Long Range Air Rifle for Target Shooting

[KnowNothing]

I was wondering if there are any air rifles with enough ooompf to reach 100 yards for target shooting.

I have one limitation, and that is that I cannot cock a break barrel. I just don't have the strength, and I have arthritis in my right hand.

That basically leaves, I believe, PCP and CO2 rifles, though I am not familiar with all the various types.

Maybe someone can tell me if an air rifle is capable of shooting accurately at 100 yards.

 

[A_Israel144K]

I have not tried any PCP but i heard great things. I know you say you can't cock break barrel but my Gamo Swarm Magnum .22 Cal shoots a 100 yards with ease.

 

[starlingassn]

yes,and then some. 

pcp airguns will do what you ask.

even the budget/entry models. 

 

[Guest]

.25 seemed the most used caliber at the PA Cup's 100yd bench rest competition this year. I could be mistaken though. It's a good caliber to start with.

 

[AirNGasman]

"Accurate" is a relative term, but I have yet to find an airgun that will average 1 MOA five-shot groups at 100 yards. Mind you, I've only tested about 500 airguns.

 

[KnowNothing]

I figured a .22 or better rifle would be better at long distances. The pellet is heavier, which I believe would resist the side wind. My .177 pellets get pushed around quite a bit.

If I purchase another air rifle, it will probably be a .22 that has a magazine, and is capable of at least 50 yards. But I would like what I purchase to be able to extend to 100 yards if I desire. For now, 50 yards seems to be a challenge for me with my Daisy Avanti 753. My problem really wasn't the Avanti, but the fact the scope ran out of UP elevation adjustment. I ordered adjustable rings to solve that problem..

I will be sticking with the Avanti for now, but I will continue to research the possibility of getting something with more power to cross the void. I do not need it for hunting. It is just for target practice.

 

[bdzjlz]

Yesterday was my first attempt at 100 yards, using both my RAW HM1000X LRT in .25 caliber shooting the JSB King Heavy 33.95 pellets and my Daystate Red Wolf HP in .22 caliber shooting the JSB Jumbo Monster Redesigned 25.39. I have room for improvement but I am not disappointed for the first attempt. Looking at the targets below, I would say that the answer to your question is pretty clear.

Good luck and have fun! This is a terrific hobby and their are many very good people on this forum.

 

[walter3rd]

 I do not have a PCP yet but as far as I have heard many many PCPs rifles can easily hit targets at 100 yards plus 

 

[pewpewfever]

I compete in long range firearms competitions, and I was surprised at first that 6mm dominates the field over 6.5mm or .30 cal. But the same or similar power can get the lighter, longer, narrower projectiles up to speed, and longer and narrower makes for a better vallistics coefficient. Being heavier also helps, but if it comes out to an even trade off, which seems to be the case with 6mm and 6.5mm creedmoor, for example, the lower recoil and flatter trajectory with the lighter, faster 6mm projectile wins the day. I’m curious to see what an ultra powerful air rifle, like the air force Texan, but with a regulator, can do in the smaller calibers. I’m also curious to see what it can do with long narrow slugs and a carefully selected twist rate in the longest available barrel. That’s where I would start looking.

 

[AirNGasman]

Speaking strictly about pellet rifles, I haven't had, seen, or heard of any .177 doing well at 100 yards compared to larger calibers. Argue theory all you like, but that's simply the case in the airgun world as we now know it.

.22 airguns do as well at 100 yards in still winds as any other caliber; but (again) in the real world a powerful .25 that likes 33.95 grain JSBs seems the best 100 yard caliber. No doubt some .30 caliber shooters might disagree, but I'd venture to state .30s don't shoot better at 100 yards than .25s, .30 ammo is considerably more expensive, as is .30 air consumption. That said, then the only argument in favor of .30 caliber is animate targets, not inanimate.

Here are a few real-world results-

Four consecutive SIX-shot groups at 100 yards in medium winds with 33.95 grain JSBs at 915 PFS/63/3 foot-pounds from my .25 Sumatra- 

Two five-shot groups with the same ammo and power-level with a .25 Shin Sung Career rifle at 97 yards in still winds-

Four consecutive SIX-shot groups at 97 yards with a .22 Sumatra Carbine in still winds with 15.9 grain JSBs at 890 FPS/28 foot-pounds. 

 

[KnowNothing]

Sorry to be so long in answering. I agree, a .177 is not for much of anything, other than 25 yards and closer. At least not the one I have, which is the Daisy Avanti 753, which only put out a pellet at a max of 507 FPS. I tried to stretch things to 50 yards, but I kept coming put short about 2 feet below the bottom edge of the cardboard which the target was affixed. It was probably 3 feet short in total to the center of the target, and that was with my adjustable scope rings maxed out, and the scope elevation maxed out also.

So I have retired the Avanti to only 25 yards and closer, and have now reattached the diopter sights. From now on I will be shooting mostly at 15 yards with this rifle with the diopter sights.

I was initially hoping that my Swiss Arms TG-1 would let me shoot at 50 yards, but discovered that springer rifles with large FPS figures, also have large cocking force required. I am not strong enough to cock the rifle more than twice before my arms and fingers start hurting. I just lack the strength, and my arthritis in my hands just doesn't like it. I have a hard enough time cocking the Daisy Avanti 753. At least I can manage that for 15-20 shots before I need a break from shooting.

Anyway, that Swiss Arms TG-1 is going to go up on the for sale board here for very little plus shipping. Why? I don't need three rifles. I finally went with the Hammerli 850 Air Magnum CO2 rifle. It doesn't shoot much faster, only 750 FPS, but that should get me to 50 yards based on reviews I have read. It also doesn't require me to cock something that is hard to move. I just need something this old body can use without working up a drenching bout of perspiration.. The one drawback to this CO2 rifle is that cold weather causes performance to degrade, though most of the year our temperatures here in the Mojave desert rarely stay below 50 degrees during the daytime hours. Another positive for this rifle is that it is made by Hammerli, which is owned by Walther. The barrel should be very good, like the Daisy Avanti 753 is.

 

[pewpewfever]

I wouldn’t discount .177 as a long range caliber just based on the range of the Avanti. The Avanti only produces about 4 FPE of muzzle energy, irrc. But we now have air rifles that can produce upwards of 500 FPE. And among those rifles, I think many recommend using .22 caliber for long range, even though they can shoot .30 or .45 caliber slugs with a barrel change. I’d be really curious to see what a long slender 50+ grain slug in .177 caliber can do out of one of those rifles at various twist rates and barrel lengths.



I’ll add that the folks recommending .22 caliber over the larger calibers for long range are likely talking about ranges quite a bit longer than 100 yards. I see them posting videos shooting 350 yard targets. And in the firearm competitions, the larger, heavier 6.5 mm CM has a BC advantage over the 6mm CM out to a couple of hundred yards. But then the smaller, faster 6mm starts to overtake and then outperforms the 6.5 at ranges past 500 yards. With the bench rest airgunners tending to shoot .25 or .30, I expect that could be a sweet spot for 100 yards. But it might be possible to improve by going down in caliber to increase speed and use a longer projectile. Also, a hollow point with a polymer tip concentrates mass towards the edges of the projectile, which increases angular momentum and keeps the projectile spinning longer.

 

[KnowNothing]

The AirMagnum only puts out a maximum of 11 foot pounds, so it isn't a powerhouse, but it is twice what my Avanti produces. I am hoping this increased power is enough to hit a target at 50 yards. I know very well it cannot manage 100 yards. I'm not willing to spend several thousand dollars for an air rifle. I'd rather purchase a 22lr for shooting at 100 yards. And a decent 22lr is around $500. I don't need expensive rifles to have fun. I like trying to shoot as well as my own skills, and the rifles tech allows. I know I can never match someone who has shot a rifle their whole life, and has a myriad of them, some costing small fortunes

You definitely need a lot of muzzle energy to throw a slug the size you are mentioning. The largest one I saw online was 21 grains, which I believe required at least 20 foot pounds of energy.

I understand that larger calibers are more accurate over distance, but again, the cost of the systems that can do that are prohibitive for my budget. Again, I am just trying to do target shooting at 50 yards, and enjoy the process. If I can just keep everything inside six inches at that distance, I would be elated.

 

[KnowNothing]

I managed to nearly zero in my diopter sights this morning on my backyard shooting range. I was shooting at 10 meters at a GAMO Bullseye Target. These are not as challenging as the true 10 Meter ISSF/NRA targets, but with my poor eyesight, they are perfect. I'm never going to shoot well enough to compete, but I can compete against myself.

Without adjustment to the sights, I put my first pellet low right on the 3 ring. I dialed up and left, and got into the 8 ring for about half my shots, with the rest in the 7 ring. For never shooting these type of sights, I am totally pleased. 

I probably could have done better if I had let the Sun rise, but that is when the gnats and flies come out, and I am allergic to them. Also, the way my range is set up, right now the Sun rises directly behind my backstop/target, so I get blinded anyway. It's the only way I could arrange things, as my property is quite small. I may have room for a 20 yard setup if I snuggle up against the house