Which air rifle
- Thread starter HowieG
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KahrDriving
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My go to pellet rifle is the RWS Diana 350 Magnum- have had mine for over 20 yrs and thousands of rounds- finally had to put in new spring this year- the quality is great, the bluing and finish on this rifle is still like new- very powerful, will penetrate 3/4 in plywood easily- and accurate!
Armored farmer
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Nothing wrong with a Hatsun 95 IMHO
I have a bunch of big, heavy and powerful airguns and decided I want something more for pure fun so did some looking and finally decided on an HW 35e, The manual barrel lock and walnut stock sold me, along with low cocking effort. Ordered from Krale(last night, Friday) so if their shipping is per normal I should have by this coming Wednesday or Thursday.
Chances are if you buy one you will buy more. I'd start with a break barrel springer and the HW 30 is an excellent choice. Well made and very accurate. There is a learning curve to springers. They don't get along well with scopes and they are sensitive to your hold. But they are the lowest priced serious air gun choice out there.
IMHO the quietest is going to be a single/multi pump pneumatic. 30 yards will be stretching it though. They get along just fine with scopes if they have the means to mount one. You won't have the same quality and accuracy of a HW. Still I enjoyed my Sheridan's back in the day.
PCP guns give you the possibility to get into an entirely different class of performance. I would wait until you are positive air guns are for you before I went down that path. In fact I'd probably suggest a high end springer like air arms tx200 as a stepping stone.
You should think of the HW 30 and TX200 as more akin to a high end target gun. If you don't need guns capable of dime sized groups and want a casual plinker you can spend much less.
IMHO the quietest is going to be a single/multi pump pneumatic. 30 yards will be stretching it though. They get along just fine with scopes if they have the means to mount one. You won't have the same quality and accuracy of a HW. Still I enjoyed my Sheridan's back in the day.
PCP guns give you the possibility to get into an entirely different class of performance. I would wait until you are positive air guns are for you before I went down that path. In fact I'd probably suggest a high end springer like air arms tx200 as a stepping stone.
You should think of the HW 30 and TX200 as more akin to a high end target gun. If you don't need guns capable of dime sized groups and want a casual plinker you can spend much less.
Remington1911
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I wonder back and forth as well, the heavy and powerful guns wear you out pretty quickly, a RWS48 is a heavy old girl and you will be in a sweat in short order. I have an old Gamo 440 and it is just fun to shoot. Something about the low power guns that just make them fun, partly because you can shoot them all day.
No air guns are silent, but there are a few key things that will make them louder. The first thing you’ll want to look at is the FPS rating of the air gun you’re looking at. If it’s over 1000 FPS you risk breaking the sound barrier, and your .22 caliber air rifle won’t sound much different than a shot from a .22lr. That’s going to draw attention, which I’m assuming you wish to avoid. You’ll also want to be careful about the weight of the pellets you’re using, if you buy ultra lightweight ones, they’ll fly faster than heavier pellets.
Next up is the type of air rifle. There are several kinds, such as spring/break barrel, pump, CO2, and PCP. I find PCPs to be the best of the bunch. Quietness is going to be somewhat dependent on caliber, and how much air is expelled for each shot. With a smaller caliber you’ll get more shots before needing to refill the air chamber, but you may also risk breaking the sound barrier too, as PCPs are more powerful, so choose wisely.
I’ve owned quite a few air rifles in my life, and fired even more, and the best, quietest air rifle I’ve owned or shot is the Benjamin Marauder. It’s extremely accurate, it’s a repeater, with a detachable magazine that holds either 8 or 10 rounds, depending on caliber. It’s available in .177, .22, & .25, so it can be used to hunt small to medium sized game if that’s an interest of yours, and it’s pretty affordable. It’s also the quietest air rifle I’ve ever shot. It has an internal baffle & de-pinger that make it quieter than other PCPs.
They’re right around $500 new, or just slightly over, but you can find a lightly (or hardly ever) used one for less. I picked a .25 Marauder up used a few years back that was only used once and then put away, and I only paid $400. You’ll need a pump for any PCP, and they do run a couple hundred $ new, but again, you can get one used for less.
If you’re looking for the quietest air rifle out there, you just did. It may cost a little bit more than you were looking to spend, but it’s capable of more than just putting holes in paper if you get the .22 or .25. You can use it for pest control, and hunting smaller critters, up to coyote sized game according to the manufacturer and articles I’ve read. It’s just my opinion, but I’d rather spend a little extra and get something capable of doing more than just punching holes in paper. However, you’ll be hard pressed to find any air rifles in your price range that are more accurate, or quieter, and none will be both.
If you’re looking for a quiet, highly accurate air rifle for around $500, you can’t do better than the Benjamin Marauder.
jmorris
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This is what my marauder sounds like from the shooters perspective.
If shooting it at a steel plate 100 yds and standing half way, it sounds like this.
If you have a steel trap, the most noise will be made when the pellet gets there.
Just for fun, this is what it sounds like to hit something every 25 yards all the way to 100.
If shooting it at a steel plate 100 yds and standing half way, it sounds like this.
If you have a steel trap, the most noise will be made when the pellet gets there.
Just for fun, this is what it sounds like to hit something every 25 yards all the way to 100.
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