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On one of my training days with the police & ambulance services, they gave us a demonstration of what a high powered rifle would do to a brick wall – the answer, obviously, is shoot straight through it and out the other side.
They showed us a few other things – the efficacy of hiding behind a car door during a firefight (not effective), a double-skinned brick wall (again, don’t bother), a cinder block wall (might as well be paper), and how a bullet to the abdomen can leave an exit wound in your neck.
I think the point was to not get on the wrong side of a gun – so it makes perfect sense that you are looking to buy one yourself. Just remember which end to point at your target, right?
Here’s a video of a high powered air rifle being shot at cinder block – wow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tdvsv6cRacU
I’m going to be straight with you – if you want a super-powerful air rifle, there is one out there that might suit you. It isn’t cheap, and it isn’t pretty (in my opinion), but it is powerful, as you can see from the above video.
I’m going to give you some more reasonable options for powerful air rifles to begin with before I get out the big guns. Seriously, any of the first four of my recommendations will be more than powerful enough for you.
Bear in mind that there are legal implications for owning such a powerful gun, too – read on to find out a bit more.
Walther Maxima Thor
The Maxima Thor air rifle from Walther is a bit of a beast. Walther, as you know, is the manufacturer of that well-known pistol, the PPK, favoured by Sean Connery as James Bond. They also make air rifles – quality German engineering, of course.
With an 8-shot rotary magazine, you’ll get upwards of 30 shots from one charge, and it seems to be pretty accurate at 35-40 yards – some users even claim it gives them a 1/2″ grouping at 50 yards, which is excellent.
With an energy output of around 40ft/lbs, it’s well over the legal limit for the UK which, to me at least, means it qualifies as a “powerful airgun”. It puts out at about 1000fps in the .22 model; it also comes in a .25 which Walther claim will give you 51ft/lbs. So it packs quite a punch!
- PCP (Pre Charged Pneumatic) Mechanism
- 44 ft/lbs – .22 Cal Ammunition
- A Lothar Walther barrel with a shrouded design
- A bolt-action system with an 8-shot magazine
- A Minelli hardwood stock with checkering on the grip and forearm
- A two-stage adjustable trigger and a safety lever
- A built-in pressure gauge and a quick-fill port
- An overall weight of 4.2 kg
Pros
- Very powerful and consistent, thanks to the regulator that ensures precise air usage per shot
- Very accurate and quiet, thanks to the Lothar Walther barrel and the shrouded design
- Very comfortable and ergonomic, with a Minelli hardwood stock and a smooth bolt-action
- Very versatile, with an 11-mm dovetail rail for scope mounting and sling swivels for carrying
Cons
- Requires a firearms certificate (FAC) to own and use in the UK
- Not very easy to reload, as the bolt-action requires more effort than a side-lever
- Not very elegant, as the wood stock is plain and the shrouded barrel is bulky
- Not very affordable, as it is one of the most expensive PCP air rifles
Gamo Buckmasters Squirrel Terminator
This break barrel rifle from Gamo is a good budget option for a high power air rifle. The manufacturers claim that it can reach 1275fps with their Gamo PBA Platinum pellets. At .177 cal and 5-grain weight, that gives it a power of about 18ft/lbs – certainly more powerful than many airguns on the market.
It’s quite light too, owing to the polymer stock, which looks quite stylish. It’s a neat looking rifle, but nothing special. It’s a nice touch that it comes with a scope too.
- Spring-piston Mechanism
- 17.5 ft/lbs – .177 Cal Ammunition
- A steel barrel with a polymer jacket and a Whisper Fusion silencer
- A break-barrel action with a 10-shot magazine
- An all-weather ambidextrous synthetic stock with textured grip and forearm
- A two-stage adjustable trigger and a manual safety catch
- A 4×32 scope with adjustable objective and mount
- An overall weight of 2.8 kg
Pros
- Very powerful and fast, reaching up to 1275 fps with alloy pellets
- Very convenient and easy to use, thanks to the break-barrel and the magazine system
- Very durable and rugged, with a polymer jacketed barrel and a synthetic stock
- Very quiet and smooth, with a Whisper Fusion silencer and a two-stage trigger
Cons
- Not very accurate or consistent, as the spring-piston mechanism causes vibration and recoil
- Not very comfortable or ergonomic, as the stock is hard and the trigger is heavy
- Not very versatile, as it does not have any accessory rails or mounts
- Not very affordable, as it is one of the most expensive high-powered air rifles
Gamo Hunter Extreme SE
Another break barrel from Gamo, and once again it’s pretty powerful. Those folks at Gamo know their stuff. In this case, it shoots a .177 at 1650fps – 28ft/lbs of energy. I’ll take that, thank you very much.
This rifle also comes with a scope – thanks, Gamo – but unlike the Buckmasters which totes an x4 fixed magnification scope, this one boasts an x3-9 scope with a bigger objective lens for a better image. Having said that, you’re not buying it for the scope, and a good thing too because although it certainly does the job, it could stand to have an upgrade if you’re serious.
As rifles go, it’s accurate enough to hunt small game, the calibre is a bit of a disadvantage for some, but it’s not at all a dealbreaker!
- Spring-piston Mechanism
- 28.6 ft/lbs – .177 Cal Ammunition
- A fluted polymer jacketed rifled steel barrel with an enhanced silencer
- A break-barrel action with a 10-shot magazine
- A synthetic stock with a rubberized grip and a shock wave absorber recoil pad
- A two-stage adjustable trigger and an automatic safety catch
- A 3-9×50 scope with illuminated dot reticle and mount
- An overall weight of 4 kg
Pros
- Very powerful and fast, reaching up to 1650 fps with alloy pellets
- Very convenient and easy to use, thanks to the break-barrel and the magazine system
- Very durable and rugged, with a polymer jacketed barrel and a synthetic stock
- Very quiet and smooth, with an enhanced silencer and a shock wave absorber recoil pad
Cons
- Not very accurate or consistent, as the spring-piston mechanism causes vibration and recoil
- Not very comfortable or ergonomic, as the stock is hard and the trigger is heavy
- Not very versatile, as it does not have any accessory rails or mounts
- Not very affordable, as it is one of the most expensive high-powered air rifles
Benjamin Trail XL .25
The Benjamin Trail comes in .177, .22 and .25 calibres – the .177 can achieve a maximum 1500fps, while the .25, as you’d expect, reaches up to 900fps. That’s about 40ft/lbs with a 25-grain pellet, roughly. It’s pretty powerful.
What you’ll find with the Benjamin Trail as well as similar guns is that they are just too heavy and too cumbersome to be ideal hunting weapons, although it certainly has enough poke to allow you to hunt effectively. And although it is accurate, it can be beat – power and accuracy are often traded off for one another.
If you are looking for a hunting rifle, I would choose the Trail .22 over this one – it is more accurate at a distance and has a higher fps than the .25, and certainly packs enough punch for most small game.
The Trail is a nice rifle nonetheless. It has an ambidextrous stock with a thumb loop and looks quite the part. It’s a nitro piston break barrel, so it is very smooth both to cock and to shoot. It comes with a scope, which pushes its weight up to nearly 10lbs
- Spring-piston Mechanism
- 26.6 ft/lbs – .25 Cal Ammunition
- A steel barrel with a polymer jacket and a muzzle brake
- A break-barrel action with a 2-shot magazine
- A hardwood stock with twin raised cheekpieces and checkering
- A two-stage adjustable trigger and a manual safety
- A 3-9×40 scope and a scope rail with a recoil reducing rail
- An overall weight of 4.1 kg
Pros
- Very powerful and fast, reaching up to 900 fps with alloy pellets
- Very convenient and easy to use, thanks to the break-barrel and the magazine system
- Very durable and rugged, with a polymer jacketed barrel and a hardwood stock
- Very affordable, as it is one of the cheapest high-powered air rifles
Cons
- Not very accurate or consistent, as the spring-piston mechanism causes vibration and recoil
- Not very quiet, as the muzzle brake does not eliminate the sonic boom of supersonic pellets
- Not very comfortable or ergonomic, as the stock is hard and the trigger is heavy
- Not very versatile, as it does not have any accessory rails or mounts
Umarex Hammer .50
- PCP (Pre Charged Pneumatic) Mechanism
- 700 ft/lbs – .50 Cal Ammunition
- An energy absorbing polymer stock crafted by PolyOne Corp.
- Straight-pull reloading bolt
- 2-shot magazine system (allowing three shots with each cycle)
- An Integrated manometer/pressure gauge
- AR-style grip
- An overall weight of 3.85 kg
Pros
- The most powerful air rifle in the world, capable of taking down large game animals
- Extremely accurate and quiet, thanks to the rifled barrel, moderator and recoil-reducing stock
- Customisable with three attachment slots in the foregrip and a Picatinny rail
- Affordable compared to other high-end air rifles
Cons
- Requires a firearms certificate (FAC) to own and use in the UK
- Heavy and bulky, not suitable for long-distance carrying or shooting
- Limited magazine capacity and shot count per fill
AEA Zeus .72
- PCP (Pre Charged Pneumatic) Mechanism
- 850 ft/lbs – .72 Cal Ammunition
- A 24-inch barrel with a 1:16 twist rate
- A side-lever action with a 5-shot magazine
- A synthetic stock with an adjustable cheek piece and butt pad
- A built-in pressure gauge and a foster quick-fill port
- A muzzle brake and a shroud for noise reduction
- An overall weight of 5.4 kg
Pros
- The most powerful production air rifle in the world, firing 850gr precision hollowpoint slugs
- Very accurate and consistent, thanks to the regulator and the high-quality barrel
- Comfortable and ergonomic, with an adjustable stock and a smooth side-lever
- Quiet and recoilless, with a muzzle brake and a shroud
Cons
- Requires a firearms certificate (FAC) to own and use in the UK
- Very heavy and long, not suitable for hunting or field shooting
- Expensive to buy and maintain, as each slug costs about $1.50
Air Arms S510
- PCP (Pre Charged Pneumatic) Mechanism
- 11.5 ft/lbs – .177 or .22 Cal Ammunition
- A Lothar Walther barrel with a shrouded design
- A side-lever action with a 10-shot magazine
- A walnut or beech stock with a checkered grip and forend
- A two-stage adjustable trigger and a safety catch
- A built-in pressure gauge and a quick-fill port
- An overall weight of 2.8 kg
Pros
- One of the most accurate and reliable air rifles on the market, designed and engineered in the UK
- Easy and fast to reload, thanks to the side-lever and the magazine system
- Beautiful and elegant, with a choice of wood stocks and a sleek profile
- Quiet and smooth, with a shrouded barrel and a two-stage trigger
Cons
- Not very powerful compared to other PCP air rifles, limited to sub-12ft/lbs legal limit
- Not very versatile, as it does not have any accessory rails or mounts
- Not very affordable, as it is one of the most expensive non-FAC air rifles
BSA R10 MK2
- PCP (Pre Charged Pneumatic) Mechanism
- 11.5 ft/lbs – .177 or .22 Cal Ammunition
- A cold hammer forged barrel with an enhanced silencer
- A bolt-action system with a 10-shot magazine
- A synthetic or wood stock with an adjustable butt pad and cheek piece
- A two-stage adjustable trigger and a manual safety catch
- A built-in pressure gauge and an on-rifle quick fill system
- An overall weight of 3.2 kg
Pros
- Very powerful and consistent, thanks to the regulator that ensures precise air usage per shot
- Very accurate and quiet, thanks to the cold hammer forged barrel and the enhanced silencer
- Very comfortable and ergonomic, with an adjustable stock and a smooth bolt-action
- Very versatile, with a Picatinny rail for scope mounting and sling swivels for carrying
Cons
- Not very easy to reload, as the bolt-action requires more effort than a side-lever
- Not very elegant, as the synthetic stock looks cheap and the wood stock is plain
- Not very affordable, as it is one of the most expensive non-FAC air rifles
Gamo Swarm Magnum
- Spring-piston Mechanism
- 26.6 ft/lbs – .22 Cal Ammunition
- A steel barrel with a polymer jacket and a Whisper Fusion silencer
- A break-barrel action with a 10-shot magazine
- A synthetic stock with a rubberized grip and a shock wave absorber recoil pad
- A two-stage adjustable trigger and an automatic safety catch
- A 3-9×40 scope and a scope rail with a recoil reducing rail
- An overall weight of 3.4 kg
Pros
- Very powerful and fast, reaching up to 1300 fps with alloy pellets
- Very convenient and easy to use, thanks to the break-barrel and the magazine system
- Very durable and rugged, with a polymer jacketed barrel and a synthetic stock
- Very affordable, as it is one of the cheapest high-powered air rifles
Cons
- Not very accurate or consistent, as the spring-piston mechanism causes vibration and recoil
- Not very quiet, as the Whisper Fusion silencer does not eliminate the sonic boom of supersonic pellets
- Not very comfortable or ergonomic, as the stock is hard and the trigger is heavy
- Not very versatile, as it does not have any accessory rails or mounts
The Most Powerful Air Rifle In The World
As far as I can tell, the most powerful air rifle in the world is the AirForce Texan. According to the manufacturers (https://www.airforceairguns.com/The-Texan-by-AirForce-Airguns-s/118.htm) it can shoot up to 1100fps and provide up to 500ft/lbs of energy.
For an air rifle, that’s pretty incredible. The two most well-known rifles in the world, the AK-47 and the M16, give 1500ft/lbs and 1300ft/lbs respectively. So 500ft/lbs is very respectable for something powered by compressed air.
This rifle is not my bag, to be honest. As you know, I’m based in the UK, and you’d need a FAC to legally own one of these (our unrestricted limit is very low). It’s not difficult to get a FAC, not really, but the joy of air rifles for me is that they don’t require a license.
Anyway, back to the Texan. It comes in several calibres, .257, .457, .357 and .308, for your various requirements. I suspect that the quoted muzzle velocity and energy output are accurate for a particular calibre and pellet weight, and don’t necessarily both apply to the same pellet (i.e. you can get 1100fps OR 500ft/lbs but not both).
Nonetheless, it’s an incredibly powerful airgun, and if you’re into novelty, then I’d go for it (if you have a grand going spare, too – it’s not cheap).
Here it is in action again:
Is a high-powered air rifle legal?
I can’t speak for the USA in its entirety, because it seems like every town, city and state can make up their own laws if they want, but there is no federal restriction on air guns that I am aware of. In some states, an air gun of a certain calibre or with a muzzle velocity over a certain speed may require a license or be otherwise regulated.
You’ll have to do your own due diligence, as it were, and find out the laws pertaining to your area, because it really does seem to vary massively from state to state.
One thing I don’t get, by the way, is this muzzle velocity thing. If guns are regulated based on their muzzle velocity, can’t you simply use a heavier pellet to reduce the muzzle velocity to within the legal limit? Serious question – find me on Twitter and Facebook, let me know.
In the UK, however, the law is perfectly clear. Any air gun that produces less than 12ft/lbs of energy is legal to own without a Firearms Certificate (FAC). It’s 6ft/lbs for air pistols.
Anything over that limit requires one. This means that the majority of the high powered airguns you may read about are restricted in the UK.
That’s not a big deal, however; essentially it is just an exercise in form-filling. You need four identical passport style photos, two references from UK citizens in good standing who aren’t family members, a good reason to have a gun (shooting targets for leisure is a good enough reason most of the time), a place at which you can safely shoot your gun, and a safe place to store your guns and ammunition (a gun cabinet).
It takes a while, and may involve an interview and a visit from the police, but it’s straightforward enough. It sounds a bit Draconian, but them’s the rules.
Is it worth getting a high-powered air gun?
Frankly, if you’re in the UK and don’t want to get a FAC, then no – and you can’t anyway. A standard air rifle of less than 12ft/lbs will satisfy most casual shooters, and should be perfectly adequate for target shooting, pest control and hunting small game too. You would only need a higher powered air rifle if you plan on hunting larger game such as deer and boar, but as far as I know, it is illegal to shoot deer with an air rifle in the UK.
If you have a FAC or live outside of the UK, then a higher powered air rifle may be a good option. A .25 calibre air rifle would be great for hunting larger game, depending on what is available in your area. It will provide a cleaner kill than a .22 and should be accurate enough at similar ranges too.
The advantage of using a high powered air rifle, of course, is that the ammunition is significantly cheaper even than rimfire cartridges.
If you do happen to get the AirForce Texan, please let me know – tag me on Twitter or something. That would be awesome.
Cheers
Jos