starlings and wadcuts

[jamaldog87]

i was out hunting starlings with my 766. I had found were a nest was and had been trying to get a shot on this fast moving bird but it kept pulling it's head back in it's hole before i could get a shot. this happen 6 times but i kept sitting there. then i saw 2 other starlings trying to get in on up in a tall tree. I stay low and got under the tree and it looked about 20-30 yards up and all my guns are dead on at 30 yards and the 766 was flat out to 40 with gamo flats. I try for a off-hand head shot  but i could not get  steady and it might be a longer shot so i am for the chest and fired. the 7.5gr gamo wad-cut hit and drop it to the ground. with wad-cuts a my 766 and 2200 are both one shot body killers and i love using the soft wad-cuts because of the controlled expansion at 30 yards.

[Brithunter]

Hmmm with head shots it's possible for the bird to drop but not be dead. Had trouble with Spotted Starlings nesting in our old hose so I shot loads of them. I used a Crossman 766 American Classic and a BSA Meteor both being .177" then got the Feinwekrbau 127 .22".

   Had one go down beside the attached garage so went to clear up the dead body only to find the bird alive with a hole through it's head behind the eye. The bird could open it's beak and swivel it's head but that was all. I was stunned that a Starling could still be alive with such a great hole through it's head. So I finished it off quickly. If you have nesting pairs and they have a brood then you will ahve to kill both parents as otherwise I found that the one left would find another mate and carry on with the same brood. To this end I started shooting with a friend so we could get the pair as quickly as possible. We were trying to eradicate them from our place as when we lifted the floor boards to the main bedroom we removed enough nest material and rubbish brought in by them to fill a 5'x4' trailer.

[jamaldog87]

that why i like the .22 crosman because it's takes there head off almost. But the 177 will kill them just aim for the eyes for a fast kill shot.

[lil_hunter12]

starlings are very tough. i can kill them with my .177 air rifle with 2 shots from hollow point pellets. and even with a 10 yard shot from a .22 rifle with a 36 grain hollow point i had to track it down and put a 2nd one in it.

[jamaldog87]

you maybe a bad shot or your just not hitting them because my 766 shoots at 750fps with 7.9gr wad cuts and it easily drops them with a head or heart shot. there the easy to kill, I have hit one at 75 yards with a pointed and still killed it. some  very tough game is , raccoon , skunk, chucks  and porcupine they are very hard to kill. you should check out these site to know more about starlings: http://www.airgundepot.com/pest-control-with-air-rifles-airguns.html , http://www.airgunhunters.com/Gallery.html, http://www.adventuresinairguns.com/


also here a site with good targets: f4bscale.worldonline.co.uk/free.htm

[Mitch in MI]

I have shot starlings at 10-15 yards with a Daisy 717 pistol (~400fps with RWS Hobby Wadcutters). If you hit them in the boilerroom, they go down. Sometimes they can set their wings and glide down, but they can't fly with 7gr of lead in their lungs. Usually take them off the TV antenna when they are casing the house for an attempted break-in.

[lil_hunter12]

i was shooting a crickett .22 and it isnt the most accurate rifle but i can kill squirrels rats raccoons and things like that with 1 shot every time. but i had never shot starlings much before.

[jamaldog87]

there the easy-es thing i have ever shot.