I grew up shooting air-rifles, and enjoyed them as late as around 2003. I used a 550fps pump-up .22 caliber to kill Texas Jack Rabbits. It was great fun and the dog loved it. Anyways, I find myself with a squirrel problem, and often they are out of shotgun range. This leaves me with my suppressed .22, but that's too much. I don't want that "down range liability". The reason for the problem is that they chew on my house/decking, and I want to kill them.
I also enjoy shooting.
Yesterday, my girlfriend and I toured the Daisy air-gun museum, which is local to us as is Daisy. There, I purchased a Winchester 1100ss, and on Amazon I bought a cheap 3-9 airgun scope with decent 5-star rating.
I played with it some today, and shooting flat-point Daisy pellets, accuracy at 50 yards was very lacking. At 25 yards, it was just fine. I noted pellets tumbling at 50 yards, as evidenced by paper target. I went with some Gamo Tomahawk pellets (they remind me of Hydrashok centerfire ammunition) and they did much better, but some were still unstable.
What pellet should I buy? It is a .177 caliber rifle.
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If this pellet rifle does okay, and I enjoy it, I will be looking into a "better" one some time in the next 2 months. I do not want one that takes gear to support (pumps/chargers/ whatever). I also want one that is reliable. One that will work like new in 30 years if I even half-way maintain it. Accuracy is #1 to me. I want .177 or .22 caliber. If it's a .22, I want 800+fps, if it's .177, I want 1100fps with a heavy lead pellet (not the lightest ones, but the 10+gr stuff). I also would like a recommendation for a good scope and rings.
The budget for the rifle is $300, and the scope, the same. However, I don't plan to "pay for glass" like I do with my centerfire rifles. I would prefer a $100 scope known to be "unkillable" but have "mediocre glass" vs. pay $300 for "the whole package". We are talking <100 yards here. I'm not going to get snobby with it.
First, last, and foremost, is: reliable/worry-free.
Thanks for your advice, and please, feel free to break it down stupid for me. I understand t he centerfire, pistol, and shotgun world, but the air rifle world, not so much. Thank-you!
I also enjoy shooting.
Yesterday, my girlfriend and I toured the Daisy air-gun museum, which is local to us as is Daisy. There, I purchased a Winchester 1100ss, and on Amazon I bought a cheap 3-9 airgun scope with decent 5-star rating.
I played with it some today, and shooting flat-point Daisy pellets, accuracy at 50 yards was very lacking. At 25 yards, it was just fine. I noted pellets tumbling at 50 yards, as evidenced by paper target. I went with some Gamo Tomahawk pellets (they remind me of Hydrashok centerfire ammunition) and they did much better, but some were still unstable.
What pellet should I buy? It is a .177 caliber rifle.
_______________________________________________________
If this pellet rifle does okay, and I enjoy it, I will be looking into a "better" one some time in the next 2 months. I do not want one that takes gear to support (pumps/chargers/ whatever). I also want one that is reliable. One that will work like new in 30 years if I even half-way maintain it. Accuracy is #1 to me. I want .177 or .22 caliber. If it's a .22, I want 800+fps, if it's .177, I want 1100fps with a heavy lead pellet (not the lightest ones, but the 10+gr stuff). I also would like a recommendation for a good scope and rings.
The budget for the rifle is $300, and the scope, the same. However, I don't plan to "pay for glass" like I do with my centerfire rifles. I would prefer a $100 scope known to be "unkillable" but have "mediocre glass" vs. pay $300 for "the whole package". We are talking <100 yards here. I'm not going to get snobby with it.
First, last, and foremost, is: reliable/worry-free.
Thanks for your advice, and please, feel free to break it down stupid for me. I understand t he centerfire, pistol, and shotgun world, but the air rifle world, not so much. Thank-you!