what airgun for squirrels.need 1 shot kills.

[jbtazgrabber]

help please squirrel season in 2 months...the better half wants a new airgun to kill tree rats...the owner of the land we hunt wont let us shoot noisy guns......i asked if a airgun was ok ....sure he said....so i need some  advice on which one will kill them <without running off to die...>lots of rats so i dont need a long range shooter....30 yards would be a long shot.....we kinda played with airguns before but shes getting down right serious about this....if you have any experance with airguns and squirrels please let me know what you use and results........thanks jb

[Graybeard]

I've done it with .177s but short of a head shot a one shot kill don't come often. The Sheridan rifles in either .20 or .22 caliber are really deadly on squirrels. Put it in the chest and one shot one kill is the norm. Plus they are cheap and accurate but you have to pump them several times. If you want a springer I don't know what model to tell ya but I'd not get a .177 for squirrels.

[trotterlg]

I had a Sheridan 20 cal and it was really great, that was 20 years ago, Probably some of the under barrel cockers in 177 are good now, I have a cheap side cocker in .177 that shoots well.  I think I would look for a .22 or .20 if you can find one, the single lever cock spring will get you a thousand FPS with .177 and 800 with .22.  Larry

[mangulator]

Graybeard, is correct on the Sheridan's they are deadly and accurrate I have a friend that has one. The Benjamin 22 cal. is also deadly.

[jbtazgrabber]

yes i hunted with a 177 springer and if not a head shot they would just fall to a lower limb and crawl off unless i could get another pellet in them.....the better half used a 22 cal..and had lots better luck but still not 100 percent.....thanks 4 the replys......i think a sheridan will work but looking 4 a springer .......no pumping  less noise less movement......anyone else??? thanks jb

[.308sniper]

Its not an airgun but try shooting cb caps out of a bolt .22.  If you do this try to get the cb longs they have the same amount of noise but more accurate.  Just my 2 cents.

[Larry Gibson]

yes i hunted with a 177 springer and if not a head shot they would just fall to a lower limb and crawl off unless i could get another pellet in them.....the better half used a 22 cal..and had lots better luck but still not 100 percent.....thanks 4 the replys......i think a sheridan will work but looking 4 a springer .......no pumping  less noise less movement......anyone else??? thanks jb

For springers try the R9 in .20 cal, the RWS M48 or 52 in .22 cal. I use the R9 and RWS M54 and they are very effective with head and heart/lung shots on squirrels provided the proper pellets are used. The M54 is basically the M52 in a recoiless set up. It is a heavy rifle so your wife may not like it. The R9 is a barrel cocker and my wife cocks and shoots it with ease. The M48/52/54 are side cockers and they are a bit much for her. I have a Simmons 4X scope on the R9 and a Leupold 6.5x20 EER on the M54. The M48/52 are the same power as the M54 though just not quite as accurate because of the recoiless feature. Plenty good enough for 30 yards though.

I use the 14.3 gr CP pellet in both the .20 cal R9 and the .22 cal M54. The .20 cals run 666 fps and the .22 cal 791 fps.  Both of the CP pellets provide excellent accuracy in both rifles. Crow Magnum pellets in both also give excellent kills at 30 yards and under. The 12.7 gr .20 cal CMs run 705 fps in the R9 and the 18.2 gr .22 call CMs run 660 fps out of the M54. I favor the CMs for under 30 yards if heart/lung shots are expected.

I have killed bunches of squirrels with both caliber/rifles,  lots of jack rabbits, several feral cats, a couple racoons along with 58 brown and warf rats off my squirrels feeder in the back yard.  Of course crows and gobs of starlings have bit the dust too.

Larry Gibson

[Larry Gibson]

yes i hunted with a 177 springer and if not a head shot they would just fall to a lower limb and crawl off unless i could get another pellet in them.....the better half used a 22 cal..and had lots better luck but still not 100 percent.....thanks 4 the replys......i think a sheridan will work but looking 4 a springer .......no pumping  less noise less movement......anyone else??? thanks jb

For springers try the R9 in .20 cal, the RWS M48 or 52 in .22 cal. I use the R9 and RWS M54 and they are very effective with head and heart/lung shots on squirrels provided the proper pellets are used. The M54 is basically the M52 in a recoiless set up. It is a heavy rifle so your wife may not like it. The R9 is a barrel cocker and my wife cocks and shoots it with ease. The M48/52/54 are side cockers and they are a bit much for her. I have a Simmons 4X scope on the R9 and a Leupold 6.5x20 EER on the M54. The M48/52 are the same power as the M54 though just not quite as accurate because of the recoiless feature. Plenty good enough for 30 yards though.

I use the 14.3 gr CP pellet in both the .20 cal R9 and the .22 cal M54. The .20 cals run 666 fps and the .22 cal 791 fps.  Both of the CP pellets provide excellent accuracy in both rifles. Crow Magnum pellets in both also give excellent kills at 30 yards and under. The 12.7 gr .20 cal CMs run 705 fps in the R9 and the 18.2 gr .22 call CMs run 660 fps out of the M54. I favor the CMs for under 30 yards if heart/lung shots are expected.

I have killed bunches of squirrels with both caliber/rifles,  lots of jack rabbits, several feral cats, a couple racoons along with 58 brown and warf rats off my squirrels feeder in the back yard.  Of course crows and gobs of starlings have bit the dust too.

Larry Gibson