What rifle to purchase ?

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RandyRay41

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I don't own a pellet rifle and until the air gun forum here opened really never thought about one

I mainly shoot black powder and love the challenge of it. My question is for a starter rifle what is recommended? How bout a gamo? I don't want to spend a lot of money but do realize I get what I pay for.

This will mainly be for plinking and possibly a few squirrels.
 
Just my opinion but I think a RWS 34 is alot of gun for the money, I get dime size groups at 30 yards and it has enough power to kill coons with head/brain shot in .177 at 50-60 ft. Use good pellets
Roy
 
Figure out what kind of power you want. Are you trying to shoot inside your house? In your backyard in a residential area? In a secluded area where you can shoot what you want and at longer ranges if you feel so inclined?


I recently bought a daisy powerline 880. It is more accurate than I can shoot offhand, and off a rest the holes were touching at 10 yards, and the fact that it wasn't going into one hole was likely still my own fault. (and this was kneeling behind a chair and using the backrest as a rest, not using a real rest).

And this was a 40 dollar rifle at walmart. It's not the greatest if you want to use it for squirrels or other hunting, as full power takes 10 pumps. However, 2 pumps keeps it nice and slow so you can shoot more quietly and inside the house if you want.

If you aren't as worried about noise or neighbors next door, there are plenty of inexpensive air rifles that will push a lead pellet around 1000 fps with a single cocking action, and they can be had for around a hundred bucks. Cheap way to get into something though, and accuracy is pretty good. If you really need something better there are plenty of options out there. Just figure out what you need.



BTW, you get into this hobby for cheap, and you wallet quickly starts complaining. You quickly end up on pyramidair eyeballing thousands of dollars of toys you can't afford. You know, kind of like guns. Just worse, because these are toys you can play with in your yard with cheap pellets.
 
Lol. I want the most bang for the buck! Won't be shooting inside nor in yard. To many other houses around. I am thinking a break barrel. Keeping the price no more than say 250 with a 4x scope.
 
Honestly I would say save the extra coin and buy a Beeman R7/HW30. They are FANTASTIC plinkers with triggers that can be adjusted to very very very damn good. They are low velocity and VERY quiet. Easy to cock, easy to shoot all day.

Yes they cost more then a Gamo or Bass Pro normal stock kind of thing but they really are worth it.

Other than that something like a RWS Diana 34 might be worth looking at.

As far as a challenge, I would argue shooting spring airguns are more challenging then powder burners. They require a very specific technique, not too much hold, not too little. They require that technique every time so they will be challenging and can be a little disheartening for a good powder shooter who as they require a new discipline.

I love the challenge of a spring air gun. Even at close range with small target they can be fun and challenging.
 
Also keep in mind you cannot just slap any old scope on a spring gun. Even a high quality rifle scope can be destroyed reasonably quickly due to the strange reverse recoil and spring bounce. So make sure yo use a scope that is airgun rated. Thankfully they tend to be a bit cheaper then powder burner scopes even good ones.

Chris
 
If you do go with a springer/break barrel, you may want a scope rail that compensates for muzzle droop like this one.
 
Black Powder fan, me too!
I was an airgun nut first and have many but I would advise you to consider RWS 34 in .22 caliber, simply for what you get. Gamo's are OK and some have high velocities but that;s not everything you need in an airgun.
The RWS 34 is made in Germany by Diana and made of some if the finest steels with great barrels on em!
Basicly .22 caliber 34 is a steal! Good accuracy and power with ease of maintance and plenty of soup-up kits if you ever decide to go that route.
The 34 is a member of a series of rifles basically the same powerplant at different trim and accesory levels. The base model has the same power as the top grade.
I suggest the .22 because of the top FPE level . good long range accuracy and if you are going to buy just ONE rifle, make it a good one!
Used, they go for around $160-80 and new just a bit over $200 many base mod3ls are scoped too!
The HW 30S is a fine rifle (I have a .177 and love it a high class model with a great trigger and barrel) but the lower velocity sometimes limits it's worth as a hunting rifle. It is a superb rifle but the 600fps neighborhood is a little light for hunting. The Diana .22 makes 700 plus and is plenty powerful for everything.
Please, if you have any questions write me at dnemanic@sbcglobal/net
HTH,
BPDave
 
Honestly I would say save the extra coin and buy a Beeman R7/HW30. They are FANTASTIC plinkers with triggers that can be adjusted to very very very damn good. They are low velocity and VERY quiet. Easy to cock, easy to shoot all day.

Yes they cost more then a Gamo or Bass Pro normal stock kind of thing but they really are worth it.

Other than that something like a RWS Diana 34 might be worth looking at.
Click to expand...

Even with my limited airgun experience, I'd have to agree with all this: While one doesn't necessarily need an überexpensive rifle, "budget" rifles can be underwhelming and frustrating to shoot well. My 2nd air rifle was a Beeman R7 and it was a quantum leap over the budget rifle it replaced.
 
just a note on price etc... I am guilty of promoting the better more expensive airguns myself. But as a point my first which I got 37 years ago or so at age 13 is still a great shooter. It was and is a HW50 old style which was not a magnum or anything but a lil larger all around version of the hw30 or beeman r7


I put a rebuild kit in it about 5 year back not that it needed it but because i could ;)

I paid 3-4 times what a ruger 10/22 cost back then and shot thousands of pelletts with it and it is worth more than I paid for it... seems like a good deal to me...
 
craftsman, is that the same thing as the Beeman Kodiak that they sell at Walmart? Because as I recall the specs seem the same, and they are both a dual caliber springer.
 
The Beeman R7 is a fantastic little springer. It's also quiet. It's nice than all but the most expensive RWS/Dianas. It also has the best trigger.
If you want a quality air gun, buy a German made Beeman (not the Chinese made Wally World cheapies) or a Diana (also called RWS)
The Diana 34 is a good air rifle. Nowhere near as nice as a Weihrauch made Beeman. Still a very good airgun.
If you get an R7, you may find it's your most often shot plinker.
The German made airguns (English made, too)
have wood and metal fit/finish that is far superior to firearms that cost the same.
The Weihrauch HW30S is the same gun as the Beeman R7. It doesn't have the shiny stock finish of the R7, but it is mechanically the same. I love mine. It's just so damned easy and fun to shoot.
Power is roughly equivalent to the majority of .177 multi pump pneumatics, excluding the Benjamin 397.

In fact, if you want a multi pump pneumatic, the Benjamin 397 is a fantastic one.
It's not as easy to mount a scope on one, but if you do, you don't need a springer rated scope.
Plus, you can get a Williams receiver mounted peep sight for it. I have one on my 392 (same gun, but in .22)

If you want a good springer, get an HW30S/R7 or Diana/RWS 34.
If you want a pumper, get a Benji 397 or 392.
Any of these would serve you very well for cheap shooting.
The purchase price is quickly offset by ammo savings, more so if you shoot a lot.

Here is the HW30S
http://www.pyramydair.com/s/m/Weihr...r_rifles/Spring_piston/152/Weihrauch/brands_5

Don't forget CO2 rifles. Here's a good one.
http://www.pyramydair.com/s/m/Weihr...r_rifles/Spring_piston/152/Weihrauch/brands_5

Also, don't forget the QB78 family of CO2 rifles. Yes, they are Chinese made. But, they are well made. I own 3 variants and when I had to sell half of my airgun collection when the economy tanked in 2009, they were some of the ones I NEVER considered selling. They are good shooters and are very mod friendly. You can customize them just as much as you can a Crosman CO2.
In fact, they are a copy of an old Crosman design, with some minor changes.
Great little airguns and they won't break the bank.
Here is a base model QB78. I recommend you peruse the Archer Airguns website and see if you find what you like.
http://www.pyramydair.com/s/m/Weihr...r_rifles/Spring_piston/152/Weihrauch/brands_5
Put a TKO muzzle brake on a QB78 and you have a fun shooter that's quiet as a mouse fart.
 
Air Rifle

I have the Benjamin NP XL 1100 and I have to say that it's almost as fast and accurate as my Ruger 10/22, but a lot quieter. Takes squirrels with head shots on a routine basis. I sighted it in at 25 yards and it shoots a lot better than I do. I'm impressed with the Benjamin NP XL 1100 .22 cal Rifle. I've had Benjamin Pellet rifles since 1975. They are FUN !
 
ChaoSS,

I do believe it (Beeman RX-2) is the same as the Kodiak. I'm new (this year) to air gunning, so I am learning as I go. The link I posted is for the one I own (PyramydAir) - That comes with a dual barel, case, rings, and scope. Wal*Mart, I believe is for the rifle only.
 
The Beeman RX-2 is a HW90 with a fancier laminated stock,same power plant. Which Kodiak do you refer too?? The "Real Beeman" Kodiak/Webley Patriot(England), or the 3rd incarnation of Beeman/China product?

Beeman Precision Airguns (later Beeman Precision Arms Inc) no longer exists, in name only currently. S/R Industries(purchased Beeman in 1994) owned the Marksman brand and kept the two companies separate until a couple of years ago. The real Beeman high quality guns are no more,only NOS/used guns.

Beeman used manufacturers like FWB,HW,Webley,Daystate to make air guns for them:H&N to make most of their pellets. Some were the same as the OEM gun and some had different stocks or little tweaks.

Sadly, the Beeman name once meant high quality. Now its a name being used to sell lesser products to the unsuspecting.



http://www.beemans.net/
 
Gamo has a lot of gimmicks but are poor quality and dismal accuracy.
It depends on if you want a pinker, target gun or hunting grade. For cheap target shooting the Daisy target pro is hard to beat.
 
I've been pretty happy with a Crosman 2100B. Inexpensive and accurate. You have to pump it up, but for punching paper at 50', you don't need full power; 4 or 5 pumps is enough. You should be able to get one for under $70. Since it's not a springer, it'll work with the $10 .22rf scopes Wal-Mart sells. Only drawback is a not-so-great trigger.

The Benjamin 397 is a bit nicer, but costs over twice as much and won't take a scope. Mine has a Williams peep sight which I really like. The 397 does have a wood stock, though.

Crosman/Benjamin is a local company, here, so I usually look at them first. So far, no need to look further.
 
Benjamin 392 is a classic. In .22 caliber.
Available scoped from Pyramyd Air.
Also nice is the Sheridan Blue Streak in. .20 caliber.
 
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The RWS 34 is a good choice that falls in your budget, springers can be difficult to shoot though....if you hold them incorrectly they shoot terrible groups. They will also devastate your scope, get a decent air gun scope or stick with open sights or you'll break the scope in a few shots. I've heard that all Bushnell scopes are air rifle rated, a quick call to them could confirm that with them.

If you plan on shooting any distance make sure you get a Mil-Dot scope so you can shoot effectively at different distances.


Personally if you can build your air gun fund up a bit I would grab a Benjamin Discovery PCP air rifle....the hand pump included in their kits works well and you can take 20+ shots without needing to pump...just shoot it like a bolt gun. They are far more shootable than a springer and the accuracy/power out of them is better than most springers including the RWS 34. They also do not have the double recoil like a spring gun and aren't hard on scopes.


http://www.walmart.com/ip/Benjamim-Discovery-.22-Caliber-PCP-Powered-Carbine-with-High-Pressure-Hand-Pump/14234837
 
The discovery is like the 10/22 of the airgun world- Many accessories and Mods are available...

The only thing is an un moderated PCP is loud....

Depending where you are planning to shoot your pellet gun and what you are using it for that may or may not be an issue.
 
Ruger came out with .22LR American. It seems to have a nice review on RimfireCentral. $269.00 and then look for scope. Then there are always used stuff to look for.
 
Ruger came out with .22LR American. It seems to have a nice review on RimfireCentral. $269.00 and then look for scope. Then there are always used stuff to look for.
Click to expand...


Say what? Do you realize this is an airgun forum and that's what the OP is looking for?
 
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