Thinking of adding an air rifle to my collection

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I keep kicking around the idea of getting a decent air rifle for target practice and pest control, and I am looking for a recommendation. I am thinking of something in the $200 ballpark, maybe something like this, or similar:

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Gamo-Whisper-Classic-177-Cal-Air-Rifle/1089622.uts

I really want something quiet, powerful, and accurate.

Do any of you guys have a suggestion?
 
I've got one of these, but that won't fit into a $200 budget.
Diana 48B in .177
4d0c8fa9.jpg
 
I have an HW97 from Straight Shooters. Nicely made. Also have an FX PCP. Been back to powder lately though.
 
I have an HW97 from Straight Shooters. Nicely made. Also have an FX PCP. Been back to powder lately though.

The HW (Weihrauch) line of air rifles are an excellent choice in a spring piston type of gun. Straight Shooters is an outstanding distributor of good airguns.

Used to shoot the JSB Exact round nosed 8.4 gr. pellets. The JSB Express 7.9 gr. shoot good too.
 
Very timely thread as I have been exploring my options on these for a couple of months now. I have a Crossman pump action with a scope that is quite accurate, but I find that unless I'm close enough, all it does is send the squirrels running away. I have several in my yard because of oak trees, and I wouldn't care if they did their thing up in the trees, but they are destroying the woodwork on my front porch so they have to go. I definitely need more power like that Whisper. I have head that the nitro piston models are better, though, since you can leave them cocked without worrying about your seals like regular air guns. With mine, by the time I get the requisite 10 pumps taken care of, the squirrels are gone, or at a range that makes the pellet non-lethal!
 
I've had several gamo products, well worth the price of admission I recomend the big cat for a cheap but highly accurate airgun ... basspro has some good options. I don't know the company but I know if you Google it they do make am upgrade piston for the gamos so you can get a little more punch out of em.

sent from my truck while driving down 95 in the high speed lane doing 55
 
This one looks like a good combo of power 1200fps, and silence. The whole barrel is a big suppressor.

http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/prod...rd1089622%3Bcat104185980&WTz_l=YMAL;IK-229298

Every squirrel I ever took out was with one shot. I used a Beeman R7, .177 that shot at barely 600fps. with 8.4 grain JSB Exact lead pellets. The trick is to have a rifle that is accurate not necessarily powerful. If you can do a head shot at up to 35 yards, which you can do easily and repeatedly with an HW rifle, you have the formula needed. The HW 50 will shoot at about 800 fps with the 8.4 grain pellets.

Those muzzle velocity ratings that you're reading about with the Gamos are with very light weight aluminum pellets.

If you go to a good airgun forum and join you can get some good info. As good as NES is, it's a firearms forum not airgun. I recommend this airgun forum: http://www.network54.com/Forum/79537/ Free to join and very knowledegable people. It's a whole nuther world out there.
 
I have a Gamo Whisper as well. I find it very accurate to about 35-40 yards. I get some drop @ 40 and out further. It's a break barrel so shooting with it resting on the barrel will throw accuracy out the window. Rest it on the fore end of the stock and hit quarters @ 35 yards.

I haven't used it for pest control but I did lend it to a buddy with chipmunk problems. -No issue at all with those @ that distance.

Mine likes the plain Crossman pellets that are ~8grain.

The piston upgrade would be nice to be able to leave it cocked. I did the 'charlie' trigger too - real nice.
 
I have and used to have a Chinese "sks trainer". It's underbarrel cocking, goes for about $100 even now, powerfull as hell and I could pick up match heads with it.
 
I have a Gamo Whisper as well. I find it very accurate to about 35-40 yards. I get some drop @ 40 and out further. It's a break barrel so shooting with it resting on the barrel will throw accuracy out the window. Rest it on the fore end of the stock and hit quarters @ 35 yards.

I haven't used it for pest control but I did lend it to a buddy with chipmunk problems. -No issue at all with those @ that distance.

Mine likes the plain Crossman pellets that are ~8grain.

The piston upgrade would be nice to be able to leave it cocked. I did the 'charlie' trigger too - real nice.

Charlie trigger is a nice easy upgrade. $30 and 10minutes.
 
I have the Gammo - good deal for the price

Easy head shots on rabbits at 20 yards for instant kills (eat my veggies and I eat you)
Not easy is convincing your 12 year old daughter that thumper really does taste great [smile]

Use it mostly to introduce my very anti-gun in-laws to shooting sports
 
I have and used to have a Chinese "sks trainer". It's underbarrel cocking, goes for about $100 even now, powerfull as hell and I could pick up match heads with it.

I have one of those too, thing is ugly as hell but man it is powerful. Bought mine for about 50 bucks back in '90. Kids LOVE it.
 
Every squirrel I ever took out was with one shot. I used a Beeman R7, .177 that shot at barely 600fps. with 8.4 grain JSB Exact lead pellets. The trick is to have a rifle that is accurate not necessarily powerful. If you can do a head shot at up to 35 yards, which you can do easily and repeatedly with an HW rifle, you have the formula needed. The HW 50 will shoot at about 800 fps with the 8.4 grain pellets.

Those muzzle velocity ratings that you're reading about with the Gamos are with very light weight aluminum pellets.

If you go to a good airgun forum and join you can get some good info. As good as NES is, it's a firearms forum not airgun. I recommend this airgun forum: http://www.network54.com/Forum/79537/ Free to join and very knowledegable people. It's a whole nuther world out there.


thanks for the tips, and that forum link. I will definitely check it out, because I don't know a heck of a lot about these so it will help with my selection process.
 
Second the HW50/R7 recommendations. I've killed bucket loads of squirrels with my R7, don't geek out on velocity go for quality and accuracy.
 
you cannot go wrong with the R7. one of the best "light" airguns made. but don't let the "lightness" fool you. it's got plenty of stopping power.


otherwise known as "the yellow forum"...tons of info there and good group. you will quickly move from the budget end (Gamo) to the high end (Weinrauch, FX, Daystar, etc.). That being said, if you are budget-minded, I am sure the Gamos will do just fine.
 
I have several break barrel,under lever and PCP air rifles in .177 and .22 caliber. The price range is about 2 to 5 hundred dollars. If you shoot at Westford, you're probably pretty close to me. I'd be glad to let you try these guns at my back yard range. My range only goes to about 50 yards but we've shot these guns at 3 times that distance. Some will scoff at the idea of hitting something with an air rifle at 150 yards. I'm glad I didn't know beforehand,that it couldn't be done.
 
Ive got a .177 Chinese under-barrel cocking rifle I picked up for $20 at a tool show.Weighs a ton, but sends the pellet through a can, cardboard box with 7 layers of carpet, 4 layers of denim, a sheet, and still leaves a divot in the cinder block wall. That's at about 30-40 feet. I dont shoot it in the basement any more. [thinking]
 
If you're still stuck on low price, look at the Remington NPSS in .22 - basically the same thing as the Benjamin Trail series, but made in the USA. $300 for a setup with airgun scope. Quiet and good power. Seriously, read the reviews on the various airgun sites like Pyramid.
 
I just wanted to let you guys know what I ended up with. I ended up spending my Cabela's money on a Leupold for my 30-30, so I spent a little less on my air rifle than I had planned.

I ended up ordering this Gamo Silent Cat for $150:

http://www.amazon.com/Gamo-Silent-C...EXQS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328833873&sr=8-1

It just arrived today, I have mounted the scope, but it was too dark to try it out. I did fire two pellets into the ground, just to see how quiet it was. All I could hear was the spring twang, so I guess the suppressor works.

I'll get the scope sighted in tomorrow and then start picking off some tree rats.

Thanks for the advice, even though I ended up cheaping out and ignoring most of you. [sad2]
 
i have had this airgun since i was a kid its about 20 yrs old. Marksman model #45 , still shoots as good as it was new , its .177 , i have seen them kicking around local gunshops here and there in good used condition for well under a hundred dollars ... it has no problem putting varmints down as well as the ones behind it . haha . it was originaly woodgrain before i attacked it with rattle cans ,surprisingly accurate also .airgun.jpg
 
I have an old Benjamin 392 I've had for decades. That sucker has taken more squirrels and rabbits than you can imagine. I have a Leapers 4x scope on it now and it's an even better rifle. It's a pump but it's a great rifle. Nothing compared to the stuff out there now but great for a "fist rifle" for the Grand Kids.
 
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