20-Jul-2026
Deciding to buy an Air Arms for hunting is the easy part; the Hailsham factory's reputation for accuracy, reliability and resale value makes it one of the safest choices in UK airgunning. The harder question is which one. The range spans single-shot classics, sidelever flagships, adjustable laminates and even spring guns, and the right answer depends on how and where you actually shoot. This guide matches each model to the fieldwork it does best.
What hunting actually demands
Sub-12 ft-lb airgun hunting in the UK, rabbits, wood pigeons, corvids where general licences apply, rats and feral pigeons around farms, rewards a specific set of virtues. You need first-shot accuracy at 20 to 40 yards, a rifle light and balanced enough to carry and shoot from awkward positions, quietness for close-quarters work and sensitive permissions, and reliability in weather that ruins nice things. Shot count matters less than consistency; a hunting session rarely uses fifty pellets, but every one of them needs to go exactly where it was aimed.
S400: The purist's field rifle
The single-shot S400, especially in carbine form, is the lightest and arguably best-balanced hunting rifle Air Arms makes. Loading each pellet directly into the breech is the most consistent feed there is, and the discipline of one deliberate shot suits classic rabbit stalking perfectly. Its limits are honest ones: no quick follow-up, so a missed rabbit is a gone rabbit, and rat-busting sessions around a farmyard will feel slow. For the walker who covers ground and takes considered shots, it is superb, and it is the cheapest serious route into the brand.
S410: The all-round workhorse
Add the ten-shot magazine and bolt action and you get the S410, for years the default recommendation for UK airgun hunters. It gives up a little of the S400's lightness in exchange for immediate follow-up shots, which matters for pigeons around a sitty tree and for pest control where opportunities come in batches. If you want one traditional walnut rifle to do every hunting job without fuss, the S410 remains one of the great all-rounders.
S510: The flagship in the field
The sidelever S510 does everything the S410 does with one meaningful upgrade: the lever cycles the action without leaving the aim, so a second shot at a wounded or unlucky-missed quarry comes seconds faster. Regulated versions add chronograph-flat consistency that pays off at the longer end of sensible airgun ranges. It is heavier and dearer than the S410, and around a hide or on a vehicle-based pest round that weight is irrelevant, this is the rifle for the serious hunter who wants the best and intends to keep it decades.
S510 Tactical: The foul-weather professional
Take the S510's action, dress it in an adjustable, weatherproof synthetic stock, and you have the S510 Tactical, the model working pest controllers increasingly choose. It shrugs off rain and knocks, the adjustable comb sets your eye behind the scope identically every time, and the vertical grip suits shooting from sticks and truck windows. If your shooting is more work than romance, this is the Air Arms built for the job.
Ultimate sporter: The hybrid hunter-competitor
The laminate, fully adjustable Ultimate Sporter is the choice for shooters who split time between hunting and HFT. Its adjustable fit and extra mass make it supremely steady from sitting and kneeling positions; the price is weight on a long walk. One rifle for Saturday's course and Sunday's rabbits is a genuine economy, and this is the best single rifle for that double life.
TX200 and Pro-Sport: The self-contained option
Do not dismiss the spring guns. The TX200 and Pro-Sport need no bottle, pump or compressor, virtues on a remote permission and for shooters who like their kit self-contained. Both are accurate enough for any sensible airgun quarry inside 30 yards in practised hands. The trade-offs are weight, the hold sensitivity all springers share, and no fast second shot. As a second rifle for the traditionalist, or a first rifle where filling gear is a stumbling block, they remain thoroughly valid hunting tools.
The short answer
For most hunters most of the time: the S410 if you value tradition and budget, the S510 if you want the flagship, the Tactical if your rifle works for a living. Add the S400 for the stalking purist, the Ultimate Sporter for the hunter-competitor, and the springers for the self-sufficient. There is no bad pick on the list, which is, of course, exactly why the brand earned its reputation.
Whichever model suits you, you can browse Air Arms rifles for sale on Rightgun, with listings from dealers and private sellers across the UK.
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