Originally Posted by
Geezer
Here we go again. Sigh.
There is no such thing as "stopping power". If there was, we could measure it scientifically. What we can measure are terminal ballistics. We can also medically assess wound effects. Every decent study ever done indicates that effectiveness is a combination of shot placement, energy, and the performance of the projectile in the target, which is a function of both projectile construction and things like projectile stability. With shot placement the most important factor, provided that the ballistics give a basic level of penetration.
As for the .177" "knitting needle", a knitting needle through the cerebral cortex = dead animal.
You cannot get more dead than dead. Either it is dead or not. A .177" air rifle head shot at 8ft-lbs retained energy kills a rabbit just as dead as a .50"BMG burst that cuts it literally in half.
Sorry guys, but this whole thread is getting a bit annoying. Many decades of mass experience show that a reasonable sub-12 air rifle of any type or calibre in the hands of a reasonable shooter at sensible ranges is a perfectly acceptable and humane pest control tool.