The RateAGun(TM) score helps you choose the most suitable pellet rifle for you. Enjoyable shooting comes from consistently being able to hit your target.
The airgun industry is obsessed with muzzle velocity, telling you that faster is better, but there's much more to selecting a pellet rifle than that. High muzzle velocity is great, but only if you can hit what you're aiming at!
Pellet guns are not all the same. Some can be really tough to shoot well, while others are "naturals." A low RateAGun(TM) score indicates a rifle that's easy to shoot accurately, while a high score means that you need special skills or knowledge to succeed with that air rifle. Fitting a scope will change the RateAGun(TM) score of a gun, too.
You will find RateAGun(TM) scores 
for every air rifle on our site. Use these scores to compare models and make an informed purchasing choice. It's an unique feature of ArcherPelletGuns.com, and we hope you will find it helpful.
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A RateAGun(TM) score of less than 5.0 shows a pellet gun that's among the easiest to shoot. They are ideal starter guns.
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RateAGun(TM) scores between 5.1 and 7.0 indicate guns that are fun to shoot for many people. Most people will be happy with these.
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Scores between 7.1 and 9.0 identify pellet guns that are an enjoyable challenge to shoot well. They require some special technique or knowledge to shoot accurately.
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A RateAGun(TM) score higher than 9.1 means that it's difficult for many people to shoot well. These guns require considerable skill and experience to shoot accurately. This doesn't mean that they're bad, just that they're demanding on the shooter. Only buy one if you're up for the challenge!
How is the RateAGun(TM) score calculated?
It's the result of our lifetime of shooting experience and combines many factors that influence the accurate shooting of a pellet rifle.
Some of these factors are measurable, like their length and weight of the gun. Generally, long heavy pellet rifles are more difficult to aim than shorter, lighter ones. A heavy air rifle tends to have a high RateAGun™ score, meaning that it's harder for most people to shoot well.
Other factors influencing the RateAGun(TM) score are very real, but can't be measured. These include the need for spring-powered pellet guns to be held in a certain "hold" to achieve accurate shooting.
You can't just grab hold of a high power spring pellet rifle and shoot well. There's a technique that needs to be learned and applied consistently to shoot these guns. This leads to a higher RateAGun(TM) score as most shooters don't know this or can't consistently hold the pellet gun correctly for accurate shooting.
Everyone knows that fitting a scope improves shooting accuracy. But very high magnifications magnify the shooter's natural shake so much that it becomes difficult to hit the target, at least unless you are very experienced. Heavy, high magnification scopes will have a higher RateAGun(TM) score than a lighter, medium magnification scope.
Comparing RateAGun(TM) Scores
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RateAGun(TM) scores are shown for most guns with open "iron" sights.
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Gun and scope combos (where the gun, scope and rings are sold together as one unit) have the RateAGun(TM) score for that combination.
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Pellet rifles sold without iron sights or a scope have a RateAGun(TM) score for the gun with a "standard" 3-9 x 40 scope and high rings.
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Our interactive RateAGun(TM) score calculator enables you to conveniently compare scores for different combinations of pellet rifle, scope and rings.
That's it! Use the RateAGun(TM) score to help guide your purchase and find the pellet rifle that's right for you.
