Help me pick a quality air rifle (new member)

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GalvestonWader said:
Hey, new guy here from Texas. I'm new to this forum but am on a couple other fishing and hunting forums. I need help choosing which pellet gun/air rifle to get. I've got an old school Benjamin and Crossman pump but I need something more powerful and with more range. I dont know anything about the higher end air rifles so really hoping yall can help me out.

I need it to be able to take coons, possums, armadillos, squirrels and possibly (??) coyotes. I live on about 8 acres and have a deer feeder at the back on a creek. I don't hunt these deer, we just like having them around. The coons are robbing my corn every night. I do trap some but dont like having to walk down there in the morning before work to dispatch them. I also see coyotes from time to time and had to run a couple of them off from my chicken coop up near the house last week. A .22 rimfire is not an option because of neighbors on one side of me, and the .22 low velo rounds dont have enough range.

I'm sure there are a bunch of options and no "one size fits all", but can yall recommend some air rifles for me to look into that would suit my needs? I'd prefer something simple, accurate out to at least 50 yds, easy to use and not too bulky. Repeatable rather than single shot although not a deal breaker. I'll probably mount my Sightmark Wraith Mini to this gun so I can hunt the coons at night with my kids. Not really sure on budget but I'll spend some money on a cool new toy.... ; ) Let's say keep it under $1k. Also if it makes a difference, I'd rather have too much gun and not need it rather than the other way around.

Thanks in advance for any help!
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You are about to enter the Twilight Zone, within there is the Rabbit Hole, this Rabbit Hole™ has no bottom but many many many off shoots, all endless. Do yourself a favor and make sure you have a nice empty credit card with a large limit. Airguns are not silent, less than a .22LR for sure and even less than a .17HMR, which is my personal favorite PB, but ...at a distance with a moderator..note, one of the off shoots of said Rabbit Hole™, are moderators, not silent but usable in most areas. Personally I'd recommend a FX Maverick in .25, very accurate at 50+ yards plenty of power with the right pellet/slug for coyotes (head shots), easy to tune, tons of CC draining accessories. disclaimer, I've got 2 a VP in .25 and a Sniper/Compact in .25/.22, yep swap out some parts and you change calibers. Longer barrels do not necessarily equate to greater accuracy or significant increase/decrease in speed. Airgun pellets are limited in speed to physics. Compressors, little money $300 end requiring endless futzing, Tons of money $3,500+++, plug and play. Middle ground $800-$1,400, functional for years with maintenance, I have a TUXING PCP Compressor with auto shut off, discussions on them on this site. A few issues but resolved. I'd get a large air tank for refilling. Crude numbers $1,600 gun, Scope $450 (you already have one but....., Compressor $1,400, Tank $600, Pellets $200 (hit the discussions for them, finding the golden pellet is worth it), Bi-pod $100 and UP if you need one, perhaps a larger tank for the gun but not necessary if at home. Any questions we are all here to help.
 
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GalvestonWader said:
The .22 LR has plenty of range but is just too loud. That's why I am wanting to go the air rifle route, to keep the noise down a bit (and get a new toy). And the .22 subs dont have near the range/performance as regular .22 rounds. Dont the subs shoot like 700 FPS? Maybe I should just stick with a .22 and get a silencer for standard rounds? The 50 yds range was just a bare minimum estimate. I'd actually prefer more but didnt know what these air rifles are capable of.

And no, I am not looking to get into the hobby as cheap as possible. I dont like cheap stuff and dont own anything cheap. I'm willing to spend some money to get good quality. The 2 guns I mentioned were just a couple that I liked the performance numbers on. I know nothing about them so I'm glad you commented on it. I will mark them off the list.

Bear with me please. I may be asking some dumb questions or using the wrong words because I'm completely new to this. Really hoping yall can coach me along the learning curve and use your experience to help me end up with something I am happy with.
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CCI Standard velocity 1070 fps are pretty quiet even without a supressor and you get 100 FPE
 
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Still thinking for what you describe ,
post #3 would love to have you join the ranks here and you have air guns already , but at the same time with that amount of money maybe a better route would be a $200 permit and a silencer on your PB gun ? you can still buy a air rifle 😃
and a permit is not gun specific so buy a .22 and you also can shoot .17
 
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Calbarry said:
OP
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Calbarry said:
OP lives in Texas
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Air Guns and Arrow Guns Means and Methods​

Definitions:

  • Arrow gun: a device that fires an arrow or bolt solely by the use of unignited compressed gas as the propellant.
  • Air gun: a device that fires a bullet solely by the use of unignited compressed gas as the propellant.
  • Pre-charged pneumatic: an air gun or arrow gun for which the propellant is supplied or introduced by means of a source that is physically separate from the air gun or arrow gun.
Alligator, game animals, furbearers, squirrels, and non-migratory game birds (except Eastern Turkey) may be hunted with air guns and arrow guns provided:

  • Alligators, bighorn sheep, javelina, mule deer, white-tailed deer, pronghorn, and turkey (exceptEastern Turkey) may be taken only with pre-charged pneumatic arrow guns, or pre-charged pneumatic air guns.
    • Pre-charged pneumatic air guns must fire a projectile of at least 30 caliber in diameter and at least 150 grains in weight with a minimum muzzle velocity of 800 feet per second or any combination of bullet weight and muzzle velocity that produces muzzle energy of at least 215 foot pounds of energy.
  • Squirrels, pheasant, quail, and chachalaca may be hunted with air guns that fire a projectile of at least .177 caliber (4.5mm) in diameter producing a muzzle velocity of at least 600 feet per second.
  • Arrows or bolts used with an arrow gun must conform to the same standards for projectiles for archery.
  • Arrow guns may not be used to hunt deer or turkey during archery season.

Air Gun and Arrow Gun Regulations — Texas Parks & Wildlife Department

tpwd.texas.gov tpwd.texas.gov
 
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GalvestonWader said:
Ok maybe I was way off base here. I went to Academy last week and got these. https://www.academy.com/p/cci®-cb-22-short-29-grain-ammunition-100-rounds

It was the only low velo rounds they had so I figured all of them were like that at only 710 FPS. And they are shorts so they wouldnt cycle through my semi autos. That's what got me thinking about an air rifle. Geez I feel kinda dumb. Just now looked online and dint even know they made 22 subs full length that do 1050 FPS. This may be a major thread fail....

Still wanting an air rifle though. Ha!
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I think you will find this RF ammo to be totally inadequate for your needs in both range and power. It's been pure crap in every rifle in which I have tried it. Given your desire for power, range, and low noise, I'm afraid you will be challenged to find an appropriate weapon. Actually, it sounds as if a suppressed CF rifle is what you need, but that gets into costs and licensing that are probably beyond the scope of your project. An FX Boss, which is 30 caliber, might come close to meeting your criteria. The factory moderator is reasonably effective, and an additional suppressor can easily be added, but that makes it an extremely long rifle. The Boss barrel is designed for pellets only, but other 30 cal air rifles are available with barrel profiles that accommodate slugs, which may be better for your needs.
 
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If you have dive shops near you, I wouldn’t get a compressor. Just get a 75cu Ft or larger bottle and fill from that.

The whole personal compressor rabbit hole is tough: you can spend $450 and nurse a cheap unit for possibly a long time, but they can crap out and need replacement at any time. The only price point where reliability is pretty much a given is a Bauer or Alkin for $4k+. I would put a compressor very low on your priorities. Even if you have a compressor, having the big bottle is still very useful.

I have a legal rimfire suppressor and my choice would be suppressed match grade (subsonic) 22LR if it was legal and safe. But airguns can get very close ballistically if you have the right gear and you don’t need to wait a year and spend $700 for the noise reduction.
 
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dgeesaman said:
If you have dive shops near you, I wouldn’t get a compressor. Just get a 75cu Ft or larger bottle and fill from that.
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That's what I'm thinking.

Thanks for all the replies everyone. Man I could spend hours on here learning about this hobby and I see where this could be VERY addicting. I am doing some reading and will let yall know what I end up with. I'm sure I'll have some more newb questions as well...
 
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