10-02-2015, 11:08 AM
When people hear "air rifle" they think of the Christmas special "you'll shoot your eye out" Red Ryder BB gun, more like a toy for kids. But the engineering on modern air rifles has exploded. Is that a pun? One company even makes a .50 big game hunting rifle. Crosman makes a .357 air rifle called the Bull Dog, and there are other PCP rifles (Pre-Charged Pneumatics) in a variety of calibers. They work by pre filling an air chamber to 3000 PSI so you will need SCUBA equipment or special pumps to use the rifle but once its charged it functions semi-auto for about 15 shots at full power. These are serious hunting rifles (not toys) suitable for taking large hogs, sheep, and goats. They aren't silent, but certainly a lot quieter than a traditional firearm. Air rifles in this category generally cost more than traditional firearms and surprisingly any caliber above about .25 the ammo doesn't cost a lot less than gunpowder variety even though all you're getting is a pellet with no casing or propellant.
Other than PCP rifles, you can still get break barrel rifles up to .25 that can be cocked the traditional way, though their muzzle energy is significantly less. They are more suited to smaller game and varmints. The .22 pellet guns are probably the best trade off in this category since the .177 don't have a lot of mass and the .25 velocity isn't impressive. These rifles cost less than half of the PCP price and not surprisingly have 1/2 less take down power. Like a shooter mentor taught me, double the caliber and you'll double the impact, double the speed and you'll quadruple the impact.
Other than PCP rifles, you can still get break barrel rifles up to .25 that can be cocked the traditional way, though their muzzle energy is significantly less. They are more suited to smaller game and varmints. The .22 pellet guns are probably the best trade off in this category since the .177 don't have a lot of mass and the .25 velocity isn't impressive. These rifles cost less than half of the PCP price and not surprisingly have 1/2 less take down power. Like a shooter mentor taught me, double the caliber and you'll double the impact, double the speed and you'll quadruple the impact.