NOT co2, and with fastest reload possible. under $200.
.177 .... (easier to find pellets)
Want to kill small varmints (possum and coon).
Thoughts?
First, .22 pellets aren't hard to find. Secondly most air guns are rather sensitive to the pellet type, so I'd go to Straight Shooters and get their pellet sampler. Then when you figure which pellet style/weight works best in your gun, just order a couple thousand.
(
http://straightshooters.com/straightshooters/sssampler.html )
I like Straight Shooters' web site. It has lot's of good information. They don't carry the less expensive guns though. But then I went for the uncommon in air rifles. Weihrauch HW77 in .22. I had to order it from a Canadian company, because all the US dealers claim it's under powered for .22.. I figured if the Germans make a .22 version of that gun then it must work. And I was right, I can shoot a squirrel at 15 yds, pass all the way through the body and still have enough energy to smack the fence 10yds further back, so hard that it makes more noise than the gun did in the first place. Weihrauch is the company that made the original Beeman R1. (Beeman designed it, Weeihrauch manufactured it.) Beeman pushes the .20 caliber pellets which is why, I think, they look down on .22.
I wanted accuracy and power. Think, paint balls as targets at 20m is boring, accuracy. And I went with an under lever (fixed barrel) as opposed to a break-barrel. Greater accuracy. I've taken small possums and large rabbits with drop dead in their tracks results.
CO2 and PCPs have rather quick follow up shots, some even have magazines so you don't have to fumble with pellets. Pumps are out because it takes too long to pump them up. But for overall, ready to shoot when you are, no cartridges, no filling tanks, no pumping, a spring'er is the way to go. One cocking motion, drop in the pellet and fire. Fewer seals to go bad as well.