03-21-2016, 04:43 AM
I just bought a Benjamin Trail NPXL 1100. It is a "springer" but has a gas strut instead of a coiled steel spring. It does not seem to alarm the neighbor's dogs so it seems pretty quiet. It is .22 caliber. It really seems to pack a wallop although I have not hunted with it yet. I am somewhat disappointed so far with the accuracy as the point of impact keeps shifting. It has only a scope, no iron sights. It may be that the scope that came with it is just too cheap. I do think that the problem is with the scope not the rifle itself.
Springers require a special technique wherein you hold the rifle very loosely and let the recoil move the rifle around. If you could carry a 500 lb vice around to clamp it in each time you shot that would work too but if you try to hold the rifle tightly yourself you won't be consistent. A pre-charged pneumatic like the Benjamin Discovery is easier to shoot accuracy because the recoil is very small compared to a springer but they cost lots more and the Discovery at least is reported to be loud.
As to caliber I can't say which is better other than that .25 cal pellets are way more expensive and less readily available. A powerful .17 will kill a mongoose but a weak one will just maim. The same is probably true of .22 cal rifles but the larger calibers are built with more power from the get-go.
The NPXL was $260 from WalMart.com. J. Hara's has it for $299.
Springers require a special technique wherein you hold the rifle very loosely and let the recoil move the rifle around. If you could carry a 500 lb vice around to clamp it in each time you shot that would work too but if you try to hold the rifle tightly yourself you won't be consistent. A pre-charged pneumatic like the Benjamin Discovery is easier to shoot accuracy because the recoil is very small compared to a springer but they cost lots more and the Discovery at least is reported to be loud.
As to caliber I can't say which is better other than that .25 cal pellets are way more expensive and less readily available. A powerful .17 will kill a mongoose but a weak one will just maim. The same is probably true of .22 cal rifles but the larger calibers are built with more power from the get-go.
The NPXL was $260 from WalMart.com. J. Hara's has it for $299.