Squirrel gun for dad?

[rh2y]

Hi all! My dad's birthday is coming up (around the same time as Father's Day, how about that...) and I'd like to get him a decent squirrel gun in .177 for around $100.

Either a springer or a gas piston is ok; no CO2.

His current rifle is an old Daisy Powerline, but it's so worn out that the pellets bounce off the squirrels and they laugh at him.
I guess a .22 would be ok, too, but right now Dad only owns .177's, so keeping it a .177 would keep the ammo costs down. I don't hunt, so I'm in the dark on this.

What's a good rifle for this in the current crop? Most of the squirrels would be in fairly close range, less than 25 yards out. Quiet would be a good thing, too, in case a second shot is needed.

Thanks!

Russ

[ezman604]

Hey Russ, good deal on the airgun as a present. I know I'd like that as a gift!!!!

I think you would be hard pressed to find a gas ram or nitrogen piston model any less than the new Crosman Titan at Wally World for $149. And while you're at Wally World, look for the springer red tag bargains a lot of folks are buying lately. The Crosman Storm has been seen red tagged at $54, the new Phantom synthetic at $80 and I saw a Beeman 1073 (dual barrel .177 & .22) for $64. And those prices are scoped with the exception of the Phantom. Right now is a good time to shop for an AG at Wal-Mart. They have also started carrying Crosman Premiere ammo in .22.

Gas ram/nitrogen piston would definately be quieter and probably have a smoother firing cycle. For hunting purposes a .177 would be fine but a .22 would probably be prefferable. And good ammo for a .22 shouldn't really be an issue. Crosman Premiere Hollow Points (CPHP) is only $6.95 at Wal-Mart for a tin of 500. Pretty reasonable.

Happy Shooting!!!!

Dave

[itsnotom]

stay away from the beeman

[Bogey]

rh2y,   I was in Walmart this morning and the  Crosman Phantom is priced at $80.    The crosman Storm is now in the new package at Walmart but it is now priced at about $109.  The Phantom does not have a scope included.   However most of the scopes that come in a package deal usually wind up being replaced anyway.

I have owned both.  They are basically the same AG except for the stocks.   And they are solid , accurate, mainly need the GRT trigger and a scope upgrade.

BTW, I have " harvested" about 200 squirrels with these 2 AGs both in .177 calibre in the last 18 months.

[tjk]

Simple,.....PA has the Ruger Airhawk for about $115 and it comes with a scope. Probably not the best scope,....but,.... Anyways, the Ruger is a cloned copy of the Diana 34, which is a well designed rifle. Easy to tune and parts availability is very good. HTH, tjk

[daveshoot]

I like the Phantom a lot for the money, and did well with the one I bought (wish I could find those red tag deals here in CA!). I was pretty impressed with it for the price point.

The Ruger is also reportedly a good clone of a great rifle. I don't have experience with it, but I have the RWS34... not fair to bring that into a $100 discussion.

The Beeman name has gone onto some poor Chinese guns, but those are not all bad. The RS1 configuration with the square-backed trigger guard is the one to avoid. The RS2 and RS3 configurations, with an oval trigger guard, can be very good, and made better. I have one of these and it was an excellent shooter, although I paid over the $100 for it.

I think most of the best choices on this budget are here in this thread already! If it was me, I would try out the Titan, just 'cause I don't have a ram yet.

[rh2y]

Ok, looking like I will have to take a look at the Storm and Phantom, then!

Thanks; good to know that folks have tried them before and liked them. Sometimes a bargain is a bargain, and most of the time it's not, so thanks for the input. I'll see if I can find a good deal on one of these two, and maybe find a decent scope to go with it.

Russ

[rh2y]

Out of curiosity, what's the difference between the Storm and the Quest? They're almost the same price. I can't tell from the literature what the difference is.

Thanks!

Russ

[Gene_SC]

Basically the stock. Both have same powerplants

I think my Quest has a very nice looking stock.

[rh2y]

I see the Quest is available in .22. That just might be the ticket for dad and his squirrel population!

[Schmidty25]

yea if I were you I'd prob go with either the Ruger airhawk or the quest.  both good guns. the airhawk has a better trigger...

[bigbadwulff]

What is your obsession with trashing the Beeman RS2(1073). It's a great gun for the money. Many of us here have it and are very pleased with it. You are about the only person on here that has an issue with it.

[Zzyzx]

Why not the Tech Force 89? A nice shooter that can take these varmints pretty well and it is pretty close to the cost specified.