Another airgun question?

Question

I just have a few simple question on airguns. I did my research and it has come down to the RWS model 34 (.22) or the Gamo varmint hunter (.177)
It will be used for target shooting and hunting small to medium birds, squirrells, and possibly a raccoon.

So my questions are this:
1) Which gun should I buy?
2) Do any of you own one or both of these guns and can shed some light on this subject from personal experience?
3) I know that the best ammo is which ever works best for your gun but in a general rule, for hunting, does hollow points do more damage to the animal?

Thank you for your help in advance!

4) For the RWS 34 .22 it says it gets 800 fps. Will this gun really achieve this velocity or will it,in reality be kind of lower?

Answer 1

I don't own either of those, but, I have shot several RWS M34, both in .177 & .22

I have been hunting/shooting with air guns for over 45 years.

Go with the RWS M34 in .177 >You will get around 1,000fps with 8.2gr RWS Superpoint pellets AFTER you get the rifle broken in, which will take 500 to 1000 shots.

Buy several types of Beeman & RWS pellets to see which your rifle will prefer. Accuracy should be your main goal.

A high quality spring piston air gun such as an RWS M34 will "wear in" not wear out. It will actually shoot higher velocities after extended use, than it will brand new.

The GAMO has a 1 year warranty, the RWS M34 has a lifetime warranty, you figure out which one is better made(rhetorical Q)

The guns I have all prefer either Beeman or RWS pointed pellets.

A .177 is fine for small game such as rabbit, squirrel, etc.

raccoon - I would go with the RWS 460 Magnum in .22 if you are going to hunt raccoon with an air rifle.

Comparison of .177 to .22

.177 - 8.2gr - 1,000fps =18.21fpe

.22 - 14.5gr - 800fps=21.61fpe

It has been my experience that you need at least 6.0fpe at impact, with proper hunting pellets to kill small game.
.177 - 8.2gr - 575fps=6.02fpe

I prefer the .177 over the .22 for small game hunting. The .22 has a very slight advantage in hitting power. The .177 has a big advantage in velocity, penetration and accuracy out to around 35yds.

Good luck, happy hunting.

Air guns I currently own
Feinwerkbau(FWB) 124D .177
Beeman R-1 .177
Beeman P-1 .177
Webley Hurricane .177

Answer 2

I own a Gamo Hunter Sport (a close cousin of the Varmint Hunter). It is very well made, accurate, and has been more than powerful enough to dispatch ground squirrels, crow, and gophers. This is my first air rifle and I am very happy with it. The Varmint Hunter and RWS model 34 were among the rifles I had considered.

If you are interested in RWS and .22, why not spend a little more $$ and go for the 350 Magnum.

Answer 3

I have an RWS model 34 in .177 cal. It is a high quality air rifle that you will not be disappointed in. If you take good care of it, follow the cleaning and oiling instructions in the manual, it will last you a lifetime. You will also be impressed how hard it shoots, especially in .22. You can buy the RWS sampler pack of pellets too, I think it comes with 5 different kinds to try out.

I have heard of some people having problems with Gamo. They seem to sell a lot of "refurbished" or "reconditioned" airguns, and that can't be good.

Answer 4

If you are hunting raccoons i would recommended the RWS they make high quality air rifle guns and ammo and that is a larger caliber so more damage.As for ammo hollow points do a good amount of damage because when it hits it crumbles and creates a large area of damage.Heres a hunting pellet if interested.
http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10151&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&partNumber=95110&hvarTarget=search&cmCat=SearchResults
the gun will reach 800fps depending on what round you fire most likely pointed heads will because they have a small amount of wind resistance and are aerodynamic.Good luck with whatever you choose

Answer 5

The 22. is alot more powerful. so i would probly recomend that. becasue 177 may have more fps. but the 22 will do more damage.

Answer 6

An airgun is NOT adequate to take a raccoon.
The RWS will get pretty close to advertised velocity.
"Springers" are hard to shoot accurately.
Practice before you take the field.