One segment of the gun industry isn’t experiencing ammunition shortages.

The airgun industry is thriving and growing, and you can see all the latest new rifles and pistols Friday and Saturday at the fourth annual Arkansas Airgun Extravaganza at the Hot Spring County Fairgrounds in Malvern.

Seth Rowland, an avid air-gunner, said most people envision Daisy Red Ryder BB guns when they think of airguns, but the show will change your perception. Rowland hunts deer and wild hogs with big bore airguns. His latest kill was a 285-pound hog he killed with a .580-cal. air rifle. A growing sub-culture of hunters also takes western big game with air rifles, and some even kill big game in Africa.

At the show you’ll be able to see, handle and buy the latest small-bore airguns from .177-cal. to .25-cal., and big bores from .30-cal. to .580-cal. You’ll also be able to buy custom and factory ammo, as well as components for making airgun ammo, like bullet molds.

“We don’t have any shortages and no jacked up prices,” Rowland said. “With the shortage of firearms ammo, a .22-cal. airgun is a great way to practice. A lot of the airgun guys haven’t even noticed the shortages. With the big bores, if you can cast lead and get an air supply, you’re independent.”

Vendors at the show will include Dennis Quackenbush, who makes some of the world’s finest big-bore airguns. You can visit his Web site at www.quackenbushairguns.com. You also will be able to meet Eric Anderson, a premier airgun hunter. His Web site, www.bigboreairguns.com, is dedicated to big bore airgun hunting and long range shooting. Todd Orr of Hot Springs, a local airgun enthusiast and ammo maker, will be there, as will Kim Pruett of Lone Wolf Air.

Federal firearms regulations do not apply to airguns, so buyers won’t be subject to background checks and are not required to complete federal transfer forms.

Show hours will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. Admission is $5 for adults, but children 12 and younger are admitted free if accompanied by an adult. More information is available by contacting Seth Rowland at (501) 276-1535.

Practicing with an air rifle might even be better than practicing with a rimfire model because an air rifle requires more precise breathing and trigger control. Many high end small-bore models expel a pellet with muzzle velocities ranging from 400-600 feet per second. That means the pellet travels down the bore slower than a standard .22-cal rimfire bullet, which generally leaves the muzzle at 1,260 fps. A slower projectile magnifies poor shooting technique, which makes it a good tool for identifying and correcting bad habits.

If you want to see what high-end air-gunning is all about, you can see a lot of great videos on YouTube. Some of the best originated in the United Kingdom, where a virtual ban on firearms has forced shooters to embrace air-gunning. Some shooters mount cameras on their guns. It’s really something to see the entire flight arc of a pellet as it travels downrange and strikes its target.

BASS-MASTER OF CEREMONIES

Had a long chat with Dave Mercer, the Bassmaster emcee, before the final weigh-in at the Elite Series tournament on Bull Shoals Lake last weekend.

A native of Toronto, Mercer is a lifelong angler who once had aspirations of being a professional bass fisherman.

We were a bit surprised at this and asked where one scratches the bass fishing itch in Canada. Canada is a smallmouth bass haven, Mercer replied patiently.

“These guys were my idols growing up,” Mercer said. “I wanted to be just like them”

It takes more than a gift of gab to run a weigh-in smoothly and quickly and still make it entertaining. A good emcee must know the anglers, their fishing styles, their personal histories, their streaks, their ruts, their families. Mercer runs it so smoothly that it seems almost effortless.

The best moment at the Bull Shoals weigh-in occurred while Mercer needled Jason Christie, the eventual champion. Christie sat in the “hot seat” with the leading weight waiting for another angler to surpass him. He was edgy and anxious to finish.

“I’m a Sagittarius,” Mercer said. “What sign are you?”

“Man, I’m from Oklahoma,” Christie said. “I don’t even know what you just said.”

Sports, Pages 23 on 04/25/2013