What is Air Archery?
I’m a big bowhunter so consequently, I never have been interested in hunting with a crossbow. An airbow, on the other hand…
What’s an airbow? Think of a crossbow crossed with an air rifle. Instead of limbs and string, propulsion comes from compressed air. An airbow like the Umarex AirSaber I’ve been testing looks and handles like an air rifle, but instead of loading bullets, you load an arrow into the barrel. Pretty simple. Pretty fun.
Over the years I’ve hunted antelope, deer, elk, moose, bear, turkey, and shot boatloads of fish and a coyote with a bow. As age makes that ore and more challenging, I’m contemplating options. To me, it seemed like crossbows are cheating. But for some reason, air archery seems legit, even appealing. Maybe because I’m an air gunner? Probably.
The first time I had an air archery gun sent to me I thought I’d write about it, send it back and that’d be the end of it. But upon shooting it I discovered how powerful and accurate it was. Speaking of accuracy, that’s one downside to these “airbows.” You can’t shoot much at the same target or you’re going to knock the fletching off your other arrows. Tight groups! And, since they don’t have nocks (the back end of the arrow is open so it slides over a metal tube in the barrel,) you can actually get true “robin hoods.” I’ve shot my second arrow inside the end of the first arrow I stuck in the bullseye.
During my first Texas airbow hog hunt I shot one of these Robin Hoods while practicing. Airbows are that accurate. So aim at a different target dot with each shot if you wish to retain your expensive arrows.
The second good news/bad news about air archery is that these arrows zip along at 450 fps or slightly faster. That much speed is great for flat trajectory and extended reach, but on a traditional archery target you’re likely to bury arrows to the fletching. Use a Morrell Super Duty target to minimize penetration.
For hunting, I just use my regular broadheads. But I don’t like expandable blades. If you hit the front plate on a hog’s shoulder it can annihilate the blades. Expandables might be great on turkeys, but I prefer stout, fixed broadheads for big game. A few years ago, I was hunting with Bill Olson, the publisher of Texas Outdoor Journal, and Murray and Clint Choate of Slow Glow. Clint hit a hog in the shoulder plate. His expandable blade broadhead was driven back into the shaft and the arrow bounced off the big boar.
So, with the above said, how do I see air archery fitting into my world? What with the accumulation of years and weakening of joints, I see a lot of opportunities, much like some of my older buddies have already shown me. When they can no longer pull 80#, 60#, even 50# bows, they can still handle a crossbow or an airbow. Hunting regulations from state-to-state might preclude these for deer, elk, and bear, but they should be legal for hogs, coyotes and varmints, at least. Keeps you in the field, active, and enjoying flinging arrows.
Pragmatic as all that is, the swing factor for me is the fun. Airbows are flat-out fun to shoot. Targets. Ground squirrels. Small game where legal. But especially those destructive feral hogs. You can sneak about field edges and pick them off one by one without the noise of a gun shot.
A side benefit to the airbow fun is the challenge. Stalking close enough for a sure shot is as demanding with an airbow as with a regular bow. With 450 fps or faster arrow speed, your range extends a bit farther than it is with many regular bows. And your aim can (should!) be a lot better because you can mount a scope on your airbow. Believe you me this is useful for precise targeting. You can even use a multi-reticle scope to get hold points for extended target distances. With the airbow held as steadily as a rifle, you can pinpoint targets waaay out there. Just be aware of what any breezes are doing to your arrows. Side gusts can really blow them off course.
Another option is a red dot sight. Quick and easy. That red dot shows up beautifully on the black hair of a hog at dusk. I used a Riton Optics red dot on a Caracal .300 Blackout rifle a year or two ago with a 3x magnifier that could be flipped out of the way. I think that is what I’ll put on my Air Saber as soon as I get one of my own (instead of the loaner unit I’ve been using.)
Here are the Umarex company specs on the Air Sabre:
450 FPS with 376-Grain Arrow
169 ft-lbs of Energy
Pre-Charged Pneumatic Powered (high-pressure air)
Up to 25 shots per fill
Max Tank Pressure of 3,625 PSI
Two-Stage Trigger
Manual Safety
Multiple Picatinny Accessory Rails
Comes with (3) Field Tipped Arrows
It is advertised as being accurate out to 70 yds.
