Air rifles are quiet, economical, fun to shoot and allow you to practice your shooting skills inside your home or apartment. The quiet projectiles do not damage the hides of sensitive predators like a loud centerfire rifle and are legal for hunting game up to 150 yards or so in many states. Specially designed air rifle traps, which hold the pellets, are available from several manufacturers and make it easy to set up a safe, in-home range for airgun practice. They also work well at the hunting camp, where you can practice without alerting wary deer and other game to your presence.
Piston-powered, PCP (pre-charged pneumatic) air rifles are the most popular models. They typically require a larger, separate air tank that can be filled from an on-board cylinder (like a paintball gun) or from an external high-pressure air bottle like those used for scuba diving or fireman’s oxygen tanks. PCP guns that require a large, separate air tank are expensive to operate, but they are easy to reload and offer many fills before they need to be refilled. Serious shooters equip their air rifles with a precision scope and reloading tool.
Big bore airguns are getting more attention as hunters and plinkers discover their potential for accuracy, power and portability. Some airgun enthusiasts compete in big-game-hunting and field target competitions, while others use them to hunt small vermin or farm pests. Some of the most powerful air rifles generate enough muzzle energy to take down small game at 100 yards or closer and can even ring steel targets at 1,000 yards or more with some practice. air rifles