air guns

Check out some air rifles that are anything but kids’ stuff. Are you ready for this?

Pick Your Poison
The Viper Express Air Shotgun/Rifle Combination from Gamo allows the user to switch from .22-cal. pellets (with the included adapter) to .22-caliber shotshells—pre-loaded with No. 9 shot—as the situation dictates, all of which is afforded by its vent-rib, smoothbore barrel. The .22-caliber pellet reaches 725 fps, while the shotshell attains 750 fps and is reported to throw a 12-inch pattern at 10 yards and penetrate 1⁄8 inch of 200-pound-compressed paper. (above)

By Aaron Carter,
Senior Associate Editor, American Rifleman

   It required but a single ratchet of the cocking lever, but that Daisy Red Ryder air rifle lobbed more than a BB: It cast my heart eternally into the realm of guns. That Red Ryder taught numerous lessons, many of which I value to this day and will share with my sons when they come of age. Air rifles symbolize freedom and maturity as much they do entertainment. They teach responsibility and fundamental shooting skills. For many of us, mastery of the air rifle is a stepping-stone—a rite of passage that proves to our parents that we are ready for a firearm. However, with sweeping innovations in power levels and accessories, air gun manufacturers have led a charge to make sure that the next step up from your air gun is…an air gun. Companies such as Daisy, Gamo, EAA and Legacy Sports International are now turning out models designed for accomplished shooters—adults and teens who are tall enough and have the skills and maturity to handle these hot new air guns.
   There’s a great case for going with an air gun for your shooting needs. If you live in an urban area where discharging a firearm is illegal, are sweating rising ammunition prices or if you just want to shoot all day without feeling the recoil, an air gun is a great addition to your gun cabinet. Until a few years ago, though, many hunters wouldn’t consider using an air rifle to pursue small game and varmints, as more often than not the moderate-velocity projectile wasn’t enough to take an animal cleanly. But high-performance adult air rifles have changed the rules and now deliver a
   lethal blow to game animals at previously unimaginable distances. These grown-up air rifles offer 1,000-feet per second (fps)-plus velocities with a .177-inch-diameter pellet, and they’re about as accurate as .22 rimfires. In fact, using the new PBA Raptor pellet, some air rifles can achieve velocities upwards of 1,600 fps! Like certain firearms, such as the AR-15 and Remington Model 870, adult air rifles have become hotbeds for accessories—bipods and pressure-activated lights and lasers affixed to Picatinny rails are the norm. Whether the hunting or shooting you do requires these accessories, or whether you just love the way they look, having these options available is a welcome innovation.
   Perhaps you’ve already achieved the size, responsibility and skill level for air guns like these; perhaps you’re still working towards that goal. Either way, prepare to be wowed by what’s
on the horizon.