They're cheap, the ammo is cheap, if you know how to use 'em they're accurate. I was thinking that air rifles would make excellent light duty survival tools. You can buy 1000 rounds for about twelve dollars and they will less than 10oz if you're using alloy pellets. Break barrel guns typically offer highest velocities and most economic pricing, PCP is generally more expensive and requires an air compressor or high pressure pum, but offers repeating fire, Co2 is all over the board in terms of price, with having velocitiesof 600fps to 800fps. Multi pump is very economical with guns around $40 these can gereally also use steel BBs velocity is depending on the number of pumps.  Pistols are also available in all of these variations generally very light, but with slightly less power these can be kept handy in a backpack or at your side, some can be used with detachable shoulder stocks.I know that there are some very notable trade offs, lead pellets weigh generally about 10gr, with alloy pellets at about 5gr(weights for .177 pellets). Naturally .20,.22,.25 caliber pellets weigh more and have more energy. .22 caliber is in my opinion ideal, fairly good sized projectile, good velocity 850fps is typical with break barrel guns. Of course these would not be effective against large game, though I have heard of deer being dropped by idiots with air guns, these are most effective on small game such as rabbit and squirrel, and sometimes predators such as coyote. They offer little in terms of self defense, with super light projectiles and slow loading, but nevertheless thaey are better than nothing in a survival scenario.
Opinions?

Definitely a usefull trait, if you have supersonic velocities you can make a pretty decent supressor out of just a soda bottle and some tape.

When I was a kid, a buddy of mine had a Sheridan Blue Streak. Used .20 cal. pellets, which I think is, or was, exclusive to Sheridan. We were messing around out behind his house one day a shot a woodpecker with that thing. It literally tore the bird's head off, which surprised the shit out of me!

My buddy took the gun back, reloaded it and pumped it 11 or 12 times, and said, "That's nothin'. Watch this." He swung around and fired a pellet through both sides of an old galvanized steel garbage can.

Pellet guns ain't toys.

Thank you, I was racking my brain trying to remember the name of his pellet gun, not pretty, but it was a Sheridan.
Not to mention, they are very accurate.

I have an air rifle pellet gun. I'm pretty sure I could bring down a squirrel or bird with it, in a survival situation.

I'll set up cans in my front yard, sit on the porch, drink beer, and target practice with the cans. It's the absolute cheapest way to go, for target practice and improving accuracy. Plus, I can drink beer...................which I don't do while firing the real guns.

I don't know about the deer. We've shot several of the scrawny things in our area with the pellet gun and they aren't affected that much. Small game would easily be dropped though.

OK, I have to correct that statement. I did manage to take a deer with the pellet gun. Chest shot at 20 meters. It walked 30 ft and dropped.

The Mrs really likes it because we can shoot on our 5 acre property without nosy neighbors complaining, and I like it because I didn't have to buy her a Circuit Judge in .410/.45long.

Yeah, well........the Mrs DID get that Circuit Judge after all.

My father-in-law owns a christmas tree farm.  On the farm last summer, a small herd of deer moved in.  All summer long, he worked in close proximity of them, eventually they got closer and closer to him without worrying.

Come deer season, he was walking with his air rifle.  A doe was feeding ~15ft away.  He took aim, and took it down with a single shot to the neck.

Lucky shot?  Probably.  But still impressive.

In MA, ~50 miles west of Boston.

What sort of gun and pellet did you use?
BTW, How is the Circuit Judge?

I used the Beeman break barrel with a .177cal pellet. It sends the pellet downrange at around 1500fps.
It was a cute little button-buck. Tasty too!

We haven't had a chance to take the Circuit Judge to the range yet. She like it because the short stock fits her stature, and with .410 slug, there shouldn't be much recoil for her to contend with.