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A bullpup packs a full-length barrel into a short gun by moving the action back behind the trigger. That’s the whole appeal: a rifle that shoots like a long one but handles like a carbine in a blind, a shed, or the back of a truck. All four guns here are pre-charged pneumatics, which means the rifle is only half of what you’re buying — you’ll need a way to put high-pressure air into it. Sort that out before you fall for a spec sheet.
Here’s how the four stack up, and who each one actually fits.
What the bullpup layout gets you
The trick is simple: put the action and magazine behind the trigger, and you can keep a long barrel while cutting the overall length way down. Shorter gun, same barrel, and the weight sits back against your shoulder instead of hanging out front. That’s easier to swing in tight spots and easier to hold steady offhand.
The trade is the trigger. A bullpup runs a linkage from the trigger back to the sear, and that can make the pull feel vaguer than a standard rifle’s. It’s not a dealbreaker — just something to know going in, and a reason an adjustable trigger is worth having.
PCP means you’re buying an air supply too
None of these come charged. A pre-charged pneumatic holds compressed air, and you have to put it there yourself. That means a hand pump, a scuba-style tank, or an electric compressor — and that gear can cost as much as the rifle.
Price the air supply before you pick the gun. It’s the line item people forget, and it’s the one that decides whether shooting stays cheap or turns into a project.
.177 or .22?
Three of these are .22 and one is .177, and the choice matters more than the badge. A .177 shoots a lighter pellet faster, so it flies flatter and costs less per shot — good for targets and small backyard pests where a precise hit beats raw force. A .22 throws a heavier pellet that hits harder at closer range, which is why it’s the usual pick for hunting small game. Neither is wrong; they’re built for different jobs.
Best Bullpup Air Rifles
1. Lancer Tactial x SnowPeak T-REX Bullpup PCP 5.5mm .22 Caliber Air Gun - (Black) Up to 800 fps
The T-REX is the budget door into this category, and the spec sheet leans hard into being light and short. Lancer lists it at 2.3 kg — about 5.07 lbs — with an overall length under 850 mm, so it’s the easiest of the four to swing around in a shed or a blind. Inside is a 150CC air cylinder feeding a built-in regulator, which is what keeps velocity steady shot to shot instead of tailing off as pressure drops. The 530 mm barrel is full length despite the short frame, which is the bullpup idea doing its job.
The trigger adjusts from 2 to 5 Lbf and the manual safety’s resistance runs from 1 to 6 Lbf, so you can set both to your own feel. The title caps it at 800 fps in .22. It’s the least-known name in this group, but it’s also the one that asks the least of your wallet.
Best for: The lightest, cheapest way into a bullpup PCP.
Listed at $219.00 when this guide was last updated. Amazon pricing moves, so check the figure on the page before you buy.
2. Stoeger XM1 Bullshark .22 Cal PCP Air Rifle – 1100 FPS Bullpup Pellet Airgun, Multi-Grip System, Dual Picatinny Rails, 2 Rotary Magazines, Buttstock Spacers
The XM1 Bullshark is the powerhouse of the group on paper. Stoeger quotes up to 1100 fps with alloy pellets and 910 fps with lead — plan around the lead figure, since that’s what most people actually shoot. At 29.48 inches it’s the longest gun here, but that’s still short for the barrel it’s carrying.
The real draw is fit. Adjustable cheekpieces, buttstock spacers, and interchangeable grips let you set the gun up for your reach instead of adapting to it. It comes with two rotary magazines and dual Picatinny rails, so mounting an optic and keeping a spare mag on the gun are both handled out of the box.
Best for: Highest listed velocity and the most adjustable fit.
Listed at $599.00 when this guide was last updated. Amazon pricing moves, so check the figure on the page before you buy. Amazon is showing limited quantities on this one.
3. JTS Brawn Bullpup .177 Cal Regulated PCP Air Rifle with Quiet Shrouded Barrel
This is the .177 in the lineup, and that caliber is the whole point. Lighter, faster pellets shoot flatter, which makes punching tight groups at a set distance easier — good for paper and small pests where a precise hit matters more than raw thump.
JTS gives it a 33-inch overall length, a fully regulated system for consistent velocity, and a shrouded barrel to knock the muzzle report down. The wood thumbhole stock with a textured rubber buttpad is a step up in feel from the synthetic guns here. If your shooting is mostly targets and backyard pest control, the .177 does more with less air.
Best for: A quiet, regulated .177 for tight groups on the cheap.
Listed at $499.99 when this guide was last updated. Amazon pricing moves, so check the figure on the page before you buy. Amazon is showing limited quantities on this one.
4. JTS Brawn Bullpup PCP Sidelever Repeater Air Rifle
Same Brawn platform, set up in .22 with a sidelever you can work without coming off the gun. The listing gives it a shrouded barrel to keep the muzzle report down and a Picatinny rail for glass, so it’s set up for a scope out of the box.
It’s a 17.2-inch barrel in a 33-inch overall frame at 9.3 lbs, so it carries some heft but stays short. Two all-metal magazines come in the box, and JTS points it squarely at small-game hunting and plinking. If you want a .22 Brawn with a quick sidelever cycle, this is the one.
Best for: A .22 Brawn with a fast sidelever for small-game hunting.
Listed at $499.99 when this guide was last updated. Amazon pricing moves, so check the figure on the page before you buy. Amazon is showing limited quantities on this one.
Frequently Asked Questions
What else do I need before this thing will shoot?
A PCP doesn’t come charged, so you need a way to fill it — a hand pump, a scuba-style tank, or an electric compressor — plus pellets, and on most of these an optic. Price the air supply before the rifle. It’s often the bigger line item, and it decides whether the hobby stays cheap.
.177 or .22 — which should I get?
Rough rule: .177 shoots a lighter, faster pellet that flies flatter and costs less, which suits targets and small pests. A .22 throws a heavier pellet that hits harder up close, which is why it’s the common hunting pick. Three of these are .22; the .177 JTS Brawn is the odd one out on purpose.
How loud are they?
Any PCP is quiet next to a firearm, and both JTS Brawns and the Stoeger add shrouding or sound-dampening to cut the muzzle report further. Quiet isn’t silent, but for backyard use these won’t carry the way a spring gun’s twang does.
Do I need a license to own one?
That’s a local question, not a product one. Air rifle rules vary by state and city — a few treat them like firearms, most don’t — so check your own rules before you buy. Nothing on the listing settles it for you.
If you want light and cheap, the Lancer T-REX. If you want the most velocity and the most adjustment, the Stoeger. If you’re shooting paper and pests, the .177 JTS Brawn; if you’re hunting small game, the .22 JTS Brawn sidelever. All four are short enough to earn the bullpup name — pick by caliber and by how you’ll feed them air, and you’ll be happy with the one you land on.