Anyone replace their .22lr rifle with an air rifle?

[Jba]

Replace ? Welp, maybe so !
I send more on BB's / pellets, than on 22 bullets. Bi mart had 22's on sale @ 18.95$ per 525 box , I just walk on to there 500 pellets for 10.95

what sucks is a 1968 BB gun cost more than 10/22. A decent pellet gun cost more than 30 06, 270

A good pellet gun cost more than a dam Luger.

last month I bought two brand new PSA Ar's that cost less , Than the 3 BB guns in that pic ..... WTH !!!

 

[Shawn the Locksmith]

I'm considering replacing my Ruger 10-22 with a .22 air rifle. It looks like I can find one that has enough energy to kill small game. I would guess the biggest limitation is going to be distance.

Has anyone else done this? If so, how did it go?

I've used a 50 yard tack driving .22 in a Marlin bolt action. Then one day I broke out the old Blue Streak .20, dropping pigeons at 55 yards (put a 4x scope on it). i thought that's cool. Then I picked up a Rem NPSS .177 break barrel, zeroed it at 35 yards and dropped many critters including (one of many) Ground Squirrels out to (my farthest) 74 yards (lazed). Then I picked up a HW77 .20 cal under lever. Many critters later (mostly ground squirrels) with one out to 84 yards. Then started the PCP's. First was a P-rod .22. Literally hundreds of critters later, including small game and doves, pigeons, etc out to 76 yards (with a pistol!!, and a Hawke 3-9 scope).
Then two M-rods .22 and .25 and critters out to 109 yards, even a starling (devil bird) at a lazed 103 yards.
Then came the AirForce TalonSS in .177 (12", and 18") the 18" barrel is zeroed at 50yds. plus two .20 cal barrels in 12" and 18" with the 18" zeroed at 70 yards. then the .25 cal 12" barrel which has dropped critters regularly at 55 yards.
So when the ammo disappeared off the shelves, i was buy 1000's of pellets with no limits or waiting for a shipment to come in.
Head or neck shots drop em just as quick as a .22. If you miss, most the time you get another shot, little noise to scare em.
True the guns aren't as cheap, but in my experience there just as accurate if not more.
just my 4 bits worth, shawn the (as of today) Retired Locksmith (31 years)

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Both of my PCP Marauders have built in supressors. The sound of the pellet hitting the squirrels is louder than the airguns themselfs. A nice thump.

And I agree with etrain, the faster unspressed airguns can get loud. Over 1280fps at sea level and you'll get the loud crack. Or if you over lube your piston the oil ignites and it has a loud crack and smoke comes out the barrel.

Agree with this. I had a heavily modified Benjamin discovery .25 and it was unbelievably loud. I shot it maybe 4 times and gave it to a friend. On the other hand I have a marauder pistol with TKO muzzle brake and you really can't hear it at all if you are over 15 feet away. Also I've had co2 pistols with tko brake and pretty much completely silent.

 

[11Charlie]

Nope replaced it recently with a suppressed .223.

 

[FireArm]

The day someone makes an air rifle that can keep up with a 10/22, I will switch to an air rifle.

 

[surevaliance]

I don't see the point personally. I think a 10/22 loaded with CCI quiet and the Volquartsen Firefly Bolt(designed to cycle CCI quiet and subsonic reliably) would accomplish the same goal while being just as quiet also faster follow up shots. As for leaving brass they make make brass catchers for a reason.

Yep.
I'll keep my 10/22.
CCI just released new Quiet-22 Semi-Auto 45 grain 835 fps.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Yep.
I'll keep my 10/22.
CCI just released new Quiet-22 Semi-Auto 45 grain 835 fps.

FYI check out American Eagle suppressor rounds (45gr 970fps) if you haven't yet. Very quiet but still hold around 100lb energy (about the same as cci standard velocity round). The price is low compared to cci suppressor. Brownells has them for roughly 4.5 cents per round when on sale or with rebate. I've been shooting the bejesus out of these and they r very reliable and seem to be clean burning.

 

[smoothbore]

Check out this one
XISICO XS28M | BAM28 | Magnum | Break Barrel | Flying Dragon Air Rifles

 

[Member 52301]

I'm considering replacing my Ruger 10-22 with a .22 air rifle. It looks like I can find one that has enough energy to kill small game. I would guess the biggest limitation is going to be distance.

Has anyone else done this? If so, how did it go?

Hello,

I have not done this. (I don't hunt.)

I have heard of people using BB guns - rifles to kill small game for food and for general PEST control.

I do believe that a Red Ryder 1938 replica bb rifle could do this because some of my old friends said that if I got close enough, I could get the moles or gophers that were messing up my former acre back east. But I never tried to shoot them. I never saw them ABOVE ground either. They stayed on one side of my yard by one specific farm field (Not my field but on my land.) I just saw 2 different types of 'mounds'. (I did kill a snake but I used a real gun to do that and I used a rake to pick it up.)

I would not consider getting rid of my 22lr rifle (CZ 455 Lux) unless I got too feeble to shoot safely. I would give my rifle to my MT husband or sell it if he did not want it.

I have heard face to face and READ on many forums where several gals and guys got rid of ALL of their 22lr and 22wmr rifles and handguns and that was NOT only when the fake/real 'shortages' were going on. Some of them did get a NICE air rifle to plink with and some of them only kept their CF firearms.

If you don't shoot or want to keep whatever RF rifle you have or in any other firearm... sell it and get what you will shoot.

Best wishes to you.

Cate

 

[surevaliance]

FYI check out American Eagle suppressor rounds (45gr 970fps) if you haven't yet. Very quiet but still hold around 100lb energy (about the same as cci standard velocity round). The price is low compared to cci suppressor. Brownells has them for roughly 4.5 cents per round when on sale or with rebate. I've been shooting the bejesus out of these and they r very reliable and seem to be clean burning.

Thank you!
I will try it in my new CP-33 without suppressor.

 

[Fileroman]

Umarex Octane .22. I have taken small hogs (headshot) out to 25-30 yards. Live in a subdivsion with no discharge of firearms and next door is Peta member who feeds the blamed nuisances.

 

[Shawn the Locksmith]

AirForce CondorSS in .25 cal. Lazered, Witnessed kills of Sage Rats and Rabbit..peter cottontail was 124 yards. 1st rat was 80 yards next two wer 85 yards and my best so far a sage rat at 148 yards (admittingly, I had to walk the third pellet in cause of the range and wind)