quiet and accurate .22 vs pellet rifle for backyard target?

[yankee]

my son is in high school and wants to shoot on their rifle team (BB's from airguns) and I am thinking about getting something for him to shoot in the backyard that I might occasionally use to reduce the local varmit population. Pellet rifle would do I suppose and cheaper, but I am more inclined to something with a little more versatility. Anybody have experience shooting CBs or other subsonic quiet .22's? I have read that you will do better with accuracy from a short barrel (16") due to the low velocity. Welcome your thoughts....

 

[scap99]

For him. Stick with an air gun. The recoil impulse will be the same as he shoots at school.

For varmints. A .22 bolt gun with Colibri Super Sniper primer fired shorts is very quiet.


Tapatalk sent it.

 

[shortround]

CCI just released a ".22 Long Rifle quiet round."

Have not tried it yet.

Aquila makes a line of "Colibri" .22 Long Rifle ammo that has no powder, just the primer.

Those rounds will kill any skunk, possum, and raccoon you might encounter.

They work equally well in a revolver or short barreled carbine, but don't have the power to cycle a semi-auto.

Those are my "go to rounds" when the critters raid my dog's food bowl.

As for clean-up, I just toss the dead vermin off to the side of my yard, and within hours, the vultures clean up quite nicely.

 

[35Remington]

I you're trying to help your son train for BB gun competitions, I don't think you wanna go rim fire. That being said, there are TONS of sweet pellet/BB guns on the market.

If you want to open pandora's box on this one, google Gateway to Airguns. Careful though, it's quite addicting.

 

[M. Sage]

Make sure you get familiar with laws on discharging firearms. It's pretty universally illegal inside city limits.

 

[Dawico]

Make sure you get familiar with laws on discharging firearms. It's pretty universally illegal inside city limits.

Dangerous also. Even a pellet rifle can cause serious harm.

I am hoping your back yard isn't in a subdivision.

 

[matefrio]

Avanti Daisy Avanti Champion 499. Air rifles - PyramydAir.com

 

[yankee]

Thanks for the feedback- no, I am (thankfully) not in a subdivision, or at least not the rabbit warrens style. You are entirely correct, however- wouldn't even think about this if I was. Sitting on one acre with 1-2 acres of woods buffer on two sides, woods/brush across the road and only "immediate" neighbor 70-80 yrds away. Feel pretty good about the safety issue, although no doubt a BB gun is safer than a pellet rifle. Would put up a backstop of some variety if I go with anything more than the BB gun. I will check out the pyramid website- thanks for directing me there as well.

 

[zembonez]

If you want to help him in his competition, buy him exactly what he'll be shooting there. I sure would not want a neighbor on an acre or two shooting a .22 in his back yard.

 

[yankee]

which is why I'll likely end up with the BB gun.... not because it's not safe, (subsonic CB's fly about the same velocity or less as a pellet rifle) but because I'd rather not have nervous neighbors thinking they live next to a "gun nut". Point taken on the idea of shooting what you compete with, however.

 

[35Remington]

Make sure you get familiar with laws on discharging firearms. It's pretty universally illegal inside city limits.

Are you equating air rifles to firearms?

 

[hkusp1]

Some cities have ordinances against air rifles, I think that's what he is getting at.

 

[Acera]

Also the OP was talking about shooting .22s. There is some land not in cities around Kemah, just not a lot.

 

[#1gunner]

I do believe there is a law allowing you to shoot something that is hindering your household like tearing up part of your house(wires, underpinning, whatever it is). I DO NOT ever agree with shooting at something if it is not completley safe please know this. I may be relating this too much with situation like if a stray dog, coyote, or possoum is attacking on your property(animals or family member). Maybe im just way off base here on this one and should just shut up. I just confused myself but posting anyways cause I just typed all this..

 

[grasshopperglock]

my son is in high school and wants to shoot on their rifle team (BB's from airguns) and I am thinking about getting something for him to shoot in the backyard that I might occasionally use to reduce the local varmit population. Pellet rifle would do I suppose and cheaper, but I am more inclined to something with a little more versatility. Anybody have experience shooting CBs or other subsonic quiet .22's? I have read that you will do better with accuracy from a short barrel (16") due to the low velocity. Welcome your thoughts....

Ok,

Pellet rifles can run way more then 22lrs. Some are cheap though. And shoot just as cheap. Here's what a good air rifle can do: English Sparrow (pest) eradication from bird feeder - YouTube

On subsonic ammo, the sonic boom kinda rattles the bullet making it less accurate then subsonic. Most target ammo is subsonic. There's many many kinds of 22lr ammo. The weakest and quietest of them all is made by Colibri. 20grain, no powder, just uses the primer to push the bullet. However in my experience, its a nasty round. It really leaves a lot of crude in the barrel, chamber, and action. I have to clean the barrel after 5-7 rounds. And after 20 I have to brush a crude ring out the chamber. Get a suppressor. He'll eat that up!

Youtube is your friend on most ammo. You can get a good picture of how quite some ammos are. It also has tons of videos of different types of 22's and air guns.

Both an air rifle and a 22lr firearm will fit what you need. To be honest on wither to buy an air rifle vs a firearm.....is resale value. A firearm is always worth money and always has a good market which to sell it. And something else to consider if you never plan to get rid of the gun is...

His first firearm tends to hold more feeling then his first air rifle. I can't remember my first air rifle very well. Or how many I had. Which was a bunch. But my first 22.....I can remember it more then the first girl I kissed. Even the temp of the day as i walked out of Kmart with it.

 

[BoydS]

Ever kid needs a gun, well at least they did where (and when) I grew up. I would suggest a pellet rifle, which works fairly well for pesky critters as well. I've shot many a little varmits with my Benjamin pellet gun. Living on a few acres the pellet gun would be a no issue (just make sure you know what's behind your target). Another good reason for the pellet gun is that it builds muscles (all that pumping for 1 shot).

As for that CCI quiet 22 ammo, I have shot many a round. It is quiet (kinda like a pellet gun). I've only shot this ammo with my Ruger 1022 and 1077. It's dead on at 25 yards out (haven't tried it beyond that distance). As someone else stated .. it will not cycle the bolt on the semi-auto (as with my 1022).

I'd also get him a 22 rifle, something both of you would enjoy at a range. Above all, SAFETY must be in order no matter what type of gun you buy.