A PH friend (Nigel Theisen) from Zim wants to get a pellet rifle to take back while he is here. He wants the single stroke break-over barrel design. It has to be .177 to not have a license in Zim. Which should he get???

DO NOT BUY A GAMO- ABSOLUTE GARBAGE!. get an RWS 350, 460, OR a 34( for a bit less money but also less power). also forget the Benjamin NP XL. good power but harsh recoil that is a scope killer and machining that leaves a lot to be desired. be sure he buys a scope that is springer rated( most aren't) as double recoil will dislocate the reticle in most scopes, even good ones. most RWS come with open sights and a built in scope base so for a .177 and young eyes, a scope isn't really needed for air gun ranges.
this AZ dealer is the largest in the states for QUALITY air rifles. you could buy one from them, have it shipped to you, then pass it to Nigel. i have bought multiple high end air rifles from them( well over $2000) with no complaints
http://www.airgunsofarizona.com

Thank you Jerry. Will pass the info on. I got Nigel watching this thread to help make his decision.

I have the single stroke, side cocking RWS 52. The side cockers have to be more sturdy can you say HEAVY--over 10 pounds. They make it in a model 54 which is recoiless. If he is going to put a scope on it, get an adjustable mount. That is a must. There is not enough adjustment in the scope itself. As has been noted, the scope must be spring air rated. Leupold has lifetime warranty, so that they stand behind them, but MOST scopes wont focus at air gun ranges. Leupold makes a 3x-9x compact scope with EFR (extended focus range) so that it does focus at closer ranges. Pricey, but worth it. Don't buy a Porsche and put a Yugo engine in it--get a good scope too.

Dr Easter--couple questions for you. I'm guessing you went to Texas A&M am I correct? Also do you have any kin from Wichita Falls, I went to school with a David Easter there.

quote:

Originally posted by carpetman1:
I have the single stroke, side cocking RWS 52. The side cockers have to be more sturdy can you say HEAVY--over 10 pounds. They make it in a model 54 which is recoiless. If he is going to put a scope on it, get an adjustable mount. That is a must. There is not enough adjustment in the scope itself. As has been noted, the scope must be spring air rated. Leupold has lifetime warranty, so that they stand behind them, but MOST scopes wont focus at air gun ranges. Leupold makes a 3x-9x compact scope with EFR (extended focus range) so that it does focus at closer ranges. Pricey, but worth it. Don't buy a Porsche and put a Yugo engine in it--get a good scope too.

Dr Easter--couple questions for you. I'm guessing you went to Texas A&M am I correct? Also do you have any kin from Wichita Falls, I went to school with a David Easter there.

My family lives all around Wichita Falls. They own Wichita Livestock Auction. But...there is no David Easter. There is a Daniel Easter. Along with a bunch of other names.

I did go to Texas A&M.

Jerry and all,
What scopes do you recommend for Nigel. I see the Leupy recommendation.

The RWS 460 .22 is the ultimate in power and accuracy for a 22. It is a big heavy rifle and cocking it will build muscles. Mine has a Hawke AO variable (a true airgun scope) Whole package was pushing $700 shipped but it is a killer with heavy domed pellets. (I tried the scope on a 222 Rem of known tack driving accuracy and it drove tacks)
Airgun Depot or Pyramid Air will ship one to your door (if you live in a free state).

Doc--The David Easter I mentioned went by Davie he would be about 70. Years ago I heard rumor that he had been killed, then I heard that he was not???? His folks owned a used car lot in Wichita Falls.

All the Easters in that part of the country are kin so I am told. There was an offshoot of the family that I don't know of. Will ask my Dad.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
Jerry and all,
What scopes do you recommend for Nigel. I see the Leupy recommendation.

i have Hawkes on all mine. i prefer side focus models( easier to use) but an adjustable objective model( which distance focus from the front) works just as well and is generally cheaper( but more cumbersome when shooting. the Hawke Eclipse is a good reasonably priced scope with these features. for absolute certainty get a scope that focuses/parallax adjusts down to air gun ranges- preferably 10-15 yards at the near end.Leupy's are great but very expensive. a good Hawke will be half as much and for the purpose of air gun hunting is all you really need. i also prefer an illuminated reticle for night hunting but if the purpose is just small stuff during the day, is not necessary. Hawkes all have a lifetime warranty and they are WELL known for their service, no bullshit help. their scopes are all springer rated. for sure, as mentioned above, get an adjustable, 1 piece mount. break barrel springers always have a bit of barrel droop, so you MUST have a base/rings that have the ability to increase elevation settings. this would be my choice- and they can be bought for a lot less than the factory website price- check Amazon or Ebay

http://www.hawkeoptics.com/haw...cus-riflescopes.html

another rifle to consider would be the Weihrauch HW 95. like the RWS rifles, these are German made and the Rekord trigger is fantastic- and adjustable. Airguns of Arizona has them on sale for $400 shipped. so much in terms of recommendations is budget dependent but you really can't go wrong with RWS or Weihrauch. 1 thing to bear in mind- these are not your average BB gun- and the prices reflect it- but you get what you pay for. $275-500 is simply the going rate for a QUALITY air rifle that will last a lifetime. because of price inflation, i recently sold an RWS 36- FOR MORE THAN I PAID FOR IT IN 1987!
BTW, Lane, are going to the DCS Convention? i would enjoy meeting you there and buying you a drink( and if Nigel is there, the same for him also).

jdollar--Not to flame, but I don't understand the cumbersome part of the adjustable objective. It is not large and you adjust it and your ready to go, no adjustment while shooting. You are spot on about the values of quality equipment going up. The Leupold scope I mentioned could be bought new for $307 a few years ago. Price is a little higher now. Back when they were $307 I never saw one go for less than $275 so I call them $32 scopes.

i simply prefer to reach a bit to the side focus knob rather than reach all the way to the front lens and twist. quicker and easier when i am hunting. i don't punch much paper from a bench and use sticks when hunting, so just less cumbersome. i am a bit confused about the "no adjustment necessary once you set it". you will definitely have to reset it after each shot while hunting as the distance to target( and hence parallax) will vary with each shot.

i ran across this will doing some window shopping. i don't know the seller but i do know the product- and it is a very well made English rifle with a scope that is adequate for what Nigel needs. might be worth an email as the price is very good.
http://www.airguns.net/classif...Ad=0&NumberOfPages=5

Will that RWS 350 magnum really do 1500 fps? Thats the one he really likes.

Doc--I haven't found a reference listing the RWS 350 mag at 1500 fps. Saw 950 fps for .22 which you said is cal your friend is interested in. I'd highly doubt 1500fps any cal any weight pellet.

short answer- no. the velocities listed for .177 top out about 1200fps- and that is with very light, alloy pellets which are wildly inaccurate. when any pellets gets above the speed of song( +/- 1100fps) accuracy goes to hell. most pellets stabilize best at around 900-950fps, which is about what a heavy .177 should achieve. take all the listed velocity claims wit a huge grain of salt.

Been following this thread and have a question. I am in the process of buying a Beeman R9 .177 rifle and am wondering which of the Hawke scopes you would recommend? The vast majority of my shooting will be within 25 yards.

since you are apparently not a competition shooter, i would recommend a Hawke Airmax

Thanks Jerry and all!

Beeman R9. Over 1100fps in 177.

Don't get hung up on velocity, accuracy is what you want. Pellets work best around 850-950fps for hunting rifles. Any faster and the pellet will tumble as it breaks the sound barrier (1050fps more or less). accuracy suffers.

In the real world, with real lead pellets an RWS 34 is a 900 fps rifle, plenty fast. Don't believe the hype. A 350 or 48/52 is just too much spring for a .177. I have owned stock and tuned versions of all three. Dont forget that the big spring has big recoil and harsh shooting cycle (scope killers).

For .177 I'm shooting R9 or R10 for bird feeder protection, A R1 tuned to 875fps with a Maccari soft spring or PCP set to 18ft/lb. If I need more power I go to a bigger caliber, all shoot under 1000fps

make sure to get a gas piston....less noise and recoil!

Steve

quote:

Originally posted by Bill C.:
Don't get hung up on velocity, accuracy is what you want. Pellets work best around 850-950fps for hunting rifles. Any faster and the pellet will tumble as it breaks the sound barrier (1050fps more or less). accuracy suffers.

In the real world, with real lead pellets an RWS 34 is a 900 fps rifle, plenty fast. Don't believe the hype. A 350 or 48/52 is just too much spring for a .177. I have owned stock and tuned versions of all three. Dont forget that the big spring has big recoil and harsh shooting cycle (scope killers).

For .177 I'm shooting R9 or R10 for bird feeder protection, A R1 tuned to 875fps with a Maccari soft spring or PCP set to 18ft/lb. If I need more power I go to a bigger caliber, all shoot under 1000fps

+1 i have NEVER seen an air rifle shooting over 1050fps that was anything but a scattergun. pellets simply don't stabilize at/above the speed of sound- in fact most tumble quite badly above 1000fps. also at higher speed, some will be fairly accurate- out to 25 yards. stretch the distance to 50 yards and they spiral badly. this is easily seen on slow motion videos. the pellet looks like a corkscrew. Gamo has made it's reputation on advertising unrealistic speed claims. they never tell you that the ONLY way to achieve these speeds is with ultra light alloy pellets that are as accurate as throwing BB's by hand.

The .177 caliber RWS 34 and Leupold 3-9x33mm EFR scope make for a care free and deadly combination.