Finding the best .177 air rifle can be a challenge, but if you know how they work and what they can be used for, the search may not be a tough task at all.
These types of rifles are designed to fire off smaller caliber rounds like the .177. The smaller they are, the faster they will travel depending on the type of rifle you use. Some rifles will have a little more firepower than the others, so it’s important to choose a rifle wisely regardless if you’re using it for one purpose or just in general.
To help you find the best rifle for you, we’ve managed to compile a list of five .177 air rifles that are considered the best on the market. Before we get to the list itself, we’ll talk about what the .177 is best used for and why these five on the list are considered the best of the bunch.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks for .177 Air Rifles
Comparison of the Best .177 Air Rifles
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What Are The Best Uses For a .177 Air Rifle?
The .177 air rifle is made for some of the best applications for any air rifle on the market. Although they can be used for general purposes, there might be a rifle where it can excel at certain applications. These are the best uses for a .177 air rifle:
Target Shooting
Whether it’s using paper targets or cans and bottles, the .177 air rifle will definitely work to its advantage. These are smaller rounds that have a history of making tight shooting groups depending on the type of rifle they’ll use. If you have one equipped with a reliable scope, you can expect them to go beyond some distances.
Varmint Hunting
Small critters like squirrels and raccoons will not stand a chance against these .177 rounds. The rifles that have a little more velocity and firepower will be beneficial for this application alone. The higher the velocity, the better the firepower, and the better chance you’ll have the ability to knock down any varmint targets invading your lawn or garden.
Why These Are The Best?
These air rifles are considered the best based on a few characteristics and features that make it stand out. In fact, they should be enough to make themselves stand out over those that tend to flood the market but deliver disappointing results. You’ll need to know how to distinguish a great air rifle versus one that is considered unreliable and not the best in quality. Here are the characteristics and features that make the reasons why these rifles on the list are the best:
Price
If you’re on a budget, there’s a good chance you’ll look for something that will be affordable for your budget. Remember to invest in the best possible quality rather than sacrifice it just to save a few dollars. The characteristics, features, and overall quality should be your main focus while you’re choosing a rifle of your own.
Which Purpose Will Fit Your Rifle?
This is where you’ll need to find one for one certain purpose or for general use. So you’ll need to focus on some of the specific features like the FPS to ensure whether it would be ideal for a certain application. As a rule of thumb, a rifle with a high FPS will be best used for varmint hunting while something that is slightly lower will work for target shooting purposes. General-purpose rifles may have an FPS of about 1000.
Choose Quality Materials
The best rifles are often built from high-quality materials. These include steel and polymer. Both materials are resistant to impact and abuse, thus making them tougher than any other materials. The polymer is considered to be resistant to some elements like shock and bad weather.
Review of the Best .177 Air Rifles
The following is a list of five of the best .177 air rifles on the market. As you look through each of them, it is important to note the characteristics and features. If you have criteria for your “dream rifle”, then you can find one that fits the description closely.
Remember, “close enough” is a lot better than nothing at all. Now, let’s get to our list and unveil our choice for “best overall” .177 air rifle:
Best Overall:
Gamo 6110017154 Varmint Air Rifle .177 Cal
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Pros
Cons
What Recent Buyers Report
Most recent buyers were impressed with the rifle. The velocity was quite fast and the accuracy was effective with targets situated from 30 to 40 yards. Most users were able to hit consistent bullseyes on paper targets. Meanwhile, the other half used this for varmint control with great success. One user was satisfied with his ability to knock down many squirrels and the occasional raccoon.
Why it Stands Out To Us
The Gamo Varmint Air Rifle is packed with some power, and it’s one of the major reasons why it stands out. The velocity is about 1,250 fps. So the shooting is quicker than most airsoft rifles. The rifle will give you quick and accurate shooting that is much needed when warding off a small critter is a must. The rifle is also known for its durability and construction. So it has the potential to last you many years considering that you’re going to take excellent care of it.
Who Will Use This Most
This rifle will be used by those who are looking to ward off the small critters that invade a lawn or garden. The velocity is just enough for any user to knock off any kind of small creature that might be considered a pest. If you want a rifle that will work to the best of its ability against these lawn destroyers, this might be your go-to rifle.
What Could Be Improved and Why
The scope attached to the rifle might not be as reliable as some have reported. So it would be wise for users to do away with the scope itself and find one that will be much better in terms of quality and accuracy. This rifle has a really good front sight that can co-witness with most scopes.
Bottom Line
The Gamo Varmint Air Rifle might be considered the best of the business when it comes to a .177 air rifle. If you want something that will get the job done for varmint control purposes or target shooting, then this is the rifle that you’ll need for your arsenal.
Runner-up:
Crosman Fire Nitro Piston Air Rifle
[amazon fields="B016IMDBH2" image="1" value="thumb" image_size="large" image_align="center" image_link="none"]
Pros
Cons
What Recent Buyers Report
The rifle was met with a lot of positive remarks from new users. They were quick to mention how fast the shooting and follow-up shots were. The accuracy was effective when the targets were situated from about 30 to 35 yards out. One user said that he used it for general purposes, but found that it works the best while he was knocking down squirrels.
Why it Stands Out To Us
This rifle stands out the best in so many ways. To begin, the overall construction of the rifle was tough all over. The stock is made from synthetic materials and proved itself to be resistant to any impact and abuse. Aside from its durability, the rifle is heavy hitting and can pack a powerful punch against paper targets and small critters.
Who Will Use This Most
This nitro piston rifle will be used across many applications as a general-purpose rifle, but varmint hunters will likely benefit the most from this. The rifle is powerful, reliable, and accurate. If these three characteristics stand out to you the best then you’ll want this rifle for your own use.
What Could Be Improved and Why
The scope is shockproof, but somehow it tends to lose its zero over time. The scope can be improved by investigating the chief cause of it. Once it’s determined, the manufacturer will obviously make the needed adjustments. The scope is decent but has obvious room for improvement.
Bottom Line
If you’re looking for a powerful general-purpose rifle, then the Crosman Fire Nitro Piston Air Rifle might be exactly what you’re looking for. You can use it for one application or the other, this rifle won’t steer you wrong no matter what.
Best for the Money:
Beeman QB78D-177 Air Gun
[amazon fields="B01G48WVBW" image="1" value="thumb" image_size="large" image_align="center" image_link="none"]
Pros
Cons
What Recent Buyers Report
This rifle is affordable for many budgets. A lot of new users were not only satisfied with the price, but they were also able to shoot at various targets from about 35 to 40 yards out very effectively. The hit probability without a scope was pretty good according to one user. He said that he can do well without the scope while dealing with squirrels and other small critters.
Why it Stands Out To Us
Considering that it is an affordable rifle, it also proves itself to be one of the higher-performing rifles on the market. Especially for something that has good velocity. Granted, it’s not as fast as some air rifles that fire .177 rounds, but it can do a good deal of damage against paper targets and even bottles and cans. The bolt-action is smooth and allows for reliable, jam-free loading.
Who Will Use This Most
This will be an excellent .177 air rifle for those who are starting out with air rifles in the first place. The velocity is just right for newbie users. It’s not too fast or slow. It’s at a good speed where you can get a good idea of how these air rifles work.
What Could Be Improved and Why
The rifle can be a little lighter. Especially when it’s something that’s designed to be a newbie air rifle. You’re going to want something that’s lightweight and easy to use. A little bit of heavy weight might not make a good impression on new users.
Bottom Line
The Beeman Air Rifle is the one rifle that you can use if you’re starting out with air rifles, and for the price that it’s going for, it’s definitely worth every penny if you’re investing in a new hobby such as marksmanship.
Most Powerful .177 Air Rifle:
Magnum Air Rifle
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Pros
Cons
What Recent Buyers Report
Many users were quite impressed with every bit of this rifle. It’s powerful and does a good deal of damage when going up against small critters and even some of the larger pests like groundhogs and raccoons. One user said that the rifle was easy to use and was much more effective than a previous rifle that he had used for varmint control.
Why it Stands Out To Us
This rifle comes in with a velocity of around 1600 fps. That is quite fast and is almost the speed of some regular rifles. This was made for varmint control and has the ability to do some damage from a good distance. No air rifle on the market of any caliber will come close to this one (and won’t be for a long time).
Who Will Use This Most
The rifle will obviously excel as a varmint hunting rifle. It may not be a beginner-friendly rifle at best, but it will definitely have its uses for those who have long been using air rifles for the purpose of animal control. The rifle might be a little too powerful for general purposes.
What Could Be Improved and Why
The loudness comes with the territory of this rifle, but it can be possible to tone it down a bit without having to sacrifice any kind of velocity or quality. This way, you can take care of the invaders in your lawn or garden without having to scare the neighbors.
Bottom Line
The Magnum Air Rifle is powerful and can fire .177 rounds at a much faster rate. If you want an air rifle that will definitely take care of your varmint problem, this rifle will be your cup of coffee. Unless another one of these rifles hits the market, this is the only rifle that can deliver such massive power.
Editor’s Choice:
Crosman Pneumatic Pump Air Rifle .177 Caliber
[amazon fields="B0062B4PQQ" image="1" value="thumb" image_size="large" image_align="center" image_link="none"]
Pros
Cons
What Recent Buyers Report
A lot of recent buyers were happy with this rifle. Most of them were new users trying to find a rifle that was best as a starter rifle. They found one in the Crosman Pneumatic Pump Air Rifle. The general consensus said that the rifle was easy to pump and provided excellent velocity and accuracy for the purpose of target shooting.
Why it Stands Out To Us
The rifle is not like the others in terms of design. It has more of an AR-15 look to it. Plus, it can fire a lot of BB pellets fairly quickly. It’s made from high-quality materials that can handle abuse and impact. So ideally it can be used for target shooting and even some run and gun applications.
Who Will Use This Most
This will be a starter rifle for most users. So expect newbies to get a hold of this. Application wise, expect this to be more of a target shooting rifle than a varmint hunting one. Granted, it does have enough velocity to ward off smaller animals like squirrels.
What Could Be Improved and Why
The rail can use a little bit of length. This way, it can handle a lot of the longer scopes that can be used for air rifles. All you need to do is choose a rifle scope of your choice that will fit this rifle’s rail system and you’ll be in business for the long term.
Bottom Line
If you’re looking for an air rifle for .177 rounds that is strong, rugged, and can work for many target shooting applications, the Crosman Tactical Air Rifle might just be what you need for hours of fun. If you got a bunch of targets and a rifle like this, there’s no limit to how much fun you can have with it.
Cautious Considerations to Keep in Mind
While looking for an air rifle of your own, it’s important to keep these considerations in mind. We highly recommend that you don’t ignore these as you go about finding a rifle. The reason being is for the benefit of your personal safety and the safety of those around you. Here’s what you need to know:
Air Rifles Can Cause Serious Injury or Death
Despite not being real firearms, airsoft rifles with just enough power can cause some serious injury or death in humans. So it’s important to practice gun safety. Especially when you’re using an air rifle with a lot of power that can propel a steel pellet.
Check Your Laws
While it might sound a little ridiculous, there are some jurisdictions that have laws or rules in place regarding the use of air rifles. It’s important to do some research regarding local and state laws on the use of air rifles. Even some places outside of the United States require certification for the use of these rifles. Check for any laws that pertain to these rifles so you won’t have to deal with any unintentional legal repercussions in the future.
Perks of Getting a New .177 Air Rifle
When purchasing a new .177 air rifle of your own, you’re going to experience some perks. These might be benefits that you might not find with a rifle that is considered unreliable and poor in quality. Here’s what you might enjoy:
Hours of Fun
This will pertain to target shooting and yes, even varmint hunting. As long as you have a lot of rounds to work with, there is no limit to when you’ll have enough of using these air rifles. As long as you utilize proper gun safety, then you can have a good amount of fun.
Reliable for the Most Part
While air rifles have a habit of jamming, a rifle of great quality will have fewer jamming issues. If you are faced with this consistently, either you can get some replacement parts for it or replace the rifle itself. Either way, reliability is a must when you’re operating a great air rifle.
Can Accept Most Scopes
Even some scopes that you’ll find on regular rifles can be accepted on air rifles as well. It all depends on the kind of rifle that you’ll get, but that doesn’t mean that every .177 air rifle will be like that. Be sure to look for any mounts or rails included for the purpose of a scope.
Conclusion
The best .177 air rifle is out there. One of these five will definitely work to your advantage no matter what the application. Be sure to find one for your own use and never be bored of using an airsoft rifle that is dedicated to shooting consistent bullseyes or warding off any small yard invaders.