I don't know much about air rifles but.......?

Question

I need to get rid of a few rodents in my backyard, and also would like to do a little small game hunting. I'm looking for a nice rifle that really handles both of those situations well. I'm looking to keep it under 200 dollars. I'm not sure if a 1200 fps velocity is what I need, but I saw that one on Cabela's website. I'm no marksman by any means, so I won't be trying to shoot from 100 yards away. Really looking to keep it simple, but I do want a decent quality rifle. Thanks, all suggestions are appreciated!

Answer 1

RWS 34 Panther
http://www.pyramydair.com/p/rws-34-panther-air-rifle.shtml

RWS makes very high quality precision air guns - The model 34 comes with a lifetime warranty, that's for the life of the rifle, not yours.

You can buy this rifle for $159 on
http://www.gunbroker.com
$184 for the rifle/scope combo - which I highly recommend

If you're shooting is going to be "mainly" under 35-40yds then go with the .177

The .177 has a big advantage over the .22 in accuracy, penetration, velocity, and trajectory in this rifle out to 35yds.

For airgun info
http://www.pyramydair.com >read the tips & articles
http://www.beeman.com

You can shoot both(.177 - .22) with this rifle
Beeman SS1000T
You can find this one on the Pyramyd Air site and on Gunbroker

Later: You need around 6fpe at impact with proper hunting pellets and placement for a clean kill

.177 - 1000fps - 8.2gr =18.21fpe
.22 - 800fps - 14.5gr=20.61fpe
Not much difference

The HUGE advantage of the .177 at 1000fps(over a .22 at 800fps) is, the velocity leads to a flatter trajectory of the pellet which means far greater accuracy.

Pellets kill through penetration. we are not talking hydrostatic shock with an air gun. First and most importantly, you have to hit your target. With rabbit/squirrel and other small game you have a target of 1 to 1 1/2 inches(head). "Body" shots on rabbit or squirrel with an air rifle are poor sportsmanship and lead to injured not dead animals.

Will the .22 work as well as a .177, absolutely, "IF" you're willing to put in a lot of extra time learning the hold(over/under) out to the maximum range you intend to hunt/shoot.

>My answer comes from the understanding that most people are not going to put 50-100rds through their air rifle every day to stay in top form. They are going to grab their rifle once every two weeks or so when they see a target of opportunity.

>>You ask to keep it under $200<< Or you could take the easy way out and buy a super high quality & high velocity .22 such as a
Beeman R1
Weihrauch HW80
RWS 350, 460, 54, etc
Webley & Scott Patriot

Answer 2

All of the brands mentioned so far are very good air rifles, and are very capable of taking out game up to rabbit size.

There are many choices for pellets, make sure to get a pellet that will not over penetrate and will expand well inside the game animal. A pellet good for a rat, won't be so good for a squirrel or rabbit.

Gamo and RWS would be my two preferred choices, with a FPS rating of 1000+.

Also, as much as I like Cabelas, they tend to be a bit overpriced, I only buy things from there I can't find anywhere else.

Answer 3

Crossman makes a CO2 great repeater with a 12 round clip semi automatic can get it witha plastic stock or wood. I have both. Also they make a really cool tactical version. Great for rodents and birds. Buy match grade pellets and stock up on the CO2 cartridges for great kills you need to keep the CO2 fresh so change it every clip or clip and a half. Good luck. By the way relatively cheap under $120 for the rifles.

Answer 4

The most you'd need is about 1000 fps for the kind of game you've described. As far as small game though, you might want to check your local laws as it's usually illegal to take game with an air rifle unless you're on private property. I have a Daisy Powerline rifle that's worked great for the backyard kind of stuff, and although the open sights are adjustable and fairly reliable, a 3-9 power scope is included. $100 is all you'll spend on this rifle.

Answer 5

First, learn to shoot. Thumper gets hit in the leg, but will hop away in agony and die a prolonged painful death. This is unnecessary, immoral and probably illegal. You have to learn to cleanly kill with one shot. That means a head shot. Maybe a body a shot. That takes practice.
.177 pellet rifles don't have the killing power of .22 pellet rifles. The velocity is only slightly less, but the mass is more than double. Think of it this way, would you rather get hit by a Toyota Yaris doing 60 mph or a Chevy Suburban doing 55? I'll take my chances with the Yaris given the choice.
You need a .22 caliber that can exceed 800 fps. This means even a marginal shot will result in a clean kill.
This is just over $200
http://www.pyramydair.com/p/gamo-cfx-break-barrel-air-rifle.shtml
These are under $200
http://www.pyramydair.com/p/rws-34-air-rifle.shtml
http://www.pyramydair.com/p/hammerli-storm-break-barrel.shtml
http://www.pyramydair.com/p/mendoza-rm-2000-break-barrel-air-rifle.shtml
http://www.pyramydair.com/p/mendoza-rm-600-spring-piston-air-rifle.shtml
http://www.pyramydair.com/cgi-bin/model.pl?model_id=443
http://www.pyramydair.com/p/beeman-SS-1000-air-rifle-kit.shtml
A real bargain...
http://www.pyramydair.com/p/crosman-quest-800-22-cal.shtml
Less than 800 fps and more than $200 but you might have a chance to hit Thumper a second time with this one...
http://www.pyramydair.com/p/rws-850-AirMagnum-air-rifle.shtml
Here's some Chinese guns:
http://www.compasseco.com/index.php?action=category&id=1&subid=23

Answer 6

Go for one of the package deals with the scope included. Any of the big names (Winchester, Beeman, Gamo) will do and you should read the user reviews. I prefer 22s because I think making a bigger hole stops rats, rabbits and squirrels faster. 30 yards is a lot more realistic with an air gun.

Yes, the RWS-34 is good, I have one.