This is an area I know little about. I am thinking of getting one for woodchucks in the yard and other pest. I have a few .22's but am thinking this is something new to put in the arsenal, and ammo is more readily available. So what do I new to know? What brand and caliber do I want for 10-50 yard kills on woodchucks?
One thing I've found by looking at these at Cabela's is that most of the Gamo's and $100-200 range ones have rolled barrels. If you are looking at 800+ fps rifles that seems sketchy. I got a RMS Meistershutze from airguns of arizona. Supposed to go 1100 fps, it is a break barrel and has a sound suppressor and a 3-9x scope. When I lived at 4200 ft above sea level i tried 5 different pellets and could only get 850 fps. I haven't chrono'd it yet since moving to MI but expect a little better closer to sea level. I got a .177 but would have liked to get a .22 if I was to do it over again.
Every time I go to Cabellas I check the clearance section and there will be a cple nice air rifles around $100. When ever I go to the rack the wife always looks like she's gonna punch me. I don't have much to shoot at except for a cple pesky rabbits.
gamo makes one that's tough...go to youtube and search "man kills wild pig with pellet gun"..pretty neat if you got a couple hundred dollars burnin a hole in your pocket....
Just remember silenced airguns (have a suppressor) are illegal in MI. They are also considered firearms in MI, only smooth-bore BB guns are not considered firearms. You also supposed to get a varmint hunting license.
Not a big deal really if you're a good shot OR have a large caliber gun. Anyone who thinks today's pellet guns aren't serious is a fool...
What it boils down to is how much do you want to spend? The new precharged pneumatic guns that are on the market are great in that they provide multi-shot magazines/are far easier on scopes, but they're big money to get started with.
Any gun that has a break-barrel can be less accurate than one with a solid connection, and you can get air leakage at the joint. Spring guns are very hard on optics (vibrations) - make sure if you purchase one you get a scope specifically for air rifles or you'll trash a scope after a few hundred rounds.
If you're serious about it, I'd look at something like an RWS 34 or 48 in .22. I wouldn't consider a .177 for what you want to do...not enough energy IMO
If it's and air rifle, they are considered firearms, and can get you in trouble if you live in the city. Friend of mine shot at a raccoon, to scare it out of the yard. Neighbors complained to the cops and he almost got ticketed for discharging a firearm in city limits.
My buddy's dad has an Air Arms pellet gun. It is a .22 and you fill it with a scuba tank. It is a bad ass gun and he kills ground hogs all the time with it.
I would also go with a .22 for larger rodents. I bought a .177, can't remember brand, a few years ago for dispatching red squirrels, and then ran into a raccoon problem. A well placed shot with a .177 will take them out of a tree, but you might have to take a couple shots to put them out of their misery. Now I wish I would have ponied up a few more $$'s and went bigger. Also make sure you buy the correct ammo for 'hunting'.
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