It just occurred to me that we haven't discussed what might be an important factor for many of us - the amount of noise generated by the various air gun platforms. Some are decidedly more noisy than others, which, if you are planning on using one for pest control or backyard plinking may be a very important consideration, especially if there are neighbors close by.
Pneumatic guns are by far the noisiest of the various platforms. Not being any kind of an acoustics or noise expert, I really have no idea why. It doesn't matter if it a PCP or a pump-up, they both fire with the release of air compressed in a high pressure chamber. The most powerful of the genre sound, to me at least, every bit as loud as a .22 short or CB cap from a long barreled .22 rifle.
My most powerful air rifle is my Benjamin 392 pneumatic that I had modified by Tim McMurray of Mac1 Airguns. His "steroid" modifications allow it to achieve an honest 26 ft lbs of energy, better than double that of an off the shelf 392. I had this built as my "big game" - possum, raccoon, etc. air rifle. I keep it zeroed with the JSB Exact Monster .22 pellet, a real heavyweight at 25.39 grains. It shoots right through an adult possum on broadside shots. The problem is, it is pretty much too loud to shoot in the quiet still of the night, when these critters are out and about. Thankfully, my neighbors are all well familiar with my many idiosyncrasies, and even fully support my pest control efforts. If any one of them did not, it would be a whole different story.
I think a better solution, where noise is a factor, is a powerful spring piston gun. Even at the same power level as my "steroid" 392, my most powerful "springer", an RWS Model 48 side-cocker (also in .22 caliber), is whisper quiet in comparison. It has become my "go-to" rat rifle, even though it is decidedly on the "overkill" end of the spectrum for that duty. I don't shoot as heavy of a pellet out of it (it really likes the JSB Exact Heavy, at 18.13 grains), but I could, which would make it suitable for air rifle "big game" as well.
About its only downsides are its weight and awkward carrying ergonomics, which are driven by that side cocking handle. It's really wide and bulky, and it weighs over nine pounds with a scope. The Benjamin, with scope, only weighs six, and is a very handy little carbine sized gun. The big RWS is, then, at least for me, a "fixed position" kind of a rifle, shot from the back deck or something like that. The Benjamin would be superior for actually walking around and hunting in the woods.
A great compromise, albeit with somewhat less power, would be something like my RWS Model 34. It has about half the power of those other two, but has still proven to be more than enough for rats and the like, at least the .22 caliber version. It really is kind of the best of both worlds. It's even quieter than the Model 48, and it's even slimmer and easier to carry than the 392.
Anyway, those are my thoughts for the day. And yes, I obviously have too much time on my hands, cowering in place like everyone else. At least I have some air guns to shoot...
