Best CO2 Air Rifle Options: Our Reviews And Recommendations
A CO2 airgun is basically one that uses carbon dioxide as the propellant. There are a tone of different air gun options so choosing a co2 air rifle can be a little confusing.
Never fear though because we actually looked at a number of them and picked some of our favorites! Any of the options below are great choices.
Recommendations For The Best & Top Rated CO2 Air Rifles
Crosman 1077 .177 Air Rifle
The Crosman 1077 air rifle is fun, accurate and lightweight thus making it ideal for kids and adults with a small body frame. It is a very popular gun especially among the boy scouts associations in America and was the airgun of choice during the 2001 Bikathlon event.
This semi-automatic rifle is capable of firing shots as soon as you pull the trigger. It is an ideal gun for people who want to practice accuracy.
Features
The CO2 cartridges are designed to make shooting fast, easy and fun. The lead pellets can achieve a maximum velocity of about 625fps.
This 1077 rifle emits low noise during shooting practices. The rotary clips are easy to handle thus saving on reload times. You have the option to mount a scope on the 11mm dovetails to achieve better accuracy.
Pros
Its lightweight nature makes this gun easy to use and can provide lots of fun for the entire family for long hours. This rifle is also quite accurate, and if you’re a good shooter, you will have no problem hitting the target almost every time you shoot.
Cons
However, the pellets tend to jam too often, usually after 5- 6 shots and the sight mount quality is not the best.
All in all this gun is also conveniently priced, given what it can achieve and most buyers will have little to no complaints.
See another more in-depth Crosman 1077 review as well.
Hammerli 850 AirMagnum CO2 Air Rifle
The Hammerli 850 AirMagnum is a CO2 powered repeater pellet gun with a synthetic stock. It’s a great introductory air rifle that is fun to shoot and comes out of the box with a lot of features. This is a German manufactured air rifle that shoots .22 caliber or .177 caliber pellets.
Features
The Hammerli850 features an all-weather stock made of durable polymer, an ambidextrous setup, dual raised cheek piece, 88-gram Airsource cartridge compatible, fiber optic sites, scope-mountable dove tail rail, checkered grip and 8 round magazine.
Pros
Overall the gun is pretty accurate out of the box and relatively easy to sight in. You can tell it’s a well-built rifle for the price. Very tight. You can fire about 200 rounds through it before you need to replace the cartridge.
The really nice part is that it holds a magazine and it’s not a bolt action. That means you don’t have to cock on every shot which is cool. Also, the trigger on this gun is really smooth and solid which is surprising for the price. Usually the lower priced guns don’t have great triggers.
Cons
Despite the 200 round claim, the gun does jam quite frequently so that can be frustrating. Although it didn’t happen in mine, I read other reviews that the CO2 chamber seal started to leak right away so I am concerned about that.
The other drawback is that not all pellets on the market will fit in the magazine. You have to get the right brand.
Overall the Hammerli 850 AirMagnum is a great entry level gun for the price. It’s accurate, well-built, and reliable. It does jam from time to time but that may have something to do with the weather and how fast you are pulling the trigger.
Winchester M14 CO2 Airgun
In a true touch of class Winchester has shown a nice tip of the cap to all members of the armed forces with their Winchester M14 CO2 Air Rifle. This historic recreation is designed on the rifle that was in World War 2 and the Vietnam and Korean wars. A a semi-automatic weapon this is a fantastic piece to go can shooting with.
Features
This firearm has a classic appeal and looks exactly as the historic rifle from the war era. With a fixed front sight and adjustable back sight it is a standard sighting in process, but simple to maintain.
The propulsion unit is two standard CO2 canisters plugged into the removable clip. It has reversible 8 and 8 round clip and is a semi automatic weapon. A 24 inch barrel makes this a fairly accurate weapon and at four pounds this gun will not tire you out after a couple hours.
The stock is synthetic making it durable and easy to maintain, and it also has a rubber butt plate to make it a comfortable fit for any shooter. This weapon fires a standard .177 pellet or steel BB.
Pros
The first big selling point of the Winchester M14 CO2 Air Rifle is the craftsmanship and attention to detail that is put into it. This really is a fantastic replica of the old classic.
It is light and has a great durability factor. The semi-automatic firing rate with a sixteen round clip is a huge deal because many other rifles are breakaway rifles which cannot fire anything more than single shot. It is a very cost effective firearm at around ninety dollars.
Cons
Umarex Steel Storm
The Umarex Steel Storm CO2 Gun is a fun hand held BB pistol that is sure to grab an enthusiasts attention with its sleek low profile design and its “full auto” capability. A fun shooter that is not meant for more than target shooting or maybe an airsoft fight.
With a thirty round clip and a three hundred round reservoir attachment the fun can continue for a long time before having to reload again.
Features
This weapon is easy to carry and easy to use on the run. A small plastic based weapon keeps its weight a light 1.4 pounds. It is a short weapon at sixteen inches, but makes up for it with a high capacity 300 round chamber attachment that can be added to the firearm.
The firing mechanism has a dual mode firing rate which is a really nice touch for an air soft gun. It has a standard single-shot mode which is mostly used for target shooting, and, for the air soft battler in the group, it has a six round burst “automatic” setting for fast firing action.
With all this firing it may seem like accurate shooting need not apply, but that is not so at all. This is actually a fairly accurate weapon with a standard integrated weaver sight, but for one so inclined they could attach a red dot sight with a picatinny rail for even more accuracy.
Pros
The pros of the Umarex Steel Storm CO2 Gun are more so for players rather than target shooters, but this is an outstanding weapon for anyone to own.
The fast rate of fire make this an exciting piece to use and the 300 round reservoir make sure that the fun does not end too quickly.
The lightweight compact frame make it easy to store and easy to carry and use. All in all this weapon is a great value for the money spent.
Cons
There is a complaint about the BB feeding system, but most owners of this weapon have not complained about it. Some say that it can get clogged up and stop firing altogether. If this happens it ruins the firing mechanism, but this has not been a major complaint from many owners.
Sig Sauer MCX .177 CAL Co2 Powered Air Rifle
This air rifle isn’t like anything else in it’s (or mostly any other) price range. Pretty much all air rifles concentrate on features that are traditionally important to users, like accuracy, muzzle velocity and power.
The Sig Sauer MCX .177 CAL Co2 Powered Rifle doesn’t follow this formula. Instead it’s an exact replica (made by the same company no less) of the military MCX rifle used around the world in real life war fighting applications.
This approach has been designed to appeal to a segment of the market that values looks over the other features usually wanted by consumers.
Features
As mentioned in the introduction, this gun is designed to be a complete replica of the military MCX rifle. This includes the trigger pull weight, which is set higher than usually found (nearly 9lbs) to give a more realistic feel.
There is an ambidextrous (both handed) safety for ease of use, options to purchase with a scope or use the built in sight irons. The weight of the gun (nearly 9lbs…again!) is also heavier than you would normally find at this level – all in the name of realism. There is a 30 round magazine which is easy to load.
Pros
Cons
Beeman AR2078A CO2 Target Rifle
Take aim with the Beeman AR2078A CO2 Target Rifle and have a blast taking out any paper targets or tin cans around. This is an upgraded version of the QB78 which is a favorite among many airgunners across the nation.
It has a biathlon style bipod along with an advanced trigger and upgraded scope making this a great buy for the seasoned shooter or newcomer alike. It is a real classy looking firearm and could blend in with any rifles as a nice fit. This rifle is a great shooter and it is able to be set up to be ultra accurate.
Features
This weapon has some weight to it at almost eight pounds, but it is a solid durable gun. A single-shot bolt action rifle ensures that the shooter take their time and aim properly.
However, with a 21.5 inch rifled barrel this weapon will make sure what you’re aiming at is what you hit with the proper sighting in. With an 11 mm dovetail rail and diopter sights this is an almost perfect sight setup for an iron sights shooter. Firing a standard .177 caliber BB at a decent 650 FPS this is a perfect target practice weapon.
It could be used to take down some small game, but only from a good close range. This is intended more for the avid shooter rather than hunter. It is a very quiet gun too so no need to worry about disturbing the neighbors.
Finally with a one pound trigger that is fully adjustable the Beeman AR2078A CO2 Target Rifle is a sweet shooter.
Pros
The trigger and sight customization options make this a great aftermarket special. It really can be sighted in to shoot a can from a good hundred feet no problem. Many other users just live the way this weapon looks.
Cons
Overall there is not a lot of complaints from users about this gun, but most of it is about the price. It is a little steeper than most at 200 dollars, but it is well worth the money.
The other complaint is that the peep hole is just a little small. It is not enough to discourage people from using and loving their gun though.
Top Co2 Air Rifles Conclusion
Let’s make it quick and to the point! Any of these would work great for you.
