.177 under $200

[flipper35]

I am looking for an air rifle that is inexpensive but accurate. I have a Remington currently but it is old and doesn't produce enough power any longer. I am guessing the seals which went neglected all last year. It is a pretty accurate rifle which is good because it is mostly used for the stupid ground squirrels around here and rabbits during rabbit season.

So, what can I get that is .177 that can hit a ground squirrel at 30 yards that is under $200? I would prefer to not get a pump again is it takes time to pump up. Is there an advantage to gas piston over spring air in the break barrel units?

If I had more money to spend I would look at a .25 PCP but a .177 shoots flat enough for my needs.

I have looked at the Crosman, Beeman, Benjamin, Gamo...

I have always liked the high end Beeman but the cheap ones are built across the big pond from what I understand and the Benjamin are built by Crosman in NY and are gas piston.

[masraum]

Have you tried taking yours apart? I had an .22 pellet gun that stopped working, I took it apart, found a bad part, replaced it, oiled everything up and it worked fine for many years after that until i sold it. I think the whole process was 20-30 mins from non-working to working.

[VincentVega]

Stoeger Arms X20S Suppressor Air Rifle. Air rifles - PyramydAir.com

Single shot, pretty accurate, reasonably quiet, affordable, bad news for squirrels.

[flipper35]

Originally Posted by masraum

Have you tried taking yours apart? I had an .22 pellet gun that stopped working, I took it apart, found a bad part, replaced it, oiled everything up and it worked fine for many years after that until i sold it. I think the whole process was 20-30 mins from non-working to working.

Haven't pulled it apart yet.

[Cajundaddy]

If squirrels are the target, find a .22 RWS Model 34 Diana. It's a bit more than you want to spend but 5x the quality of Remington, Beeman or Gamo. It is the Porsche of airguns.

Diana RWS Airguns- Model 34 .22 Caliber T06 Trigger | AirgunDepot.com

[flipper35]

No squirrels. Plus, I have a .22 rimfire for that stuff.

[Cajundaddy]

I guess I misunderstood this part then:
"It is a pretty accurate rifle which is good because it is mostly used for the stupid ground squirrels around here and rabbits during rabbit season."

I have a .177 RWS and it is a fine air rifle for target or rats. I have owned it for 15 years and maybe run 3000 rounds through it. Squirrels and rabbits need a little more stopping power to drop them in one shot in my experience. For target, choose .177, varmint choose .22 and never look back. While the .177 is rated to a greater effective range, stopping power is all but lost beyond 30 yds.

[flipper35]

Sorry, I thought you meant a red or grey squirrel. These are the small chipmunk sized varmints that dig holes all over the yard. Airsoft will kill them but not with one shot.

I don't know how many rounds through the 1377. I have had it since the early 80s and I would guess 6k or 7k rounds. Lots and lots of tins and belt clips in that thing. The best shooting I can't get any longer, the Beeman Silver Jets. I could hit a grackle at 20 yards but not a ground squirrel at 30 with it.

I have put down rabbits in one shot with my Crosman 1377 on up to the Remington. The farthest with the rifle was 35 yards. The dog has only had to help with a couple and that is because the rabbits have uncanny reflexes when they see the pellet coming. Mostly we hunt with rimfire cartridges for small game.

[Cajundaddy]

Yep, I used to get ground squirrels undermining my feed barn all the time. From my upper deck to the barn was about 30 yds and while I could usually hit them, they would drag their wounded carcasses back under the barn before the dog could get there. Then she would undermine the barn going after the squirrel scent. Cutting the range to about 10 yards the rifle was far more deadly but those sneaky varmints often saw me coming and ducked. Rats were no match for this gun and a clean shot dropped them in their tracks.

I like the .177 RWS a lot but if small game is the target I would go 22 if I were shopping again.

[flipper35]

The ones that duck back into their hole get the hose and I let the dogs take care of them. Our previous lab was good at getting them without any help. One year we had a contest and she was way ahead of me and those are the ones we knew about. She was trained to bring them for a treat. I think she beat me by around a dozen and I am quite sure she didn't know it was even a contest.

[Cajundaddy]

My dog was 1/2 lab, 1/2 Rott and she loved the game. Probably bagged 200 gophers, a dozen squirrels, 1/2 dozen rabbits and 1/2 dozen neighbor cats on our property over her lifetime.

[flipper35]

Opossums, rabbits, ground squirrels, gophers, racoons, cats, mice, doves. She loved catching them all and saw them all as prey. Our current one sees them all as playmates. Our Beagle eats everything he can catch but isn't fast enough for the larger small game.

[Evans, Marv]

I had a huge number of ground squirrels around here when I moved in. I bought a RWS Diana 48 in .177. After zeroing it in, I took out lots & lots of squirrels with it using just the iron sights. Don't remember the cost, but it's been super efficient. I haven't used it in a long time now. Seems like the squirrels are gone except for one or two that really high tail it when they see me. The longest distance I dropped one was 100+ ft. Maybe I hit it just right & was lucky, but it dropped and tumbled down the embankment. I haven't noticed any lack of stopping power. Maybe with something slightly bigger though. Since I only wanted to get rid of ground squirrels, I haven't tried shooting other animals.

[rusnak]

I grew up with open sights and lately have been shooting an El Cheapo Beeman from Walmart. It has a .22 barrel and a terrible trigger pull. Because the scope is crap I just use the sights. What I am trying to shoot, you have to shoot at night between 9:30 and 11:00 PM. I hold a flashlight in my left hand and shoot with my right. My last confirmed 3 hits were 80'. I really can shoot anything but really prefer the .22 long rifle with bolt action.

BTW don't shoot cats. If someone shot mine, we'd have a little competition to find out who's the better shot and more heartless, I imagine.

[Crowbob]

Ruger Air Magnum (Model #2244030). High velocity (1200 FPS-1400 w/high velocity ammo). Break barrel, fibre optics (or scope). Probally need to sight it in and harder than heck to cock. Deadly.

[Don Ro]

Gas Spring Rifles | Shop for Spring Rifles Online - PyramydAir.com

My RWS Diana Mod. 38, .177 cal. A real treat to shoot.
Bought 20 - 25 yrs. ago for about $200 from a private FFL.
Scope is also RWS... 2 - 7 X 32.
.
It'll pluck the hair off a gnat's ass at 30 yards.
I've shot (head shots) hundreds of squirrels with it...out of my fig tree in CA.
If they weren't dead when they hit the ground, they didn't go far.
.

[porsche4life]

Look up Higgins threads on air guns. He has some pretty damn nice ones.

[mattdavis11]

.22 Benjamin, 4x6 Zeiss. Sometimes I'd get 7-8 squirrels in a few hours. I wiped out about 50 in a 10 day stretch.

The dogs had a blast too.

[HardDrive]

Originally Posted by Crowbob

Ruger Air Magnum (Model #2244030). High velocity (1200 FPS-1400 w/high velocity ammo). Break barrel, fibre optics (or scope). Probally need to sight it in and harder than heck to cock. Deadly.

This. I bought a Ruger Yukon .22 last year. I don't recall price, but it was less than $200. I have killed a ton of squirrels with it in the last year. Well made, quality wood stock, came with a good scope.

[flipper35]

Originally Posted by porsche4life

Look up Higgins threads on air guns. He has some pretty damn nice ones.

And expensive ones. Not what I am looking for.

I have heard some good things about the Ruger and Browning Leverage which has the cocking lever below the barrel. I have heard decent things about the MiC Beeman from Wally World. That would leave some extra cash in the 1911 and Hi Power fund.