# Looking for a good pellet rifle



## Riverdale (Jan 20, 2008)

OK

I would like a .177 or larger air rifle.
I want to be able to kill small game (my neighbors sleep late, and get mad when I squirrel hunt at sunrise :cute: )

Needs to be able to do in a squirrel, bunny, raccoon and possum.

Brand and model recommendations appreciated!


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## moonwolf (Sep 20, 2004)

There are many to consider...Diana is a German made
.177 air rifle in greater than 1000 fps that is excellent 
quality should do the job.....around $200 more or less.


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## Roadking (Oct 8, 2009)

Have 2 Crosman Furys (now the Fury 2);.177, break barrel with integrated supressor (from wal-mart, not a fed thing), 1250 FPS. Sounds like a bb gun, hits like a .22lr.

For what you asked, $99.99 out the door will serve nicely. However,if your budgt is unlimited, so are your choices. We bought these for our boys to prep them for .22... we still use them to practice so as not to waste ammo.

No complaints here.

Matt


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## Fishindude (May 19, 2015)

I have an RWS .177 pellet rifle. It's the type where you break the barrel over to cock the air cylinder and insert a pellet. Will handle squirrels and rabbits no problem.


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

If you want to spend a little more, you could look at some of the pre-charged pneumatic air rifles. Not only are there .177 air rifles, there are calibers that go all the way up to .50 caliber. You may not want those big ones right now but it's sure fun to look.


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## Allen W (Aug 2, 2008)

I think about any of the better quality air rifles would take care of every thing on your list except racoon. A racoon is one tuff sucker.


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## joejeep92 (Oct 11, 2010)

I like a good Benjamin in .22, no frills but solid and feels like a real rifle. My dad shoots one my grandpa bought way back when so they last as well.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

If hunting is the main purpose, a 22 will greatly outperform a 177 on anything larger than squirrels
The sky is the limit on prices, but decent rifles can be had for under $100

This site has lots of information as well as guns and ammo for sale

http://www.pyramydair.com

http://www.retailmenot.com/view/pyramydair.com

More reference materials:

http://www.umarexusa.com/pages/choosingpellets.aspx

http://www.airgunsbbguns.com/177_Caliber_pellets_air_guns_s/111.htm


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## jrjs1961 (May 25, 2015)

moonwolf said:


> There are many to consider...Diana is a German made
> .177 air rifle in greater than 1000 fps that is excellent
> quality should do the job.....around $200 more or less.


Hunted with a Diana as a youngster on the dark continent. Great rifle.


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

Although not as popular as the .177 or the .22, there are some .25 caliber air rifles out there. Some have suggested that they have a little more knock down power than either the .177 or the .22 but maybe trade off a tiny bit of accuracy for the added power. 

Just throwing it out, in case anyone feels like commenting.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

Bellyman said:


> Although not as popular as the .177 or the .22, there are some .25 caliber air rifles out there. Some have suggested that they have a little more knock down power than either the .177 or the .22 but maybe trade off a tiny bit of accuracy for the added power.
> 
> Just throwing it out, in case anyone feels like commenting.


The 20 and 25 cals give good terminal performance , but ammo can be hard to find and will be much more expensive.

Most any place that sells pellets will have several .177's and a few .22's

There are some heavy weight .177's that give good terminal performance if your gun likes them, but the 22's are all heavy enough to hit hard, and there are enough choices to find one accurate in most any rifle.

Accuracy can vary greatly based on how well the pellets fit, so if one brand or weight doesn't shoot well, just keep trying others.


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## Snowfan (Nov 6, 2011)

You folks make me want to seriously consider checking out some of these bad boys.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I had been wondering about how hard ammo was to get so is good to know the 177 and 22 can be found fairly easy.

 Al


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

alleyyooper said:


> I had been wondering about how hard ammo was to get so is good to know the 177 and 22 can be found fairly easy.
> Al


It's not too hard now to find odd sizes online, but you will be a lot more limited in the choices. Often even the best guns give poor accuracy with some pellets, so it's good to have as many options as possible to be able to find some your gun likes.

I have a Stoeger X-10 .177 that will do .75" groups at 25 yds with some pellets, while I'm lucky to hit an 8.5 X 11 sheet of paper with others. 

Luckily, mine happens to like cheap Daisy pellets I can find at several places locally.

Choosing the right pellet:

http://www.umarexusa.com/pages/choosingpellets.aspx

http://www.airgunningatlanta.com/Assets/images/ft_qa/pellet_weight_chart.html

http://www.photosbykev.com/wordpress/userfiles/pelletdata.htm


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Allen W said:


> I think about any of the better quality air rifles would take care of every thing on your list except racoon. A racoon is one tuff sucker.


I think opossum is a lot tougher... I shot one in the head with a 9mm and 15 minutes later I see it up and walking like a zombie... so I go out and shoot it three more time in the head.. they were all point blank... 10 minutes later, it's STILL alive... I finally finished it off with 6 more shots to the head... UNREL..

This is the same possum I had shot a week before with a .22, and it left a heck of a blood trail. I know it's the same one because it had been eating the dog food, and I also looked at it real close and found the wound from the .22.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

simi-steading said:


> I think opossum is a lot tougher... I shot one in the head with a 9mm and 15 minutes later I see it up and walking like a zombie... so I go out and shoot it three more time in the head.. they were all point blank... 10 minutes later, it's STILL alive... I finally finished it off with 6 more shots to the head... UNREL..
> 
> This is the same possum I had shot a week before with a .22, and it left a heck of a blood trail. I know it's the same one because it had been eating the dog food, and I also looked at it real close and found the wound from the .22.



I hear you they are very tough I won't go in to the details of the ones I have killed but they out last everything else I have ever killed 

what I found when I cleaned one is that the heart and lungs are almost in the neck 

actually **** have their heart and lungs very far forward also 
**** cook-up decent , think turkey leg sort of a stringy dark meat but if done right tender 

next one you get skin you will see where the heart and lungs are and realize why they live so long shot where most hunters have been taught to shoot on deer 

they also have a hard skull and a very small brain , not to much there to hit


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> they also have a *hard skull and a very small brain* , not to much there to hit


Also the angles are such that it's easy for a pellet to glance off and not penetrate


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

Bearfootfarm said:


> Also the angles are such that it's easy for a pellet to glance off and not penetrate


not just pellets 22 shorts from a pistol also


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## Allen W (Aug 2, 2008)

simi-steading said:


> I think opossum is a lot tougher... I shot one in the head with a 9mm and 15 minutes later I see it up and walking like a zombie... so I go out and shoot it three more time in the head.. they were all point blank... 10 minutes later, it's STILL alive... I finally finished it off with 6 more shots to the head... UNREL..
> 
> This is the same possum I had shot a week before with a .22, and it left a heck of a blood trail. I know it's the same one because it had been eating the dog food, and I also looked at it real close and found the wound from the .22.


I always heard 9mm sucked. I seldom waste a bullet on a possum.


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

Allen W said:


> I always heard 9mm sucked. I seldom waste a bullet on a possum.


So what do you use on a possum, if you decide to waste a bullet, that is??


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## Allen W (Aug 2, 2008)

.22 get's the job done


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## FLAndy (Nov 6, 2015)

I've hunted all my life and have never shot a possum. I suppose a .17 or .22mag would be optimal, but the .22lr should do fine as well. I have shot several racoon with everything from a Sheridan .20 cal pellet rifle to a .223, but most with a Browning Buckmark .22lr on my trapline.


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## Silvercreek Farmer (Oct 13, 2005)

Thought I was upgrading my older Crosman Pumpmaster when I bought a 1000 fps Gamo break action, but the springer never was as accurate. I'd buy another pumpmaster, but new ones are smooth bores so they are probably not as as good as my old rifled one was. If I was buying one today, I might try one of the pumps with a rifled barrel over a springer. Nitro is interesting though...


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## mustangglp (Jul 7, 2015)

Bellyman said:


> So what do you use on a possum, if you decide to waste a bullet, that is??


My dogs kill them if they catch them never had any issue killing them with a 22lrr HP.


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

I have a Gamo Big Cat 1250 that I use to shoot pigeons in the haymow. It works well.


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