Spring rifle

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flyinlead

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I’ve got a serious squirrel problem where I live. I also recently discovered how good fried squirrel tastes.
I live in a rural area with 1 acre lots backing onto 1000 acres of thick swampy forest.
I can safely shoot at squirrels that are right at the back of my lot.
My limiting factor is head shots only, because I don’t want dying squirrels going to my neighbours.
How much does one have to pay to get a spring powered air rifle that is minute of squirrel head at 25 yards? Ideally, I’d like half inch groups or better at this range. I sneak into position and shoot the little buggers off a good rest.
The reason I say spring power is because I want as little noise as possible.
I can use CCI 22 quiet and a 26 inch barrel rifle. It’s even quieter than my CO2 air pistol.
However, I don’t like slinging 40 grains of lead and hearing them bounce around in the trees. A light airgun pellet to the head would be sufficient. I do want over 500 fps. Doesn’t have to be crazy powerful, I imagine 700 fps plus would do it.
I know very little about airguns so looking for recommended models. Probably looking at getting a scope too for this squirrel sniping.
 
IME, springers Are NOT super quiet, even under 500fps. A PAL rated one will be loud since it's near speed of sound. IMO you should stay with the 'Quiets' and just aim carefully. And an accurate springer will cost quite a bit, too. You'd want 22cal pellets and getting that up to 'kill-zone' isn't cheap. Or look into PCP for an alternate hobby?
 
My go to squirrel gun is a 177 Weihrauch HW95 with a Hawke 4-12 scope and Sports Match UK mount. If I do my part I rarely miss out to 35 yards up trees. My shooting partner uses a Diana 34 pro compact but they are getting harder to find these days.
 
I’m not sure what is quieter. That CCI quiet ammo is really quiet. However, the smack of a 40 grain bullet hitting a tree is actually quite loud.
There’s also the appeal of high volume target practice with cheap pellets
Are the nitro piston guns any quieter? How is the accuracy?
 
flyinlead said:
I’m not sure what is quieter. That CCI quiet ammo is really quiet. However, the smack of a 40 grain bullet hitting a tree is actually quite loud.
There’s also the appeal of high volume target practice with cheap pellets
Are the nitro piston guns any quieter? How is the accuracy?
Click to expand...
NP are only quieter than spring because you don't get the twang. But you can fix the spring twang. But equally can be loud if they diesel. As for accuracy. They can be okay if you master them. They don't shoot like a traditional rifle so take more practice to master.

I remember shooting my summit at 20 yards and group was double the size as my lower power Daisy 953.
 
I have a mostly hate/hate relationship with air guns, but for some pest control duties they really shine. For that reason, I recently picked-up one of these PAL-rate .22s to try out, and shot it last week for the first time.

https://mkguns.co.uk/kral-n-01-break-barrel-air-rifle-review/

I'd never owned a NP air rifle, or any magnum "springer" type gun but my pump-up pneumatic plan backfired and I sold the CO2 rifle I should have probably kept. Anyway, I thought accuracy was pretty good (not 1/2" @ 25 yards) and I finished-off with 3 shots a quarter would have covered @ 25 yards and called that a success. The last 2 a dime would have covered but that honestly felt more like luck. There were a few fliers I couldn't explain, but I was also cycling through pellet types to try.

Good: affordable, powerful, creepy but decent trigger, cocking effort manageable
Bad: loud, JSB pellets didn't seat well, physically large air rifle

If you're like me and grew-up shooting a well-broken-in, -500fps springer and expect these magnum guns to be a similar experience=they're not. This one is probably still needing to be broken-in, but it's quite loud (probably louder or AS loud as a Quiet-22) and goes-off with a whallop. The pellets reach the 50 yard mark almost instantly, the experience is more 22LR-like. I've yet to go looking for barn pigeons with it, but based on what I'm seeing....I think it's a bigger gun/more oomph than what's actually required for the job. They're not that hard to dispatch.
 
Yes indeed I grew up shooting a well worn springer. I first used the one my dad had as a kid and I think it was only shooting 350- 400 fps. I then saved my paper route money and bought a newer one off a buddy that was up around the 495 fps. That one was perfect for pigeons in barns actually, they’re pretty soft birds. That high power one you’ve just acquired may actually shoot right through the pigeon and metal barn roof.
I shot a ton of sparrows and starlings, but always needed just a bit more power for squirrels and rabbits. I hated that 495 fps law.
 
flyinlead said:
Yes indeed I grew up shooting a well worn springer. I first used the one my dad had as a kid and I think it was only shooting 350- 400 fps. I then saved my paper route money and bought a newer one off a buddy that was up around the 495 fps. That one was perfect for pigeons in barns actually, they’re pretty soft birds. That high power one you’ve just acquired may actually shoot right through the pigeon and metal barn roof.
I shot a ton of sparrows and starlings, but always needed just a bit more power for squirrels and rabbits. I hated that 495 fps law.
Click to expand...
You might be right. I wish I'd put my previous .22 air rifle over a chronograph, I was told it shot around the same vel. as this gun does and most people didn't seem to believe me when I told them I could hear the pellet hitting the rafters after passing through the bird. The barns I shoot around have galvanized steel roofs, and I'm not sure these little/light pellets are any threat...but I'll keep an eye on it. My previous gun was a QB-79, and all things considered...maybe a little more civilized a shooting experience. This KRAL goes off with a quite a bang, and is physically a large rifle. I'm pushing 6' tall and wouldn't want it any bigger.
 
Proper greases on the chamber, spring, and spring guide, will go a long ways towards taking the twang out of the springer guns, if you find that irritating.
Search "Maccari Tar" Not even sure if the stuff (original) is still being sold, but I do see there is some talk of similar products that can be used.

I used some on a rebuild of a badly damaged Feinwerkbau 124, and it made a huge difference.
 
I rid small rodents with a crosman nitro piston 177 cal. Incursion model breakbarrel. Change the scope supplied (crap) and the gun become quite accurate. cheap in price, pal required, and speeds up to 1200fps.
 
I have a PAL rated Crosman NP in .22 cal. and a .22 rimfire with a 24 inch barrel. When shooting the Aquila colibri at 420 FPS through the 39A it's whisper quiet compared to the Crosman. Also, the Aquilas are half the size of a regular .22 at 20 grains. Just something to consider.
 
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