22 Caliber Air Rifle

22 air rifles are the best choice for medium to large pests. The extra weight provides the best take-down power in a pellet gun. Look for velocities of 500-900 fps for best results in a .22 caliber air rifle. The pellet will not fly as far in a .22 air rifle compared to the lighter weight calibers, but the better penetration is worth the loss in speed and carry. Remember that these .22 air rifles are not BB rifles. Attempting to fire BB ammunition in a gun designed to shoot pellets can damage the rifling. If you are interested in a BB rifle, please refer to our bb and pellet guns section.

22 Caliber Air Rifle

We been airgun hunting for 25 years and have shot nearly every .22 air rifle available. With that experience hunting with and reviewing airguns, I’ve put together a list of the best .22 air rifles.  

I’ll start with my standard disclaimer for these types of articles. The “best” rifle is a subjective measure that depends on its end use and your personal preferences. These are guns that I would choose based on criteria such as accuracy, power, size and weight, cocking action, magazine capacity, trigger, or the cost of ownership.

It would be easy just to select my overall favorite airguns and say, “I’ll take the .22 version of that.” However, I am going to start with a clean slate, ask myself what I’d want specifically in a .22, look at what’s available on the market, and share my top picks.