Best Air Rifle $300-$500 Range

What’s the best air rifle in the $3-$500 range? Researching those things makes my head hurt. I need one to take care of a few squirrels out back that keep destroying the wife’s plants and she offered to buy one so who am I to say no to another toy I don’t have a clue on these things any more, my old Benjamin 177 killed more birds growing up that I should feel guilty about but these new things are on another level that’s out of my knowledge zone. The neighbors behind us are squirrel fanatics so the quieter the better if that’s even a possibility.

Many of the more powerful airguns are not quiet at all.

I like super colibre 22 ammo. Suppose to be no powder, just the primer and what looks like a 22 caliber pellet crimped in. I have killed piles of suirels with them. Functions best through a bolt gun and are most likely quieter than air rifles.

Look at Pyramid Air.

Depends on what your really after. Spring-piston or gas piston, Pump pneumatic or Precharged pneumatics? I'd stay away from CO2 but thats just me. Gas pistons are fun but they can be loud and you do loose a slight bit of accuracy with them at times because of the recoil. I'd say the Gamo 10 shot break barrel repeaters have some really good reviews on them. I have an older Beeman break barrel that out to 30 or 40 yards is pretty darn accurate. Just depends what you want to do. The PCP guns are extremely accurate and a lot of fun. However your looking at purchasing more equipment to get up and runninng with those. I prefer .22 caliber. I think if you pull the trigger on a nice gas piston break barrel in either .177 or .22 caliper it will more than take care of those tree rats. Also what is pretty interesting as well is that Ruger and Sig both are making gas piston rifles. Lots of choices out there. Keep us posted on what you pull the trigger on and make sure you chicken fry a few of those bad boys with some good dipping gravy on the side!

No offense but you just confused me more I’m joking but your post is what I’m running Into. It’s all way to dang confusing, I just want an accurate lead slinger that’s not a piece of junk.

I will check out the Rugers and Sig’s though, I can see this already going above budget before I even look but I don’t want a turd gobbler so I’ll pay what I must.

This is probably the best answer. You can get a lot of 22 quiet ammo for $500....if you can find it. I also like cci quiet. CCI isn't quite as quiet as the Aguila, but it is still about as quiet as a pellet gun.

This.....10 shots no reloading necessary. Single rifle break.


https://gamousa.com/product/swarm-b...tia-fed-22-caliber-10-shot-pellet-rifle/

They have it in synthetic as well. The bone collector is only 6lbs.

Mine will be here Saturday.

SIG ASP20, I have 2 and love them. Nice wood and super accurate. Made in USA too, dont buy Chinese crap Gamo or Benjamin

A while back I was in the same boat you are...so many options...how to wade through all the junk and not feel ripped off. Luckily for me I found a Benjamin R9 on this very forum. There have been over 80 squirrels meet their maker since then... its a tack driver....Thanks Buzz!

I have a ton of subsonic 22 ammo but I’m wanting a air rifle for this project, I’ve wanted one for a while but since mama’s at least paying for part of it I get another toy to play with.. I’d love to be able to buy a few of these things to but their illegal here,

Please check your facts before posting.

Actually Gamo is made in Barcelona, Spain.



Gamo
GAMO OUTDOOR vectorial.svg
Native name Industrias El Gamo S.A.
Founded 1959[1]
Headquarters Spain
Website www.gamo.com

A Gamo Big Cat 1200 in loading configuration
Gamo Outdoor S.L.U, or simply Gamo, is a Spanish airgun manufacturer based in Barcelona, Spain, and is the largest producer of airguns in Europe and the largest producer of airgun pellets in the world. The company was founded in 1959, as El Gamo, and airgun production first started in 1961. Today Gamo products include air rifles, air pistols, ammunition and optics. They produce primarily airguns intended for mass market.

When Manganese Bronze Holdings liquidated what remained of the gun division of the Birmingham Small Arms Company in 1986, assets including the logo and the right to use the initials "BSA" were purchased by Gamo[citation needed] who have continued the air rifle business at Armoury Road, Small Heath, Birmingham B11 2PP under the name BSA Guns (UK) Limited.

During the 1970s in the UK El Gamo marketed two air rifles, the Marksman, a conventional .22 rifle with a fitted and pre-zeroed telescopic sight, and the Paratrooper repeater, a .177 pistol-gripped repeating rifle incorporating a tubular magazine along the top of the cylinder, and using a rising/falling breech mechanism for positioning the pellet.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamo_(airgun_manufacturer)

Sorry ol thumper. Didn't mean to confuse. Go with one of the break barrel 10 shot Gamo you'll be satisifed and it will definately take care of the tree rats.

Don't forget Benjamin is made in Germany! At least mine was!

Pyramyd Air has the Diana Model 48 for around 450.00, Extremely accurate and a great trigger. Mines the 22 cal and I've shot rabbits out to 50 yards with it, also available in .177.

When you get up rifles with this velocity they ain't quiet. Might also check local ordinances on discharging air rifles in the city limit's. Also check and see if you can shoot squirrels out of season.

Since squirrels are considered a game animal you might want to check your county,
https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/regs/animals/squirrel

My Gamo was a piece of junk. I would look at a Hatsan 135 QE Vortex in .22.

Yeah those Benjamin are trash and won't kill anything!

What model is that?

It's a Marauder. I assume .25 cal. It's a PCP gun.

UMAREX Gauntlet in .22 or .25 caliber. It’s a regulated PCP. Runs about $300. Get that and a good hand pump and you are golden. Takes some stamina to hand pump but you don’t have to fill it to max pressure and you can and should stop about every 50 or so pump strokes to allow you and the pump to cool off.

I’d avoid break barrel gas or spring piston rifles. Due to their double recoil, you have to buy special airgun rated scopes for them. That same double recoil also affects accuracy until you learn the proper shooting technique.

Thank you

Can you hook a tank to all of those verses the hand pump? I’m afraid I’m wore my pumper out over the years and prefer mechanical assistance

Serious question tho, from my research tonight I’m thinking this is the way to go but I’m not sure if all of them can use a CO2 tank or not.

My dad a a breaker barrel gun and I can’t hit squat with it but he can so obviously takes some getting use to.

I use a scuba tank. Takes just a few seconds to fill, and you are good for many more shots.

ntxtrapper was right, it's a .25 cal Marauder. Integrally suppressed. Loudest thing about it is the pellet hitting your target.

Like you, I've never been able to hit much with a break barrel. They can be finicky. My Marauder groups like 1 1/2 at 100 yards. But to kill bigger stuff like med/small hogs or coyotes, you need to limit yourself to head shots at 50 yards or under.

If you are interested in a complete setup, rifle, tank, optics, ammo, shoot me a PM. I may be able to hook you up for much less than you think.

If he’s not, I may be interested.

A CB cap out of a heavy barreled .22 is almost silent. I have a couple PCP airguns I hunt with. AirForce makes the Escape SS that is easy to pump by hand and comes with a silencer you might consider. Deadly accurate out to 100 yards with sub moa groups. Your neighbors will never know you pulled the trigger.

PM Sent

I have an umarex gauntlet 25 that is mean, I shortened the barrel a bit, and added an airgun moderator to quiet down the bark, and a bigger tank with higher pressure regulator. But hand pumping sucks! Thankfully with the larger tank I get a ton of shots before I fall below regulated pressure so they're super consistent. I stick it on my bog tripod and snipe birds that keep pooping on my porch. BUT 25 cal pellets are not as common as 22...However I haven't had a hard time getting pellets, just if you want to get picky it can be hard to find the better ones.

I inherited an old Benjamin like you described. I like it so much I’m considering getting another. They changed names but you can still get the same gun. It’s also in your price range.

Benjamin Marauder will be my last air rifle purchase.

Best break barrel air rifle is a Weihrauch (German)...the quality is unsurpassed. You will spend the coin upfront, but it will last a lifetime. Definitely want to make sure you address the reverse recoil.

I own a Weihrauch PCP and it's ridiculously quiet.

Check out Airguns of Arizona...these guys know their products well.

For my money, inside of $500, I went with the Beeman R9 for about $400. I started it off with a Hawke 2-7x32 but eventually I settled on a Leupold FXI 4x28 because it is so light and compact a scope. This is by far the finest break barrel I have owned and I’ve had several, including two RWS 34’s. The Beeman R9 is a re-branded Weihrauch HW95 Luxus. It is a fiiiiiiiiiine gun. I did a short write up on it and posted it in airgun nation forums with pictures.

Link: https://www.airgunnation.com/topic/brand-new-beeman-r9-first-impressions-range-test/?referrer=1

I would avoid the Sig ASP20. There are no parts and support for them, even the warranty is going out the window. Discontinued. Not to mention, for the price of the ASP 20 you can get a fine German gun far more refined with loads of parts, support, and tune kits available.

Gamo breakbarrels are pretty sorry, even the highest priced ones and I have run through many. Gamo PCP’s are great, I’ve had a couple.

Benjamin breakbarrels range from pretty sorry to nearly acceptable hehe. Benjamin PCP’s are pretty awesome even their cheapest. I used to have a Disco.

There are a dozen other good brands and they all have a few bad guns as well. Hard to go by the brand when a company like Beeman for instance imports the finest breakbarrels in the world but also imports the cheapest Chinese guns as well. You have to do your research.

For an all around PCP rifle to hunt Texas vermin and small game, it is pretty hard to beat a Marauder. If you want to keep it under $400 a .25 cal Umarex Gauntlet. But for current Texas law, if you want to kill bigger stuff you need a lot more power to be legal.

CB caps in my experience are awe fully inconsistent vs my Beeman R9 it’s no comparison. CCI Quiet on the other hand is a good load but too much for the neighborhood. I just stick with a fine breakbarrel and if I need more gun than that I use a firearm because this is America the land of the free

I was just wondering how this statement has stood the test of time. Most pcp air rifle hunters graduate to a Bulldog, or a Texan. lol

Agree with red Chevy. Get a single shot, 22 cal rifle. Buy some 22 Colibri no powder (sans poudre) shorts. They’re quieter than a pellet gun and, up to about 40 ft, very accurate. I use them in my back yard in town to practice trigger pull.

You will seldom find them at the big box stores. I order them a brick at a time. They are a lot quieter than an air rifle.

Bryan, great post. Informative.

I have an RWS 34 which is the same as a Diana 34 break barrel 22. It's fairly quiet for residential areas. Very accurate. Fiberoptic sights. Is the best trigger of any rifle I own it's amazing. I am open sights only.

I have owned Gamo 22 brake barrels but never loved them. I also own vintage 70s Benjamin .177 and Sheridan .20 pump pneumatic rifles. Those are fantastic. But loud.. and the pumping is loud and time consuming.

For a neighborhood try to stick to a 22 break barrel rifle that has less than 850 feet per second in velocity. Otherwise the report crack/sound will be too great. As Bryan stated there are higher quality higher velocity break barrel rifles than the RWS 34 for more rural settings.

I plan to get a Benjamin Marauder when I retire (as stated above). 25 caliber. Those things are wicked.