JavaScript is disabled
Our website requires JavaScript to function properly. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser settings before proceeding.
Check out my recent review of the Benjamin Vaporizer 22 cal air rifle. Some discussion there on setup but be certain to skip to the end where I updated my review on the scope that comes with it....

In short, the rifle itself will fit your needs but I dont think the scope will last a year of use.

 
I dont own one but have read good things about the Ruger Air Hawk. Not the nitro piston model, just the regular Springer. It's a Chinese copy of the RWS 34.

My cheapest airgun is a HW30 at $300. Same airgun as the Beman R7. Great shooting ,easy to cock and a smooth shooting springer for smaller game. My HW 95 is my favorite hunter in .22 cal and also sells by Beeman as the R9. These are German made heirloom quality rifles with the great Rekord triggers. I have a thing about quality airguns and have been through several models. Worth every penny to me.

 
Last Edited:
The Hatsan 95 is another low cost air rifle. I have not owned one but did research on them. They are known as one of the best values out there. Made in Turkey I believe.


31704n1pcmL._AC_SX425_.jpg
 
I really like the idea of an underlever. I really question how long the accuracy of a break barrel will last...?

A quality air rifle will have good accuracy for a few lifetimes. And every part is replaceable at a low cost.

How many rounds will a Spring piston last ? How many shots will an airgun get over its life?

Spring piston airguns
This class of airgun lasts for hundreds of thousands to millions of rounds. The uber-powerful sporters will be the first to wear out from parts strain, but the milder shooters can last and last. Many BSA rifles built before 1910 are still going strong, with no signs of failure. There are club target rifles whose lives have passed the one million-shot mark and they are still going strong. They will occasionally need seals and springs, but everything else just keeps working.

After an overhaul (new spring, piston seal, breech seal) a spring piston airgun can be expected to get 10,000 to 75,000 shots — all depending on the power and construction of the gun.
 
I also think many get caught up in fps claims. For me, airgun hunting is all about precision and shot placement. My Springers are around 7 ft/lbs and 15 ft/lbs of energy. I had one with 30 ftlbs of energy but it was heavy and tough to group well with. And hard to cock.


From the article:
I live in Germany, where all airguns are limited to 7.5 joules (5.6 fpe). This is very annoying for long-range shooters and also limits the choice of airguns, as many models are not offered in low-powered versions. But the big advantage is that the beginners here get an airgun they can actually shoot precisely, while so many Americans buy one of these $200, 1600 fps bangers just to become disappointed because it acts like a supersonic water hose.

Ask yourself how much power you really need and have a look at the Brits that hunt anything up to rabbits with 12 fpe. I personally would never sacrifice accuracy or comfort to exceed these 12fpe, unless I had a really good reason for it.

edit to add. Impact Energy Requirements for Hunting Various Animals - Hunting Valley Pocket Gophers


This is to assist in using the correct pellet and gun for the varmit to enable the correct shot for a quick, clean, humane kill

Sparrow 2.0ft-lbsPP
Valley Pocket Gopher - 3.0ft-lbs**
Squirrel - 3.0ft-lbs
Pigeon - 3.0ft-lbs
Rabbit - 5.0ft-lbs
Crow - 5.0ft-lbs
Groundhogs 10+ft-lbs
Raccoon - 40ft-lbs**

I would trust this source more than the above info. Basic airgun Hunting Guidelines | Airgun Depot

So what kind of FPE should you use for various game?
First of all let me state that while I'm familiar with many types of airguns and their capabilities, I am new to the airgun hunting arena. With that said, I have drawn upon the experts regarding the following suggestions and it's what I'm going to use as I explore my new found love of airgun hunting. Given the variety of airgun calibers and potential game, I'm going to break this down into game, caliber, kill zone, and energy. This will probably be a "living" chart which I will update as new information becomes available. It also assumes the ability for the airgun and shooter to effectively hit the necessary kill zone of the intended target.

GameMinimum Acceptable caliber*Kill Zone**Minimum Energy
Small Birds.177+.5″5 FPE
Medium Birds.177+.75″7 FPE
Large Birds.22+1″11 FPE
Squirrel Sized Game.22+1″9 FPE
Rabbit Sized Game.22+1″9 FPE
Raccoon Sized Game.22+ (.25+ recommended)1.5″25 FPE
 
Last Edited:
I really like the idea of an underlever. I really question how long the accuracy of a break barrel will last...?
That is exactly why I didn't buy one.
I also think many get caught up in fps claims. For me, airgun hunting is all about precision and shot placement. My Springers are around 7 ft/lbs and 15 ft/lbs of energy. I had one with 30 ftlbs of energy but it was heavy and tough to group well with. And hard to cock.


From the article:
I live in Germany, where all airguns are limited to 7.5 joules (5.6 fpe). This is very annoying for long-range shooters and also limits the choice of airguns, as many models are not offered in low-powered versions. But the big advantage is that the beginners here get an airgun they can actually shoot precisely, while so many Americans buy one of these $200, 1600 fps bangers just to become disappointed because it acts like a supersonic water hose.

Ask yourself how much power you really need and have a look at the Brits that hunt anything up to rabbits with 12 fpe. I personally would never sacrifice accuracy or comfort to exceed these 12fpe, unless I had a really good reason for it.

edit to add. Impact Energy Requirements for Hunting Various Animals - Hunting Valley Pocket Gophers


This is to assist in using the correct pellet and gun for the varmit to enable the correct shot for a quick, clean, humane kill

Sparrow 2.0ft-lbsPP
Valley Pocket Gopher - 3.0ft-lbs**
Squirrel - 3.0ft-lbs
Pigeon - 3.0ft-lbs
Rabbit - 5.0ft-lbs
Crow - 5.0ft-lbs
Groundhogs 10+ft-lbs
Raccoon - 40ft-lbs**

I would trust this source more than the above info. Basic airgun Hunting Guidelines | Airgun Depot

So what kind of FPE should you use for various game?
First of all let me state that while I'm familiar with many types of airguns and their capabilities, I am new to the airgun hunting arena. With that said, I have drawn upon the experts regarding the following suggestions and it's what I'm going to use as I explore my new found love of airgun hunting. Given the variety of airgun calibers and potential game, I'm going to break this down into game, caliber, kill zone, and energy. This will probably be a "living" chart which I will update as new information becomes available. It also assumes the ability for the airgun and shooter to effectively hit the necessary kill zone of the intended target.

GameMinimum Acceptable caliber*Kill Zone**Minimum Energy
Small Birds.177+.5″5 FPE
Medium Birds.177+.75″7 FPE
Large Birds.22+1″11 FPE
Squirrel Sized Game.22+1″9 FPE
Rabbit Sized Game.22+1″9 FPE
Raccoon Sized Game.22+ (.25+ recommended)1.5″25 FPE

I did allow FPS to be a major part of my decision, thinking that more is better. Thanks for educating me.
 
That is exactly why I didn't buy one.


I did allow FPS to be a major part of my decision, thinking that more is better. Thanks for educating me.

It could still turn out to be a really good air rifle. The under lever fixed barrels have always had my interest. Some are real accurate. You will have ample power and a wide choice of pellets to dial it in. Looking forward to hear how you like it.
 
I still think the underlever is a better design but I havent heard any issues of longevity with break barrels precision. I went with the Benjamin because its the only brand I had heard of.

The FPS is something I looked at but only to determine energy, the 22 cal had slightly more in the model I bought.
 
I would like an air rifle to kill starlings with. I need to be accurate to 25 yards and don't want to spend a lot, any suggestions?
If u are shooting them up in a tree I would go for .177 in lower power but extremely accurate and a high power scope (does not have to be an expensive scope but a mil dot reticle is extremely helpful, leapers 3-9 bug buster Fe can be had for $58). The best imo would be the crossman custom shop 2400 with lothar Walther barrel. My 2300 with 11" lothar Walther barrel will shoot in the same hole over and over indefinitely at 20 yards. The barrel makes all the difference. If u are located in the middle of nowhere then the .177 and lower power doesn't matter.

If shooting them on the ground then there are tons of options and personal preference comes into play more. I've had numerous springers, pneumatic, co2, co2/PCP, and PCP rifles and pistols in .177, 20, 22, and 25 caliber. My personal preference is PCP> co2> springer> pneumatic. But someone with a high quality springer may fee differently and that is cool. Go for accuracy over power. Too much power can introduce instability to the pellet and that is why the most accurate airguns are not overpowered (overpowered guns can be compensated somewhat with heavy projectile though).

No matter what you buy I would suggest going for accuracy over everything else. And if it's possible to get an Olympic grade barrel (they're very cheap on some guns such as the custom shop guns), then do it as it is totally worth it. Also keep in mind that no matter what u buy u will have to find the right pellet for it. Doing research on gateway to airguns yellow forum etc will shed light on which pellets work best in ur gun. A variation of the H&N field target trophy/special or jsb exact is often on the top of the list for many discriminating shooters but every gun is different. With the crossman 2300 mentioned above predator plastic tip pellets (selected for the ones that have perfectly round skirts) were the bees knees for starlings. Anything within 35 yards is an automatic 1 shot 1 kill.
 
Last Edited:
Yes, Mannyglocks, starlings are wretched birds - an invasive species and a major nuisance. Do a search. Up here they devastate native songbirds and farmers fields alike. The flocks can be startlingly huge. Here's more: 7 Things You Didn't Know About Starlings

Of interest: funny (to me) I loaned a 12 ga shotgun and some bird shot out to a buddy so he could shoot starlings on his farm many years back after he planted. I got the report when he returned it (his head was down in defeat).

The story he had: Round 1) The bastards showed up, he stepped out of his house and got off one shot and killed one. Thereafter they tended to stay away. For a bit. Then they soon came back.
Round 2: He stepped out of the house and they flew up into a tree a bit back. He shot another in that tree (call it tree #1). They took off but from then on they passed on tree #1 and moved back to the next further tree (call it tree #2). So over time they'd show up and start eating seeds that had been planted, buddy would step out, if he had the shotgun they headed directly for tree #2 before he barely got out the door. He said if he didn't have the shotgun they just ignored him and ate but if he would hold it up behind the glass (if it was inclement weather) they'd see it and head immediately to tree #2 which was out of range before he could even step out the door. If not, they just always ignored him unless he headed their way. He never got another clean shot in 2 years. Which is why starlings don't get predated by cats while cats are all but making native specie songbirds extinct. They're smart birds.

2 years later I got the shotgun back. 2 starlings dead.
 

Upcoming Events

Tillamook Gun & Knife Show
Tillamook, OR
"The Original" Kalispell Gun Show
Kalispell, MT
Teen Rifle 1 Class
Springfield, OR
Kids Firearm Safety 2 Class
Springfield, OR

New Resource Reviews

New Classified Ads

Back Top