Air rifles are a fun and affordable way to get involved in hunting and target shooting. They offer a wide variety of options from high power, fast projectiles to compact, portable, quiet weapons. However, they aren’t the same as traditional guns and you will need to know the differences to get the most out of them.
The first thing to consider is what you want to use the gun for. Many hunters will choose a small bore (.177 to.30 cal) air rifle to shoot targets and pests. These types of rifles use CO2 cartridges to power a piston which fires a pellet. They have a limited range, but are extremely accurate and very quiet.
More serious airgunners will go for a pre-charged pneumatic (PCP) model. These have a built-in cylinder of compressed air which needs to be recharged or “refilled”. When the trigger is pulled a valve opens and the piston pushes a pellet forward at a controlled rate. A good PCP can shoot up to a hundred shots before it requires recharging. When the valve opens to recharge it will reduce the amount of compressed air available, which affects the pellet velocity.
For big game, most big bore air rifles are PCP models. These have a much larger cylinder of compressed air and a powerful spring that can power the piston to shoot an arrow or pellet with consistent, high velocities. Some of these have regulators that manage the flow of air pressure to the firing valve which increases accuracy. This makes them an excellent choice for hunting medium game like feral hogs and deer. airsoft guns