airgun vs rimfire?

[pondskipper]

gun)

I just wanted to state first off in not saying one is better than the other but, I am wondering exactly why someone might spend 1800 dollars or more for an air rifle such as an FX Impact as compared to a solid, accurate .22lr such as my cz 455 precision trainer? That's a honest question, not me being a wise A**, what are the benefits of a good air rifle as compared to a good .22LR? I've used my 22 for everything from rats and squirrels to fox and coyotes, even have a few friends in MS that use them exclusively for hogs. I have shot mine out to over 400yds on steel targets and yes I stated that correctly, 400YDS! Noise isn't an issue with my 22lr either as it's suppressed, and as for accuracy, with lapua center x ammo I wouldn't hesitate one bit to put it against any air rifle I have seen that was meant for similar use.

So again, what is the benefit of a high end air rifle compared to a high end .22lr?

Thanks, James.

 

[Rick Richard]

I was going to say "noise", but you have that covered being suppressed. So, my answer is none. However, I believe air guns are not considered fire arms.

 

[codyadams]

With an air rifle, ammunition is cheaper, and it is always available....for instance, I shoot JSB Diabolo heavy in my .22 cal pcp, at $17 per 500...and when there were no .22 rounds to be found, I could buy these no problem and still have a 100 yard prarie dog plinker.

No stamp required for suppressor, and most high end guns come set up with a moderator built in, and will be quieter than even a suppressed .22, as anyone that knows what they are doing will shoot their airgun sub-sonic. But hopefully the hearing protection act will pass soon and the stamp thing won't matter...

All high ed pcp's will have adjustable power, and are back yard friendly, an 18.3 grain pellet going 900 fps is alot safer in back yards than a 22 rimfire. And, if you live with neighbors, you can practice your shooting from your home, instead of making a trip to the range or field.

And not to mention, there is just something awesome about shooting a starling at 80 yards with a pellet rifle

 

[pondskipper]

I didn't really think much about the ammo, I guess if things get tight again to where you can hardly find 22 ammo I'll invest in an air rifle, on the flip side of that though I never had a really hard time finding the really high end match stuff for 22 honestly, I shoot a lot and live out in the country so not much trouble when it comes to neighbors.

 

[sscoyote]

And not to mention, there is just something awesome about shooting a starling at 80 yards with a pellet rifle

well said!!

 

[Wild Bill G]

Here in Canada any air rifle shooting over 500fps. is a firearm. You guys don't know how good you have it. Don't let anyone take away your right to own firearms.
What are the names of the better air rifle makers.
Our wonderful prime minister has sold us out to the UN gun regestry as of June4th this year.

 

[codyadams]

Here in Canada any air rifle shooting over 500fps. is a firearm. You guys don't know how good you have it. Don't let anyone take away your right to own firearms.
What are the names of the better air rifle makers.
Our wonderful prime minister has sold us out to the UN gun regestry as of June4th this year.

FX make awesome air rifles.

The benjamin marauder is good if you don't have the money to spend on FX.

Air Force make some good guns too. I do think all of these would fall under the too much power thing though, but FX has some really modular guns

 

[nvreloader]

With Airforce AR, you can go from 500fps to 1200+fps,
just by changing bbl's/caliber size in about 15 minutes or less.

They have LOTS of options for everything in between 17 to 45 cal.

YMMV,
Tia,
Don

 

[codyadams]

With Airforce AR, you can go from 500fps to 1200+fps,
just by changing bbl's/caliber size in about 15 minutes or less.

They have LOTS of options for everything in between 17 to 45 cal.

YMMV,
Tia,
Don

Yes, but he needs to be UNDER 500 fps, and I believe there is a ft. Lb. Limit on air rifles in some parts of Canada as well. This would mean that a 45 cal air rifle shooting a 180 ball at 480 fps would be out. Canada is a crappy place to be for air rifles.

 

[royinidaho]

Here's my tally for the "season" ending Memorial Day of this year. New season started the same day...

Bar Neck doves - 177 - longest shot 76 yards.
Pigeons 17
Magpie 3
Feral Feline 5
Squirrel 28
Sparrow 5 - read that God counts these so I quit . . .
Stray Dog 1
Flicker 10
Coot 14
Starling 168 - Longest shot 83 yards.
260 - Total

Buddy bagged right at 3000 of the above including a couple dozen rock chucks.

Do that with a 22LR in a populated area.

Shooting JSB 18.3s @ 875 out of a AirForce Condor SS 22 Cal.

 

[Mike 338]

Airgun pros: Depending upon caliber, I would venture to say the Impact will easily compete in the accuracy dept. Air rifle is more compact and discreet. Tuneable. Impact cycles nicely without coming off the rifle. More urban friendly. Many shots per fill.
Cons: Price. Cost of just putting air in it comes close to the cost of a new gun. Filling large tank requires a scuba shop or extremely expensive specialty air compressor. Totally different machine than a rimfire. PCP Airguns can be complicated and will require work be done at some point. With the gun, scope and fill tanks, you can have 3 grand in it pretty easily.

Rimfire: One time expense. Accurate. Simple. Cost effective to shoot. Lite maintenance. No additional support equipment needed. With a pocket full of bullets, it's totally self contained. Not urban friendly, loud.


I figure a high end air rifle is more of a professionals tool or top-end hobbyists toy. A nice rimfire will get most people shooting right away without to many hidden expenses but shoot it in a back yard and expect a visit from the police. Both have similar ranges and lethality on game.

 

[royinidaho]

For another 500 bucks of so I got a fiberglass scuba tank. Can go many shots.

Our local fire department is airgun friendly. Refill from 2000 to 4500 PSI or so every couple of months.

I don't goodies to the kitchen table and donate regularly to "fill the boot".

on another point. I find myself using my 300 Blk out way more than the 10-22.

Got some Hammer airgun bullets coming. (special run - for fun) wonder if I can get one stuck in the bbl.

 

[specweldtom]

I live in town, so I don't shoot rimfire. I have a problem with treerats biting and wasting fruit on my trees in the backyard. I've tried several spring air guns in .177 and .22. They are sensitive to the way they are held and frequently scatter hits. One of the .177's was supersonic, so it didn't last. The .22's were killers, but were unpredictable on accuracy. I hate a wound or a miss on anything.

Ended up with a .25 cal Benjamin Marauder. Can shoot 20gr pellets (30+gr pellets available) into a ragged hole no matter how I hold it, is subsonic (<900 fps), comes with a barrel shroud that holds the noise down, crushes squirrels, is American made, and with the hand pump, is completely self-sufficient. The downside is that the hand pump is a 20 minute workout to rebuild pressure, but at 20 yds, I get a dozen same P.O.I. shots before I stop and pump back up. It's bigger and heavier than any of my spring guns, but makes up for it in accuracy and knockdown power.
Oh yeah, the rig costs more than any of my .22 rimfires but it meets my needs.

Good hunting, Tom

 

[dust]

On the surface, the airgun is a more expensive endeavor.

But, you have to think big when comparing airgun to rimfire.

I was considering the same thing about 5 years ago, and used these creiteria.

Gun, accessories, and 5000-25000 rds. of ammo

FV-SR
5 magazines
Can
Paperwork
Boyd's stock
trigger work
bottom metal
5K of CCI SV

Mrod
5 magazines
tank
compressor
5K of CPHP

To make the rimfire comparable to the airgun, you are going to spend at least $500 on a can, which is about the price of tank and compressor. If you have friends in 4500 psi places, you can save money, as mentioned above.

I compared a Savage FV-SR to a .22 Benji M-rod, using CCI SV at as of then current pricing at 5000 rds., and CPHP (Crosman Premeire Hollow Points) as fodder for the Mrod. It came out to about the same $ at 5000 rds. of ammunition. Obviously the more you shoot the more the airgun will come out ahead.

Obviously, if you are going to compare a $400 rimfire to a $1600 airgun, your numbers will be skewed.

Also consider that in many places the airgun is not considered a firearm, and therefore can be used in places a rimfire can't. For the Mrod, the ability to convert to .177 with a mag and barrel change was nice as well.

A regulated air rifle will keep SD lower than a lot of widely available rimfire ammo. A power wheel will allow you to shoot in the basement or backyard (if legal of course), and then crank it up when out after larger game.