Many farmers and homesteaders are interested in finding a practical tool for controlling pests, deterring small predators and putting meat on the table, and a standard gun isn't the only option. Air guns are an alternative that's accurate, easy to maintain and inexpensive to fire. They're also powerful and, as such, must be handled as you would a 'real' gun.

Air guns come in three basic designs: spring-piston, pneumatic (pump-up) and CO2, each with their own advantages and disadvantages.

The spring-piston mechanism is the simplest and most commonly used. It's used in air guns ranging from the least expensive to the most accurate and powerful models. Less expensive spring-piston models don't have the best accuracy, the shot being skewed by a hard, slow trigger pull and a significant recoil. However, spring-piston air guns are known for their excellent uniformity in shot-to-shot velocity, which also contributes to close grouping.

Pneumatic, or pump-up, air guns offer terrific accuracy potential and can be lightly pumped for target shooting or pumped to higher velocities for hunting. The disadvantage is the noticeable noise, physical effort and motion required to pump up the air reservoir.

CO2 guns fire with excellent speed and ease. As a result, they tend to be fired more readily than other air guns, necessitating frequent replacement of the CO2 gas cylinders that power the gun. The number of shots you can get per cylinder ranges from 30 to 80 or more, though shots from a nearly empty cylinder may have a lower velocity than average.