.22 Air rifles info

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Dunerking

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Looking to buy a .22 air rifle for the kids and ground squirrel/rabbit and crows detouring! Would like to preserve our hard work with our fruit trees and garden as well as have the kids learn gun safety and skills! 
Looking for any recommendation…would like to stay with a barrel break style. 
Been looking at the Diana 34 EMS,Ruger Magum,Benjamin Marauder or the Gamo. 
Thanks for any suggestions and info! 

 
Mine is a Hatsan 95 with the QE 2 stage suppressor and Quattro adjustable trigger. Got it online refurbed for like $120. It was about the quietest one I could find as I shoot in my backyard in the city (San Diego) and didn’t want anyone giving me grief about it. It fits the bill. Satisfied customer. Added a flashlight and laser with remote switches for nighttime fun.

 
Marauder is a PCP gun.... the  .25 has the better barrel.  

Are you in the city? it's the same as shooting a gun in most cities.  

.177 will do most of the same work you describe. 

Most of the guns today are almost like shooting a .22 rife in terms of power.  

 
I’m in Agua Dulce on almost 3 acres and everyone else is the same…and with a winery behind our property. I know my next door neighbor has been taking out the ground squirrels as well,I’ll hit him up about what he’s using. 
Your correct about the Marauder being PCP…I meant the Trail Magnum. Been looking at so many different models that they start to blend. 
Thanks again for all of the great info and keep it coming! 

 
BrapBraap said:
Mine is a Hatsan 95 with the QE 2 stage suppressor and Quattro adjustable trigger. Got it online refurbed for like $120. It was about the quietest one I could find as I shoot in my backyard in the city (San Diego) and didn’t want anyone giving me grief about it. It fits the bill. Satisfied customer. Added a flashlight and laser with remote switches for nighttime fun.
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Where did you buy the refurbished model? Thanks 

 
After decades of daisy and crosman pellet rifles, my first real deal air rifle was a RWS Diana 350 magnum in .22 caliber. Plenty of stopping force for ground squirrels and rabbits. Not a horrible amount of effort to load this break barrel (don’t know how strong your kiddos are). I also have a Benjamin Trail Xl (much harder to load and heavier as well). 
 

break barrels are cheap and get the job done. Mate it with a quality scope and you’ll be a happy camper. 
 

I had a Benjamin Marauder (M-rod) but the cost to fill tanks with compressed air or to buy the high pressure air compressors with short life spans made me sell it off shortly after purchase. The high pressure hand pumps take all the fun out of it. 

 
Intro2Rhino said:
After decades of daisy and crosman pellet rifles, my first real deal air rifle was a RWS Diana 350 magnum in .22 caliber. Plenty of stopping force for ground squirrels and rabbits. Not a horrible amount of effort to load this break barrel (don’t know how strong your kiddos are). I also have a Benjamin Trail Xl (much harder to load and heavier as well). 
 

break barrels are cheap and get the job done. Mate it with a quality scope and you’ll be a happy camper. 
 

I had a Benjamin Marauder (M-rod) but the cost to fill tanks with compressed air or to buy the high pressure air compressors with short life spans made me sell it off shortly after purchase. The high pressure hand pumps take all the fun out of it. 
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Thank you very much for a very helpful/informative reply! The more research I’ve done has been leading more towards the Diana. Thanks again! 

 
Dunerking said:
Thank you very much for a very helpful/informative reply! The more research I’ve done has been leading more towards the Diana. Thanks again! 
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Can’t go wrong with it. I’ve had it going on 10 years. Bought it from 1 of the 2 major air rifle sites online out of Arizona. Paired it with a Hawke scope and many a rabbits pigeons and squirrels have been laid to rest. Plenty of value for the $500 or so I have invested in it. Definitely one of my lesser bonehead purchases 

 
I have a Gamo Big Cat 1250.  Enough power for a through and through kill on pigeons.  Not sure I'd shoo away a cow with it though...

If I were to buy another, it would be one of the suppressed versions.  This one isn't all that loud, but the neighbors know when I'm shooting it.  In AZ, we can shoot "air rifles" in the city as long as you follow a few simple rules, like having a back stop.

 
I had a Gammo Silent Cat for squirrels in Alpine.  Damn thing was louder than a 22.

22 CB or other assorted 'shorts' could be an option.  Especially for isolated shots.

I'd rather a buy a 22 than a more expensive pellet rifle.

 
Gamo whisper .22 here. I've used it to remove ground squirrels that were living in my backyard in the city. It is very powerful and the pellets go through the squirrels. My only problem has been keeping a scope on it. It walks its way out from under the scope after 20-30 shots. It has a weaver type scope rail (Not picatinny) that no matter how much I tighten the rings, the scope will come off. I even tried my .22 nikon scope with weaver rings and it wouldn't stay on either. 

 
I have the gamo big cat too. Its very loud but gets the job done.

2985D6C3-9CC4-48C9-9DFD-BF22CE28DDE0.jpeg

kids might like this winchester m1a look alike (call it an m14 but its semi auto? So its really an m1a clone) Runs on co2 and has mags (shoots bbs or pellets). Semi auto and is same size and matches my m1a perfectly

4A186021-D283-410B-979C-51EDB57F0278.jpeg

 
Bansh88 said:
I had a Gammo Silent Cat for squirrels in Alpine.  Damn thing was louder than a 22.

22 CB or other assorted 'shorts' could be an option.  Especially for isolated shots.

I'd rather a buy a 22 than a more expensive pellet rifle.
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I bought a Marlin model 25 for pigeons too.  Cut and threaded the barrel to 16".  Form 1 suppressor, Red dot sight, sub sonic rounds, etc.  Haven't decided to add that check mark to my felony list just just yet. 

Don't see how it can't be near silent compared to the Gamo though.  Bottom one. Has better sight now.

A7BBA2A2-85FD-491E-88DC-33ABBAE8E9BF.jpeg

 
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I have a Gamo. Spend half the time re-sighting it and even then it’s still not going to make nice patterns. The optics get knocked out, the barrel doesn’t end up in exactly the same spot every time. Bunch of shiiiit to go wrong. Super powerful (and loud) though. Goes through a cedar fence like nothing, which also means I don’t let the kids wander off with it.

Had something like this growing up:

https://www.airgundepot.com/umarex-850-m2-co2-air-rifle.html#AGD-513810285

Could play Davey Crocket shooting quail or whatever all day long on a cartridge, still kill whatever it was pointed at. Bolt action is nice since you can keep the target sighted as you reload. 

 
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Mine is kinda the same.  I spent some time when I first got it sighting it in on a pine stump in the back yard.  It would drive a pellet about an inch in.  Nice.  It always seemed to drift on me after a few shots tho.  So, I would check it every once in a while.  I only shoot pigeons with it, but it's a couple days a week.  Oddly, my chic is better with it that I am.  She shoots off had, and drills the *uckers.  I rest against the building and wing them. LOL

She probably takes 2 to my 1.

 
Kraut_n_Rice said:
Mine is kinda the same.  I spent some time when I first got it sighting it in on a pine stump in the back yard.  It would drive a pellet about an inch in.  Nice.  It always seemed to drift on me after a few shots tho.  So, I would check it every once in a while.  I only shoot pigeons with it, but it's a couple days a week.  Oddly, my chic is better with it that I am.  She shoots off had, and drills the *uckers.  I rest against the building and wing them. LOL

She probably takes 2 to my 1.
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Yeah.  I think iron sights are probably the best way to do it since the far end will always be pointed at what you're aiming at.  The scope just doesn't work very well.

 
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