What do you guys think of this? Advantages? Disadvantages? SHIF folks killing game to live and such.

Might be OK to have one around but an air rifle is the last thing I rely on if looking at a one gun scenario.

I'll be picking one of these up in the next few months... http://www.pyramydair.com/s/m/Benjamin_Marauder_PCP_Air_Pistol/2367 Airguns of Arizona has them for about $350...light, compact, quiet. Planning on putting a red dot on it.

You'll be hard pressed to kill enough to survive with just an air rifle, unless you like song birds and squirrel sized game

You can't be serious.
Why use a fly swatter, when you can use something with something with some umpth......
Are you from the mecca (No Idaho)?

when the SHTF a gun that makes very little noise could keep folks away from your kill. The crack of a rifle sounds the dinner bell for a lot of starved folks.

Oh please!!!!!!

Right...

I don't think you'd want to be standing in front of my Benjamin .357 with a 145 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip traveling at over 900 fps at 100 yards....

Both of my air rifles above have a built in silencer.

The loudest thing about them is the bullet hitting the target.

Apparently you know very little about air rifles...


They've come a long way since then....177-.50 caliber...what would you think a 77 grain 9mm doing 800 fps+ smacking you upside the head or even center mass would do? Would you live? Would a deer?
http://www.pyramydair.com/s/m/Evanix_Rainstorm_II_PCP_Air_Rifle/2750
In many places, a shrouded barrel or permanently attached moderator is entirely legal because it's beyond the reach of the ATF. There are also a few air gun enthusiasts/gunsmiths that have taken up catering to "tuning" the factory offerings for better accuracy/fps, shots per fill & sound moderation & they have a backlog of work ...As far as the SHTF scenario goes, I'd rather save my powder burners for the looters & thugs & would prefer that my gathering of meat, go unnoticed...YMMV...

I'd be that last person who would argue lethality of air guns; my concern goes to long term functionality. I've not had good experience with that.

Anybody who doubts the accuracy/lethality of modern airguns is uninformed...they'll do much more than just "put your eye out"... IIRC Evanix used to have a full auto model available.

What brand?

For the cost of an air rifle that isn't a toy you could get a .22 with a can. Probably two of them.

There is even a very old Sherlock Holmes story about a guy who was offed with an air rifle.

It depends. What S is hitting what F?

Air rifles now shoot 50 caliber bullets...at pretty astounding velocities! Do a Google search!

Yes but no ammo. As said above must not know much about air rifles

Really??? Cost of the can???? Cost of the stamp via the ATF???
Cost of the rifle? Cost of threading said can to the rifle? Associated fees for background check? On top of that, with a powder burner, you're on the ATFs list...Really?

Then you have a "firearm" with a stamped can. Federal regulatory agencies all up your rectum with a microscope too...

Airguns don't fall into that category. They are not considered a firearm, and the incorporated silencer isn't regulated as long as it is on an airgun.

I think I could live for a while on game that air rifle can take out. Thanks for the pics.

There is an old conspiracy theory that General Patton was assassinated with an air gun.

Rockinbbar, are you shooting standard handgun bullets out of that 357 or are they "pellets"?

So here's the question.

Since we know the good air rifles are very capable, are they feasable?

How do you reload it? Air I mean. In a SHTF scenario, how are you going to get tanks filled?

And where are ya going to get pellets? Do they make molds for them to make your own?

It's basically all the same questions as with a real rifle. How do you support the system with nowhere and no ability to purchase things?

So it's stockpile or make your own. Same with a real rifle. So the question is, is it feasible to stockpile ammo and air tanks?

I'm thinking it's at the very least a good addition. Not substitution. I'd like the ability to quietly hunt some food, while saving my real guns for self defense. As long as we're talking about staying in one place. If I gotta run, it's not on the list.

hand pump

Interesting. And a quick google search revealed molds for .177 and .22. Also found instructions to make your own. I assume it can be made for any caliber

I know my buddy fills his from a scuba tank as well, but he's lazy.

Benjamin. Older gun and probably the design and materials are irrelevant to today's technology, but all things considered I would not bet my future on an air rifle. My powder guns keep working, rain or shine, one year after another...and another...

Come to think of it, my youngest powder gun is 14, the oldest 138. They both go bang everytime.

I would too. But in the spirit of the thread, is stock piling scuba tanks possible? Eh, probably not.

Most aren't going to invest nearly as much money as you have tied up in that setup.

In fact, most won't spend as much as what you paid to just be able to pump it up

I know enough to know what I said is true

I've got plenty of ammo
Don't you?
You must not know much about planning ahead

Easy....Red Ryder

Keep believing that...

I will because it's still the truth
The majority of people won't spend $1000 or more to have a PCP set up to kill large animals reliably when you can get a real gun for a lot less

That rifle lists for $1300-$1500 without the scope or pump.
It has the power of a 38 Spcl

No one thinks a 38 Spcl is a good hunting gun for larger animals

It's very possible as long as you're willing to spend the money for the tanks, and can find somewhere that can fill them without you showing a diving certification

But now you have $1000's invested in what is still a 50 yd hunting gun at best

For relatively silent killing I'd rather use a crossbow.

Or if you have some empty plastic pop or water bottles use them as a one shot silencer on a .22 rifle.

This thread takes the prize as the silliest of the week.

LOL
It doesn't even make the top 20

I have one in my plans for when things go south. I figure it will be good for small game & pests in close. It will leave the powder burners for more important things

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qx2u2cqCoK4


Skip ahead to 4:00

Looks like a mil dot would be better.

You gotta feed ANY gun SOMETHING.

Most of mine burn powder, a few run on air.
All guns don't work unless you stoke the fire a bit.

There is a high pressure compressor that fills scuba tanks you can use at home. For now, I'll take my scuba tank to the dive shop for filling.

I shoot that .25 Marauder a LOT. Usually every day. I use it now in place of a .22 around the house because it is so quiet it won't bother anything, and well...the ammo is easier to find.

When I get that scuba tank filled, it lasts me over a year. Even shooting the gun a lot.

That's Ok but in a purely long term survival, I think you would be better served to learn to make your own bows and arrows.

www.primitivearcher.com

Go to community
how to's
main discussion area.

Also get a couple dozen steel traps.

BTW, that .25 cal. isn't much money for what it does. $450 or so.

Say that when the lights go out.

If ever the SHTF for real the wild furred & feathered critters will be wiped out in no time. Every SHTF loonie thinks they're going to hunt for food. You'd probably be better off with a good shovel to dig up worms & grubs & such to eat. Food that can be bagged with a gun will be gone in no time at all.

Mike

I'm going to find a good used railroad boxcar to keep my fresh meat in....

You gonna keep it alive till slaughter time?

Definitely, once you kill it, it "turns" very quickly...

The factory says they only get 800 FPS at the muzzle with a 125
Yours must be special

Factory released info may be a bit on the "safe" side. As are the listed operating pressures for the tank.

Not sure if mine is "special" or not. It was the second rifle made, and I got it before they were on the market for sale.

They generally claim higher velocity by using the lightest projectiles

Every site I've seen says the 125 gets the highest velocity, and it's nowhere near as fast as you claim for a 145

Putting more pressure in the tank won't change the maximumamount per shot. That's regulated by the valves

In a real SHTF you'd better have a handpump if you intend to keep shooting

On "High" setting, I only get about 4 shots with the Rogue. It is advertised as higher numbers there too.

There are ways to turn them up... Especially the Marauder. Very simple operation.

I will pump the Marauder. Not the Rogue.

In a real SHTF situation I'll shoot my AR15 til the barrel melts.

But, if I want to be quiet, and not have to have "ammo" for pot meat, or something bigger, I'll drag out those air rifles. They will serve me well for what I'll use them for.

I've read up on the civil war in Bosnia recently ,two brothers had pellet rifles -common 1,000 fps break barrel rifles with scopes.
They said the air rifles put many a meal on the table , shooting a fat pigeon late at night w/a flash light kept them going while others starved.
I have a gamo cfx fixed barrel 1000fps .177 w/a 4x leapers bug buster scope ,I've killed thousands of ground squirrels in Idaho and more tree squirrels ,crows,starlings ,sparrows etc. than I remember.
Total cost $300.
As stated in many rifle shooting threads ---it's shot placement far more often than not.
Many people have no idea how accurate a mid priced air rifle like this can be -I had NO idea myself. This rifle will make lead "art" at 25yds it will pack shot after shot into the same hole.

Thanks!

How much 22lr have you?

yep.

Yeah, but one can obtain pellets for the air rifle.. 22? Not so much as of late.. Besides, air rifles need no powder. No primers. No brass. No reloaders..

And as a few have said above - the new versions of air rifles can push a pellet 1500 fps with authority.. AND ---- they're vewy, vewy, qwiet..

If a bunch of folks would realize what even the older air rifles can do, this BS with 22LR shortage would go away. I have used a 50 year old Sheridan for small game forever. The newer rifles are heads and above that. Most of them will out shoot a 22 rifle and the big bores will take most game. As I said some people just don't know chit about air rifles. And yes mall ninja I did not get caught short by the latest crazy, or any of the others in the past

In a SHTF scenario, I'd expect most of my protein to come from small game, not large game. That and I wouldn't expect most of my time to be available for hunting so my primary weapon would be



As far as an airgun for such use, I'd also gear it towards small game. As far as a proven design with enough power for small game, I'd give the Benjamin 22 cal pump rifles the nod. Mine was my fathers mdl 312 and is over 70 years old. We had the seals rebuilt in the 80's and it's been running solid ever since.



The larger caliber PCP's certainly have their appeal, but honestly I'd rather have a 357 mag rifle with a supressor. It'll do everything a large bore air rifle will do, as well as what it won't do. I'd much rather pack 50 rds of 357 ammo than a pump and I'd expect the 357 to be less likely to break down.

I agree. With everyone.

What some of ya might not be thinking of is that this doesn't have to be a one or the other thing. It's another tool with it's purpose. I'd rather have many useful tools to choose from if I can. SHTF or not.

Like I said though, not what I'd grab if I had to leave. But if I get to stay where I'm at and just want an additional tool? I'd love to have a good PCP air gun and hand pump.

snares, deadfalls, weirs, nets, and all sorts of traps for ducks, rabbits, deer, fish and bird work 24/7. A good air rifle will kill trapped animals, small game and fowl while you are checking the sets. If you are talking about defense then that is a whole different ballgame, except for the traps, learn from the little brown bastids in SE Asia

+1

Shot placement always matters, but if the gun you're using doesn't have the energy for a QUICK kill, it won't do you much good in a survival situation.

The high tech PCP's are worthless in a true SHTF unless you have the hand pump, and the majority of the springers are pitifully weak for things bigger than squirrels beyond 25 yds.

If you plan to survive by hunting, why handicap yourself?

That's why they make all sorts of guns. All sorts of calibers, and all sorts of opinions.

You can choose what you want.

At least for now.