# Is it smart to rely on a BB gun to kill birds for food



## Mrjordanslick (Apr 27, 2012)

I have a BB gun that shoots at 350 fps and i know it can kill a bird but is it smart to relly on it for food because i cant get a gun


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## AnvilIron (Mar 1, 2012)

There are more powerful (higher velocity) .177 cal pellet/BB rifles... some exceeding 1000fps. I would be more inclined to rely on one of those.


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## C5GUY (Mar 22, 2012)

AnvilIron said:


> There are more powerful (higher velocity) .177 cal pellet/BB rifles... some exceeding 1000fps. I would be more inclined to rely on one of those.


I agree, go with the .177 or even the .22 cal. air rifles. Plus they are fun to plink with.


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## bigdogbuc (Mar 23, 2012)

I use mine to thin out the squirrels around here fom time to time. I use the Predator Polymag pellet that has a sharp polymer tip and is absolutely devastating. I have a crappy Daisy 876 or something like that and that pellet just wipes them out. Even took a crow in my trash at about 20 yards with one and crows are pretty tough. The tip is designed to pretty much slice through whatever it hits.

So yeah, with a good pellet gun and that particualr pellet, you're good to go. Depending on where you get them, they can run around $15 or more for 200 of them. Go to airgundepot.com and check them out.


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## dontlookatme (Apr 12, 2012)

Don't rely in just the Bb gun. Practice with slingshots too. Maybe even try doing bird traps. Over just a stone against two birds is hard but fun. ;-) and if u want a pellet gun. Get the hollow point ammo for it. The look cool and have a higher chance at doing more lethal damage.


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## errorborne (Mar 16, 2012)

Mrjordanslick said:


> i know it can kill a bird but is it smart to relly on it for food because i cant get a gun


Learn to trap. A gun can only catch food when you are there to pull the trigger. You can only be in one place. But with traps you can have multiple locations to catch birds even when you are doing other things.

Secondly, if you can not legally have a gun, you should not try to split hairs over firearm vs airgun. Running afoul of the law is never a good strategy for surviving.

I must add... ensure your traps are not a danger, hazard or violation of any local ordinnace. But you should be able to perfect techniques in your own house with a helpful parakeet.


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## dontlookatme (Apr 12, 2012)

Make sure if it's illegal to kill birds in your area. In Texas we are not legally allowed to kill any birds until the season starts. And till then. It's only certain birds only. But IF you decide to practice killing birds, be careful with the laws and don't get caught.


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## Dreams (Mar 27, 2012)

dontlookatme said:


> Make sure if it's illegal to kill birds in your area. In Texas we are not legally allowed to kill any birds until the season starts. And till then. It's only certain birds only. But IF you decide to practice killing birds, be careful with the laws and don't get caught.


The sad part here, and what may ultimately cause the extinction of some species, is the fact that if SHTF, no one is going to care how many or what birds you kill for food.  I love animals.. but fact is, being a former 911 operator, there will be more calls coming in for other issues then you killing to survive..

That being said for SHTF .... PRE SHTF, its my personal request that you do NOT practice on any animal unless you are going to cook and eat that animal right after. I am not a vegitarian or vegan or WETH they are called these days, but I do believe in respect for all living creatures, and unless you are going to honor that animal and what they gave their life for.. (your survival), by consuming them.. please dont kill them. Also, the more you kill and waste now, the less to survive on.. They have targets and IM sure you can create targets to practice on..

thanks.


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## RuDown (Apr 16, 2012)

Wow! Just got into this topic but people use your heads. I would like to start by saying when the shtf plays out whatever scenario it may be you can bet your butt that martial law will be in full force and it will be shoot first and then ask questions. With that being said I will return the favor and will not care about their hunting laws or their gun laws. I to cannot legally own a gun but I cannot deny having a few around. But seriously birds? Why when they are a benefit to natures survival just like the bees that we have started to wipe out so we can fatten up our kids for the slaughter. BB/Pellet guns are great to have. Ammo super cheap and no powder to go bad on you. Less space used for ammo so you can store more food. The guns not all that cheap but lighter than most rifles but have quieter shot. You can set up a target box and get your ammo back after day at the range. I personally am not going to hunt birds unless there is nothing else around but with the deer population the way it is and rabbits and squirrels everywhere please save the birds for last resort. I don't mean to offend anyone ideas I'm just saying.


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## AnvilIron (Mar 1, 2012)

RuDown,
Your point about birds is a well taken side note to the discussion of BB gun viability. As you have said, there are many other critters that abound, would probably provide more meat per kill and can be taken with a substantial air rifle… such that birds should appear very far down on the food source list. 

Your other point about martial law and the almost immediate irrelevance of game or gun laws also has merit. On the other hand, a recent Executive Order put in place in December 2011, removes most if not all Constitutional Rights with the initiation of Martial Law. By the same order, any and all private property (including home and land) that the locally established authority deems relevant to the common welfare of the state or community, must be forfeited by the own upon demand by that authority. The right to private ownership (of firearms or other) is null and void. Many States (including my own) have now echoed those conditions as part of their own DHS and Emergency Response Management laws and directives. That being said, learning to set snares might a worthwhile skill to develop.


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## RuDown (Apr 16, 2012)

I agree totally. I myself am learning small and large traps for small and big game. I personally don't want to be carrying a lot of gear while out hunting for many reasons. Plus the natives lived many many years without firearms. I really don't mean any kind of insult to others or their styles of surviving I just wanted to give a look through a different window if you want to eat birds eat birds. I remember when I was a kid we used to hunt quails low and behold we hunted them to almost nothing so we have never quail hunted since and they are making a nice comeback but I will take a nice deer loin or some squirrel stew any day. I will deal the government slaves in a different fashion if that day comes. Probably RUN like hell when I see a ton of soldiers walking down my street. You guys are great I love this site keep up the discussions.


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## PeppiPrepper (Jun 5, 2012)

Rat traps and treble hooks supposedly work on birds. It's horribly cruel, but hunger is a strong motivator.

BTW, with traps, peanut butter works on a wide range of critters and even birds. I watched live traps put in my a game manager to remove some very aggressive raccoons and they used peanut butter. Not only did they get (and safely release) the target raccoons, and other critters, they also caught birds!

Although I've got conibear traps for emergencies, I'm considering buying some live traps so I can at least see and then determine whether to eat or release what gets caught.


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## AnvilIron (Mar 1, 2012)

I’ve unintentionally caught birds in Havahart traps in the past, to the point where I only put them out as a last resort. Some of the birds injured themselves when they freaked out in the trap.

I watched an interesting youtube video (I’ll have to see if I can find it again) of a young man using a light-weight takedown (three-piece) recurve bow to harvest doves. He approached several within ten yards and was quite effective. The arrow tips were just blunt weights instead of points. The bow couldn’t have been any more than 20lbs pull and looked pretty inexpensive, but it got the job done well. A few doves in the pot might make a pretty good meal under some circumstances. I guess it’s all about options and opportunities.


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## preop (Jun 7, 2012)

Best move to someplace where you CAN get a gun. Also, get Ragnar Benson's book on survival poaching, learn to use traps, snares and bird lime to take birds, along with blowguns and nets to take them at night, when they roost inside buildings.  in daylight, prepare "roll down" hunnks of fabric around a dowel or stick, say, your hammock, your ponchos, your groundsheet. Block off solidly any other means of exit. Have strings tied with bow knots, so that you can just jerk on the string and gravity will unroll the means you have set up to block the bird's exits. Then you can keep them in cages live, until you need the meat. don't waste the down feathers, they can make very warm clothing. Use the bird's heads and guts to trap turtles, fish, crawdads, dogs, cats, etc, too.


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