Best Air Rifles for Squirrels (2026): 8 Quiet .22 Picks, Ranked

Best air rifle for squirrels overall

Pyramyd AIR: about $220 (.22) · Stated energy: 26 ft-lb (.22) · Weight: 4.6 lb

The Stormrider Gen 2 is the rifle that keeps showing up in squirrel conversations for a simple reason: it does the job for not much money. It's a bolt-action, multi-shot PCP from Diana with a shrouded barrel, an adjustable two-stage trigger, open sights (blade front, adjustable rear) and an 11mm dovetail for a scope. Pyramyd AIR rates its loudness "2-Low-Medium," one of only two rifles in this guide with that rating, and the Gen 2 update added a longer muzzle brake for a quieter report.

Diana reports up to 950 fps and 26 ft-lb in .22, which is more than twice the 10 ft-lb Pyramyd AIR's game guide pairs with .22 rifles for small game. It's also light: 4.6 lb is easy to carry through the woods all morning. The small 100cc cylinder fills to 200 bar (2,900 psi), and Pyramyd says to expect roughly 30 to 40 shots per fill, which is more than most squirrel hunts need. Because the fill pressure is moderate, it's one of the easiest PCPs to fill with a hand pump; one owner says it takes about 2 pumps per shot.

Owners rate it 4.5/5 from 76 reviews. They keep coming back to accuracy (one reports half-inch, five-shot groups at 25 yards with 15.89 gr JSB pellets), light weight, quietness and value, and several say it isn't pellet-picky. The complaints are about details: the trigger adjustment does little, the moderator is held on with red thread locker, there's no barrel band, and it's unregulated, so velocity drifts as the pressure drops. The warranty is 1 year.

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Best regulated PCP for squirrels

Pyramyd AIR: about $570 (.22, 210cc tube; choose that option on the page, which opens on a compressor combo) · Stated energy: 49 ft-lb (.22) · Weight: 7.9 lb

The Avenge-X Classic is Air Venturi's modular, regulated PCP, and the wood-stock version was in stock in .22 on October 7 (the synthetic .22 was sold out new). It's a sidelever repeater with a two-stage adjustable trigger, a Picatinny rail and a regulator that keeps shot-to-shot velocity consistent, which is what you want when the target is a squirrel's head at 35 yards. Pyramyd lists it with multiple power settings, and calibers can be changed later with kits (.177, .22, .25).

Air Venturi rates the .22 at up to 49 ft-lb and 1,100 fps with a 14.6 gr pellet, and Pyramyd lists 80 shots per fill in .22 with the 210cc tube (about 180 with the 400cc bottle version, which costs $799.99). That's far more power than squirrels need, so most owners will turn it down. It fills to 300 bar (4,351 psi), so plan on a tank or compressor rather than a hand pump. It weighs 7.9 lb in this configuration.

Owners rate the wood-stock model 4.5/5 from 24 reviews. They describe it as accurate (one calls it "wicked accurate" at 40 yards for rat control), quiet for its power and well finished. The criticisms: the forearm shape takes getting used to, one owner received a rifle that leaked, and another wanted better instructions for its modular parts. The warranty is 1 year.

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Best-rated (compact bullpup)

Pyramyd AIR: about $630 (.22) · Stated energy: 26 ft-lb (.22) · Weight: 6.0 lb

The Zelos is the best-rated rifle in this guide: 5.0/5 from 38 reviews on Pyramyd AIR. It's a regulated bullpup, so you get a 26-inch barrel in a 36-inch rifle, which is handy for stalking squirrels through brush or shooting from a ground blind. Pyramyd's description specifically names squirrels and rabbits as its target game.

Umarex lists up to 1,100 fps with a 12 gr pellet and 26 ft-lb in .22. The 250cc cylinder fills to 250 bar (3,625 psi), and Pyramyd lists 75 shots per fill in .22 with 11.9 gr pellets with the regulator set at 1,000 psi. You also get a receiver-housed adjustable regulator, a sidelever, a 21-slot Picatinny optics rail and an 8-slot accessory rail, and the muzzle is threaded 1/2"-20 for a moderator.

Owners mostly talk about accuracy out of the box, the smooth sidelever, light weight and the detachable air cylinder. The negatives: one owner reports quality-control problems (an air stripper that wasn't threaded on and a point-of-impact shift), one says the first trigger stage is long, and one warns that a brass guide cap inside can work loose. The warranty is 1 year.

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Best without an air tank

Pyramyd AIR: about $200 (.22) · Stated energy: 29 ft-lb (.22) · Weight: 8.54 lb

If you don't want to buy a pump or tank, a gas-piston break barrel is the simplest squirrel rifle there is: cock, load, shoot. The Vaporizer is the one we'd look at first because it's quiet. Pyramyd rates it "2-Low-Medium" thanks to Benjamin's Gold Level SBD sound suppression, and it comes with a CenterPoint 3-9x40 AO scope on a Picatinny rail plus open sights.

Pyramyd's spec table lists 950 fps and 29 ft-lb for the .22, a 30 lb cocking effort and a two-stage adjustable trigger. The Nitro Piston Elite gas spring doesn't fatigue if the rifle is left cocked, and it's smoother than a coil spring. It's heavy for a squirrel gun at 8.54 lb, and like every springer it's hold-sensitive, so it rewards practice. The warranty is 5 years.

Owners rate it 4.0/5 from 20 reviews. One owner says he uses his .22 for squirrel hunting and finds it very accurate with open sights; others call it powerful and quiet for its power. The most common complaint by far is the trigger: heavy (one owner estimates almost 6 lb), gritty and stiff, and at least one owner replaced it. Some say the box velocity claims are optimistic, and it doesn't like light pellets. We cover more break barrels in our best break barrel air rifles guide.

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Most owner reviews (budget PCP)

Pyramyd AIR: about $330 · Stated energy: 38 ft-lb (.22) · Weight: 5.9 lb

The Flash QE has more owner reviews than any rifle here (133), and the average is 4.5 stars. It's a light (5.9 lb) bolt-action PCP with Hatsan's QuietEnergy shrouded barrel, a skeletonized synthetic stock, an adjustable buttplate, the Quattro two-stage adjustable trigger, a combination Weaver/11mm scope mount and an accessory rail for a bipod. Each rifle comes with two magazines and a single-shot tray.

Hatsan rates it at 1,120 fps and 38 ft-lb in .22, from a 165cc cylinder that fills to 200 bar, and Pyramyd lists 30 shots per fill. The lower fill pressure makes it hand-pump friendly, which owners confirm. It's unregulated, so expect velocity to change through the fill.

Owners like the light weight, the accuracy ("easily shoot a dime at 50 yards," says one) and the price. The complaints: some magazines don't feed well, one owner found a leak at the degassing screws, another's fill probe was mis-drilled, and one had to shim the barrel mount to stop point-of-impact shifts. The warranty is 1 year.

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Best for long squirrel days (most shots per fill)

Pyramyd AIR: about $830 (.22) · Stated energy: 50 ft-lb (.22) · Weight: 9.2 lb

The Marauder has been a favorite American squirrel and pest PCP for years, and the Gen 3 is a full redesign. The big change is a 500cc aluminum bottle, which gives it the highest shot count in this guide: Pyramyd lists 150 shots per fill in .22 with 15.9 gr pellets at about 880 fps. It also has an externally adjustable regulator, an adjustable hammer spring, a reversible sidelever, a 14-round magazine and a two-stage adjustable trigger whose blade adjusts for rotation and height.

Benjamin rates the .22 at up to 950 fps and 50 ft-lb with 25 gr pellets. That's much more than a squirrel needs, but the adjustable regulator and hammer spring let you tune it down for quieter, lighter shots and even more of them. It weighs 9.2 lb, the heaviest here, and fills to 250 bar (3,625 psi). The warranty is 5 years.

The Gen 3 is new, so there are only 2 owner reviews on Pyramyd so far (average 4.5). Owners like the shot count, accuracy and simple design. One warns that you need a high-pressure source to fill it from empty, because a hand pump didn't open the valve for him, and that it doesn't include a fill-probe cover. For a deeper look, see our Benjamin Marauder vs Umarex Gauntlet 2 comparison.

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Best lightweight carbine

Pyramyd AIR: about $300 (.22) · Stated energy: 18 ft-lb (.22) · Weight: 5 lb

The Notos G2 is a short, light, regulated .22 carbine: 5 lb, 35.4 inches fully extended, a 13.5-inch barrel and a length-adjustable buttstock. The G2 update added a larger 118cc cylinder and a redesigned sidelever.

Umarex rates it at 830 fps and 18 ft-lb with an 11.9 gr pellet, with 30 shots per fill and a 15-round magazine. That's the lowest stated energy among the PCPs here, but still well over the 10 ft-lb guideline for .22, and it's matched to close woods distances. It fills to 250 bar and has a side-facing pressure gauge, a male Foster quick-disconnect fill port and a single-shot tray.

Owners rate it 4.5/5 from 7 reviews and call it a perfect first PCP for pest control, with good accuracy, an easy-to-switch charging handle and a comfortable adjustable stock. One owner got a twisted plastic Picatinny rail, one says the magazine sits high and limits scope placement, and one wishes the fill-tube forearm were thicker. The warranty is 2 years.

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Best budget pump-up

Pyramyd AIR: about $160 (.22) · Energy: 13.1 ft-lb (Pyramyd, 15.89 gr) · Weight: 4.5 lb

Plenty of hunters took their first squirrels with a pump-up air rifle, and the Crosman 362 is the modern version of that idea: a light (4.5 lb), compact, single-shot .22 multi-pump with no tank and no cocking lever. You pump it 3 to 8 times, and fewer pumps mean less power and noise for close shots.

Pyramyd lists up to 850 fps with alloy pellets and 700 fps with lead, and its spec table shows 13.1 ft-lb measured with a 15.89 gr pellet. That clears the 10 ft-lb guideline, but not by much, so keep shots close. It has a blade-and-ramp front sight, an adjustable rear sight, a single-stage trigger (5.5 lb listed pull) and the loudest rating here, "4-Medium-High." Pyramyd lists it as not scopeable as sold; owners who want a scope add a steel breech.

Owners rate it 4.5/5 from 71 reviews. They like the easy pumping, compact size, solid build and how many upgrades exist. Nearly everyone complains about the sights. Accuracy reports are mixed: one owner had great groups at 12 to 15 yards with a dot sight, while two others say theirs wouldn't group well enough to hunt past 10 to 20 yards. The warranty is 1 year.

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