The question of whether a pellet gun can kill a human has turned into a raging debate nowadays. There are lots of people who think pellet guns would never kill while an equal lot also feel these guns could potentially kill a human.
So, can a pellet gun kill a human?
Generally, a pellet gun is unlikely to kill a human, especially the lower calibers in .177 to .25 calibers. However, there are high-powered modern-day pellet guns in .357, .45, .50 calibers used for hunting and are therefore lethal with the right placement.
Nonetheless, you don’t want to write off what pellet guns can do. There are a few documented air weapon fatalities
that give us a stern warning regarding the use of pellet guns.
Let’s talk more about this in the article right off the bat.
Can You Kill a Human with a Pellet Gun?
As said earlier, you may not kill a human with a pellet gun that’s low-powered. But. There have been cases in some places where a .177 or .22 air rifles killed people. So, we cannot completely rule out any sort of risk on these air rifles.
Even though pellets are not powdered as bullets, they bury under the skin. Then, they butterfly and double up in size which can cause excruciating pain on the victim.
If the pellet targets soft tissues like the eye, the effect could be fatal if the person is not treated in time.
Even more, the modern-day hunter can use high-powered air rifles like the .50 caliber for taking down medium and large-sized game.
For instance, the Hatsan Piledriver Big Bore PCP .50 Cal air rifle is extremely powerful thanks to its 800 foot-pounds of muzzle energy and 850 fps velocity.
It’s hard to downplay the effect of such an air rifle as far as fatality is concerned. It’s as dangerous as a firearm.
There are a number of ways that a pellet gun can lead to the death of a person in case of an accident. Thus, you want to be very responsible with your air rifle all the time.
1. Death by Pulmonary Failure
If someone got shot near the chest, that wound could result in damage to the pulmonary veins. This means the person’s heart will be severely damaged which is a serious threat.
In fact, such shots can lead to faster death as blood is quickly cut off from moving to the brain and back.
2. Too Much Bleeding
Another way a person can die of a shot from the air rifle is when certain blood vessels are targeted. The result is the loss of a lot of blood.
If there is too much blood loss, to a percentage more than 40, then the likelihood of death is higher also. Nevertheless, you can call 911 for emergency rescue to help save the victim if that was an accident.
3. Asphyxiation
If the air rifle shot targeted an area near the lungs, the lungs could fail. What that also means is that the body, including crucial regions like the brain, wouldn’t receive enough oxygen required to keep going.
Alternatively, lungs could be intruded and overfilled with fluids that result in cutting off the oxygen supply. In both scenarios, death is impending.
Can a Pellet Gun Penetrate a Human Skull?
A pellet gun cannot penetrate a human skull because the pellets do not have the impact shock to tear the hard skull and lodge.
But for the case of lead bullets with 158-grain weight and 0.38-inches, penetrating a skull on the side is very much possible.
For .357-inch magnum semi-jacketed bullets and 158 grain 0.38-inch Special +P lead bullets, you can be sure both sides of the skull will be penetrated.
However, it’s very important to be careful with your air rifle. The air rifles are still dangerous and would cause harm and therefore serious wounds to the skin.
Can You Kill Someone with a BB Gun?
Most people classify BB guns as toys. They are less powerful than pellet guns and instead of shooting BBs, they do shoot BBs.
Back to the question again. It’s highly unlikely to kill someone from a BB shot. This is because the BB shot is low mass which makes it travel slowly hence reduced impact.
A BB gun may come with a muzzle energy of 1.50 foot-pounds traveling at 350 feet per second. Compared to a 22LR that produces 107 foot-pounds and with bullets traveling at over 1100 feet per second, then it means that such a BB gun would only generate less than 1.5% of the energy of a 22LR.
This is may not be a lethal weapon. But, you don’t want to shoot in the eye as this could be very dangerous. And you might need to repeatedly do so to develop enough eye injury.
Are Pellet Guns Good for Self-Defense or Home Protection?
There are plenty of questions pertaining to whether pellet guns are suitable for self-defense and home protection. Your assailant may freak at the sight of the pellet gun thinking it’s a real one.
But in case they don’t care if they are killed as long as the mission is completed, you are in for big trouble with the pellet gun. This is because the pellet gun doesn’t possess the power required to cause major injuries or even kill the attacker.
In a nutshell, pellet guns are not good for self-defense or home protection. You may need to look for a proper firearm, a real one, for any home protection.
In the case of extremely high-powered air guns like this AirForce Texan, you may stand a chance if your shot is placed. But, there is no guarantee for accuracy when in a high-stress situation.
Here are the Tips for Safe Use of Pellet Guns
Pellet guns can cause injuries if not carefully used. There have been incidences where even users shot themselves and the consequences were either worse or fatal.
At a really close range, a pellet gun can easily cause death. So, what are the things you are supposed to do to avoid such accidents?
In this section, you will learn the different tips for safe airgun use.
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Make Sure You Unload Your Gun
One of the most commonly made mistakes is leaving your pellet gun loaded even when not in use. Yes, you could store it well. But again, you would pick it forgetting it was not unloaded only to fire it accidentally at yourself or another person.
If at close range, that would cause a serious injury or even death. What this means is that you want to unload your gun before keeping it on the shelf to avoid such.
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Know Where You Are Shooting
Don’t just start shooting blindly in case of practice or recreational plinking. You must have prepared your shooting range in time.
In case you make a mistake and miss your target, you want to be sure the pellet won’t hit someone on the other side.
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Avoid Ricochets
In short, don’t keep firing at hard targets like metal or water surfaces. When this occurs, pellets ricochet and could cause harm to anyone standing by or even bounce back to haunt you.
Your aim is to focus on shooting at the real targets rather than any other thing.
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Don’t Drop Your Air Gun
When you drop the air gun carelessly, you may never know what could happen. It could go off – putting you in a very dangerous scenario when you pick it to resume.
If you want a rest, just place it slowly and carefully on the ground.
Final Thoughts: Can a pellet gun kill a human?
A pellet gun cannot kill a human since they are not as powerful as real firearms. Pellet guns especially low-powered .177 and .22 will only penetrate the skin and cause some pain.
For the high-powered ones, however, there is potential for damage of soft tissues in major organs which could lead to fatality in the event of serious bleeding.
You want to avoid any accidents related to the use of airguns as indicated in the safety tips above. Shooting a person with an air rifle is a crime and you will be fully responsible for the damages caused.
