# Air Rifles for the Homesteader



## HardCider

I always looked at "BB Guns" as toys. Was watching a video where a guy drops 2 small feral hogs with a 22 Cal pellet gun stone cold dead. Because it was an air rifle with a built in suppressor he was stacking them up right where they stood. Started reading reviews and ended up buying one over the counter at the local Wally World and several different brands of pellets. No paperwork at all. On the box, it says stuff like "not a toy" , "dangerous to 500 yards" , "built for hunting" etc. blah blah blah. Pull it out, mount the 3x9 scope and all I can say is "wow". One brand of pellet puts one after another right in the same hole at 25 yards and not a sound other than pellets blowing through 1/2 inch oak boards. 

So yesterday I decided to go deer hunting with my 12 gauge and carry the air rifle with me as well. Never saw any deer but had a couple squirrels feeding in front of me at 25 yds or so under an oak tree. I grab the pellet gun and put a squirrel in the crosshairs and squeeze one off. I'm shocked. The squirrel was instantly dead. Didn't wiggle, twitch nothing. The squirrel right next to it doesn't even look up. I quietly cocked it again. The next one is facing me head on. Now we are talking a fairly small target at 25 yds. Put the crosshairs right between the eyes, that's exactly where the pellet goes, at 25 yds! I'm thinking this is crazy.

I meet up with my brother and he can't believe it either. First thing out of his mouth is "this is a survivalist rifle" "where does the CO2 cart. go?" It doesn't need one, it just cocks by pulling the barrel down. Today he tried it out, put one pellet after another in the same ragged hole or right next to it. I would not even hesitate shooting something as big as a **** or a fox, let alone a rabbit or any other small game bird or animal. No shotgun pellets all through the meat. If you were hiding in a blind, I think you could easily kill several turkeys out of a flock before they caught on. These things definitely need to be considered if you ever need to make meat quietly. In a shtf situation, you could slide out on a moonlit snowy night and load up on the bunnies. I'm going to have a ball just hunting with this during the regular season.


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## weedygarden

Will you post a link to video, please?


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## AmmoSgt

Yeah, every word is true . except maybe the silence. I have a Hammerli X2 very fast over 1000FPS with 22cal pellets but loud got to careful after you oil it, I've had it diesel on me, it has that much compression . but they don't make 'em any more. I hear some of the new Gamo's are quiet and deadly. Hardcider which one did you get?

Miles of difference from what us old farts shoot and some of these young whippersnappers have these days alloy pellets good old fashion lead ain't good enough for them . hunting hogs instead of squirrels

and now they have stuff like this http://www.pyramydair.com/s/m/Benjamin_Bulldog_357_Bullpup_Shrouded/3592

shoots pellets like this 
http://www.pyramydair.com/search-re...ellet_weight=81.02 grains,82 grains,95 grains

Puts it in the same class power wise as a .380 Pistol

Air pistols also 




For those that like to tinker all sorts of mods and way to up power a lot of these Crosman will custom build completion and hunting versions

If you are into air rifles you got to see this video 




the Lewis and Clark Journals chock full of survival tips and other good information if you plan of bugging out to the wild wood http://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/


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## Caribou

I got one that is supposed to push them out at 1200 fps. That is a bit over the speed of sound so it is not as quiet because of the crack of the pellet. I countered that by getting a heavier pellet. I haven't tried the new ones yet but I'm hopeful that the reduced speed will make them more quiet, improve the trajectory, and give better penetration.


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## AmmoSgt

weedygarden said:


> Will you post a link to video, please?


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## Tweto

For more info about this subject look at the thread titles "air rifle".


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## HardCider

Some of the new fangled ones are bad to the bone. 

Ammosgt, the one I picked up was a Gammo Whisper 22 cal.or Gammo Whisper Fusion I think. I tried several different pellets but the Gammo Rockets appear to shoot the best and the Crosman Piranha not a bad second. The Rocket gets way more penetration than the Piranha. 

You all are right about lead alloy pellets. These are not the old-fashioned soft pellets we used to shoot. I dug a piranha pellet out of an oak board and it wasn't deformed at all. And the pellet that I shot the squirrel between the eyes and penetrated the skull, traveled the length of it's body and rested just under the hide of it's hind leg. I could of put it right back through the rifle and shot another squirrel with it. The rockets appear to be a little softer and with the steel ball in the front, mushroom better when they hit something really hard.


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## phideaux

Tweto said:


> For more info about this subject look at the thread titles "air rifle".


 here ya go....

http://www.preparedsociety.com/forum/f74/air-rifles-28859/

Jim


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## mosquitomountainman

I recently purchased a PCP in .22. It's about as loud as a. 22 short and hits about like one too. I like it better than spring/gas piston types. No special way to hold it, shoots virtually any pellet accurately, I get about twenty shots before I need to pump it up again, no special scope needed, and it's also short and lightweight and I can put a sling on it. They're pricy by the time you buy the pump but I can also charge it with C02.


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## LincTex

mosquitomountainman said:


> I recently purchased a PCP in .22. It's about as loud as a. 22 short and hits about like one too. I like it better than spring/gas piston types. ... I get about twenty shots before I need to pump it up again.


Which make & model? I see there are many on the market.


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## mosquitomountainman

LincTex said:


> Which make & model? I see there are many on the market.


I purchased the Crossman Benjamin Discovery. They make the Marauder also which is quiter and slightly faster and has a 10 shot magazine. The discovery is pretty decent and a lot less money. The biggest drawback is that it is loud.


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## hiwall

I have thought many many times of getting an 'adult' air rifle. But I keep coming back to the fact that I have several 22 rifles and they give me the option of a wide range of ammo to use in them- from no-powder loads up to Stingers and bullet weights from 15 grs to 60 grs. For the $200 or so for an air rifle I can buy a lot of 22 ammo.
Out of the 28 inch barrel on my target 22 most subsonic loads are fairly to very quiet. I admit I still look at 22 cal air rifles often though


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## AmmoSgt

I have adult air rifles and pistols one powerful enough for small game hunting, the Hammerli, and some pretty snazzy RWS target jobs both Rifle and pistol


but when I want quiet, I'm with hiwall, my Remington 513 T 27" heavy barrel and super colbri


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## phideaux

I am an avid gun collector, I have several 22 rifles, love them all.

My thoughts are always, in any prepping...is to be diversified.

Therefore I have the 3 Air Rifles, just in case I ever run out of 22 ammo and cant find anymore. (has been hard to find at times). Pellets are much easier and cheaper to acquire .

Every critter Ive taken with air rifles has been using pellets at 900 fps or less, 
No noise (except the twang of the rifle) and very accurate because they don't pass thru the sonic turbulent pressure wave (sound barrier 1125 fps),

Heres an interesting read on that subject, if your so inclined.

http://www.pyramydair.com/article/Velocity_and_Pellets_April_2003/2

Jim


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## phideaux

I keep a few pellets on hand , 177 cal and .22 cal.
All weights, and shapes.

The cheap ones are for the grands to plink with.

I know which ones my guns like the best.
Those 4grn ally pellets are totally useless.(in the tubes)
They fly all over, and have no force or penetrating characteristics.







\

Jim


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## HardCider

I hear you. I have an armload of 22 and 22 mag. rifles and pistols and a barrel of ammo but I'm having a ball with my new air rifle. Like being a kid again. With heavy pellets and about 900 fps, small game like squirrels and rabbits don't even look up when you drop their neighbor. Love the silence, challenge and accuracy. Didn't even have to pay several hundred extra dollars for a suppressor


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## TheLazyL

I have the Benjamin .177 air rifle my Dad gave me 50 years ago.


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## ZoomZoom

I have several air rifles myself. I started with a pair of Hammerli's for the kids to use to A) Slow down their firing speed compared to a .22 and B) the reduced cost and availability of ammo compared to a .22

I've picked up a Winchester and a couple Gamo Whisper afterwards since I was so impressed with the Hammerli's.



HardCider said:


> So yesterday I decided to go deer hunting with my 12 gauge and carry the air rifle with me as well. Never saw any deer but had a couple squirrels feeding in front of me at 25 yds or so under an oak tree. I grab the pellet gun and put a squirrel in the crosshairs and squeeze one off. I'm shocked. The squirrel was instantly dead.


Since others are reading this thread, let me mention that hunting small game during deer season is illegal in some States or areas. I know it's illegal in Pennsylvania where I live.

If you're hunting rabbits year around, look up "eating summer rabbits" due to worms and other possible diseases. Whether it's fact or fiction, you decide. Around here, all the old-timers don't hunt or eat rabbit until after the first frost. _I'm old and fall into that group. Don't know any young'ens beside my own so I don't know if they're hunting rabbits in the summer._


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## phideaux

I'm a "winter only" rabbit eatin man.

I have found my Hatsan Air Rifle to be high quality and so very accurate (with right pellets).

I have found my Ruger Air Magnum (china) to be *very powerful* (will shoot heavy pellets at under 1100 fps ) and very accurate also. Fit and finish not as nice as the Hatsan. Takes a big man to cock it.

Jim


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## Resto

I have a "Silent Stalker" in .22. Ive had it for 3 years and Im impressed with it. I got it for Rabbits, lots of them down here. Gophers too.


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## HardCider

ZoomZoom said:


> I have several air rifles myself. I started with a pair of Hammerli's for the kids to use to A) Slow down their firing speed compared to a .22 and B) the reduced cost and availability of ammo compared to a .22
> 
> I've picked up a Winchester and a couple Gamo Whisper afterwards since I was so impressed with the Hammerli's.
> 
> Since others are reading this thread, let me mention that hunting small game during deer season is illegal in some States or areas. I know it's illegal in Pennsylvania where I live.
> 
> If you're hunting rabbits year around, look up "eating summer rabbits" due to worms and other possible diseases. Whether it's fact or fiction, you decide. Around here, all the old-timers don't hunt or eat rabbit until after the first frost. _I'm old and fall into that group. Don't know any young'ens beside my own so I don't know if they're hunting rabbits in the summer._


Thankfully my state not only allows hunting other game during deer season but is one of the few which actually states hunting with an air rifle is legal.


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