Thread: How BAD is a coon you ask ?

Originally Posted by DockShootinJack

Which brand airguns would you recommend. I have been looking around some at different brands. Every manufacturer claims they are the best

There’s a bit more than picking a brand to start- it would be best to start with an application- like a fishing rod. Set a realistic idea of what you will most use it for, what range, what target. Then you can pick the most suited power source. Then- it could be what brand, based on budget, etc.

You can buy an airgun capable of hunting boar, deer, etc, but if you wanted to use the same one for shooting starlings or plinking targets, it wouldn’t be a good fit.

In general, some of the best brands are FX, AirArms, HW/Weihrauch to name a few. Once you settle ona realistic application, you can find the “best” fit for the budget. Keep one important thing in mind- airguns are not “less than” firearms. To get even just equal quality, an airgun will be more expensive. There are (much)more machined parts involved for it to produce its own power supply. If you cut corners here, you can’t expect to get good results!

back when i loved my 22 caliber Benjamin pellet rifle , it would dispatch pretty good size critters with one to the temple .
the holes in the skull were just about as perfect as a wad cutter round on a paper target . foxes were the largest of the critters i took out with it and all of the coons and foxes and other critters were in leg hold traps , it was my trap line gun ....silent and quite deadly

Originally Posted by Ketchn

back when i loved my 22 caliber Benjamin pellet rifle , it would dispatch pretty good size critters with one to the temple .
the holes in the skull were just about as perfect as a wad cutter round on a paper target . foxes were the largest of the critters i took out with it and all of the coons and foxes and other critters were in leg hold traps , it was my trap line gun ....silent and quite deadly

I have a silenced 22 caliber Stoeger pellet airgun that is pretty good. It's my varmint gun for around my house. Having other houses around gun shot isn't exactly something I want. They never know when I shoot this gun.

Originally Posted by binfordw

There’s a bit more than picking a brand to start- it would be best to start with an application- like a fishing rod. Set a realistic idea of what you will most use it for, what range, what target. Then you can pick the most suited power source. Then- it could be what brand, based on budget, etc.

You can buy an airgun capable of hunting boar, deer, etc, but if you wanted to use the same one for shooting starlings or plinking targets, it wouldn’t be a good fit.

In general, some of the best brands are FX, AirArms, HW/Weihrauch to name a few. Once you settle ona realistic application, you can find the “best” fit for the budget. Keep one important thing in mind- airguns are not “less than” firearms. To get even just equal quality, an airgun will be more expensive. There are (much)more machined parts involved for it to produce its own power supply. If you cut corners here, you can’t expect to get good results!

Perhaps I would be better off paying the tax and waiting on a rimfire muffler it would seem to be slightly more versatile for eradicating vermin from the property.

Originally Posted by Ketchn

back when i loved my 22 caliber Benjamin pellet rifle , it would dispatch pretty good size critters with one to the temple .
the holes in the skull were just about as perfect as a wad cutter round on a paper target . foxes were the largest of the critters i took out with it and all of the coons and foxes and other critters were in leg hold traps , it was my trap line gun ....silent and quite deadly

I have an old wood stock 22 caliber CO2 bolt action Crossman that I traded for as a teenager around 1990. It may be a good time to see what it needs for a rebuild. It isn't quiet but it sure is a thumper

There are many models now like mine that come with built in silencer. Fixing up an existing one might be the cheapest option for you though. And know there are a variety of pellet ammo types now that really change how it performs. Good luck!

I was looking more at quality. I have also looked into some of the pre charged one. They have some of those capable of Deer and Hog. Impressive to say the least

For precharged, FX and Daystate would be hard to beat, in my opinion.

I've shot some high end daystates and FX, they are all pretty amazing. I'd rank them with equivalent cost rimfires ($1500+) for sure.

For spring or gasspring guns, HW/Weihrauch is probably it.


I had a used (VERY used) FWB300S 10M match rifle years ago, I bought used that had seen use at a shooting club. The stock was dinged and beat, and the blueing worn, but it was one of the finest rifles to shoot. Had almost no power- as it was designed for Olympic paper punching, but it was so fun to shoot. It had an amazing trigger, and the firing cycle and cocking felt and sounded like pure precision. Power absolutely takes a backseat to accuracy- but having both is nice too!