Pellet rifle for hunting rabbits and woodchucks to 50 yards?

[Bigeclipse]

Ok I know this is a long range forum but figure someone on here has to have pellet gun experience. We have a rabbit and woodchuck problem. Every time I shoot my 22 rifle I end up getting one but the others run off and disappear for days or maybe even a week and then bam they will come back. We are not in a silencer friendly state so now my option is trying a pellet gun. First question is can a pellet rifle kill a rabbit or woodchuck at 50 yards? Second question is what models should I look at for accuracy? I don't need one hole accuracy but I also don't want to be missing all the time. Thanks for any advice!

 

[Frog4aday]

There was just a big discussion on this (well, for rabbits anyway) so this thread might get you started:
https://www.longrangehunting.com/threads/good-quality-pellet-for-rabbits.222015/

I think 50 yards is asking a lot of a pellet gun on a rabbit or woodchuck (perhaps the .177 Creedmoor pellet gun could do it? That's meant to be humor...)
With the new PCP 'air' rifles, in .25 caliber, I bet it is do-able and possible. Probably max range though, to be humane and all.

I like spring-piston airguns for their value to cost ratio, but they have their drawbacks, too. What is your budget? Last guy we helped we were trying to get his rabbit problem solved for 'cheap' and he decided to spend about $1,100 on the whole shebang, lol! Gotta love it.

Read that thread (see above) and come back with any questions you might still have.

 

[Elkeater]

I have a friend who loves his Benjamin marauder in .25 cal. He's been cleanly killing ground squirrels out to 40 yards with it.

 

[Whitetail312]

I used to cleanly kill all kinds of squirrels and rabbits to 50 yards with my RWS .177

 

[Pmacc60]

Get in touch with James Maccari at www.airrifleheadquarters.com. Jim has done more with airgun performance as anyone in the country . He has vast knowledge of pellets , calibers and tuning for power and accuracy. He has been doing it for over 40 years. He also has hunting knowledge and how the rifles perform in the field! A life time of experience
with airguns exclusively

 

[Jeremy338]

I run a 22 cal 24" barreled airforce condor. Sent it to talon tunes for a hop up. It rips out 30 gr pellets. I taped a turret and made a elevation knob to a 100 yards. It shoots legit 1" groups. I've never chronographed it but I bet it's around 1150-1200 fps. Guaranteed to kill a rabbit. Mine is a older model I bought when they first released them. A guy built me a can that goes into the stock all the way. It hangs off the gun 6" it's probably 18" long total. Without the can it sounds like a 22 mag with a can it's city quiet. I've killed thousands of prairie dogs with it. Well worth the money.
Good luck

 

[Thors Hammer]

I have a suppressed .25 caliber Condor SS.....very quiet and very deadly. I have mine sighted in at 50 yards, shoots quarter sized groups all day long. https://www.airforceairguns.com/

 

[RobMokry]

.17 hmr is pretty quiet and doesn't seem to scare off the ground squirrels we shoot with them. Also extending your range to 150-200yds.

 

[BallisticsGuy]

A pellet gun is going to be way louder at the gun than a .22lr. The crack-barrel models are really quite loud because of the mechanism. Something like a Benjamin is quieter to fire but the clack clack clack of pumping them is pretty loud too. The pellets will probably be subsonic though and a good .22cal pellet rifle will do the trick but I don't know if it'll do it to 50 yards, that's a ways for a pellet gun.

Try just using standard velocity match ammo which normally runs at 1080fps or under, you won't get a supersonic crack. The sound of gunfire off in the distance, in my experience, does a poor job of scaring rabbits off while supersonic cracks seem to do a great job of it. FWIW, I have killed a train load of rabbits in my life. For a few years in my youth I was shooting 10-25 rabbits PER DAY just keeping their numbers beat back. They'd stare at the sound of gunfire but walk past them or put a supersonic bullet near them and they'd high tail it into the next county.

If you have an AR you can slap a .22lr conversion in it and shoot Aguila SSS (Sniper Subsonic) which are a 60 grain bullet at 950fps which are very very quiet from a rifle but probably won't stabilize from the slow twist of a dedicated .22lr. Need the faster twist of a .223 barrel. From a rifle that's about as quiet as things get without a suppressor.

You might also try Aguila Super Colibri. From a rifle they're actually silent but I don't think they'll have enough horsepower to go 50yrds and still be rockchuck lethal.

 

[SavageHunter11]

I have a friend who loves his Benjamin marauder in .25 cal. He's been cleanly killing ground squirrels out to 40 yards with it.

Was here to suggest this very rifle. It's what I have and it's deadly accurate.

 

[acourvil]

Pellets can easily kill small game at 50 yards, especially the .22 , .25 and larger. With a good pellet rifle, shots to 75 yards are reasonable, and even out to 100yards is doable if you have a tuned gun and are a good shooter. You should always be shooting pellets subsonic, as the diablo shape is very unstable in the transonic range and your accuracy will suffer. Most pellets shoot best in the 800-950 fps range.

A lot depends on what you are willing to spend, just as with firearms. PCP rifles are probably the best, but you also need to invest in a pump or compressed air equipment, which pushes the cost up. Most PCPs will come with noise reducing shrouds, and the good ones will keep the noise to a minimum; in fact, in most cases, the loudest noise will be the pellet hitting whatever you are shooting at. The top-end PCP rides will run around $1500, but their are lots of cheaper options. The Air Force Condor or Talon are good options, but expect to do some tuning to get them shooting how you want.

 

[Ryodlsl]

I've owned and used several pellet rifles in .22, .25 and .30 cal on bunnies. Longest shot has been 125 yds on a jack. He went down, no problem. A .22 cal will get the job done and is more quiet. I started out with piston guns but now only have PCP's. A quality air rifle will group the pellets nicely at 50 yards.

Recommend whatever you get has a shroud to minimize noise. I usually run the AC or play some music to make it hard to hear the PCP since I live in a suburb and have never had a complaint. You will have no problem cleanly taking a bunny or chuck headshot at 50 yds from a supported position. My current favorite PCP, an FX Impact in .22. It will stack the pellets on top of each other at 30 yds, the range I can shoot from my patio table, with target pellets. For hunting I prefer Polymag Predator 22 short pellets, plenty accurate, more deadly and fit in the magazine. If you find yourself with more than one target within range, try shooting the farthest one away first. Seems to confuse them a little in deciding if and where to run, might give you a little better chance at a follow up shot.

 

[dust]

Before looking at a pellet rifle, have you tried the standard velocity loads in .22LR? Have you considered shooting from inside the house through an open window?
Have you considered a bow and arrow or crossbow?


Woodchucks are big, and at least a .22 PCP would be my suggestion. The Marauder or Rainstorm is the starting point, but you haven't stated a price range.

 

[Sid Post]

A pellet gun will do what you are asking for IF you spend the money to get a good one. Forget the big box stores like Walmart, Dick's, Academy, etc.

You will want at least a .20 caliber, forget the .177's. A .22 or .25 will put the hurt on the critters at the distances you are talking about if you shoot a PCP (pre-charged pneumatic) air rifle.

Be aware that air rifles use different scopes than centerfire (or rimfire) rifles. The recoil impulse is different and will break reticles if you don't have a good 'air gun' scope.