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Varmint AIr RIfle

DocRDS

Head Maffs Monkey
Full Member
Minuteman
Feb 21, 2012
3,472
6,425
The Great Beyond
If one was looking for a good quality varmint air rifle for squirrels or less at ranges of 50 yards and in, what would one be looking at
 
I have a Taipan Veteran in .22 that I really like. Perfect for taking critters out - great trigger (especially for a bullpup), great precision, more than enough power (and you can mod it with power plenum and port the valve) if you want more.

EdGun makes some cool models, especially if you want something compact.

FX is an obvious contender - many models to choose from.

Brocock and Daystate.

There's a lot of options to choose from.
 
How much do you want to spend?

Fx m3
Fx Crown
American Air Arms Evol
American Air Arms Paradigm
EdGun R5M
EdGun Leshiy 2
Vulcan 2

There are plenty, it all depends on how much you are willing to spend.
 
cause you never know when that cat ( cougar) , dog ( wolf) or squirrel ( flying squirrel working in secret with a moose ) is going to charge you ..

 
Didn’t that fella garand thumb just do an air rifle video? I thought there was a thread on here about it
 
I'm having a lot of fun with a Browning XS46U. Mine is .22. Haven't harvested much except paper and McDonald's toys with it yet.
 
I have 0 idea what budget is on this things. I'm in a rural subdivision and lots of opportunities for gophers, rabbits, etc.
 
there is "traditional" spring or piston driven (manually charged) single shot varieties.
if you want more convenience, pcp airguns can go anywhere from a couple hundred to thousands.
 
Easy and cheap button is a Gamo Swarm or similar.

Otherwise pcp with proven models like a Benjamin Marauder. Which require a hand pump or fill station of some kind.

For larger Varmints I’d recommend 25 cal over a 22 cal. Based on my use for pigeons.

Also keep in mind the 22 and 25 cal types vs the .177. Some travel fast enough to break the sound barrier. Which then sounds like a .22 from the supersonic crack.
 
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I recently bought a benjamin cayden off Amazon. Zero'd the scope at 25 and was shooting about 3/4 of an inch at 50 yards. Was shooting at a 5/8's bolt in a fence. Figured it was good enough after hitting it three times in a row. Got 2 ground squirrels today at just over 50 yards. Holding a bit of wind and 2 mils elevation, squirrels are pretty tall when standing. I put a Huma moderator on it and it's pretty quiet now.
 
If your budget doesn't include the high-end guns such as have been recommended, Benjamin marauder in 25 cal will take coyote and smaller varmints, I've been looking at the umarex gauntlet 2 in 30 , but I really don't need another airgun.
 
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How much do you want to spend and are you carrying your rifle several miles or shooting out your living room window? A nicer airgun isn't cheap. The Marauder is still a capable PCP but a bit of an old school dinosaur. It is very easy to work on, affordable, and a 25 cal Marauder is quite capable to your 50 yard range. That said, I don't shoot mine much anymore having nicer PCP guns in the safe.
 
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I'm looking to upgrade to a more accurate and affordable rifle and the Barra 1100Z is at the top of the list right now.
I'm looking at the .177 rifle and I heard/read that the .22 cal model is a very accurate.

 
I'm looking to upgrade to a more accurate and affordable rifle and the Barra 1100Z is at the top of the list right now.
I'm looking at the .177 rifle and I heard/read that the .22 cal model is a very accurate.


Look at the Air Vennturi Avenger for just a little more, It is regulated.Also the JTS Aracuda for budget PCP's
 
My Daystate huntsman is the back yard rabbit slayer
 

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Gamo swarm magnum 10X. I bought one last year and have eradicated almost all the squirrels in the neighborhood lol.

It actually comes with a nice optic, the magazine fester is cool, but it takes work to cock it! You shoot all 10 rounds back to back your gonna need a break.
 
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Look at the Air Vennturi Avenger for just a little more, It is regulated.Also the JTS Aracuda for budget PCP's
The Avenger is on the list too, but one would need to purchase a barrel adapter to add a moderator and it doesn't have an adjustable cheek piece, which I would prefer having for using thermal scope's with QD mounts.
While not as refined as the Avenger, the Barra does have quasi regulation with the power adjustment screw.
 
Not sure if you bought one yet but I got a 22 cal Benjamin Marauder with a regulator. Bought a variety pack of pellets to see which it liked. Shoots amazing groups and is quiet too. Great gun, not too pricey.
 
Not sure if you bought one yet but I got a 22 cal Benjamin Marauder with a regulator. Bought a variety pack of pellets to see which it liked. Shoots amazing groups and is quiet too. Great gun, not too pricey.
This would be the “field and target model” just fyi to the OP
 
You might give Airgun Outdoors a call. He's got some nice stuff in the store and very knowledgable.
A friend of mine bought the FX Impact M3 Standard in 22 cal that's easily shooting 1 MOA at 100 yard; however, that one might be more than what you want.
 
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