Looking to get a pellet rifle

   / Looking to get a pellet rifle #1  

TNhobbyfarmer

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 23, 2004
Messages
1,185
Location
Middle Tennessee
Tractor
Kubota L3430 Polaris Ranger 500
Mainly for just plinking and fooling around with grandsons. Got any suggestions on brand/model to look at? I would hope to have the power to dispatch a squirrel if need be. I have some around that tend to be pests at times.
 
   / Looking to get a pellet rifle #3  
I'd go to Cabelas or Gander Mountain or Bass Pro and get a Gamo 177 Whisper. Plenty capable of dispatching a squirrel and very quiet too. For a little more you can get a Ruger 10-22 carbine and introduce your grandsons to a real rifle with no recoil and it's real accurate, holds 10 22LR's in the magazine and is wicked on squirrels, in fact, I squirrel hunt with a 10-22 and a Leupold Rifleman scope.


10-22 Ruger Carbines have to be the most popular starting rifle for beginners (and season small game hunters) in the world.

We make wonderful crockpot squirrel around here.
 
   / Looking to get a pellet rifle #4  
Try StraightShooters.com, They are without a doubt the best place to shop Pellet guns. They specialize in Adult Air Rifles....
 
   / Looking to get a pellet rifle #5  
I have a Beeman RS2 series rifle. Shoots ok but the trigger pull is ridiculously hard. Over 25lbs. Adjusting is tricky.
I would not recommend it for beginners. They will just get frustrated with the hard pull and adjusting is iffy and not recommended.
 
   / Looking to get a pellet rifle #6  
I'd go to Cabelas or Gander Mountain or Bass Pro and get a Gamo 177 Whisper. Plenty capable of dispatching a squirrel and very quiet too. For a little more you can get a Ruger 10-22 carbine and introduce your grandsons to a real rifle with no recoil and it's real accurate, holds 10 22LR's in the magazine and is wicked on squirrels, in fact, I squirrel hunt with a 10-22 and a Leupold Rifleman scope.
.
I have the Gamo 177. It is nice, accurate, and light. I use it for squirrels, both tree and ground. We live in an area you can't fire a 22 legally, so I make do with an air rifle.
Of course the local gun shop has a $600-$800 precision air rifle with a tank that would be even better, but I can't justify that money on an air rifle.
 
   / Looking to get a pellet rifle #7  
I'd go to Cabelas or Gander Mountain or Bass Pro and get a Gamo 177 Whisper. Plenty capable of dispatching a squirrel and very quiet too. For a little more you can get a Ruger 10-22 carbine and introduce your grandsons to a real rifle with no recoil and it's real accurate, holds 10 22LR's in the magazine and is wicked on squirrels, in fact, I squirrel hunt with a 10-22 and a Leupold Rifleman scope.


10-22 Ruger Carbines have to be the most popular starting rifle for beginners (and season small game hunters) in the world.

We make wonderful crockpot squirrel around here.

Trouble with a .22 is the grandson's will look at you very disappointed like because YOU CANNOT GET ANY AMMO!!! :laughing:
 
   / Looking to get a pellet rifle #8  
Trouble with a .22 is the grandson's will look at you very disappointed like because YOU CANNOT GET ANY AMMO!!! :laughing:

Boy!, I saw that one coming a country mile away!:laughing:
 
   / Looking to get a pellet rifle #9  
I have the Benjamin Trail Nitro Piston in .22 and it's been a very nice gun. Accurate, quiet and a good bit more "furry critter knock down" power than the .177 version. It's a break-barrel rifle, so it took ~100 shots or so to get it to settle down, but after that it's been fantastic. I don't love the stock -- it's the pistol-grip-built-into-the-stock type, but I don't dislike it... just took some getting used to. The Nitro Piston is very nice, too. A more "gun like" recoil than the spring style and MUCH less noise than a spring. My son shoots it just fine, but I did have to tinker with the trigger a bit since the default setting from the factory was a bit too heavy for him to "slowly squeeze" instead of "pull" the trigger.

Overall, I would recommend it.

Benjamin Trail NP All-Weather
 
   / Looking to get a pellet rifle #10  
Mainly for just plinking and fooling around with grandsons. Got any suggestions on brand/model to look at? I would hope to have the power to dispatch a squirrel if need be. I have some around that tend to be pests at times.

For cheap fun, look at a Daisy model 880. I got one when I was a teenager and wore it out after about 25 years. My wife and kids got me another one about 3-4 years ago. I think it was about $39.00 on sale. It holds 50 BB's, or single shot .177 pellets. 880FPS BBs. 665 FPS pellets. Put a cheap air rifle red dot sight on it, give it a few pumps and teach those pop cans a lesson! :laughing: With a pellet, it will definitely kill squirrels, but, to be humane, you'll have to be the judge of your own accuracy. Also, experiment with different pellet types. They make an incredible difference in accuracy.
 

Tractor & Equipment Auctions

2015 KUBOTA 1140CPX RTV (A51406)
2015 KUBOTA...
2008 MAGNUM LIGHT PLANT (A50854)
2008 MAGNUM LIGHT...
2004 CATERPILLAR 140H MOTORGRADER (A51406)
2004 CATERPILLAR...
2021 CATERPILLAR 953 CRAWLER LOADER (A51242)
2021 CATERPILLAR...
2015 FONTAINE TRAILER CO. 53 STEP DECK SPREAD AXLE (A50854)
2015 FONTAINE...
WITTIG VACUUM PUMP (A50854)
WITTIG VACUUM PUMP...
 
Top