill. The other part of the coin is your ability to execute that knowledge in the field. You’ll need to spend time on the range and then eventually get out there and test your skills. You’ll learn what works and what doesn’t, and you’ll also learn your limitations. Equipped with this knowledge and experience, you’ll have what you need to know to determine if the shot you’re about to take is humane or not.
