Help me choose a pellet rifle

[hammerklavier]

Requirements (all are musts haves)
a) Air Piston
b) .177 pellet rifle
c) wood stock with traditional look
d) low cost
e) iron sights
f) fairly accurate and reliable

Purpose: hour long plinking sessions, occasional small pest control

Looking at these, which do you prefer, or should I look at something else?

1) Crossman Vantage NP $99 (no scope)
2) Hatsan 1000X Vortex Gas Pistion $195

 

[UpTheHill]

I don't own one but have heard nothing but good things about the atsan

 

[lykoris]

Save longer an get a weihrauch hw30s, you will both love it and it can be passed onto another generation.

http://www.pyramydair.com/s/m/Weihrauch_HW30S_Air_Rifle/2018#Reviews

 

[NuJudge]

CMP is selling rebuild 853 air rifles for about $100, and I have nothing but good comments.
Look about 1/3 of the way down here:
http://www.thecmp.org/Sales/airrifles.htm
Pyramyd Air is always sending me notices about refurbs they are selling:
http://www.pyramydair.com/pre-owned-air-gun-products

 

[hammerklavier]

Good air rifles, no doubt, but I'm looking for a air piston gun.

 

[Chevota]

My vote goes for the Crosman. Airgun Depot and Pyramid often they have sales of 10-13% off. The code AfterSanta-13 is good till Jan 2nd at Pyramid for 10% off your whole order. Good time to get pellets too, especially if you bring the order to $150 then you get free ship.

The Vantage is excellent for the $. It's totally worth getting the scope package imo, but however you want it.
Hatsans are options, kinda ugly imo and a gas spring is too expensive.
I'd buy good pellets too, worth it imo. No Gamo or Daisy. I'd try JSB 8.4 and/or 10.3gr, RWS superdome, and maybe Crosman Premier. That's my 2cents anyway...

The Crosman will benefit big time by either an aftermarket gold trigger, or doing a trigger job yourself (which I can help you with). In case you didn't know ~95% of people's #1 complaint is the oem trigger is too stiff and long.

 

[hammerklavier]

Thanks for the info, unfortunately I wasn't ready to buy today.

 

[peedeecat]

Just a suggestion and meeting your cost criteria, for the money, the Stoeger line is a great choice. I have an X20 wood stock in .22, but also comes in .177 (fiber optic sights) and just recently bought an X20S (suppressor model with synthetic stock) in .177 for $129.99 from Pyramydair. No sights but comes complete with mounted scope. The stocks are well designed and as traditional as you could ever want. Both my Stoegers shoot well and are reasonably accurate and the Stoeger 2 year warranty and customer service is the best in the business. Check them out at PA. BTW: Where in NC are you?
Sorry, I re-read and saw that you were looking for a gas piston gun. That said, I still prefer the Stoeger spring piston guns to the gas piston, and you can also do a gas piston upgrade to the Stoeger if you ever decide to do so.

Peedeecat

 

[hammerklavier]

I'm in Durham, but will probably move to Orange county soon.

 

[pikid89]

I second NuJudge and the CMP Refurb Daisy 853

I got one with the monte carlo stock and it came with micrometer diopter sights. It is standard with a Lothar Walther barrel and is stupid accurate with Meisterkugeln pellets

Cant be beat for $100

 

[jimsouth]

Just a suggestion and meeting your cost criteria, for the money, the Stoeger line is a great choice. I have an X20 wood stock in .22, but also comes in .177 (fiber optic sights) and just recently bought an X20S (suppressor model with synthetic stock) in .177 for $129.99 from Pyramydair. No sights but comes complete with mounted scope. The stocks are well designed and as traditional as you could ever want. Both my Stoegers shoot well and are reasonably accurate and the Stoeger 2 year warranty and customer service is the best in the business. Check them out at PA. BTW: Where in NC are you?
Sorry, I re-read and saw that you were looking for a gas piston gun. That said, I still prefer the Stoeger spring piston guns to the gas piston, and you can also do a gas piston upgrade to the Stoeger if you ever decide to do so.

Peedeecat

My cousin has a high end German air rifle (.22 ). Powerful - you can feel the kick. Can't think of the name; but an accurate rifle. Actually louder than a .22 sub sonic.

 

[FinnComm]

Buy a Weihrauch and enjoy it for the rest of your days. HW95 is a good model. Mine is superb. The old BSAs were good, but not sure about the newer models.

Hatsan are awful. Someone bought me one as a gift a few years ago. It was the Model85. After around 300 pellets the barrel started to wobble and the recoil stopper on the scope mount broke. I tried to tighten up the barrel but the screws were made of such poor quality soft metal that they were useless. The gun was never accuarate in the first place, even before the barrel wobble.

If your budget only extends to buying the Hatsan turd I got as a gift, then you need to find another hobby. Because you can't afford to be an airgunner. Save up more and buy once.

 

[FinnComm]

I googled some reviews and found my own

 

[jimsouth]

There were ( are ) some real muscle air rifles. Benjamin Rogue .357 - The world's most powerful production air ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fj5Aq7bz-tI