They’re affordable, dangerous, ridiculously accurate, and they are the perfect survival weapon for hunting and security. What are we talking about here? The good old air rifle.

Whether it be a backup addition to your plans for security, for when you bug out, whether you need to cache a backup weapon, or have a simple home security weapon, an air rifle is the one survival weapon that you should be considering.

In this post, we are going to look at the 11 best air rifles, and what it is about air rifles that make them so useful. We’ve had a lot of fun testing these out to make sure we ony used the top air rifles that will do the job when you need it the most. But the big question is, why do they make a great survival weapon?

Now don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a good shoot at the range as much as the next person, but there are some pretty good reasons why air rifles make a great alternative to the standard bullet-firing gun, such as:

Air rifles are an affordable weapon with cheap and light ammunition

There are less requirements to register the weapon or to hold a license (but you should always check for your local laws)

They are easy to maintain as there is no excess carbon from bullets like a normal gun

They can be a much quieter option if you are looking to keep your position unknown

Are a great way to start learning or to teach others how to use weapons and to practice their aim

Are a very dangerous and accurate weapon when used safely

Of course, they don’t pack as much of a punch as real guns, but they are still very dangerous weapons and are very suitable for hunting or defense. So with that in mind, before we get into the nuts and bolts of the best air rifles we tried, let’s take a look at which ones made the cut.

11 Best Survival Air Rifles Reviewed

IMAGE NAME RATING CALIBRE/

MAX FPS PRICE Umarex

Ruger .22

1200FPS

Benjamin

Marauder .177/.22/.25

850FPSw/.22

RWS Model 34 .22

1000FPS

Ruger Blackhawk .177

1000FPS

Ruger Air

Magnum .22

700-1000FPS

Hammerli 850 .22

655FPS

Gamo

Silent Cat .177

1200FPS

Gamo

6110017154

Varmint .177

1250FPS

Crosman

Repeat Air .177

625FPS

Crosman

Nitro Venom .177/.22

1100FPS

Benjamin Trail

NP2 .177/.22

1200FPS



How does an air rifle work?

Air rifles come in three different types: spring-piston, gas spring, and pneumatic, all of which are present in both air rifles and their counterpart pistols. In contrast to where a normal rifle would shoot a projectile by using combustible materials (gunpowder) in a bullet casing, the air gun does not rely on any explosive reactions so there is a very different sound comparison between the two.

For spring piston firing methods, a coil spring piston pump operates in a compression chamber that is separate from a gun barrel. These guns can use a lever or the barrel crack, where cocking the lever by cracking the barrel will cause the pump to pull the spring back until it is locked into a sear or ledge that is subsequently released by the pull of the weapon’s trigger.

Gas spring guns differ from the previously mentioned mechanic spring by using an enclosed piston pump with pressurized air or inert gas. The gun is still cocked in a similar way but with the compression available due to the compressed chamber there is much more stability in the weapon when firing and there the window of time between the pull of the trigger and the release of the piston is much smaller so as to hold more of a strength on accuracy.

One of the added benefits of gas air rifles is the fact that you can keep it cocked indefinitely. When the gun remains in a cocked position there is no extreme pressure on a spring as it is cocked on the gas chamber. This benefits hunters and marksmen who want to sit for quite some time to either aim or to wait until prey steps out before firing.

Pneumatic air guns, pre-charged, and Co2 guns use internally stored compressed air as the source to drive a projectile. They do this by using an inbuilt pump. While the pneumatic guns use a pump arm to still complete the process, pre-charged or PCP guns do not use an external pump or lever methods to cock the weapon.

The benefit of PCP guns is that they are able to cock instantly and they are completely noiseless as there is only air moving when the weapon is fired. This means that a PCP weapon is capable of automatic fire, and because there is no need for an excessive spring of gas piston system, the PCP system allows for air handguns to use automatic fire as well. The CO2 system works in a similar way, but unlike the PCP system, the CO2 can be reloaded with air canisters.

How fast can air rifles shoot?

A lot of the airguns available on the market hold a muzzle velocity that can range anywhere from 600 – 1300 feet per second (fps) when they fire a metallic pellet.

Now let’s consider that in comparison to some other personal protective weapons:

Compound crossbow and bows are around 400 fps

Slingshots can fire at up to 200 fps

A pistol will shoot at 1000 fps

The AR-15 will fire at a max of 3240 fps

Of course, an air gun is not as powerful or as fast as an AR-15. Otherwise, it would be a lot more expensive and more regulated. That doesn’t detract from the safety of an air rifle or an air-based pistol, their projectile is essentially a small metallic bullet that can easily rip through the skin, and is in fact a hunting item relied upon by many hunters for small game and has been known to be used against large game as well.

An air rifle is a deadly weapon, and in the right hands, can seriously injure or kill someone. Make no mistake, even though they are not as powerful as a real gun, an air rifle should be treated in the exact same manner with the same gun safety precautions.

What ammunition do you use for an air rifle?

There are various types of designs of ammunition available for airguns and are commonly referred to as ‘pellets’. They are simple diabolo designed bullets made of lead and generally come in .177 cal or .22 cal sizes.

Ammunition for air rifles, much like normal guns, will depend upon the capability of the rifle you own. Large caliber air rifles, usually for PCP guns, would include .357, .45, .50, .58 as well as much larger calibers of 20mm and .87 calibers.

The range on most types of ammunition for air rifles is quite good, with 50m being the effective range for hunting any small animals. When tested with ballistic soap and shot from 10 meters away the pellet is able to penetrate to more than eight centimeters.

One of the great added benefits of air rifles is the ammunition it uses. First, ammunition for air rifles is very cheap. For premium brands, air rifle pellets cost about $20 for 400 rounds. Second, the ammunition is very light so you don’t always have to hunt around large cases of ammunition.

So now that we know a little more about air rifles, what they are capable of, and their benefits, let’s take a look at the 11 best air rifles and how they compare.

A tip for when you are looking to buy an air rifle is to make sure you select something that has been peer-reviewed. Choosing an air rifle just because it is cheap will end up costing you more. Why? Because it will perform poorly and eventually fail. The air rifle industry is flooded with products that do not meet a lot of assurance standards and are manufactured as an expensive BB gun rather than an air rifle.

You should be aware that while they may appear very similar, there is a big difference between a child’s BB gun, and a serious hunting or safety air rifle. Indicators such as speed, quality, and durability, should appear in any review before you make a purchase.

To help you, we’ve found the best air rifles that match the standard many expect a quality air rifle to have. So let’s take a look at each one.

Umarex Ruger Targis Hunter .22 Caliber Pellet Air Rifle

The Umarex Ruger Targis Hunter .22 cal is a great looking air rifle. It is a spring piston break-barrel survival weapon that has a good 1200fps capability. While some air rifles are capable of still making quite some sound, the Umarex air rifle uses a SilencAir Noise Dampening System so as to keep your position quiet, or to not disturb the nature around you (animals that might get stifled from loud noises). It is essentially a non-removable air rifle suppressor that has a very strong impact on muzzle noise.

As a magnum air rifle, the Umarex has a very simple break-barrel cocking system, so if you are someone that hates how tough some rifles can be at cocking, this one might suit you much more. The cocking effort on the Umarex requires a 34lb effort.

This air rifle also comes with an adjustable (Picatinny) 3-9×32 scope and has an all-weather stock and 2-stage trigger.

Benjamin Marauder PCP Air Rifle, Synthetic Stock

The Benjamin Marauder air rifle is a PCP (compressed air) with great accuracy. The build of this survival weapon is great, with features such as a raised aluminum breech, metal trigger, a synthetic stock, and a very durable body.

Many describe the Benjamin Marauder as a high-powered rifle with no recoil. It has a very similar feel to its design and capability, just without the kickback. We enjoyed using the .22 Marauder as it’s what I wanted in an air rifle. These types of rifles have been used in hunting for many years and are capable of dropping any game that a 25 caliber could, so long as your aim is on point.

You can customize this air rifle to your own preferences in a number of ways. Sure you can add a scope and bipod, but the more popular customizations are to decide whether you want to use a gun with a hand pump, or you can decide to use an air tank if you don’t mind spending the money (and you have a place where you can fill it up). The bolt on this rifle is also customizable for left-handed firers, so should you need to, you can reverse the bolt switch. The manufacturers can do this for you.

RWS Model 34 .22 Caliber Pellet Air Rifle

The RWS Model 34 .22 Air Rifle is a German-made hardwood-stock weapon with a great ambidextrous design, two-stage trigger, adjustable scope, and an easy break-barrel cocking system.

This survival weapon is a great addition to any survivalists kit as it is a commonly-used small game hunting rifle, easily capable of taking out accurate shots. This can be with both the .177 and .22 caliber systems as they reach a great 1000 – 800fps respectively. As an added benefit for small game hunting, this air rifle comes with a 4×32 air rifle scope with a plex reticle for target precision and adjustable parallax for distance variables.