What is the best hunting air rifle?

Answer 1

There is a very large selection of air rifles for small game hunting. (See the link below) a few that I would stay away from are any air rifles that shoots BB's or combination of BB and pellets. These are usually smooth bore rifles and are not as accurate as a rifled bore air rifle. I would also select a springer over a pump or C02 driven air rifle because you will get tired pumping between shots and C02 is just not as powerful as springers.

As for caliber, a .177 is fine but I would select a .22 caliber and use "hollow point" pellets for hunting. They deform on impact and make a clean kill. For very large game select a PCP Class air rifle, these are expensive, but go up to .50 Caliber and are capable of bringing down a boar or large deer.

On another point. Don't confuse speed with knockdown power. Air Rifle manufactures like to boast about how fast the pellet travels. Any rifle can fire a lightweight pellet fast, but lightweight pellets like the "Rapter' are effected by crosswind. A heavy weighted pellet will fly slower but will travel straighter and have more impact. Look at the weight of pellets when you select one. Don't get caught up in the Speed game.

----- Another Opinion

Basically you want at least 3 ft lbs energy for every pound of game being hunted

177 caliber is basically a target round but is ok for squirrels and small pests.

20 caliber is preferred by some as it has a flatter trajectory at the same energy then higher calibers, I prefer a magnum class 22 for rabbit sized animals.

A 25 or higher caliber is best for racoons. there are big bore air rifles such as the quakenbush used on coyotes and wild boar - even deer.

A Mac 1 steroid Benjamin .22 can be easily back packed - doesn't require the excess of a PCP and delivers about 26 ft lbs force with extreme accuracy.

I don't like springers because of the inherent accuracy problems and hold sensitivity. The RWS Diana 54 is one of the few springers I consider as an excellent hunting rifle.

The Upcoming Benjamin Rouge may prove to be one of the best hunting rifles ever made in mass production beating out Daystate in power and equaling it in accuracy

The Quakenbush is famous as a big bore air gun capable of taking out large game.

You usually only get one shot when hunting but a repeater can be good to put your victim quickly out of its misery if your shot did not result in a clean kill. Although with an accurate gun and patience, most of your shots should be a clean kill.

The larger the caliber the large the kill zone but also if the caliber is too large then it will destroy more meat making it less desirable if you intend to eat the animal. A .22 into a squirrel is fine if you want to eat it but a .45 will likely turn the squirrel into mush.

You have to break you question down - What size game do you want to hunt. Do you want a gun that is highly portable and self contained which rules out PCP gun? In this class a Benjamin 392 or Sheriton Blue Streak with the Mac 1 steroid mod, and the RWS Diana 54 are hard to beat.

If you want to hunt where you can gain easy access to a Scuba tank and your hand pump and expense is no object then a high quality PCP rifle will serve you well.

If you want to hunt game larger then racoons then you will need a big bore gun. Trying to get on Quakenbushes waiting list is about impossible. I know someone here that will sell me a Quackenbush .45 outlaw (500 ft lbs) for $2000 which is not a bad deal.