Air Rifle Question


J

Jess67

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Pawn shop I work in recently put out two Beeman air rifles, a German made R1, and an English made Kodiak. The only problem I am seeing, is that both guns are .25 caliber, not one you can pick up at WalMart. I am in the market for a high end air rifle for small game, and am wondering if there would be any benefit to these over a similar .177 or .22?
 
I think .177, .20, and .22 are most common in the US (assuming you live here). .20 or .22 are considered hunting calibers.

I'd do a google search to see who sells .25 ammo.
 
The .25 hits harder then the rest, but shoots slower and is accurate to a shorter distance than, say, a .22 rifle. A rifle like the RWS 350 Magnum is a beast and in the right hands, accurate up to 100 yards, which says a lot. All spring air rifles are hold sensitive and the higher calibers even more so.

Ammo is cheaper in smaller calibers, but higher .25 pellets are more forgiving if you are a bad shot due to the damage they produce. I had a RWS 350 and it hit really, really hard with just about any pellet from Walmart, if I did my part.

That said, I would buy any of the 2 rifles in a heartbeat if I had the cash, just because I am a corrupt politician......
 
.25 cal ammo should be available from a number of online sources, when it comes down to it, unless you happen to have a local shop that stocks a good selection of pellets, you're going to end up buying ammo on line regardless of the caliber if you're serious and you've got to be pretty serious about air rifles to consider a .25 caliber rifle to begin with. Personally feel the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. Unless you've got other air rifles and are specifically looking for a .25 caliber for the few situations where you need the additional knockdown power, I'd stick with .177, .20 or .22, they make better all around calibers. A lot of people think .20 is the sweet spot, light enough to be fast but heavy enough to fly straight in wind and plenty of energy for taking down game.
 
kornphlake said:
... A lot of people think .20 is the sweet spot, light enough to be fast but heavy enough to fly straight in wind and plenty of energy for taking down game.
Click to expand...

I have a .20/5mm Sheridan Blue Streak. Bought it new in 1957. I've owned other brands and calibers since then, but it's the only one I still have. It's put a lot of meat in the pot.
 
kornphlake said:
Those pellets only weigh 14.3 grains, there are a number of .20 and .22 caliber pellets that weigh as much or more, you don't gain a whole lot shooting a .25 caliber if those are the pellets you choose. I don't know about the OP, but I don't have a local Cabelas, any time I've purchased from them I've done so online.
Click to expand...
I didn't notice the weight. Those sound like high-velocity indoor range target ammo.
My .20 cal pellets vary, but they are usually around 30 gr. All pellets are not created equal. There are flat nose, dome top, spire points and some ridiculously fancy types. My favorite I can't find anymore. They were spire point, and had a very small skirt, just enough to catch the air. The rest was solid lead, and they weighed 38 gr., about the same as a 22 LR. They'd punch through a 2x4 with only 5-6 pumps of the rifle.
 
Thanks guys. There are two tins of Beeman Crow Magnum pellets that will go with the rifles, one each, looked them up and they're in the 26gr range. They also do a 31gr Kodiak pellet, found plenty of stuff at Pyramid Air. The Kodiak I can get for about $225 out the door, the R1 for about $375. I know that the Kodiak has been discontinued, and that the R1 has gone through some changes. Upside, is they both come with with Leupold air rifle scopes. The guy that pawned these was serious about his air rifles!
 
I prefer .177 for small game, flatter trajectory and higher speed for given fps or what have you. RWS, GAMO, and Beeman are all good rifles.
 
I had a .25 caliber airgun, it shot hard, hit cans with authority, had a more looping trajectory and the ammo was more expensive than the .177,.20, and .22 airguns. In the end I got rid of it. Every once in a while I start to look at them, but for SHTF I would go to a .177 or .22 just for ammo availability.
 
Those sound like hunting rifles-- the .25 is a big pellet. I would pick em up if the price is right. Keep in mind, that for ~200 bucks you can get a real nice springer in .22, like the Benjamin NP Trail that will shoot Crow-Magnum 21 grain pellets very accurately at about the 650 fps range. If you go for it, try pyramidair.com for your pellets. They are a great source for all that is airgun.
 
I got a .25 cal air gun for Xmas and happy as a bird ( well not really as bird ,not now that they know I got one)
 
I have a Weihrauch HW30S in .177 from Pyramyd Air. (for shots of 30 yards or less)

If I need to step up a caliber size, it's my Ruger 10/22 or the Savage.

4 cents worth.
 
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