Long live the .177 airgun! We say this because there’s been such a push to bigger, more powerful airguns. So much so that the .177 caliber has been overshadowed by .22 and .25 caliber PCPs, we think this is a mistake.
BSA Buccaneer Pro .177
BSA’s had their Buccaneer line of airguns for a while. It’s been their more affordable airgun, maintaining excellent performance and accuracy while skipping features like a regulator or a fully adjustable trigger. Enter the Buccaneer Pro.
The BSA Buccaneer Pro is available in .177, .22, and .25 calibers and retains the excellent BSA engineering, build quality, accuracy, performance, and most importantly, affordability. New features include a regulator for consistent output and a side lever. These two features are transformative for the overall shooting experience.
The Buccaneer Pro comes in at $699, putting it right in the mix with other affordable airguns.
Why .177?
We specifically requested the .177 caliber because it’s ideal for backyard target shooting and pesting. The Buccaneer Pro delivers over 24 foot pounds with 16-grain .177 JSB monster pellets while maintaining SUB MOA accuracy at 25 yards. That’s center to center grouping under .25” and it does it consistently.
With that kind of accuracy and energy, there’s not a lot that the Buccaneer can’t handle in the back yard. Regardless of whether you are punching paper or clearing out pests, the .177 Buccaneer Pro can and will get the job done.
Set up and operation.
The rifle is a standard PCP that requires high-pressure air to operate. The air cylinder fills to 232 bar and delivers about 30 to 40 consistent shots per fill. To fill the rifle, connect the fill probe to your fill source and insert the fill probe into the fill port at the front of the air cylinder. Once full, bleed the line, disconnect the probe, and you are good to go.
The .177 comes with a 10-shot magazine. Loading the magazine is easy. Insert a pellet into the open hole and then rotate the cylinder to the next open hole and insert the next pellet. Continue the process until full.
To load the magazine, open the bolt and insert the magazine. Close the bolt and engage the safety. The safety will only engage when the rifle is cocked.
To fire, acquire your target, release the safety, and gently squeeze the trigger. To fire again, cycle the side lever to cock the gun, which loads the next pellet, and you are good to go for your next shot. Just repeat the process to shoot all ten pellets.
One other important feature is the threaded barrel. If you want to keep your shots as stealthy as possible, you can add any ½ UNF-threaded moderator to the end of your Buccaneer to dramatically reduce shot noise.
Ideal use cases for the .177 Buccaneer Pro.
We know the BSA Buccaneer Pro delivers exceptional accuracy and better-than-average energy for a .177. The ideal use case for the backyard would be target shooting and petsing.
In our tests, the Buccaneer Pro delivers incredible 0.25” center-to-center accuracy at 25 yards with the heavy 16-grain JSB pellets. You can certainly stretch that out to 50 yards. Still, the accuracy starts to drop to about 1” center-to-center at that range. That’s still very good for a .177, but ideally, keeping your shots inside 35 to 40 yards would be best.
When it comes to pesting and small game hunting, with over 20 foot-pounds, the rifle can dispatch most small game with ease out to 35 to 40 yards. There’s still plenty of energy at 50 yards, but you’ll really need to make sure that your shots are landing on target. You’ll have more consistent results if you keep your targets inside 40 yards.
What about the .22 and the .25?
We will look at the .22 and .25 caliber versions at some point. But we wanted to start with the .177 because it’s so practical and useful for backyard shooting without pushing too much power downrange, which can happen with larger calibers.
Whether you are looking to clear out garden pests, tree rats, big lizards, or fine-tune your shooting skills on paper, steel targets, or the new Daisy Smart Target System, the .177 Buccaneer Pro is the right tool for the job. Please visit www.bsaairguns.com for more information, pricing, and availability. See you on the range!d window.
Content creator Rick Eutsler, known for his work with AirgunWeb and GTA, will be sharing additional content soon. Expect short-form video updates on both YouTube and Facebook. If you want real-world performance insights, make sure to follow those channels for upcoming tests and comparisons.
