Another Trip with the BRK Ghost .30 Caliber PCP

Posted on April 18, 2025 by Jim Chapman

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 and rock formations popping up throughout countless miles of prairie grassland. On my way to Sobo’s Ranch on the reservation border, I saw mule deer and pronghorn antelope bounding across the open plains, while herds of bison grazed against postcard backdrops. Sobo’s Ranch offers some very nice camping facilities and guided hunts on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. They had set me up in a comfortable travel trailer at the campgrounds, used for visitors that don’t have their own rigs and prefer not to tent camp, though tent camping in their improved sites is another option.

I set up on the range and got in some practice with the BRK Ghost in the windy conditions that prevailed

After unloading my gear and making lunch, I set up a makeshift shooting range right outside my front door, placed a target at 100 yards, and proceeded to sight in the Brocock BRK Ghost .30 caliber rifle I’d brought for long range shooting. With a moderate wind blowing, I consistently piled pellets into the kill zone of a prairie dog at this range. I was impressed with both the accuracy and power of the Ghost in .30. After sighting in the ranch owner loaded me into his truck and we drove to several prairie dog towns which tribal wildlife management has earmarked for shooting. I dropped pins on google earth and drew a map for backup, as I would be shooting on my own for the next couple days.

Hunting the Grasslands

The following morning, I saddled up and was off at 8:00, as prairie dogs are active throughout the day so there is no need to get up early. The drive was about 10 miles down a paved road before getting to the first fence that led onto a dirt road. Driving across rolling hills, with the occasional stop to open a livestock gate, it was about 8 miles to the first prairie dog town. The towns are identified by dirt mounds popping up on a blanket of green native grasses, and as I rolled in prairie dogs that had been standing sentry barked warnings as they dropped down their burrows.

I parked and aired up the rifle with one of the carbon fiber tanks packed into my 4-wheeler, appreciating the fact that with the relatively high shot count there was no need to pack extra air. I carried a extra pellets and a bottle of water, though I did find that spraying down with some insect repellent was a very good idea. At this time of year there are big black flies that have evolved to snack on bison but are just as happy with a hunter laying in the grass. A bite from one of these can raise an itchy welt that lasts for days!

Vast expanses of rolling hill and grassland
I hiked until reaching a PD town
PD’s popped up, barking at me

My approach was to take a prone shooting position with the Ghost up on an attached adjustable bipod. When walking towards the towns the prairie dogs would drop out of sight, but after 10 minutes they would start to resurface if I didn’t move or make noise. Most of the shots offered were at 100-120 yards, and I tried to stick with headshots. There were some changing winds, but an advantage of shooting a quiet rifle at this distance, is that a miss would not spook my intended target. I could adjust for windage if I missed on the first shot, and the corrected second shot was usually dead on.

An advantage of the .30 over a .25 caliber, in my opinion, is that out of a high-power gun the .30 seems to offer slightly better performance at longer ranges in windier conditions and impacts with more authority at that range. I was using JSB Exact Diabolo 44.75 gr roundnose pellets, which provided accuracy and solid terminal performance.

The scope used was the Leapers Integrix iX 3-18×44 FFP which has become one of my go-to optics because of outstanding image clarity, a clean and intuitive reticle, and a very wide field of view which is an asset in this type of shooting. It allowed me to dial in the magnification but still see enough of the surrounding area to easily locate acquire small and mobile targets.

Shooting prone was the best option, reducing my exposure and providing a stable shooting platform

Over the next couple of days, I worked my way through two more towns and removed dozens of prairie dogs. The imperative of wildlife management in these areas is to reduce the population and curtail expansion outside of the established towns. Shooting is not allowed in all areas, mostly where there is a conflict with livestock. But even so, this leaves several thousands of acres of shooting opportunity. In addition to being a fairly good pest control approach, hunting licenses and outfitting fees provide a recurring revenue stream to the tribe.

I had to make windage adjustment s on the fly.

My Experience with the Ghost for Long Range Shooting

The BRK Ghost was a brilliant shooter, the accuracy and power profiles of this rifle are top notch, but it was the ergonomics and shootability that really stood out. Air management provided a high shot count and excellent shot-to-shot consistency, the trigger and sidelever action are buttery smooth, and I found it to be one of the best long-range small-game shooting rigs I’ve used! I also believe that for my applications on this trip, the .30 was the perfect option. It is my understanding that the Ghost is the first model offered in .30 by Brocock and I believe they got it right!

On the third morning of my stay in South Dakota, it was forecasted that a major storm was heading in. After almost two weeks on the road, hunting hard on minimal sleep and being battered by nasty weather at every turn, I was done in! So instead of exploring a new prairie dog town, I loaded up my gear, said goodbye to my hosts, and started the drive back to Minnesota to get an extra couple days of rest before going back to work.

Categories: .30 caliber, Airgun Expedition, Airguns of Arizona, best hunting caliber for an airgun, Brocock, Ground squirrels, Prairie dogs, where to hunt | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

Sqeak’n them in!

Posted on April 4, 2025 by Jim Chapman

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 much outside of quail. Heading down the dirt road in a Mule ATV, a fox jetted across the road, probably out to grab one of the many quail we’d seen along the way. We stopped and walked into the woods, Chacho had a video camera, and I had the BRK Ghost .30 caliber which has become one of my favorite guns.

Jim lining up the BRK Ghost on an incoming fox!

We saw the fox had moved quite a distance way from us, not at a dead run but more of a slow trot. I had a rabbit distress call in my vest jacket but had left that in the Mule. As I looked for my call Chacho had started squeaking, and the fox spun freezing in place. The squeaking continued, it was a kissing noise to imitate a mouse or small rodent in distress, the fox started approaching, slowly at first then speeding up. Chacho paused the sounds as the fox stopped at about 60 yards looking in his direction. I was about 10 feet to the left lining up my shot.

I’d found a broken tree trunk that made a perfect rifle rest, and had the crosshairs locked in slightly high on the head. I’d sighted in using NSA Slugs at 50 yards, and the Ghost was dialed in. I told Chacho later that there are certain rifles that fit me so well, that when I’m locked in it feels like I can’t miss, and the BRK Ghost is high on that list. I’d found in a thorough range session testing a variety of projectiles, this gun is particularly accurate with NSA slugs.

The .30 caliber shooting slugs proved a very effective tool.

I squeezed the trigger and sent the 47.2 grain slug down range at 870 fps or 79 fpe (per range results) that impacted on target, anchoring the fox on the spot. The shot placement was exactly where I’d anticipated and couldn’t have been any more effective. I grabbed the fox placing him in the back of the mule for a trip to the skinning shed. The Ghost and the NSA slugs proved a great combination for predator hunting, and I have no qualms using it for fox, bobcat, or coyote. Of course, shot placement is everything!

Predator hunting with an air rifle is fast paced action, and I think a good alternative to trapping and poison.

I’m in the middle of a two week hunting trip as I write this, and getting ready to go out night calling for predators tonight, and trying to decide between mounting a thermal or NV optic on either the Ghost or the Western Rattler I’d used the day before on a javelina. I have two problems: first is deciding which to take, and secondly bringing myself to rescope them after getting the guns optimized for their specific pellet!

A quick mention, in a pinch squeaking (or kissing them in) can work very well. The volume is low, but if the predator is close enough to hear the sound, it can be very effective. Even when using a mouth call or an electronic caller, you will often switch over to squeaking when the predator gets into a closer range so as not to frighten them off. It also will often stop a running animal in its tracks and is a good arrow in your predator hunting quiver.

A couple observations on gear: if you follow any of my work you know I’m a huge fan of the BRK Ghost .30, one of my favorite airguns and calibers for small to medium sized game. In fact, I feel completely comfortable hunting medium sized feral hogs with it, which says a lot. Next, the NSA 47.2 grain slugs were a great match for this gun.

What’s next: by the time you read this my two-week trip to Texas will be history and I’ll have a mountain of content for articles and videos, that’s when I get busy with writing and editing! Next week I am going to try to make time for a couple days up in Wisconsin after the last pre-spring trips for snowshoe hare, while they are transitioning from white to brown and the terrain is transitioning from snowy white to springtime browns and greens. After that it’s S. Dakota for prairie dogs and some long-range shooting!

Again, it’s good to have the blog up and running again, and I hope you all keep coming back. If you have something specific to airgun hunting you’d like for me to look at or discuss, just let me know.

Categories: .30 caliber, adjustable buttstock, airgun ammo, Brocock, Predator hunting, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Snowshoe Hare Hunting This Year

Posted on March 21, 2025 by Jim Chapman

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 winter coats of white with a little fringe of black around their ears is the best! It also doesn’t hurt that they are very good table fare.

On an early hunt, the cover was still brown but some of the rabbits were transitioning

Things started out with warmer than usual weather and a late snow that was light and melted off a few times before it finally stuck. On my first hunts there was no snow cover, and initially the rabbits were still brown, and for the next couple outings they were mottled. As a matter of fact, I found it interesting that on one trip I saw brown, mottled, and white coats at the same time. I’ve only been hunting these rabbits up North for 4-5 years, and maybe someone with lifetime experience will correct me, but I think it is uncommon to see this range of transitioning fur simultaneously.

The Hunts

I hunted public land exclusively, and besides a local friend giving me locations, I did a fair bit of scouting. I started squirrel hunting several weeks earlier than rabbits and used these trips to scout for snowshoe honey holes at the same time. The snowshoe hare population is healthy in the region I hunt, but they seem to be much more concentrated than most other types of rabbits I hunt in other regions. In an expanse of hundreds of acres of woods, much of it second growth forestry land, you can hike and hike without seeing signs of rabbit but then stumble into an area where tracks and spoor are everywhere.

This year once again, before the snow got too deep, I used my fat tire e-bike to cover large areas of logging roads. I could pack extra gear and get a lot further back into more remote areas this was way. If readers are interested, I can discuss how I set my e-bike up as a hunting vehicle in a future blog post.

As the snow came, and days shortened the rabbits fur became whiter and more difficult to spot.

I shot quite a few hares this year, in about a dozen trips I shot a hare or two on most trips, though I struck out twice and had one day I got close to double digits. But I think a brace of snowshoes on a trip is a good day. I also mixed squirrel hunts and rabbit hunts spending the early morning around daybreak after squirrels, the jet-black color phase is common here and then hunted hare in the afternoon up until dusk. Before the temperature started dipping below freezing, I’d sleep in the back of the Bronco and hunt a day or two, then when it became too cold, I’d book one of the motels used by ice fishermen, hunters, and snow mobiler’s and do it in real comfort. Nice to get back for a steak dinner and a warm bed after tromping through snow all day.

Snow came late and early hunt was in fall colors
The mix of brown woods and white snow is challenging

I’m writing this towards the end of February and still planning to hit the woods a couple more times before the snow starts melting. Squirrel season is over at the end of February, but the snowshoe season is open year-round. However it has been my experience that once spring rolls around and the vegetation comes back, you’d be hard pressed to find a rabbit even if you were standing right next to one.

The guns I used this year varied, I carried the BRK Ghost, Brocock Commander, and Compatto on most of my trips, but there were others. The main thing is that I prefer a .25 or .30 but also use .22 in some guns and the caliber works fine. I require a lightweight comfortable carry, smooth cycling, and a good offhand shooter as 90% of my shots were either offhand or leaning against a tree. Power is good, but more importantly laser accuracy is required as these animals tuck into heavy brush, and you need to thread your shots through thickets and dense branches that provide limited shooting lanes.

What’s Coming Up Next?

I’ve got some spring season hunts for squirrels in a couple states I want to try this year, but I’ll shift gear and go after prairie dogs and ground hogs as it warms up…… and may be some pest birds up until turkey season kicks off. I will try Texas for some rabbit hunting but find that when it starts getting hot things shut down. I’m also going to look for some airgun competitions to shoot over the summer, I had an absolute blast at EBR last year…..but need a lot of practice!

Categories: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Semi-Auto Western Airguns Rattler .357 on a Javelina Hunt!

Posted on March 7, 2025 by Jim Chapman

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 platform is loaded with innovative technology. The platform is a 15 shot semi-automatic big bore bullpup that is purpose designed for larger game and long-range shooting. Generating 15 full power shots on a 250 BAR fill (around 70 with lighter slugs and lower power), the Rattler can produce up to 270 ft-lbs of energy. Online air storage is provided by a removable 580 cc air cylinder, that is connected to the fill source utilizing a quick-release fitting. The gun uses an adjustable regulator and a knurled throttle knob positioned below the high-capacity magazine permits quick and easy velocity changes for optimized power settings. The Nitrate Coated TJ barrel provides exceptional accuracy, not just in the context of semi-automatic rifles, but even when compared to traditional sidelever or bolt action designs.

The Rattler with a few slugs used, opted for the 150 grain for this hunt.

Slugs are loaded into a fixed Titanium magazine, that is wide enough to accept some longer and heavier slug designs, which provides a lot of shooting flexibility. This allows the Rattler to be set up with an 81-grain slug for long range predator or varmint hunting, or a 170-grain slug for going after big feral hogs. I settled on a 150-grain hollow point for this hunt, as that is the minimum allowed by the Texas State hunting regulations for big game species. I found this rifle to be ergonomic and comfortable to shoot and appreciated the fact that it is fairly quiet. A solid aluminum shroud silencing system effectively reduces the report.

The Rattler uses a hammerless firing system that is capable of generating a high degree of accuracy. It is actuated without requiring a cocking mechanism for the first shot and is therefore “hot” whenever the magazine is loaded. The magazine cannot be removed or unloaded without shooting it down. For this reason, the gun is equipped with dual safeties, and both must be in the “fire” position for the gun to discharge.

On the Range

I took the Rattler to the range before this trip, and tried several different slugs, including an 80-grain solid and a 125-grain hollow point slug that worked exceptionally well, but settled on a 150-grain slug for the reasons previously mentioned. The gun had been sighted in at 100 yards, and when I arrived in Texas took the rifle out to check zero. My first shot was a little low and to the right, so I adjusted 3 clicks up and 1 click left and the next four shots punched the 1” bullseye out of the target. The gun was set up to shoot the 150-grain slug at 830 fps generating energy of 230 fpe. Based on this performance, my confidence in this gun was high. I topped off the air, loaded 15 rounds in the magazine, and got ready to hunt!

In the Field

I drove a few miles back on the property where I’d been told javelina had been spotted, then jumped out and started my hike. The brush and prickly pear cactus covering this hilly landscape was fairly thick, with rock formations dotting the hillsides. I planned to hike a trail that hugged one of the hills, moving up higher to glass at regular intervals.

The Rattler is a substantial bullpup weighing a bit over 9lb, about 11 lb including the 28-ounce Leapers Integrix scope I had mounted, with an overall length of 40”. I found the rifle easy to pack but regretted not having mounted a sling. I had planned to carry the rifle in the scabbard of my backpack, but switched packs at the last minute without considering this little wrench in the works! The result was that I had to carry the rifle in the crook of my arm while traversing moderately rough terrain, but it was not a significant burden on this hunt.

Lining up shot using Primos polecat sticks
It took me a while before a shot opened up.
The little desrt pig went down fast and was anchored!

Glassing ahead, I spotted two of the collared peccaries (javalina) rooting through the scrub a couple hundred yards ahead and plotted my approach. I had lost track of the animals as I slowly moved forward, and stepping out from behind a bush, saw one about 70 yards ahead. I took a knee and laid the gun on the Primos Polecat shooting sticks, then lined up the shot. When the pig stopped moving and presented a broadside, I squeezed the trigger and heard the thump of the slug as he hit the deck.

I measured the shot at 68 yards to the spot where the desert pig had been anchored. I could not have asked for the gun, scope, or slug to have performed any better, and we had a nice little boar in the bag. I will say that trying to haul the pig and carry the Rattler without a sling proved to be a challenge. In the end I left the pig and hiked back to the truck to drop the gun off, grab some work gloves and rope, then dragged the pig back to be dressed.

My Thoughts

So, what did I think about hunting a semi-automatic big bore pcp? Well, to be honest I didn’t need a second shot on this hunt. And generally, when hunting javelina a second shot is almost never required. However, a few days later I did use the rifle for predator and hog hunting at night, and in those situations, it was very useful. But what I found interesting on this outing was the fact that the Rattler having the semi-auto function cost me nothing in performance. The accuracy was every bit as good, or better, than I would expect of a conventional single shot or bolt action rifle. And over the course of several days the semi-auto action functioned flawlessly.

This rifle comes naturally to the shoulder, provides easy access to the controls, and the non-adjustable trigger (factory set at 3 lb) is crisp, predictable, and just about perfect for this type of hunting gun (in my opinion). I think the utility of a semi-automatic for quick follow up shots is valid, but I would not be willing to trade performance, and especially accuracy, for this capability. The Western Airguns Rattler has proven to me that it meets these requirements, it is a reliable semi-auto, that is shootable, accurate, and powerful without compromise. Having demonstrated that the base performance of this gun is rock solid, in future articles I’ll share some of the experiences where that 2nd and even 3rd shot have come into play!

Closing Note:

I think javelina might be the perfect “big” game species for airguns, they are fun to stalk, and a perfect size for a .30- or .35-gun generating 120 fpe. However, it depends where you hunt them, as Texas requires a .35 cal, 150 grain projectile, generating over 215 fpe for any game animal. As far as where to hunt them, it is either Texas or Arizona in the USA, New Mexico doesn’t allow airguns yet. Arizona is mostly by draw, though there are some over the counter tags, and you can take one javelina per year. Arizona also has a lot of public land. Texas allows two javelina on your license with no additional tags required. Populations are large, but there is almost no public land in the Lone Star State, so you need to know somebody with a ranch, or pay a guide/outfitter. You can also find outfitters that bundle a deer or exotic hunt with javelina, so there are a few ways you can make it happen. I consider this a “grail hunt” for airgunners.

Again, everybody stay well, get out shooting, and I’ll be back in a couple weeks!

Categories: Airgun Expedition, Airguns of Arizona, Big Bore Airguns, Big Game, javalina hunting | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Getting the band back together! Kicking off a new series of the AOA hunting blog!

Posted on February 20, 2025 by Jim Chapman

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 of this year I am semi-retired from my professional life, and have a bit more time for shooting, hunting, writing, and video production focusing on my lifetime love of airguns and hunting. So, let’s spend this first entry talking about plans for the future and what’s to come on Afield on Airguns.

Looking Back:

It’s hard to believe that we started the Afield on Airguns blog way back in August 2012! I’ve known Robert, Greg, and the Airguns of Arizona team much longer than that, going back to the mid 2000’s. I started seriously shooting airguns in the 1980’s and 90’s while living in Europe, but when I came back to the States in 2000, got very serious about hunting with them. I’ve had the chance to hunt small game, big game, and predators in various states, countries and ecosystems around the world and have been writing about airguns for several magazines during that time as well. These publications include Predator Xtreme, Outdoor Life, Fur-Fish-Game, Game & Fish, and Airgun Hobbyist in the USA, and Airgun Shooter, Air Gunner, and Airgun World in the UK. Because of this, I’ve been lucky enough to use literally hundreds of airguns over the years.

Looking Ahead:

The reason I’ve spent a few lines on this background is laying the groundwork for where I see this blog going in the future. I love to shoot, use different guns, hunt a variety of game, and travel to hunt. I’ll drive hours to Northern Wisconsin to hunt snowshoe hare, out to Arizona to hunt Alberts squirrel, Texas for javelina and hogs, and just about anywhere airguns are allowed for deer hunting. And in this blog, I want to share those trips, talk about the guns and gear used, explore new products and old favorites, and visit some longtime airgunning buddies along the way.

We’ll look at a variety of brands when it comes to shooting gear, and AOA has given me free rein in selecting the gear I write about. But having said this, they carry many of my favorite premium brands such as Brocock, Daystate, Western Airguns, American AirArms, KalibrGun, RTI, Weirauch, as well as scopes by MTC, Athlon, Hawke, and all the accessories an airgunner needs. So. There will be a focus on many of these quality guns getting hard use in the field!

In the coming year, I have multiple trips to Texas for small game, predators and hogs, and would like to work in a mule deer, prairie dog shoots in S. Dakota are on the schedule, Florida for hogs and iguanas, already booked for a week in Puerto Rico to hunt a couple new properties in September for iguana. PR is by far and away my favorite place to hunt them. I’ve also set up several additional squirrel and rabbit hunts in Wisconsin, Indiana, Arizona, Utah, Virginia, and a couple other venues to be determined. I will pick out a few whitetail deer hunts, and have Wisconsin and Missouri locked in already. I’m looking for a place to hunt nutria in either Texas or Louisiana, and plan to use the fat tire ebike, kayak, and backpack to get to some out of the way places! If you have a suggestion for game species, guns, or places I should try out, let me know and I’ll see if I can work them in!

I want to go a step beyond a review and tell you how the gun worked for me on the range and in the field. (Rattler .357 on a javelina hunt)

Up Next:

As I write this I am preparing for two upcoming trips. Next week I’m heading up to Wisconsin for the closing days of squirrel hunting with the BRK Ghost .30 to try for a couple of the black color phase squirrels, and as a contrast, bag a couple of the snowshoe hares that have transitioned to their white coats for winter camouflage. A couple weeks after that, I pack the gear back up, and head down to the relative warmth of March in SW Texas in pursuit of rabbits, predators, javelina and hogs. Going to meet up with my longtime hunting buddy Chacho, and we’re going to a new ranch after I spend a week or so at my buddy Trent’s property. Hopefully he’s uncovered another hidden hunting gem for us! I’ll be adding some photos of that trip along the way, so stay tuned to the blog.

Again, it’s great to be back, and looking forward to bringing you some interesting and entertaining content. I enjoy engaging with readers and hearing your opinions and experience, so please feel free to post, provide your comments, and I’ll try to answer any questions you have.

Jim

Categories: Airgun Expedition, Airguns of Arizona, best hunting caliber for an airgun, Big Bore Airguns, Big Game, crow hunting, Deer hunting, Destinations, fall hunts, Hog hunting, Hunting Accessories, Hunting Guns, Jackrabbits, javalina hunting, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

Look What Arrived Today!! The Western Rattler .357 Semi Auto!

Posted on January 28, 2023 by Jim Chapman

I am really excited to get this innovative rifle in, just 2 weeks before I leave on a hunting trip in Texas looking for hogs and predators! And if I can hit the 215 fpe mark, I’ll use if for javalina as well! Jim Chapman

You’d have thought that with over 20 years of evaluating, reviewing, and hunting with new air rifles, I’d be pretty immune from getting overly excited. But this one gets my heart pumping, my friends at Airguns of Arizona have sent me a Western Airguns Rattler in .357 to use and hunt with for a few months. My big concern is if I’m going to end up buying one more airgun? This is what happened with the Brocock Commander, when it came time to send it back, I couldn’t let it go and bought it. I have a strict one-in-one-out policy that was meant to keep my collection under control. Problem has been that I’ve strictly ignored this rule, and my collection has grown to over a hundred rifles and taken over my office, garage, and an offsite storage space. But that’s a discussion for another day. Back to the Rattler.

The timing for the Rattler’s arrival was perfect, in two weeks I’m off for a week of hunting in Texas and want to get in some calling for fox and coyote before the weather starts warming up. I figure some of the rapid fire shooting often encounterd when 2-3 predators come in would be just the application for a semi-auto PCP putting out up to 275 fpe, I’m going to try out a lot of ammo and power settings, because once I’ve confirmed an accurate combination over 215 fpe, I’ll use the gun for Javalina as well. This is the regulation in Texas, a gun needs to be a .30+ caliber and generate over 215 fpe to take a game animal, including javalina and turkey. No hogs where I’m going, or this gun would be set on them as well!

It’s too cold up here in Minnesota for me to even go out for a target session, my roots in S. California have ruined me for cold weather. When the thermometer stalls in the minus’s, I’m going to sit at my desk and write while waiting for the cold snap to break! But I’ve got the gun sitting on my photo-table right over my shoulder, and I’ve been reading the User’s manual that accompanied the rifle. I’ve got to say this is one of the better written ones I’ve seen in a while. I’ll give you a quick summary of my initial impression of this rifle.

The Western Rattler is a solid and well-proportioned bullpup configuration that is a bit over 9lb without a scope, and is 40″ length overall with a 28″ barrel. The 580cc air bottle can generate 15 shots on a 250 BAR fill, which will of course depend on how I set up the power and the projectiles selected. I have slugs ranging from 100-175 grains with different head shapes to try out, and I’ll determine which will be used after testing. By the way, I’ll be filming the range sessions and the hunts, and hope to have some good video coming at you soon.

The metal work and finishing on the rifle is very good, the controls are well laid out, and accessible. Two things that surprised me at first but made sense once I thought about it; the trigger is not adjustable, and the magazine cannot be removed. The trigger is factory set to optimize the action for semi-auto discharge, and circumvent it being improperly set to compromise reliability. My other concern was that if the magazine could not be removed, what happens if there is a jam? However, as I familiarized myself with the Rattlers functions and mechanics, I found it easy to remove the air tank and the barrel, making a jam fairly straightforward to clear…. IF.. they occur. My experience with a number of semi-auto designs has made me cognizant of this possibility.

The way I’m setting the rifle up for my hunt is with an ATN Night Vision scope, though I have not decided if I will use IR or thermal yet. I would like to use thermal for predators at night, but that’s not a good option for daytime use while hunting javalina. So, I may end up using the X-Sight 4k Pro with day/TR NV and high-quality video recording. Have not yet decided if I will leave the UTG tripod on, use another tripod, or shoot of sticks, Likewise I haven’t decided if I’ll sling the rifle or carry it free in the scabbard in one of my Eberlesole backpacks.

At any rate, I’ll have more on this gun soon. Western Airguns makes one of my favorite magnum big bores, the .44 Bushbuck, so it will be very interesting to see what they do with this platform!

On a side note, I’ve been setting up my hunting excursions for 2023, and I’ve got javalina, hogs, predators, prairie dog, ground hog, and crow hunts organized. But still need to line up my spring turkey hunts, I’ve been thinking about California, Texas or Virginia….. all of which I’ve hunted previously. Does anybody have suggestions for another location where turkey is on the airgunning ticket? If you do, let me know, I like to try new areas when I can.

Categories: .30 caliber, adjustable buttstock, Airgun Expedition, AOA Bushbuck .451, Big Bore Airguns | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

Revisiting the question of caliber….

Posted on January 24, 2023 by Jim Chapman

I take a quick look at my past comments on the best small game caliber, and where I stand as of 2023. Also tell you about an upcoming hunt!

I’ve been rethinking my position on what constitutes the best all-around small game caliber for airgun hunting, specifically using a PCP with now restriction on power. A few years ago, I wrote an article for the UK based Air Gunner magazine and said it was the .25 for me, because compared to a .22 it was better at longer range, provided better terminal performance, and went on to mention I think the too “much gun” argument doesn’t make too much sense to me.

I like the .25 over the .22 because it hits harder and is better for long range shooting. But that’s not to say I don’t like the .22, it depends on the gun and the application. This compact Brocock Compatto is one of my favorite squirrel rifles.

This month I’m moving my regular column from Air Guner to the sister magazine Airgun World, which is arguably the best known and longest running airgun magazine in the world. And my inaugural issue will be taking a look at this caliber issue again. I won’t go into all the details, but in the end, I had the .25 and .30 running neck to neck. It comes down to your hunting needs, I think at longer range I have a preference for .25, but if I’m sharing duty time with predator hunting, I have a preference for the .30. Overall, for most airgun hunters focusing on small game, I still think the .25 edges out the .30 if you could only have one gun…… though I find that difficult to understand…. one gun, really??

I’m heading out on a hunting trip in a couple weeks, travelling down to Texas to do a javalina/predator/rabbit hunt on my friend Trent’s ranch. Also meeting up with my long-time hunting buddy Chacho and his dad, one of the best camp chefs I’ve ever met. I remember shooting a feral Spanish goat early one afternoon, and by dinner it was grilled, shredded, and turned into one of the best stews I’ve had, replete with the absolute best homemade salsa I’ve had.

My Brocock Commander .25 is just about the optimum for small game, flat shooting, hard hitting, high shot count, and of course it is an absolute tack-driver.

A very exciting aspect of this hunt is that I will have the Western Rattler .357 with me, and it will be my first opportunity to use this semi-auto on a hunt and can’t wait! For at least part of the hunt, I’ll mount my ATN IR or Thermal scopes on it for some nighttime predator hunting, but also will go bigger on javalina if I can coax 215 fpe out of it. Will also do some rabbit hunting and with it and will have video up on my channel soon afterwards.

But if you are focusing on bigger and more tenacious quarry, there’s a lot to be said for the .30’s, like this Daystate Wolverine .30 that hammered this bobcat!

As 2023 gets underway, I am looking forward to getting back in the field. I had a run in with Covid that pretty much wiped out my hunting season last year, but I’m healthy, happy, and getting ready to make up for it this year! Hope you all come along for the ride!

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Pig Hunt with the KalibrGun Cricket II Tactical .30!

Posted on March 2, 2022 by Jim Chapman

For some reason with all the guns I shoot from just about every manufacturer, it’s amazing that it took me so long to get my hands on one! But I finally have one to test out and decided to head down to Texas with it on a hog hunt.

Working through the woods, this was an easy gun to carry

A friend of mine had a Cricket a few years back that he was quite impressed with. This guy is a fanatical airgunner, so I took him at his word even though I’d only gotten a chance to punch paper with it during a short-range session. I thought it was a nice little gun that warranted some attention and maybe I could get a hunt or two in with it. But for some reason it just never seemed to happen.

But at the SHOT Show this year I was talking to Robert Buchanan about things in general, and he mentioned that AOA had picked up representation of the KalibrGun lineup, and said I should get in touch with Jerrod to get one for testing. It just so happened that I’d be at a dinner that night with the AOA team, so used the pre-dinner social mixer to corner Jerrod and Lauren and get a gun organized.

A couple of weeks later it showed up on my doorstep. I’ll be doing a full review in print and in a video, so will keep it short and high level here. The gun was the KalibrGun Cricket II Tactical 60 in .30 caliber. This is a compact PCP bottle forward bullpup design that is 34″ length over all with a 23.6″ barrel, and weighs in at just under 8.5 lb. So even though it is compact, it’s not a light weight, but the weight is distributed well and the gun snugs right in for offhand shooting. The gun is actuated with a nicely configured sidelever that auto indexes a 10-shot cylinder type magazine. I took it to the range and zeroed the scope, please with tight 5 shot 50-yard groups, and packed it up for the trip south.

  • This turkey almost busted me!
  • I could just see the pig behind the grass
  • Taking a high knee, I was able to aim over the top of the grass

The scope I had mounted was one that I hold in high esteem, the MTC King Cobra FI first focal plane scope. It has a Christmas tree reticle with several aim points yet manages to be uncluttered at the same time. The glass quality is excellent, and the low light transmission very good, which as it turned out came in very handy.

I arrive at a friend’s ranch on a Thursday afternoon and decided to take the KalibrGun out on my first hunt towards the end of the day. I quickly topped off with one of my portable compressors, checked zero with a 3 shot group, and was ready to go. I got a ride to the backside of the property and jumped out to head over to a blind. As I took a shortcut through a stand of trees, I thought I heard grunting. Poking my head out of the tree line, I almost got busted by a turkey that was working its way towards its roost. I backed up and sat down for a few minutes until the bird wandered off, then started moving again.

It’s pretty hard terrain to move quietly through, there are dry trees, long grass, thickets, so once out I hugged the woods on the side of the road. My friend had corned the roads on his way out, and as I got to a couple hundred yards from the blind I spotted a small group of small pigs. This is eactly what I wanted when I’d selected a .30 gun shooting pellets, and already decided I’d pass if a big pig showed up.

I went back into the woods and closed to about 60 yards, then slowly moved behind a downed tree with scraggly branches providing a little cover. There was a stand of tall grass that actually game me more cover, and by staying low I could slowly crawl in. Getting up on a knee, I was able to just look over the top of the grass and watch these footballs, the local name for little sub 40lb pigs, and line up a head shot.

  • The pig dropped like the proverbial brick
  • Perfect BBQ sized porker!
  • I used a portable AC compressor to charge the gun. I brought a tank but the hose ruptured. Glad I had a backup!

I squeezed the trigger and the .30 caliber JSB Exact flew into the head of this little porker hitting square between the eyes, and he literally rolled over feet up. There were a couple minutes of twitching as he shut down, but the little boar did not move otherwise.

I was really impressed with how the gun handled, and the terminal performance was exactly what I wanted. I used the gun on a couple other hunts for predators and hunters, and I’ll share those experiences with you in the coming weeks.

It seems that I end my posts with an obligatory apology for erratic postings, between a lot of videos and writing projects, as well as my day job it gets hectic. I am building up a backlog of hunts and shooting events, so I’ll try to be a bit more predictable. If there is anything you’d like to discuss, or hunts you’d like me to do, drop a suggestion in the comment box.

Categories: .25 vs .30 caliber, .30 caliber, Airguns of Arizona, Hog hunting, offhand shooting, turkey | Leave a comment

Springer Time Rabbit Hunt!

Posted on October 22, 2021 by Jim Chapman

My Buddy Chacho and I laid down our PCP rifles for awhile, and headed out with a couple high-end springers for a rabbit hunt.

These days I do the lions share of my hunting with PCP air rifles, but still like to kick it old school every now and again, and pull out the springers. On this hunt, my buddy Chacho had thrown a few of his tuned up European spring piston rifles, that included an HW 97, an AirArms TX 200 and a couple others. These guns were all .22 caliber, and absolutely dialed in for 50 yard shoots.

I like to use springers for several reason, one of the more important but least tangible is nostalgia and an enjoyment getting back to where airgun hunting started for me….. probably for many of us, especially if you’ve been shooting air for more than 15-20 years. There is something satisfying about getting out there with a rifle that requires nothing more than a handful of pellets to keep you in the field all day.

Another reason is to get in some practice shooting a platform that demands you to be on the mark with form, trigger control, consistent hold…. I really think that it makes you a better marksman to shoot a springer.

And the last point is that it is an effective tool for small game hunting, and from my perspective as a writer, is still the entry point for most new airgun shooters. I want to keep plugged in to the broader airgunning community as well as those that are like me, a bit fanatical about the sport.

My buddy Chacho is even more fanatical about his springers, and even though he’s got many very nice PCP’s, is always ready to go out and hunt the springers…. he’s often the instigator.

We already been out for 3-4 days with PCPs hunting predators and varmint, when Chacho pulled out the springers. The plan was to shoot them for, maybe a half hour, and go back to our PCPs. But we had so much fun, we stuck with the springers for the rest of the day!

All of his guns are tuned for a smooth firing cycle, putting out around 16 fpe which is perfect for jackrabbits and cottontails, but the action and outstanding trigger jobs made these guns a pleasure to shoot. And these guns are shooters! Most opportunities called for standing offhand (sometimes kneeling) shots.

We worked out way along roads and through the brush looking for rabbits in the thickets, piles of dry branches, or laying in scrapes. The trick, as always, is to see the rabbits before they see you. This calls for walking very slowly, stopping often and scouting out as far ahead as you can see.

We each took several rabbits before calling it a day and caring for our game. I know a lot of airgunners have moved on to PCPs without a look back, and newer airgunners may have never used springers, but I’d suggest that if you have a chance, go back and spend some time with them, you may find that going back to basics is both a lot of fun, and will improve your shooting technique!

Categories: .22 caliber, Hunting Guns, Jackrabbits, Rabbits, Small Game Hunting, Spring Piston Airguns, springers | Leave a comment

Fall Squirrel Hunt in Wisconsin!

Posted on October 18, 2021 by Jim Chapman

I had a free couple days, so loaded up my guns and gear and headed to the woods a few hours north!

I’d been waiting to start my hunting season, and would be departing the following week for the 20 hour drive south to Texas. Work has been busy and I’d barely had a break in weeks. But on short notice I found a couple meetings had been canceled, which would allow my to hit the road after dinner on Thursday night, hunt Friday morning, and get home for a family obligation on Friday night.

The first squirrel I saw kept on the move and I never got a shot!

I’d been wanting to try the Hatsan Invader, a gun I’d been loaned a few weeks earlier, but had only been able to use for a couple short range sessions. I threw the gun, and air tank, my cook box, and bedroll into the back of my 4-wheeler and after dinner, kissed my wife goodbye and was on the road!

For some of these short trips, I’ve started sleeping in the cargo space on a 4″ thick memory foam pad, with interior window covers blocking the outside world. In this case I got up to the woods about 10pm, parked along the roadside in a state forest with dispersed camping, crawled into the back and installed the window covers, opened a movie I’d downloaded on Hulu, poured a cup of coffee from my thermos still piping hot, and settled in.

The next morning my alarm went off at 6:30, I ate a protean bar, brushed my teeth, and was standing in front of my hunting area a few minutes after 7:00, with pack, camera, and rifles laid out and ready to go.

I dropped a pin on my handheld GPS and stuffed it into a pocket, made sure the gun was aired up magazine loaded, packed a bottle of water, another granola bar, some extra pellets, and threw them into my pack and I was ready. As daylight came up, I was somewhat disappointed to see most of the leaves still on the trees, this would make things difficult.

I sat and waited, and eventually was rewarded with a squirrel moving through the undergrowth.

After about 20 minutes I saw a squirrel moving through the canopy, shaking the branches and every once in awhile coming into view. I brought the rifle up leaning against a tree, but everting I had a clear view and dropped the crosshair on the bushytail, he jumped away…….. until finally he was gone. You never like to have your first action of a hunt fail, but it is what it is and I moved on.

Over an hour had gone by, and I still hadn’t seen anything, so I sat at the base of a tree to wait, A half hour later, nothing, and I was getting ready to leave when I spotted a black squirrel moving over the ground foraging. I slowly line up the shot and tracked the squirrel along his zig zagging course, until he stopped for a minute, and let the pellet fly. It was a clean head shot and the squirrel rolled over DOA. I collected him and slung a noose of my game carrier over its head and got back on my stalk.

But that’s where it ends, I stalked, glasses, sat, and searched but in that whole morning those were the only two squirrels I saw. It was close to noon and I needed to get home and shower before we went out for the evening, so I packed up and commenced the three hour drive home.

I’ve had people ask why I drove so far just to hunt squirrels? Well, there are a few reasons that might only make sense to me. I like the woods in Northern Wisconsin, they seem a bit less tame than the more agricultural areas I hunt near my home base. There is a large population of the black color phase squirrels, and though these are not exceedingly uncommon, are not something I see very often in my locale.

Heading back with the one squirrel I managed to bag.

But moreover, I have fun doing these mini expeditions, I like car camping, it makes the small game hunt seem like more of a small scale adventure, and fits into a compact span of time. But another thin I like is that it lets me explore a lot of new hunting areas. I’ve made these short trips through Minnesota, South and North Dakota, Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Iowa, and continue to build up my knowledge of small game hunting in these different environments.

I’m leaving on another hunt in a few weeks, going to East Texas to hunt hogs then over to a friends ranch in Central Texas to hunt deer and turkey. But before leaving, I think I’l probably fit in a couple more of these quick overnighters in. Soon the snowshoe hares will be turning up North, and I definitely be up for that!

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