Lightweight 22 pellet rifle for hunting?

[Macchina]

Growing up we used our Dad's break-barrel pellet rifle extensively for hunting squirrels and gamebirds around the family cabin. All 3 of us boys would leave with the one pellet gun and a tin of pellets for a day of fun.

We didn't know how to properly shoot a pellet rifle or how to maintain it. Found out later in life it was a decent Benjamin (I believe) and probably dieseling on every shot as we used RemOil on all our guns back then.

I'm looking for a lightweight and preferably short 22 pellet rifle to carry with my daughters in the woods. Velocity should be enough to kill a squirrel but I would like to keep it as quiet as possible. If at all possible I'd like to keep the package cost under $300. I was looking at an open sight RWS 34 but don't know if there is something better out there.

 

[joneb]

A light weight break barrel may be hard to find most are 7-8 lbs
The cocking effort maybe a issue with a break barrel air rifle.

 

[cslinger]

Hard to go wrong with the 34. That’s one of the two main suggestions as far as air rifles go.

HW50 might do well for your needs but will cost more.

If you remember being happy with the old pump rifle why not go with “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.”

https://www.pyramydair.com/s/m/Benjamin_Variable_Pump_Air_Rifle_Black/4869

 

[Bill_in_TR]

Quite frankly an HW30S from Weihrauch or a Beeman R7, same rifle different cosmetics, will do everything you want. It is light weight, short overall length, can be had under $300 and is very quiet. It is a low powered rifle so you will have to limit your range. But the lower power also makes it much less hold sensitive for a spring piston rifle and it is very easy to cock.

 

[readyeddy]

If you want knockdown power at 20 fpe or more, then a springer will be 8 pounds or more and at least 45 inches long. These guns would include the RWS 350, Beeman R1, and the Hatsan 95.

There’s a few 30 fpe springers but they are even bigger and heavier.

 

[Bill_in_TR]

Sorry, I must have missed something. I thought he wanted something light weight, short, quiet and under $300.

Even the RWS34 he mentions doesn't meet those criteria. I have one. I love mine. It is a good shooter. But it is 45 1/2 inches long and weighs 9 lbs with a scope on it. I would not want to lug it through the woods.

You don't need 20 fpe to kill a squirrel. But you do need to be able to hit it in a kill zone, preferably the head. Generally speaking the higher the fpe the more hold sensitive the spring piston air rifle is. Also higher fpe means higher cocking effort.

 

[Kookla]

If you were just going after squirrel and the distance was 30 yards and under, I'd just get a Benjamin 392 and put a peep sight on it. Should come in under 6 pounds. It's a multi stroke pneumatic, but should be ideal for what you're looking to do.

 

[readyeddy]

I guess what I was trying to say was that a 22 springer with enough power for anchoring squirrels are large rifles. 14 grain 22 pellets at less than 700 fps is insufficient in my opinion.

No disrespect to Kookla, he has a lot of airgun wisdom, but I grew up with a Benjamin 392 (600 fps with 14 grain pellets) and it wasn't powerful enough to reliably anchor pigeon sized birds. It would be powerful enough if you can make CNS shots, but that's a 1/4" target.

If the gun must be small and light, then I would step up to a PCP.

 

[Bill_in_TR]

Well I shoot an HW30S quite a bit these days. It is .177 caliber and delivers somewhere between 6and 6.5 fpe. It anchors squirrels and doves out to about 25 yards quite effectively. It does so because it is a very accurate springer and not hold sensitive. I wouldn't stretch it beyond that. But there are other more moderately sized springers that can reach out a little more.

I don't agree that anywhere near 20 fpe is a necessity for squirrel sized game. I understand that a high percentage of airgun shooters are power hungry and I understand the attraction to more power. I just personally don't believe it is essential. You just have to know your gun and what it can do in your hands.

 

[readyeddy]

I agree that 20 to 25 yards is doable with less powerful springers and those ranges are common for pest control. But for hunting while stalking, ranges of 40 to 50 yards are more common. This is just my personal experience.

 

[Bill_in_TR]

You need to learn to stalk better.

 

[readyeddy]

That's the truth.