Airgun hunting questions answered

Mostly resident small game (rabbits, squirrels), non-native pests (rats, starlings, feral pigeons), and non-native birds like Eurasian collared doves, wherever your state authorizes air rifles as a legal method. Bigger animals — raccoons, coyotes, hogs, and deer in a handful of states — need a big-bore PCP and their own separate legal check. See what can you hunt with an air rifle for the full quarry list.

Almost certainly for some species, but the specifics vary by state and even by animal. A state's wildlife agency decides which species allow air rifles as a legal method, separate from whether the state treats the airgun itself as a firearm; California is a clean example, authorizing air rifles for small game (14 CCR §311) but not big game (14 CCR §353). Check your own state wildlife agency's current regulations before you hunt, and see airgun laws by state for how to find them.

In most states, yes, for wild game like rabbits, squirrels, and legal bird species — air rifles are licensed the same as firearms for hunting purposes. Killing rats or mice as pests on your own property is usually a separate, unlicensed category, but check your state before assuming that exception covers a given species.

Yes. California authorizes air rifles for resident small game, including rabbits, under 14 CCR §311(f), but that authorization still requires a valid California hunting license, the same as hunting rabbits with a firearm. See California airgun hunting laws for the full species table.

Generally no, for actual game species — a hunting license requirement usually applies regardless of who owns the land, though landowners or their immediate family sometimes get narrow exemptions in specific states. Controlling true pests (rats, mice) on your own property is typically treated differently from hunting game, but confirm the line in your own state before assuming either way.

Hunting targets a licensed game species within a set season and bag limit; pest control targets an unprotected nuisance species (rats, mice, and in most states starlings and house sparrows) with no season or license typically required. The line matters because it decides which regulations apply — see airgun pest control for the species that usually fall on the pest-control side.

It scales with the animal: roughly 6-12 FPE at the target for rats, starlings, and other small pests; 9-12+ FPE at the animal for rabbits and squirrels with a head shot; 20-40+ FPE for raccoon-sized game; and 150-700+ FPE from a big bore for hogs. The full quarry-by-quarry breakdown is in the airgun FPE chart.

.22 is the standard small-game hunting caliber in the U.S. — it carries roughly double the energy of .177 at a similar velocity and still holds a flat enough trajectory for field ranges. .25 and .30 step up for bigger pests and predators, and big bore (.35-.50+) is its own category for hogs and deer where legal. .22 vs .25 for small game covers the tradeoff in detail.

Yes, on small quarry with correct placement, since .177 pellets at hunting velocity still clear the energy floor for rabbits and squirrels in a lightweight rifle. It's a worse choice than .22 for hunting specifically, though, because it carries less energy at any given velocity and its lighter pellets buck wind more. .177 vs .22 has the full energy comparison.

A PCP, for most hunters, because near-zero recoil and a magazine make faster, more consistent follow-up shots than a springer's artillery hold and single-shot cocking cycle. A quality gas-piston break barrel is still a legitimate budget hunting rifle if you don't want to manage an air-fill routine. See pellet gun vs PCP for the full tradeoff.

Most airgun hunters keep shots inside 35-50 yards on small game, since that's where a well-tuned .22 or .25 PCP reliably holds enough energy and accuracy for a clean head shot; longer shots, out to 100+ yards, are possible but demand a chronographed load, a practiced holdover, and real wind reading. How far can you hunt with an air rifle covers what those longer shots actually take.

Slugs generally penetrate deeper and buck wind better at distance, which matters most past 40-50 yards or on tougher animals, while diabolo pellets are cheaper and plenty effective at typical head-shot ranges on rabbits, squirrels, and birds. Pellets vs slugs covers when it's worth switching.

Yes, in most states, with a rifle making at least 9-12+ FPE at the animal and a head shot to avoid a wounded runner. Rabbits are the classic small-game airgun quarry — the full guide, including where to find them and California's specific rule, is at rabbit hunting with an airgun.

.22 is the standard choice: enough energy for a clean head shot at typical field ranges, a flatter trajectory than heavier calibers, and cheap, widely available pellets and slugs. .177 works too if the rifle clears the energy floor, but most hunters prefer .22's margin.

Yes, and the energy requirement is the same as rabbits: 9-12+ FPE at the squirrel with a head shot, since squirrels are surprisingly tough for their size relative to a body hit. A quiet, shrouded .22 PCP like a Benjamin Marauder or Air Venturi Avenger is a common squirrel-hunting choice; see best air rifle for squirrel hunting.

The head, not the body. Side-on, the brain sits just behind the eye toward the base of the ear; face-on, hold slightly above the eye line. A pellet there drops the animal instantly, while a body hit risks a runner even with plenty of energy on tap — the full quarry-by-quarry aim points are in airgun shot placement.

A .22 PCP in the 20-30 FPE range with a magazine and a decent scope covers both quarry well, since that's comfortably above the 9-12 FPE floor with cushion left at field distances. Budget break-barrel options work too if you don't mind the artillery hold; see best air rifles for rabbit hunting for picks at every price.

A shrouded PCP running a subsonic pellet or slug under about 1,000 fps is genuinely quiet, close to a hand clap, which is a real advantage for follow-up shots in the same spot without pushing every animal out of range. A springer's mechanical clack adds noise on top of the same muzzle report.

Not mourning doves — they're federally protected migratory game birds, and 50 CFR §20.21 bans any rifle, air rifles included, for migratory game birds nationwide; shotgun, archery, and falconry are the only legal methods. Eurasian collared doves are a different, non-native species that California and other states allow airgun hunters to take. See can you hunt doves with an air rifle for the full species breakdown.

Yes, where your state allows it — in California, they're listed with an all-year season and no bag or possession limit (14 CCR §300), and air rifles are an authorized small-game method (14 CCR §311(f)) with a valid hunting license. Eurasian collared dove hunting with an air rifle covers identification, energy, and technique.

Collared doves are bigger and paler gray-buff, with a black half-collar on the back of the neck and a square-ended tail; mourning doves are slimmer and browner, with a long pointed tail, black wing spots, and no collar. If you can't clearly see the collar through the scope, don't take the shot.

Feral rock pigeons are non-native and not protected under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which removes the federal hurdle, but state wildlife law, city discharge ordinances, and landowner permission still apply. Pigeon hunting with an air rifle covers energy, placement, and working safely around buildings.

In California, yes, but only with at least a .177 caliber pellet, the one caliber floor written into the state's small-game air rifle rule (14 CCR §311(f)). Most other states don't specifically authorize air rifles for turkey, so check your own state wildlife agency before planning a turkey hunt with one.

Treat birds like rabbits: 12+ FPE at the bird with a head or upper-chest shot, since doves and pigeons are tougher than their size suggests. I run 40.1gr ACE FRAG slugs at about 950 fps (roughly 80 FPE at the muzzle) out of my FX Impact M4 for collared doves, well above that floor even at extended range.

Generally yes, and usually without a hunting license, since rats and mice aren't classified as wildlife the way game animals are and typically carry no season or bag limit. Your city's discharge ordinance still governs whether you can shoot at all where you live — see airgun pest control for the legal and energy specifics.

In most cases, yes — European starlings and house sparrows are both non-native and specifically excluded from federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act protection, so they're commonly treated as unprotected pests. State and local discharge rules still apply regardless of the bird's protected status.

Yes. Florida's FWC states that green iguanas aren't protected except under the state's general anti-cruelty law, and they can be humanely killed on private property year-round with the landowner's permission and no license required. Florida's humane-killing standard calls for immediate unconsciousness, which in practice means a one-shot head kill at 20+ FPE — see iguana hunting with an air rifle in Florida.

In some states, yes — Florida's furbearer regulations explicitly allow air guns for raccoons, and Missouri permits firearms powered by spring, air, or compressed gas for the same. It takes real energy, 20-40 FPE at the animal from a .25-or-larger PCP with a head shot, and other states restrict methods more tightly, so check your state's furbearer rules first; see hunting raccoons and foxes with an air rifle.

Plan on roughly 6-12 FPE at the target for rats, mice, starlings, and sparrows — enough for a clean, quick kill without excessive penetration risk in a residential yard. A quiet, subsonic PCP setup with a confirmed backstop is the standard approach; the full numbers are in the airgun FPE chart.

Typically not for true pests like rats and mice, since they aren't managed as wildlife, but you still need to clear your city or county's discharge ordinance, which is a completely separate legal question from licensing. Can you shoot a pellet gun in your backyard? covers real ordinance examples.

Yes, with a big bore PCP — .30-.357 caliber for 150-250 FPE on smaller hogs at close range, or .45-.50 caliber for 400-700+ FPE on mature boars — and a head or high-shoulder shot inside 50-60 yards. You also need to confirm your state treats feral hogs as legal, unprotected game before you hunt them; see hog hunting with an airgun. I hunted an invasive hog with an FX Impact M4 in .30 caliber and ACE FRAG slugs, filmed for my channel.

At minimum .30 caliber for smaller hogs at close range, stepping up to .45-.50 caliber (like the AirForce Texan or Umarex Hammer) for mature boars, since hog hide and shoulder bone demand real penetration. Big bore air rifles compares the calibers and specific rifles people actually use.

In some states, yes, with 20-40+ FPE from a .25-caliber-or-larger rifle and a broadside heart-lung or head shot. Texas treats coyotes as nongame with no closed season and allows night hunting, while California permits air rifles for nongame mammals but bans night vision and thermal for taking them outside narrow exceptions (Fish and Game Code §2005). See coyote hunting with an airgun.

In a handful of states, yes, with a big bore that clears that state's minimum caliber: Virginia (.35 caliber+), Missouri and Arkansas (.40 caliber+, Arkansas also requiring 400+ ft-lbs and an external air tank), and Texas (.30 caliber, 150-grain, 800 fps minimum). California does not allow air rifles for deer at all (14 CCR §353) — can you hunt deer with an air rifle has the full state table.

Yes, where your state allows it, and it takes surprisingly little energy — about 10-15 FPE at the animal, since prairie dogs are a small target rather than a tough one. The real challenge is hitting one at 60-150+ yards in wind; Wyoming treats them as nongame with no license or bag limit, while Colorado requires a small game license. See prairie dog hunting with an air rifle.

It depends heavily on the state and the species. Texas allows night hunting for nongame species like coyotes and feral hogs, while California's Fish and Game Code §2005 bans night vision equipment for taking almost any bird, mammal, amphibian, reptile, or fish, with only narrow agricultural and depredation-permit exceptions. Night hunting with an airgun covers the gear and the legal question together.

With a production big bore like the AirForce Texan (.257-.510) or Umarex Hammer (.50 caliber, 700+ FPE), hogs and, in specific states, deer are the practical ceiling — both are single-shot-per-fill rifles built around one close, confirmed shot rather than a follow-up string. Nothing bigger than deer-class game is a realistic or legal airgun target in the U.S.