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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 45,979
Campfire 'Bwana
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OP
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 45,979 |
Guys, I need to get a good, accurate air rifle for the garden. I'm not looking for the best, or the fastest, just good accuracy, good sights, and enough power to take care of rabbits and squirrels at close range.
Not looking to spend a lot of money, just "enough."
Thanks in advance.
A wise man is frequently humbled.
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Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 4,012
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 4,012 |
I shoot an rws Dianna model 34 it does a pretty decent job. If you need more then the rws Dianna 54 in 22 Cal. Will do it with authority.
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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 14,136
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 14,136 |
Well we're Green and we're Gold, and we play better when it's cold. All us Cheese heads have our favorite superstar. We love Brett Favre.
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Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 457
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 457 |
Another vote for the RWS Diana 34. No pump, pump, pump. Cock it and shoot.
Last edited by jdollar; 03/30/20.
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 19,228
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 19,228 |
How far is "close range" ? I've killed a lot of rabbits and squirrels around the yard with an old Daisy 880 and Crosman 760. They are both quite effective out to 15- 20 yards. I also have a Mac-1 steroid Benjamin 392, a .22 caliber BSA Meteor and a Sheridan 2260 MB. Out of all of them my favorite for back yard plinking and pest control is the CO2 powered Sheridan 2260. No pumping, easily scoped, 5 shot groups under an inch at 30 yards, enough power for rabbits and squirrels out to that range and only 149.00 from Pyramydair.
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 10,686
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 10,686 |
Recommendations for the RWS 34 are solid. They are a nice rifle, big and heavy but for the price hard to beat. Something you may find is that quality air rifles are a ton of fun. Cheap ones sit in the closet. It may be worth a few more bucks to get a quality rig that you will enjoy shooting.
Rabbits are pretty tough, I suggest a .22 cal if that is your main quarry.
A true sportsman counts his achievements in proportion to the effort involved and fairness of the sport. - S. Pope
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Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 4,939
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 4,939 |
+1 I have a decent selection of spring and PCP powered airguns, but for a grab and go garden gun the old Sheridan Streaks are hard to top. In my youth I patrolled the woodlots with a Silver Steak and it accounted for untold numbers of starlings, squirrels, rabbits and an unlucky 'coon. FWIW, my buddy's .22 cal Crossman pump action CO2 would barely penetrate a fox squirrels skin (granted the pellets were of the flat nose style) while the old .20 cal Sheridan Cylindrical pellets would completely penetrate said squirrel. I still have my old SS and it still works just as well 50-some years latter and I keep a peep sighted Blue Streak at the cabin to keep the pine squirrels in check.
Charter Member
Ancient order of the 1895 Winchester
"It's an insecure and petite man who demands all others like what he likes and dislike what he dislikes."
szihn
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 19,228
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 19,228 |
Recommendations for the RWS 34 are solid. They are a nice rifle, big and heavy but for the price hard to beat. Something you may find is that quality air rifles are a ton of fun. Cheap ones sit in the closet. It may be worth a few more bucks to get a quality rig that you will enjoy shooting.
Rabbits are pretty tough, I suggest a .22 cal if that is your main quarry. Cottontail rabbits are the most fragile small game animal on the planet. Squirrels are waaay tougher and harder to kill.
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 19,228
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 19,228 |
+1 I have a decent selection of spring and PCP powered airguns, but for a grab and go garden gun the old Sheridan Streaks are hard to top. In my youth I patrolled the woodlots with a Silver Steak and it accounted for untold numbers of starlings, squirrels, rabbits and an unlucky 'coon. FWIW, my buddy's .22 cal Crossman pump action CO2 would barely penetrate a fox squirrels skin (granted the pellets were of the flat nose style) while the old .20 cal Sheridan Cylindrical pellets would completely penetrate said squirrel. I still have my old SS and it still works just as well 50-some years latter and I keep a peep sighted Blue Streak at the cabin to keep the pine squirrels in check. Your buddies pump CO2 rifle was undoubtedly a Crosman model 622 that was only rated at 450 fps. There are several .22 caliber CO2 rifles on the market today that are rated at 600-650 fps and will absolutely get the job done on squirrels.
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Joined: Apr 2013
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 4,939 |
No question his rifle coulda used a couple hundred more fps. And better pellets. CO2 being temperature sensitive, those cool fall days didn't help it none either.
Charter Member
Ancient order of the 1895 Winchester
"It's an insecure and petite man who demands all others like what he likes and dislike what he dislikes."
szihn
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 10,686
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 10,686 |
Recommendations for the RWS 34 are solid. They are a nice rifle, big and heavy but for the price hard to beat. Something you may find is that quality air rifles are a ton of fun. Cheap ones sit in the closet. It may be worth a few more bucks to get a quality rig that you will enjoy shooting.
Rabbits are pretty tough, I suggest a .22 cal if that is your main quarry. Cottontail rabbits are the most fragile small game animal on the planet. Squirrels are waaay tougher and harder to kill. Jack Rabbits are some of the toughest - OP did not mention what type of rabbit he was after.
A true sportsman counts his achievements in proportion to the effort involved and fairness of the sport. - S. Pope
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 19,228
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 19,228 |
Recommendations for the RWS 34 are solid. They are a nice rifle, big and heavy but for the price hard to beat. Something you may find is that quality air rifles are a ton of fun. Cheap ones sit in the closet. It may be worth a few more bucks to get a quality rig that you will enjoy shooting.
Rabbits are pretty tough, I suggest a .22 cal if that is your main quarry. Cottontail rabbits are the most fragile small game animal on the planet. Squirrels are waaay tougher and harder to kill. Jack Rabbits are some of the toughest - OP did not mention what type of rabbit he was after. Jack rabbits are hares.
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 10,686
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 10,686 |
Big tough suckers that can take several 22lr rounds at times to kill - whatever they are. And yes, I have killed jack rabbits with a RWS M34 in .22 cal. - as well as cottontails and a variety of other small game.
Last edited by centershot; 04/01/20.
A true sportsman counts his achievements in proportion to the effort involved and fairness of the sport. - S. Pope
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 19,228
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 19,228 |
Big tough suckers that can take several 22lr rounds at times to kill - whatever they are. And yes, I have killed jack rabbits with a RWS M34 in .22 cal. - as well as cottontails and a variety of other small game. I have pictures here of an 8.5 lb. rabbit I killed with one shot from a Daisy 880. Don't know what the hell kind of rabbit it was but it had been living under our shed for months. It looks just like a giant cottontail but I suspect it's some sort of domestic that escaped from somewhere and took up residence under our shed. Anyway, I killed a 15 lb. coon once with that same Daisy 880. One shot, dead coon, same as that giant rabbit. It's all about shot placement {head shot in both cases} and so long as that is good it takes surprisingly little power to kill.
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Joined: Oct 2017
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 1,513 |
Daisy 880. ....With Wichester 9.8 grain round nose pellets from Tractor Supply for about $5 for 500.
You can leave a pumper pumped. But it's not advisable to leave a springer sprung.
I have an old Sheridan Blue Streak.... if you can find one that works at a good price. Or for the price of a few Daisy 880's, a Benjamin 397 or 392.
FWIW, I don't like a peep sight on these. Just the standard barrel mount sight is faster and more accurate for me.
I really prefer a 20 or 22 for their ease of handling, and their impact on cans. But don't think it's necessary for your application.
Last edited by DollarShort; 04/01/20.
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Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 2,436
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 2,436 |
Daisy 880. All else is vanity.
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 14,933
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 14,933 |
Regular 'ol Benjamin .22 is hard to beat. Inexpensive, not cheap.
Last edited by poboy; 04/02/20.
--- CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE --- A Magic Time To Be An Illegal In America---
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,463
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,463 |
I'm an RWS guy too. The 34 in .177 caliber is probably most useful if you have folks living around you. The 48 or the 54 are more powerful, more expensive and I think louder. I've got the 48 in .22 caliber and an old model 45 in .177 that was made for Crosman back in the 90's.
Dan
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 10,686
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 10,686 |
I've had some experience with large varmints myself. A hundred or two of these for the last 10+ years has helped me formulate my opinions. Rifle pictured is a Beeman R-9 with Nikon EFR 3-9x40. Been using it for 5-6 years now. ![[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]](https://i.imgur.com/CESvOjn.jpg)
A true sportsman counts his achievements in proportion to the effort involved and fairness of the sport. - S. Pope
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 19,228
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 19,228 |
I probably shoot 20 squirrels a year off our bird feeders. The main feeder is exactly 14 yards from the living room window that I shoot them from. At that range both my Daisy 880 and Crosman 2260 have proven very effective. Of course my Mac-1 steroid Benjamin kills them too but the OP asked for something effective at low cost.
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