School me on Air Rifles

[IronNoggin]

I understand this has been discussed before.
However I am now somewhat concerned with the way the new prohibitions are going so am thinking of leaping.
Always wanted a decent to good air rifle to deal with pests and simply have fun with.

So, any advice?
Want something as accurate as possible, capable of knocking one of those obnoxious Who Who's over at 40 yards, yet won't break the bank.

Does such an item exist?

Wondering...
Nog

[bobtodrick]

Originally Posted by IronNoggin

I understand this has been discussed before.
However I am now somewhat concerned with the way the new prohibitions are going so am thinking of leaping.
Always wanted a decent to good air rifle to deal with pests and simply have fun with.

So, any advice?
Want something as accurate as possible, capable of knocking one of those obnoxious Who Who's over at 40 yards, yet won't break the bank.

Does such an item exist?

Wondering...
Nog

Maybe I’m thick...but what’s a ‘who’s who’?
A gopher?
A rabbit?
Something bigger.
Once I know I might be able to help.

[IronNoggin]

Originally Posted by bobtodrick

Maybe I’m thick...but what’s a ‘who’s who’?

Invasive Eurasian Ring Neck Dove



Nog

[58thecat]

Practice with a good sling shot out to twenty yards....close the distance and ya got the who who....you would be surprised what a slingshot is capeable of.

[IronNoggin]

Originally Posted by 58thecat

Practice with a good sling shot out to twenty yards....close the distance and ya got the who who....you would be surprised what a slingshot is capeable of.

Not the point.
I want an air rifle.

Cheers,
Nog

[elkhunter11]

I have an Air Arms undercover rifle which I like, but I might be tempted to try an Umarex Gauntlet. Good power, supposedly accurate, and affordable.

[Who Da Fisherman]

I have a stoeger 10 in 177cal, came with a 3x12 scope.
Sweet spot is 20-45yds flat shooting.
Extremely accurate once you find the right pellet.
WDF

[Dubious]

Fx impact mk2

https://www.airgunsource.ca/us/fx-im...nze-700mm.html

Some of these are accurate enough to shoot sparrows at 160m as far as break the bank... tell you wife if cost the same as your last fishing rod 😂

[Tronneroi]

I picked up a Ruger Air Hawk .177 on sale a couple of years ago. Got the 490 fps version. Does the job in the backyard, very happy for the price.

[bobtodrick]

For small pests out to 50m you will need something that shoots 700-1000fps in .177 caliber (500-800) in .22 caliber. The .177 is flatter shooting whereas the .22 has a more loopy trajectory. The big benefit (especially if you’re older) is the larger .22 pellets are easier to handle. But if this doesn’t apply to you I’d suggest .177 (which also has way more pellet choice).
You’ll likely be looking at a ‘Springer’... meaning you are cocking a spring, either by breaking the barrel or with a lever to the side or beneath the barrel. Their are other options (CO2 which looses power as the temp drops or PCP Pre Charged Pneumatic which has to be filled from a scuba tank or compressor).
Beware of the ‘magnum’ springers...which will claim to launch a pellet at 1500fps or greater...hard to cock and not that accurate because of the huge thump of the spring which happens before the pellet has left the barrel.
You will want to look at this video...you do not hold a springer air rifle like you do a firearm https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kV7zqBcW83Y
Here are some recommendations:
https://dlairgun.com/collections/com...-premier-star2
https://dlairgun.com/collections/uma...1324umx-ar-006
https://dlairgun.com/collections/uma...1324umx-ar-006
https://dlairgun.com/collections/cro...051-crs-ar-000

[Buckhead]

Buy the best Weihrauch (German quality) you can afford - preferably underlever in .22.
Put a decent scope with AO on it.
One and done.

[TBark]

I have a Crosman Fury Nitro, the last one bob listed.
Not a small pellet rifle for sure, gives a good pop, and near 1000 FPS with standard pellets and they say 1200 with alloy, not tried those yet.

Not expensive and gave me what I wanted for a cheapie budget.
I got it from that site back east that went under 3-4 years ago, forget the name.

TBark

[Pioneer2]

German,English ,Czech or Swedish.....HW......RWS/Diana .......Air Arms......CZ or FX.............I run a HW80K .22 and a RWS 34 /.22.......CZ 630 /.177 all with tune up kits.

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by IronNoggin

Not the point.
I want an air rifle.

Cheers,
Nog

Ok...just thought might start you off slowwwww

Now since you want and I know that feeling may I suggest this a Stoeger X20....now my ol'man lives on the island...rain and all the misery the island weather has and the critters that get in the garden from rabbits to racoons they are all one shot killzzzzz...once he found a pellet that this rifle liked 30 yard 5 shots all in a dime or less...yup fast and silent....bought this for him when he was in his early 70's and still totes it around when he is out and about.

https://westsidestores.ca/stoeger-x2...-cal-1200-fps/

good luck on your quest....who who jerky

[straight]

Couple years ago I bought a Gamo Varmint (1250fps) on sale in BassPro for $150. Best investment I've done so far. Shoots straight up to 40yds and helps to control pests on my acreage.

[Daslogster]

The serious shooters for pest control use PCP air rifles in most cases, biggest investment but easiest to get consistent results. Spring guns don't need air supplies but need different techniques to shoot consistently. Your target, range, budget will all factor in. I shoot squirrels at 20m with a $200 spring gun with a $100.00 scope on it. For rabbits in a pest control situation out to 50m, its a PCP air rifle that's just under $2000.00 plus fill station etc so about $2500.00 all in and not even half of what you could spend. You need to sort out budget and requirements first.

[Homesteader]

I just sold a Beeman R9 that would have fit the bill. I bought it as an upgrade to my Diana 34, but found I preferred the 34. I found it hard to use the iron sights on the Beeman ( read Weihrauch with nicer wood). The Beeman was laser accurate, the Diana is a 22 which I also like. The Beeman 177.

Precharged seem to be taking over. I like the old school springers.

[CNP]

I've got a Crosman Nitro Piston. Shoots .22 cal 16 gr pellets at 900 fps. It is very accurate and flat shooting. Have taken ground squirrels at 40 yards with it.

[3blade]

>500 FPS equals firearm, so why not use subsonic ammunition in your 22? Air rifles (and I’ve had a few) can’t compare because the moving parts during the shot diminish accuracy. Having been down the air gun road, I don’t recommend it, especially if you are used to accuracy.

Sub 500 FPS pellets can work out to 15, 20 if you spend lots and find the right pellet....but still not any quieter than subsonic 22.

[Daslogster]

I use quite a bit of subsonic ammo for animal damage control and love it. The only one that is close is cci quiet (86 db) at 700 fps at 3000m elevation vs 84 db for a 19 gr 22 pellet at 930 fps out of a PCP air rifle. Both work fine. The question was about airguns, not firearms. Sometimes its airguns only depending on application, area etc. Sub 500 fps airguns are quiet but poor choices for anything other than point blank pest control.

.

[FishOutOfWater]

Originally Posted by IronNoggin

Want something as accurate as possible,
capable of knocking down a flying-rat at 40 yards,
yet won't break the bank.

Does such an item exist?

Wondering...
Nog

Depends on how big your bank account is...
What's your budget ? $1000 ? $2000 ? $5000 ?

Try these Canadian online retailers to get an idea.
https://airgunarcheryfun.ca/
https://www.airgunsource.ca/us/

I had a $300 rifle that kept pellets within 1.5" @ 50 yards... Diana Stormrider.
Mind you, it had a decent scope ($200) and a couple mods ($20) but was definitely an entry-level air rifle.
I bought it as a sub-500 FPS (no license) gun, but drilled out 1 hole slightly larger and made it ~700FPS.
* and it was a PCP rifle, which means buying either a fill-tank or compressor also. $400 minimum.

[Dewey Cox]

You'll shoot your eye out.

[Pioneer2]

Originally Posted by 3blade

>500 FPS equals firearm, so why not use subsonic ammunition in your 22? Air rifles (and I’ve had a few) can’t compare because the moving parts during the shot diminish accuracy. Having been down the air gun road, I don’t recommend it, especially if you are used to accuracy.

Sub 500 FPS pellets can work out to 15, 20 if you spend lots and find the right pellet....but still not any quieter than subsonic 22.

Air doesn't cost $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ forget airguns that sell velocity hype once they go too fast they become unstable/inaccurate.

[huntinstuff]

I have a Winchester break action. Its 1250fps in .177

It kills grouse at 40 yds. I use those pointed red tipped Gamo pellets I think they are 7.8grain

I dont use it anymore so if you want a good scoped grouse pellet gun you can pm me if that suits your needs.

[dgl1948]

Originally Posted by 58thecat

Ok...just thought might start you off slowwwww

Now since you want and I know that feeling may I suggest this a Stoeger X20....now my ol'man lives on the island...rain and all the misery the island weather has and the critters that get in the garden from rabbits to racoons they are all one shot killzzzzz...once he found a pellet that this rifle liked 30 yard 5 shots all in a dime or less...yup fast and silent....bought this for him when he was in his early 70's and still totes it around when he is out and about.

https://westsidestores.ca/stoeger-x2...-cal-1200-fps/

good luck on your quest....who who jerky

Not silent at all. I have on and it is as loud if not louder than a 22.

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by dgl1948

Not silent at all. I have on and it is as loud if not louder than a 22.

hmmm louder than a sub sonic 22 but not a LR 22......silent was just a acreage thing to toss out there....neighbours could be bbq'ing sipping a wobbly and have no clue you just dispatched a nuisance critter....do that with a 22LR and they know ya up to something.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Pioneer2

Air doesn't cost $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ forget airguns that sell velocity hype once they go too fast they become unstable/inaccurate.

Many of the airguns are rated with the super light composite pellets, so they don't produce anywhere near those velocities with the standard weight lead pellets. A friend's supposedly 1250fps air rifle barely made 900fps with standard lead pellets. It was most accurate with heavier pellets at around 800fps. My .22 Air Arms produces about 650fps with the heavier .22 pellets, but it kills ground squirrels and pigeons at 40 yards quite easily.

[IronNoggin]

Thanks for all the replies & advice fellas! Appreciated!

Have yet to make up my mind, but I am wondering about thoughts on the following one. Fixed barrel, nitro piston, under barrel lever, and 11 round magazine all seem appealing. As is the price. So... Thoughts?

Umarex Synergis .22 900FPS

https://dlairgun.com/products/umarex...32674350628924

The Umarex Synergis has three primary features that are making the one-shot pellet rifle obsolete! Fixed barrel under-lever accuracy, smooth shooting T.N.T Gas piston power, and a low profile 11-shot RapidMag rotary magazine—all in a great looking, easy-handling package.

The Synergis departs from the conventional break barrel airgun design to give shooters fixed barrel accuracy that looks as good as it shoots. Umarex’s patent-pending Airflow Boost Technology lets the T.N.T gas piston transfer air in the most efficient way possible which makes the Synergis a true 900FPS rifle.


Included with the Synergis is a 3-9x32 scope which mounts to the rifle’s Picatinny rail. What really makes the Synergis head and shoulders above the rest is the low-profile 11-shot auto-indexing RapidMag rotary magazine. It's virtually automatic. The patented system rotates the magazine and inserts a pellet into the breech automatically every time you actuate it's easy to use under-lever cocking mechanism. Get stocked up on spare magazines, because you're going to want to shoot all day long!


.22 900FPS
2 Magazines Included
Rail: Metal lockdown picatinny rail
Trigger: 2 Stage, Non adjustable
3-9X32 scope and mounts included Gas piston
Weight: 8.0 LBS
Length: 45.5 Inches

[kilgoretrout]

X2 on the Ruger it has done well on the pigeons and tree rats up to 30 yds nice and quiet too .....

[Homesteader]

Call me biased, I think that's the correct term for old Caucasian guys these days, but I love the German air rifles. They are in a class all their own, also they are classics, built to last. I will fully admit to not looking into the newer higher end airguns, they aren't my thing.

The guys on Pyramid aren't enamored with that particular unit. https://www.pyramydair.com/s/m/Umare...o/4807#Reviews


HW77 would be pretty skookum, but a tad heavy

The Diana 34 is the sweet spot for economics, quality, and practicality for pests, and plinking. R9 is pretty but a substantial step up in cost.

https://dlairgun.com/collections/dia...cts/34-premium

https://www.canadashootingsupply.ca/...le-22-cal.html

https://www.canadashootingsupply.ca/...air-rifle.html