Air rifle for long term SHTF small game hunting situ.

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moparmat2000

moparmat2000

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I am into regular firearms, but never messed with air rifles at all. I am looking at .22 cal air rifles to keep for a long term SHTF situation since i dont have easy access to big game like deer, or would have a place to store the meat since in a SHTF situ i may not have electricity to freeze or refridgerate it. I was thinking i can use this to hunt small game for food. Squirrel, rabbit, quail, dove etc. Something fairly quiet when fired so it doesnt let people know where you are like a regular .22 rimfire rifle would. Looking at pump action only so it doesnt need external power source like CO2 cylinders which may be hard to get after a SHTF. I figure .22 pellets pack a punch over the smaller .177 with small game for quick takedown, and are cheap. About $14 for 500 rds.

I looked at a Benjamin 392 pump action .22 air rifle at Academy sports and outdoors. Shoots at 685 fps which is pretty quick. About $144 plus tax, but prob could find cheaper on ebay. A replacement piston seal kit is about $5 so get a few of these as spare parts, and a couple tins of .22 pellets. Thinking it may be up to the job. Prob want to get a good scope for it. Figure i could use this to hunt for food, and keep my other weapons for use on 2 legged intruders. Any thoughts
 
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moparmat2000 said:
I am into regular firearms, but never messed with air rifles at all. I am looking at .22 cal air rifles to keep for a long term SHTF situation since i dont have easy access to big game like deer, or would have a place to store the meat since in a SHTF situ i may not have electricity to freeze or refridgerate it. I was thinking i can use this to hunt small game for food. Squirrel, rabbit, quail, dove etc. Something fairly quiet when fired so it doesnt let people know where you are like a regular .22 rimfire rifle would. Looking at pump action only so it doesnt need external power source like CO2 cylinders which may be hard to get after a SHTF. I figure .22 pellets pack a punch over the smaller .177 with small game for quick takedown, and are cheap. About $14 for 500 rds.

I looked at a Benjamin 392 pump action .22 air rifle at Academy sports and outdoors. Shoots at 685 fps which is pretty quick. About $144 plus tax, but prob could find cheaper on ebay. A replacement piston seal kit is about $5 so get a few of these as spare parts, and a couple tins of .22 pellets. Thinking it may be up to the job. Prob want to get a good scope for it. Figure i could use this to hunt for food, and keep my other weapons for use on 2 legged intruders. Any thoughts
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See if you can test shoot it. They are still pretty loud. Might want a silencer and make sure you get a scope designed for an air rifle.
 
Been looking at air rifle specific scopes. BSA makes one w a laser pointer called a varmint scope
 
moparmat2000 said:
Been looking at air rifle specific scopes. BSA makes one w a laser pointer called a varmint scope
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Benjamin makes a darn good all around air gun weather it be a rifle or pistol either one, and you are correct that they pack a wallop.
Though slower in FPS that .22 lead hits impressively hard.
It sounds like you smacked your game with a baseball bat.
I did a lot of rabbit hunting with a .177 pellet rifle and it did ok, but the .22 cal was quite a bit more accurate over a distance.

I did a lot of small game hunting with a compound bow for years, and used to practice on ground squirrels.
Got 17 in 3 hours of hunting in a competition with another bow hunter.
If you can shoot squirrels with a bow nothing bigger is really much of a challenge.:D
 
Go to wall mart and get a Benjamin varmint hunting package. Comes with scope, laser and a cheesy scope mounted flashlight. Rated at 950 fps, pretty accurate and fairly quiet. I've had mine for years. Think they're still around $140 for the 22 cal. Killed tons of rabbits,squirrels, coons etc. Even a deer that was hit and wounded by a car that needed put out of her pain. Just used it again this morning to exterminate a bunch of pigeon in our warehouse at work. Only thing I ever got from Walmart that was worth a shot besides Mobil 1 oil
 
moparmat2000 said:
I am into regular firearms, but never messed with air rifles at all. I am looking at .22 cal air rifles to keep for a long term SHTF situation since i dont have easy access to big game like deer, or would have a place to store the meat since in a SHTF situ i may not have electricity to freeze or refridgerate it. I was thinking i can use this to hunt small game for food. Squirrel, rabbit, quail, dove etc. Something fairly quiet when fired so it doesnt let people know where you are like a regular .22 rimfire rifle would. Looking at pump action only so it doesnt need external power source like CO2 cylinders which may be hard to get after a SHTF. I figure .22 pellets pack a punch over the smaller .177 with small game for quick takedown, and are cheap. About $14 for 500 rds.

I looked at a Benjamin 392 pump action .22 air rifle at Academy sports and outdoors. Shoots at 685 fps which is pretty quick. About $144 plus tax, but prob could find cheaper on ebay. A replacement piston seal kit is about $5 so get a few of these as spare parts, and a couple tins of .22 pellets. Thinking it may be up to the job. Prob want to get a good scope for it. Figure i could use this to hunt for food, and keep my other weapons for use on 2 legged intruders. Any thoughts
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I did a lot of squirrel hunting (ground squirrels here, can't eat) with one of those when I was a teen. Great air gun! But it does have a noticeable report.
At that time, Benjamin didn't provide a way to mount a scope... would have been nice.
I now have a break-barrel Benjamin w/ scope that advertises 1000fps. Packs a wollop, but still doesn't carry the stopping power of the larger round.
The biggest CON of the spring air is the recoil. Very hard on the scopes crosshairs. Breaks them.
You have to put a 'spring air scope' on it, if you want any shooting enjoyment. Plus, the recoil does effect accuracy.
There has been a growing popularity with the gas powered (very high-end) air rifles that use tanks, much like those used on paintball guns. Expensive, but has to be just a gas (pun intended) to shoot !
You can find example of them on YouTube. Like this one: The Rooster wasn't much a medic :)
 
And the red tipped gamo pellets. Very accurate and they hit really hard. Plastic tip speeds up expansion.
 
I would not suggest CO2, pump is the best way to go. 22 cal. over the BB, 177 cal. Single shot 22 bolt if you can find one in your price range. The ones that use a clip have a tendency of bending the skirt of the lead pellets. The Benjamin 392 you mention is an excellent choice...........
 
Gamo swarm Maxxim Combo in .22 , $179.97 on sale @ Bass Pro Shop . F.Y.I., if it has a green stripe on the buttstock it is designed for hunting .
 
I have a Hatsan BT-65 .22 it takes CO2 though. I take out annoying crows 50 yards out all day. Lots of fun. Rats and rabbits are easy game too. Mine is loud as F. But I had a silencer made for it.

The Benjamin marauder is very nice and pretty quite.
 
I am not looking for CO2 powered only because of possible lack of availability of cylinders for it in a long term SHTF situation. I will do more research, but like the options all of you presented.
 
I just looked online, and think the Benjamin varmint hunter is going to be my choice. Uses an air piston not CO2. Low recoil, and quieter than regular air rifles. Comes w a scope so i'm sure its made specifically for airgun recoil. Nice package for about $150. .22 cal, 950 fps using alloy rounds. Checked at walmart. $154.45 plus state sales tax, but found it online w free shipping, for $159.95 and 15% off first purchase.
 
Varmint HP
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The scope they use doesn't have the greatest optics, but for short range hunting its ok. I've put several thousand rounds through mine and haven't had any problems. Great general purpose air rifle for the price
 
The sub sonics I tried still had a good crack to them unless you add a silencer
 
moparmat2000 said:
I just looked online, and think the Benjamin varmint hunter is going to be my choice. Uses an air piston not CO2. Low recoil, and quieter than regular air rifles. Comes w a scope so i'm sure its made specifically for airgun recoil. Nice package for about $150. .22 cal, 950 fps using alloy rounds. Checked at walmart. $154.45 plus state sales tax, but found it online w free shipping, for $159.95 and 15% off first purchase.
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Link online?
 
Pyramid airgun mall online. The deal popped up for 15% off first order, needed my email addy, and never sent anything to it, so i dunno. Says free shipping at $150 or more. If i got it cheap enough i was going to get some ammo to bring it to $150 to get the free shipping. May end up just going to walmart for it.
 
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I've had a Benjamin 22 cal Pump for 40 years. Rabbit and squirrel hunting and plinking. Still works like new, never been apart, only shot Benjamin domed lead pellets. Keep one pump in storage to keep seals in good shape. No scope, just modified sights.
 
moparmat2000 said:
Pyramid airgun mall online. The deal popped up for 15% off first order, needed my email addy, and never sent anything to it, so i dunno. Says free shipping at $150 or more. If i got it cheap enough i was going to get some ammo to bring it to $150 to get the free shipping. May end up just going to walmart for it.
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I just got done searching Wally (I don't go there much I hate the joint) and don't see it listed EDIT must be just the local store, I see it here......

https://www.walmart.com/c/kp/benjamin-air-rifles
 
I'd say better then most airguns in the price range. This is my second one. Gave the first to my nephew years ago. That one still shoots good too
 
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