Author Archives: Jim Chapman
Shot Placement: Head or Body?
Many airgunners were taught from the beginning that only head shots were a viable option for hunting ethically. I think head shots are fine, but a well placed heart/lung shot offers many advantages as well. For about as long as I’ve been hunting with air powered rifles, I have listened to the debate on shot … Continue reading
My approach to hunting rabbits with an air rifle.
I’ll talk a little bit about my techniques for hunting cottontail and jackrabbits in the West Texas scrub. A simple quarry can make for a fun and challenging hunt, depending on your approach! I have been asked if hunting jackrabbits is the same as hunting cottontails, and my response is that while there are some … Continue reading
Planning a Road Trip and Squirrel Hunt for 2025!
As the turkey season comes to a close, and hunting opportunities slow down for the summer, I am giving some thought as to how I will kick off the new small games season for 2025, and think I have an idea! Squirrel hunting is one of the most popular airgun quarries in the States, and … Continue reading
Are Bullpups and Semi-Bullpups Top-Guns For Hunting?
Conventional sporter rifles, carbines, bullpups, or semi-bullpups? I’ll talk about the guns I gravitate to for field work. Love a Compact Hunting Rig I am frequently asked what I look for in a hunting rifle? There are the nonnegotiable requirements of accuracy, appropriate power, reliability, and ergonomics. For me, there is a second level of … Continue reading
A Ghost in the Desert: Hunting Jackrabbits
I take the BRK Ghost .30 caliber out to the ranch in pursuit of jackrabbits. Join me and I’ll tell you what I think of this gun in the field! Introduction Rabbits and hares are cyclic, and their populations can fluctuate depending on rain, predation, and disease. On my last trip to Texas, I had … Continue reading
Another Trip with the BRK Ghost .30 Caliber PCP
I was heading out after prairie dogs next, as I wound down a two-week hunting road trip that spanned almost border to border! Introduction This trip took me to the Oglala Sioux tribal lands right on the edge of the Badlands national Park in South Dakota. The terrain in this region is spectacular, with buttes … Continue reading
Sqeak’n them in!
Jim picks up an opportunistic fox with the BRK Ghost .30! I was on a recent hunt at a friend’s ranch down in West Texas, and my buddy Chacho and I had been out looking for rabbits, finding the cyclic population at a low point. It was also hotter than expected, and we didn’t see … Continue reading
Snowshoe Hare Hunting This Year
It was a strange season for weather patterns and rabbits transitioning from fall to winter coats, but a lot of challenging hunting! Over the last few years, snowshoe hare has become my favorite deep winter hunts. These beautiful rabbits are fun to hunt regardless of the cover, but deep snow after they’ve transitioned to their … Continue reading
Semi-Auto Western Airguns Rattler .357 on a Javelina Hunt!
In this entry I’ll tell you how the Western Airgun Rattler worked out for me on a javelina hunt down in Texas! Introduction I was heading south on a javelina hunt and received a new rifle from AOA, the Western Airguns Rattler. The Rattler is a .357 rifle capable of generating substantial power, and the … Continue reading
Getting the band back together! Kicking off a new series of the AOA hunting blog!
After a long hiatus, we’re getting the blog back up and running! Introduction: Greeting all, it’s good to be back on the hunting blog! While we never officially ended it, over the last couple of years I have been sidetracked with other projects, which made it hard to keep up with regular postings. But as … Continue reading
