quality air rifle input

Status
Not open for further replies.
Batty67

Batty67

Member
Joined
Aug 8, 2011
Messages
430
Location
Northern VA
I got my almost 14 YO son a Gamo big cat for some basic plinking as our yard backs up to 100 yards of woods.

It is a hoot! And I love the price and convenience. Naturally, I'm looking into to upgrade for me.

Please provide candid input, with the following paramters:

$400 total, including a decent scope (does not need to be anything special, just reasonably rugged and quality), not sure whether a nice fixed 4-power makes the most sense. If a rilfe comes with a good enough scope, that would also be great.

.177 or .22, not .25. Since it is semi-surburban shooting, SUB SONIC (but perhaps supersonic with light pellets) but close to 1000 fps.

Break action with gas piston.

Prefer a rail, whether mounted or integral.

Wood or synthetic, leaning toward thumbhole stock (but not a deal breaker).

Thanks.
 
Okay. I'll proceed accordingly. Yes, I know I was seeking input for a quality air rifle, and this is THR, but I thought it was worth asking if anyone had any good suggestions or feedback. Thanks for looking.
 
I am very pleased with the German made .177 RWS 350 Magnum I purchased a few years back. It's price is is around your budget maybe slightly more. Mine came with a RWS marked 4X scope and has proven a accurate combo and has held up well. The rifle is rather heavy, I think about 8 lbs but handles well. It's TO6 trigger is user friendly and adjustable and is miles ahead of the cheaper brands out there.

The 350 Magnum isnt cheap but the quality shows in fit and finish, deep rich bluing and nicely finished beechwood checkered stock. I never have measured velocity but it hits squirrels with authority, thinking it's at 1000fps or more.

I shoot it frequently at a small metal deer target for cheap trigger time and fundamental practice. All in all I would recommend this one.


RWS350.jpg
 
I have a Beeman R9. No thumb hole, but an absolutely great trigger to offset that. :) I put a 3-9 air rifle scope on it and it shoots really well. It's a break-action .177. Very nice quality.
 
You aren't going to be able to really upgrade from that Gamo, unless you get an RWS. I love my gamo, you just have to find the right brand of pellets for it. I get one inch groups at fifty yards off of a rest pretty regularly, and have stretched it out to 100, but that was just for fun, and I didn't really pattern it on paper.

I have a Gamo Shadow 1000, (Basically the same as the "Big Cat" except that it has iron (plastic) sights on it; and a Winchester 3-9x32 air rifle scope on it.
 
Recently got a .22 Benjamin Trail NP 950 FPS. $200 at Pyramid Air. Comes with a picitiny type rail and a 3-9x40ao scope. Having lots of fun. Upgraded the trigger for increased accuracy. Has a thumb hole stock. Never used one before but man I'm really liking it. Ive read a lot of complaints on the "cheap" scope, but so far I have had no problems at all.
Fast, free shipping by Pyramid. Worth the money so far.

Norm from Canuckistan
 
I have a Gamo Varmint Stalker Deluxe Air Rifle that I bought on Woot.com for $130 with a scope. Very accurate and will one shot kill any mammal or crow I have found. Pretty quiet as well. I put a Tacso 3 x 9 on it. I saw a video of a guy that hunts hogs with one. At 1350 FPS they are amazing for the money. Not Toys like an old Crossman 760 pump.
 
I have the Beeman RS1 dual caliber. I use the 22 barrel. I tossed the scope in the junk box & bought a better AIR RIFLE RATED SCOPE.
Its a squirrel killing machine with Crossman Premier hollow point hunting ammo. I have tumbled many squirrels at 35-40 yards away, sunning its self in the top of my oak tree.

44561911-450x450-0-0_Beeman+Beeman+SS1000S+Dual+Caliber+Air+Rifle+Combo.jpg


http://www.shopping.com/Beeman-Beeman-SS1000S-Dual-Caliber-Air-Rifle-Combo/info
 
I have the Gamo Silent Cat that has found a permanent home. The silencer does cut noise down quite a bit unless I use one pellet by Crossman, it looks more like a wad cutter and when you fire it sounds like a 22cal rifle being fired. I compared it to the same gun without the silencer and it is like difference of day and night. Very hard hitting, and very accurate to boot.
 
Thanks for all the input. Slow day yesterday, so I did a lot of research. I went with a Benjamin Trail .22 NP hardwood thumbhole stock. Pretty much had everything I was looking for at a little over $200. Made in China (boo), but consistently fine reviews and good enough scope. In the end, since I'm not likely to hunt with it, I lowered the bar and price range.
 
The trail will get you started...

As far as RWS being the best, that guy needs to get out more :p

Go find the " yellow" airgun forum on network 54 and be ready to see from the cheapyjunkers to the REAL guality air guns that are out there... The RWS can be decent depending on the model the only QUALITY gun I saw in this thread is the R9

Bee man has been sold and the new china Berhmans are NOT the quality of the old school beemans man by HW

My gun addiction was bad until my airgun addiction came along...

I believe EVERYONE owes it to themselves to get a quality airgun and to use it. Even more so with the craziness in the fire arm realm.
 
Sheridan Blue Streak, Xmas 1964. 1997, 25 yards, iron sights, 40+ year old eyes, put 5 rounds in one hole. My Remington 541HB with a 24 power scope and Federal Match ammo did almost as well.
 
I have an RWS 48, they are side cockers and in 22 they are very powerful. It has good stock sights and accepts a scope easily. You will be pleased.
 
If you are looking for quality avoid GAMO. I have a Bone Collector. Horrible trigger, poor accuracy, way louder than advertised. Scope is useless, parts failure. I hate it.
 
Another Beeman R9 fan, get a airgun rated 3X9 scope and the Beeman mount. Mine is .177 also, and I have shot pop cans at 75 yrds,at the 11 meter mark with the standard air gun target you can actually put all in one hole with match pellets, but I have to shoot from a rest.

If I had it to do over I would go for a 5MM or 20 Cal,more killing power for rabbit or squirrel at 25-50 yrds and just as accurate.

They are quality German precision rifles with great triggers, and decent wood finished properly with a satin hand rubbed sheen and bright even bluing that is not found on the cheaper models.
 
d2wing said:
If you are looking for quality avoid GAMO. I have a Bone Collector. Horrible trigger, poor accuracy, way louder than advertised. Scope is useless, parts failure. I hate it.
Click to expand...
Must agree. I am not impressed at all with the Bone Collector. The Gamo scope is a POS. The trigger is a bad joke and if the so-called suppressor is working I would hate to shoot it with out one. If I can dump this thing I will look at the RWS.
 
I have an RWS Model 48 Diana and it is a joy to shoot. I have picked off magpies at 75 yards and killed feral cats too. It is a side cocker. I am suspicious of the barrel break types since any wear or looseness in the hinge will throw the sights off. My only complaint is that it is very heavy.
 
Pass on anything with a Gamo logo on it...RWS and other companies offer better air rifles.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

L
  • Locked
Air Rifle Triggers
Replies
7
Views
725
Grmlin
G
J
  • Locked
Need input on an air rifle
Replies
6
Views
723
RevolvingGarbage
RevolvingGarbage
B
  • Locked
Mr. Tactical Rat Versus The Air Rifle
Replies
6
Views
2K
Baltimore_900
B
B
  • Locked
Yard Sales & Air Rifles: Connection?
Replies
23
Views
3K
Baltimore_900
B
Smith357
  • Locked
Long Term Winchester 800x Review
Replies
0
Views
4K
Smith357
Smith357
Back
Top