The world of large-caliber air rifles has come a long way, and the .50 caliber stands at the pinnacle of power and performance. These air-powered behemoths offer hunters and shooting enthusiasts an impressive combination of accuracy, power, and versatility that rivals many traditional firearms. Whether you're looking to take down large game, participate in long-range target shooting, or simply want to experience the thrill of shooting a high-powered air rifle, the .50 caliber category has something to offer.
In recent years, advancements in valve technology, air reservoir design, and projectile engineering have pushed 50 cal air rifles to new heights. Modern .50 caliber PCPs can generate muzzle energies exceeding 800 foot-pounds, rivaling some centerfire rifle cartridges. This incredible power, combined with the inherent accuracy of well-designed air rifles, has opened up new possibilities for air gun hunters and target shooters alike.
From the raw power of the AirForce Texan to the versatility of the Seneca Double Shot, today's 50 cal's offer a range of features and capabilities to suit various shooting needs. Whether you prefer a traditional hardwood stock or a modern tactical design, there's one in this list of the best .50 caliber air rifles that will catch your eye and ignite your passion for shooting.
.50 Caliber Air Rifles are perfect for:
The AirForce Texan LSS is made right here in the heart of America in Fort Worth Texas, it is currently the pinnacle of the ever-evolving Texan big bore air rifle.
It is a fully moderated .50 caliber air rifle, that uses a 475cc carbon-fiber tank that fills to 250bar (3600psi) that takes the Texan from the 600 ft lbs of energy of its older sibling to over 800 ft lbs of energy at the muzzle while going on a diet and weighing less than the standard Texan LSS that has the aluminum tank.
To achieve the increase in power and weight reduction the lightweight carbon fiber tank is fitted with an updated TX2 valve that has been optimized for increased pressure. The weight of the Texan LSS with the carbon fiber tank is now a handy 6.35 lbs, (compared to over 8 lbs of the standard Texan LSS.)
The Texan LSS does not trade power for accuracy as other companies may, the legendary 34-inch Lothar Walther barrel delivers the accuracy, while the Sound-Loc System reduces the bark of the huge .50 caliber bullet being fired at over 1100 fps.
The rifle uses an easy to open side lever that cocks the gun as it is opened, and can be used by either left or right-handed shooters, the trigger is also adjustable so you can tailor the trigger to your preferred settings. The integral 11mm dovetail rail accepts commonly available scope rings to fit the optic of your choice.
With its combination of power, accuracy, and sound suppression, the AirForce Texan LSS Carbon Fiber is an ideal solution that is able to take down any big game in a quiet, ethical manner.
"This gun is beyond belief! Very easy to set up and use. Very accurate, unexpectedly quiet, and extraordinarily powerful. My new favorite."
The Hammer is a magazine-fed .50 caliber bolt action repeating air rifle, (it actually uses .51 caliber slugs) that is capable of delivering 3 regulated power consistent shots. Shooting a massive 550-grain weight slug at a whopping 700 ft-lbs of energy. With a 4th shot available at a slightly less energy level.
The Hammer uses a straight pull speed bolt design that cocks with a mere 2 pounds of effort. The rifle also incorporates a 3 step safety that consists of manual trigger safety, a hammer block safety, and a magazine lockout that prevents the rifle from being fired without a magazine being inserted. Each Hammer magazine has a 2 round capacity, so the company included 2 more extra magazines to keep the shots coming.
The German-made precision .51 caliber barrel is fully moderated and is reported to be able to put its first three shots within 1 inch at 50 yards. With the level of accuracy and power generated by the Umarex Hammer, you have the ability to take any large game you may legally hunt with an air rifle. The 475cc carbon fiber tank fills to 3600psi (250bar) while it can be filled with a hand pump, big bore guns use a lot of air, so you will be filling it often, a small portable compressor would be the best solution to fill the tank.
Scope and mounts are not included with the rifle so you will have to provide them.
"Overall a great design, awesome FPE for the money."
Not one to rest on its laurels after a success, AirForce air guns have upped their game again, by introducing a 3600psi (250bar) carbon fiber tank onto their already amazing AirForce Texan .50 caliber PCP rifle.
The carbon fiber tank with its updated TX2 valve technology has boosted the power of the Texan to over 800 ft lbs of energy, it also shaved an amazing 20% in weight from the standard Texan model.
Not everyone needs a suppressed rifle, and would gladly trade sound for a longer barrel, slimmer profile, and lighter weight. The 34-inch German-made Lothar Walther barrel allows the bullet to develop more velocity than a shorter barrel, giving you more energy at the muzzle.
With more and more states allowing air guns to be used legally to hunt big game each state has instituted minimum power and velocity requirements, the Airforce Texan far exceeds the minimum requirements for hunting.
"Well built and very accurate."
In air gun circles when we hear the name Hatsan, we think of an air gun that is both powerful and built like a tank, the .50 caliber Hatsan Piledriver PCP air rifle is all that and a lot more.
Unlike other air rifles, the Piledriver doesn't use a coiled metal spring to fire the gun, it uses a patented Vortex nitrogen-filled piston to fire the valve, which makes the rifle easier to cock, and gives it a smoother shot cycle.
In .50 caliber, it gives you over 800 ft lbs of energy, and 3-5 full power shots per fill, that's more than enough power to take any large game animal on 4 legs. The rifle is a bullpup design, meaning the action is set back farther in the stock, allowing you to have a longer barrel, in a shorter package than a traditionally styled rifle.
The Piledriver uses a 480cc carbon fiber tank, that fills to 4350psi (300bar) for about 5 full power shots, the acclaimed Quattro is adjustable, and the rifle's loading port will also accept projectiles up to 34mm long, so it gives you a choice of a wide variety of available ammo to suit the size of game you are hunting.
"It's a tac driver very impressed"
Some people in remote areas that don't have access to dive shops may use a hand pump and may not want or need to fill their tanks to 4350psi, they may want the extra volume and lower pressure of an aluminum 490cc 3000psi bottle.
This is where the standard AirForce Texan LSS is home, for people in remote areas, or hunting in remote areas it is the perfect big bore air gun.
Generating over 700 ft lbs of energy with a 620-grain bullet it has both the accuracy and power to take any game animal in North America. The Texan LSS is fully moderated for a low muzzle report, but thanks to the updated TX2 valve, it does not give up any power and is comparable to its longer barreled, non-moderated predecessor.
Some of the features of the Texan LSS are adjustable power, a precision Lothar Walther barrel, an adjustable trigger, a long side lever for effortless cocking, an extended sight rail for optics and night vision or other optical accessories, and its Sound-Loc sound suppression system to tame the bark of a huge projectile going downrange very fast.
The AirForce Texan LSS in .50 caliber is the perfect big bore air gun for people operating in remote areas with minimal support equipment.
"Very accurate, hard-hitting!"
With motorcycles and cars, there are some people who like their engines loud and proud, and then there are some people who like their engines to be quiet, to "fly under the radar" so to speak.
It is the same with guns, some shooters enjoy the noise, and some want their shooting sessions to be more subdued, the AirForce Texan .50 caliber rifle is for that first group of people. You may not want or need the silencer and like the looks of the sleek lines of a rifle and its unmoderated barrel.
The specs are the same as the Texan LSS, but the styles are different. You can still fill it to 3000psi (200bar) with a hand pump, you still get over 700+ ft lbs of bone-crushing muzzle energy to take down big game, and the outstanding accuracy shooters have come to expect from a Lothar Walther barrel. Just without the moderator.
The trigger is set for 2 lbs. It is light and crisp, and the safety comes on automatically when the rifle is cocked but is easily moved to the fire position with your index finger at a moment's notice when a shot presents itself.
"Love everything about this PCP. Light, Powerful, and accurate."
The .50 caliber Seneca Dragon Claw II air rifle has a list of features that are not always found in other big bore precharged pneumatic air rifles.
First is it one of the few that come with adjustable iron sights so you don't need to buy a scope, and some hunters that hunt in thick cover actually prefer to use open sights as it is faster to acquire and take aim on a moving target at a relatively close distance than it would be if you were using a scope.
The Dragon Claw II has 2 power settings that can be chosen on the fly, just cock the hammer to the first click, and that is low power, then pull it rearward to the second click and that is full power. It also has a separate loading gate so you can safely load a round without cocking the action. All of this is fed by a dual 500cc, 3000 psi air reservoir that will give you about 20 shots per fill.
The Seneca Dragon Claw II can also use Air Venturi Airbolts so you have the option of using either field point tipped arrows for target practice, or razor-sharp broadhead tipped arrows for hunting if your state allows it. Pyramyd AIR has an interactive map that will show you what game animals are legal to be hunted with an air gun within the United States. (Please consult your State Wildlife Management for the most up-to-date laws concerning air gun hunting.)
Unlike some of the more utilitarian air rifles that are on the market, the Seneca series have finely blued steel and beautiful wooden stocks. Making the Seneca Dragon Claw II .50 caliber rifle a very capable and powerful air gun you will be proud to own and show off to your shooting or hunting buddies.
"This gun is awesome it has so much power I love it"
What if we told you you can buy an air gun that can shoot .50 caliber slugs, arrows, or shotshells, and let you fire a combination of any two of them without changing anything on the gun?
Well, folks, it's true, the Seneca Double Shot is a double barrel side by side .50 caliber air gun that has the ability to load one barrel with a .50 caliber slug, and the other barrel with shot, or an arrow.
The flexibility of this gun is unheard of in the air gun world. In firearm history many years ago they made what was called a Cape Gun, it was a double-barreled side by side firearm that had a rifled barrel for long-range shots against large game, and a smoothbore barrel to be used against smaller game at closer ranges, without having to carry two different guns.
The heart of this innovative rifle is a 244cc pressure tube that fills to 3000psi (200bar) giving you 5 full power shots per fill. Capable of shooting over 1130 fps with shotshells, over 600 fps with .50 caliber round lead balls, and 425 fps with Air bolts.
With its historic design, its finely crafted hardwood stock, and exquisitely blued steel it harkens back to a time when people thought their guns should be both beautiful as well as functional.
"I like that you can shoot slugs, shot, and airbolts. The slugs are my favorite, and it's cool that you can have them in a double barrel."
The Seneca Wing shot II is an ornately engraved, and well-balanced single barrel air gun that is capable of shooting either shot loads or .50 caliber round ball or pellets at speeds of over 1130 fps generating up to 360 ft lbs of energy with 126-grain ammo. Making it the perfect air gun for shooting quail or dove-sized birds, squirrels, or other small game, but also able to take larger game and even trophy whitetail deer with .50 caliber lead ammo.
But the flexibility does not end there, you can unscrew the shotgun chokes and load Air Venturi Air bolts, and launch arrows at speeds of up to 500 fps, and 238 ft lbs of energy, giving you great accuracy and incredible knockdown power.
Weighing less than 7.5 lbs, the smoothbore Wing shot II features an ambidextrous hardwood stock, and soft rubber buttpad, a crisp 2-stage trigger, a bead front sight, 5 consistent powerful shots per fill, and a 1-year warranty.
The flexibility and power is reason enough to buy the Wing shot II, but the fine craftsmanship and attention to detail would be another reason to add this air gun to your collection.
"Best air gun I've ever bought, extreme powerhouse"
The Seneca Dragon Claw Ready-to-Hunt Combo is an all-in-one kit for the person who is new to pre-charged air guns and big bore air gun hunting.
Everything you need to get started and go hunting has already been selected and matched to the gun to give you the best big-bore hunting experience possible. The work of filling the rifle is now done with an easy to use portable electric compressor, 100 lead bullets are included, 6 carbon fiber Air bolts, 3 razor-sharp broadheads, a tool to protect your hands while installing them, a quiver to mount to the gun to hold the arrows, and a 4-12x scope all in one package.
The Air Venturi portable compressor uses household current, and 12 volts DC to quickly fill your gun both at home and in the field. The compressor is capable of filling guns up to 4500psi (310bar), as you buy other pre-charged air guns (and you will), you do not have to buy a way to fill them as this pump will work for any precharged air gun on the market if you have the correct fill probe for the guns that do not use a foster fitting.
The Mantis 4-14 power scope with adjustable objective and mil-dot reticle is perfect for use with both the arrows and the lead bullets. The UTG bipod gives you a stable platform from which to shoot.
The lightweight Air Venturi Arrow quiver mounts to the gun and holds the bolts securely ready for action. The Air Venturi broadhead wrench protects your hands while installing the 3 razor-sharp broadheads onto the bolts for hunting big game. To round out the package, a box of 100-count 177 grain .50 caliber round lead balls is also included.
"This kit comes with everything you need to go hunting with out of the box."
What you can hunt depends on a few things; what is legal to hunt in your area, what projectile you are using, and the velocity it is traveling. But the 50 cal allows you a lot of flexibility in the projectiles you have available.
Some of the 50 caliber air rifles are smooth bore so you can shoot birdshot charges and hunt small vermin, birds, doves, quail, and squirrels. You can load air bolts in the air gun no matter if it's smoothbore or rifled, and use a blunt-tipped arrow to hunt rabbits and other similar-sized game.
Moving up to the round lead balls, or conical slugs, and broadhead tipped Airbolts, now you have the ability to take any game that walks the planet with a properly placed bolt or bullet. There have been videos posted online of people harvesting Cape Buffalo, which can weigh over 2000 lbs. People have used air rifles to harvest American Bison as well.
In recent years commercial elephant hunting has taken many hits from public outcry condemning the practice. But in many African countries, they do allow limited LEGAL elephant hunting for a very hefty fee that goes toward elephant conservation. The license to harvest an elephant can be as much as $70,000 USD depending on the country, and the size of the elephant.
We have not found any references online of anyone harvesting an elephant with an air gun, but in the past, people have taken elephants with traditional archery equipment that shoots with a much lower velocity and energy than an Air bolt fired from a modern big bore air gun. So theoretically an elephant could be taken with a .50 caliber air rifle with the right projectile.
Affordability is a term that normally does not go in the same sentence with .50 caliber rifles, but there are companies always trying to get a better product into the hands of shooters at a lower cost.
The least expensive .50 caliber air rifle Pyramyd AIR sells at this time is the Umarex Hammer. It is a synthetic stocked 2 shot precharged pneumatic air rifle that offers great accuracy and power at a price that is well below other rifles of the same caliber.
The rifle is only part of the package that needs to be figured as an expense, how will you fill the rifle to the 3000-4500psi that it needs to operate? Hand pumps are the least expensive option, and will do the job, but with a lot of effort on the shooter's part. Small portable electric compressors are coming onto the market every day at a lower and lower cost. We have recently seen one that uses rechargeable Lithium batteries from a handheld drill to power the compressor while out in the field.
Asking how powerful something is will always get different answers.We will try to answer the question with things most people can relate to.
With current .50 caliber PCP air rifles getting up to 800 ft lbs of energy, we will use that as a benchmark. Most people are familiar with the .44 magnum pistol cartridge, used by fictional police Detective Dirty Harry Callahan portrayed by actor Clint Eastwood.
The .44 magnum cartridge generates about 800 ft lbs of energy on some of its medium power loads. The round will shatter cinder blocks, penetrate the doors of modern cars if it doesn't hit any of the rigid internal braces, and penetrate the interior walls of homes. Big bore air rifles are most definitely not your granddad's Red Ryder BB gun, and should be treated with great care in choosing your target, and what is beyond your target.
Many deer and other game animals have been taken by hunters with the .44 magnum cartridge with both carbines and handguns. So it is known as an ideal cartridge for short to medium-range deer-sized game animals, and because of the big slow-moving bullet, it is not easily deflected by the wind or by small brush that may be between you and your target.
Since the .50 caliber air rifles shoot a similar weight bullet and velocity as the .44 magnum, you can expect similar performance.
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