What break barrel air rifle to choose for hunting

You seem a bit optimistic. You are shooting at a US Dime at that distance, and have to hit it or you just wound an animal an it hopefully wanders off to die quickly, but probably not.

There is a lot of adjustment to make at those distances with most air rifles and there lies the rub.

I have a nice background for LD shooting training. I don't have the money for the glass and ballistic calculators I used in that part of my life. For what I use it for, hunting ranges are well within reach.
 
I've had good luck with my .22 Diana 460 Magnum, but not out to the distance you mentioned. 35 yards is about as far as I go with it, but 20-25 yards, yeah, all day long - I shoot squirrels mostly. Try for head or shoulder shots.

It will shoot JSB Jumbo Match 14.35 gr pellets at an average of 870.9 fps, producing 24.17 ft-lbs of energy at the muzzle.

and

JSB STO Lead-free 11.75 gr pellets at an average of 968.0 fps, producing 24.14 ft-lbs of energy at the muzzle

The Jumbo Match are more accurate, but both pellets can nail a suspended spray paint can out a 35 yards easily.
 
A really good springer in the hands of a really good shooter who really understands his rifle, Is good from 10 to probably 45 or 50 yards. Obviously it is depending upon conditions. 

Anything past 100 yards with any airgun is extremely difficult. If you had a really good high-powered PCP machine like a red wolf, and you were shooting slugs, and conditions were wonderful, you may be able to make some hits from 100 to 150 yards.

if you’re looking at one of the PCPs that you can pump with a hand pump. Anything out past 75 yards is going to be very difficult, unless conditions are absolutely perfect, which they rarely if ever are. And if you were shooting pigeons for instance, you would be doing a lot of pumping.

for your price range I would find one of the sig. ASP‘s. And see what you can do with it.

Otherwise you have to buy a pump a rifle and a decent scope. 


mike
 
I would prefer a springer with a very tough stock, so that it wouldn't break when I whack the varmints with it, as that would be my preferred method of using it. I admit that I am prejudiced against springers, as they aren't very useful on the windy prairies of Montana. I bought a Crosman Nitro Piston Gas Ram springer back in 2010 because of all the hype about gas ram springers. It wouldn't shoot any better than 2" 5-shot groups at 50 yards with any pellet I tried. My BSA Lonestar.25 cal shoots 3/8" 5-shot groups at 50 yards and I kill prairie dogs at 100 yards and beyond. Something like a skunk is "dead right there". My BSA Lonestar .25 shoots through 3/4" plywood and pine 2x4 studs with heavy pellets. Try that one with any springer.

Springers are good for cleaning bunny rabbits out of a garden or pigeons out of a barn at close range (My Lonestar will shoot through the barn, so no good for work around buildings). I have a Sheridan .20 cal for the low power work, and both of the springers I have owned are just junk compared to the Sheridan. With JSB pellets, the Sheridan is almost as accurate as my BSA Lonestar. If you want a nice lower powered PCP air rifle at a cheap price, lower priced than many springers, and more accurate, and with variable power, can't beat a Benjamin or Sheridan, and I have owned both. Grew up as a teenager with a Benjamin .22, and never did a single repair even though it was rather heavily used. The real Benjamin, not those made after Crosman bought the company. The Crosman Nitro Piston cost me twice what I paid for the Sheridan, and not nearly as good.

Phil
 
I have shot squirrels with my R9 .20 cal out to 45 yards... Beeman 11.4 gr..

Rabbits I hunt with my LD,,

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These come in handy..



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