I'm not talking super crazy expensive or anything, but the last air-gun I owned was a Crossman Pumpmaster 760 when I was a kid. I have $100 to spend and need to get rid of some ground squirrels (the big guns aren't an option here), so i picked up a cheapie Daisy ($40) and figured I would throw the rest of the money at a new day-pack,
BUT I just saw a
Crossman Optimus on sale at Dunham's Sports for $99.
SO, talk to me about these. Is this a good way to spend $100?
I purchased a break barrel ( Winchester) in .177 for my kid and with ballistic pellets it will go through our all be it oxidized wheel barrel. Break barrels rule and at 1200 fps muzzle velocity they are leathal rabit and squirill killers 0 to 60 feet and up to 75 feet with the brass ballistic coned pellets.
You can kill at even longer range if its doves and the like. the Winchester was 179.00 but I just got a flyer from Cabelas and the Gamo and Crossmans were on sale if memory serves.
I have a 1200 fps and a 1000fps .177, and then I have a 800fps .22.
Once you get over 1000fps they are noisy as they break the sound barrier, almost as noisy as a .22lr standard velocity.
As far as killing things, the high speed .177's zip straight through while the slower wider .22 will make things tumble and bounce.
If you have a .22lr rifle, I would try the
Super Colibri, or the
CCI Quiet and see if they would work for you.
Having said that, I love shooting air rifles and pistols, I find that I shoot my 600fps .177 the most, plinking bullseyes at 10yds and soda cans out to 35yds or more. If you have a quality gun and find the pellets they like, air guns can be very accurate and cheap to shoot depending on the pellets. The spring guns are nice when new, but will wear out you might consider a Nitro Piston powered one, it will be more consistent for longer.
