can air rifles made for firing pellets fire bbs?

Question

I'm thinking about a bb gun and want one that I could hunt small game with pellets,but still fire bbs for practice.Preferably 22

Answer 1

Crosman makes the 2100B, 2104X, 664, 760, 764, 781.
Daisy makes the, 5880, 880, 840, 9840.
These are the only guns that can shoot both bb's and pellet. Both bb's and pellets are .177 cal, no one makes .22 cal bb's.

Answer 2

Most air rifles are made for pellets only. The barrel is softer than fire guns and anything other than lead can harm them.

Plus a BB and a .177 pellet are not the same size. There are a few guns that compromise so they can use both (crossman and daisy mainly). But there are even less than have enough power to take small game.

A Crosman 2200 (.22)could be a good option, but I think they are no longer in production. The brother 2100 is a .177 (who also takes BBs) could also be an option.

The Daisy 22SG (.22) similar to 880 (.177 who can take BBs) can be an option.

There are lead round balls in .22, (they are called "round balls", not BBs, BBs are just one size are are usually steel with or without cooper coating). They are loaded one by one just like pellets.

If you decide for a gun that also shots pellets be careful with rebounds.

Always use eye protection in any circumstance.

Also remember to know your game to identify vital points. Hunting with an airgun is about precision not power.

Also know you effective range, practice and don't shoot anything farther than the distance you can place shoots within an inch consistently, you can use a really wet phone directory to simulate small game, and don't shoot farther than where you could produce proportional damage to your game.

Answer 3

Crossman made several that fired BB's OR .177 pellets. The only catch was that you needed crossman 'copper clad' BBs. For some reason other brands did not fire well in the gun. (experience)

The .22 air pistols don't have an equivalent size 'bb' to the best of my knowledge; but you might be able to find a mold and make your own lead balls the right size.
I know they come clear down to .310 and I think they come smaller.

You should be aware that SOME modern air rifles actually fire pellets at a higher velocity than a standard .22LR round BUT the hollow pellet is lighter and won't 'carry' as far!!

Answer 4

>>I'm thinking about a BB gun and want one that I could hunt small game with pellets, but still fire BB's for practice, preferably .22<<

Great answers so far, I will just add my .02c worth.

If you're going to hunt with pellets, then it's a good idea to practice with pellets. Shooting BB's out of the same rifle, the BB's generally have a significantly higher velocity, therefore you are going to have an entirely different trajectory with BB's than you are with pellets.

When hunting small game(rabbit/squirrel/etc) with an air gun you only have about a 1.5in target area. You want your practice to match your hunting. Good practice is to go on "backyard safaris" or bug blasting. In this way you will learn how your rifle shoots at different ranges.

BB's are 4.5mm or .177

I don't know of any .22 caliber "lead rounds".

you can purchase "Round Lead Balls" in .177, .20 & .25 caliber from
Beeman - 177 & .25
H&N - .20 &.25
GAMO - .177

These lead rounds are meant for use in inexpensive(cheap)low quality air guns.

Answer 5

Guns "designed for pellets" have rifled bores. BB's mess up rifled bores. There is no such thing as an air rifle "designed for pellets" that shoots BB's, too. If an air rifle fires *both* then it was designed for BB's (a smoothbore) but also shoots pellets.....not the other way around.

You can shoot pellets out of a rifled bore and then switch to .177 lead balls for practice if you want. Round lead balls won't damage your rifling.

Answer 6

Some .177 bb guns can fire pellets too. Most if not all pellet guns are incapable of firing bb's. I know of no .22 calibre bb guns.

Answer 7

Bad & inhumane idea to hunt small game with a Pellet or BB gun.* For that purpose you need a 22 long rifle caliber firearm.*