Advice for initial purchase,

Hi,

Warning, my first post…might be long and rambling…

I’m seeking advice on the best path to accomplish 2 objectives:

1. A good setup for QUIET indoor target practice,

2. A good setup for small game hunting,( Rabbit cassarole, braised squirrel, how bad a recession are we going to have? )

The Talons may fit the bill, although the idea of just twisting the power wheel to achieve the above goals appears unrealistic; a better way would seem to be modify/change the tank or have two tanks: one for indoor targets and one for outdoor. So first some background questions:

Q1, For hunting smallish game how many FPE are needed for reliable kills 35-70 yards?

Q2. Is 22 caliber good enough? or is .25 much better?

It seems I would get a Talon SS, maybe with a micro tank or CO2 for indoor quiet shots and something more for outdoor hunting. I may be stuck with the Talon SS for a quiet airgun because of the firearm laws in Michigan. They call any rifled barreled device a firearm, and

750.224 Weapons; manufacture, sale, or possession as felony; exceptions; “muffler” or “silencer” defined.
Sec. 224. (1) A person shall not manufacture, sell, offer for sale, or possess any of the following:
(a) A machine gun or firearm that shoots or is designed to shoot automatically more than 1 shot without manual reloading,
by a single function of the trigger.
(b) A muffler or silencer.
(c) A bomb or bombshell.
* * *
(4) As used in this chapter, “muffler” or “silencer” means 1 or more of the following:
(a) A device for muffling, silencing, or deadening the report of a firearm.
(b) A combination of parts, designed or redesigned, and intended for use in assembling or fabricating a muffler or silencer.
(c) A part, designed or redesigned, and intended only for use in assembling or fabricating a muffler or silencer.

So even possessing a shroud could cause problems. So a .25 18 inch Condor with shroud may be effective for hunting, but I wouldn’t want to walk around hunting with the shroud if somebody thought it was a “device for muffling, silencing, or deadening the report of a firearm. ”

The laws are screwy, one State Attorney General said Michigan law disallowed machine guns & silencers; then the next one said he was wrong and now machine guns (pre 1986) are allowed, but not silencers, even with a federal permit. If the Attorney General can’t figure this stuff out, what hope do we have to get it right?

OT quote:
“Did you really think we want those laws observed?” said Dr. Ferris. “We want them to be broken. You’d better get it straight that it’s not a bunch of boy scouts you’re up against… We’re after power and we mean it… There’s no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren’t enough criminals one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What’s there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced or objectively interpreted – and you create a nation of law-breakers – and then you cash in on guilt. Now that’s the system, Mr. Reardon, that’s the game, and once you understand it, you’ll be
much easier to deal with.” (‘Atlas Shrugged’ 1957)

One pour soul went to Kmart and bought a .177 pellet pistol, it had a rifled barrel. He didn’t fill out the proper paperwork for a “firearm” (did Kmart even tell him?) and the police found it. The Washtenaw county prosecutor took him to court; the judge fired it and said it wasn’t dangerous, then threw the case out of court. The prosecutor just went to another judge and got him convicted for a concealed weapon, and I think he is doing time for the .177 pellet pistol, among other things.

Easy Felony
http://hamtramckstar.com/index.php/2004/02/06/easy_felony?blog=4

But I digress. But this makes me want to start with a quiet airgun that can be also adapted for hunting, that doesn’t have a shroud.

Q3. What ways are good to tame the tank output for indoor target practice? Would a washer behind the top hat work? Could one just slip it on or off depending on how much power one needs? Would it be better to mod a standard tank’s valve or just purchase the micro tank? What about CO2 for indoors? would that be quieter than a micro tank?

For target practice I would want very consistent shots, so that inaccuracies are because of me.

Q4. Would it be better to go for a Condor setup for hunting? or is a Talon with a 24″ barrel and standard tank ok?

Q5. Pumps. Why do people prefer the Hill pump? Where is a good place to get one?

Q6. Scope power. It seems for small animals a 6-24x may be better than a 4-16x. True?

Q7. Scopes. It would seem that while hunting parallax adjustments would be best using the side wheel. And yet, many people like the adjustable objective scopes like Bushnell Legend 5-15, Elite 6-24. How important is the Parallax adjustment; enough to miss the kill zone?

Q8. Scope mounts. tri rail + medium height rings? + wok butt?

Q9. Bipods: Why is the Harris better than the airforce one?

Q10. Other airguns to consider, especially accurate, quiet ones ?

Well your information should get me started down the right path, so

Thanks,

Bytheriver