another reason to oppose AirBows
General Topic
just to throw this fact out there, while I was passing along info concerning Airbows to another person, I was informed that the manufacturers of AirBows do not pay excise tax that supports wildlife restoration other outdoor equipment companies do.
why the #@$% not I wonder?
That is correct. The manufacturers of "airbows" or any other pneumatic gun don't pay excise taxes because they haven't been considered to be hunting weapons (yet).
They aren't bows and they aren't firearms. We all know they aren't bows. They aren't firearms because firearms use gunpowder. They are "high-powered airguns", according to the Owner's Manual of the Crosman Pioneer Airbow.
True. However, I would think, once they are legalized, approved and sold as hunting equipment, they will have to pay the tax.
Something to consider...
It doesn't matter if it is politics or business, it's all about crafting the right narrative.
People opposed to the "normalization" of these things need to stop calling them "air bows". They are ARROW GUNS and that label needs to be established and it needs to stick. The word "bow" is a totally misleading and dishonest word to use in this devices description or it's "name". It may sound like a trivial thing but it isn't. The people who will ultimately make the decision whether or not to categorize these things as a form of "archery" really don't know a damned thing about archery but they will be influenced by a narrative. Right now the narrative is that it's an airBOW. It's not a bow and I refuse to use that word when talking about it. It's a gun that shoots arrows.
Call it an arrow gun as a matter of practice because that is exactly what it is.
Very true words, Stick! That's why it's always a "high powered" or "assault" rifle.
You can be sure that the good folks at Crosman considered the name very carefully before they went to market with it;)
All this airbow hoopla has been somewhat hilarious. If a state allows crossbows in its archery only season that was intended for bows, hand held, drawn and held by the human body then I just don't see a good argument against these air guns or even traditional muzzleloaders for that matter. Hell, any more let off on the compounds and a traditional muzzleloader might be a disadvantage.
The argument is that it isn't a BOW, it's a GUN that shoots arrows and the argument becomes very simple and persuasive once you strip away the dishonesty of the word "bow".
My God, what next ! like crossbows were not bad enough! Will any body grow up spending time and some effort t learn to shoot a BOW anymore? I'm going to be 86 pretty soon and I'm still hunting with my Matthews, I might have turned it down some over the yrs but I still use it. I always agreed with a law that allowed handicapped the right to use a Xbow. How many young men are going to choose a bow when they can buy one of these air things if they become legal. NO practice involved, great!
Bowriter air guns have been used for a long time to hunt with. people are killing all sorts of big game with them now and no they do not pay the tax on them. Air guns can be shipped through the mail as well with very few restrictions. I have a Kricket 22 caliber pre-charged air gun that I can shoot an 1" group with at 100 yards and have hunted a lot of small game with as well. These so called airbow rifles have no place in any archery season, none period! Shawn
Really looks like a spear gun to me...
Man I hope his weather breaks soon!
BIgdog, really won't affect your season?? Need to read a lot more on the topic, shortened seasons, a wave of new airgun hunters in your favorite woods, game pressured to purely nocturnal movements.. plus the safety issues identified by the mfg. and these threads. Yeah no affect.
By the way plenty of trad archers out there who also shoot hand, held, hand released bows of all types. Some even (gasp) shoot guns, muzzle loaders in their respective seasons. That is the key, introduced error, not gunlike AKA the the airgun. Otherwise its all weapon methods at all times, you know just like fish netting, spearing, trapping and flyrods...NO conflicts there right??
IMO.....I do not think this new type of air gun/bow/flinger will bring many new people into the hunting world. I think most folks who do use it will be former archery/crossbow hunters switching over. I believe the same thing happened with the popularity of the crossbow....many vert archers lateraled over to crossbows. Hence....one reason why vert bow popularity slowed down and you use to see many vert bows hanging on the rack at the stores collecting dust.
It's purely semantics, it's function is no different than a crossbow other than a faster follow up shot but a compound or traditional bow probably has an even faster follow up ability.
I will say that this air bow could probably become a repeater quite easily but how much difference is that really going to make?
If the crossbow is in, so should the airbow.
...and if the air"bow" is in, I see no issue with a cartridge"bow", either. Lot's of good cartridgebows out there. .270's, 30-06's, .300WM's just to name a few. And once we've established the cartridgebow as a legitimate piece of archery equipment, we may as well accessorize them. I want a laser sight, night vision scope... hell, put a bump stock on the MFer, too!
Stick: That's exactly the point. once we allow a gun into an archery hunt, the door is open and we state by state we slide down the slippery slope.
5-10 years from now guys could be shooting shoulder mounted rifles that fire laser beams at the animal during a primitive hunt.
I personally look forward to teaching my grandkids to launch at arrow at a far target with accuracy. The skill, and art of archery and how it applies to fair chase of the quarry.
Do we really need ANOTHER reason???!!! ;-)
I agree with Arizonabowhunter, my feelings exactly!
Most understand that rifle cartridges don't launch arrows and are also not nearly as range limiting. You're going to have to do better than that.
tradmt, no offense but your statement "its function is no different than a crossbow" shows your ignorance on the topic. It functions totally different than a crossbow. They are loud as hell and even when silenced they are a gun without a doubt. FX airguns have one and it has been around a long time they just know it is a air gun that fires a bolt and never pushed for it to be a legal hunting implement for big game. You get some guy like JIm Shockey (Money grabber) to push it and promote it as an "airbow" and now some idiots think it should be legal in bow seasons. I am sorry it is no more a bow than a crossgun. Both have no part in archery seasons. Shawn
I agree, both should not be in archery season. I would also suggest that neither should bows with let off, and maybe even ground blinds, rangefinders etc etc etc........but of course most will disagree because it doesn't fit THEIR techno line in the sand.
I don't give damn about airbows, I will never buy one, I have zero interest but I find it appalling that someone that would support crossbows in bowhunting season would be so adamant against a tool that launches an arrow from a rifle stock with a rifle trigger and a rifle scope.
And if we want to bring noise into it than quit riding those ATV's! :)
Tradmt, I have killed an awful lot of deer with recurves and longbows as well, but have no problems with compounds. May be a bit mechanical compared to a stick bow but it is still drawn by hand and held up vertical. Shawn
