I've never used the air cylinder type, only the pump up kind.

12 oz bottle targets from the second floor deck.

will any of the go all the way through a bottle of water?

what do you own/use ?
what should one stay away from?

I can say a Daisy 835 (similar to the CMP airrifles) will kill a ground hog dead at about 25 paces,

not sure of a bottle of water, but I have shot dime and smaller groups offhand in my garage (using a trap) roughly 20 feet,

a Crosman 760 will shoot well, not as accurate at the Daisy,

I also have an older RWS Diana 34,
very accurate, break barrel, and also quite loud,
it will easily go thru a beer/soda can at 25+ yrds, (I was shooting full cans of Dt Pepsi that were way out of day, foamed up nicely)

all irons, all 177cal,

Terminal ballistics depends on the type of pressure regulator built into the gun. I have a low powered Steyr pellet pistol and it’s not a problem to perforate a PET bottle at 15yds. Rifles with open regulators can perforate up to 25yds. For paper targets 50yds is max. distance. Additional infrastructure you will need is a scuba tank and extra O rings. The cylinder of such a rifle is pressurized with 2900PSI and should be handled accordingly. Important is that the cylinder is removable and proofed and has the proof mark stamped on the cylinder. Most efficient and best to adjust are .177 pellet rifles. BB and larger are bigger but do not provide more energy because they accelerate to a lower V0. Good, without problems but pricy are Walther and Diana rifles. Good but high on maintenance is FAS. Not to be recommended are high powered match rifles because they do not provide fun energy. Such rifles are limited to fit international shooting rules and primadonnas to shoot. More info can be found on sites dealing with Field Target shooting.

I have a RWS Diana 34 .177. About a month ago the neighbor asked me to dispatch a groundhog family that had taken up residence under his garage. Using 8.2 grain RWS Meisterkugeln pellets I shot through one groundhog into the one behind it. Shot was about 25 yards.

I use a Gamo pellet rifle with the supplied scope and can tell you that it is deadly to varmints and very reliable. One pump and ready to go.

I have owned my Beeman S-1 spring gun in .177cal for a few years now. I have no idea how many pack rats and field mice that thing has dispatched with just one shot. I added a cheap airgun scope(+2 power, I think). It was not expensive, and all that I have to do is cock it, via it being a "break barrel" airgun. No complaints at all.

this is a good online site to compare different air guns. All spec's

https://www.pyramydair.com/

Warning!!! it is a slippery slope when you start into airguns. It can start cheap and then you start looking into PCP guns!

My varmint air rife is a Crossman Venom with trigger mod and red dot.

The only thing I can add is that if you are in the city, some of the higher power air rifles are just as loud or louder as as shooting .22's. Basically you aren't going to be able to shoot in a dense neighborhood without the neighbors complaining or the law come a running. Bought one of the break action 1000+fps .177 air rifles to dispatch squirrels and first shot echoed up and down the street VERY loudly. Quickly put it away, returned it to store and went back to my pump up Daisy which sounds like a Pfffff, versus violent CRACKKKKK the high powered air rifle did!

Gamo.

CO2 powered airguns don't work well in cool or cold weather (loss of power due temperature) so I opt for single stroke spring cocking or lever pump designs.

All of mine are easily capable of taking out small game at reasonable distances let alone penetrating a bottle of water. And no, they are not silent.

Top to Bottom:
2016 Gamo Accu .22 w/Gamo 3-9x40AO
1978 Webley Hawk MK III .177 w/UTG 3-9x32AO
2016 Crosman 1300KT .177 18" w/ MAG IV 4-16x40AO
2016 Crosman P1322KTE .22 w/CP 3x32




...and when all else fails there's The Scout slingshot! LOL

I have the Gamo Whisper G2 that comes with a scope. It's extremely effective with one pump. The big selling point is that it's quiet. The only way it would be considered quiet is if you also consider slamming a car door as hard as you can quiet.

I have a break barrel nitro piston- Benjamin Trail NP XL .22 cal. It is big, heavy- 10+lbs with a scope, and loud. It will shoot through a spray paint can, end to end @ 25 yards and probably further. It is very accurate, and will kill most any critter you could need to at air gun range. If I lived in a dense subdivision, I would think neighbors would be annoyed or at least think I was shooting a firearm in the backyard. Probably not be the best choice for casual plinking. But, I would highly recommend something like the bottom 2 Crosman's in Bald1's post. Hours of fun and a thousand ways to modify them.

quote:

Warning!!! it is a slippery slope when you start into airguns. It can start cheap and then you start looking into PCP guns!

Yep;go big to start with unlike I did.
I am there after decades of this and that.
Benjamin Marauder was the answer all along and the painful journey is over

 
Another good source of information (and quality air guns) is Straight Shooters. Visit their Help section with articles on all aspect of airguns and pellets. Start with Basic Airgun Types, and then read the more-than-a-dozen specialized articles on just about anything you need to know in selecting a gun and pellet weight/type.
 

I've got two air rifles at the moment: A Daisy Avanti target-style gun, and a package-deal Stoeger with the scope, built-in sound moderator, etc. The Daisy will go all the way through a 20oz more often than not, but it will definitely hit it. The Stoeger will absolutely go through a 20oz every single time, but I can't guarantee I'd hit it. For whatever reason, that gun just shoots like crap, but as cheap as the whole package was, I guess I got what I paid for. I like the Avanti a whole lot better, but those target aperture sights are less than ideal on anything that isn't a circular black bullseye.

I have a couple air pistols as well, both break-barrel and CO2 powered. None of the ones I have will go all the way through a 20oz bottle of fluid. You can find pistols that would, but mine are all simple little plinkers that only need enough power to poke a hole in some paper or cardboard. 300-500fps isn't a whole lot of stink on a little .177 pellet.

- Bret

thanks I appreciate you taking the time , might look in too the noise issue,

a quiet rifle would be essential

So I've got a question. I do own a 22LR suppressor. Are any air guns threaded in a 1/2x28 pattern? Is it a waste of time to bother?

I still have a Sheridan Silver Streak I got in the 1950's that shoots 5mm pellets. Pump it to 8 pumps and its got some balls, not too loud either.
What a tank.

airgun silencer article:

https://www.pyramydair.com/art..._deal_August_2006/32

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
thanks I appreciate you taking the time , might look in too the noise issue,

a quiet rifle would be essential

A spring piston air rifle is as loud as, or louder, than a .22 rifle with CB caps.