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Hunting is one of the world's largest industries. All forms of hunting brought in around  $1 trillion  in 2022.

Traditionally, South Africa is a homeland for hunting, with nearly  10 thousand people  travelling to South Africa every year to hunt bringing in around 1.3 billion Rand in 2019. (Ltd., 2022)

Hunting is not only for tourists, with 25% of all South Africa’s land mass being conservation areas where people can hunt, anybody can start. PCP (precharged pneumatic) Air rifles offer an accurate and cost-effective option to enter the growing world of hunting, with no license required!

Cost

Hunting with firearms is by far the most popular means of hunting. However, it is also by far the most expensive. Obtaining a hunting rifle license can cost thousands of Rands and take over 12 months to obtain. This can make it very difficult for someone to get into hunting. Air Rifles are a great alternative to firearms for beginners. The Samyang Sumatra for example can take out some of the most popular buck such as springbok at a decent range and only costs R15,779.00 including VAT at the time of writing this article in May 2023, this rifle boasts a 500cc tank shooting .22 ammunition at speeds of more than 1000 fps. What is even better is that these Rifles require no licenses at all!

Accuracy

A big issue for first-time shooters and hunters is recoil. Due to the supersonic nature and explosion-propelled ammunition, firearms have very heavy recoil which means not all shooters can comfortably shoot accurate shots at long ranges. Air Rifles differ greatly, they shoot at subsonic speeds and use compressed air to propel ammunition. Subsonic does not mean non-lethal, although you would not expect to take down a hippo in a trophy hunt you could still expect lethal shots on a big buck. The big difference in recoil comes from explosion vs compressed air. PCP Air Rifles have large air tanks that take stores of compressed air and rapidly release regulated amounts at a time through to the barrel to propel ammunition, this is much smoother than the sudden combustion of gunpowder. A sudden release of air generates a forward thrust whereas an explosion generates forces in all directions, specifically backwards making the recoil much more violent. This makes Air rifles a much more comfortable shoot for youth, first-time shooters and those who may not be so strong without compromising on lethality.

Sound factor

A big factor in hunting is the volume of the rifle. While fireworks are a beautiful sight, we all know how our pets and birds react, they flee suddenly or hide in fear. Firearms have the same effect on the hunting stage. One misfired shot can ruin the hunt and cause the hunter to move for kilometers to try and find the fleeing animals. Air rifles are significantly quieter than firearms again due to the lack of explosion-propelled ammunition. The average hunting rifle reads 140dB on a decibel meter (Stewart, n.d.) whereas air rifles read below 100 dB.  

Ammunition

Have you recently been searching on the web in search of Peterson Brass or Lapua cases? No luck? Unfortunately, we are facing a massive shortage of brass in South Africa, making reloading extensively difficult and while you can purchase factory ammunition at your local gun store it is very expensive. Air rifle pellets require no license to sell or purchase and are therefore readily available. A pack of 50 .22 30gr Hornady rounds will set you back R459 whereas JSB Diabolo Knockout Slugs Pellets - .22, 25.39 Grain retail at only R229.00. The JSB knockout is shaped similarly to bullets and packs a mean punch!

While Air Rifles pose a great alternative to firearms it is important to consider it as the average velocity is lower shot placement is very important. Shot placement, however, is easier on an air rifle due to the lower recoil. When purchasing an Air rifle please remember anything above .22 is strictly illegal to purchase without a license, please carefully consider the risk of buying higher calibres without a license as the rifles can be confiscated and can lead to serious fines.

As discussed in this blog Air rifles are a quitter, more accurate and cheaper alternative to firearms. If you are looking to hunt for the first time or to try something different, then purchasing an air rifle is the way to go! With over 428 different Rifles on our website, we can guarantee to find the right rifle for you and kickstart your hunting career!

Author: Michael Kershaw