air rifle vs. rimfire

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elh0102

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Jul 31, 2018
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As I have become more involved in PCP air rifles, I have a growing frustration around the fragility of most air rifles, and the resulting inconsistency of POI from day to day, and the inability to withstand even minor bumps without affecting POI, and the need to zero again. After years of rimfire shooting, I became frustrated with the availability and consistency of good ammo, and turned my attention to air rifles. But, at least the rimfire rifles are rock solid, and the same ammo is going to shoot where you're aiming, even after a weather change or a minor (or major) barrel bump. Thinking about going back to them. Once, while unloading for a squirrel hunt, I dropped my .22 rimfire rifle as the rear gate opened on my vehicle. A short while later, I had a shot, and nailed the squirrel right in the head. Had that been one of my air rifles, I would not have attempted a shot without first re-zeroing, which my experience would indicate it would need.

Air rifles are a lot of fun, but the PCP technology and rifle construction, seems to require a lot of careful handling and maintenance when compared to their rimfire counterparts. Maybe someday, air rifle makers will see the benefit of threaded or pinned barrel shanks and robust actions that can withstand some heavier use. I realize that would take some careful assembly to align air ports and O rings, but maybe machining could be sufficiently precise to preclude the need for so much rubber in the accuracy chain. Maybe I'm just trying to force a square peg into a round hole, so forgive the rant. It's time for some good Kentucky bourbon, which seems to always help in problem solving. 


 
I am sorry but I must take exception to your post. I agree regarding the dependability of the rimfires. I have a 50 year old Marlin model 80C that is just as deadly today as it was when I was in the squirrel woods as a teenager and the POI has never shifted and it has been handled and stored in about every condition and weather imaginable over the years.

But then there are my Air Arms S510s which I have had over the last two decades, producing accuracy that is at least equal to my .22 powder burners if not superior, and equally as dependable. The only thing I have changed out on them is the magazine indexing spring.












 
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I'm a fan of both.

I've shot rimfire for decades (5+). I "discovered" high end air rifles about 5 years ago. This forum is where I cut my teeth learning what I could. I went through a few air rifles. Bought a compressor and carbon tank. I love the accuracy of the air rifles (Steyr Hunter 5 and FX Wildcat) and they add a little something to my squirrel hunts. I am intimidated somewhat with the air rifles and worry what I'll do when o-rings and stuff like that happens. The compressor really makes me nervous. I could have bought an Anschutz 1712 .22 LR for what I paid for it. I don't use it enough.

I've been on a rimfire binge the past 3 months though.

One thing I've found in both crowds, the air rifle and rimfire fanatics (I'm probably only 50% fanatic) both like to tinker and improve. Sometimes you read of folks buying a rifle and before it arrives they've selected aftermarket barrels, stocks, triggers, and doo-dads to hang on em. Seems sometimes the only part that remains original is the action. I'm guilty of some of the same.

Something I'll give the air gunner. They tune their firearms, carefully select pellets, make em perfect, etc. If they miss, it's the shooter. A rimfire fellow can do the same things, and if using ammo the rifle "likes" will do just fine. When a flier occurs it is usually blamed on the ammo.


 
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Yea air rifles need to be treated"nicer"no big deal.They used to call me Mr..22 at work cause I loved them and had so many rimfires,still do,and I still love them,butt I can not shot them in my backyard,Fact I could live with "pellet" guns as my only guns.

No big deal...yes .22 rimfires are plenty cheaper,butt I would rather pay more and shoot everyday than not...truth ,I just love to shoot...anything.
 
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Bowwild, I agree with your comments. And yes, fliers will occur based on ammo with rimfire more often than with air rifle, and the reason, I think is clear. With air rifle ammo there is one variable, the pellet. With rimfire, we have the brass case, the primer compound, the powder charge, the bullet, and the consistency of assembling them all together. So yes, there is a legitimate observation that ammo-related fliers will occur more with rimfire. I accept that as fact, and my experience proves it, at least to me. But, in a hunting scenario, let's assume that ammo related fliers may account for 10% of our misses with rimfire. I have no data to support that assumption, just 50+ years of experience. With my air rifles, if all is well with tune, and pellets are good, then I am very willing to accept as fact, that fewer than 10% of misses is pellet related, probably far less. But my issue, with the passage of time since zeroing the air rifle, or, if it should suffer even a moderate bump, my experience suggests that there is a very high probability that my POI is off enough to result in missing a squirrel head size target. It's not the pellet at issue, but the design and construction of the rifle. One could argue it is my bad luck or quality of equipment, maybe. But, my air rifle collection is not junk: RAW HM1000, Steyr Challenge Hunting, Daystate Red Wolf, FX Crown, and Brocock Bantam. All are extremely accurate rifles, but if I'm taking one in the woods, if I haven't shot it the day before, I'm nervous, and my experience would suggest it is with reason. I love them all, AR and RF, but for me, the air rifle is for fun at the range or in the yard, not for betting on a humane first-shot kill on a game animal, without very current verification of POI. As Mr. Monk said, "I may be wrong, but I don't think so". 
 
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I agree with everything that elh0102 said.

That first shot of the day with an airgun is usually not on zero, and that goes for both break barrel and pneumatic guns. So unless you blow a few pellets through it before entering the woods you're likely to miss that first squirrel.

I've learned that if I walk around with my airgun cocked and ready for more than 20-30 minutes I need to aim a bit high. They shoot differently when shot once every few hours than they do when shooting repeatedly shot after shot. That may or may not be the case with the ultra high dollar PCP's, I won't ever know because I'll never spend 1000.00+ for any kinda gun, air or otherwise. Powder burners are effected by the same things.... but the resulting effect is so miniscule that it's hardly noticable.

It's alot like archery. Every good bowhunter knows to draw his bow a few times after leaving a nice warm truck and climbing into a tree stand on a 26° morning. The temperature of those limbs and string has a definite effect on your first shot.
 
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My big thing is how quit my pcps are,

Could never shoot my powder burners in town. Sure I could take them out to my property and shoot on my range out there .

But truth is I always grab my pcp sometimes all 3 of them and go play . there's just a whole other level of satisfaction when hitting 1 1/2 " spinner over and over at 100 + yards . or a black bird lands 75 yards out and you know b4 quizzing the trigger you got him . my powder burners are just family heirlooms now collecting dust lol.


 
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I never put a powder burner in a Pelican case, the barrel shift from the Marauder put me into the premium hard case mode. The ability to hold zero varies greatly from manufacturer to manufacturer. Ed ran over one of his guns, and other guns I have lost zero when I leaned them on a wall. I fire an initial round when I first load the magazine, 20 minutes later I have no qualms on taking a long shot. My airtight regged Cricket does not throw me any surprises, not so for 3 other manufacturers guns I've owned. 
 
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RAW HM1000, Steyr Challenge Hunting, Daystate Red Wolf, FX Crown, and Brocock Bantam.
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Those are mostly safe queen guns. Not the kind you can throw around in the bottom of the truck or boat or let them fall from being propped up against a tree. They weren't built to be. They were built to be more works of art to be admired and to shoot from the bench or walked around with care. 

I use utility airguns. The Airforce Condor and Texans. WAR Flexes. Benjamin Marauders. All of them are pretty darn rugged when set up right. Function over form. I can pick up my .308 Texan SS and drill the 50 yard 1 inch spinner every time I take it out of the safe at 196fpe. The worst fall I've given it was slipping on an icy ramp and falling backwards, gun first, into a wood deck while the air take butt plate jammed me hard in the ribs. Other than needing an elevation adjustment the gun was fine. I've dropped my short Flex four feet onto pavement with no major damage to the gun. The Marauders were the biggest boogers to solve POI issues, but once I learned to free float the shroud then POI shift stopped. My Condor gets thrown into the bottom of a kayak on camping trips with no POI. BUT, that also presumes I have my scope or red dot set up good and tight and properly mounted and my suppressor also properly mounted to not torque the barrel. 

I currently have 3 rimfires I use a lot. A Remington .22 mag, a Savage .22LR bolt action, and a rarer Browning BAR in .22LR. All of those guns are good shooters but are prone to jam when either not kept in immaculate shape or when used with the wrong load. I've got video of losing a nice gobbler thru scope cam because my .22mag jammed because I took it straight out of the safe to hunt after not cleaning it a long time. Actually the first shot snapped. Then the next one jammed. All a function of the rimfire that wouldn't have happened with an airgun. 

So it really depends on lots of factors. Your rimfires can screw up just as easily as your airguns, albeit for different reasons. 

But if you don't trust your airguns, by all means get rid of them or relegate them to target use. We don't have to agree with you or you with us for you to make that decision. 
 
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Bullfrog, I appreciate your comments. Believe me, I am not critical of any air rifle or rimfire that does not stand up well to being thrown around the bottom of a truck, or falling from being propped on a tree. I don't treat them in that manner, nor would I be disappointed in one that had a change in POI from such abuse or accident. In my experience, in the course of normal use, using all reasonable diligence in proper handling, air rifles cannot be as equally depended upon for consistently maintaining their accuracy. I am not referring to major shifts in POI, but enough to cause a miss, or messy hit on a small target, such as a squirrel's head. It's the kind of adjustment that 2 or 3 practice shots will put right on the range, a luxury not available before your first shot in the woods. I have no experience with the air rifles you mention, so maybe I simply chose the wrong ones. As for the rimfires, my squirrel rifles are two Anschutz bolt guns, and a Kidd Supergrade 10-22. Once zeroed, they are completely dependable, and have never given me reason to doubt their consistent accuracy, from opening day in October through the winter, regardless of weather conditions. I have not had that experience with my air rifles, although all are amazingly accurate during a typical range session, or back yard target shooting. And for those uses, I love them dearly. 
 
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When I’m out squirrel hunting I’m trying to ultimately put some in a skillet. If I see one cutting at 50-60 yards, I’m slowly going to make my way closer to avoid a miss either with a rimfire or pcp. Yeah it sounds good making a 50 yard shot but I like eating squirrel and trying to find one that far after the death flop waste time and passing on others getting there. I’ve rubbed fine stock checkering on shagbark hickory dulling it on Kimbers, Coopers, and others and it’s part of the game. The Air Arms 510 worked great for me for 5-6 years but like the rimfires the Taipan 22 long has made them safe queens, As far a solid stocks go, the Taipan is as solid as a Suhl if not more. All that said though, I’m waiting on a wood stocked Tikka T1 for the grandkids, they don’t like plastic stocks either.
 
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Because any amount of POI shift is a major problem in field target competition, that's why I chose the most robust platform I could find- a Rapid Air Weapons TM1000. It was the correct choice.
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As you, I also find my Rapid Air and Steyr to be very robust platforms. Unfortunately, neither are very well suited to my style of squirrel hunting. That's not a criticism of the rifle, it's just not their focus, both great rifles. 
 
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