I was just wondering if anyone uses airguns for hunting. Not your Daisy Red Ryder but something much more serious.

There are many quality high powered air rifles out there.

Two of my favorites are the Benjamin Discovery PCP 22 and the Air Force Condor PCP 22 rifle.

With either one,I can shoot less than die sized groups at 50 yds from a rest.

Wayne

A couple of years ago "Cheaper Than Dirt" had refurbished Ruger Blackhawk Elites on sale for $45 shipped. I bought a few for the Nephews and my Grandson.....and kept one for myself. It's not a premium air rifle, but it's a lot of fun and shoots pretty good out to 50 yards.

I have a Gamo with scope and silencer for varmits. 1300 fps and very accurate.

Pap

I have 2 Air Rifles,first is a Weirauch HW100 KT PCP in .22 in the UK we are restricted to 12 ft lbs which equates to about 600fps in this rifle,astonishing accuracy,pellet on pellet out to about 35 yards ,no recoil,70 shots per fill and quieter than a mouses fart.Top quality German engineering.
My other air rifle is a BSA Lightning XL SE break barrel springer in .177,about 800fps I have had it tuned to reduce the 'twang' and Spring noise and it shoots very smooth with reduced recoil, 1/2" groups at 30 yards and very quiet with its built in moderator,also made in Birmingham ,England.
Air rifle quarry in the UK is mainly,rabbits,squirrels,pigeons and corvids classed as agricultural pests,the quarry is plentiful but having somewhere to shoot it is more difficult to come by.
Plinking and target ranges are plentiful and the airgun sports of Field Target and Hunter Field Target can be shot at many clubs,my nearest is about 1/2 a mile from my house.

Have had great success with my Sharp Variable pump up in 177 Cal.
Very versatile as you can pump up. Each equates to approx.
100FPS maximum at 1200 fps. This enables you to shoot a Rat indoors or Rabbits outside.

I have 2 air rifles. Both are Diana RWS’s.

Model 34 .177 1000 FPS
Model 54 .22 recoiless - 900 FPS. Heavier than my M1 Garands
Both are single pump/lever action.

Brought them back out a couple of years ago when .22 ammo disappeared off the shelves. Model 54 drops a rabbit or squirrel with no problem. I am now back to my 10/22 and Browning .22 auto for plinking.

Neale,
I noticed that in the UK,you folks are very serious about your airgunning. Some very fine examples of fine airguns come from your country.

In the US,airgunning has been growing by leaps and bounds and some big bore air rifles are now being made.

One shop,Quakenbush Air Rifles,has at least a two year wait. It is a one man shop and he specializes in big bore (cal 45) air rifles.

I enjoy hunting small game with my high powered air rifles as it affords me to hunt in smaller parcels of land where even 22 lr or 410 shotguns could not be utilized.

Plus,during inclement weather,I can shoot indoors in my house at my "indoor range". (you know, from the laundry room,through the shop into the pellet trap against the wall)

Wayne

I have three, a Daisy Model 25 BB gun I got as a kid, a Benjamin Titan .177, and a Weihrauch HW95 .22 caliber.

Wayne,we have some world class airguns made in the UK,Air Arms,Daystate,Ripley to name a few.I am looking at my next air rifle purchase and have got it down to the Air Arms Pro Sport or TX200,both fantastic under lever Spring guns,wide choice of aftermarket tuning products to further enhance their performance,with the right 'tweaking' both these springers can achieve PCP level accuracy.
When I was a kid we grew up shooting BSA Meteors,I think they are making the mk6 version of that rifle still in Birmingham today.
I also have 3 pistols,a Webley Tempest,Victory CP-1m and a Webley Mk6 service revolver,the last two are Co2 powered,not very powerful but great for back garden plinking.

Years ago, I was visiting my buddy who is a Gunsmith. He showed me a metal walking stick, and said "watch this"
He shot/demolished a block of wood at the end of workshop.
It was a 38 Caliber air gun. Wouldn't have noticed in a million years. Even had a set of notched sights.
Apparently, they were very popular in England back in the days of the Yorkshire Ripper era.
I certainly would not have liked being at the receiving end.
It was not a toy.