The fastest growing segment of the airgun market is the pre-charged pneumatic or PCP segment. PCP airguns require a source of high pressure air. This is a very substantial consideration for a hunter or shooter looking to get into PCP airgunning, but there are some shortcuts that have proven to be highly desirable and effective.
The first rifle in the PCP category we recommend for squirrel hunting is the new multi-shot Kompete NCR .22 caliber rifle. Truthfully, the Komplete NCR is not a true PCP rifle. The secret of the Komplete’s success is the NitroAir nitrogen cartridge. The NitroAir cartridge is pre-filled to 3,600 PSI and, like a CO2 powered BB pistol, you just change out the cartridge when you need to. Since the power is Nitrogen, not CO2, there’s much more power available for each shot. In .22 caliber the Komplete NCR sends 12 grain pellets downrange over 1,000 feet per second. Not only is the Komplete NCR powerful, it is inherently accurate.
Next on the PCP side of air rifles is the Origin. The Origin was designed to be filled with a high-pressure hand pump. Umarex even included a hand pump with this rifle and consumers responded with mass adoption of the platform. The Origin is thin, lightweight for its size, powerful, and accurate. Mount your favorite optic on the Picatinny rail and load some Brimstone pellets in the multi-shot magazine and pump it up. The Origin shoots 12 grain pellets well over 1,000 FPS and holds 10 pellets in its magazine.
For airgunners looking to pick up an optimized PCP rifle for small game, you must consider the Notos .22 caliber carbine. The Notos is noteworthy in its physical size and its outstanding accuracy. This rifle uses a 7 shot magazine in stock for, but the aftermarket has supplied larger capacity magazines as well. The Notos flings 12 grain pellets downrange at 780 feet per second with amazing accuracy. Now don’t get underwhelmed by the lower power output of this PCP– there’s hours of evidence to the contrary on YouTube from shooters hunting and target shooting with it and it is very compelling proof that the Notos has what it takes to be an excellent small game rifle.
Mark Davis, avid outdoorsman, family man, and outdoors writer is the eCommerce Marketing Manager for Umarex USA.