I need a good pellet gun...

I have a Gamo and I love it for plinking and squirrel hunting. I'm sure the Benjamin is fine too.

Be prepared for the crew that will tell you that you need a 600 rig to do anything worthwhile.

I have had my Benjamin .22 Cal pump for over 40 yrs and it works as good as the day I received it as a Christmas gift. i don't know if they have changed how they build them, but it would be my recommendation.

Gamo makes a nice air rifle

I had a break barel .22 from academy from about $130. It would get the job done on backyard squirrels and doves but it would never hold zero. Finally pissed me off enough to bet a Benjamin Marauder PCP .25 cal. This is a badass gun that people actually use to take down deer and hogs. Overkill for city shooting but I wanted to be able to use it at the camp for coons and what not. I dropped $450 on it, never thought in a million years I'd spend that much on an air rifle but damn it was worth it, so much fun to shoot. And really really quiet

Wish I live in the countryside and didn't have neighbors. I would be popping some squirrels from the back porch.

My 12 y/o son has a Benjamin 392 in .22 cal, fitted w a Williams Peep Site. Deadly accurate & fun to shoot. You're prob looking @ 200 bucks for gun & site. Pretty good trigger & doesn't have the recoil(that throws off your accuracy) like the 'springer' guns.

Crosman Nitro Venom

I got this one in .22 for $170 and is awesome. Shot abunch of squirrels in the head with it. Only thing I dont like about it is the trigger but that can be adjusted if you want. The scope is pretty cheap but has been plenty good for an air rifle.

177 will shoot flatter and farther. More than sufficient for squirrels and birds. Ammo is plentiful.

22 definitly hits harder. Doesn't shoot as flat as 177 but up to about 50 yards will kill just about any small feathered and furry creatures dead. 177 will sometimes pass right through without delivering the energy. The bigger cross section and additional energy of the 22 will pack quite a wallop on a small furred creature.

If you plan on shooting creatures instead of paper I'd go 22 over 177 every time.

The Diana RWS34 is the gold standard of rifles under $300 if you can stretch your budget. Umarex makes nice RWS 34 clones for Ruger. Air Hawk, Black Hawk, Impact, and a couple of other models are all RWS 34 clones. They don't have the fit and finish of the German made Diana but they are good shooters and are supposed to tune up well. I have a Impact 22 and I've taken the top off a couple of squirrel heads. Hits them like a hammer. The silencer does reduce the report from the barrel but the spring piston action itself is quite loud. Love it. Can shoot nickle sized groups at ~17 yards.