Unless its a red ryder you should be fine. I use my daisy 1000 to kill squirrels, rabbits, doves, coons, woodchucks all the time. It's a .177break barrel pellet gun that shoots 1000 fps, never had to shoot something twice with it xcept a woodchuck that i hit in the leg on first shot.- I don't know what kind of air rifleyou have, if it can shoot pellets then do that instead of BBs. Pittbulls work too.