Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Air Guns Recommend a pellet rifle

You want a Beeman R7 in .177. You're welcome.

That learning curve you speak of = basic fundamentals for shooting any rifle well.........If you keep your airguns in the medium power range they are plenty easy to shoot and have ample energy to kill crows, etc. Where things get sketchy is when you shoot magnum springers with light pellets.

Not everyone can master shooting a springer accurately. The beauty is they are so simple, you need nothing but the rifle and pellets.

Every rifleman can shoot a PCP. Downside is what someone above referred to as the "Baggage". Which is either a pump, a high pressure air tank (not a scuba tank) or a small high pressure compressor. Due to the added expense it held me back for many years.

After trying a PCP, sold all of my springers, there is no going back. Extremely accurate, easy to get that accuracy, and velocity close to 1,000 fps (depending on the gun and caliber).

The Benjamin Marauder 'was' the entry level quality piece (accuracy and no issues), newer entries may have replaced the Marauder, even so it's not a bad choice. They used to have a pump/gun package. The pump is fine as you are only topping it off. Most PCP's you will get around 30 shots per fill and then you will need to top it off or you will start to see more drop.

Even some low cost guns have a regulator now. The regulator, which meters the air for each shot, increases consistency/accuracy.

Velocity is your friend... as it equals less drop, I shoot ground squirrels out to 80 yards here. For crows I'd go 22 caliber, you don't need anything bigger and pellets being about the lowest BC projectile that you can find, will lose speed rapidly... the larger diameter and weight of the pellet, the faster it will lose velocity. I shoot a .25 for squirrels, a 22 would work fine, the 25 is a little better killer. Larger pellets cost more and drop more (given the same velocity). Some sellers (pyramid air for instance) list the pellet that is used for the velocity, this is important as some gun listings use a non-lead pellet for the velocity (Gamo, for instance), and of course it is much higher than you will ever get from a lead pellet. Also, in my limited experience trying non-lead pellets, accuracy was mediocre at best, this was several years ago... maybe that has changed? Velocity is your friend only up to a point, and that is around 950 fps, after that, again IME, accuracy goes to hell.

I shoot nothing but JSB pellets, there are other good brands out there, but JSB's are quality and proven to me. Some people buy the cheapest pellets they can find. Accuracy is directly related to pellet quality.

Someone above said that they are not concerned about noise... Most PCP's and some springers have integral moderators (suppressors), they have them for a reason... they are damn loud, as in hearing damage loud without them. It also helps a lot when hunting, can't speak to crows, but if I miss a squirrel I can often get a second shot as they are so quiet that the shot does not alarm them. How quiet depends on the moderator (design and length). Pyramid Air has the best descriptions which includes the noise level, on top of that the owner reviews will often talk about the noise level.

A couple of things I find useful (but not necessary) on magazine fed guns; are off side/forward cocking (like the gun pictured below), allows you to reload without taking the rifle off of your shoulder, which is much faster and can make a difference hunting. I also like guns that have a "no double feed" mechanism, space whether you've loaded a pellet or not and double feed it, and your shot will miss your target... even though there are two pellets going down range.

Every hunter/rifleman should have a pellet rifle, just like a rimfire, it can add a lot to your hunting and shooting opportunities.


Jerry


AGT Vulcan 2

Night and day.

Hard ta believe, since velocities make em appear ta be comparable, but buy once, cry once, PCP.

"The occurrence of high scores in modern times is mainly due to the continuous development of the employed match air rifles from spring-piston type designs into single-stroke pneumatic and then regulated pre-charged pneumatic (PCP) designs."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSF_10_meter_air_rifle#Equipment

I have the Weihrauch HW90 in .22 cal. along with a Theoben Evolution in 177. Both are piston air rifles and have given many years trouble free service. The piston rifles can be left cocked over a long period without any long term issues. A springer is not supposed to be left cocked for a long period of time. Some test have shown that the spring in a springer pellet rifle, will lose power over time when left cocked. I have three pecan trees in my yard which seems to be like squirrel cocaine. I like my piston rifles ready for when the bastids start attacking.

I started shooting springers as a young boy on a farm to occupy my time and for the challenge. I was also lucky to have started with a Diana .17. Fast forward a few decades. I started having problems with crows wiping out my fig trees and pecans. Bought a $200 Gamo .17 and was unimpressed with the trigger etc… I sent it to Charlie the tuna an airgun specialist over 15 years ago, I believe in S.C. He put his trigger and spring and became a much better gun. The closest I could get to protecting my fruit trees was 55 yards. If you hit them just right, they were done for. Very inconsistent in the killing department. Many would fly away and die at my neighbors. Mums the word for some.
I picked up a Beeman Crow Magnum in .22 from a gun dealer friend. Boy was I happy. No matter what angle I hit them, it put the smack down on them. A flock of crows would land on the fig trees and eat away. If they see me anywhere, they’ll fly away with a new fig in their mouth each. They crapped all over the trees. They’ll leave bone pieces from road kill or whatever they scrounged up in my horse water troughs. They carry diseases and are flying rats. I shot one once and fell on it’s back with no movement. I waited for 15 minutes before I went to check it out. When I got five feet away from it, it flipped over and hobbled away with a broken wing. True actors. I never approached them again unless I had a loaded rifle, so I don’t get the slip. Very smart birds.

After I shoot one, and all the ruckus dies down. I used to discard the body right away. Twenty minutes later, I’ll find them back on the tree. One time, I decided to leave the carcass on the ground as a deterrent and see what happens. They stayed away, no more aggravations. For over 17 years until I sold the property, I would drop one early season and leave it. Three weeks later when the fruit is all picked up. I discard the carcass. To my amazement, no smell from the body mid summer the whole time. All the meat was consumed by ants and the bird was a skeleton on the inside no weight.

The cons of the rifle is not being able to shoot secondary shots when the opportunity presented itself. It required 48lb.’s to cock it. And heavy. I wished for a double barreled similar air rifle. I get more trigger and hunting time with it than all my big game rifles. As a traditionalist, I am slowly accepting of trying the pcp route, definitley in a .22. I appreciate everyone’s input and am learning.

Weihrauch HW95 .177 or .22

Did the op ever get a new air rifle?

If it’s safe and legal then get a 17HMR rifle. You should be able to kill crows at 200 yards if their stationary. At 100 yards the bullets will explode on impact and destroy crows. Add to that the fact that the 17HMR is more accurate that 22mag and 22LR.

You should buy crow and an Owl decoy. Along with a tape player with a tape of crows attacking an Owl. Set this up with a hidden shooting position 50 yards away so you can shoot the crows.

HW 95-.22. I have a HW 90, a lot of snot but very heavy.

Benjamin Marauder in 22 cal. Very accurate and deadly. I do not pump mine, I use a scuba tank. I use exact pellets heavy.

I own a Gamo Hornet in 177 and Beeman RS2 in 22cal. Both will shoot like a laser with pellets. For kicks I bought a box of Nielsen slugs in 23grn after measuring my bore and they don't group worth a damn. Do spring piston guns not work well with slugs? I'm experimenting more than anything. I just ordered a Benjamin Trail NP XL in 22 and a Umarex Gauntlet in 25cal. Hoping to see what the pcp workd is all about with the one. What's a determining factor for stabilizing slugs?

Twist rate.

Pellets actually don't need any rifling, due to their design.

The skirt acts like the feathers on an dart, keeping the projectile pointed right and on its trajectory.

Pellet guns have twisted barrels to make the stabilization happen faster.

Slugs don't have the skirt ta straighten em out.

From what I'm reading online, the majority of air rifles have twist rates of 1:16. Maybe my gun just doesn't like the slugs that I bought.

"FX Superior STX Heavy Liners

These new barrel liners will be replacing the STX Slug A liners in the coming months. ‘Heavy’ denotes that this liner has a different twist rate better suited for heavier pellets and heavier slugs (as opposed to lighter weight Hybrid Slugs).

It is important to note that in order to get the optimum accuracy from FX Hybrid Slugs, users need to obtain this new liner. "

https://hardairmagazine.com/news/fx-superior-stx-liners-the-latest-introduction-from-fx-airguns/

Look at the slugs you're shootin.

They don't have the bearing surface of a powderburner bullet, due to the lower pressure created by airguns.

Shoot a slug into a milk jug filled with water. You won't see a lotta rifling marks on the sides.

IIRC, the open airgun accuracy championships have been won by pellet shooters every year, tho the slug guys are catchin up.

I have a Diana 34 clone, Ruger Blackhawk Elite .177, that is a tac driver out to 60 yards. I shoot the Crosman Premier 10.5 grain pellets.
(To the OP, these heavy pellets will punch right through a crow wing at 30 yards.)
The 2-stage trigger is fully adjustable. And this one goes off at a hair.
It’s the one with the stupid big scope.
Field Target worthy... on the cheap.

The little Daisy 131 has about half the power, weighs about half as much, half as hard to cock, and maybe half as loud.
It’s super accurate to about 30 yards with 7 or so grain pellets.
Although not very “gun-like”, it’s a blast to shoot.
It’s sporting the freebie 4x32 that came on the Ruger.
I wouldn’t shoot a squirrel with it. Might bounce off.

Weihrauch HW95 in either .177 or .22. Hard to find a better breakbarrel rifle.

Punch through a crow wing is hoe you measure power? I bet that 99% of pellet guns would be able to do that. A better measure is at what range can it hit and kill a ground squirrel or a raccoon.