Discover the best-selling air rifles in the USA, hand-picked by performance-driven experts who actually test what they recommend. From backyard plinking to serious pest control, these top-rated air rifles are trusted by real shooters for power, accuracy, and reliability. If you want proven performance—not hype—this expert-recommended list highlights the air rifles Americans buy and use the most.
1. Gamo Swarm Magnum PRO 10X GEN3i
Highlight: 10-shot inertia-fed power delivering magnum-level performance with whisper-quiet accuracy.
Supportive Review: To start off…. The scope sucks. Just replace it. I replaced mine with vortex just like my others. Soon as I got it, I went to zero it. It loves to shooting the gamo reds. Far as the pump that everyone complains about, it’s not bad. First couple of breaks were tuff but after that it was fine. Far as how loud it is, it’s not bad but not great. My pcp and pump are way quieter. I do love the reloading process. Makes shooting a lot more fun compared to loading one pellet at a time. Do I recommend it? Yes. Shipping on the other hand is another story but customer service helped out. -Trey
2. Gamo Swarm Fusion 10X GEN3i Inertia
Highlight: 10-shot break-barrel air rifle with GEN3i Inertia Fed technology for lightning-fast follow-up shots without manual reloading.
Supportive Review: The Gamo Swarm Fusion .22 Gen3i arrived after 10 days of ordering. It arrived in a large box, no packing inside, just the Gamo box which included the rifle. I was worried it may have some damage as it had obviously been bouncing around inside the bigger box, but it was ok. You get the rifle, scope (Gamo 3-9 zoom), 1 magazine, and the usual Allen key, cleaning cloth, and manual. Fitting the scope was easy enough, and it has the small retaining pin which helps stop the scope from moving once installed. The lens protectors did show some damage but the scope itself was ok.
I had completed some research and noted a couple of pellets that worked well with this Gamo .22, so I used those. I zero’d in the scope at 20ft before I started aiming at my target which was 150ft or 50 yards. Yes, that is quite far for a rifle like this to be accurate. Here are the results at 50 yards –
Gamo Blue Bomber 15.4gr – 1 inch group – 103dB
H&N FTT 14.66gr – 2 inch group – 102dB
I’m impressed with those groups and they should only get smaller over time. I shot 30 pellets from each tin, so over time it should get better. I also own the Gamo Swarm Fusion .177 Gen2. I get about the same groupings using different pellets of course, and the sound level is 99dB.
Overall – I like both rifles. You get what you pay for. They are solid, reliable, and fun to shoot. Having a 10 shot magazine is nice. Obviously this is not a Weihrauch (which I own several of), but I’d recommend. The 3-9 scope is crisp and clear. It did not take long to zero it in. The trigger on this Fusion .22 is the same as my Fusion .177. I could tell no difference.
There is a small first stage, followed by a hard wall. The pull is firm, again, it’s not a Weihrauch. The only downside is the sound. 100dB is loud for a back-yard. I’m fortunate to live on 2 acres and be away from neighbors, but still, I’d like them to be quieter. I may try heavier grain pellets and see if that makes any difference, it should, but we’ll see. For the price and quality you get, it’s definitely 5 stars. It’s not a toy, so be careful and safe! -Alexender
3. Gamo Swarm Maxxim G2
Highlight: 10-shot Swarm inertia-fed magazine with a smooth, lightweight break-barrel design for fast, reliable shooting.
Supportive Review: This is a quality air rifle at a budget price. It’s well made and easy to shoot. It comes with a 3 x 9 variable scope that is quite serviceable, though it doesn’t seem to have a parallax ring. I didn’t buy this for a “fun gun.” In recent years the place where I’ve lived for 55 yrs. has been overrun by in-migrant retirees from other states.
As a result, what used to be tilled farm land has been subdivided and generally messed up. As a result we are also overrun by Columbian ground squirrels, voles, and noxious weeds. I can no longer use a firearm to keep the ground squirrel numbers down on my 30 acres because of increased population and highway traffic, and have had nearly 50 ground squirrels digging holes in my lawn, going underneath my porch lattice, etc.
Hence I need a decent air rifle – gas cartridges and other control methods (I won’t use poisons because raptors and my cats help too) are hit and miss. I bought the Gamo .22 cal. Air rifle because its ratings were good and the price was excellent, sub-$200! It was easy to sight in and very accurate. At 35 yds. my groups of 5 are consistently the size of a quarter using Gamo brand magnum pellets.
So far I’ve killed nearly 40 ground squirrels just around my house! Now that haying is done, I’m heading to the edges of my fields to further reduce the populations. It takes a little strength to cock. The magazine works well if you follow directions. The scope is bright and works best for me at 7X. The trigger pull is a bit heavy, but crisp. If you’re used to shooting hunting rifles, you’ll do just fine. I wouldn’t bother trying to adjust the trigger. Just get used to it. I like the gun. For me it’s a good tool, not a plaything. Oh yeah, it is a bit loud, so I wear hearing protection. -TV Junkie
4. Gamo Swarm Whisper Multi-Shot Air Rifle
Highlight: 10X Quick-Shot technology delivers lightning-fast follow-up shots with Whisper noise reduction for powerful, quiet performance.
Supportive Review: Wow I just received the Gamo 611006875554 Swarm Whisper Air Rifle.22 Caliber, Black a few days ago. And as a natural born skeptic I usually put more weight to the negative reviews. So I was on the lookout for shoddy packaging at first. No such thing this gun was packaged professionally. Next, I figured the scope would be a piece of junk as many opined throughout the reviews. Honestly, I am not anything near a professional regarding scopes.
But I will say my 1st shot at a squirrel which had caused $1,454 in damage to my Ford Raptor was 1 shot 1 kill. The scope came out of the box up to the task of a 50 yard shot. The Gamo .22 pellets worked so well it killed the little piece of crap immediately. The gun has hefty weight and is of course louder than an average pelllet gun. But it was quiet when compared with my friends .22 crossman. I don’t know…but right off the rip this rifle impressed the hell out of me! -Jorge
5. Umarex unisex adult Ruger Blackhawk
Highlight: Authentic Ruger-licensed Blackhawk replica featuring realistic metal construction and a true-to-life revolver feel.
Supportive Review: This is a great buy.. i have been shooting mine with just the iron sighs using a rifle rest front only holding the rifle lightly letting it lie on the rest and it is very accurate that way. Never tried the scope but bought the crosman red dot which was a great improvement.
Then i bought the Monstrum Tactical Low Profile Dovetail to Picatinny / Weaver .22 Airgun Rail Adaptor and mounted the TruGlo Traditional Red Dot Gun Sight. Now this baby is SWEET! went out back at night set it low illumination and could see the targets vaguely. ran in the house and got tripod flashlight and set in front of targets and found my target practice did not have to end when the sun set. woohoooo nice gun great beginners first air rifle due to power and price.
Take it from the beginner who couldn’t afford the .50 – $100 cost every time i pulled the trigger on my real rifles. reducing my range time to once a month or less. Now i can go out back and blast away. I live in florida were that’s allowed unlike my friend who lives in the peoples republic of illinois were it is NOT ALLOWED. you can add NY, NJ and a few other places to that list.Great way to get proficient and be able too stay thru practice.
Its very accurate lots of fun, and dont have to own the bank. or Ammo Store. i bought another rifle semi auto co2 and two pistols since so my freinds came come over and we can scare the neighbors together more fun that way. IMPORTANT this is not a TOY it has been punching holes Through three sheets of 3/8 plywood and burying in a fourth. Also had to move target once i punched a big a hole through the first wo and it started going out the back and hitting the fence with ease. so Always treat it as what it is a firearm. -Robert Negron
6. Gamo 6110017154 Varmint Air Rifle
Highlight: High-powered .177 caliber varmint air rifle with a precision rifled barrel and rugged synthetic stock for accurate pest control.
Supportive Review: Well, I was impressed after the first 5 shots with no sights on the barrel! I then proceeded to make 20 shots total at the target with 5 positions. I felt 100 shots would go well to breaking the rifle prior to mounting a scope.
After reading many of the reviews that warned the included scope was less than, I purchased a Hammers 3-9x40AO. It has the 1″ tube like the provided scope. I used the scope rings and mounts to install the Hammers! Zero-in the scope at 5,10, and then 25 yards. My first shot at 25 yds. was just slightly off to the right of dead center.
I’m ready for a squirrel hunt come next week. Very pleased. Highly recommend. Update: 11/26/25. I read an article about pellets and how you have to find the best pellet for your gun. So, after setting up with Gamo Magnum, I found them to be accurate to 10 yds, but at 15 yds no real grouping. I got the impression the flight became erratic, then at 25 yds your guess would be as good as mine.
I then got out a tin of Gamo Tomahawk. They through the zero off slightly, but I made a slight adjustment to the left and down. I started grouping at 25 yds close to 50 cent coin cover. As I continued it became fun! I then went back to the Magnum and same result, erratic shot placement. Switched back to the Tomahawks, back to solid grouping.
I kept going till I my arm got tired from cooking! Tomahawk for my rifle. As the article eluded to, you have to make a comparison. Fortunately I only had to choose from two pellets. By the way, both pellets are in the 7.6 gr weight, so it must be shape. Happy plinking! -Richard Feist
7. Crosman CLGY1000KT Legacy Variable
Highlight: Precision meets power: the Crosman CLGY1000KT Legacy Variable delivers customizable performance for every shooting style.
Supportive Review: Months later, the gun is still like new. I’ve started putting it in a cabinet with desiccants. I’ve also put it to some use and can now tell you firsthand: The gun is powerful enough for humane pest control. I recommend pointed high-speed pellets for that purpose.
I bought this for pest control (armadillos). It is powerful and fun to shoot. Even at full power, the sound is not too loud and so there’s no concern about disturbing the neighbors.
I can see how people would think this is flimsy. You don’t want to put too much leverage on this. When I pump the priming handle, I keep my other hand above the rear sight, so it’s like I’m bringing my two hands together. This minimizes the chance of anything bending. I think the metal struts on the priming handle are probably the parts that people bend. Go through the motion smoothly and don’t let your priming hand be pushed left or right – just bring it right down.
As for the broken stock issues people have, I’m not sure how that is caused. I keep the gun boxed when it’s not in use.
The scope is perfectly usable, but I’m an iron-sights kind of guy and I do better without the scope. I wish they included a high-power light instead. This gun has a small barrel and forestock so you’ll have to get creative in order to put a light on it.
The only minor gripe I have is that deloading it involves firing it. This is fine for BBs, but if you buy expensive pellets, you’ll want something like a piece of thick styrofoam to catch the pellet without damaging it. That way, you can head outside when you hear pest animals around, and if you don’t get a shot, you can recover the ammo. Then you can reuse it.
Overall, I think this is quite a good gun and I’ve had no problems with it. -John
8. Daisy Adult Red Ryder Rifle
Highlight: Precision-engineered for adults, the Daisy Red Ryder delivers classic BB shooting fun with an authentic lever-action feel.
Supportive Review: Not only is it a blast from my past, but it performs with precision. Often, we have wild critters, mostly squirrels, that get into our yard and feed, so a little backside pop reminds them to go elsewhere. We’re far enough away that it pings without wounding them or worse. It’s also fun for to use with a paper target, teaching the grandchildren how to aim and shoot. Wuality, lightweight, easy to reload. -Roy
Final Words: Best-selling Air Rifles
Chosen by real shooters and tested in the field, these Best Selling Air Rifles deliver proven power, accuracy, and reliability where it truly matters.
Our performance-based, expert-recommended picks reflect hands-on experience from U.S. hunters, plinkers, and target shooters who demand results.
If you want an air rifle that earns its reputation shot after shot, this is where trusted performance meets real-world value.