Hi guys. I'm a powder burner from the "other" side of the forum. In light of the fact that powder burning supplies are kind of hard to find, I was thinking about an air rifle to allow me to keep in practice in my backyard.
Quiet is the biggest requirement. Accuracy is probably next. I also don't want to spend a fortune so any of those PCP Chicom sniper rifles are out as far as I am concerned. My last air rifle was when I was a kid and was a pneumatic pump gun.
Can you make some suggestions? Thanks for your help.
No air guns are silent, but there are a few key things that will make them louder. The first thing you’ll want to look at is the FPS rating of the air gun you’re looking at. If it’s over 1000 FPS you risk breaking the sound barrier, and your .22 caliber air rifle won’t sound much different than a shot from a .22lr. That’s going to draw attention, which I’m assuming you wish to avoid. You’ll also want to be careful about the weight of the pellets you’re using, if you buy ultra lightweight ones, they’ll fly faster than heavier pellets.
Next up is the type of air rifle. There are several kinds, such as spring/break barrel, pump, CO2, and PCP. I find PCPs to be the best of the bunch. Quietness is going to be somewhat dependent on caliber, and how much air is expelled for each shot. With a smaller caliber you’ll get more shots before needing to refill the air chamber, but you may also risk breaking the sound barrier too, as PCPs are more powerful, so choose wisely.
I’ve owned quite a few air rifles in my life, and fired even more, and the best, quietest air rifle I’ve owned or shot is the Benjamin Marauder. It’s
extremely accurate, it’s a repeater, with a detachable magazine that holds either 8 or 10 rounds, depending on caliber. It’s available in .177, .22, & .25, so it can be used to hunt small to medium sized game if that’s an interest of yours, and it’s pretty affordable. It’s also the quietest air rifle I’ve ever shot. It has an internal baffle & de-pinger that make it quieter than other PCPs.
They’re right around $500 new, or just slightly over, but you can find a lightly (or hardly ever) used one for less. I picked a .25 Marauder up used a few years back that was only used once and then put away, and I only paid $400. You’ll need a pump for any PCP, and they do run a couple hundred $ new, but again, you can get one used for less.
If you’re looking for the quietest air rifle out there, you just did. It may cost a
little bit more than you were looking to spend, but it’s capable of more than just putting holes in paper if you get the .22 or .25. You can use it for pest control, and hunting smaller critters, up to coyote sized game according to the manufacturer and articles I’ve read. It’s just my opinion, but I’d rather spend a little extra and get something capable of doing more than just punching holes in paper. However, you’ll be hard pressed to find any air rifles in your price range that are more accurate, or quieter, and none will be both.
If you’re looking for a quiet, highly accurate air rifle for around $500, you can’t do better than the Benjamin Marauder.