Best Pellet Guns for Squirrel Hunting:A Hunter’s Guide
By Randy Tucker | Updated:
There are three popular models and two widespread calibers of pellet guns. Air rifles, as they are often called come in either piston style “pump” models or CO2 cartridge powered styles, and a relatively new third design that combines both technologies.
They all have their advantages.
You’ll never run out of cartridges with a break action pump or pump reservoir model. The break action doesn’t fire nearly as fast as a CO2 powered pellet gun, but the reservoir style matches the speed of CO2 with more power.
Some break action models are one pump, while others allow you to set the power of your shot by how many times you pump the piston to load the air chamber. The third style offers a pump up reservoir that can fire 40 to 60 shots at extremely high speeds. The only drawback is pumping to load the reservoir. You can be fully charged for a single shot in just a dozen or so pumps, or you can take the time and pump to full reservoir capacity with around 100 pumps.
The .177 caliber pellet is the most popular and is available on many “crossover” style BB guns that also chamber these smaller pellets. You’re more likely to find these in CO2 style air rifles, but there are many break action models firing the smaller pellet too. The other is the much more powerful .22 caliber pellet that has the same dimension as a standard .22 caliber rimfire bullet. These are often chambered in air rifles that can be powered to over 1,000 feet per second speed. When it comes to stopping power for squirrel hunting, you can’t beat the energy a pump .22 caliber pellet gun provides.
Top 6 Squirrel Hunting Guns
| Model | Caliber | Action | Speed FPS | Length Weight |
Additional Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sig Sauer MCX | .177 | CO2 | 545 | 34.75 in. 7.35 lb. |
Adjustable stock |
| Umarex Walther Reign | .22 | Pump Reservoir | 1100 | 35.5in. 5.51 lb. |
60 shots per fill |
| Gamo Swarm Fusion 10X | .177 | Break Piston | 1300 | 45.7 in. 5.78 lb. |
3-9x40mm Scope |
| Umarex Origin | .22 | Pump Reservoir | 1000 | 39 in. 5.5 lb. |
100 pumps/fill 40 shot/fill |
| Umarex RWS Model 34 | .22 | Break Piston | 800 | 45 in. 7.55 lb. |
Wood stock |
| Gamo Swarm Whisper 10 | .22 | Break Piston | 975 | 44.5 in. 5.43 lb. |
4x32 scope standard |
Detailed Review of the Top 6 Pellet Guns
Sig Sauer MCX
If you’re looking for the simplicity of a CO2 powered pellet gun, the Sig Sauer MCX might be a good choice for you. With a 30-round, encapsulated belt feed pellet delivery system, this rifle fires .177 pellets as quickly as you can pull the trigger. It has an ample weight of 7.35 pounds, an adjustable stock, and a Picatinny rail ready to hold your favorite scope.
The 545 fps pellet speed is much slower than rival pump cylinder or break action style pellet guns but still delivers enough force to take squirrels at close range. A rifled barrel, rated for a lifetime capacity of 15,000 shots delivers accurate shooting at ranges up to 40 yards. The AR-15 design and forestock grip make it an easy platform to carry and quickly acquire a target.
Pros
- 30 Round belt feed
- Solid 7.35 pound weight
- Rifled barrel
- Rated for 15,000 shots
- AR-15 style
- Picatinny Rail
Cons
- Slower 545 FPS
- 40 yard effective range
- Requires C02 cylinders to fire
Umarex Walther Reign
As they said of the first lever action rifles, “Load them on Sunday and shoot all week.” This innovative design features a 3,300 PSI tank that when fully charged can fire 60 shots at an impressive 1,100 feet per second of .22 caliber pellets.
The 10-shot auto-indexing magazine makes it a very quick rifle to fire, and the accuracy is impressive. If you want to set up near a tree full of squirrels, the quiet .22 pellets can fill a limit quickly without ever reloading. Add a good quality scope to the integrated Picatinny rail system and you have arguably the best pellet gun you can find for squirrel hunting. It’s powerful enough for rabbits as well and can even be used against smaller predators like skunks and fox.
Pros
- .22 Caliber
- Fast 1,100 FPS
- 3,300 PSI reservoir
- 60 shots on a full charge
- Picatinny Rail
- 10 Shot auto-index magazine
Cons
- Over 100 pumps to fully charge reservoir
Gamo Swarm Fusion 10X
An all-in-one pellet gun that offers the fastest .177 speed of any rifle in this review. The Swarm Fusion arrives with a 3x9x40mm scope and a blazing fast speed of 1,300 fps. This is the best pellet gun in our list for long range shots. The 1,300 feet per second speed is achieved with a high powered one break action that fully loads the piston in one stroke.
The break action might be a challenge for younger, or smaller shooters, but it is quick, and the 10-round magazine allows quick repeat shots if necessary. All this is packed into a gun and scope that combined weigh less than six pounds. The overall length of 45.7 inches is a good one for most shooters and enhances accuracy to distances approaching 100 yards.
Pros
- Fastest air-rifle 1,300 FPS
- Long range – up to 100 yards
- 45.7 inch overall length
- 3x9x40mm scope standard
- 10-round magazine
- One stroke break-action
Cons
- Hard break action stroke
Umarex Origin
A thousand feet per second in a .22 caliber pellet is an impressive metric for any air rifle. The Origin achieves this in just 13 pumps, or you can prepare for a hunt by filling the air reservoir to maximum capacity with 100 pre-hunt pumps. When fully primed, the Origin can fire 40 .22 caliber shots on one fill of the tank.
When you’re pumping this long, you often lose count, but that won’t matter with the built-in overpressure protection that kicks in when the cylinder PSI hits 4,500. A two-stage adjustable trigger, an included Picatinny rail and Dovetail optics mounting rail make this rifle adaptable to just about any scope. The speed, combined with the .22 caliber pellets makes this one of the hardest hitting squirrel hunting air guns you can use, and powers through light brush, and leaves that would deter lighter powered models.
Pros
- .22 Caliber
- Easy to pump
- 40 .22 caliber shots on fully charged reservoir
- 4,500 PSI reservoir
- Two-stage adjustable trigger
- Picatinny rail
- 1,000 FPS
Cons
- Takes 13 pumps for one shot
- Over 100 pumps to fill reservoir
Umarex RWS Model 34
If you’re a purist, or just a bit nostalgic and remember the classic lines of your first .22 caliber single shot rifle, you’re going to love the Model 34. Built by German craftsmen, with a hardwood stock, and adjustable rear sights, this is a rifle that can take you back to the carefree days of your youth.
Tipping the scale at 7.55 pounds, and a full 45 inches long, it looks and feels like a traditional percussion style rifle, but it is an all-around air rifle. It fires a little slower than most of the other models, but that comes with the lighter force required to break and load the cylinder. Almost anyone can break and pump this pellet gun with a rating of just 33 pounds to load. Designed to shoot with open sights, it is a great pellet gun to introduce a youngster to target shooting, but better yet, it is extremely accurate and an easy to use squirrel gun.
Pros
- Easy 33 pound pump action
- .22 Caliber
- 7.55 pound weight
- 45 inch overall length
- Hardwood stock
Cons
- 800 FPS
- Single shot
Gamo Swarm Whisper 10
The least expensive of the models reviewed here, the Whisper 10 still delivers an accurate shot, with just a single pump of the break action barrel. Rated at 975 FPS with .22 caliber pellets this is a squirrel gun right in the middle of the speed range among other contenders. It is a lighter rifle at just 5.43 pounds, but it retains a good overall length of 44.5 inches.
The 10-round magazine, with the one break pumping action, offers relatively fast shots. The 4x32mm scope isn’t a long range threat, but it’s perfect for bringing squirrels into clear focus as they dart about and hide behind covering limbs, leaves, and brush. A rifle firing a .22 caliber pellet at 975 feet per second is one that delivers ample foot pounds of energy to drop the largest bushy tailed rodent with a single shot.
Pros
- Low cost
- .22 Caliber
- 975 FPS
- 5.43 pound weight
- Single pump arms rifle
- 10-round magazine
Cons
- Shorter 44.5 inch length
- Adequate but not great 4x32 scope