Thread: Do cheap air rifles actually work well for rats etc?

Originally Posted by altair

Have a Benjamin Varmint (Crosman) a .22 which cost me $400 new.

I'm wondering if these cheaper air rifles are actually any good for this purpose of shooting rats? Seems to have a good punch for an air rifle, sends flat head pellets right through the rats when I manage to hit them.

Seems everyone else has $800-1000 flash air rifles..do you actually need to spend that much for accuracy and reliability, or will a cheapie like this do the job? Surely it would? be happy to buy an expensive one, but life gets in the way!

The $500 Stoeger I had seemed a better rifle.....

Just after opinions, how many of you on here have used cheaper air rifles with success?

Cheers

If you are only shooting rats (but i have slocked bigger critters) get a C02 rifle like the cr600w from Gun city, this is very accurate at 20m and quite quiet with the factory suppressor, GC also have started selling the Crosman 2250B carbine c02, this is alot louder with no suppressor as std but also a fun little gun. (I have both these in my collection and are both my go to for pests like rats and Starlings - both have been severally modified)

Ive written all my 2 cents worth about air rifles in some place in this forum a few months ago if you can find it that will give you some tips with pellets etc....

Another option for pests if you want to stay with a brake barrel will be a kids rifle like Hatsan Striker or similar - alot cheaper for you but here is a little secret about youth air rifles - they are most of the time more accurate for shorter shot ranges as due to being less powerful and obviously less recoil resulting in better accuracy. Ive head shot rabbits and Hares with a .177 only doing 600fps