# Air Rifle Questions



## johnnyringo (Nov 8, 2012)

I've been thinking for some time that having an air rifle might be a good idea. I began looking and was surprised that there are so many. So I'm turning to the experts here. 

BB or pellet? I'm thinking pellet right now.
177 or 22?
I think quieter would be better. (I don't live in the country)
What are the top rated manufacturers and which models. 
Are there any considered best values?
Pump or CO2? (I'm thinking pump as cartridges will most likely be hard to find in a SHTF situation). 
What have I missed?

Your thoughts welcomed and appreciated.
JR


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

I had the same thought but I decided against over thinking it. So I went to Walmart and bought a Gamo with a built in suppressor in .177. Very happy with the purchase!


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## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

I like spring pistons. CO2 velocity starts to drop at some point which starts to effect accuracy, plus the need for additional cartridges Pumps are a lot of work to build up pressure between shots. Cock the spring piston, insert the pellet and close. If your taking out critters, pellets are more effective. All types should be quiet enough. Find a pellet shape and weight that works well and then buy it in bulk. Here are a couple that I like XISICO BAM XS25 | RWS34 Clone | Break Barrel | Flying Dragon Air Rifles Benjamin Trail NP2 Air Rifle, Black. Air rifles - PyramydAir.com

Here is a service that tunes the air rifle prior to use. Air Gun Tuning | Servicing | Parts | Flying Dragon Air Rifles

I have had Feinwerkbrau, Benjamin, RWS, Ruger and a few others. I am sure others have different opinions. Good luck.


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## SecretPrepper (Mar 25, 2014)

I like the benjamin marauder it and the pump are a bit pricy but it works well.


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## MI.oldguy (Apr 18, 2013)

I had a sheridan blue streak once but I traded it off.pump that sucker ten times and the .177's sounded supersonic.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

There are some Bad xxx .177 air rifles out there today and if you want to spend a lot of cash some that will blow your mind. Like so many thing Air has come into it's own, read up on this one.

.50-Caliber Dragon Slayer air rifle review from Pyramyd Air


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## Waterguy (Jul 15, 2015)

Gamo whisper is quiet, accurate, and powerful. Break barrel actions are quick and powerful. I like the .177 because I can use pellets or BBs


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## TacticalCanuck (Aug 5, 2014)

nitro piston. quieter and dosen't degrade over time. Lots of different models to choose from. or buy an upgrade to nitro kit. I had a crosman phantom .22 spring air rifle and upgraded it with a nitro piston kit. shot about 835fps over the chrony and with polymag predator pellets it could take racoons all night. Not that i would know first hand.....honest!


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## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

The barrel cocking spring rifles are the way to go. Try to find one that has a separate level to cock the spring, under barrel or side are best. The wear and tear over time at the barrel pivot point on a barrel cocking rifle will effect accuracy. 

Stay away from the air tank, pump up models. Buddy bought a Crossman Bulldog in 357 cal. He brought it over to sight it in at my rifle range. He spent more time pumping the thing up then shooting. We found if the air pressure was over 3000 psi it would effect point of impact. Between 3000 and maybe down to 2700 it was really accurate, pretty consistent. After those 4-5 shots he had to pump it up again or point of impact would drop as the air pressure dropped. Not worth the time or money IMO. As it was only good for 4-5 shots that you could guarantee a 2 inch group at 50 yards. Before another 10 minutes of pumping with a hand pump and messing around. Sure the tank maybe a better choice but who whats to carry that around. 

I just bought a bunch of sub sonic 22LR for my CZ. Far more reliable and is a tack driver, every time. Plus no pump or tank. Not really that much louder then the Bulldog and a third the money. Besides with the CZ I can just head shoot whatever game I'm trying to take. Can't do that with a 2 inch group at best if the pressure is right.


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## Tennessee (Feb 1, 2014)

I have the Umarex Octane in .177 cal 1450fps. I first got the Gamo Whisper and took it back to Walmart. The scope was crap but the rifle was fine. The Umarex scope was a lot better and had more fps.

As for the cal. The .177 will have a flatter trajectory. This will come in handy when shooting in the woods and having to make tight shots between tree limbs but the .22 will have more knock down power. But both will work fine for small game. I’ve taken many squirrels with mine. The only negative is on follow up shots using the one shot models. If you miss or wound your game they will get away most of the time before you can reload.


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## tinkerhell (Oct 8, 2014)

johnnyringo said:


> I've been thinking for some time that having an air rifle might be a good idea. I began looking and was surprised that there are so many. So I'm turning to the experts here.
> 
> BB or pellet? I'm thinking pellet right now.
> 177 or 22?
> ...


My current choice:
I find the Crosman Phantom .22 a pretty decent starter rifle. Walmart sells them for just over a hundred dollars. It was cheap, shoots .22 cal pellets, and the rebuild kits are available online. The phantom comes in a 494(fps) model for unregulated sales in Canada. And, it also comes in a 700 model and a thousand fps model.

Also, youtube has several people showing how to tear down the rifle and modify.....muhuwahahahaha!...

What I like about this rifle is Crosman uses the same spring diameter and spring length on all models. Hence, it would be possible to have the lower velocity spring for frequent back yard shooting, and a high velocity spring kit in your SHTF preps. As a Canadian, this is my plan.

Additional thoughts:
I have noticed that .22 cal pellets are not as affordable as .177. I'm in the process of creating a backyard pellet range, if it is something that i enjoy, I think I will pick up a .177 as well. Besides, it is probably a good idea to have atleast 1 of each cal.

PS: I have an indoor range with a pellet trap, eye protection, etc. I maintain a reasonable facimile of shooting range protocol so my son learns safety. I started shooting airsoft pellets which was age appropriate for my son, but we are upgrading to bb/co2 handguns. This is a winter time sport for us. We combine it with sleep overs in the garage, and guy things like carving, and shelter building, etc.


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## cdell (Feb 27, 2014)

A good air rifle is something that I am currently missing from my preps. I plan on aquiring one but I haven't decided yet on 177 or 22. What ever I get it will be a spring piston style.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Have had several over the years but nothing lately. General rule of thumb among the gurus seems to be .177 for feathers and .22 for hair. I was wanting another one but have about decided I agree with the poster earlier in the thread who had settled in on sub sonic .22 LR. I live in the city and shooting one is not any more against the law than the other. Let us know what you decide.


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## LunaticFringeInc (Nov 20, 2012)

I have shot the Benjamin Trail of late and really like it. Its running about 210 at Academy and shoots 22 cal pellets (PBA) at 950 or 1000 fps. It has a built in suppresser that seemed to work pretty good as the pellets striking the water down range made more noise than the muzzle did. A buddy of mine uses it for Snakes and Nutria at the Marina.

A previous poster made a comment about Feathers - .177, Hair - .22. I would have to seriously agree with them on that point. The 22's may not being moving nearly as fast as some of the 177's but after 1050 fps your gonna get a sonic crack even with a model that has the suppresser on it. At just under 1000 fps that shouldn't be a problem with the 22's like it will likely be for the better 177's. The additional weight not to mention the diameter of the 22's make it way more effective due to its retained energy and ability to penetrate when compared to the 177's. I previously owned a BSA 22 airsport that pushed a typical lead pellet at @ 700 fps and it was rather effective on stray cats and other similar sized vermin wrecking Havoc in the Chicken Coop at night.


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## Draq wraith (Oct 25, 2015)

Having owned three types of air guns I can tell you go for a .177 air rifle.
I have had .177, .20, and .22. Pump requires you to fire it once a month, spring same deal (don't know about the nitro pistons) I keep breaking sears on the one spring fired gun I have, don't jerk the trigger.
The pumps must be pumped once a month or the seals go bad. 
The co2 gas cheap pistols I have sucked. The co2 gas cheap rifle I have sucked. One cheap spring pistol / dart shooter I have sucked. One good spring pistol I have rocked. One pump pistol I have rocked.
Now keep all that in mind.

RWS is a good brand if it is still made.
Crossman 101 if you can find one is great.
Crossman air pistol was good too. 
Benjamin Sheridan is a good one too.

I want to try the nitro pistons. I think they would be fun and a good add to a survival gun chest.


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## GTGallop (Nov 11, 2012)

Arklatex said:


> I had the same thought but I decided against over thinking it. So I went to Walmart and bought a Gamo with a built in suppressor in .177. Very happy with the purchase!


Best one for the buck!

Here is my advice for anyone looking to get one:
Yes they are a GREAT Prep.
Yes a spring or pump - nothing to complicate the reloading process.
Yes Pellet - better accuracy
Yes 177 - In the states 22 is a bit of an odd ball
YES GET A SUPPRESSOR - Not an NFA item if it is attached permanently to the barrel.

I have a Beeman and it is louder than a 22 rifle - much louder. Better off to hush it so you don't disturb more game if you miss on the first shot and so you don't call attention to your location.


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## Grim Reality (Mar 19, 2014)

I have an RWS model 45. I've owned it for perhaps 30 years. Still shoots straight and is powerful
enough at 900fps. One word of caution...DON'T fire your spring-piston without a pellet in it. Very
bad for the piston. And don't use just any oil to lube it...the wrong oil can actually detonate when
the compression stroke comes and result in a diesel effect...damaging the gun. Get an air-rifle oil.
A well made and well-cared-for spring piston rifle can last your lifetime.

Grim


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## AquaHull (Jun 10, 2012)

I have a Benjamin Sheridan .177 with scope. It will drop a squirrel at 30 yards without issue. It does make some noise also. A loud crack, louder than a 22 short IMO


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## Grim Reality (Mar 19, 2014)

I feel the need to make one other observation. 

Pellets, at least in the ever-popular .177" sized are CHEAP! No powder, primer or brass is required to fire
them. Air is free! You can put away THOUSANDS of them for relatively little money and, if they are left
within a sealed container and no subjected to heat (melting temps.), they will remain "as new" for MANY
years! With performance close to that of many .22LR loads you just can't go wrong.

Grim


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Due to an over abundance of rats..broke down and let the Little Bride buy this for me yesterday. The gun seems ok..but has a crappy scope which I trying to get dialed in. The quiteness factor is ok. Dont sound much like an air rifle. Wife says from in the house it sounds like somebody using a staple gun.


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

bigwheel said:


> Due to an over abundance of rats..broke down and let the Little Bride buy this for me yesterday. The gun seems ok..but has a crappy scope which I trying to get dialed in. The quiteness factor is ok. Dont sound much like an air rifle. Wife says from in the house it sounds like somebody using a staple gun.


Make sure all the screws on the scope mount are tight. Springer air guns make both forward and backward recoil, takes a special type of scopes, don't try putting a scope from a regular rifle on it, recoil will ruin it.

It also takes a while to get used to the forward/backward recoil. Just like regular rrifles, try different ammo (pellets) some will shoot better than others.

Have fun! I'll be cleaning out the chipmunks soon, they do a number on my blueberries.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Thanks for the tips on that. An old chum told me to get one with regular sights on it but I was too dumb to follow his instructions. It seem to be pretty much on the money for up and down but hits a few inches to the left at 20 yards or so. Will go check the screws and crank off a few more if the rain ever lets up.


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## TacticalCanuck (Aug 5, 2014)

4 Reasons To Add A Pellet Air Gun To Your Survival Arsenal ?


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Did find the screws on the rings to be looser than when I last tightened them down. Notice the assembly booklet said a person could put some non permanant thread lock goo on them. Anybody ever tried that? Also a chum sent me a link to the scope he uses on his springer and claims it works good. Whatcha think? Not that I have yet gave up on trying to make the work which I already have. 
http://www.amazon.com/BARSKA-AC1003...dp/B001JJCHX4?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0


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## SDF880 (Mar 28, 2013)

I have a breaktop Gamo in 22 with suppressor and a Gamo Coyote 22. The breaktop is only one shot at a time but very accurate and fairly quiet.
I love the looks of Coyote but what a pain in the a$$ pumping it up to 3300PSI. So far so good with both rifle using various pellets. I'm happy with both!


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Thanks for the report. I took the scope off and fiddled with it first practice shot got close enough for rat killing duties I think. Also plan to invest in some poison from the feed store as part of a combo effort to get the critters thinned out.


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

bigwheel said:


> Thanks for the report. I took the scope off and fiddled with it first practice shot got close enough for rat killing duties I think. Also plan to invest in some poison from the feed store as part of a combo effort to get the critters thinned out.


Try making up a few of the spinning bottle over the bucket traps.

This one is mouse size, center the bottle on bucket and bait w/peanut butter. Never have to touch the vermin, just dump out the water and refill. Use a 2 X 4 as a ramp they can run up to the bottle. Took out 40 mice from the barns this fall.

Might want to scale up for rats? Small garbage pail size works well on squirrels. Might build a 55-gal version this summer if the ***** attack my sweet corn.

But then again shooting the basturds is good practice.


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## GTGallop (Nov 11, 2012)

If I were to buy with my money today I would get this one.
Amazon.com : Gamo Silent Stalker Whisper ND52 Air Rifle with 3 - 9x40 mm Scope : Airsoft Rifles : Sports & Outdoors

I've seen the 17 cal version and it is sweet but I find that the high powered rifles really over penetrate, or when 17 cal hits bone it splatters the projectile. You want a little more mass for knock down and stability of flight. It also has a built on suppressor that does a pretty damn good job.

I have the non silenced 17 cal version and it is much louder than a 10-22 from Ruger.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Thanks for all that good scoop. I was trying to figger out how to make one of those drowning traps. My Grandpa built one back in the 50's which had the bucket sunk in the ground which used a finely tuned lid to the five gallon bucket. It worked good and got real stinky. Finally nailed one of the little darlings a while ago. 
Missed two others which should have also been on the stringer. Fixing to try to break out the mafnifying glass and try to shorten up that funky trigger.


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## 1895gunner (Sep 23, 2012)

I have a Crossman 22 cal and love it. I have done plenty with it regarding pest control and would find it very suitable for small game hunting if needed. I keep plenty of 22 pellets on hand as well.

1895gunner


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Nailed another of the little varmints just a while ago. Would show a pic but all dead rats look sorta similar.


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## Rabies (Jun 22, 2016)

I have a Crosman Nitro-Piston 177. great airgun very accurate with 10.5 grain dome pellets made by Crosman. I have taken Raccoon, rabbit., pheasant, turkey, squirrel with it.

the model I bought has no silencer and was very loud for the 1st few shots, it was as loud as a 22 LR. But after a few shots the factory oils were burned off and the airgun is silent now, the pellet hitting the target is actually louder than the airgun firing. when shot side by side with a friends NP2 crosman with a silencer there was no difference in sound, however the silencer models have a shorter barrel.

Id say go for the Nitro-piston or nitro-piston-2 by crosman. 177 will give you better accuracy, velocity and distance. with the heavy weight pellets it is only 3 grains away from the weight of a 22 pellet.


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## nik72 (Aug 5, 2017)

A question.Suppose you shoot a rabbit with a .177 pellet but you do not have a scope. So you shoot it in the body. How likely is it that the rabbit will drop?


Στάλθηκε από το IUNI N1 μου χρησιμοποιώντας Tapatalk


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## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

nik72 said:


> A question.Suppose you shoot a rabbit with a .177 pellet but you do not have a scope. So you shoot it in the body. How likely is it that the rabbit will drop?
> 
> Στάλθηκε από το IUNI N1 μου χρησιμοποιώντας Tapatalk


placement is key as with hunting any game. head shot (brain) will do it. know your rabbit anatomy. Heart/Lung is a good choice. Just shooting randomly into the body is a good way to wound, loose the game and have the animal suffer a hideous death. If you can not see well enough, sneak closer. Stalk you quarry. Be sure of your back ground just like a firearm, bow or any other projectile. You need to be able to place your shot into a quarter for a rabbit minimum. If you can not....practice.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Rabbits need a head shot if you plan to eat it.


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## Vasily 1945 (Jun 25, 2017)

get pellet for sure, in 22

22 has better results on game with marginal shots, believe me. and the game will tell you if have been hit. 177 drill through with game getting away and dying somewhere.
i would suggest a diana/rws 34 in 22, german quality

also get a springer, do not mess around with c02, and pumps

a cock springer is self reliant.


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## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

Vasily 1945 said:


> get pellet for sure, in 22
> 
> 22 has better results on game with marginal shots, believe me. and the game will tell you if have been hit. 177 drill through with game getting away and dying somewhere.
> i would suggest a diana/rws 34 in 22, german quality
> ...


I have that exact one. Great air rifle.


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