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Ruger Yukon – Click to enlarge
The Yukon is a gas piston air rifle that comes in two calibers: .177 and .22. I went with the .22, which is a bit pricier, but I needed a rifle for pest control. The .177 wasn’t going to cut it for me, but that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be a smart choice for you. The only primary (and obvious) difference between the two is velocity.
This is a ReAxis gas-piston, break-barrel rifle with a SilencAIR silencer. It’s quiet to shoot and smooth to cock. I had a blast reviewing this rifle, and was impressed by how powerful and accurate it was.
| Click here to buy now and get discounted price on the Ruger Yukon .177 and .22 Caliber Air Rifle. Plus, get FREE shipping too! |
Great Build and Finish
There’s no question about it – the Yukon is a beautiful rifle. It’s 45” long with a hardwood ambidextrous stock. The rifle is a bit on the heavy side at 9.8 pounds, but it’s a solid build. With the checkered forearm and grip, this rifle feels great in your hands.
Great Accuracy and Power
Heaviness aside, this rifle shoots with great accuracy. I had no problems achieving quarter sized groups at 30 yards after breaking it in.
There are a couple of things that improve the Yukon’s accuracy:
- A two stage adjustable trigger with a pull of 3.3 pounds. In my opinion, a 3.3 pound pull is right in that sweet spot. There’s not so much pull that it affects accuracy, but there’s not too little pull either.
- Fiber-optic sights with fully adjustable rear and Picatinny rail.
- Ambidextrous hardwood stock
- Rubber recoil pad.
- 3-9×32 scope and mount.
The scope isn’t top of the line, but it’s not too bad either. You’ll need some patience when calibrating it. I would suggest using a laser bore-sighter during your initial calibration.
The accuracy is great, but what about power? That’s the question of the day. Power will depend on which caliber you choose.
- .177 has a max velocity of 1250 fps
- .22 has a max velocity of 1050 fps
The .22 shoots slower, but the shots are more powerful than the .177 because it’s a higher caliber (higher caliber = more muzzle energy). With the .22, you’ll get about 22 FPE. That makes this rifle more powerful than most other spring and gas-piston rifles in the under $200 price range. I don’t see you having any issues using this rifle for small game hunting or pest elimination.
Easy and Smooth to Shoot
One of the things I really like about this rifle is that it’s easy and smooth to shoot. With 9 lbs. of cocking effort, just about anyone can shoot this thing. The cocking is smooth, and you’ll never experience any spring torque or fatigue. Any level shooter will have no problem using the Ruger Yukon.
What I Like
- Smooth shooting and cocking
- Both the .177 and .22 are powerful and accurate
- Quiet shooting
- No spring fatigue or torque
- Works great in all weather conditions
What Could Have Been Better
- A bit on the heavy side
- Scope is decent, but not high quality
Final Thoughts
If power is your primary concern, it doesn’t get much better than the Ruger Yukon. For under $200, this is one of the most powerful gas-piston rifles you can buy. With the SilencAIR silencer, it’s pretty quiet to shoot too. If your goal is to hunt small game or eliminate pests, the Yukon is an excellent choice.
| Click here to buy now and get discounted price on the Ruger Yukon .177 and .22 Caliber Air Rifle. Plus, get FREE shipping too! |
