It doesn’t matter if it’s a BB gun or a pellet gun, the BB gun is an essential component of marksmanship training for hunters of all ages. Not only that, in Mississippi there are valuable opportunities for hunters to take their airguns into the woods. With the rising cost and limited availability of ammunition lately, those nice big cans of shot are looking more and more attractive with each passing day.
aim training
Airguns are underpowered, but they’re great for learning the basics of marksmanship (gripping, sight alignment, trigger control) cheaply and in the comfort of your own home. Good quality modern air rifles are by nature much more accurate than most 22LR rimfire rifles. Rimfire projectiles are inherently disadvantaged due to poor quality control when firing bulk ammunition and the use of a heeled bullet. By comparison, even inexpensive BBs and molten pellets are more streamlined and, paired with a modern airgun, will deliver consistent performance.
Airguns are so popular for training youngsters in the basics of shooting that most hunter education courses taught in the state use one for the required live fire section of the course. They are cheap to shoot, accurate, and have a limited range.
pest control
Especially during the winter, there are always problems with mice, rats, and other little critters that are classed as pests. A good BB gun, even in .177 caliber, can handle this without too much trouble. Be sure to obey local laws, as some cities in the state have city ordinances about firing an airgun within city limits, but otherwise feel free. Obey basic firearm safety rules with BB guns, as they can still inflict bodily harm, shoot out windows, and generally annoy neighbors. For these types of vermin and nuisance birds, a good quality, medium weight, pellet cutter (flat tip) will minimize the chance of excessive penetration.
According to state law, “all species of blackbirds, cowbirds, starlings, ravens, grackles, and English sparrows may be killed without a permit when such birds are committing or about to commit predation on ornamental or shade trees or agricultural crops.” “.
It’s best to remember that Mississippi is home to several rare and endangered species of bats, turtles, and snakes; it’s best to avoid them if you’re not sure of the exact species you’re looking at.
little game
Under MDFWP regulations, it is legal to hunt small game (rabbits, squirrels, quail, raccoons, opossums, and bobcats) with airguns during normal season by a licensed hunter.
While almost any airgun or pellet gun can capture vermin-sized animals (mice, rats) and harmful birds like sparrows, you’ll need a high-powered airgun that shoots pellets only to go after anything larger.
These hunting-level pistols start at around $59 and go up quickly from there. To ensure you have a strong enough airgun, make sure the FPS (feet per second) rating is 700+ for a .22 caliber pistol or 950+ for a .177 caliber pistol. The Benjamin Bomb Line Sheridan and Daisy’s cock action Powerline series can be purchased new for around $100. Slightly better rifles like the Gamo Big Cat and Crosman Vantage are only $30 more, but offer much more performance. Moving up the scale are Ruger Air Magnums, German-made RWS pistols, Hatsans, Sumatras, and Benjamin Marauders that cost up to $400.
To hunt these tree rats and lop ears, look for a good quality, medium weight dome shot such as the Crosman Premiere Light, RWS Superdome, or JSB Exact. These can be had extremely cheaply, the 7.9 Grain Crosman Premier is around $25 for 1250 grains for example. Gamo has a new 0.36 gram .177 pellet that can penetrate 1.5mm rolled galvanized steel sheet and keep going. Called “Lethal”, it is a two-barrel design pellet with an ultra-high ballistic coefficient, more terminal penetration, a stable flight path, and a polymer skirt. These top-of-the-line buckshots cost around $20 for 100. With high-end buckshot and a high-powered airgun, lethal shots up to 50 yards are possible.
When chasing bobcats, raccoons, and opossums, .22 or .25 caliber pellets from high powered airguns should be a minimum.
With all the small game taken with an airgun, getting good, accurate shots into the small 1-2 inch kill zones of your target is an absolute must to make sure they land. Headshots are the rule to live by. Unless you can hit a nickel-sized target repeatedly with your airgun at 25 yards, practice as long as you can before heading into the woods.
nuisance animals
The state of Mississippi, through Public Notice LE6-3779, lists beavers, coyotes, foxes, otters, skunks, and wild boar as nuisance animals. As such, nuisance game hunting is permitted during the day on private land with no caliber restrictions, including air guns. While .177/22 caliber pistols can take polecats just fine, chasing down some of the bigger game on this list can be problematic unless you have a big-bore airgun.
Speaking of which, deer and turkey hunting with large-caliber airguns, while practiced in a few states, is currently out of the question in Mississippi, for now. In 2007, an Alabama man took two deer, including a 9-point trophy with a .50-caliber air rifle and 200-grain buckshot. With precedents like that, it’s probably only a matter of time before Whitetails are also BB gunned in this state.
Just make sure you don’t shoot your eye.