Air Rifles

   / Air Rifles #1  

RichZ

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2001
Messages
1,876
Location
White Creek, New York, Washington County, on the V
Tractor
Kubota 4630 with cab and loader
With the cost of ammunition, I was thinking of getting an air rifle. I know they come in 22 caliber and even bigger. I'm not a hunter, I just want one for protection of my livestock against occasional predators, and possibly if I have to have to put an animal down in an emergency. Does anyone have any experiece with air rifles? Are there any brands you'd recommend or any brands to stay away from? I'm interested in pump type air rifles as opposed to CO2 versions.

Thanks.
 
   / Air Rifles #3  
JMHO, but you don't want to try to kill anything bigger than a crow with an air rifle.

I suggest a .22wmr (22 magnum) or better.

Personally, my choice of a "farm gun" is the Ruger Mini-14 Ranch Rifle. .223 Rem. caliber. It rides in a soft case, behind the seat of my farm truck. I keep a 5-round magazine in it, and have two 20-round mags in the pocket of the case. It has a Nikon 3-9x40 scope on it. I've taken out pests and predators at ranges of up to 350 yards.
 
   / Air Rifles #5  
I keep a few 22 LR rifles around for the critters that need to be put down as well as the yotes around here. I don't think that an air rifle will put down a yote in a humane way. I still have a couple of the ones that the kids had while growing up, and they will kill a cat or rabbit (lucky shot), and will not take anything down that is larger than a small poodle.
 
   / Air Rifles #6  
I have a couple of high powered air rifles. I believe they are 1200 fps. They are great for small varmints, but that's about it. I mean a well placed shot could put down a larger animal, but as another poster said, not in a humane way. The animal will most likely suffer and nobody wants to see that. A 22 cal. is a much better choice, or even a 223.
 
   / Air Rifles #7  
No question, for your purpose, an air rifle is completely unsuited. Your stated objective is to keep costs down. The most powerful air rifles cost the same as a 22 rifle yet are far less effective. For predators the minimum you can use and have any reliable effectiveness is a 22 long rifle caliber. As numerous others have noted, they often choose a larger caliber for what you want to do. Keep your costs down by using careful shot placement....1 shot to the head with a 22 is effective up to killing deer and turkey, both of which I did in my youth, although I don't recommend it.
 
   / Air Rifles #8  
I agree...cost is a bit misleading; and I think probably not a a deciding factor for me. I have both a .22 LR and a .22 HMR. The .22 cal. ammo can often be bought on special in boxes of about 500 rounds or so, they store easily and will last forever if you keep them dry. Buy 500 rounds every payday for a few months and you will soon have quite a stockpile. You can even buy the subsonic (not as loud) .22 shorts that are much better than an air rifle. Not all rifles will handle the short, you would need to check that out. Do some online research on the .22 LR and you will find that if you can hit what you shoot at, they can be effective way beyond 100 yards. The .22 HMR is an awesome round; not as good as a .30/30 or a .223, but I bought it just because I wanted it!

I also have a .17 cal air rifle. It's ok for target shooting and will dispatch a gopher at 20 yards if you can hit it. Some survivalist info recommends a .22 cal break-barrell air gun with as much f/s as you can get. It can be used in a pinch to kill squirrels and rabbits at close range, and perhaps is a bit quieter in an urban setting (hope it never gets to that). I know the .22 Gamo with a scope will easily kill a squirrel or rabbit at close range.

Probably more than you ever wanted to know, but the bottom line is if you want something effective, go with the .22 LR, and if you go with the air rifle, go with the .22 cal, high velocity and don't expect much from it beyond about 25 or 30 yards.
 
   / Air Rifles #9  
Just my opinion, but I have owned and still own an air rifle, but it is rarely used and only for fun. My personal favorite is a .223, I only use my .22 rimfires for paper and plinking. I have a Mini 14 Ranch Rifle, Colt AR and Sigg 556, but a good bolt gun can be had pretty cheap; like bolt guns too.
 
   / Air Rifles #10  
I have a real nice RWS model 52 or 54 in .22 caliber with a scope. That setup cost more than a nice 22LR. It is a real tack driver though and cheap to shoot. With a sorta stable rest, the oldest child and I were hitting 1/2-3/4 inch targets at 20-30 yards. If we had a more stable rest, I think we could shoot even smaller groups. Great rifle and I think it would easily kill rabbits and tree rats but not much more. This RWS is a single crank to fire a pellet. Believe it or not, the rifle has a fair amount of recoil and it surely aint quiet. .22 sub sonic rounds are quiet. This pellet rifle is not. It certainly is quieter than a .22LR but it is still louder than I expected.

Later,
Dan
 
 
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