Air Rifles

[Rick_W]

Going through some older issues of predator xtreme and looking at the adds and reviews on air rifles.

Do you shoot one?

What do you have?

What optic (if any) is on it?

What do you use it for?

[camoman83]

This one. http://www.fortunecity.com/olympia/kickbox/377/sm1kindex.html#very%20top
  it is not pretty but in the future i plan a changing that but i use it to shoot tree rats and other urban varments from time to time. Or when I  feal like punching papper and not leave the back yard.
Matt

[Eric in NC]

RWS Diana 34 in .22 cal with a Leapers 4x mil-dot airgun scope (the mil-dot scope REALLY helps with the super rainbow trajectory of airguns)

Good basic, accurate airgun - a little loud but still not objectionable (the higher performance airguns are louder still).

General plinking in the back yard (have a mini silhouette course set up that can be shot from inside or outside the house), offhand shooting practice, starling and tree rat control and the occasional bunny for the gumbo pot.  Beeman crow-magnum pellets shoot really well in it (no the HPs don't expand but they are heavy and accurate).

Go with a 22 over a 177 if you are looking at it for varmint control at all.

pyramidair.com has good info and a wide selection.

[Pete K.]

  Rick,

    Savage made at a good price for a 1000 fps .177 with options..


                http://www.pyramydair.com/s/m/Savage_Arms_Enforcer_Tactical_Air_Rifle/1717



                                                 Pete

[Eric in NC]

I bet Savage doesn't make that - just a Gammo or Mendoza with a Savage brand.  Could be wrong but Winchester, Ruger and others do that (put their name on air guns made by others).

[shaman]

Got an RWS 850 waiting when I get back to the states.  It will get a centerpoint 4-16x40 scope.  It will be used for birds, and maybe possum or raccoon if I can get accurate enough for fusebox shots. Gonna get HPAed when I get back the the states for good.  The next step will be a Marauder if the bugs ever get worked out of them.

[big honkin jeep]

I have a few. My favorite is my Benjamin (I think its a 397) pump in .22 cal. Really accurate and plenty of power for small game or vermin. The crossman 2100 classic is another good one I have. The good old crossman 760 is a great value at $28 and has probably dispatched more squirrels than all the others in history combined. the rebadged remington (crossman) stinks because the barrel is just a thin tube improperly secured to the outer barrel and flops around giving poor accuracy.This one I took back cheap cheap cheap.
I prefer the pump up rifles to the springers. It takes a while to learn to shoot a springer because of the reverse recoil.I have the Gamo shadow and am not impressed. I had the Winchester 1000 springer and the accuracy was so bad I took it back.The daisy 1000fps model stinks too.These are not much better than the tool show Chinese guns for $15 in my opinion.Yeah I've got 2 of those as well. The best springer I have is the Crossman Sierra Pro and I'm not sure this package is still available.It came with a 3-9x40 mil dot scope with target turrets and is easily the most accurate hard hitting .177 springer I've shot. After getting used to ranging with the dot's it's deadly on small creatures to about 50 yds. Be aware that most springers velocity claims, are made using dieseling to gain the velocity. This is when they are oiled, the oil that gets into the compression chamber detonates under the compression. This makes them very loud (like a .22LR) and it's my understanding that this phenomenon will drastically shorten the life of an air rifle.
Good luck with your decision but for my money the Benjamin 397 wins hands down.
BHJ

[EFBell]

I have a 177 benjamin pump that is almost 35 years old. still shoots as good as the day I bought it. Every now and then I take it out and pop a few pests with it.

[shaman]

I have a few. My favorite is my Benjamin (I think its a 397) pump in .22 cal.

397 is the 177 and 392 is the 22 caliber

[big honkin jeep]

 Thanks, Just too lazy to go downstairs and double check the model #. All the manufacturers make a big deal about velocity.It seems to sell a lot of rifles. I ain't seen a critter yet that's impressed by how fast your projectile was going when you miss.
BHJ

[Eric in NC]

Thanks, Just too lazy to go downstairs and double check the model #. All the manufacturers make a big deal about velocity.It seems to sell a lot of rifles. I ain't seen a critter yet that's impressed by how fast your projectile was going when you miss.
BHJ

+1 - when you hear the "whack" of that 800 fps 22 pellet against tree rat skull you know it is "fast enough"

[EFBell]

Good luck getting 800 out of a 22 benjamin. The 177's will do 800. However, they both make a nice whack when you hit a tree rat or a dove square in the chest.

[Quickshot]

Bought a Crosman Mod. 2260 Special Edition from the factory. Equiped with a 6x Center Point, mil dot scope. It's a co2 model I guess that can qualify as air gun. Tried all kinds of pellets and the best for me is the regular pointed nose Crosman .22 pellet. This baby punches holes clean thru a particular black nuisance bird thats likes to put his droppings in the pool. I read about this model last year in Pred. Ex. mag. They were only available from the factory at that time. Sitting here right now I don't remember what I paid for it for sure but  I believe it was less than 200.

[Eric in NC]

Good luck getting 800 out of a 22 benjamin. The 177's will do 800. However, they both make a nice whack when you hit a tree rat or a dove square in the chest.

I was talking about the RWS I have.  I like my old Benjamin but the good springers are a lot more accurate and have good triggers etc.

[EFBell]

I would argue the accuracy of a break open springer against a good pump like the Benjamin or a Sheridan. Just like a bolt gun versus a break open rifle. My Benjamin pump will outshoot the 2 springer's I have (Diana and BSA) as far as groups are concerned. Biggest problem in my opinion is the receiver mounted scope versus the barrel and hinge; consistant lockup does not exist. I don't have that problem with the pump. But it sure does take a long time to load the darn thing. Perhaps some of the newer ones are better but I still think there is too much (Inherent) variation from shot to shot in the hinge / lockup.