Airgun

[dcxplant]

I need an airgun for rodent dispatch duties, pigeon control etc.

I had a Crossman pump as a kid, but I was thinking something a bit more, eh, higher end.

Not Olympic Shooting high end but something reliable accurate and "real", if you get my drift.

Toys need not apply.

Thanks!

 

[wildenout]

I love my Daisy Powerline 901! black synthetic, decent cheapo scope that is dead on up to 50 ft. Have had it since I turned 18! I use it all the day for magpies and squirrels. What is nice is it can handle BB's or pellets, and did I mention it's deadly accurate? Not a bad price either. Should take care of what you need to get done.

 

[Robotech]

I like my Gamo Bone Collector Bull Whisper .177 cal. It's not exactly cheap, but it isn't in the same class as the high-end competition air rifles. Very good groups out to 100-yards with the better PBA pellets. It also has 'super-sonic' muzzle velocities with those pellets, so despite the 'Whisper" designation, it's still as loud as many .22s unless you used some of the slower lead pellets.

My only complaint is the crappy scope that comes with it. I've replaced mine with a scope intended for a high-powered crossbow, which has a good multi-position reticule to make it easier to adjust for different ranges and pellet types. Note that you have to be careful when putting a scope on a spring-powered air rifle, as the recoil shock can be quite a bit different from a regular rifle. However, this Gamo is using a system that seems to help limit this shock, and the new scope is holding up just fine.

 

[jughed440]

RWS Model 48 = end of rascally rodents.

It's expensive (well built), it's heavy, cocking it is a good workout, and it's loud for an airgun...and those are the reasons why it works so well on dispatching small game.

 

[Farmer17]

Any break open pellet rifle over a hundred and fifty bucks should work fine. The problem with single shot pellet guns is they are about as much fun as a single shot .22 rifle. They are slow and awkward to reload and I think I have dropped more tiny pellets on the ground while reloading than I have ever fired. I don't think they make any repeating pellet rifles any more that are not CO2 or compressed air, and you have to pay a lot for a high end CO2 repeater with a good trigger but that is what I would get.

 

[jaykellogg]

If you have a .22, why not get some shotshells for it?

 

[dcxplant]

I live in a residential area.

BUT, this being Arizona, I live on a wash. A wash for those that may not know, is a large drainage. Dry all the time except for big rains.

We are getting a large rain today, and at the bottom of the wash which sits between two large ridges, will be flowing fast with rainwater. We get flash floods here, even in residential areas.

Under a very large Palo Verde tree is a massive pack rack community. They spread disease (hantavirus) through their urine. Pack rats collect their junk and glue them together with their urine. You can see the problem.

I could poison them, or trap them, but there are so many. I think a few mornings and evenings with an air rifle would be more effective.

Well it's illegal to shoot a firearm in my area, but I can fire a pellet gun. Still, I don't want to raise a ruckus. So, I though air gun = quiet. Hmm, not so much. I suppose not! I see some come with a version of a suppressor but the efficacy seems to be only fair at best.

Then there is the .22 vs .177. .22's are larger bore but travel under 1000fps, will that be enough oomph to kill a packrat?

Are .177's more quiet than the .22's?

Is the .177 powerful enough to kill rodents and pigeons?

I'd like to only buy one air rifle.

I think I like the RWS 340, but reports are that it is as loud as a rimfire .22

Maybe I'll use .22 shorts or subsonic .22 in my 10/22 and take a risk of being caught shooting a firearm?

 

[s&wchad]

The Sheridan Blue or Silver Streak's and the Sheridan F series CO2 guns pack quite a punch. The Sheridan rifles do require 5mm pellets, but they're easy enough to find. I've killed varmints a LOT bigger than a pack rat with mine.

If you run across an older one with bad seals, you can phone Crosman and they'll provide you with a list of repairmen in you area who can fix it (usually under $50).

 

[Brian41]

Robotech, I went to Williams Gun Sight to buy the Gamo Whisper and was told they no longer can sell them as it's considered a silenced gun in Michigan. The guy that told me is a long term employee and I trust him. You might want to check into that as they may just be illegal to own here.

But as far as the OP question, my research when I wanted one led me to the Gamo Whisper. My buddy in Iowa has one and takes out varmints with his in his no firearm subdivision. I wound up using Colibi 22lr ammo with no powder and primer powered. Very quiet and does the job.

 

[shaggist]

The Benjamin Marauder and Discovery are pre-charged pneumatic (PCP) air rifles that have a built-in suppressor that is part of the barrel. They are so quiet, all you hear is the trigger releasing the valve. The Marauder is a 10-shot repeater, that is recharged either by a pump or a scuba air tank. These are serious, very accurate air rifles that can be purchased for under $500. I highly suggest you consider them before purchasing any other gun. With a proper air rifle scope, they are capable of nickle-sized groups at 50 yards. The .22 Marauder is the one to get for the power and accuracy.

 

[mkk41]

If you have a .22, why not get some shotshells for it?

I was gonna suggest some Aquila .22 Colibri (pistols) or Super Colibri (for rifles) ammo. It actually makes less noise than many hi-power air rifles.

 

[dswancutt]

I just bought a Crosman 1400 on GB and it arrives today. I had one when I was a kid and wore it out. I think I paid $35 bucks for it new.

 

[H Richard]

Be sure to check your state and local ordinances, around here if a pellet gun is over 1000 fps it is considered a firearm.

 

[ErnieDeBord]

you tube the crosman 1377, I have one love it, best 50 bucks ever!

 

[TucsonMTB]

I live in a residential area.

BUT, this being Arizona . . .

Then there is the .22 vs .177. .22's are larger bore but travel under 1000fps, will that be enough oomph to kill a packrat?

Our house is in a nice neighborhood in Oro Valley, AZ. Every now and then, a pesky rabbit will squeeze under the gate and start to munch on my wife's plants. Usually, they do not last long.

I routinely experience one shot kills with an old .22 caliber (5.5mm) RWS Diana 34 that came with a scope. It is now more than two decades since it was purchased, but the same scope/rifle combination still seems to cost about $325 from vendors like Pyramydair dot com. In the distant past, when we lived in New Jersey and Pennsylvania it easily dispatched fairly tough Eastern Red Squirrels. So, I believe it would handle packrats well enough.

The RWS Diana 34 is a break barrel rifle with a wooden stock that cocks with a single motion, after which you insert a .22 caliber pellet in the open breach and close the action. It is remarkably accurate with RWS "Superdome" .22 pellets and quiet enough to avoid annoying or alarming my neighbors.

Yes, I have asked them about it and they approve.

Edited to add: But, were I you, I would still consider poisoning packrats.

 

[venomballistics]

Ok .. while we really really really really REALLY hate Chinese stuff.
QB36-1 is quite a sweet deal in airguns.
It works on all the same principals as your high priced break open powerhouses, except it uses an under lever which eliminates the need to use the barrel as a lever, and the wear point of the barrel pivot pin.

If I were to build airguns .. I'd just refine this one

 

[BRush]

Like most of you I've shot air guns since I was a kid and I've owned and shot all of them over the years springers, spring pistons, multi pumps and precharged, both CO2 and air. I still own and shoot many of them both for target, hunting and just plinking fun. I have my preferences but there are avid advocates for all of them. Generally you get what you pay for but like anything there are bargains in each class.

When purchasing an airgun you have to decide whether you are just looking for a tool for occasional purposeful use or your looking for something for regular use in hunting, backyard (or indoor target use and/or general plinking.

If it is the former, look at a mid level springer something that will deliver 10 to 16 foot pounds of energy at the muzzle with a real world pellet of your desired caliber. This will give you ample dispatch power out to 30 yds or more for rats or pigeons. This power level will generally give a backyard friendly report although it will vary with the maker depending on how the gun is moderated or shrouded. For close in work you will want a light and short rifle. open sights are OK but optics, scope or red dot are way more fun. For the short distances you will be shooting optics quality is not critical. Generally guns in this price range will have heavy triggers but you can learn to use them.

To get better schooled, I suggest a visit to a specialty seller like Pyramid Air. These sites inclulde detailed descriptions of the guns, including power and loudness levels as well as customer reviews.

 

[Mule Packer]

I have the RWS 350 Diana in .177. It's a dandy. No, it's not as loud as a .22. It's as accurate as heck, has an adjustable trigger pull, and can take down rats, crows, pigeons...I even killed a fox with mine, but it took a couple shots at relatively close range, so I wouldn't recommend it on a regular basis. But for rodents...by all means.

This gun is serious business. It's not your typical Daisy-type air rifle that you would normally use to keep kids off your lawn. It is pure-dee dangerous. The pellet travels at 1250 fps and can do a heckuva lot of damage.

In my mind, it's a darn good investment.

 

[RichardWA]

I have a Ruger Blackhawk break action, came with a 4x32 scope. good rodent/pest gun. It will put a pellet clear through a pigeon at around 40 yards
Got it off Amazon last summer for around $120.00

 

[Robotech]

Robotech, I went to Williams Gun Sight to buy the Gamo Whisper and was told they no longer can sell them as it's considered a silenced gun in Michigan. The guy that told me is a long term employee and I trust him. You might want to check into that as they may just be illegal to own here.

But as far as the OP question, my research when I wanted one led me to the Gamo Whisper. My buddy in Iowa has one and takes out varmints with his in his no firearm subdivision. I wound up using Colibi 22lr ammo with no powder and primer powered. Very quiet and does the job.

Actually, the problem is not the "silenced" issue, but the power. (If you walked to the back of the William's store, you would find silencers in the last case.)

Michigan, and the Detroit area in particular, got confused when you could buy an air rifle capable of muzzle velocities and energy of a .22 rifle, but didn't have to go through the background check paperwork. Some stores still had them, but chains like Dick's stopped shipping them into the State at all. One on my local shops in Waterford had the Bone Collector Bull Whisper in stock just a few weeks ago, and the local Bass Pro had the other (slower) Whisper models a few months ago when I last checked.

Interestingly, Gamo used to list this air rifle has having a maximum muzzle velocity of 1400 fps. Now they only specify it and mark the boxes as being capable of 1300 fps. Did anything actually change, or is the slower rating just something to satisfy those benighted locations that think it really makes a difference?

Really, if the OP wants a quiet air rifle that will do the job, any of the better Gamo Whisper models will work, though he might have to use slower lead pellets in one like the Bone Collector Bull Whisper to keep it sub-sonic.

 

[shaggist]

When shooting air rifles, there is a problem with the hyper-velocity ones. The diabolo pellet is wasp-waisted and when shot at speed-of-sound velocities (anything over 1,000 fps), they become aerodynamically unstable and lose their accuracy. I suggest obtaining a .22 caliber rifle of your choosing that advertises the above velocity. You will be much happier with your choice if it will hit what you aim at.

 

[John F.]

Think you'll like this one...

Beeman R-7. Light, VERY quiet, very accurate spring-piston air rifle. Real-world velocity about 635 fps. (Airgun velocities are pretty universally heavily inflated in advertising by shooting the lightest possible pellets, even if continued use would result in damage).

Excellent trigger, and requires minimal effort to cock and fire. Thus, it is fun for longer plinking sessions, where heavier, more powerful magnum springers aren't. Most folks who have one in their collection identify it as their most fun air rifle and the last they'd ever sell. Most effective in .177 caliber.

If funds permit, a Leupold 3-9X Adjustable Objective, Extended Focus Range (EFR) makes an ideal scope. Use high quality pellets for good accuracy, such as Beeman, RWS Meisterkugeln, H&N Match, etc -- no wally-world junk. Deadly on squirrels, rabbits and other small critters,
and loads of fun to shoot, encouraging practice and improving marksmanship.

A very good source of info is Straight Shooters Airguns website, which has decibel and real-world velocity ratings, etc. PCPs are nice, but many still prefer the simple, self-contained propulsion system of the spring-piston airguns. Firing report is a mechanical noise, not a "crack!" like pneumatic (pump-up) or PCP airguns; thus, they don't immediately make people think of the noise as "shots." Being mechanical, not pneumatic, suppressors don't work too well on spring-piston guns -- they mainly change the pitch or character of the report. Also, the seals on good springers are VERY durable -- no problem with quickly blown seals as on the lesser-quality pump-up pneumatics.

Hope this helps!
John

 

[Oscar Zulu]

Look up Arizona Airguns. I bought an English made, BSA I believe, pre charged silenced .177 repeater. It has a detachable rotary magazine. The silencer is welded on per Ca. regs. One hole groups and very quiet. It will hold a charge for years.
I wish I would have bought the .22 version, it would be legal for turkeys in Ca. .20 and up is for air rifles here.
It was an expensive rifle, and kind of awkward to charge with the pump. A scuba tank may be easier. It kills ground squirrels no problem. My rifle marksmanship increases dramatically when I take the time to practice with it. And it doesn't leak oil. (yet)

O.Z.

 

[Gunslinger808]

I was going to suggest heading over to the Sportsman's Warehose, last time I was there they had a decent selection of adult air rifles.
Or even Cabelas, or Bass Pro.

 

[walkin jack]

Here's my Crosman Pump .177. Out the door for under 30 bux. I use the "hunting pellets" that are mushroom shaped and made out of soft led. I've dispatched over 2 dozen rats with it and it is very accurate out to about 30'. I was gonna put a scope on it but it doesn't need one.

I started to go high end but something told me to take a chance on this and I'm so glad I did. It's all you need, rilly.

I love the little "magazine" or would this be a "clip"

 

[Cyrano]

This is a Feinwerkbau Model 300. I's strictly a target rifle, in 177 caliber. I have it set up for offhand shooting as I'm too creaky in the joints to get into any other position. It's a lot more powerful than you'd expect: when I got it, I made a backstop of 7 layers of corrugated cardboard, and it penetrated them. Plenty of power for small game. The receiver is grooved for a scope so one could be mounted if you don't like peep sights, just be sure to get a scope made for air rifles and their peculiar recoil patterns. On mine, when you cock it, the barrel and receiver move forward about 1/2 inch; when you fire, the whole mass comes back to offset the jar of the piston striking the valve.

However, a Sheridan 20 caliber would do the job a lot simpler and cheaper.