.117?
 

Mulling over buying a .117 rifle for varmint plinking. From what info I can find, the ammo seem to be hot.....around 3000 fps. I would be happy with 2000 fps or less.
I need some education.

My Diana mod. 48 air rifle does a good job for me. I don't think you need anything as hot as 2000 fps. Mine is rated at 1100 fps. and 1200 with some special pellets. It does fine with iron sites for squirrels & gophers. That's all I'm interested in controlling. The longest squirrel shot was over 100 ft., & it will shoot clean through one. If you want something for coyotes & the like, you'll need a heavier caliber.

I don't like my air rifle.....It takes too long to set up (I can't leave it ready to shoot) and is not a repeater.......May be I need a good one.

Are you certain that isn't .177? .177 is the common BB and pellet caliber. I googled .117 and the couple of pages that I found for it ultimately said .177. I'm assuming the .117 is a typo, but I'm not an expert by any means. .117 is really small.

I have a Savage in .17 HMR and a Ruger air rifle in .177. The Savage is completely flat out to 100 yards. The air rifle I only use when I have to (neighborhood rabbit duty).

Are we talking a powder burning cartridge firearm or an air rifle? There is a big difference in range, effectiveness, legalities, and such.

If it's going to be an air rifle and you don't like the slow pace of the single shot springers and pumps, you can go pre-charged pneumatic. Many are repeaters. I would go bigger than .177, however - .22 does a much better job even on small rodents and such.

Rimfire .17's come in at least a couple of chamberings. The .17 HMR is in the performance range you seek, but it's like any firearm - can't use it in the city or other populated areas. There are both legal restrictions and safety considerations.

There are a number of .17 centerfires available as well. These are very, very specialized tools for the seasoned, dedicated rifleman / handloader. Some are capable of very high velocity (well in excess of 4,000 fps), but that comes with a price - rapid barrel wear. Ammo is horribly expensive, hard to find, and pretty limited - like I said, a bandleader's proposition.

Those are the three broad categories of .17's. In the end, the only one that makes sense within its category for varmint shooting is the .17 rimfire. Above and below that, in centerfires or air rifles, .22's make more sense.

most high powered air rifles are loud. You may want to just use a .22 cal and use sub sonic ammo. The .17 HMR is my go to rifle for ground hogs. Kills them better than a .22 WMR. up to 150 yards flat and accurate. Very frangible, a blade of grass will knock it off course. But it does go a long way so not god in a populated area.

What have you found to be a decently accurate rifle in the .17 HMR? I really like the newer CZ, could live with the Ruger bolt gun, am not a real Savage fan...

I have a .22 Ruger Impact(air rifle). It came with a scope. Not the most accurate rifle out there, but good enough for squirrels inside of 30 yards. Has some sort of silencer on the front so its not too loud. I think I paid $125 for it.