I am a centerfire varmint shooter [ 204,22-250, 223 , 6/284 etc]
I know nothing and I mean nothing about air vs spring guns
But now everyone is talking air/spring guns so I guess I should have one too?????
Problem
I do not know what to buy and no one to ask who has real expertise
So I go to the forum for all you experienced shooters/air guy out there for advice
I want a QUIET powerful shooter to hunt
I do not understand spring vs air
Or pump air vs CO2
What are the differencesand and what is better suited to my needs/desire
I want to use it for varmint control , varmint hunting and small game hunting and the occassional predator ..
I doubt I will use it often for predators but it is nice to know it can be effective in case a particurarly fearless coyote comes in my suburban yard again within shooting range and that 8 point buck that visit so often just to remind me he is living in this housing development to tease
I want it QUIET QUIET QUIET for all the obvious reasons
Your advice on a pick is MOST appreciated
Let the debate begin ........ and TKS

Here's a couple good links with some useful information that will help. You will enjoy airgun shooting. Have fun....Mike

http://www.straightshooters.com/navagation...ndfeatures.html

http://www.airgunsbbguns.com/Airgun_Reviews_s/233.htm

A very brief description between a couple types:

A spring piston rifle is just that: A piston driven by a large steel spring. It is compressed by using the barrel, that breaks open, as a lever against the spring force. Once the spring is cocked, a pellet is inserted and the barrel is rotated back to the firing position. There is a volume of air now behind the pellet, the air is driven forward and compressed by the spring after you pull the trigger-and the force is produced to fire the pellet. On some models, a lever is used to cock the rifle, instead of the barrel. On others, like the RX2 that MikeNC has, uses a sealed charge of gas that replaces the spring; really cool stuff. Search for his thread on this forum about it-very impressive.

Pump style air rifles use a lever underneath the barrel to pump, and pressurise a volume of air. Instead of the spring style I mentioned, these basically use a piston, pumped by you to build the pressure before each shot. On these you open the chamber/reset the valve, and use the lever to pump up the pressure (this can be anywhere up to usually ten pumps for a full power shot). Then, you insert the pellet, close the bolt and do the fun part. Shoot it!

There is a style known as PCP air rifles. This stands for pre-charged pneumatic. A PCP is an air rifle that contains a tank of high pressure air. Usually 2000psi or 3000psi. The tank is usually located underneath the barrel and runs inline with it. On some models, the tank doubles as the stock/butt-pad/cheek piece. PCPs use the air resivoir, so that you do not need to pull a lever, or pump anything until the tank pressure drops below a given pressure and pellet velocities become too low to be useful. Many models the velocity is adjustable for target shooting, or shooting game. Up high on the power level, more air is used and not as many shots can be made at that level, lets say 30 high power shots. On the lower end, the opposite is also true. Less air used per shot means more shots per fill, say 100. The air tank is usually filled from a SCUBA tank, or a hand pump (similar to a bicycle pump, except usually milti stage and capable of filling to 3000psi). These rifles can be single shots, or have multi shot rotary magazines. Cocking effort is usually very easy. All that is done in this process is: open the bolt, insert pellet, close bolt, and remove.

CO2 rifles are very similar to PCPs in the aspect that they both share a pre charged power source. They use different volume canisters, and are USUALLY NOT interchngeable with air powered PCP rifles. They use a variety of forms of CO2 canisters, from small 12gram containers identical to what most airsoft guns use, to large tanks. The exception to the rule about air and CO2 that I am aware of is the Benjamin Discovery (and their new Marauder, not yet released).

I hope that helps a little bit!

Hunting wise, small game and varmints are perfect for air rifles. However I would NOT use them for that deer or coyote. Wrong gun for the job.

I will leave the choice debate alone, I have not enough experience to give you an educated reply in all the different models availiable.

I hunt with an RWS 350 break barrel springer in .22 cal. I like the fact I'm not tied to CO2 cartridges, or a portable HP air tank for charging my rifle. If you really want to read some informative posts got the the link below. These guys take their airgunning seriously. I believe it's a British site. Airguns are almost all they can own anymore and they need licenses for those if over a certain power. Makes one glad to live in the USA.

http://www.airgunforum.net/agf/index.php

A friend lent me his RWS 350 Diana in .177
Seems accurate to 100' the most I could try
What is the practicle difference between the .17 and 22 for hunting

Everything's a trade-off. If low noise is your primary consideration and you can't use a legal moderator (cost, hassle, legal reasons), you can forget PCP at anything like full power (i.e., at ideal hunting velocities and caliber). They're thumpers but you need deaf neighbors in town. Or creative hides (shooting from a room through a hole in a box out the window keeps most sound indoors). CO2 and pump pneumatics are also not very quiet, making significant snaps when discharged. Then you've got the cartridge cost and relatively low velocity that CO2 allows (compared to PCP and spring). Pump pneumatics, I'm told, can have inconsistent velocity with same number of pumps. Take that for what it's worth, but it might be an insignificant effect. But you still have the noise a pumper will make. That leaves springers. If I wanted mainly to take short-range (<35 yds) quiet shots at smaller birds and animals, I'd use a medium powered .177 (~800fps 7g), or higher powered .22 (700-800 fps 14g) piston rifle. I've heard that gas-ram units are quieter than spring-powered piston rifles. Maybe someone could help out with that one, I have experience only with a single spring-powered standard model and a recoilless one, a single model PCP rifle, and Crosman multi-pump pneumatic and CO2 rifles. The quietest one is the recoilless, and it's a pin hitter. But only 620 fps or so with .177. You risk good hits that only wound if you try shooting rabbits with low power stuff. Birds smaller than crows will tumble at reasonable distances if you hit the chest or head, especially from the side.

Maybe someone can comment on noise of .177 and .22 at same velocity or fpe. I'd go for the bigger caliber if you can learn its trajectory. It'll get through wind and leaves better than .177, and will do more damage at hunting distances. The problem is accurate ranging and knowing your trajectory. If you don't want to bother with that, just get the medium power spring piston, scope it, and take out the starlings within 40 yds of your station--take care of your backstop (two more starlings behind the first should be enough).

A final thing to consider. If you're ever shooting at a higher elevation site (out west, in the mountains, above 4000 ft) you will notice reduced velocities in your piston gun. This can have a serous effect on your shooting, and it's worse the higher you go. So if you're in NJ, stay there unless you want the pellets to dribble out of the muzzle--well, you get the idea. If you might ever be at higher elevations, that might tip the balance toward pumpers, CO2, or PCP, none of which will be limited higher up.

Please be sure to let us know what you decide and how you like what you end up with. Hope some others comment to answer your questions and mine.

Cheers

I am assuming from the remarks that the 22 is superior for hunting but .177 is far more accurate ?????
This RWS 350 magnum is shooting out at 1200 fps in .177 and seems quiet
Any comments on the 22 pellet
Intended targets are rabbits, squirrels crows, and the occasional turkey and coyote that wanders in my yard in my development within shooting range.
The turkeys are particurarly more present recently.
Please pass the cranberry sauce.

You can't legally hunt turkey with an airgun in New Jersey. You can if you move to California where I believe it's the only state that allows it. Here are your turkey regulations from New Jersey.


It's best to get a copy of your state regulations and read over them. You'd be surprised what sounds doable and is a BIG NO-NO.

Also even a .22 caliber airgun is to small for coyotes. You'll just wound them and they'll go off suffering to die in some anti gun persons yard who will call fish & game and you'll be on the nighly news.

For small game I like either a .20,or .22 caliber airgun. As I previously stated mine ia a break barrel springer in .22 caliber. The .22 may be a bit slower than the .177, but it delivers more energy at the target. My RWS is good out to 50 yards. It would shoot further, but I prefer clean kills so I try to approach my intended target and get as close as possible. If you were just plinking I'd say go with a .177. For hunting the added weight and diameter of the .22 makes a difference. I use Crossman Premier 14.3gr domed ammo. My RWS 350 really seems to perform well with them at a variety of ranges. I would never try killing a coyote, or deer with an airgun. I have a .223 and a .308 for larger game. While the .22 is potent on rodents and crows it does have its limitations. My RWS has proven to be totally reliable and accurate. Good luck.