Air Rifles?

[stumper]

Anyone here into air rifles at all? I'm getting the urge to buy a decent air rifle to pop furry varmints with but don't know my way around them. Any opinions on a good pellet rifle - under $200???

 

[gm272gs]

Even though it is made by Umarex, I like my son's Amazon.com: Ruger Air Hawk Combo Rifle (Wood, Large): Sports & Outdoors@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21aoKjeqJWL.@@AMEPARAM@@21aoKjeqJWL. It is heavy and well-made, and takes the heads clean off 13-striped ground squirrels.

Just go right ahead and sell or otherwise dispose of the scope that comes with it, though. That is a real piece of junk. Iron sights are fine.

 

[Lost Lake]

I'm subscribing to this thread!

I have a couple junk air rifles but really would like a good one. I have been using sub-sonic .22 shells for quiet ground squirrel elimination.

Anschutz had a really nice air rifle years ago I believe.... Did Sears import it under the Ted Williams name or something like that?

 

[pownal55]

I believe RWS are the best quality but they are expensive.

 

[Coldshooter]

I have used several of the 5 shot Izmash. Have trained several kids with them, 450 fps, accurate and price is right. Some are put off by the looks but they work.

 

[mrbort]

I'm also interested in as noiseless a break action rifle as I can get that is still good quality. I have neighbors and don't want to bother them.

 

[A Castle]

RWS air rifles are one of the best on the market today. I've had one for several years with no complaints. They also have a lifetime warranty! Years ago I broke the rear sight, gave them a call and they sent me a new one within a week. Great shooter for kids to learn on.

 

[ralph7]

Anyone here into air rifles at all? I'm getting the urge to buy a decent air rifle to pop furry varmints with but don't know my way around them. Any opinions on a good pellet rifle - under $200???

In that price range you can find the power you need, but a LOT of them have horrendous trigger pull weight and takeup, even the ones that have an adjustment screw. I would go to a shop that actually knows something rather than an Academy or such.
I would also recommend .22 caliber close to 1000 fps or more for hunting game.

There is a lot more to choose from in spring and pcp (pre-charged pnuematic)
but that is way over your budget.

 

[Coldshooter]

This is the one I have. There is now a version with better sights. Side cock lever like a FWB603. I use some pellets which are teflon coated with a silicon base which are about 75-100 fps faster than a traditional pellet.

 

[Smith357]

There are 3 main types of air rifles, spring piston aka springer, pump, and pre-charged pneumatic or PCP. Since you want to keep it under $200 that pretty much rules out the PCPs. Between the springers and the pump up the springers are generally more accurate, but they are also harder to shoot well. The springers have what is known as a Reverse Recoil with a very large piston moving forward to create the air pressure that drives the pellet. The upside is once you master this type of rifle, you will shoot all your rifles better. Also if you plan on scoping it you will need a scope that can handle the reverse recoil, many standard rifle scopes will get torn to shreds on a springer, I believe Leupold builds all it scopes to handle reverse recoil.

Pump guns are much more forgiving to shoot and will accept any scope but velocities can vary giving point of impact variations. There is really only one pumper that I know of that is suitable for yard varmints and that is the Benjamin/Sheridan line.

For clean kills I would go with a .20 or .22 caliber rifle, the .177 is fine for punching holes in paper but lacks the punch for much more than tree rat.

Don't be fooled by the wild velocity claims, they get these numbers by using the lightest pellet possible, and in general high powered air rifles tend to favor heavy pellets for accuracy. They may say 1000 fps but with a real hunting weight pellet they will more likely be at 750 to 800 fps, still plenty of power for vermin.

I would also keep an eye out for a used RWS or Beeman R1. I see them occasionally at shows for around $150



I bought a .20 caliber Sheridan Silver Streak years ago and it is my go-to gun for yard pests. it shoves a 14.3 grain pellet clean through a 1/2 in pine board. It is rated at 675 fps with 8 pumps and a 14 grain pellet.

 

[P&R Fan]

All I have is a couple old BB guns.

With the frenzy to buy up all the available .22 LR ammunition, I'm thinkin' BBs are gonna be the next formerly cheap, readily available gun-related thing to be in demand. I might just go buy a million of 'em.
Jim

 

[RonJ]

If you want a finely crafted rifle with a good trigger you might want to try HW. If FWB still makes sporters that's another good option.

 

[CW Spook]

$200 will put you nearly in the ballpark of an RWS34, which is about the optimum combination of accuracy and power in that price range.

 

[M&P Freak]

Here's my .177 Diana Model 24-J. It's a junior model, but I was just a eleven years old when I bought it. Stamped Made in West Germany and has the adjustable trigger. I've been told this is one of the good ones. Still shoots great!

 

[gdnagle]

You might want to subscribe to airgundaily they do recondition specials everyday. I have a Gamo CFX I like the fixed barrel .177, a Crosman nitro Titan .22 break barrel and a Hammerli X2 break barrel with two interchangeable barrels .177/.22. All accurate within their range. Just remember do not fire them without a pellet. Don't believe their fps, they are based on light weight pellets wich are not good for them and best part I went to Wally World the other day and picked up 500 rounds of .177 and .22 pellets they had plenty. Two good places to start are Pyramyd Air and Airgun Depot mine a loud as a .22 rim fire but the make them not as loud you will have to search for them. You can buy the cheaperones from wally world and GM has a nice selection but I find online cheapest for better quiality ones.

P.S. don't forget "The artillery hold" http://www.pyramydair.com/article/The_artillery_hold_June_2009/63

 

[Iggy]

I have an old Beeman R1 and it is by far the most accurate thing I own.

 

[mstuhr]

Gunbroker

Howdy,
I was in the market for another air rifle not too long back and was watching Gunbroker. I saw quite a few good deals (But not quite what I wanted) while watching.It looks like a good place to shop for one.
We shoot out back as my lot back up to common ground.
Great practice and entertainment.
Good luck
Mike

 

[MK]

Even though it is made by Umarex, I like my son's Ruger Air Hawk. It is heavy and well-made, and takes the heads clean off 13-striped ground squirrels.

Just go right ahead and sell or otherwise dispose of the scope that comes with it, though. That is a real piece of junk. Iron sights are fine.

I bought one of those at wally world last fall. At $80, I couldn't
resist, and I'd been pondering getting one anyway, to save money
on plinking tin cans and paper at the dirt patch.

For the price, I was fairly impressed at what I got. It's stout and
heavy.. Heck, it's almost too heavy.. Feels like a danged deer rifle,
but I like the wood and mostly metal. As long as it will hold up in
the long haul, it should be fine for what I bought it for.
Too bad Ruger didn't offer the .22 version. I would have rather had
that, but Ruger doesn't offer it, and the Umarex .22 version would
have cost a good bit more than $80. So what the heck.. I went .177.

To me, the scope really didn't seem all that bad, but the mounts
are fairly useless. I think mine would probably be semi OK with a new
one piece scope mount. I don't have any other air gun rated scopes, so
don't have anything else to try.

I agree about the FPS thang.. Too fast, you go supersonic, which
usually trashes the accuracy. Heck, it was close just using a standard
7.9 gr pointed pellet in the Air Hawk. Those were the least accurate of
the ones I tried, and I think it was because they were nudging the sound
barrier.

I also tried hollow points, and wad cutters, and they did fine.
It really liked the wad cutters, and I think it's because with the flat
nose, that holds the speed down, and they don't get squirrely.
So it seems a pellet on the slightly heavy side would be the best
for mine.

The Air Hawk being a RWS clone springer, needs the artillery hold
to be accurate. But I never had much problem with that. I've always
shot kinda loose anyway.. BTW, the RWS clone trigger on the Air Hawk
ain't half bad at all for a lower cost air gun.. It's adjustable, but mine
felt OK out of the box, so I didn't mess with it.

 

[don5]

I bought my son a Remington Vantage at Dunhams on sale for $99. He shoots that thing all of the time. It is a .177 rated 1000 fps with lead pellets. My son has done extensive testing with different pellets and he says the Gamo Blue fire are the ones to use. He says that because he is a tightwad that these are the ones he likes. He has killed skunks with it. It is kind of loud. You might want to look at a Gamo Whisper. In any event that is what is used in our backyard.