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Newbie - recommendation for air rifle to kill squirrels

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callmejack

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Jun 14, 2020
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Hi. I'm new to this site, and honestly, air guns period. Or at least, I haven't used one since I was a young teenager (40 now). I've got a squirrel problem on my property. Does anyone have a recommendation for a rifle? Will probably also use it for some recreational target shooting (medium to long range). Willing to spend around $200ish.

I've looked at a few reviews sites, but they're inconsistent. Ruger Blackhawk, Gamo Whisper Silent Cat are a couple that appear a few times. I appreciate your recommendations. Thx.
 
Dude if you go on flying dragon air rifles website. He has the xisco x60c. It's a co2 22 cal and it's 100 bucks. You should spend the next 100 getting a full tune from Mike melick. Honestly I don't even know if he would charge that much but it will definitely be enough for squirrel and you would have the accuracy of a pre charged pneumatic and ease of use of a co2. If you go to archer airguns and get the umarex fusion co2 end cap you will have the ultimate co2 gun for around 200. Good luck brother. Many guns will fit that bill. Honestly go to Walmart and buy the cheapest springer and you should be fine. Crosman fury or Gamo anything should be OK. If it doesn't work take it back and get a new one. With Mike you know your getting a tuned up sweet shooting gun. Gluck
 
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.177 heavily regulated pcp. One that gets more than 40 shots per fill.



This type of air rifle will be backyard friendly in most cases. This caliber can destroy any squirrel. Head shots definitely bring out the kills that happen the closest to the point at which they are shot. But body shots are fantastic in this caliber too. And it is great for crow as well as pigeon.



Just make sure your rifle is accurate and you got a good zero.



the new rifles with the side lever actions are a little quieter and easier to make the follow up shots when they happen but this is not a requirement. By the way, I also prefer a rifle that has a magazine and can take a bipod.



This one looks good https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFzTgyRmhdE
 
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Wow are you serious yo?! I took my kids daisy back the day after I bought it and they let me just get another one. I know you know your stuff so perhaps I am the one who was wrong. Honestly I don't buy most my stuff from Walmart so I'm sure that is my fault. However I still think there is a send back to Gamo or crosman possible from a Walmart buy. My point was that a cheap ass gun should kill a rat if you make a good choice. #any springer will kill a squirrel. 😂
 
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Yea recently found out recommending a buddy to do the same thing return if he didnt like the gun which he did the next day since the brakebarrel safety didn't work and trigger was really bad and the STORE MANAGER simply refused to take it back even when the gun was still brand new with receipt after he made a really BIG STINK at the customer service returns section. I verified next time I went it's just around New Years 2020 and the person in charge of the gun section told me absolutely no returns period change in policy regarding guns stuff even airguns and related items. This was in early January 2020. Perhaps policy on airgun returns are different at your area Wal-Mart but there were classified ads on AA folks selling Wal-Mart guns that were not allowed to return as well. I had a tin of defective damaged real bad shape pellets tried to return with receipt same day sorry have to mail it to the mtg. Couldn't believe it!!! HERES HOW I FELT WHEN THEY TOLD ME SORRY CANT TAKE ANYTHING BACK. Yo!

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My Walmart for sure will not take airguns back. I’m also with Yo! On the gun in the classifieds. Always good to spend on the community too. I’m also gamo underlever fan boy though so got to through the CFR in the mix. 199 on sale at gamo and they also had a refurb for like 120 last I looked. The co2 recommendation is also solid and probably quicker to load then the other ones mentioned. 
 
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.177 heavily regulated pcp. One that gets more than 40 shots per fill.



This type of air rifle will be backyard friendly in most cases. This caliber can destroy any squirrel. Head shots definitely bring out the kills that happen the closest to the point at which they are shot. But body shots are fantastic in this caliber too. And it is great for crow as well as pigeon.

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I realize this is about rifle choice, but I'll mention one thing after reading this response. I have killed a bunch of squirrels with air rifles, and I have noticed something I find interesting regarding shot placement. Obviously, a shot through the brain is instantly lethal, no question. But, that kind of head shot virtually always results in a lot of nerve reaction, and the squirrel may flop around for 20 feet or more. Alternatively, a well placed heart/lung area shot is effective, and I have found that the squirrels hit in that location almost never move after hit. I can't explain it, and I'm sure they are not exactly instantly dead, but they just don't move around. I've observed this too many times to think it is an anomaly. The drawback, you need to know the squirrel's anatomy, and make a well placed shot, as one hit a bit too far back will not be a clean kill. 

More on point, regarding your rifle choice, I'm afraid you will be challenged to find a satisfying rifle in that price range. Since you will be dispatching animals, and the range may be longish, you need the best rifle you can afford. For me, that always means a good trigger, which probably means more money than in your present budget. If you can find an acceptable rifle among the choices offered, that will be great, but I think might be better off long term to build up your budget broaden your choices. 
 
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If you can up your budget slightly there currently is a Gen 2 Benjamin Fortitude on the classified and he is asking $250 which would be a nice quiet squirrel worthy rifle. You would have to get a scope and handpump too.


i actually just looked at Crosmans site, you could get a brand spanking new Fortitude with the AGN 25% discount for $232 and free delivery if you order it on Fridays.
 
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Does CO2 have enough energy to dispatch a squirrel?

My first "serious" air rifle was a Ruger Impact from WalMart. Using the artillery hold it's been more than accurate enough for dispatching squirrels. I realize not everyone has had as much luck with the Umarex made springers mine has shot fine.
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Definitely - I could (not that I've tried) take out a squirrel with my 2240 shooting a 14gr .22 pellet at 450 fps. At 20 yards it'll send a 14gr pellet straight through both sides of a soda can filled to the top with water. A CO2 rifle pushes the same pellet around 600 fps or more - shouldn't be a problem. 
 
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Normally I would not recommend a co2. However Mike melick makes cheap Chinese guns run very well. Just as accurate as a pcp at short range and like 270 said 16 to 18 fpe is plenty to kill a squirrel. The brits kill rabbits and squirrel wit 8 to 11 fpe all the time. With a 200 dollar limit it would be my first choice. The fortitude seems like a great idea but then you need to buy a 40 dollar Ali express pump at the bare minimum. If the money limit was 300 or 350 my choice would swing toward a Gamo urban or a guantlet. By the way pyramid has 177 and 22 guantlet for like 230 bucks or something like that. Pretty cool. BTW thanks yo for letting me know about Walmart. I was able to take my kids airgun back but that was 2 years ago. I just looked at the paperwork on her new gun and it says not to return to the store but contact daisy directly. I might have had good luck. 
 
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Normally I would not recommend a co2. However Mike melick makes cheap Chinese guns run very well. Just as accurate as a pcp at short range and like 270 said 16 to 18 fpe is plenty to kill a squirrel. The brits kill rabbits and squirrel wit 8 to 11 fpe all the time. With a 200 dollar limit it would be my first choice. The fortitude seems like a great idea but then you need to buy a 40 dollar Ali express pump at the bare minimum. If the money limit was 300 or 350 my choice would swing toward a Gamo urban or a guantlet. By the way pyramid has 177 and 22 guantlet for like 230 bucks or something like that. Pretty cool. BTW thanks yo for letting me know about Walmart. I was able to take my kids airgun back but that was 2 years ago. I just looked at the paperwork on her new gun and it says not to return to the store but contact daisy directly. I might have had good luck.
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IN WAL-MARTs CASE...VASELINE IS NO LONGER INCLUDED 😉 Yo!
 
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Tuned Xisico XS-25 

http://flyingdragonairrifles.org/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=51
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THATS from the "Same company" and well respected tuner dealer for the XS46U like the one on the classifieds specs out as having only 26 pounds cocking effort vs XS25 at 30 pounds. It is ASSUMED that the fixed barrel under levers such as the XS46Us are more accurate than brake barrels too. Yo!
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I own the XS46U my XS25B and XS25 are actually more accurate. 
 
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