[defcon65]

I got a break-action .177 pellet rifle at Walmart a few years back for about $100. Can't recall the brand but it was made in Spain and has a wood stock, rails for a scope and all-metal construction. Single-stroke and single shot, will put a pointed pellet through a 1x pine board at 50 feet. Pump-ups are nice for more power, but they are less convenient and believe me, critters learn to scatter when they hear that pumping sound. The Benjamins are very nicely made and durable -they have a .22 version in stainless steel that sells for about $300, I think. The Beeman and Feinwerkbau single-stroke rifles are among the best, but very pricey. Unless you live in the country, I'd discourage plinking varmints with a real .22 rifle - law enforcement will take a dim view of your 'hobby shooting' and you could be charged with terrorism, or worse yet, an errant round might injure or kill. Air rifle pellets have a fraction of the mass of a .22 round and don't travel very far or carry much momentum.