Hello Guys

I have never had an air-rifle before, but due to development its just not safe to use a 22 RF on our small holding any-more. 20 or more years ago I could wander about with the 22 without alarming or endangering any-one, and the shooting practise really made a difference.

So I was thinking that to make the most of the opportunities I have to practise marksmanship maybe I should get an air-rifle. We do have a few Rabbits and Magpies (they're like a crow) and it would be good to be able to give them a hurry-up occasionally.

However I see that there are several options between Springers, Nitrogen and Pre-Charged.

What type would give me the closest experience to shooting a hi-power rifle ?

Thanks

Foster

best bet would be a nitro piston springer( e.g. the Benjamin Trail XL) unless you want to spend serious money on a PCP and what it takes to fill it.

You didn't mention budget on this. My go to and I do have more expensive is my peep sighted Sheridan Blue Streak. This is a pump up and in my favorite cal--5MM (20 cal). I think with the peep sight it gives more marksmanship practice than a scope sighted.

quote:

Originally posted by carpetman1:
You didn't mention budget on this. My go to and I do have more expensive is my peep sighted Crosman Blue Streak. This is a pump up and in my favorite cal--5MM (20 cal). I think with the peep sight it gives more marksmanship practice than a scope sighted.

Carpetman, thanks for mentioning the blue streak. Brings back lots of memories. When I was a kid ( about 40 yrs ago) I traded $10 and a Crosman 760 for a Sheridan blue streak.
That was a great pellet gun!

The current crop of pre charged air rifles are exceptional good.

But, they are very expensive.

And here is a word of warning.

Do NOT by any of those that use a magazine.

Buy a single shot rifle.

We have had practically every make of air rifle through here, and without exception, those with magazines seem to get in trouble because of it.

I use some of these here in our backyard for crow. Very accurate, and very powerful too.

I like my old RWS 34 Diana Werke springer in .177. I call it my .177 Aero Express.

Even though it weighs a ton, and I have to hold it like a carton of eggs and always check the screws for tightness to get it to shoot straight, who cares?

If I do all of that, it will put 8.3 grain pointed RWS pellets inside a dime at 10-20 yards all day long.

With an MV of 835 fps or so, this rifle with those pellets will kill any small varmint I care to shoot at such ranges.

There are better air rifles out there, to be sure. And shooting a springer is most emphatically NOT like shooting a high powered rifle.

But this one suits my needs just fine.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
The current crop of pre charged air rifles are exceptional good.

But, they are very expensive.

And here is a word of warning.

Do NOT by any of those that use a magazine.

Buy a single shot rifle.

We have had practically every make of air rifle through here, and without exception, those with magazines seem to get in trouble because of it.

I use some of these here in our backyard for crow. Very accurate, and very powerful too.

i have to disagree with this. i own 6 Daystate PCP's- all magazine fed. and i have 3 magazines of each of them. 5 are .22 and i have 15 magazines in total for them. i interchange the magazines among the various models with no problem at all. i have 3 magazines for my .303 cal Daystate and again, have had no problems with it. all came with a single shot tray except the .303. i have never used the trays as i like being able to pop off 10 quick shots. i have killed all manner of small game/varmints with the .22's and wild hogs and coyotes with the .303. it's nice to be able to make a second shot 2-3 seconds after the first.

You are most likely going to get a wide variety of opinions on this topic. I bought an air rifle for practice a few years ago. It is a very accurate, relatively high end springer - a Weihrauch HW97K in .177 with a Bushnell air rifle scope. It is a hoot to shoot, and I take it to Africa with me to shoot doves, francolin and guinea fowl in between cape buffalo and plains game hunts. It is accurate and fairly flat shooting out to 50 yards, so it meets all the needs I have for practice and small game. I have provided my trackers more than a few game dinners with my springer.

the HW97 is definitely 1 of the best springers out there and a fine rifle.

I shoot a Feinwerkbau 300S. More accurate than I can hold, rvrn off of a BR set up. They were the Olympic standard up to the early 'nineties.

I need to get a good air rifle. Can't have enough trigger time.

quote:

Originally posted by subsailor74:
You are most likely going to get a wide variety of opinions on this topic. I bought an air rifle for practice a few years ago. It is a very accurate, relatively high end springer - a Weihrauch HW97K in .177 with a Bushnell air rifle scope. It is a hoot to shoot, and I take it to Africa with me to shoot doves, francolin and guinea fowl in between cape buffalo and plains game hunts. It is accurate and fairly flat shooting out to 50 yards, so it meets all the needs I have for practice and small game. I have provided my trackers more than a few game dinners with my springer.

Biebs you need to get this airgun. Find the right pellet it likes, sight the scope in and then and only then - sell it to me at a big discount.

Mike

here you go, Jon. all the Weirauch models to choose from- and AoA is a quality dealer

http://www.airgunsofarizona.com

The NJ legal folks just clarified that silencing devices are not legal even on air rifles. Give me a break :-(

quote:

Originally posted by Biebs:
The NJ legal folks just clarified that silencing devices are not legal even on air rifles. Give me a break :-(

Biebs you can always move to NYC - i think they restrict sling shots there too.

Mike

quote:

Originally posted by Biebs:
The NJ legal folks just clarified that silencing devices are not legal even on air rifles. Give me a break :-(

most of the things on the end of air rifle barrels are not silencers. they are muzzle weights or handles to assist in cocking. in fact, very few of them are actual silencers. that said, air rifle silencers are freely and legally available on line to fit a variety of barrel configurations. all 6 of my Daystate's have custom made silencers, including the .303 cal one. i have even ordered 2 from the UK and had them shipped here, straight through US Customs!

JD, thanks. I'll have to find one that isn't "silenced". I seriously doubt a Hit Man would pick an air rifle to do his dirty work :-)

The thing on the end of the barrel of a HW97 is not a silencer- it has no baffles or sound deadeners. it is a muzzle brake/ counter weight that is designed to balance the rifle when shot from a standing position. just an FYI.

Great. Sounds like the one for me.

Rich, I just bought a Feinwerkbau 300s on Gunbroker. It came yesterday.
I cannot believe the trigger! I'm gonna be ruined, just like Alaska ruined me for trout in Oregon ...

I would think a good "springer" or gas piston will fit the bill. They are nice and powerful and can get up to .25 calibers for some good punch.

I have an old Beeman R10 spring powered airgun in .20 caliber. It's a nice gun but I just don't shoot it much. The other was a pretty expensive PCP Anschutz that I got from the CMP and shoot it quite a bit but it has a bit of a pop as the pellet leaves the barrel whereas the R10 makes less noise.

One must be careful on which lubricating oil you use on a spring or gas piston gun as you can actually get regular gun oil to detonate in the air chamber and damage your piston. It sounds like a .22 going off. (Yeah, I've done it, doh!)