you should get one these babies (there expensive but shoot the bestt for 22. AIRforceariguns

you can got to www.cabelas.com but there are a little expensive if i were you i would just buy a 22lr of 22sr

I shoot a .177 Gamo shadow 1000 with an 3-9x adjustable scope, sling, and 14" bipod. Very powerful gun. Chronys at 985 fps with a 7 grain pellet. Averages 15 fpe. You could take out coyotes with it if you wanted to headhunt, lol. It's also available in .22. But personally I prefer the higher speed and flatter trajectory of the .177, plus ammo is much cheaper and more accesible. Anyways, the whole set-up set me back about $220. Or for a bit more, you could get it in the "Hunter" series, which sports a wood stock. Anyways, very accurate. I have dropped rabbits/ground squirrels at fifty yards with it. It shoots about .3 ctc at 35 yards while vised. Quite impressive for an airgun of any price. Oh, and I find that the best ammo for it is the RWS Super "H" Points (for feathers), or from what I've heard, Beeman Crow Magnums (for fur). I usually just use heavy match pellets for rabbits, or else Gamo Roundballs for larger game. They give great penetration, and have almost no parafin expansion). Good luck.

P.S. You will have to fire about 1500 rounds through your spring piston air rifle before it fires accurately. You will also have to get used to the unique forward recoil of a springer before you can shoot it accurately.

i was looking at some reviews for the Gamo Shadow and it seems like a powerful gun, which is what i want. but i was wondering, how much FPS does it take to EFFECTIVLY kill an animal? and does pellet size matter (.22 or .177)? and what pellet is good for penetrating an animals skin and bringing it down?

thanks again

Pellet size does matter. I would go for a .22 pellet gun. A .177 shoots faster and flatter, but they are not as powerful. A .22 shoots slower, but it packs quite a punch. If I were hunting squirrels with a pellet gun, I would want a .177 that shoots 800 fps+ or a .22 that shoots 600 fps+. I would take the .22 over the .177 any day. If you were hunting rabbit, I would use a .177 with 1000 fps, or a .22 with 700 fps. I would again take the .22 over the .177.

As for pellet, I would use:

1. Flat nosed pellets
2. Hollow Points
3. Domed pellets
4. Pointed pellets

A flat nosed pellet generally shoots more accurately. They also have a large point of impact. This will cause maximum damage.

Hollow points are great pellets, but they are not as accurate. If you get a great hit they will expand and cause maximum damage.

Domed pellets are not as accurate, but they penetrate well. Since the pellet does not expand on impact, it will cause minimal damage. If you miss the vitals, you will only wound the animal. The animal will escape.

Pointed pellet are the least accurate of the mentioned pellets. Since the pellet does not expand on impact, it will cause minimal damage. If you miss the vitals, you will only wound the animal. The animal will escape.

However, the .22 is being driven by the same amount of force as the .177. Plus there are .177 pellets that weight up to 12 grains, so that offers about the same ballistic coeffecient.

As for pellet, I would use:

1. Flat nosed pellets

A great choice all around. Especially the better brands.

2. Hollow Points

An even better choice if they group well out of your barrel. This is a problem for some though. Luckily, the best grouping pellets I have found for my barrel are RWS Super Hollow Points. They actually shoot well out of most guns, due to their tight tolerances.

3. Domed pellets

A good choice if you are using a PCP (Pre-charged Pneumatic).

4. Pointed pellets

These group like a bunch of unintroduced friends. Good if you need maximum penetration, but you can't kill what you can't hit, right?

Pretty much right on, however, I have found that the right hollow point will only break your grouping out by about .1 at 30 yards. Well worth the sacrifice in my opinion. The impact wave makes the accuracy far less important.

P.S. Live 2hunt, it takes about 3 FPE to the killzone to kill most small game (about 1 or 2 to the head). Only 1.7 to take most bird life. You may need 10 for stuff like woodchucks/beavers/turkeys though. The Shadow is more than adequate for any legal airgun qurry in my state, and I live in the most liberal of all in regards to that. Anyways, it packs an evil punch. I've dropped a few pigeons off an antenae that is about 50 yards off, and they were all instant kills. Fell to the ground by gravity alone. Crows don't even stand a chance, and they're tough S.O.B.s. Rabbits are nothing for this gun, and you could even take turkey or 'yotes if you felt frisky. All in all, a great springer for killing stuff under the size of an average dog, lol. I recomend it. Especially at the price. $124.95 at WalMart isn't a bad price to pay for a well made European springer.

You want to shot pellets..................little to no fur damage..........17 HMR is what you need.............Plenty of FPS.......knockdown..............you name it. Why shoot an animal with something that it might just run off wounded. The last thing I want to go through their mind (the animal) besides that 17HMR round is "Damn.....that ain't no Pellet Gun!"

Id imagine most in here are backyard hunters lol I dont think a 17 HMR would be suitable for that purpose.

ok i just shot 4 squirrals today closest at 30yrds with no scope and a 1000 fps gun
i shot a quest1000 got it in an mix up within stores they wernt supposed to get it so i got a 200$ gun for 150$ with scope but i dont like it to big 39x15 or so

Actually, Im looking for a good pellet gun for serious squirrel hunting during season and on public land. I also would like something that wont wound animals and make an effective kill. If there isn't such a pellet gun then I'll just get a .22