Best Air Rifles for Target Shooting (2026)

Forget the velocity number on the box for a moment. For paper punching, four things move your groups far more than raw speed does:

• Recoil, which comes down to the powerplant.Recoilless powerplants — multi-pump pneumatics, CO2, and PCPs — are dramatically easier to shoot accurately than spring or gas-piston break-barrels, which recoil in two directions as the piston slams forward and demand a practiced, loose "artillery hold." For pure paper, a powerplant that just sends the pellet and sits still is worth more than any spec.
• Consistency. Tight groups come from every pellet leaving the muzzle at nearly the same speed. A regulated PCP holds velocity within single digits of FPS shot to shot; a multi-pump is just as consistent if you pump the exact same count every time. Inconsistent velocity is inconsistent point of impact, full stop.
• The trigger. A light, predictable, ideally adjustable trigger lets you break the shot without dragging the sights off the bull. A gritty, heavy trigger undoes a good hold every time.
• Sights or glass.For 10-meter paper, good open or peep sights are plenty. Reach past that and you want a scope — but on a springer it must be rated for two-way spring-piston recoil, which destroys ordinary rimfire scopes. Our air rifle scope guide covers glass that survives.

One more thing target shooters feel that hunters barely notice: you shoot a lot at paper, so pellet cost and pellet quality matter more than in any other kind of airgunning. Cheap, consistent ammo keeps you practicing, and the best pellet for accuracy is whichever one your barrel likes — which is exactly why pellet choice moves groups more than the box FPS ever will.

For target work the caliber decision is mostly an economics decision:

If your rifle will only ever punch paper, .177 saves money on every tin and flies flatter, which is why the two dedicated plinkers below are both .177. If you want one rifle that groups well on paper and can handle the occasional garden pest, a .22is the honest compromise — which is why the three higher-powered picks here are .22. If hunting is really the goal, our best air rifles for hunting guide sorts picks by quarry and covers the caliber rules that decide what you can legally use.

Five rifles, five distinct jobs — two recoilless multi-pumps, one low-power springer, and two regulated PCPs — all current production and all buyable through ordinary retail channels like Amazon:

If you are willing to buy fill gear, a regulated PCP is the accuracy king — and the Gauntlet 2 delivers that regulation for the least money. Its 24-cubic-inch onboard bottle fills to 4,500 PSI, and an internal regulator meters that down to a steady output so every pellet leaves at nearly the same velocity: Umarex quotes 50+ shots with no drop-off in .22, and independent testing pushes past 70. That flat velocity curve is precisely what tightens groups downrange. A side-lever cocks and indexes the 10-round magazine fast without breaking your cheek weld, the redesigned baffling runs about 8 dB quieterthan the original Gauntlet (genuinely backyard-friendly), and the single-stage trigger is adjustable, with M-LOK slots in the forearm for a bipod. It will send a 12-grain .22 pellet around 48 FPE — more power than paper needs — but it is the regulated consistency, not the energy, that earns the top slot.

Honest cons: it is heavy and long at around 8.5 pounds, so it wants a rest or bipod for long sessions; you must budget for fill gear (a hand pump runs $50-100, a tank or compressor $200+); the single-stage trigger is functional rather than a true match unit; and .22 pellets cost more than .177 for a gun that will mostly see paper.

Who it's for: the shooter who wants the tightest, most repeatable groups per dollar and does not mind buying into PCP fill gear.

The Crosman 362 is the sweet spot of accuracy and simplicity for target work with zero support gear. It is a recoilless multi-pump: two or three pumps make it a quiet basement-and-backyard plinker, and the full eight pumps push lead pellets into the 600s FPS for about 13 FPE. Because there is no piston slam to manage, it is far more forgiving to shoot well than any springer — no artillery hold required — and at around 4.5 pounds it is light and handy. Field & Stream's testing found it light, handy, affordable, and reasonably accurate, which is exactly the assignment for a paper gun. Typical price is a very reasonable $100-140.

Honest cons: it is single-shot and slow by design, and eight pumps between full-power shots is a workout — so most target shooters settle on a fixed lower pump count for both comfort and consistency. The plastic breech and basic open sights show the budget; the aftermarket steel-breech upgrade fixes scope mounting if you want glass.

Who it's for: anyone who wants genuine accuracy for paper and cans without buying fill gear or fighting recoil. We break the platform down fully in our Crosman 362 review.

The Powerline 880 is the rifle a lot of us learned on, and it is still the cheapest sensible way onto paper at roughly $60. It is a .177 multi-pump, recoilless like the Crosman, and it will shoot pellets single-shot or BBs from a 50-round reservoir at up to about 800 FPS with BBs (nearer 665 FPS with pellets, depending on pump count). You get a blade-and-ramp front sight, an adjustable rear sight, a crossbolt safety, and a bundled 4x15 scope in the kit. Light, simple, and recoilless, it is an ideal tool for teaching new and younger shooters trigger control and sight picture — and it has stayed in production, sturdy and dependable, for more than 30 years.

Honest cons: this is a budget gun and it shows — the bundled 4x15 scope is basic, and the molded stock and simple trigger are what you would expect at the price. Pellet velocity is modest, so it is strictly a paper-and-cans trainer, not a hunter. And like any multi-pump, pump count changes point of impact, so pick a count and stick to it for consistent groups.

Who it's for: first-timers, parents teaching kids, and anyone who wants the lowest-cost recoilless .177 for backyard paper.

For the traditionalist who wants a self-contained break-barrel but not a magnum, the Diana Two-Forty is refreshingly honest — a low-power .177 built to punch paper rather than chase FPS. Diana rates it at about 575 FPS and 5.5 FPEwith lead; Hard Air Magazine measured roughly 555 FPS with lead (681 with light alloy) and, more importantly, a velocity standard deviation of just ~7 FPS— genuinely consistent, and not pellet-picky across brands. Crucially it cocks with only about 18-20 pounds of effort, which makes it family-friendly and comfortable for all-day plinking, and that modest power makes it much less hold-sensitive than a magnum springer, so it forgives an imperfect hold far better than most break-barrels. It runs open sights, weighs around 6 pounds, and is quiet at the muzzle (you will hear spring buzz, not a crack).

Honest cons: that low 5.5 FPE means it is strictly a target and plinking rifle — it will not ethically hunt, so do not buy it hoping to. It is single-shot, the trigger is basic, and like every springer it groups best with a consistent, relaxed hold. If you scope it, use glass rated for spring-piston recoil.

Who it's for: the shooter who wants classic break-barrel simplicity, no fill gear, cheap .177 pellets, and low recoil for tight paper groups.

When budget is not the constraint, the Marauder platform is the quiet, accurate benchmark. The version Amazon stocks is the Semi-Auto Marauder (SAM) at about $708 — the same fully shrouded barrel that makes it one of the quietest hunting-power air rifles in production, a 10-round magazine, and a regulated action, now firing as fast as you can pull the trigger. Real lead .22 velocities land in the 840-940 FPS range for up to roughly 33 FPE, and the combination of a shroud and regulation is exactly what a serious target shooter pays for: quiet report and shot-to-shot consistency. Callout below for who should stretch to it.

Honest cons: it is the most expensive pick here, it is heavy at over 7 pounds bare, and it needs fill gear like any PCP.

Who it's for: the shooter who wants one quiet, hunt-capable, tack-driving .22 to grow into and does not flinch at the price or the fill gear. Full breakdown in our Benjamin Marauder .22 review.

For pure paper on a budget, a recoilless multi-pump is the honest answer — the Crosman 362 for the best value, or the Daisy Powerline 880 for the lowest possible entry and a first gun for a young shooter. Want a classic springer with no fill gear and cheap .177 pellets? The low-power Diana Two-Forty is built for exactly this and is more forgiving than any magnum break-barrel. And if you will invest in fill gear, a regulated PCP is the accuracy king: the Umarex Gauntlet 2 gets you that consistency for the money, while the Benjamin Marauderis the quietest, most refined way to do it. Whatever you choose, buy a few pellet weights and let the barrel tell you which it likes — pellet choice moves groupsmore than any spec on the box — and if you are still weighing powerplants and calibers across every job, start with our broader best air rifles guide.