Best 25 Caliber Air Rifles – 2022 Complete Review

| Last Updated:
September 30, 2023

Are you looking for the best .25 caliber air rifle? If so, then you’re in the right place.

While there are a few other calibers available for air rifles, the .25 stands out as one of the most popular. It’s reliable and excels at a few applications where an air rifle is usually appropriate.

To help you find the best .25 caliber air rifle for your use, we’ve put together a list of the five best rifles currently available on the market. Before we get to the list itself, we’ll discuss the best uses of a .25 caliber air rifle and how you can choose one for your own personal use. 

Comparison of the Best .25 Caliber Air Rifles

IMAGEPRODUCT
  • Best overall .25 caliber air rifle.
  • Stock made from synthetic materials.
  • Pre-charged Pneumatic Pump included.
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  • Pre-charged Pneumatic pump.
  • Top rail included for customization.
  • Runner-up for best .25 caliber air rifle.
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  • Shoots up to 1000 fps.
  • Pre-charged pneumatic pump.
  • Best .25 caliber air rifle for the money.
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  • Max velocity of 800 fps.
  • Adjustable two-stage trigger.
  • Most powerful .25 caliber break barrel air rifle.
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  • Reversible bolt action.
  • Best .25 caliber air rifle for hunting.
  • Compatible with AR-15 pistol grips and stocks.
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What Are The Best Uses For a .25 Caliber Air Rifle?

An air rifle is fun to use, no matter the application. One thing to keep in mind is the activity you’re intending to do that requires the use of one of these air rifles. Here are a few of the best applications for a .25 caliber air rifle:

Varmint Control

There will be a time when small invasive critters like squirrels, groundhogs, and even raccoons will pose more of a problem to your property. When that happens, they’ll dig through your lawn, garden, and may get into your trash. Allowing this to happen can lead to a disaster on your property. A good air rifle will take care of this issue (if it’s done regularly). 

 .25 cal Benjamin Marauder Air Rifle used in hunting squirrel (Source)

Target Practice

Casual target practice has long been a staple for any rifle on the market (especially air rifles). You can use paper targets, bottles, cans, or what have you. If you have something to use as a target and a whole lot of rounds, you can spend the entire day using your .25 caliber air rifle for simply working on your shooting technique and ability.

Competitive Shooting

Yes, even air rifles have their own shooting competitions. This is where the bullseyes count. If you find one that can shoot faster and more accurately than all others, there is no question to the edge you’ll have over your competition. If you must, find a rifle that has a good amount of velocity and will allow for fast shooting.

How to Choose a .25 Caliber Air Rifle

Finding the right .25 caliber air rifle for your personal use will take time and a little bit of detective work. However, it’s important to know the features and characteristics that will help you distinguish a great .25 caliber air rifle from something considered low in quality and not as reliable. Here are a few things to look out for:

Price

If you’re on a budget, there’s a good chance that you’ll be able to get an air rifle that will be affordable for you. However, you should not sacrifice quality for the sake of saving money. You’ll end up with something that is disappointing in performance and flimsy in quality. So it’s best to invest in a rifle that will be the best in quality but will fit somewhere on your budget scale.

Quality

The best air rifles are often made from high-quality materials. So you’ll need to know which materials are prominent for manufacturing these air rifles. For example, a great air rifle will be made of polymer and steel as a couple of materials that are widely used. The reason is that the materials are proven to take on just about any kind of impact and abuse. Also, the better the quality the better the chance it will stand the test of time.

What Are Your Intents and Purposes?

Every .25 caliber air rifle will be used for the sake of general use. However, depending on some of the characteristics (like velocity), some rifles will stand out as a great rifle for one application or another. For example, a rifle with powerful velocity will often excel when using it for varmint control.

Review of the Best .25 Caliber Air Rifles

The following is a list of the five best .25 caliber air rifles currently on the market. As you go through each one, you should make a note of any characteristics and features that stand out.

If you have a good idea of what makes up your dream rifle, you can find one on the list that might be match. Let’s kick off our list by taking a look at our best overall choice:

Best Overall:
Benjamin Marauder Synthetic Stock Pellet Air Rifle

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Pros

  • Powerful firing power
  • Handpump is reliable and easy to use
  • Excellent for varmint control and target practice
  • Super sturdy construction and can take on a lot of impact and abuse
  • Accurate right out of the box and can reach out and hit targets from various distances

Cons

  • May leak at times
  • Some jamming may occur
  • The pump may be a little difficult to use at times

What Recent Buyers Report

A lot of recent buyers were satisfied with the overall performance of the rifle. Most were using this to hunt small critters that cause a bit of an issue on their property. One user said that he uses it for varmint control in his suburban neighborhood because it is the safest solution he can find.

Why it Stands Out to Us 

The stock is made from polymer, so it stands out as one of the best stock types on the market. It can take beating after beating and still function properly. This means you’ll have this handy for a few years or more, provided you take excellent care of it. 

Who Will Use This Most 

This will likely be used most by varmint hunters, especially when their main goal is to keep their lawn free from any damage that may drive down their home’s value. When it comes time to sell, you want the best deal possible. Why lose out because of a small few critters?

What Could Be Improved and Why

The air canister should be a little tighter to prevent leakage. Some have pointed to this as a possible quality control error. A leaked canister can lead to disaster if nothing is done about it. So the manufacturer needs to make sure that they are nice and tight before this rifle ever hits the market.

Bottom Line

If you want a .25 caliber air rifle that is considered one of the best in the business, then the Benjamin Maurader with Synthetic Stock will be exactly what you’re looking for. This might be one of the best choices for varmint control on the market. 

Runner-up:
Hatsan BullBoss Quiet Energy PCP Air Rifle

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Pros

  • Excellent firepower and velocity
  • Accurate firing right out of the box
  • Very quiet firing and doesn’t make a lot of noise
  • Easy to customize with a lot of scopes and optics
  • Super durable construction can take on all kinds of abuse and impact

Cons

  • Might be a little weighty for some users
  • Rail may not accept some scopes or optics
  • Loading might be a little difficult for some users

What Recent Buyers Report

A lot of recent buyers found this rifle to be quite rugged in design. They were also impressed with the fact that they were able to find a rifle scope that was compatible with the top rail. One user said that he attached a scope that he originally wanted to attach to his hunting rifle and instead gave it a new home on this air rifle. 

Why it Stands Out to Us 

The construction is quite solid and also allows for more customization options than any other air rifle on this list so far. Even regular rifle scopes work just as well on an air rifle like this. Last but not least, this doesn’t get noisy at all, so it makes varmint control in the neighborhood a lot easier.

Who Will Use This Most 

Expect this to be a general-purpose rifle. But since it’s quiet, most users who live in crowded neighborhoods can use this to ward off pesky varmints without scaring the neighbors or causing any kind of alarm. 

What Could Be Improved and Why

This rifle could be a little lighter in weight. That way, it would feel like you’re carrying a rifle and not a one-ton builder. Understandably, this might just come with the territory of more powerful rifles, but it could still be powerful even with a little lost weight.

Bottom Line

If you want a rugged rifle which allows for customization and gets the job done without making so much noise, you should consider the Hatsan BullBoss as the .25 caliber air rifle you can rely on. No matter the purpose, it will give you years of faithful service if you take good care of it.

Best for the Money: 
Umarex Gauntlet PCP Powered Pellet Gun Air Rifle

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Pros

  • Affordable for most budgets
  • Can accept some scopes and optics
  • Excellent accuracy across many applications
  • The trigger is easy to operate with no creep or overtravel
  • Super durable construction can take on abuse and impact

Cons

  • It may be a challenge to load for some
  • May not accept a lot of scopes and optics
  • Some of the screws may get loose at times

What Recent Buyers Report

A lot of recent buyers were looking for a rifle that was affordable but provided high-end performance. Sure enough, this was the rifle that fit the criteria. As expected, they were able to shoot accurate and powerful shots right out of the box. One user said he uses the rifle for both hunting varmints and target shooting. Regardless, he was able to hit his target dead-on consistently.

Why it Stands Out to Us 

This rifle fires shots quite fast. At 1000 FPS, that's quite an impressive velocity. It’s the ideal speed for an air rifle used for just about any purpose. Other than its ability for shooting fast, the stock also proves that its another air rifle that can handle bumps and bangs. So, it will guarantee you years of faithful service no matter how many times you bang it around.

Who Will Use This Most 

This is a rifle that will be used for many purposes. Whether target shooting or hunting for varmints, this rifle proves its reliability to just about any shooter looking for a rifle at a price they can afford.

What Could Be Improved and Why

There should be a top rail included on this rifle. This way, it will open up the door for better customization options. There are a lot of scopes out there that can fit on an air rifle and can give you sufficient reach. 

Bottom Line

The Umarex Gauntlet PCP rifle is by far one of the best rifles on the list in terms of performance. For the price it’s going for, you'll swear you’ve made off like a bandit with this rifle. If you want to get a steal of a deal, this rifle is a perfect choice.

Most Powerful .25 Break Barrel Air Rifle:
Hatsan Model 125SN Combo.25, Black

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Pros

  • Durable construction 
  • Little to no recoil to speak of 
  • Super accurate right out of the box.
  • Excellent firepower and provides fast shooting
  • Great for varmint hunting and target shooting

Cons

  • Some misfirings may occur
  • Some jamming has been reported
  • The scope may not be as reliable as some expect

What Recent Buyers Report

As expected, a lot of recent buyers were satisfied with the rifle. Many were impressed with the velocity of the rifle. They used it for target shooting and varmint hunting but the latter application is what made this rifle stand out most. One user said that while it might be 800 FPS in terms of velocity, he believes it’s slightly faster than that in reality.

Why it Stands Out to Us 

This rifle stands out as one of the most powerful rifles on the market. Despite having a slightly slower velocity than some other rifles, it still packs a punch, especially when using it to knock down annoying little critters that consistently try to destroy your property.

Who Will Use This Most 

This will be a varmint hunting rifle for regular use. However, it should not be discounted as a useless rifle in terms of target shooting. Either way, users will have quite a powerful rifle on their hands. If you want awesome velocity and knockdown power, you’d be insane to pass up the opportunity to look at this rifle.

What Could Be Improved and Why

One possible improvement would be to get rid of the scope. It’s like it exists for show. Alternatively, you can get rid of it and replace it with a rifle scope of your own. You’ll do a lot better when you have a rifle scope proven to be clear in image quality and a lot more accurate than some flimsy, unreliable scope. 

Bottom Line

The Hatsan Model 125SN is hands-down the best go-to rifle to get rid of those invasive small critters. Plus, it gives you the power to knock them down from some impressive distances. If you want a reliable varmint control rifle that will get critters to think twice, get this .25 caliber air rifle.

Best for Hunting: 
Benjamin BTAP25SX Armada

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Pros

  • Super durable construction
  • Easy to load for most users
  • The hand pump is easy to operate and use
  • Bipod provides a sturdy and stable shooting
  • The scope is surprisingly reliable for most users

Cons

  • Bipod can be a little unstable at times
  • Bolt action might be a little stiff at times
  • Some have had issues using the scope

What Recent Buyers Report

This rifle received a lot of positive remarks from recent buyers. One user said he was able to reach out and touch his targets from about 50 to 60 yards out. He said it has rapidly become one of his favorite airsoft rifles for target shooting. 

Why it Stands Out to Us 

The rifle design is rugged and even better, it can work with a lot of AR-15 stocks and pistol grips. So right off the bat, you can turn this into a more durable rifle that can give you years of dedicated service. The velocity is also powerful enough to give you excellent knockdown power when pitted against small critters.

Who Will Use This Most 

Of course, it’s an air rifle that is considered the best for hunting small critters. It’s also the most newbie-friendly hunting rifle on the market. So users from beginners to seasoned vets will use this rifle to their advantage, especially when trying to ward off small critters that just have little to no regard for anyone’s lawn or garden.

What Could Be Improved and Why

The scope could use some improvements. For example, there should be easy adjustments for windage and elevation. So if you’re shots are off to the right or too high, you can make the adjustments on the fly.

Bottom Line

The Benjamin Armada has proven itself to be one of the best hunting air rifles in the business. If you have a varmint problem you want to take care of, this rifle stands out as one of the best possible options for you. 

Why Should I Get a New .25 Caliber Air Rifle?

The short answer: why not? But we’ll give you a more detailed answer. Because there are a few awesome reasons you should get one. If you decide to forego the idea, you’ll be missing out on some nice perks. Here’s what they are:

Hours of Fun

Yes, these air rifles are quite fun to fire off, especially when you have all kinds of targets to work with. As long as you have a lot of them at your disposal, plus a large number of rounds, the fun will continue until you run out of one or the other, or both.

Helps You Preserve Your Property

You have a lawn to protect. You have a garden that you’ve worked so hard on and want nothing to happen to it. That can change in an instant if a small animal comes along and messes it all up. Sometimes, an air rifle can help get rid of these invasive creatures. It’s probably the best alternative since you won’t have to use live ammo or resort to other solutions like chemicals or ingredients that may be harmful to your health.

Perfect for Almost Any Age

Yes, you need to be a certain age to purchase some air rifles. However, there is no age limit when it comes to using them (note: if a child under 12 is using an air rifle, adult supervision is a must). A young child can start with an air rifle so he or she can learn the basics of gun safety. Once they’re older, they will be prepared to hunt or target shoot using real live ammo.

Conclusion

The best .25 caliber air rifle is out there and it’s up to you to find the one that will best fit you. No matter what the application is, one of these five air rifles will be the best to use. Find one that satisfies your air rifle needs and it will have your back for a long time.

Michael Lutes

Michael Lutes is the managing editor and owner at Gun Mann. He is a veteran, gun enthusiast, 3 gun competitor, and 2a advocate. Mike has a passion for innovation and education across the industry to create great content, training, and insights from the best and brightest.

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