Pellet rifle suggestion for squirrel control

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My rifle arrived (Benjamin Jim Shockey Steel Eagle) and I've almost got it sighted in.

No real complaints so far - it sounds like it's got some "oomph" behind it - will have to get it chronographed somewhere down the road.

It is more difficult to cock than the Beeman R1 I borrowed, but the R1 was .177 and mine is a .22 if that contributes to the difference.

I have the same problem with this one as I had with the R1 (which I had eye relief problems with). That darn recoil / reverse recoil means I can't see dirt fly when I miss as I can with my regular .22's.

I temporarily lose the sight picture (or at least enough to see dirt fly) so I had to go back to using paper targets to sight it in.

With my regular .22's, I often just scatter cheese balls on the ground and sight 'em in - if I miss the cheese ball, I can see dirt fly and know how far off I am.

Anywho...much practice is in order - so far (to me) air rifles really suck, but it's a tool, so if it gets the job done...

BTW - it came with a Centerpoint 3-9 x 32mm scope - as usual, it's not even listed on Crosman's website, so it must be something especially cheap to meet a price point?

I'll live with it a while - if it goes belly up, I'll probably replace it with Nikon's 3-9 EFR scope.
 
What the heck is Gyro Coefficient? (entered values along top of chart).
That's a new one on me - don't recall ever seeing that on conventional ballistics calculators?
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Hmmm...I can't say! My version of the calculator doesn't have that in it so it might be something new. Will have to investigate!!:) Nice thing about the Chairgun calculator is the pulldown of pellets which likely will include what you're shooting...so all the particulars of BC and 'gyro coefficient' should be filled in for you. That is a fun calculator to play with! If you enter a correct MV I've found it darn near perfect with the Marauder out at range. With Mil-Dot scope if you zero it at the correct range you can then set the dots at the various ranges and be really close which makes range estimation and hold-over so much easier.

My 'kill zone' backyard is all lazer ranged so any unfortunate pest that wanders into it will take a hot lead pill in the ear.

Those springers...even the gas-ram versions...I find HARD as heck to shoot well. And despite a lot of practice with several pretty nice springers on the wall I can't shoot them anywhere near what the Marauder will do with ease. That thing is amazing...and more accurate than I can hold it I suspect...but nickles at 40 yds are pretty much a sure thing.:)
 
Those springers...even the gas-ram versions...I find HARD as heck to shoot well.
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Yeah, that's what I'm finding out, but since this is my first foray into pellet rifles, I'm still learning.

Still playing with the trigger on mine, but so far it really sucks (still adjusting).
Wish it had something like the Savage AccuTrigger - I have a few Savages (.22 and 17 HMR) - if I could use either of those, it's one shot, one kill.

My first complaint is the trigger - my second complaint is losing my sight picture for a split second due to the recoil. With my .22 and 17 HMR I never lose the sight picture - if I miss, I can tell how far off I am when I see dirt fly.

The darn pellet rifle has so much recoil that I can't see dirt fly when I miss - can't correct "on the fly".
 
That's why I suggested taking a look at the "artillery hold" on the last page.
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I'm already doing pretty much what he suggests in the video with my front hand (got the rifle resting on my hand, which is resting on a window sill).
I'll have to try easing up on the shoulder / pulling the stock into me and see if that helps.

I've had decent luck so far - got 2 squirrels the first day I had the gun, and they're really on edge now. Before, if I took a shot at them with the CO2 BB pistols, unless you hit them, they just scampered away.

Now that I've bagged 2 (and could have made a few hits that didn't kill), they're more on edge than they were with the CO2 pistols!

Before the rifle, when they heard the window crack as I tried to ease it open, they just ran - now (with the rifle), they completely freak out when they hear the window crack open. Instead of just scampering off, they jump and gyrate and double clutch before the RUN off!

At least the rifle scores big on intimidation points (and they must be passing the word on to their buddies).
 
I've been so impressed with my Benjamin Jim Shockey Steel Eagle (my first pellet rifle) that I took the plunge and bought the Eva Shockey Golden Eagle when I saw Amazon had it for $170.40 (plus tax).

I'm still getting used to the extreme (for an old powder shooter) pellet drop of the .22 - figured I'd get the .177 at that price to play with and see how much flatter shooting it is.

If squirrels show up in my 10 to 30 yard range, it's lights out every time with the .22 - I've now had enough rounds thru it that I'm shrinking my target area, now going almost exclusively for head shots.

After getting better with it, I think I may have been as well off with the .177 AFA killing squirrels.
 
Instead of just scampering off, they jump and gyrate and double clutch before the RUN off!
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That's a great description- double clutching before they haul taters! haha

I found the artillery hold helped my accuracy w/my Gamo Shadow 1000 .177 quite a bit- but only after replacing the factory trigger. My problem was, the factory trigger pull outweighed the gun, or close to it. So 'floating' the gun using the artillery hold resulted in rearward and sideways movement of the gun. This made for very inconsistent results. But after getting the trigger pull low enough that it didn't disturb the gun placement while being held so lightly, my results were much improved.

Please note that I'm not saying you need a new/different trigger. But if the trigger pull is heavier than the gun, you might find it harder to get consistent results.
 
That's a great description- double clutching before they haul taters! haha
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Yeah...they jump straight up in the air and gyrate like a cat trying to land on his feet - when they do get set for their landing, they're running before they hit the ground (got those legs moving @ 90 mph while still in the air) - I feel like the only thing missing is the accompanying soundtrack you usually hear in cartoons when someone with their feet going before they actually start moving.

The trigger is OK now that I've adjusted per video instructions I found - the owner's manual really sucks when covering something as important as the trigger. Couple that with the fact that mine came from the factory set up at almost max pull weight, and it was touch and go for a while.

While the trigger pull weight is OK, it would still be nice if it was as crisp / predictable as something like my Savage AccuTriggers, but I don't know if you can get something that nice on a piston system.

I've had to do quite a bit of research - seems a lot of the conventional wisdom regarding springers does not apply (or at least not to the degree) on the Nitro 2 piston system.

Can't remember the last time I missed a squirrel as long as he was in my zero range - still got to get used to the rapid drop of a pellet vs. conventional firearms ballistics that I'm used to.
 
Good point regarding springer vs. gas piston. No idea if the artillery hold is recommended so I might have spoken out of turn. But in any event, sounds like you're well on your way.
 
Good point regarding springer vs. gas piston. No idea if the artillery hold is recommended...
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Apparently not as much as with a springer - how much less, I don't know.
I'm slowly working my way back towards a more traditional shoulder mount.

But in any event, sounds like you're well on your way.
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Yeah, that's all I need is another hobby!

Hey, trigger time is trigger time - I can just hang out my back windows and get some practice time in.
 
I used to walk the property w/the animals in tow, 2, 3 times a day. Always took a .22 w/us. But after all the crap happened and ammo costs spiked, doing this was no longer an option- I couldn't justify burning through $10-$15 worth of ammo a day- ammo that was increasingly hard to replace. But I, too, value my trigger time. That's when I decided to try a Daisy Red Ryder, of all things. After lightening the trigger pull, removing the anti beartrap mechanism, shimming the spring and opening up the air tube, I now have a relatively flat-shooting BB repeater that will put 5 shots inside an inch at 15 meters and is truly fun to shoot.
 
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I'm a spring guy so that is what I normally go with,nothing against PCP, just haven't made the plunge.

In .177 the RWS 34 is a great gun and doesn't cost too much.The RWS 48/52 are nice too.

.22 I like my RWS 52,the Model 48 is the same gun just a different stock.

.25,I will never sell my Beeman Kodiak.It is Thor's hammer.

.177 is no problem with squirrel size game.Keep distances reasonable and go for perfect shot placement. I found wadcutters better for frontal chest shots than pointed pellets.Pointed better for head shots,but a wadcutter at close range works just fine.

I did a lot small game hunting with my FWB 124 .177. Excellent on small game,shot placement was key and second would be pellet selection.Pointed pellets(vintage Silver-Jets) often zipped right thru on heart/lung shots with no immediate effect. Wadcutters(H&N) at no more than 20 yards were highly effective.
 
Wadcutters(H&N) at no more than 20 yards were highly effective.
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I took a stab at some H&N Crow Magnums (seemed to be highly regarded on the 'Net) - so far, I've been impressed. Good accuracy, more often than not they don't pass thru, and if you do your job, squirrels are DRT.

The gun seems to be breaking in nicely, and I'm getting more used to it - I've been using head shots lately - still undecided on what's best - head or heart.

I've got a wide selection of both H&N and Crosman (available cheap at local Walmart) styles to play with, but I just can't get away from the Crow Magnums.

Maybe when they squirrels slow down (and they're not coming around much any more), I'll try some of the other pellet selection I have - I'm sure the gun is going to have to be zeroed when I go to another pellet.
 
I now have a relatively flat-shooting BB repeater that will put 5 shots inside an inch at 15 meters and is truly fun to shoot.
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Sorry- I shot targets at 10 meters, not 15.
 
basicblur said:
That darn recoil / reverse recoil means I can't see dirt fly when I miss as I can with my regular .22's.

I temporarily lose the sight picture

so far (to me) air rifles really suck, but it's a tool, so if it gets the job done...
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Try a PCP gun. I've got several springers and rarely shoot them. The PCP guns don't require any special hold, and there's no recoil. I can jam the gun up against a tree or a window sill and it won't reduce my accuracy. It's so stable that I can watch the pellet smack the squirrels head every time I pull the trigger.

Because the PCP is so accurate I just take head shots. Every squirrel drops and flops. Nothing runs off. That's a good thing because squirrels running off to die this time of year can create a monumental fly problem. One squirrel carcass can help breed a huge number of flies.

They are more expensive, but they are worth every penny. My primary squirrel duty gun is a Benjamin Marauder with a 4-16 power scope. It's an unbelievable combination. Now that I've owned one, I can tell you that if they doubled the price, I'd still pay it...worth every penny.

I have a Marauder pistol/carbine that I take with me on deer hunting trips. It's a super compact .22 caliber PCP gun that I just strap to my backpack.

Find someone that has a PCP gun you can shoot. Quiet, accurate, and a joy to shoot.
 
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basicblur said:
I've got a wide selection of both H&N and Crosman (available cheap at local Walmart) styles to play with

I'll try some of the other pellet selection I have - I'm sure the gun is going to have to be zeroed when I go to another pellet.
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You won't necessarily have to re-zero when testing pellets. You're testing the grouping of the pellets, so it doesn't matter during this stage if it's hitting point of aim. If I'm holding dead center and I get a 1/4 inch group in the bottom right corner, I'm fine with that because I got the data I needed...the group size. I can always go back and walk the group to the center if I need to, but in most cases it would be a waste of time.

I put up a Shoot N See type target and test a pellet (maybe 10 shots, maybe more). I take a picture of the group, then put up a new target and shoot a new pellet. I take a picture of that group, and repeat. By the end of the process I've tested 10 to 20 pellets and have a picture of how they group through my gun.

Occasionally I'll have a pellet that hits so far off that i need to adjust the scope, but not too often.

Shoot as wide a variety of pellets as you can. Buying sampler packs can help do this cheaply. Pellet guns are notoriously finicky about like one and hating others. Once you find that pellet that delivers the smallest consistent groups...buy a bunch of them.
 
Try a PCP gun. I've got several springers and rarely shoot them. The PCP guns don't require any special hold, and there's no recoil
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IT appears my research ran up a lot of old information - apparently the Nitro Piston 2 system does not have some of the problems of springers, or at least not nearly to the degree of a springer. It appears the artillery hold is not required with the Nitro 2 system - I'm jamming the stock against my shoulder - I use both methods for the foregrip - holding it or just letting it rest on my hand.

I'm now taking head shots only with my Steel Eagle (.22) - I just got everything mounted on my Golden Eagle (.177) but it's all over the place. I think I ran across the same thing with my Steel Eagle when it was new - after about 200 rounds or so, the groups settled down and the trigger (after adjustment) got much better. From what I understand, mass produced (i.e. lower priced) guns don't get the final barrel cleanup that some of the higher priced units may, so it takes a few pellets to take out all the burrs etc.

So far I'm still using the Steel Eagle for squirrel duty - it has the Centerpoint 3-9x scope that came with the gun. The Golden Eagle has a Hawke 4-12x50 mm AO IR (Illuminated Reticle) scope - as soon as it breaks in and I can trust it, I plan on replacing the Steel Eagle's Centerpoint with a Hawke 3-9x40mm AO IR scope.

I'm satisfied with the accuracy of the Steel Eagle - hopefully the Golden Eagle will follow.

I still have the problem of temporarily losing sight picture, but I guess that's just the nature of the beast.
 
basicblur said:
IT appears my research ran up a lot of old information - apparently the Nitro Piston 2 system does not have some of the problems of springers, or at least not nearly to the degree of a springer. It appears the artillery hold is not required with the Nitro 2 system - I'm jamming the stock against my shoulder - I use both methods for the foregrip - holding it or just letting it rest on my hand.
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Yeah, I've got an NP2 (.22 cal). It's a decent gun, but the PCP is light years ahead of it.
 
I just read up on the Benjamin Maximus. It's a 2000 psi PCP rifle that's made to be easy to hand pump and delivers around 800 fps (.22 cal). $200 for the gun, and $150 for the hand pump. Sounds like a good option for pest control.
 
As we feed the birds and put out corn for the deer; we have serious squirrel issues. My favorite is a RWS Diana M48 in .22.
With a Leapers 3x9 I've dropped squirrels at 60 yards and a couple of raccoons at 30-40'.
I've had the M48 for 10 years or so; the only problem with it is the new prices.

As far as sources; I bounce between Pyramyd Air and Straight shooters depending on who charges less for the same thing.
 
RWS and Beeman (real Weihrauch made, not the Chicom made) are very nice airguns, with the Beeman being nicer than the RWS.
I've used my Beeman R9 and R7 and my RWS 48 to kill squirrels, in addition to other springers, CO2, and pneumatic air rifles.

My Benjamin Marauder .22 is the best of the bunch, for my needs.
It's a 10 shot, bolt action, precharged pneumatic with a shrouded barrel (Completely silent, except for the sound of the hammer hitting the valve stem, and a very quiet ping from the air reservoir).
It's also powerful and accurate.

The trick to shooting powerful springers accurately is to NOT pull them tightly in to your shoulder.
You want to hold them loosely and let the recoil cycle do what it does.
It takes practice, since it's the opposite of what you do with a CO2, pneumatic, or powder-burner.

I use .177, .20, and .22 cal for squirrels, but I prefer the larger meplat of a .22 pellet.
If I could use a .25 cal airgun I would, but that caliber is not allowed for small game in GA.
 
Sheridan single shot variable pump air rifle. 3-8 pumps handles it all.
 
Not saying this is the best , but it was what I had as a kid and I have probably killed more squirrels with it than a .22 rifle , a Crossman 760 and BB's . I shot it a lot and I was good with it .
 
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