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Best Air Rifle Under 100

Buying an air gun is quite confusing for beginners. There are lots of varieties of air rifles with different propulsion, caliber compatibility, etc., factors that require giving attention to getting the most suitable one.

It really narrows down your choice if you are looking for one under 100. But, nothing to be disappointed for any beginners. In the market, there are some value-for-money rifles within this price range.

While looking for the best air rifle under 100, I considered customers’ feedback, their positive and negative opinions, rifles’ functionality, features, shooting accuracy at different ranges, etc.

So, if you have your priorities right, the list should get you the most desired rifle you are looking for.

Reviews of the Top 7 Best Air Rifle Under 100

Whether you are looking for an air gun for target practicing, hunting, or plinking competition, you will get the suitable one to meet your needs from the list below.

Check out this review to find you the best pellet rifle, bb gun, pcp air rifle in the budget.

1. Gamo Varmint, 177 Cal – Most Powerful Air Rifle in $100

The first air rifle on the list is for those who mostly deal with target shooting, hunting down small animals, and pest control from a distance. With its single cocking break barrel, it doesn’t require much cocking effort from the user.

Its spring-piston propulsion mechanism can deliver 1250 FPS of maximum velocity to hit targets with great accuracy, which makes it the best pellet gun for under 100 dollars.

With such high velocity, hunting down small prey from a distance won’t be hard for you.

Unlike conventional air guns under 100, the recoil pad of this Gamo varmint rifle is made of rubber material. To withstand all weather conditions, the stock has durable synthetic material as well.

For shooting in the backyard, you will find this high-velocity rifle quiet enough. You can get rid of squirrels and raccoons without bothering your neighbors.

To make your shooting more accurate, This Gamo air rifle comes with a 4×32 rifle scope. You can shoot accurately right out of the box using this spring-piston air rifle.

Key Features

• 1250 FPS maximum velocity
• All-weather stock with rubber recoil pad
• Sturdy break barrel with the powerful rifle 
• Lightweight and easy to use design
• Adjustable second stage trigger
• Single cocking mechanism

Pros

• High velocity achieves great accuracy
• Effortless cocking suits people of all ages
• Quiet shooting noise, perfect for backyard shooting
• Comfortable and soft recoil
• Most powerful air gun in a budget
• Adjustable trigger mechanism for safety

Cons

• Air rifle scope zoom isn’t adjustable
• Pellet can’t be removed once it’s loaded

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2. Daisy Powerline Air Rifle – Best BB Gun Under $ 100

Beginners often want to try out BBs and pellet shooting experience to meet such needs, and Daisy came with this 177 caliber pneumatic air rifle. Its ability to accurately shoot at targets and hunt down pests makes it the best air rifle for small game in its class.

With BBs, you can get a shooting velocity of 750 FPS and 715 FPS with pellets. However, pellets seem to hit targets from a distance more accurately when it comes to real-life shooting performance.

The given air rifle scope is a mediocre one with this perfect BB gun. So, don’t expect too much from it. An aftermarket $25 air rifle scope will allow you to increase the shooting accuracy more than the stock one. 

These cheaply priced hardwood stock airguns perform exceedingly well when plinking and controlling pests, which makes the deal worthwhile considering its affordable price. These bb guns do not only come with decent power and speed, and you will find the accuracy quite impressive

Due to its mostly plastic construction, the rifle feels quite lightweight in hands compared with the Daisy red Ryder model. 

The manufacturer provides 500 daisy pellets and 750 BBs to start shooting with it right out of the box.

Key Features

• This airgun shoots BBs and pellets
• 750 FPS with BB and 715 FPS with Pellets
• Aluminum cocking lever with the bb gun
• Crossbolt trigger block safety feature
• Multi-pump pneumatic mechanism

Pros

• Shoots accurately from medium distances
• Lightweight and easy to carry in places
• 750 FPS maximum muzzle velocity for better speed 
• This airgun comes with a durable design to make it withstand tough conditions
• You don’t need much cocking effort since they are easy 
• Perfect air gun for beginners for target shooting

Cons

• The scope isn’t good
• Cheaply made bolt handle

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3. Crossman Freestyle .177 Caliber – Best CO2 Air Rifle

For pest control and long-distance shooting, you need a reliable air rifle to shoot accurately. Talking about the accuracy of this CO2-powered rifle from Crossman, it delivers more than you would expect from a gun of its price.

At 780 FPS, you can shoot using pellets without losing accuracy. Even long-distance shots hit targets with an impressive accuracy rate.

For pests and animals that move quickly, this pellet rifle works like a charm. Moreover, the accuracy is consistent with using the synthetic stock for all shooting purposes, making it the most accurate pellet gun on the list. 

Pulling the trigger isn’t the most satisfying on this pellet gun. It’s a bit short, but for young people, this shouldn’t be an issue. It is quite comfortable to use with a proper barrel length with the smoothbore barrel. You can also attach scopes and other optics if you want to. 

The magazine holds 12 pellets. Once you squeeze the trigger, it will fire and rotate automatically for the next shot working like an auto-loading rifle.

Although you can adjust its rear and front sight, the dovetail isn’t suitable for any serious scope or sight. And it’s one of the downsides of this air gun.

Key Features

• Semi-automatic shooting mechanism
• 12 pellets magazine
• It comes with synthetic stock
• 780 FPS shooting velocity
• All durable weather design

Pros

• Excellent accuracy in both short and long-distance shooting
• Reliable gun for controlling pests
• It shoots pretty fast, almost similar to auto-loaded pellet guns
• The fully adjustable rear sight and front sight for more accurate shooting
• Great looking design suits people of all ages

Cons

• Dovetail isn’t suitable for heavy accessories and tools
• The short trigger pulling mechanism

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4. Umarex NXG APX Multi-Pump – Best Pellet Gun for $100

Although younger shooters can technically use any of the best air rifles on the list, this one from Umarex is specifically designed for this kind of shooter. Equipped with all specs and features to get a fun shooting experience, your kids will love every bit of shooting with it.

What makes this one of the best multi-pump rifles is its dual ammunition features and speed level that helps hunt small prey properly. 

Whether your shooting style requires BBs or pellets, it’s compatible with both options. With a velocity of 800 FPS, you will be able to fire pellets with decent accuracy within a medium shooting distance.

For BBs shooting, the accuracy won’t disappoint you. And for backyard fun and recreational shooting sessions, you won’t be disappointed.

If this is the first pneumatic gun for you, it will be a breeze pumping it even if you are inexperienced in shooting and stuff.

Right out of the box, it ships with a scope, which is an average one. Shooting in low to medium range, the scope does its job well, and the adjustment screws aren’t any good for fine-tuning.

But, for shooting targets of further distance, you will need a more capable scope.

Key Features

• Dual BBs and pellet ammunition
• 800 FPS with pellets
• Ergonomic and impact-resistant stock
• Windage and elevation adjustments
• Easy to load pumping mechanism
• The adjustable rear sight and front sight with a tactical scope

Pros

• Decent accuracy for medium distance shooting
• Comfortable to hold and lightweight for young people
• Effortless pumping system reduces reloading hassle
• Perfect small game hunting rifle with solid maple wood stock 
• Easy to operate even for left-handed individuals

Cons

• Price doesn’t justify its capability
• Average quality scope
• Do not have any eye relief or scope reticle

5. Winchester 1977XS Dual Ammo 1000 FPS Air Rifle – Best Air gun for Pest

You shouldn’t miss the deal if your prime concern is target practice and pest control using lead pellets and metal ones. Although the gun is compatible with BBs as well, the accuracy with BBs is below average.

Whereas, with pellets, the performance is beyond expectation with an air rifle at this price point, making it the best budget air rifle on the list.

With pellets, the rifle delivers 1000 FPS to make sure you hit each and every target, even from a distance. If you are a beginner, the gun will give you great confidence to take down targets from further distances.

Pumping is fairly easy in this one. Its overall construction makes it a lightweight rifle suitable for young people as well.

What makes this the best air gun for pest control on a budget?

Despite its lightweight, the power and accuracy make it one of the best affordable air rifles under 100. Also, it comes with some impressive features like more power, fixed sights, a single cocking system, and many more. 

For controlling pests, the striking power of this unit is quite promising. However, don’t expect too much from the gun. At this price tag, there’s nothing much to complain about.

This multi-pump air rifle feels rugged and durable. Whether you are a right or left-handed person, it won’t be an issue to master shooting with these pellet guns.

Both the front adjustable rear sight and back target shooting sight are adjustable. It comes with a decent scope, but you cannot expect anything overwhelming from a stock scope.

Key Features

• The multi-pump pneumatic shooting mechanism
• Dual ammunition system
• Can shoot pellets fast to hunt small game preys 
• Crossbolt trigger block safety mechanism
• 800 FPS and 1000 FPS for BBs and Pellets
• Adjustable front and rear sight with a 4×32 scope

Pros

• Great accuracy with pellets even in long-distance
• Lightweight and easy to operate for beginners
• Durable construction for tough conditions
• Decent striking power for pest control for a short distance

Cons

• Poor accuracy with BBs

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6. Winchester 77XS .177 Cal. – One of the Most Accurate Pellet Guns

This is the second dual ammunition air rifle from Winchester. Compared to the previously reviewed one, it delivers excellent performance with BBs as well. And with pellets, you can expect it to shoot at targets without compromising the accuracy.

For the first 30 shots, you would need to pump it 5 times for each shot. But as the number of shots increases, you will have to pump less. Over 200 shots, it only requires pumping 3 times to get the desired accuracy for most cases.

As far as the pumping effort goes, both junior and senior shooters will be able to do it flawlessly.

Talking about its accuracy, both the BBs and pellets manage to hit targets properly compared with most guns. But, pellets hit more accurately. If you want to take close-range shots, using BBs will get the most accurate results.

The mechanism isn’t that comfortable when it comes to pulling the trigger, and it feels hard to pull. The rifle features a synthetic composite stock, which seems okay for the price. The only rear sight is adjustable, but it comes with a 4×32 scope to improve the accuracy.

Key Features

• 800 FPS with pellets
• Multi-pumping requires 3-10 pumps
• Compatible with BBs and pellets
• Synthetic composite stock

Pros

• Great accuracy with pellets even from a distance
• BBs manage to hit targets accurately as well
• Easy pumping efforts even to juniors
• Perfect air arms for varmint hunting 
• Durably made with quality materials
• Lightweight construction for ease of use

Cons

• Hard to pull the trigger
• Average scope

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7. Crosman Vintage Air Rifle NP .22 Caliber – Best .22 Cal Air Rifle in $100

Last but not least, if you prefer using .22 caliber pellets for hunting down prey as well as plinking and target shooting, you can’t go wrong with this rifle from Crosman. This one has been in the market for a very long time and still holds the position for being the best nitro piston air rifle under $100.

Using .22 pallets, it can shoot at 950 FPS without losing accuracy. If you use lightweight and lead-free pellets, this bad boy can fire at 1200 FPS while maintaining accuracy for a long distance.

Loading this fantastic air rifle will take a few days for you to get used to. Cranking down the barrel to insert the pellet and crank it again to its position takes more time and effort. But, this won’t be an issue for adults and older kids.

Construction-wise, Crosman Vintage is a solid rifle. They have used solid wood stock combined with a high-quality metal barrel to make it last for decades. 

Also, the fiber optic front sight makes shooting any target accurate. It’s a bit on the heavier side, but this extra weight contributes to the stability while firing. In hunting small games, the fiber optic front sight and rear sight vision can really come handy. 

The trigger is a two-stage adjustable one, which will add more to the overall accuracy of shooting.

Key Features

• .22 pellets at up to 1200 FPS
• Wood and quality metal construction
• 2-stage adjustable trigger
• Metal rifled steel barrel
• Fiber optic rear and front side
• 11mm dovetail

Pros

• Accuracy is top-notch even from a distance
• Well-constructed with quality materials to last longer
• Very comfortable to use for small game hunters 
• The 2-stage trigger for further accuracy and faster shooting experience
• Stays extremely stable while firing pellets
• Impressive velocity for target practice 
• It comes with a sturdy rifled steel barrel
• Powerful air rifle to take down large pests

Cons

• Flimsy rear sight
• A bit heavy and challenging to crank

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Buying Guide for Choosing the Best Air Rifles on a Budget

As a beginner, buying an air rifle is a bit complicated as it requires you to consider a lot of technical things and specs that normal people aren’t familiar with.

If you are to get the best budget air rifle, this buying guide will help you decide which one will be the best for your shooting needs.

Propulsion Method

Hopefully, you have noticed that the list includes 3 types of rifles – Spring or nitrogen piston, CO2 powered, and Pre-charged Pneumatic; these are different firing mechanisms in rifles.

·          Spring or Nitrogen Piston

This is the most commonly found mechanism in pellet guns. These pellet guns use spring and air pistons for propelling the pellet downrange.

You will get high-velocity shots with great accuracy. So, if you use the rifle for small game hunting and start shooting, this is the propulsion method you should focus on. Break barrel rifles are the ideal example of this method.

·          CO2 Powered

These rifles come with CO2 canisters of different shapes and sizes. The 12g cartridge is the most common one available. For beginners, these are the easiest options. Also, the quiet operation of this firing mechanism makes it ideal for backyard fun plinking and Pest control.

If you compare the best CO2 pistol under $100 with a CO2 air rifle of the same price range, the rifle will be more accurate at shooting and hunting small game range, whereas the pistol will be the more comfortable option than the counterpart.

·          Pre-Charged Pneumatic

You can only shoot multiple times at once using a PCP rifle. This mechanism recharges or reloads the pellet guns using a high-pressure hand pump or SCUBA tank. Any PCP air rifle will properly work using the pneumatic force.

In terms of power and accuracy, nothing beats a pneumatic-powered pcp air rifle. Also, these come with high prices.

The Caliber of an Air Rifle 

Air rifles are available in .22, .25, and .177, and caliber options.

For target practicing and plinking, the .177 caliber option is the best. These are highly accurate and powerful enough to take down small prey and pests.

The .25 caliber option has more impact on the targets while using any break barrel air rifle. But, the shooting range is way too short compared to .177 Caliber. If you are to deal with large hunting games, go for this option.

Similar to the .25 option, a .22 caliber rifle is also great for hunting large prey. But the impact is stronger with this option. For shooting large animals from a short range, you can consider this option.

The velocity of Air Gun

It determines how fast your pellet or BB will travel to the target. The highest velocity is 1200. The most powerful bb gun or pellet gun will have a velocity of around 1200 fps. Overall shooting accuracy highly depends on it. So, don’t go lower than 800 FPS. The best budget air rifle would have at least 800 FPS or higher.

If you are shooting at short distances, 800-900 FPS will be more than enough for a break barrel air rifle or any other rifle using compressed air or spring piston for an extensive muzzle velocity. For long-distance small game hunting or shooting, go for a rifle with 1000-1200 FPS.

Butt Padding

An air rifle will surely recoil when you fire. But, only the best ones will have soft padding on the rifle’s butt to absorb the recoil and be gentle on your shoulders.

Trigger Safety of Air Rifles

Beginners, as well as experienced shooters, face injuries mostly because of unsafe trigger mechanisms. Having an automatic trigger safety feature makes sure that you are safely dealing with the rifle while reloading it.

Barrel Size

Barrel size and barrel types are some of the most important parts of a rifle. Normally a pellet, bb, or any kind of bullet goes through the barrel. So, a better barrel will deliver extreme performance from any great rifle. 

So, check out the barrel type and size before choosing a rifle. 

 Scope/ Iron Sight

Check out if the air rifle comes with proper sight or not. Some gas piston or spring-piston guns will come with proper rifle scope with a reticle, while some other air pistols or rifles will come with iron sights. Choose in accordance with your need.

How Tough is the Rifle?

Build quality can make a difference when you are playing a serious game or want to use your gun for a long time. It can also come in handy in tough situations like storms, wet, rain, and fog. The best air rifles will not only be shockproof but also be rain and fog-proof for the hunters. 

Which Is Better .22 or .177 Air Rifle?

Both these caliber options have their own field of expertise. So, you will need to determine your shooting requirements first and then see which one suits the most for the purpose.

.22 caliber rifles are great for short-distance pest control as well as hunting large games. These pellets cause a high impact on the target and make sure the target is down. So, if you will be shooting within a short range, go for a .22 caliber rifle.

The .177 caliber option, on the other hand, is best for long-distance shooting and pest control. The velocity, as well as accuracy, is much higher for these pellets. If target shooting is your prime concern, you will need a rifle with .177 caliber pellet compatibility.

What Is the Most Accurate .177 Air Rifle?

For long-distance shooting, small game hunting, pest control, and short-distance plinking, the Crossman Freestyle CO2 Powered .177 Caliber is the most accurate option you can get for under $100.

If this model doesn’t meet your other requirements, look for one with a higher velocity rating. Rear and front sights do also influence the overall accuracy. If the scope is above average on a rifle, that would be a huge plus and get you great value for the money.

Final Words

If you have made it this far, you must have found the best air rifle under 100 to meet all your shooting requirements and preferences.

To sum everything up, give special attention to the velocity, propulsion type, and caliber option to get the most accurate rifle.

For a great shooting experience, look for one with a solid construction, great material, easy firing and reloading mechanism, and a safe trigger system to make your purchase worthwhile.