.22 hunting airgun
- Thread starter Jamesconn
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For starters a Benjamin Maurder in .22 or .25, but if you want ultra quiet you'll be spending up into the $1000+ mark.
A Benjamin Discovery with a TKO 6.5" break or 5" (my preference) really makes for a decent back yard rifle. The TKO will quiet the rifle down substantially, and will not, will not affect accuracy. The disco has been around a while, and a lot of people make cool add-ons for them.
A Benjamin Discovery with a TKO 6.5" break or 5" (my preference) really makes for a decent back yard rifle. The TKO will quiet the rifle down substantially, and will not, will not affect accuracy. The disco has been around a while, and a lot of people make cool add-ons for them.
"Umarex Octane as low as $170 for a referb from Airgun Depot. Pretty good deal for a magnum break barrel.
Before you get a pcp I think you should try pumping one up first. You did mention pumping and it was a deal breaker for me. The Discovery is very loud btw, a Marauder is rather quiet, more powerful, a repeater with 10-shot magazines, upgradable, and a better gun all around. Worth the extra $ imo, and a referb Mrod is $440 at AGD.
An XS-B50 is similar to the Discovery and $210 delivered from Flying Dragon. It's basically the cheapest pcp that has good power.
There's also Aguila Colibri and Super Colibri ammo for your 22LR. I thought I'd mention them since their power and noise are more like pellet guns. Either way I'd suggest you try a box of each because they're really neat. I use Colibri to shoot rats and gophers without waking the neighbors, something that probably only a Marauder can do. The Super Colibri are much louder but more power, but worth experimenting with. FYI.
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Chevota is giving some real good advice here. I agree with his take on it.
Before you get a pcp I think you should try pumping one up first. You did mention pumping and it was a deal breaker for me. The Discovery is very loud btw, a Marauder is rather quiet, more powerful, a repeater with 10-shot magazines, upgradable, and a better gun all around. Worth the extra $ imo, and a referb Mrod is $440 at AGD.
An XS-B50 is similar to the Discovery and $210 delivered from Flying Dragon. It's basically the cheapest pcp that has good power.
There's also Aguila Colibri and Super Colibri ammo for your 22LR. I thought I'd mention them since their power and noise are more like pellet guns. Either way I'd suggest you try a box of each because they're really neat. I use Colibri to shoot rats and gophers without waking the neighbors, something that probably only a Marauder can do. The Super Colibri are much louder but more power, but worth experimenting with. FYI.
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Chevota is giving some real good advice here. I agree with his take on it.
Depends on your price range, again. PCPs can be made very quiet with a suppressor (which is legal on an airgun) but that will be pushing your price range up. A Discovery is your cheapest pcp, but it is loud.
A springer is quieter than an unsuppressed pcp, but there is little to be done to make them more quiet. Many of them (like the Octane suggested to you already) come with a suppressor, but the noise of the action can not be quieted effectively.
Plenty of people shoot springers in their backyards though, just depends on how big your back yard is.
g.willikers
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The objection to the recoil of a spring powered gun may be valid.
But powering one up with just one quick pump of the barrel or side lever has got to be easier than hand pumping a tank full of air.
Unless ya' really enjoy pumping up tires.
But powering one up with just one quick pump of the barrel or side lever has got to be easier than hand pumping a tank full of air.
Unless ya' really enjoy pumping up tires.
After breaking that barrel around 10 times you get super sick of it. It gets hard, and they are a pain to shoot accurately. I'll take a compressor/pump for 20 good accurate shots any old day.
The Maurader is a great PCP, but for someone getting into the sport the Discovery will give them great fun and put the food on the table, or the pest to sleep at half the price, and that is with the high pressure pump. Loud? Yes, it is until you put a TKO which is an added $50 or so, but there are methods to get a full shrouded barrel for the Disco as well. Like I mentioned earlier, they have been around long enough that there are many upgrades for not that much money to make them what you want, not wysiwyg.
The Maurader is a great PCP, but for someone getting into the sport the Discovery will give them great fun and put the food on the table, or the pest to sleep at half the price, and that is with the high pressure pump. Loud? Yes, it is until you put a TKO which is an added $50 or so, but there are methods to get a full shrouded barrel for the Disco as well. Like I mentioned earlier, they have been around long enough that there are many upgrades for not that much money to make them what you want, not wysiwyg.
Shooting any higher powered air rifle will take work. CO2 doesn't provide the power, so unless you spend the money on a compressor or good tank, you'll be pumping. I don't have much of a problem either way, the single stroke of the break barrel doesn't bother me, the 2-3 pumps per shot on the PCP doesn't bother me. The nice thing about the PCP is that if you are keeping the shooting sessions shorter, you can pump up after you are done, or later that night, or whenever, and it's ready to go next time you want to shoot.
Here is a good read straight from the horses mouth:
http://www.crosman.com/get-hunting/airgun-ballistics
http://www.crosman.com/get-hunting/airgun-calibers
http://www.crosman.com/pdf/CrosmanAirgunPelletCapabilitiesChart20120713.pdf
http://www.crosman.com/get-hunting/airgun-ballistics
http://www.crosman.com/get-hunting/airgun-calibers
http://www.crosman.com/pdf/CrosmanAirgunPelletCapabilitiesChart20120713.pdf
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This statement is why I am saying you are not going to be happy. You still look at an air rifle as a toy....no different then a BB gun. It uses air to push the projectile along its way....in some cases the guns hole 4000 pounds of air.....thats quite a bit of pressure. The science in building that is something that is going to cost. Then you have all the normal problems with a powder burner in getting the projectile to hit its target.
A Mrod in 22 or better yet 25 for a opossum, is well outside your budget....even a good or half good magnum 25 for opossum is going to be outside your self imposed $200 limit.
All the guns and gear suggested are good stuff, but 99% of it is going to be north of your budget.
But in answer to your question my mrod gets about 40 shots per fill, and figure on about 250 or so pumps to fill it from scratch.....that is using an air pump that is going to blow over half your budget.
Not wanting to turn you away from air gunning.....but it is a very different mind set. A little like how black powder people just love that aspect of shooting....but some people it is just a huge pain....same with air gunning...some people love it some think it is a step backwards or not real guns.
I agree with fpqt72, but there are sites that sell refurbished Discovery rifles in .177 for $140 w/o the pump and .22 cal Discovery air rifles with pumps for $373 shipped. That is over his budget, but with .22 LR virtually gone in my area, and being an avid air-gunner since 7 years old. I chose to save up a little more and get a PCP that I knew I'd enjoy, be accurate, and put food on the table (as cliche as that is).
A .22 Discovery is only $173 or so over his budget, and can dispatch a opossum from at least 30 yards. I posted the chart from Crossman, and I they are very conservative on their yardage from my experience.
Yeah, your Maurader is nice. I didn't want the bigger rifle. I wanted the lighter of the two. One that I could over time tweak to my liking.
OP, there is a investment into PCP air gunning, but if you like to shoot, and not waist your money then the cost is worth it. If I could not go PCP, then I'd go with a pump up. Stay clear of spring piston rifles. From my experience you'll be using it to chop wood or a boat anchor if you get one in your budget, and if you have to got to $400 to get a decent spring piston air rifle then why not get the better of the two and go with a PCP air rifle?
A .22 Discovery is only $173 or so over his budget, and can dispatch a opossum from at least 30 yards. I posted the chart from Crossman, and I they are very conservative on their yardage from my experience.
Yeah, your Maurader is nice. I didn't want the bigger rifle. I wanted the lighter of the two. One that I could over time tweak to my liking.
OP, there is a investment into PCP air gunning, but if you like to shoot, and not waist your money then the cost is worth it. If I could not go PCP, then I'd go with a pump up. Stay clear of spring piston rifles. From my experience you'll be using it to chop wood or a boat anchor if you get one in your budget, and if you have to got to $400 to get a decent spring piston air rifle then why not get the better of the two and go with a PCP air rifle?
That is why I say order the 22LR online, plenty of places....yea shipping is a bit of a pain, but there is a 99% chance he will want to order pellets online as well....so no matter what way he goes he is going to get hit with shipping heavy stuff.
A Disco on a opossum sized critter is do-able, but I would want to be darn sure of shot placement. No animal deserves to run into a hole an die a slow death puking up blood or dragging around a broken leg due to not enough energy into the small kill zone. Remember air guns kill by hitting something that will kill the animal there is no shock value at the speeds that a pellet moves.
For this poster I would agree to steer clear of springers as well....I enjoy the heck out of mine but I have been doing this for a very long time, and sometimes it takes quite a bit of work to find the hold and pellet that a specific rifle likes....springers can be very sensitive to hold and like all air guns can love one pellet but hate others.
A Disco on a opossum sized critter is do-able, but I would want to be darn sure of shot placement. No animal deserves to run into a hole an die a slow death puking up blood or dragging around a broken leg due to not enough energy into the small kill zone. Remember air guns kill by hitting something that will kill the animal there is no shock value at the speeds that a pellet moves.
For this poster I would agree to steer clear of springers as well....I enjoy the heck out of mine but I have been doing this for a very long time, and sometimes it takes quite a bit of work to find the hold and pellet that a specific rifle likes....springers can be very sensitive to hold and like all air guns can love one pellet but hate others.
Possum are tough as well as racoons, I have used a Sheridan .20 cal Blue Streak with 3 pumps to the rump to run them off.
A 22 bolt action with 22 CB maybe effective to dispatch these pests with a head shot? 22 CB is very quiet in a rifle barrel, 29gr bullet at 770 FPS 38 ft-lbs of energy.
The 22 CB's shoot very different from 22 LR so sight adjustment is needed.
A 22 bolt action with 22 CB maybe effective to dispatch these pests with a head shot? 22 CB is very quiet in a rifle barrel, 29gr bullet at 770 FPS 38 ft-lbs of energy.
The 22 CB's shoot very different from 22 LR so sight adjustment is needed.
take a look at the Benjamin Trail NP XL in .25 cal.
yes it is a break barrel, but it will also put out ~30 FPE.......for the money (~$280-300) its is the best bang for the buck, and will deliver the most energy in its price range.
you should have no problem taking small game out to 50yds.
Break barrels take a bit of getting used to to shoot well, but its despite what people will tell you, its not some shao-lin secret only know to monks in the Himalayas.....you can easily get the hang of it with a day or so of shooting.
yes it is a break barrel, but it will also put out ~30 FPE.......for the money (~$280-300) its is the best bang for the buck, and will deliver the most energy in its price range.
you should have no problem taking small game out to 50yds.
Break barrels take a bit of getting used to to shoot well, but its despite what people will tell you, its not some shao-lin secret only know to monks in the Himalayas.....you can easily get the hang of it with a day or so of shooting.
I have used CBs and Super Colibri to dispatch racoon and opossum. I have also used my Disco, and I have experienced my Disco to delivery a much quicker kill with 18.1 grain domed pellets.
Just hit the ear hole. Don't take heart lung shots. That goes for .22 LR as well. Head shots on the opossums and racoons. That is the way I was raised. I've passed up or waited a long time for the right shot on those critters. Patience and shot placement. I am getting mid to upper 20 feet #s with my Disco. That is about what a .22 short or CB would be.
Just hit the ear hole. Don't take heart lung shots. That goes for .22 LR as well. Head shots on the opossums and racoons. That is the way I was raised. I've passed up or waited a long time for the right shot on those critters. Patience and shot placement. I am getting mid to upper 20 feet #s with my Disco. That is about what a .22 short or CB would be.
Small target zone and you are going to be pretty close. I have also bounced between the eyes shot on the same animals. Point is there is such a small margin for error with an air rifle I want more room for error.
I like the suggestion for the .25, springers are great fun to shoot, and I really think after you master them you really have something that will follow you into all the shooting sports. You can make a springer shoot just as well as any other gun....it just takes skill and commitment on the part of the shooter.....something that few people have any longer.
I like the suggestion for the .25, springers are great fun to shoot, and I really think after you master them you really have something that will follow you into all the shooting sports. You can make a springer shoot just as well as any other gun....it just takes skill and commitment on the part of the shooter.....something that few people have any longer.
rodinal220
Member
RWS 48/52 are good springers in .22. The only difference between the two is the stock.The 52 is currently out of production. .177 in a good springer can efficiently take squirrel/rabbit sized game. My original FWB 124(.177) has taken plenty in the last 35 years. Keep ranges reasonable and good shot placement(head) and you will have some for the pot.
Plinkin' Logs
Member
Just nkticed there may be a bit of misconception here. Many people have accuracy issues with springers as they hold them wrong. They adopt a traditional "tight" firearm hold and stance, which seriously messes up accuracy with springers due their dual recoil in both directions. Springers need to shot using the Artillery hold position for good accuracy. Google the term for more info on what that looks like. That being said it is still the general consensus that a PCP (or for that matter Co2 and multi-pump) tend to be slighly more accurate overall, due to the lack of barrel droop on break barrel springer. Side cocking and undercocking shouldnt have that issue but the difference is negligble in terms of accuracy and all spring guns need use of the artillery hold for max accuracy
Bigdog57
Member
The hold for a springer is a subjective thing, like most aspects of shooting. I find I do better using the same hold for my springers and NP rifles as I use for my rimfires. Works for me. The "artillery hold" works for others, but not for all of us. Each shooter must try it to see which method works best for HIM.
CONSISTENCY is the key, no matter how it is accomplished.
CONSISTENCY is the key, no matter how it is accomplished.
Not sure what you plan to hunt, but rabbits or squirrels don't take much power. CO2 or multipump pneumatics will do the job, if you do yours, and stick to ranges where you are confident of shot placement. But springers/gas pistons are very convenient for the role, if you can learn to shoot 'em (and possibly tune 'em).
http://www.pyramydair.com/s/m/Crosman_Vantage_Nitro_Piston_Air_Rifle/3233
Nitro piston, iron sights, 22 cal, $100.00
Want a scope, $144.00:
http://www.amazon.com/Crosman-Nitro...&qid=1430520716&sr=8-1&keywords=crosman+venom
Ok, truth be told, these might need some work out of the box. The main issue with break-barrels is the lockup, and these mass-produced-in-china guns don't have a high level of fitting or quality control. But if you can turn a screwdriver and use a dremel, you can tighten them up real easy, if needed. No matter what brand under $400.00, some folks get lemons. I rather buy a $150.00 gun and EXPECT a lemon, knowing how to make lemonade.
Cocking effort on this gun is easy-peezy, IMO. Get tired of cocking it? Nope. Less effort than standing up.
Much ado is made about the lousy Crosman trigger. And yes, it sucks. But it sucks in the same way as my P64 trigger. It just goes along nice and easy and a long ways, and at a certain point it just fires. There's no stage/break. This works fine for accuracy, IMO.
I agree on accuracy. But unless you like to do zero-recoil target shooting/plinking as a regular activity or want to legally set up a range in your backyard, you will never get your money back on a PCP. Anything worth killing is worth spending 10 cents for an overpriced 22LR round. A Savage MkII and a 100 rounds of ammo will cover a lifetime's worth of squirrels and rabbits at under $150.00. Now, if I were 12 years old, again, I would get 10x my parent's money's worth out of a Maurader. Nowadays, once I'm sighted in I'm done measuring holes in paper.
The ones with silencers. But all else equal, gas pistons/springers are the quietest for the power level, with gas pistons being a bit quieter than springers. CO2 is probably the loudest, for the power level.
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A lifetime of squirrels and rabbits from 100 rounds? Guess that depends where you live... Plenty of people will shoot that up in under a month.
A silenced PCP will be quieter than a silenced spring piston or nitro piston, simply because of the action noise.
Plenty of people living out in the sticks have the occasion to dispatch at least that many rabbits/squirrels tearing up their crops/causing other problems...
Just can't imagine 100 rounds being enough to last all that long, even for someone who doesn't get out that much.
Just can't imagine 100 rounds being enough to last all that long, even for someone who doesn't get out that much.
Bigdog57
Member
I began my squirrel hunting young using a 20 gauge and later a 16 gauge shotgun. Later switched to .22LR, for greater precision, no pellets in the meat and more challenge.
Now looking forward to upping the challenge using a good pellet rifle. I have several to choose from, so next season, the bushytails had better look out!
I have plenty of twentytwo rifles too, and a fair amount of ammo, but there's just something appealing about taking small game with an air rifle.
Now looking forward to upping the challenge using a good pellet rifle. I have several to choose from, so next season, the bushytails had better look out!
I have plenty of twentytwo rifles too, and a fair amount of ammo, but there's just something appealing about taking small game with an air rifle.
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