Thread: Air rifles that are suitable for possums and rabbits?

Mintie posted some expert information. I'm an airrifle shooter and have the following extra info.
It's all about shot placement with airrifles. If you are talking rabbit and possum and regular power springers (12-20 fpe) a head shot is the only way to go for a humane kill. Place your pellet between the eye and the base of the ear and your good. 4 fpe at the target on a rabbit will do the business, a possum would likely need a bit more, but i think 8-10 fpe at the target would be enough. 177 or 22, both are OK as long as you hit the right spot. An advantage of 177 version of the same gun is, it usually is flatter shooting because of the higher pellet speed. Flatter shooting means range estimation and correction is less critical and you are more likely to hit the brain.
A scoped airrifle shooting a 240 m/s and zeroed at 28m will keep all your shots within 2cm from between 13-31m, so you can aim center cross hairs and hit the kill zone. Be aware of wind though. At 30m your pellet cab drift by several centimeters.
Also, do some research into the artillery hold. The reproducible, light holding of a springer is key to accurately shooting one.

Hey something else I just thought of that you might need to be aware of - I don't know the circumstances of your FAL being a few years off but if you have been denied or had it revoked then you may also be banned from owning or using airguns as well, sometimes the Arms officers are not particularly clear about that so definitely worth checking out!

Originally Posted by Mintie

Hey something else I just thought of that you might need to be aware of - I don't know the circumstances of your FAL being a few years off but if you have been denied or had it revoked then you may also be banned from owning or using airguns as well, sometimes the Arms officers are not particularly clear about that so definitely worth checking out!

Is that true in general, or is it for criminals who have a special kind of court order made against them? Anyone know?

I read somewhere that if you surrender your FAL it is no drama, but if it is revoked you are not allowed to use firearms even under the supervision of someone with a FAL. I don't know if it has effect on airgun use.

Thanks @Cigar

Arms Act 1983 No 44 (as at 01 October 2018), Public Act 27 Revocation and surrender of firearms licence – New Zealand Legislation

27 Revocation and surrender of firearms licence
(1)
Where, in the opinion of a commissioned officer of Police,—
(a)
any person who has been issued with a firearms licence is not a fit and proper person to be in possession of a firearm or airgun; or
(b)
access to any firearm or airgun in the possession of the person to whom a firearms licence has been issued is reasonably likely to be obtained by any person—
(i)
whose application for a firearms licence or for a permit under section 7 of the Arms Act 1958, or for a certificate of registration under section 9 of the Arms Act 1958 has been refused on the ground that he is not a fit and proper person to be in possession of a firearm or airgun; or
(ii)
whose certificate of registration as the owner of a firearm has been refused under section 10 of the Arms Act 1958 on the ground that he is not a fit and proper person to be in possession of a firearm; or
(iii)
whose firearms licence has been revoked on the ground that he is not a fit and proper person to be in possession of a firearm or airgun; or
(iv)
who, in the opinion of a commissioned officer of Police, is not a fit and proper person to be in possession of a firearm or airgun—
the commissioned officer of Police may, by notice in writing under his hand, revoke the firearms licence, and the person to whom that firearms licence has been issued shall upon demand surrender the licence to a member of the Police.

(2)
Any person may at any time surrender a firearms licence held by him.
(3)
Where a licence is revoked under subsection (1) or surrendered under subsection (2), the person to whom the licence has been issued shall cease to be licensed to possess firearms, airguns, pistols, or restricted weapons by virtue of that licence or any endorsement on it.
Compare: 1958 No 21 s 10(2); 1976 No 151 s 6

As I read it it applies to REVOCATION of a FAL, and it applies to a LICENSE to use firearms/airguns (not a refusal of license, but result is the same - no license held - it does not ear mark you for special troubles beyond the hassle of not having a FAL).

Specifically, it does not forbid the person who had a revocation of FAL from using airgun types which do not require a license. E.g. non-PCP air rifles, PCP air pistols, pump/springer rifles/pistols.

Maybe I'm looking at the wrong piece of legislation. ? @systolic ?

Originally Posted by Cordite

Thanks @Cigar

Arms Act 1983 No 44 (as at 01 October 2018), Public Act 27 Revocation and surrender of firearms licence – New Zealand Legislation

27 Revocation and surrender of firearms licence
(1)
Where, in the opinion of a commissioned officer of Police,—
(a)
any person who has been issued with a firearms licence is not a fit and proper person to be in possession of a firearm or airgun; or
(b)
access to any firearm or airgun in the possession of the person to whom a firearms licence has been issued is reasonably likely to be obtained by any person—
(i)
whose application for a firearms licence or for a permit under section 7 of the Arms Act 1958, or for a certificate of registration under section 9 of the Arms Act 1958 has been refused on the ground that he is not a fit and proper person to be in possession of a firearm or airgun; or
(ii)
whose certificate of registration as the owner of a firearm has been refused under section 10 of the Arms Act 1958 on the ground that he is not a fit and proper person to be in possession of a firearm; or
(iii)
whose firearms licence has been revoked on the ground that he is not a fit and proper person to be in possession of a firearm or airgun; or
(iv)
who, in the opinion of a commissioned officer of Police, is not a fit and proper person to be in possession of a firearm or airgun—
the commissioned officer of Police may, by notice in writing under his hand, revoke the firearms licence, and the person to whom that firearms licence has been issued shall upon demand surrender the licence to a member of the Police.

(2)
Any person may at any time surrender a firearms licence held by him.
(3)
Where a licence is revoked under subsection (1) or surrendered under subsection (2), the person to whom the licence has been issued shall cease to be licensed to possess firearms, airguns, pistols, or restricted weapons by virtue of that licence or any endorsement on it.
Compare: 1958 No 21 s 10(2); 1976 No 151 s 6

As I read it it applies to REVOCATION of a FAL, and it applies to a LICENSE to use firearms/airguns (not a refusal of license, but result is the same - no license held - it does not ear mark you for special troubles beyond the hassle of not having a FAL).

Specifically, it does not forbid the person who had a revocation of FAL from using airgun types which do not require a license. E.g. non-PCP air rifles, PCP air pistols, pump/springer rifles/pistols.

Maybe I'm looking at the wrong piece of legislation. ? @systolic ?

Right legislation, wrong section. If your licence is revoked, you can't legally possess an airgun, even if a firearms licence is not normally needed to own one.

Arms Act 1983

Section 49A Unlawful possession of firearm or airgun after revocation of firearms licence

Every person commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 1 year or to a fine not exceeding $4,000 or to both who, being a person whose firearms licence has been revoked, is in possession of a firearm or airgun at a time when that person is not the holder of a firearms licence, and is not a person authorised, expressly or by implication, by or pursuant to this Act, to be in possession of that firearm or airgun.

Originally Posted by systolic

Right legislation, wrong section. If your licence is revoked, you can't legally possess an airgun, even if a firearms licence is not normally needed to own one.

Arms Act 1983

Section 49A Unlawful possession of firearm or airgun after revocation of firearms licence

Every person commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 1 year or to a fine not exceeding $4,000 or to both who, being a person whose firearms licence has been revoked, is in possession of a firearm or airgun at a time when that person is not the holder of a firearms licence, and is not a person authorised, expressly or by implication, by or pursuant to this Act, to be in possession of that firearm or airgun.

So... if you have had no license REVOKED, but AO for some reason has declined to issue you one in the first place, then that restriction on having airguns does not apply to you. OK.

I was denied on my application due to a history of depression i couldn't sufficiently prove was not a problem (my fault, should have gone in with doctors notes, oh well)
I don't think it would be an issue seeing as nothing was revoked or anything.

You could reapply and wear a pink tutu at the interview.
"I was depressed cos I was in the closet, no probs since I came out.".
The LGBTQ card trumps anything...

But joking aside, I had to get a letter from my GP to the AO as I'd gone theough a stressful time and had had Prozac. I asked my GP to write what he thought to the AO directly, and that he could speak freely with the AO. I think that was as important as what my GP actually said to the AO.

You could reapply and wear a skirt at the interview.
"I was depressed cos I was in the closet, no probs since I came out.".
The LGBTQ card trumps anything...

But joking aside, I had to get a letter from my GP to the AO as I'd gone theough a stressful time and had had Prozac. I asked my GP to write what he thought to the AO directly, and that he could speak freely with the AO. I think that was as important as what my GP actually said to the AO.

Brocock Compatto .22 with JSB Jumbo 1,03gram shoots through 25mm pine at 24 fpe (32J). Plenty for possum skull.