Pellet Guns

tnokie · #1 09/20/10, 11:45 PM

I am thinking of getting a pellet gun to shoot sparrows and startlings with.Also would like to use it maybe for small game. Thinking of a 22.calliber. I live in a residential area and was wondering if they are quieter than a 22.rifle. Would a .177 be just as effective for this type of use. Are they both about the same noise wise?

CrashTestRanch · #2 09/20/10, 11:52 PM

sons, his friends and I hunt rabbit with .177 scoped pellet guns ... get the higher end rifles... If you get the "boxed" type, open the box before purchase, we had several returned because of broken mounts, missing pieces etc ...

Ed Norman · #3 09/21/10, 12:04 AM

I was raised with a Benjamin 22. 10 pumps killed squirrels way up in the trees. I still have the old rifle and my DS uses it on cottontails.

I've had lots of others. A high powered RWS 177 was used on prairie dogs (dumb cold ones in the winter sun). I had the RWS mount and a good airgun scope, but it was still hard to hold everything on the rifle. I think it was a bit louder than the 22 Benjamin. Neither would disturb anyone.

Benjamin used to sell 22 cal round balls. When I could afford and find those as a kid, they were real rabbit getters.

I know a guy with a 177 powered by a tank he refills from a scuba tank. He has made 100 yard shots on crows many times on calm days. Rockchucks, too. It is an amazing weapon.

pheasantplucker · #4 09/21/10, 05:53 AM

I have a .177 and it is fine for rabbits and squirrels. I think if I had it to do again, I'd opt for the .22 pellet gun. Yes they are amazingly quiet.

**Roadking** · #5 09/21/10, 08:03 AM

Neighbor's kid has one, a Remington; scoped, break barrel, 1100 feets per second (specs). It's quieter than a .22LR, as accurate as my bull barrel 10/22, and just about as potent. He takes out squirrels, rabbits, crows, and turkey. I've thoght about getting one, as his a a pleasure to shoot, just can't convince myself to put that kind of cash into what my mind (despite seeing it in action) calls a toy, when I have perfectly good 22s.
Matt

Cornhusker · #6 09/21/10, 09:16 AM

I'm babysitting a RWS 34 in .177, and it's got plenty of power for small game, birds, pop cans, etc.

**GREENCOUNTYPETE** · #7 09/21/10, 10:30 AM

gamo has thier new silenced / quieted modle , i have not tried one myself but they are basicaly desinged for pest control where you don't want people knowing that your shooting.

my neighbor has an old blue streak sheridain , it was very good but slow to reload

Oldcountryboy · #8 09/21/10, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roadking

Neighbor's kid has one, a Remington; scoped, break barrel, 1100 feets per second (specs). It's quieter than a .22LR, as accurate as my bull barrel 10/22, and just about as potent. He takes out squirrels, rabbits, crows, and turkey. I've thoght about getting one, as his a a pleasure to shoot, just can't convince myself to put that kind of cash into what my mind (despite seeing it in action) calls a toy, when I have perfectly good 22s.
Matt

Ditto!

There are some really nice looking air guns listed in Cabela's catalog that I would love to have. But some of them cost more then some of my deer rifles!

Bearfootfarm · #9 09/21/10, 09:10 PM

s

Quote:

ome of them cost more then some of my deer rifles!

LOL

The good ones aren't cheap, and the cheap ones aren't good

CrashTestRanch · #10 09/21/10, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bearfootfarm

s

LOL

The good ones aren't cheap, and the cheap ones aren't good

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oldcountryboy

Ditto!

There are some really nice looking air guns listed in Cabela's catalog that I would love to have. But some of them cost more then some of my deer rifles!

Yup, we traded in several, for various issues, all were the "cheaper" ones ... finally said forget it and bought the higher end air rifles, it was worth it...

2 of them have the weight and feel of a "real" rifle, which is very nice ...

**Ross** · #11 09/22/10, 05:31 AM

I bought my son a Ruger airhawk this summer. It's OK but the first one went back because it wouldn't cock reliably. #2 has shot a thousand rounds by now with no problems. Decent power for a 495 fps rifle, and very accurate.

Txrider · #12 09/22/10, 08:15 AM

Well I needed to do in some roof rats that were running around the back yard at night... I just nabbed a cheap scoped daisy pump for $35 new...

It's a total piece of junk, I mean pathetically bad piece of junk... if you breathe on the scope after sighting it in it'll knock it off true, but the rats are all dead now..

A pellet gun will make enough noise that if your neighbors are picky they'll hear it and know what your doing. It's also illegal to shoot in your back yard in many cities these days. I hear my neighbor 3-4 houses down shooting at the squirrels he hates so much.

I'd back up the get a good one in .22 though if your wanting a decent pellet gun. I can get by with a cheapo $35 pellet gun, but I've been shooting them since I was a kid and know how to hit something with a cheapo gun that won't stay sighted in..

They have pellet guns these days you can deer hunt with.

WstTxLady · #13 09/22/10, 01:47 PM

love my Gamo

Robbvious · #14 09/22/10, 05:42 PM

Most spring break barrel rifles are ridiculously loud. I have a Crosman Tac77 that is far louder than a .22 rifle. Purely subjective, because I don't have a db meter, but it's far louder. I also have a Benjamin Nitro Piston (no spring, uses compressed nitrogen in a break barrel config) that is OK, but still louder than my preferred 'in town' load of an Aguila Colibri sub-sonic .22 rimfire round. These little buggers are great in town. They only move at 550 fps (and I think that's being generous) and are no louder than a cap gun when fired from a rifle. They are loaded with primer only, and don't have enough oomph to cycle a blow back semi-auto, but work very well in my Henry lever action and Remmy 581T bolt gun. they are accurate enough out to maybe 20-25 yards, but that's about it. Only a head shot will kill a squirrel, but any shot on a Starling or such will put it away.

One shot from any of these likely won't startle the neighbors, as they'll just ignore it like they do everything else going on around them. At least that's been my experience...

Oldcountryboy · #15 09/22/10, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robbvious

Most spring break barrel rifles are ridiculously loud. been my experience...

I had bought a couple of air rifles a few years ago and I ended up taking both back cause I didn't like either one cause of the noise they made. The first one was a spring break and to my experience also, when you pull the trigger, ridiculously loud. I took it back and got a pump. Much quieter when shooting, but ridiculously loud when pumping air into the chamber. WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! Okay, I think all the squirrels and rabbits just heard all that comotion.

backwoodsman · #16 09/28/10, 04:44 AM

Benjamin/Sheridan .22 air rifle would be my pick. We've got several in different calibers and the .22's are good on anything up to groundhogs within range and reason plus ammo availability. We bought some cheap Chinese spring piston air guns(rifles) for $20 but they are a .20 caliber and ammo is hard to find and expensive but they do shoot and are relatively quiet. We found .20 ammo/pellets at a sporting goods store but they were $10 for 300. Thats approaching/surpassing cheap/economy .22LR ammo price. We bought 900 pellets but I'd sell guns and all if I could. .22 Benjamin should serve you fine for what your wanting.