Looking to spend just a few bucks on something to shoot beer cans in the back yard in the burbs with.... thinking either one of these two multi pumps.... OR sucking it up and getting the Nova Freedom.

Benjamin 397

Seneca Dragonfly

Or suck it up and just get a Nova Freedom?

Nova Freedom repeater PCP

Not competing or anything, just want to have cool stuff for playing around in the burbs.

I can't give any useable input on what to buy, I just wanted to comment that the Dragonfly one is pretty cool.  Never have seen one like that.

I’m also looking for a backyard plinker. Rural setting, but too close to my neighbors for the real deal

Is there a reason you’re not considering a springer or nitro-piston? I’m leaning pretty heavily towards a NP; particularly the Crosman F4. Walmart sells them for $79. Pyramid has them for $119; but under the Crosman Fire product name. The Walmart link shows the traditional stock, but the ones I’ve seen in their stores all have the newer “tactical” stock that Crosman switched to. Regardless of the stock or name, it’s the same rifle and gets consistently positive reviews.

I’m not trying to sway you from your current list of options. Just thought the F4/Fire is worth a mention in the springer/NP category. If you had considered those types of air rifles, I’d definitely be interested to hear why they’ve been ruled out.

That is actually really neat, I hadn't looked at the nitro piston option.  I was actually looking at multipump and the self contained PCP systems for a couple of reasons.  One big one was volume of the report, wanted to keep under a thousand fps to try minimize sound, I figured I wpuld be better able to control with the pump system (or the Freedom at low setting).

As far as the two pumps I posted, I guess there is a certain amount of nostalgia for wood stocks and iron sights as well,  perhaps I will look and see if anything fots the bill at a lower power in a nitro.

Hrmn, now the Crossman Vantage and the Uremex Forge both look promising.

While it’s report isn’t a point of concern for me, I can certainly understand that being a key factor. With a .177 NP, it could get a little loud (by air gun standards) if you use really light pellets. With a heavier grain, it shouldn’t be too bad. There are plenty of guys out there who run a variety of pellets over a chrony. So, I’d definitely recommend you hit up YouTube and watch a few videos. You’ll also find that the advertised velocity is almost always higher than what you’ll get “in the real world”.

If you don’t want to risk being restricted to certain pellet weights, a .22 will fit the bill for staying under your maximum FPS threshold. You’ll spend a little more on pellets. But, to the average gun owner, there’ll never be any sticker shock. It’s a cheap hobby when it comes to “ammo”.

Ultimately, it won’t be difficult to find a spring or nitro piston that meets your needs. Both in performance and appearance. Of course, there are pros and cons to these types of air rifles. Same goes for pump or PCP offerings. So, it’ll often come down to the individual’s needs.

For me, I like the idea of not needing an air tank. It’s also nice that each shot only requires one cycle of cocking to charge the gun. The NPs also seem to be pretty reliable/low maintenance. Like you, I’m not trying to compete. I just want to pick it up, shoot, and put it away when the mood strikes.

Even though you seem to be intrigued by the NP option, I feel like I owe you an apology. I’ve found it’s a deep rabbit hole when trying to decide on an air gun. Much harder than picking out a traditional firearm. So, I probably should have warned you

The pumps are great but are loud compared to many springers, but have adjustable power.
Whatever you get, get it in .22, it's twice the weight and easier to handle.
Sounds like you want a Diana 34.

Can you expound on this? Are you just referring to the .22 pellets being easier to handle when loading; as a result of their larger size? Plus the heavier weight making it a more capable/versatile in the event one wants to do more than plinking?

Yes both.
They are larger in size and easier to pick up and load with your fingers, especially if its cold out.
They are usually 2x the weight, generally going slower than .177 but have more mass and put bigger holes in stuff.
.22 will drop more but retain its energy further out than a .177.