Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Help Air Rifles

I am looking to get a air rifle to use instead of my 22 rifle or my 410 shotgun pistol. I have 5 acres with neighbors to the sides of me and I'm not sure how excited they are to here my guns go off.

So doesn't anyone have recommendations on one that is accurate and has good range?

I have a German made RWS brand in .22 caliber, with a 4x32 scope. It's a tack driver, I used it one season to squirrel hunt. (up close), good stalking practice. There are many options in air rifles these days, seems every manufacturer wants in on the action. I would recommend that you stick with a break-barrel, single cock action though. That way no air gets compressed until you squeeze the trigger, so there's no leakage why you wait for the perfect shot.

Get CB rounds for your 22 they are basically silent and perfect for your need. Gamo makes really nice air rifles.. Just matters what your needs are and how big your pocket book is..

The CB rounds are pretty quiet. They can be very finicky about feeding and ejecting though. I have a Winchester lever action .22 that handles them well. Thousands of rounds put through it, still waiting on my first FTF or FTE.

If your .22 rifle is manually operated then CB(cat busters as we call them) would be an excellent alternative to a pellet gun. If it's semi automatic, then the CB's don't produce enough pressure to work the action in semi autos. They make some very effective CB rounds these days. My grandfather gave me his old Winchester Model 1906 pump action .22 rifle. You can mix it with .22lr, .22 CB and .22 shorts. Shoots 2" groups at 50 yards to this day with open sights!

First off, what's your budget, and what kind of accuracy are you looking for? I used to shoot a sport called Field Target, that is shot with air rifles. There are different classes for PCP (pre-charged pneumatic) and spring air rifles. The Springers are very hold sensitive, the PCP's not so. You can legally add a moderator (silencer) to an air rifle without having to get a permit for it.

I have a FWB 124D and an Air Arms TX200. Both are capable of less than 1" groups at 50 Yds, but since they are both spring guns (one break barrel, one under lever) they both are hold sensitive.

The faster air rifles are just about as loud as a .22. They are pretty quiet if you keep the muzzle velocity around 950 fps or less. Any faster, and you get the supersonic crack from the pellet just like a standard velocity .22lr. The faster guns aren't as accurate as the 950 fps ones because as the pellet slows down it goes sub-sonic and it moves around a lot during that transition period.

I shot a modified Anschütz 2002 that was sped up for Field Target and had a moderator on it. It was a dream to shoot and it was virtually noiseless. All you could hear was the hammer hitting the valve to release the air, then you'd hear the pellet hitting the target.

Budget? Something reasonable but I see this isn't going to be cheap. After seeing some of the prices I suspect I'll have to spend at least 150, so say 150-175.

Accuracy? I want something that some thing that is accurate at 100 yards or so.

Need? I have wildlife some I want and some don't. Shooting will not only get the neighbors excited, I don't want to chase away the wildlife I want. Plus I not looking to kill the ones I'm not interested in being around, just hit them with something that tells them they are not welcome.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

It may be tough to find an "off the shelf" air rifle capable of shooting with any accuracy at 100 yds. The pellet weight is minimal, and very susceptible to wind. I also find that my rifle's trajectory tends to fall off rapidly after 30 yards or so.
Perhaps the higher end models that esshup spoke of would be a better choice at those kind of distances?

Unfortunately there isn't anything on the market that is accurate at that range in your price range. Wind plays havoc with the pellets, as does trajectory. I have an elevation knob on my air rifles that are marked in 5 yd. increments. I use either a laser rangefinder or the adjustable objective focus to get the range, then adjust the scope to the yardage.

Some of the PCP air rifles are in the 4 figure range, then you gotta put a good scope on them.....

So at what range do I need to be at given the price I'm looking at?

Here's a higher powered air rifle in the lower price range, not sure if it's gonna have the accuracy your looking for.
http://www.amazon.com/Crosman-Quest-1000...783&sr=8-18

It all depends on the air rifle, and whether it likes those particular pellets, but an air rifle in that price range should be capable of 6" groups or better at 50 Yds in low wind conditions.

I bought an off the shelf air rifle from a local sporting goods store. It was a crosman (see the link). It shoots at 1250 fps and is perfect for chasing geese and killing muskrats. it is relatively quite and does the job. It is pretty accurate up to 50 yards. I spent around 100 for it and it had a simple scope. I pop the geese in the butt and they fly away (unless they have babies). Works on ducks, too, unless you hit them in the head. It is fun for target practice for the kids as well (I don't let them shoot the wildlife).

http://www.crosman.com/airguns/rifles/break-barrel/CO8M22X

Great info guys. I'm going to do some more research and see what I come with. thanks again!

So you're the one! When I breasted out a Greater Canada goose this Feb I found a pellet in the breast meat.

I just use my Kimber in .17 Mach II and blow up a bullet in the water about a foot in front of them. They get the picture pretty quick!

Mom & Dad have moved the brood to the neighbors pond that is due South of me. They walked the group thru about 1/4 mile of woods. Now I have to chase away all the other pairs that see the pond has a "Vacancy" sign on it.

Poppa goose would chase off all the strange geese that tried to land.

Scott do you think one of those floating alligators would keep the geese away?
http://www.amazon.com/Aquascape-93000-Fl...4692&sr=8-1

I have my doubts. 1) they probably don't know what it is, and don't realize that it's a predator. 2)Anything in place for a few days, not moving, is viewed as just another piece of landscape and ignored.

I walked out to the pond this a.m. and the pair of geese that were on land eating grass just flew 100' and landed in the pond when I tried to chase them off. The pair with the goslings were at the other end of the pond. I'll wait 20 minutes and go out there with Kate to get here to chase them. That usually gets them flying off the property. She isn't to the point of jumping into the water and swimming after them yet. Soon, but not yet.

http://www.pyramydair.com/s/m/Crosman_Titan_Nitro_Piston_Air_Rifle/2290
here you go, i love my nitro piston. less recoil than a springer, not as expensive a pcp. I also prefer heavier alloy dome top pellets. they give good velocity penitration, and knockdown.
My local wally-world carries them also

Scott I have been afraid to use even a 22 in that manner as i felt a bullet glancing off the water could come down on someone or live stock over on the next farm. Do you feel the bullet goes into the water when shot at a low angle to it?

The .17 Mach II bullet has a plastic tip, and from some testing, it really explodes like a varmint bullet. No concerns for a ricocchet.

I'd be leery of using a .22 tho.

there is a good artical in june issue of gun world about airgun balistics, and how it relates to powder.