Not sure if this is the right forum for this topic, but AR15.com always seems to come through.

I'm in the market for a quality pellet gun for getting rid of squirrels and other critters around the yard. Specifically, I'm looking for a break barrel gun in .22 cal. It should be a relatively quiet gun so as not to frighten the neighbors (residential area) and around $200 is my spending limit (it's just a pellet gun here). After some research I think the Beeman GS950 or the RWS Diana 34 are good candidates, but I have no experience with either. If anyone owns either one, or something else they could recommend please post a response. These squirrels must die.

KILL the tree rats !!!

I don't own either one but a couple of guys I know do have Diana's and they love the hell out of 'em.  I know that's not a very subjective post, but take it for what it's worth.

How about a 10/22 with some subsonic rounds?  That is in your price range.

Max

Quoted: How about a 10/22 with some subsonic rounds?  That is in your price range. Max

Even with subsonic, would still be louder than a pellet gun.  He'd need to get a 10/22 with a can, and that would be out of his price range.  

With pellet guns, caliber is less important than some may think.  I've killed plenty of squirrels and pigeons with my .177.  It will do the job as long as your shot placement is good.  

.177 has more penetration than .22, while .22 typically makes a larger permanent cavity.  Either will do the job - but the pellet still has to be placed accurately.  

Believe it or not, lead target wadcutters typically make more severe wounds than dedicated hunting ammo in pellet guns.  But for what we're talking about, any pellet (not BB) will do the job effectively.  

If you're stuck with pointed or round-nosed lead hunting pellets, loading them backwards will give more expansion - at the expense of penetration.  I've had backwards-loaded pellets expand to almost .30 caliber when loaded in this way.  

My pellet gun is a $60 Crosman M66 with a 3-9x32 Daisy (Winchester marked) scope in .177 caliber - velocity is about 645 fps with pellets.  It will typically penetrate one milk jug and dent the second one pretty bad (regardless of ammo type), which would equate to about 3 inches in flesh.  

A .22 pellet gun will easily do the same thing, if not more.  At short ranges, the higher-powered .22 guns are every bit as effective as .22 rimfire.  

I use this Romanian .22 trainer



With this ammo, Aguila Super-Colibri




You hear the pin hit the primer and the squirrel fall out of the tree.

i hear Gamo makes a nice one, and i had a winchester 1000fps (.177 cal)that i used for your exact purpose.  it was deadly out to about 40 yds, 60 with practice/ maybe follow up shot.

if you scope it make sure you get the scope ring recoil stops and an airgun scope, or it will drive you crazy.  don't ask how i know

advntrjnky

for town use i would stick with the .177 due toless retained energy at distance (ie....won't damage neighbors property as easily).


ETA: my winchester cost about $100

I agree with MadProfessor.  SuperColibris or CBs out of a long barreled .22lr bolt gun is quieter than a powerful airgun and plenty deadly to little critters.  With that said, I've killed lots and lots of things with a $30 Daisy 880 .177 cal pellet rifle from K-mart (Walmart didn't exist back then, but they have them too.)  It will easily kill squirrels, but it's pretty loud with 8-10 pumps.  Low powered ammo in a .22 makes less noise.

I have an OLD RWS model 24.  It has thousands and thousands (I would not be the least bit surprised if it is over 10k) of rounds through it and it still shoots great. The bluing is a little worn where you have to grab the barrel and action to charge it as well as where I hold it carrying it through the woods.  I send it back to RWS years ago and had them completely rebuild it when I noticed the performance start to drop.
I used to hunt squirrels in the woods behind my house and have shot hundreds of squirrels with it.    
My bit of advice: get the RWS.  They are phenomenal.  
One thing to keep in mind, they are not ‘stealth’ by any means.  IMO a bolt action .22 with CB’s is quieter.  

My RWS 94 had the trigger malfunction after about a week.  They repaired it.. Then I had the main spring go soft after a few thousand rounds.  I just haven't sent it in for repairs again.  You have to pay for shipping and its a PIA to ship it.  I did kill a rabbit with it at about fifty yards before it had trouble.

I used to use an air rifle until I tried out CB's with a .22 Rifle.

The CB's are quieter than my air rifle and harder hitting.

I would stick with the CCI though as the Colibri as so underpowered you can actually watch them all the way to the target. They are very inaccurate too. It took 5 rounds to hit the little box they came it at 25 yards and it didn't penetrate!

Remington used to make an excellent CB but they are no longer offered ~ sigh

I have killed alot of things as big as racoons with a air gun shot in the right place in the head,but one point to think of is that where you live it might be legal to shot a air gun but not a firearm which the 22 CB is a firearm,if that is not a problem then I would get the .22 such as a ruger 10-22,more versital,thats my 2 cents

Well I already have a Ruger 10/22, but I'm not sure I want to be shooting that when my neighbors' houses are so close. Plus, I don't want to break any laws.

What are CB's and where do you buy em? How much quieter are they than say remington sub sonics?

Bolt action .22LR with shorts.

bump, just wondering what kind of bolt action .22's you guys are getting on the cheap? I would like to spend less than $120 for a decent one. Im thinking a savage or Russian Toz?

Shawn

Better check local laws first before shooting a 22.  I don't know, and I am not suggesting what may or may not be legal were you live (CYA off ) but I do know that in some places one or the other or both may be ok.  And if the 22 is not ok, then the air gun is a great choice.

I've owned a lot of air rifles and have even built a few.   The RWS34 is probably your best buy right now.   They're going for about $170 over at Midsouth Shooters Supply and that's the best deal in town.   Some of the Chinese guns like the B30 or B40 are also very good deals, but Chinese guns, being what they are, often require some tinkering to set them right and the RWS will not.

Once you get one buy some good dome pellets for it.   JSB exacts are very good.   If you get something else opt for lighter rather than heavier pellets.   The heavy pellets work well in PCP and pump guns, but spring guns don't usually like them.  

Here's the scoop on pellet shape.   Airguns kill by precise pellet placement and domed pellets are the most accurate at distances past 20 yards.   They also offer the best penetration, which is important when you're only dealing with around 16 foot pounds of energy.   You might think that pointed pellets would outperform domes in this regard, but the fact is that since pellets are made out of very soft lead the points are blunted on impact and they penetrate no better than domes, while delivering inferior accuracy.   Hollowpoints and flat heads do produce more impact than domes, but past about 20 yards their accuracy goes downhill fast.

There's also a trick to shooting spring guns accurately.   When you fire a spring gun you feel the recoil before the pellet leaves the barrel.   This means that if you hold it differently it will shoot to a different point of impact.   They also do best with a very light hold.    Most serious airgunners recommend holding the foreend right at about the balance point and using a light hold on the pistol grip without the thumb wrapping around.   When you shoot from a rest try supporting the rifle on your forearm or a cushion in the same place where you would hold it when shooting offhand.   You can refine your hold by changing your grip position on the forearm and firing groups to see at exactly what point it shoots best from.

Spring guns also can be hard on scopes.   You might try a BSA airgun scope.   They are cheap and seem to hold up pretty well.

Just lead them and lay down a wall of lead ..............

i just use my 1911 w/ rat shot .      killed a 3 foot long snake couple months back with it while out in the yard, lol neighbors came out scared

FWIW, I have a Benjamin Sheridan .177 pellet gun that I got when I was 12.  I've used it to kill lots of squirrels, rabbits, woodchucks, and chipmonks.  They are a lot cheaper than the RWS and Diana airguns, and operate on a pump system, so they are a little more forgiving on scopes.  IMHO, a smaller pump airgun will give you more flexibility because you can adjust the power level, and thereby the noise level, to fit your needs. In my experience, its a tack driver, and I've got about 3000 pellets through it. As always, YMMV.
Good Hunting

I love my RWS Diana 34, it is very accurate with the right pellets.  It does make a bit of noise, but in the city it is hardly noticeable with the background noice usually present.   IMO a .22 is superior to a .17 for killing things, plus there is a huge variety of pellet choices.  If you scope it you will need to use an air rifle scope.

Definitely look into local ordinances because in many places air rifles are OK but firearms are not.

Seydou

Quoted: FWIW, I have a Benjamin Sheridan .177 pellet gun that I got when I was 12.  I've used it to kill lots of squirrels, rabbits, woodchucks, and chipmonks.  They are a lot cheaper than the RWS and Diana airguns, and operate on a pump system, so they are a little more forgiving on scopes.  IMHO, a smaller pump airgun will give you more flexibility because you can adjust the power level, and thereby the noise level, to fit your needs. In my experience, its a tack driver, and I've got about 3000 pellets through it. As always, YMMV. Good Hunting

Benjamin/Sheridans are underrated.   They're inexpensive, recoilless, compact and lightweight and with a little tweaking can deliver pretty decent accuracy.   They do have some downsides though.   Unless you modify the valve and transfer port they're a little wimpy when it comes to energy.   At eight pumps they only put out about 12 foot pounds.   They're also a lot noisier than spring guns and require a lot more effort for each shot.

I like them for hunting.   While technically the European spring guns may be more accurate, I find that the recoilless nature of Benjamin/Sheridans makes them much easier to shoot accurately in the field.