Page 5 of 18 - Air Rifles

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Basic Types of Air Rifles

An air rifle is a type of rifle that uses compressed air or gas to propel a projectile rather than gunpowder or other explosive propellant. Air rifles can range in caliber from .177 up to .50. They offer several advantages over firearms for some applications. Advantages include quiet operation, low ammo cost, and suitability for urban environments. These rifles shoot metal projectiles, such as pellets, slugs, or bbs, for multiple use cases, such as:

Hunting: Hunting air rifles are typically .22 caliber and larger (.25 air rifles, .30 air rifles, and up to .50 caliber). If you're interested in air rifles for hunting, and which to use for what types of game, read more on hunting with airguns and this article by expert Tom Gaylord on hunting with an air rifle. They are similar but do cover various aspects from pest control to actual hunting.
Target shooting: The most popular type for target shooting is .177 caliber. These low-powered .177 air rifles are perfect to enjoy a full day of shooting entertainment.
Pest control and small game: This requires a more powerful .177 caliber or .22 caliber air rifle, but we would recommend sticking with a .22.
Competition: Competition rifles generally fall in the .177-caliber category.

Pick the Right Air Gun

An intro to air gun powerplants!

The best way to figure out which air rifle (sometimes spelled airrifle or air rifel) is right for you, consider what type of shooting you'll be doing. So check them out and consider your needs then go ahead and take home one or more air rifles -- could be the best air rifle purchase you've made to date! Here are the basic types of rifles:

Pump: Single-stroke or multi-pump air rifles use an integrated pump to fill the air chamber that pushes the projectile through the barrel and out to the target.
Spring Piston: A spring is compressed, and an air chamber fills when the gun is cocked. When the trigger is pulled, the spring pushes a piston that forces the air through the barrel, hurling the pellet toward the target.
Gas Piston: A chamber of gas (often nitrogen) is compressed upon cocking rather than a spring, which is released with the trigger pull to push the piston.
PCP: Pre-charged pneumatic air rifles have a bottle of compressed air (around 3000psi or more) that attaches to the trigger mechanism. A valve releases some of the compressed air which is funneled into the barrel to propel the projectile.
CO2: Carbon dioxide is compressed into a cylinder that is loaded into the gun so the trigger can actuate a valve to release a small amount of CO2 to propel the projectile.

Choosing the right product can be stressful. Not sure what type of rifle you need? Check out our comprehensive guide to buying an air gun.