From the other shooting thread - What airguns are you using?

[Huaco Kid]

What's a great airgun?  I'm not looking for uber-competition grade,  just something pleasantly accurate and powerful, for on the porch.

Probably .177.

(I've had CO2 guns before.  Probably don't want another one.)

[Hook]

I used to have one of them old sherridans i think pump up. Was very accurate and powerful i think it was .22 or something not a .177. Some ******* stole it. Damn good gun used to kill grouse with it.

[Historian]

I have a Gammo hunter extreme.  Very nice out to about 25 ft.  Not a major player in the game but still loads of fun to shoot.   Bought it mostly for rodent control.

Have very strongly considered a .22 of some kind.  I think i could really hunt small game with that.

Edited June 28, 2021 by Historian

[gwalchmai]

I just ordered an RWS 34 from the Walmart. Should arrive in a few days. It's a .22 spring-air type and gets very good reviews on the airgun sites. 

[gwalchmai]

http://huntinggearlab.com/the-rws-34-22-review/

[gwalchmai]

29 minutes ago, Hook said:

I used to have one of them old sherridans i think pump up. Was very accurate and powerful i think it was .22 or something not a .177. Some ******* stole it. Damn good gun used to kill grouse with it.

Those were excellent. My cousin had one. 

[Gunboat1]

Gamo Varmint .177.  It's a break-barrel springer.  Lots of fun for $100.  Accurate to about quarter-sized groups at 25 yards, once you learn how to shoot it.   I put a Burris Fullfield 3x9 optic on it, which improves the gun markedly.  

Edited June 28, 2021 by Gunboat1

[gwalchmai]

Gunboat, when you say "once you learn how to shoot it", are you referring to the moving mass of the gas piston?

[Gunboat1]

2 hours ago, gwalchmai said:

Gunboat, when you say "once you learn how to shoot it", are you referring to the moving mass of the gas piston?

Yes, and the long bore time due to low velocity.  A loose hold with the support hand and careful trigger control and follow through are critical to accuracy.  Once you master it, this gun will make you a better rifle shooter with cartridge firearms.

 

The picture is representative of what I have experienced with the rifle.  The top and right are this morning.  The left is 10 minutes ago,  after I mowed the property today.  Distance is 20 yards, from the bench, but no rest, forearms only.

Edited June 28, 2021 by Gunboat1

[railfancwb]

1 hour ago, gwalchmai said:

Gunboat, when you say "once you learn how to shoot it", are you referring to the moving mass of the gas piston?

I have been lead to understand that the type of back-forth recoil of a spring-based air gun can be very destructive of scopes designed for cartridge guns  

 

[norton]

RWS 56TH

Probably not in your parameters, but I really like this side cocking German made spring air gun.  It has a sliding action so the "twang" is taken out of the shot.  Its a single loader and I shot this 5 shot group with it last year at 25 yards.  I have even managed to hit a clay pigeon-mounted to a target board-at 100 yards with it, although it took several attempts.  .22 caliber.

 

[Gunboat1]

54 minutes ago, railfancwb said:

I have been lead to understand that the type of back-forth recoil of a spring-based air gun can be very destructive of scopes designed for cartridge guns  

 

That is correct.  Burris makes very tough scopes and stands behind them.  

[LostinTexas]

Crossman gets decent marks in the airgun community. Most are decent enough to plink and even take care of many rabbit size pests or game.

Springers and Nitro Pistons are a different animal to shoot. The are quite good in the hands of someone who has been instructed on shooting them. Learn the "Artillery Hold". Plenty of youtubes out there, and it is a great base to use.

PCP, well you are getting to $1K and up for the refile, compressor, and glass. Very easily. You don't have to get in to "High End" to get to High Dollar. 

Decide on a budget and figure out if going $grand or $hundred is in your future. None are bad, just different. "Great" is subjective.

Glass has been discussed. Airgun rated scopes are very recommended for springers or nitro pistons. No matter how much you love or hate a company, many will void any warranty if put on an airgun. The cheap stuff that comes on them isn't awful but arigun rated. I've been shooting a Benjamin for several years with lots of rounds and the POS that came with it is holding zero. I prefer a sectioned crosshair, it helps with hold over, but not interested in changing this one yet. PCP don't beat scopes to death, so use what you want.

Happy Researching, and prepare for a headache. 

[gwalchmai]

Good to know. I purposely bought the 34 without a scope so I could take the time to pick out good optics. I'll research Burris.

[Gunboat1]

4 minutes ago, LostinTexas said:

Crossman gets decent marks in the airgun community. Most are decent enough to plink and even take care of many rabbit size pests or game.

Springers and Nitro Pistons are a different animal to shoot. The are quite good in the hands of someone who has been instructed on shooting them. Learn the "Artillery Hold". Plenty of youtubes out there, and it is a great base to use.

PCP, well you are getting to $1K and up for the refile, compressor, and glass. Very easily. You don't have to get in to "High End" to get to High Dollar. 

Decide on a budget and figure out if going $grand or $hundred is in your future. None are bad, just different. "Great" is subjective.

Glass has been discussed. Airgun rated scopes are very recommended for springers or nitro pistons. No matter how much you love or hate a company, many will void any warranty if put on an airgun. The cheap stuff that comes on them isn't awful but arigun rated. I've been shooting a Benjamin for several years with lots of rounds and the POS that came with it is holding zero. I prefer a sectioned crosshair, it helps with hold over, but not interested in changing this one yet. PCP don't beat scopes to death, so use what you want.

Happy Researching, and prepare for a headache. 

This is wisdom.

[LostinTexas]

One more thought. It is all preference, and I have .177 and .22 break barrels. These have been used for plinking and yard work for years. Paper or pest, I prefer the .22. No particular reason other than the .22 can handle larger critters, but just prefer the .22.

I have a .25 PCP that is very low cost with big punch, and have started using it more and more after getting the trust, but the .22 is still the one I grab when something hisses, snarls, or chases LostWife. I mean really, that is my job and no critter is gonna take it away.

You can always go full retard with me, and order yourself a .45 Texan. I love that thing, but it is NOT a backyard gun, unless you have several acres and neighbors that don't mind shotgun loud. The thing is a beast.

[Maser]

My Hatsan 130 Carnivore is a .30 caliber gas-piston.  Cool gun and all, but not something you wanna shoot all day due to it weighing almost 10 lbs. and it being such a bitch to cock!  

[Sparks]

Smith & Wesson models 78G .22  that was my grandfather's, and my umarex 1911, and a daisy 5501

Edited June 29, 2021 by Sparks

[railfancwb]

Bought this recently with the goal of getting wing shooting practice while cutting down carpenter bees. I could knock the bees down with their basic unit, but had to find and stomp the bee while it was stunned. With CO2 power and preloaded salt rounds maybe this will do. 

[Historian]

2 hours ago, Gunboat1 said:

That is correct.  Burris makes very tough scopes and stands behind them.  

And very good rings for scopes.  

[Swampfox762]

3 hours ago, norton said:

RWS 56TH

Probably not in your parameters, but I really like this side cocking German made spring air gun.  It has a sliding action so the "twang" is taken out of the shot.  Its a single loader and I shot this 5 shot group with it last year at 25 yards.  I have even managed to hit a clay pigeon-mounted to a target board-at 100 yards with it, although it took several attempts.  .22 caliber.

 

Man, you got that Scope zero'd Dude!!!

[Hook]

12 hours ago, gwalchmai said:

Those were excellent. My cousin had one. 

Dude i loved that gun. I hope the prick that stole it gets bunghole cancer.  

[jmohme]

I recently pickup up this Umarex Origin PCP.

 

Its is really accurate.

Edited June 29, 2021 by jmohme

[minervadoe]

I have a Crossman 2300S.  It's super accurate.  But, it's Co2.

Top: Crossman 2300S, .177 caliber

Bottom: (Not a pellet gun, but) a Ruger Mark II in .22 caliber

I also have a PCP Airforce Talon SS with barrels in both .177 and .22.

And I have an RWS Diana Model 48.  It's a side cocking "Springer" (spring propelled piston).

And, of course, a good old fashioned pump up Benjamin pellet pistol similar to the Crossman pictured below:

 

 

 

Edited June 29, 2021 by minervadoe

[LostinTexas]

If you are shopping on a budget, look into one of these. Benjamin Prowler

Best I can tell it is very close to the one I have, just a little lighter and some minimal changes. 950 FPS is going to be optimistic, as they use alloy pellets for speed testing. Turn that coin over, and don't get caught up in speeds. Pellet guns are funny about such things, and getting too close to supersonic can cause a lot of stability issues, just like center fire.

This one "should" net you over 800 with a standard 14.3 grain 22 cal pellet. Plenty for what you would have any business going after with it.

 

Edited June 30, 2021 by LostinTexas