A good target Air Pistol

[brokenolmarine]

My Log in Says a lot......

I have shot competitive pistol for years. A lot of years.
These days, (20 surgeries later,) shooting is an exercise in ... frustration.
I have a 50 yard range behind the house here on the farm.
Once I haul the target frame and the shooting bench out to the range, all the things the docs cut on are burning. Arthritis is calling ME names.
I go back in and get the gun(s) out of the safe and shoot a bit.
Whew! That was a quick 100 rounds or so....
Sheesh, where did all that dang brass go? Meh, I'll pick that up tomorrow.
Haul the guns and ears and eyes back into the den and put them on the cleaning bench. Whew! time to take a breather.
Back to the range, haul target frames, gongs, steel or whatever back to the storage building and put it all away, and things are swollen and other things are screaming.
Next day things aren't working.

Gotta be a better way... oh, Airguns.
I could shoot them down the hallway.
I've been looking at a few.
Saw a Crossman with good reviews for $250 (ish)
A Russian made Izzy 46 for about $600 that they said could WIN matches
Then they went UP from there. $900 - $1500 that could bring gold in the Olympics. (the gun, not me)

Hey, I won plenty of matches in PPC... but now I just want to practice grip, sight alignment and trigger control, and maybe shoot a match now and then if I can find one.

I am leaning toward the Izzy since it's a Single Cock pneumatic with no bottles to worry with.

Input?

 

[plexreticle]

IZH-46M is good for the money, imo. Easy to load and easy to pump. It's a real deal 10m pistol and it as accurate as about any shooter. The grips may take some getting use to and will probably require some fitting.

The one I've shot belongs to my brother. He loves it. I know 2 other guys that have them and shoot in an informal airgun league, they like them also.

 

[brokenolmarine]

Thanks, I'll either buy the Izzy or the Crossman if I decide that I am not going to invest all that much into the sport if I find that there are NO matches in the area. MY VA Hospital has a Airgun Shoot every Wednesday but it may only be rifle, and the hospital is about 75 minutes each way.

One of our guys did go and shoot in an important air RIFLE match and did very well. He was using a really nice rifle that the VA owns.... hard case and all. About $5,000 including the match sights and case.

 

[fpgt72]

I hear you....sounds like I wrote your post.

For a pistol if you can do the cocking I would suggest the Beman P1, at almost $500 it is a bit spendy, but it really is the standard in what I would call an every mans pistol......grip angle is along the lines of a 1911 so if you did that platform it should not be too hard.

Crosman makes quite a few, and they make some darn good guns and guns you can change to your hearts contentment. They shoot well also.

This is where I would stop if you want to put pellets right where you want to put pellets. After this comes what they (air gun people) call action pistols. These are usually CO2 powered and look like "the real thing", and in some cases they really do. These guns are great to train with, they will fit your existing holster, have safety levers and such in the stock locations, and in some cases can take things like triggers and such to give it more of a feel of your "real" gun.

They are accurate out to 10-15 feet, by that I mean green army man accurate and are really quite fun to shoot.....but if you are looking for true one hole groups this is not really what you want.

Personally I have both kinds....and for both reasons. They are also just flat fun to shoot.

If going to matches really do matter to you I would say you might end up with one of each, one to keep you sharp in both areas.

Have fun

 

[tuj]

IZH-46m Great air pistol, very accurate. The only things more accurate will cost at least 1k more. Use a dremel to contour the grips to fit your hand.

 

[tallpaul]

an izzy or a classiC Feinwerkbau (FWB) model 65 would be a good bet in the 500-600 range. I have both and love the izzy even though they have about doubled in price since I got mine, They keep selling because like others said they are the only game in that price range.

One owes it to himself to have a quality air rifle and pistol around if ya are a shooter. Like you mention a good game and good practice without alll the hub bub- but its there if ya want to go to a match etc also. Even without matches the practice and ease of shooting make them worthwhile.

 

[[email protected]]

Daisy 747 for me Cost under 200.00

 

[Pete D.]

air

I have two air pistols - a Feinwerkbau C10, a CO2 gun, bought before the trend went to HPA. It is a marvelous shooter.
I also have an IZH 46......which I keep as a loaner/backup gun. I have never needed it as a backup. (fortuitously bought well before the prices reached where they are now.)
When I was shooting regularly down in PA, Leesport near Reading, there was a fellow who beat me regularly with a Daisy 747.
In any case, I like the FWB because i do not have to cock the thing sixty times during a match. Cocking gets old after a while.
That being said, if you ever get to the national matches at Camp Perry, Ohio.....after you shoot your outdoor relay....mosey over to the state of the art air pistol range, indoors....don't have an air pistol? No problem. Use one of theirs....all IZH-46s.
Pete

ps: check this out...http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=445259404

 

[fpgt72]

If you do go PCP keep in mind the added expense and pain that all the extra gear adds to the PCP "experience"

 

[Mike OTDP]

The Izh-46 is the gold standard in mid-level air pistols. The next stop being the Olympic-grade hardware.

 

[ZVP]

I shoot a 1960 Diana Model 6 Recoiless.
Not a real powerhouse but totally recoiless!
It's getting very old and I fear it'll need an expensive reseal soon.
ZVP

 

[Dave Markowitz]

The Crosman 23xx series are pretty good guns for the money, and customizable from the Crosman custom shop. I bought a 2300T from Amazon last year and shoot it in my house.

It felt a little muzzle light to me so I made an aluminum weight for the barrel along with a replacement front sight. It hangs nicely now.





(The pics were taken before I blackened the aluminum.)

If you don't have a lathe and mill like I used, Crosman makes an equivalent, as do several smaller shops.

Last time I checked, Walmart had the best price on CO2 cylinders.

 

[fpgt72]

Agree the 23 Crossman is about like the 350 chevy of the engine world, you can make it do anything, or 10/22 of the rimfire world.

They really are good guns right out of the box, but if you do like to tinker, there is no limits.

 

[7thCavScout]

+1 for the Daisy 747.

 

[OrangePwrx9]

Very happy with a Crosman 2300T. It ain't perfect, but for the money, darn good.

 

[fpgt72]

Very happy with a Crosman 2300T. It ain't perfect, but for the money, darn good.

I just ordered one this weekend. Should be here tomorrow and will allow me to have some trigger time after my surgery. Looking forward to it, I will not be able to pump anything or shoulder a rifle. Been a long time for pistol shooting for me.

 

[Ohen Cepel]

I like the IZH but it has gotten pricey. Look around at Pyramid Air, they have a good selection and reviews.

There is a $40 Beeman out now which I have and enjoy a lot. Accurate but of course not $600 accurate. Good back up for when friends are over though.

If you have any Izaak Walton leagues in your area check into them also, mine has lots of air events and it seems to be rather common with them. Postal Matches could also be an option for you.

 

[StrawHat]

I have been using a Daisy 747 for over 30 years. I am happy with the accuracy and it seems to hold up well. I used it to augment practice in the winter so I did not have to truck about in the mud and ice. It helped to improve my scores or at least keep my scores the same so when the outdoor leagues started I was ready to go. Follow through becomes real important when practicing with one of these.

 

[mxl]

Another vote for the Crosman 2300. I have the 2300S [lothar Walther barrel] and it is astonishingly accurate.

 

[fpgt72]

The daisy 747 is a good gun, but it is quite a bit more expensive then the 2240, at almost 4 to 1 more expensive and if you go with the 2300T around $50 more. I am not sure that the 747 is 4X the gun the Crosman is, and with it being so able to be changed to the users desire I think you can have a gun that will shoot with it for less money out of pocket.

I have the 2300T and find it more accurate then I am....giving very good groups.

The other issue is the 747 is a pump where the others are Co2. That could be an issue if you find yourself not able to pump (me) a gun for about 4 months. I will be shooting the pistol from a rest for quite a while.

 

[Oldnamvet]

"There is a $40 Beeman out now which I have and enjoy a lot. Accurate but of course not $600 accurate. Good back up for when friends are over though."

That is the Beeman P-17 and it is more accurate than I am. Balance is good but trigger could stand some improvement. But for just cheap fun, this is a good start. At around $40, you have very little invested.

 

[arspeukinen]

Weihrauch HW40 if you want cheap. Baikal if you want good and still cheap.

 

[Chevota]

The "$40 Beeman" Oldnamvet mentioned is the P17 and is super cool for the $. At Pyramid they're $35, plus a discount coupon can bring that to $30. More that worth it! It replaced my $200+Tempest as my fav pistol. It's single stroke pneumatic so no annoying spring action or noise, it's more like a firearm with a very weak little kick to it. Made in china but made very well and accurate unlike other chinese crap. It can use a few little mods imo, and sometimes they have a defect that cuts the O-ring, so checking it before you shoot is a good idea.
Even if you get another gun, this one is cool to have as well.

 

[OrangePwrx9]

Recently bagged a Umarex/Smith & Wesson 586 CO2 revolver. This isn't exactly the type of air gun you're looking for, but it's well made, quite accurate, fun to shoot and gives realistic practice...especially if you're a wheelgunner.

Trigger's not bad and you get to practice both single-action and double-action. Get a few extra cylinders, preload them with pellets while you're watching TV, then go have a fun shooting session without fumbling or fussing.

I shoot mine in the basement into a .22RF bullet trap. Except for the trigger, it is very similar to my 'real' 586...including accuracy.

 

[fpgt72]

Recently bagged a Umarex/Smith & Wesson 586 CO2 revolver. This isn't exactly the type of air gun you're looking for, but it's well made, quite accurate, fun to shoot and gives realistic practice...especially if you're a wheelgunner.

Trigger's not bad and you get to practice both single-action and double-action. Get a few extra cylinders, preload them with pellets while you're watching TV, then go have a fun shooting session without fumbling or fussing.

I shoot mine in the basement into a .22RF bullet trap. Except for the trigger, it is very similar to my 'real' 586...including accuracy.

Those types of guns are really great. I have a 1911 and it is fantastic. Everything in the same place, fits in my holster perfect. Great practice, and just tons of fun.