lol best is subjective .. my rule of thumb is anything a pistol can do a rifle can do better, but, pistols can be fun or can have a very narrow role that theyre the best option for .. so, depends on exactly what that role is .. i have a bandit in 177 and its fun to plink around with now and then, its capable to smack a tree rat down to 30 40 to .. no drsire for anything else, as said, a rifle is almost always a better option .. now there are things a pistol is definitely better for like shed ratting, but a co2 lower powered one is actually better than a pcp if you dont want everything in the shed damaged ...