Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Air Guns Advice on Airgun for Urban Rabbits

Our neighborhood is infested with cottontails, which are consuming gardens, flowers and shrubs. I would like recommendations for an airgun to remove some of these critters. I'm looking for quiet, accurate gun capable of making head shots up to 20 yards.

I've done some internet research and would like to avoid a PCP type gun, due to the cost and the lack of nearby places to get the tank refilled. I'm kind of leaning toward a break barrel gun in 22 caliber, but am open to suggestions.

I have lots of experience with firearms, but don't know much about airguns.

Thanks for the feedback.

SDH56

Beeman R1

I have a Weihrauch HW95 22 cal break barrel
Very accurate with the right pellet, problem is that it is very noisy as are most springers
the other problem is they knock the heck out of a regular scope so you have to get a springer air rifle scope
The PCP air rifles are coming down in price and to save money you can get a 3 stage hand pump
most are repeaters and much more handy on cotton tails than a single shot break barrel springer

I shoot springers and have a Weihrauch HW95 .22 that should work for rabbits at ranges up to at least 20 yards. But these are single shot rifles and fairly noisy.

I think PCP's are better choices for hunting. I'm a scuba diver so would have no problems getting compressed air for charging a PCP, but I haven't taken the plunge yet.

Having had some springers for the same reason you mention, I realized particularly with the last one (Ruger Air Hawk springer in 22) that they are heavy and fairly loud) and that a 22 rifle with BB or CB caps are no louder.

22 BB caps offer a 18-20gr “BB” at 700-800 fps — so pellet gun type ballistics at the same or less noise. You can order them online. The disadvantage is the the BB too often falls out of the case as there is minimal grasp of the case-mouth at the waist of the spherical BB. The only propellant in the BB cap is the primer. No powder.

Then there is the CB Long cap which gives the 22 Short bullet of 29 grains a vel of ~ 700+ fps, so a little more juice because of bullet weight but not too much or too noisy.

I think in your environment, based on my experience, I’d go BB cap and may be keep the range under 20 yds.

Anyway, some options to use your 22 rifle without going the air rifle and scope route.

I like springgers and would have no hesitation shooting cottontails with my TX200 in .22cal. It's a very nice rifle but expensive - as the the German Beemans (R1 - R9, etc). But if you go the GAMO or cheap springer route then you will likely be disappointed in the quality of the rifle. So I guess the real question is what kind of budget do you have for this endeavor?

Low priced and very quiet. But try to keep shots under 15yds. They shoot about 500fps stock in .22cal.

https://www.pyramydair.com/product/beeman-qb78-deluxe-co2-air-rifle?m=4120

That’s not a bad looking rifle and at 6lbs not as heavy as your leg. But, max vel of 550 fps is in the shallow end of the pool.

I've killed several dozen with my Sheridan 2260 which is only slightly more powerful. It's absolute certain death at twice that distance. My longest kill with it so far was 40 yards. Pop, flop. Instant dead shot through the shoulders. The pellet went clear through. Cottontails are mighty tender.

I also have a QB78 and think its a great air rifle. I did add a "moderator" to my .22 QB78 and its honestly the quietest air rifle I've ever seen. The only disadvantage to this design in my opinion is the CO2 cartridges used for propellant. They work fine in stable temps but point of impact can change fairly drastically with temperature changes. All in all, especially for the price, it's a great gun. That being said, I am currently looking at a Benjamin Marauder in .22. Haven't shot one yet but assuming it will be a bit louder than the QB78 but the PCP design will probably work better for me, in ND climate. As far as dispatching varmints with the QB78, my tally sheet in the garage shows 41 rabbits, 26 squirrels, and 2 crows since the first of the year. My max shot distance in MY yard is about 32 yards.

shtrbc,
If you are looking at the Benjamin Marauder you might also want to look at the Benjamin Gunnar,
I bought one but have not used it enough to give a full report yet.

As for the QB78 for my uses I thought I was better off with a slingshot, not a fan of CO2 guns

This guy has the place to shop for parts https://www.archerairguns.com/

Unfortunately, he stopped selling rifles and deals in parts only, but he's the best one I know.

Good info. blogs/video: https://www.archerairguns.com/category-s/54.htm

boatanchor,
I pulled the trigger on a .22 Marauder regulated with the Lothar Walther barrel. Purchased from Rich @ Airgun Revisions and couldn't be happier with the transaction. Rich is a authorized Benjamin repair shop. Makes aftermarket parts for a variety or airguns and also does custom builds. Had never heard of them until I started doing some research. He also has some great prices on "refurbs". I haven't done much shooting past 20 yards yet but so far light years ahead of my QB78 regarding accuracy. So far, I only have a hand pump but am trying to make a decision on which bottle route to go. Only a couple scuba shops in my immediate area. (within 60 miles) We do have a sporting goods retailer that fills paint ball and pcp tanks in town. I called to ask what they charge to fill a tank and they said $6. I asked if it mattered the tank size and he said they were all the same. With that being said, I have a hard time believing they will fill a 5L or bigger tank for that price. I believe he meant pricing for the smaller paintball gun style tanks but need to clarify that. I've been on the fence about getting a carbon fiber tanks and fill valve off Amazon for around $300. All the Chinese made carbon fiber tanks I have seen are NOT DOT approved. Not sure if that is a deal breaker for the retailer filling tanks or a scuba shop local to me. Nobody seems to want to say Ya or Ney over the phone. I checked into the local fire department also and they said they used to fill tanks for people but quit years ago for liability reasons. If I can purchase a tank and fill valve for sub $400 and get it filled reasonably, I will forgo buying my own fill pump for now. All in all I would have to say that the airgun hobby is quite interesting coming from a traditional firearms background. Pretty cool stuff.

Hand pump? I use one for my PCP pistol. Yes it is work but I can use the exercise and can pump for a bit each day. I am retired so look at things somewhat differently than some. I do have a Coltri compressor but for the smaller tanks it doesn't get fired up. Rusty.

i have shot several hundred Rabbits on my urban garden in the last 10 yrs or so... many DRT, many wounded and found ded later... most shots are under 25 yds using a Gamo Silent Cat .177 break brl... 10 grn Whisper or 7.8 grn Red Fire pellets... it ain't consistently accurate, so i mostly aim forward center mass unless they are really close... vegetable yields have improved greatly...

I have a Sheridan 2260 MB .22 caliber CO2 rifle that's factory rated at 600 fps with a 14.3 gr pellet. It actually chronos 580 fps with that weight pellet on a warm day, puts 5 shots in an inch consistently from 25 yards and hammers the shyt out of rabbits out to 30 yards. I have killed dozens around my yard with it..

A hidden gem in the springer air gun world would be just about perfect for rabbits in the 20 yard range - Beeman R7. Rifle has half the cocking force and is much quieter than more powerful units. Get it in .177 cal and use heavier pellets. Accuracy and shoot ability (record trigger is the best) is as good as it gets.

Rabbits are easy to kill so the lower power is not an issue. You will want the higher velocity of the .177 to make shot placement easier. The R7 should last a lifetime.

Everyone has their favorites. A .177 will kill them, but I'd give the nod to .22 for rabbits. The slower shooting spring guns are generally easier to cock, but of course generally don't shoot as hard. An RWS 34 has plenty of power and won't break the bank cost wise. The R7 mentioned above is a sweet little rifle or the R9 for a bit more power.

Look at a Cometa. You can get an economical break barrel that kills rabbits handily. It is made in Spain not China. I think I saw a scoped package deal. If not, Airguns Of Arizona has a BSA has a ram technology hunter package for a bit more. Good luck and please come back to tell us what you picked up and how you are doing with it. RZ.

Hatsan Model 95 Vortex QE. 22 or 25 cal, $ 174.99. W/ scope, mounts, not mounted and sighted in as far as I can see. @ Airgun Depot. One must pre-order. They indicate it is overdue so hopefully expect it soon. Good luck, RZ.

RWS model 34. I would get the 22 model. Make sure it’s made in Germany. My neighbor bought one and it’s made somewhere other than Germany and it’s lower quality. Pellet choice is just as important. Have fun!

I have a 125 Vortex in .25

It's a freakin' HAMMER with 31 gr. pellets !!! But, it's not exactly what I'd call "urban stealth mode compatible". If your neighbors aren't deaf.......they'll know something's going down.

I live in the boonies, so the muzzle crack doesn't matter here.

No need for head shots, a 22 break barrel springer will kill rabbits all day long with lung shots on the body with your cheapest crossman pellets. Once you get to longer distance like 35+yards your better off going witht pcp as they are generally more accurate and can use your normal rifle scopes.

Rabbits are pretty easy to kill. One of the crossman 10 pump petter guns should work fine.

My RWS model 34 is highly effective and quite accurate for pest control. 1” groups at 40 yds with good pellets. Use it for feral cats around home and for rockchucks at our office hdqtrs in town.

Tag

Another vote for Air Arms TX 200. Very accurate although heavy when scoped.

Rabbits die pretty easily so you don’t need much in the way of power to kill them.

Look at the GX compressors… https://gxpumpofficial.com/products...ump-for-air-gun-and-paintball-scuba-tank

I've killed rabbits with a .177, but would pick a .22 for rabbit sized game. The RWS 34 mentioned by a couple others in .22 would be a good quality gun that won't break the bank.

So! What have you bought? Tap Tap Tap! Are you there? RZ

I ended up buying a Weihrauch HW50S Hunter in 0.177. I chose this airgun for it's easy cocking effort, came with a scope mounted and low noise.

This airgun is much more difficult to shoot accurately than a firearm. How that rifle is held is critical to good accuracy. I did a lot of research and watched videos to understand the "artillery hold". A too loose or too tight grip on the rifle affects where the pellet hits. After about 500 practice shots, I'm feeling pretty good about my accuracy and have taken some rabbits.

I do think that this 17 caliber airgun is a little light for rabbits. I try for head shots at 15-20 yards, but a couple times they went down and got up after a few minutes. Now, when the rabbit goes down, I make sure to put a couple more pellets into them.

If I had to do it again, I would probably look for a quiet 22 caliber air rifle.

Well you would have been well served with something like a Crosman 362. 22 caliber pumpers are much quieter than any Springer. Presently my older Benjamin 392 has popped a bunch of bunnies using only 6 pumps it usually exits. 4 pumps being plenty good for head shots. Squirrels are much tougher than rabbits.

I think you will be pleased and so will whomever inherits it. I have a few HW springers and three gas piston rifles. They all are great guns. I hope you are as pleased as I am with the HWs. And thanks for getting back with us concerning bunny control. I noticed one of my Shallots has the tops trimmed. Pretty sure I have a renegade rabbit to deal with. Now, which airgun to use? RZ. P.S. Don't go to the Airgun Nation Forum on conventional rifles. You will be lost down the rabbit hole so to speak. RZ.

My garden varmint is a squirrel. He killed 6 tomato plants yesterday.