Top 5 Best Hunting Rifles | Best Small Game Hunting Rifles for 2022
Whether you’re looking for the best bolt action hunting rifle for small game or looking for a rifle for varmint control, we’ve got you covered. We’ve compiled a list of the best rifles on the market so that you can find the perfect one for your needs.
Each rifle on this list has been carefully chosen by our team of experts. We only include the best of the best so that you can be confident in your purchase. So if you are your first rifle, or are just in the market for a new, affordable hunting rifle, we're here to help you choose the best hunting rifles of 2022 today!
How We Choose The Best For You
We know that when it comes to finding an accurate hunting rifle, there are a lot of factors to consider. That’s why we’ve taken the time to compile the best rifles on the market today. Whether you’re looking for a bolt-action or a semiautomatic rifle, we’ve got a variety of hunting targets covered.
With so many options to choose from, how do you know which one is right for you? Well, we’ve made it easy. All of our rifles come with detailed product descriptions and customer reviews so you can make an informed decision before making your purchase.
GAMO Whisper Fusion Mach 1 Air Rifle .177 Cal - Overall Best Hunting Rifle in 2022

Why We Love It
This amazing air rifle is a powerful, quiet, and accurate rifle that comes with everything you need for a great day of target shooting. It's powerful, yet quiet due to the Whisper Fusion Technology. GAMO Whisper Fusion is a long-range hunting rifle. The Whisper Fusion Mach 1 Air Rifle features a machined barrel that reduces vibration, a floating piston, and a custom action trigger. The IGT MACH 1 gas piston delivers higher muzzle velocity, less vibration, and smoother cocking for easy reload. It is even great as a long range hunting rifle!
Its dual-stage power train design provides the perfect combination of quietness and power for the ultimate experience in airgun hunting. This airgun features a 3-9×40 scope with rings.
What you should know
The Gamo Whisper Fusion Mach 1 air rifle .177 cal with combo pack assorted pellets and performance pellets is a great gift for the avid hunter in your life. This rifle has a velocity of up to 1020 FPS and uses gas-piston technology to make sure you get the power you need when you're out on the trail.
The package comes with 1,390 pellets, so you can be out hunting for days without running out of ammunition. This rifle is easy to use, with a large scope that makes it easy to aim at your target, no matter how far away they are.
It also features an automatic safety system that prevents accidents from occurring when you're handling this weapon. The Gamo Whisper Fusion Mach 1 air rifle .177 cal with combo pack assorted pellets and performance pellets is perfect for hunting small game, target practice, plinking, or pest control.
Gamo 6110017154 Varmint Air Rifle .177 Cal - Best Budget Hunting Rifle

Why We Love It
The Gamo 6110017154 Varmint Air Rifle .177 Cal is a great choice for people who want to take their hunting skills to the next level. It is designed for the discriminating air gunner who wants to take the game down from a distance. The barrel is rifled with a twist to ensure precision accuracy and deliver consistent shots every time.
The muzzle velocity of 1250 fps is sure to make short work of your target, but it's not as fast as some other models, so you can be sure that you're not going to accidentally hurt any animals that don't belong in your freezer.
This air rifle is powered by CO2 and has an ambidextrous design that allows for easy switching between righties and lefties without compromising comfort or accuracy. It also has a rubberized buttplate for added comfort when shooting over extended periods of time, also meaning this rifle would be a great choice for a first hunting rifle.
The 4X32 scope included with this model provides users with optimal accuracy every time you pull the trigger—fewer missed shots, more meat for the freezer!
What you should know
The Gamo 6110017154 Varmint Air Rifle is a great rifle. It has a synthetic ambidextrous all-weather stock with a rubber recoil pad and can be used in a variety of small-game hunting situations. It has a lightweight design that makes it easy to carry around. The Gamo trigger with adjustable second stage makes shooting easier and more accurate.
This rifle is perfect for hunting small game such as rabbits, squirrels, and chipmunks. Gamo Varmint Air Rifle is built to meet the demands of hunters and long-range shooters. It features a long-lasting spring piston and can deliver 1250 fps of muzzle velocity with Gamo PBA Platinum pellets .177 Cal. The rifle has a rear sight adjustable for both windage and elevation, so you can always be sure that your shot is accurate at any range you are shooting from.
It has an ambidextrous all-weather stock that comes with a rubber recoil pad which makes the rifle comfortable to hold and use in any weather condition. This rifle has a black matte finish, making it easy to camouflage in different environments making it ideal for varmint hunting.
Umarex Ruger Blackhawk .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle Air Rifle - Most Stylish Hunting Rifle

Why we love it
This is a great choice for the shooter who wants a sturdy, high-powered, lightweight rifle that's simple to use, easy to maintain, and will last for years. The Ruger Blackhawk .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle's all-weather composite polymer black stock is ambidextrous and has checkered grip areas in both the pistol grip and forearm.
The Ruger Blackhawk pellet rifle is a spring piston, single-stroke, break barrel air rifle with an all-weather composite polymer black stock. The Blackhawk rifle shoots a single pellet out of its rifled barrel at 1000 fps. Its fiber optic sights aid with quick target acquisition and shooter accuracy and it is the first American rifle on our list.
What you should know
The Ruger Blackhawk .177-cal is a spring-piston break-barrel single-shot air rifle. It is considered to be the best all-around hunting rifle for small game. This high-powered pellet rifle features an all-weather ambidextrous AMBI composite stock, fiber optic sights, and a scope. It also has a true ambidextrous hardwood stock that comes in either Walnut or Birch finishes, a 4x32 scope, and sling swivels for that added authenticity. The scope attaches and adjusts via 11mm dovetail rings so that you can customize and use the rifle for multiple purposes. Once you've got your set up right, this air rifle works great for dispatching small pests without alerting others with the noise—This is a fantastic rifle for hunting small game and a rifle that will last for a very long time.
Gamo Wildcat Whisper Air Rifles

Why We Love It
This is an extremely quiet air rifle with vibration control technology, perfect for new and experienced shooters alike. The Gamo WildCat Whisper has a fluted polymer jacketed steel barrel and features Shockproof optics and mounts. This model incorporates the patented IGT (Inert Gas Technology) piston - designed to give added efficiency, higher velocities, less vibration, and greater longevity of the piston.
With its fluted polymer jacketed steel barrel, the WildCat Whisper gives its users greater accuracy, more power, and less recoil than any other rifle in its class. This is one quiet pellet rifle and a great choice for hunting! The IGT (Inert Gas Technology) piston, combined with the Whisper noise dampening system that has earned Gamo many awards, produces a whisper-quiet shot every time.
What you should know
Improve your game and practice more with the Gamo Wildcat Whisper Air Rifle. Its barrel is constructed of metal for maximum accuracy and power and comes with a recoil pad for added comfort to maximize your shooting experience. The smooth-checkered synthetic stock has a vented rubber front forearm which helps keep moisture away from the butt stock.
This air rifle comes complete with 4x32 scope, mounts, and rings so you can start practicing your aim immediately! The Whisper is ideal for hunting or pest control as you can choose to have the rifle chambered for either 0.177 or 0.22 caliber pellets. It has a dove-tail scope mount design with a smooth rifled barrel for accurate shots every time.
Crosman CVH22RDNS-WX .22-Caliber Valiant Wood Nitro Piston Elite Powered Break Barrel Air Rifle

Why We Love It
The Crosman Valiant is a stylish precision rifle. Powered by Nitro Piston Elite technology, this air rifle is quiet and comfortable to shoot all day long. The over-molded barrel includes the new SBD Gold noise reduction system for reduced vibration, recoil, and muzzle blast.
The hardwood stock with thumbhole is easy to shoulder and offers the added feature of a ventilated stock pad that will have you comfortably hunting in style with the classic hunting rifle look that never goes out of fashion. With an adjustable rear sight and a fixed front sight to insure downrange accuracy, this is an amazing rifle to use for target shooting or hunting. This is one of the best hunting rifles on the market for varmint and the rifle is available in .177 or .22 caliber.
What you should know
The Crosman CVH22RDNS-WX .22-Caliber Valiant Wood Nitro Piston Elite Powered Break Barrel Air Rifle is the perfect rifle for any hunter, or anyone looking to get into hunting. Featuring a hardwood stock and rifled steel barrel, this rifle is made to last and will last you a lifetime.
You can adjust the two-stage clean break trigger and the adjustable rear and fixed front sights for accuracy down range. The rifle comes with an SBD Gold noise reduction system that makes this rifle quiet enough to use anywhere you want without disturbing others around you.
This rifle comes with a CenterPoint 4x32 scope so you can easily see your target when aiming at it. Out of all of the great rifles on this list, the Crosman Valiant is the best long range hunting weapon!
With this rifle, you can go out into the woods and hunt without disturbing anyone around you, scaring off nearby game, or worrying about making too much noise while doing so! You'll be able to focus on what matters most—your target!
Best Hunting Rifles For Small-Game FAQs
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A HUNTING RIFLE?
Hunting rifles are designed to provide hunters with a weapon that is accurate and powerful enough to take down game hunting and animals. Hunting rifles are designed to be used on a variety of animals with many options being chambered for hunting creatures of a specific size, such as the .177 or .22 commonly being used for hunting smaller animals like rabbits, or the 30-06 or 308 win being used to hunt deer or other big game hunting. They have many different uses in the hunting world.
The purpose of the hunting rifle is to kill game. The rifle is a long gun that is used to shoot at and kill animals for food or pest control. The hunting rifle has been around since before the American Revolution, but it wasn't until the late 1700s that rifles started to become popular with hunters because they were more accurate than muskets.
WHICH IS THE BEST DEER HUNTING RIFLE?
There are many different types of deer rifles in the market. The type of hunting rifle you choose depends on your situation, experience, and budget.Semi-automatic rifles are generally easier to use than bolt-action hunting rifles, but they're more expensive and less accurate than bolt-action rifles in the same price range.
Lever action rifles are a good middle ground between the two and often possess qualities that make them the best of both worlds, however, a lever-action rifle is often significantly more expensive than a bolt action rifle or even a semi-automatic new rifle.
IS 6.5 CREEDMOOR AS POWERFUL AS 308?
6.5 Creedmoor is a fairly new rifle cartridge. But this doesn't mean it's not powerful. In fact, 6.5 Creedmoor is more powerful than the 308 Winchester. This is because it has a higher muzzle velocity and higher muzzle energy.
HOW DO YOU AIM A HUNTING RIFLE?
To be a good shot, you need to learn how to aim a hunting rifle correctly. This will help you hit your target when hunting. It is important that you are able to aim correctly so that you can shoot your prey with ease and not waste any shots or worse, wound your target without killing it quickly and ethically.
There are many ways that you can aim properly when hunting. One way is by using a laser range finder. This device can help you determine the distance between you and your target.
Another method of aiming is by using a scope on your rifle. If it’s not possible for you to use these methods then you can use these tips below:
1) Stand at least 20 yards away from your target so that there can be enough space between them and yourself in case something goes wrong during your shot.
2) Bend down slightly so that it will be easier for you to breathe while aiming at the target since this will reduce any strain on your body when making a shot on your prey.
3) Look through both eyes when aiming so that you can see what's ahead of you clearly (don't just look through one eye).
4) Squeeze the trigger on your outward breath.
WHAT IS A GOOD HUNTING RIFLE FOR A YOUTH?
The best hunting rifle for youth is one that is not too heavy, has little recoil, and is easy to shoot. A good rifle should be able to take down an animal with one shot from a distance. I recommend .22 or .177 caliber air rifles if you are just starting out as these will ease a young shooter into hunting.
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF HUNTING?
Hunting is a great way to enjoy the outdoors, get some exercise, and connect with friends and family. It's also a way to put healthy, organic meat on the table. Here are just some of the advantages of hunting:
· It's a great way to get exercise.
· Hunting is a great way to get outside and enjoy the fresh air. The physical activity associated with hunting helps burn calories and keep you fit.
· Hunting can be an economical way to feed your family. A single deer or elk can provide enough meat to last a family for many months.
· Hunting also teaches us respect for our natural environment and helps us understand how nature works.
· Hunting reduces obesity in people who live in rural areas.
· Hunters are less likely than non-hunters to be overweight or obese — just one reason why rates of obesity are lower in rural areas than they are in cities.
· It's a good way to spend time with others.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN A RIFLE IS CHAMBERED?
A rifle that is chambered means the barrel is cut to accept a specific caliber of ammunition. The chamber is the part of the barrel where the round is positioned before it is fired.
WHAT IS A BOLT-ACTION RIFLE?
A bolt-action rifle is a type of firearm in which the bolt handle is operated manually by the user to eject a spent round of ammunition and chamber a fresh one. These are most often rifles, but there are some bolt-action shotguns and a few handguns as well.
WHAT ARE THE 4 COMPONENTS OF A RIFLE CARTRIDGE?
The four components that make up a rifle cartridge are the case, primer, accelerant, and projectile. A rifle cartridge is a type of ammunition that is used in rifles. They are typically loaded with a single projectile, but some are loaded with multiple projectiles (most of which are now illegal). The projectiles may be solid or hollow and can be made of different materials. Rifle cartridges come in many different types for various purposes, such as hunting and sport shooting.
Conclusion
Hunting rifles are by far the best investments any hunter can make. When you really think about it, there is no greater tool than a good hunting rifle. A close second is being able to find your desired prey without having to go out hunting yourself.
All in all, there are many great hunting rifles to choose from when taking into consideration the type of rifle that you want but also what you can afford. Before picking a rifle, it is always a good idea to do research on it and see if the rifle is one that suits your needs well.
There are many rifles to choose from, so we just want to make sure that you pick the right one. That is why we wrote this guide to help people narrow down their choices. Hopefully, now you will be able to make an informed decision on which rifle is right for you. Happy hunting!