I have a Crossman .177 and think it’s a very, very good thing to have.
Certainly not as a defensive weapon. But as far as taking small game, squirrels and birds, etc. it is almost unparalleled.
It fires pretty much dead on. And except for a slight Floop!! sound, it is almost totally silent.
Won’t frighten the game away... and if you’re trying to get something to charbque, that’s a good thing.
I have almost as many air rifles and pistols as I do firearms. They are a lot of fun and can also be useful.
At one time I had a huge collection of both but was forced to sell most of them but am slowly rebuilding both collections.
One of my favorites was an RWS model 52 which was rated at 1200 fps with regular pellets. I think most air rifles are rated a bit optimistically on velocity but that one was hot.