Air rifles have been around for a long time. Lewis and Clark even took one on their expedition. I had a bb gun growing up that could take pellets, and my brothers and I took out our fair share of cotton tails with these. I was introduced to higher power air rifles by the Bone Collectors. Below is one of the ads I watched. Air rifle technology has been improving, but how does it stack up to the tried and true 22LR?
For this article, I’ll only be looking at 22 caliber air rifles. It isn’t fair to compare a 22LR to something like the Benjamin Bulldog, which shoots a 357 caliber bullet propelled by air power. The Bulldog is a tank and far outstrips a 22.
Ammo Availability
During the current ammo shortage, and the ammo shortage before this one, 22 ammo became difficult to find. We’re in an ammo shortage right now. I went to 3 gun stores in the last week and none of them had 22 ammo. I can still buy pellets on Amazon. I hate that this is something to consider. 15 years ago, this wouldn’t have been part of the conversation. It is though. Air Rifle wins. They also cost less than 22 bullets.
Power
22LR to 22 caliber pellet rifle, generally speaking the 22LR will win. Most 22lr bullets are 30-40 grains, whereas 22 caliber pellets range from 14-25 grains. The 22lr also generally shoots faster. Faster + Heavier = hits harder.
Winner: 22LR
Sound
A Ruger 10/22 shoots at 143 decibels. You can get an air rifle with a built in suppressor that is less than 90 decibels, and some even go less than 70 decibels. You can buy a suppressor for a 22, but its really nice that 22 pellet rifles shoot subsonic, and can come suppressed right out of the box. For further comparison, I once shot squirrels out of the back window of an apartment. I couldn’t do that with a 22 without really upsetting the neighbors.
Gamo Whisper Fusion
For Prepping Storage
Pellets are significantly smaller. Below is an image of 500 223, 500 22lr, and 500 pellets. As can be seen, the pellets are much smaller. They have different uses, but for small game, its efficient to have a pellet rifle and pellets in storage.
For Self Defense
I personally wouldn’t want either of these for self defense. If I had to pick one though, it’d be the 22LR, specifically in the Ruger 10/22. It’s semi-automatic, and you can buy big magazines. I also want as much hitting power as possible in a self defense scenario. The 22LR wins this one.
My Preference
If I could only have one, it’d be my 10/22. But, with the current ammo shortage, and the fact that I can hunt small game with my air rifle, I still have a pellet rifle. We live in a world where I don’t have to just pick one.
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