Skill vs Equipment

[CCook]

I’m of the belief that if you hunt with the sun in your face and wind at your back it doesn't matter if you are carrying a Daystate or Daisy you will not be successful.
I’ve only been hunting with airguns for
7-8 years and I’ve never hunted with anything other than an Umarex of some sort. I’m only recently learning through these and the other forums that I shoot “Chinese junk” and “budget friendly” and “beginner guns”. So this made me think why are they called that first and second are the guys shooting FX and Airforce really doing that much better in the field than a guy shooting “Chinese junk”?
A guy came to hunt with me and brought an FX it leaked just like the rest of them. It shot great and was smooth but leaked constantly. A guy brought a Texan and after he missed his first shot and was trying to reload in the dark I shot the pig and worked the side lever on my budget Gauntlet and shot again before he reloaded.
So if the same $0.20 O-ring is holding back the air in most of the guns what am I NOT getting from my “budget guns” and would it make me a better hunter if I had it?
They shoot good groups and I kill between 10-12 big game animals a year. Would I kill 20-25 if I shot a Skout Epoc?
Has your budget gun ever cost you an animal or has your top of the line gun ever gotten you one that a “budget gun” wouldn’t?
Just wondering as I have not been around in this community long enough to question anybody’s gun decisions with the little bit of airgun knowledge I have.
Do you base your gun selection on how you will hunt with it or what’s in your price range? Just curious thanks for reading.

 

[Playingdead]

I think it is about what you A: can afford and B: what you are hunting. I mean with big game as you state to counter your argument would why use an airgun when a powder gun is better. I will say the gun culture is always been pretty combative with expensive vs. cheap.

Here is my take. Own all the above from cheap to expensive. I enjoy all of them. If I am shooting squirrels I would not use the 100 fl/lb .30 air rifles I own. If I am shooting coyotes I am not using my HW98 .177. The best rifle is the one YOU shoot the best, not the best rifle. I love my cheap rifles and my new favorite is a Pinty Falcon X that would be considered "Cheap Chinese Junk" by many. I can shoot a squirrel at 60 yards with no problem and at 50 it would be competitive in benchrest. Now with that I have not found a cheap air rifle that I can shoot well in FT or HFT or 100 yard benchrest. I also will tell you a higher quality rifle would allow you to take more shots that you may not take now. It would not improve your hunting only enhance it.

So yes you might kill more with a Skout Epoc. This would be because you would have more opportunity not because it magically makes you more skilled. Chefs don't use quality knives for show just like a skilled professional uses better quality tools.

 

[Grunt64]

You’re right , skill and fieldcraft matter way more than the name on the gun. I own both a China‑made PCP and a USA‑made PCP, and I’ve hunted with everything from budget guns to big bores.
The truth is, the animal doesn’t care what brand you’re carrying. If you set up wrong — sun in your face, wind at your back , a $3,000 rifle won’t save you.
I’ve seen high‑end guns leak, miss, or slow a hunter down, and I’ve seen budget guns drop animals clean because the shooter knew his rifle and the conditions.

For me, gun choice comes down to how I’m hunting and what fits the job, not the price tag. A well‑placed shot from a ‘budget’ gun kills just as dead as one from a top‑tier rifle.

Skill, setup, and knowing your equipment beat brand names every day in the field.

 

[Jaabaa]

I probably did more hunting with my Powerline 922 than any firearm I have.
That thing shoots little bitty groups and it's my oldest gun since I was a teen.
Skunks, Those rabbits would ground down a hill in just a few years. And the bores, first shot 20 pumps, second 4 and up close. Wasn't the most ethically done in the 70s.
Must be the weight or just the feel, but open sights, that's my guy. The next probably just the cheap Beeman QB 78. I've made some 50 yard open shots that shocked me.
My uncle Jack one time came over and hit a Can off a fence post at what seamed to be a football field.
Good times, great topic as always.

 

[Jaabaa]

You’re right , skill and fieldcraft matter way more than the name on the gun. I own both a China‑made PCP and a USA‑made PCP, and I’ve hunted with everything from budget guns to big bores.
The truth is, the animal doesn’t care what brand you’re carrying. If you set up wrong — sun in your face, wind at your back , a $3,000 rifle won’t save you.
I’ve seen high‑end guns leak, miss, or slow a hunter down, and I’ve seen budget guns drop animals clean because the shooter knew his rifle and the conditions.

For me, gun choice comes down to how I’m hunting and what fits the job, not the price tag. A well‑placed shot from a ‘budget’ gun kills just as dead as one from a top‑tier rifle.

Skill, setup, and knowing your equipment beat brand names every day in the field.

Think you absolute right.

 

[mrage]

I’m of the belief that if you hunt with the sun in your face and wind at your back it doesn't matter if you are carrying a Daystate or Daisy you will not be successful.
I’ve only been hunting with airguns for
7-8 years and I’ve never hunted with anything other than an Umarex of some sort. I’m only recently learning through these and the other forums that I shoot “Chinese junk” and “budget friendly” and “beginner guns”. So this made me think why are they called that first and second are the guys shooting FX and Airforce really doing that much better in the field than a guy shooting “Chinese junk”?
A guy came to hunt with me and brought an FX it leaked just like the rest of them. It shot great and was smooth but leaked constantly. A guy brought a Texan and after he missed his first shot and was trying to reload in the dark I shot the pig and worked the side lever on my budget Gauntlet and shot again before he reloaded.
So if the same $0.20 O-ring is holding back the air in most of the guns what am I NOT getting from my “budget guns” and would it make me a better hunter if I had it?
They shoot good groups and I kill between 10-12 big game animals a year. Would I kill 20-25 if I shot a Skout Epoc?
Has your budget gun ever cost you an animal or has your top of the line gun ever gotten you one that a “budget gun” wouldn’t?
Just wondering as I have not been around in this community long enough to question anybody’s gun decisions with the little bit of airgun knowledge I have.
Do you base your gun selection on how you will hunt with it or what’s in your price range? Just curious thanks for reading.

I think the biggest benefit you get with "most" higher $$ guns is the better triggers , which in turn usually helps with the better accuracy you get . Now that I'm nudging 70 yrs and that dreaded "Arthur" is squatting in my extremities ,
those 3-6+lb triggers with two zip codes of travel are not fun to play with. I just returned a new "budget gun" because
of exactly that. Was it accurate? Yes , but after two mags (18 shots) I had to take a break and contrary to a reviewer , there was little ,if any adjustments that didn't make the trigger inoperable. My higher tier brand (now have 6 of same)
come with easy adjustments and true superior feel. Yes , I am definitely a trigger snob. I also have several guns from a brand that manufactures many of the guns today for other names , and they have accounted for many enjoyable shooting adventures also. My take on guns of all makes & all methods of propellants is , leave the lawyers out of the
board rooms and offer some sound instructions on making the gun and trigger YOURS along with accepting responsibility for the action ! Oh and yes, you still need to be a "hunter" with skill to benefit from any & all equipment you have .

 

[Chief55]

For hunting I am a firm believer in getting closer is better. That is hunting. To me the fun in hunting is getting as close as I can, not the shooting. I have gotten as close to deer twice and an elk once to be able to hit them with my gun barrel. Every big game animal I have killed has been inside of 30 yards, most of them inside of 15 yards with the exception of one.

With that in mind, being safe and skill as a hunter are the most important thing, to be close enough for a sure kill. Then a weapon that is light enough to enjoy going hunting with and more than powerful enough to do the job, not the bare minimum that can lead to bad endings. Then practicing a lot and finding that best ammo for your weapon and getting proficient with it at the ranges you plan to use it for.

Stay within your budget, use good skills and woodcraft and be safe.

Keeping the wind in your face is the main thing so they can't smell you. Camo helps a lot, even face and hands. Blaze orange camo works great, many animals see red and orange as gray or black. Blue is the worst color to wear. Take a few steps then stop look and listen, then a few more. Only man walks nonstop from point A to B. Ease your foot down so you can feel twigs before they break from your full weight on it. If you break a twig freeze for a couple of minutes because every eye is now on you. If there is no way to be quite because of leaves, imitate natural things like birds or squirrels. They hop, hop, hop then dig around in the leaves. I have done that, step, step, step, with my toes digging into the leaves then push some leaves around with my foot and walked rite up on deer because they thought I was a squirrel. Using tree stands 15-20 feet up are great if it is practical for you. Using blinds are good. Deer like to travel along the edge of two different terrains for safety. Like woods and swamps. They will follow air currents in hill or mountain areas. Moving uphill in the mornings to see better and downhill in the evenings, currents bring sent to them as one of their main ways of staying alive. Where there are clear cuts, they will be in the thickest bushes right next to a logging road not in the more open woods around the clear cut. You can walk or drive right by them, and they will stay in the bushes like rabbits. Take a distress call to imitate a hurt fawn and they will pop out of the bushes to see what is going on but they won't run away until they see what is happening. Female deer and elk are very easy to call in with bleats. You will often see movement that is out of place or hear a sound like a deer alarm snort before your see the animal. Always keep it fun, it should not be like work ever, even if that means using a camera rather than a weapon. Bear will come to a fawn in distress call. The biggest buck always follows behind a smaller buck. If you shot the small one right away, you will not get the big one. If they are travelling the smaller one will be in front, if they are going into a field the big one will hang back in the woods and watch for some time till it feels it is safe. They don't get old from being stupid the young one is always the point man.

 

[Ezana4CE]

…Just wondering as I have not been around in this community long enough to question anybody’s gun decisions with the little bit of airgun knowledge I have.
Do you base your gun selection on how you will hunt with it or what’s in your price range? Just curious thanks for reading.

Knowing what to do with expensive or the latest equipment can definitely help. One may know how to hunt, but can suck at setting up a scope, tuning an airgun, or maintaining an airgun. The guy that practices shooting airguns, collects DOPE and familiarizes himself with it, knows the limits of his airgun, scope, and ammo combination, his tune, and understands the anatomy of his quarry should do pretty well overall with adequate practice and fundamentals.

As for buying airguns, I buy what I think would fit me for how I like to hunt and in the conditions that I’m hunting. The pricing has to make sense. I don’t see me paying $4000 for an airgun. $1500- $2500 is a lot of money for an airgun in my opinion, but this is a hobby. We pay to play in our hobbies. Sure, a lot of us start off spending a few bucks and some remain content with entry level gear. Some of us get sucked into buying lots of different airguns and support equipment and calling it a “rabbit hole.” That’s me to a certain extent. Thankfully I didn’t get too carried away. I have no airgun shops or airgunsmiths close to me that I’m aware of. I don’t know many airgun hunters in proximity to me. My introduction to various airguns and airguns-related tools was heavily dependent upon the internet. Reading and watching YouTube videos, I saw men doing what I do, have done, was trying to do, or wanted to do. I looked at what they were using and bought some of it because I saw myself through them. This effect is a product of excellent marketing. I later learned what I actually liked and could use and tailored what I bought accordingly. As for budgeting if I see something I am interested in, I do what is necessary to get it unless it’s ridiculously priced. I see no point in going into debt over this stuff. Once I have what interests me, I’m pretty content. On occasion I get curious and will buy something out of curiosity when I feel like I will have time to learn something new.

I think @mrage summed it up well with this statement, “Oh and yes, you still need to be a ‘hunter’ with skill to benefit from any & all equipment you have.”