I'm thinking my next rifle will be an air rifle.

[Dave R]

Anything in the $100-300 range worthwhile?

I just bought a Stoeger X-10 from Cabelas. It was $130 IIRC. I've been pleased with it. Shooting the Crossman Premier pellets, I have a usable range of 30 yards. Much over that and my groups open up too much to be confident.

If you look up that rifle on Cabelas.com you'll see my review is the most recent one under product reviews. (As of a week ago, anyway.)

 

[darkgael]

Air

This is an older Feinwerkbau CO2 - a present to me years ago from my wife - it is still the most accurate gun that I own.

I used a Daisy BB gun with the sights filed off and about five pounds of lead added to help me learn how to point a shotgun.
There are other air rifles in .177 and .22 for other purposes.

And then I found out about BIG BORE air rifles - precharged pneumatics, PCPs - and a few nickels and dimes later there was this: a stock photo...mine does not have a tripod.

A Sam Yang 909S - it shoots .45 cal bullets or LRBs at .457 diameter. It will throw a 200 grain LSWC at a bit over 600 fps (160+ft.lbs). It is loud and it has recoil.
Ten shots per fill. It is loaded from a Scuba tank.

The top shelf for big bores are the Quackenbush rifles - a long waiting list.
Pete

 

[PzGren]

I like airguns and think that they are a great training tool for accuracy but I find them to be among the hardest guns to shoot well.

I can only recommend to stay away from airguns that are too cheap.

Weihrauch 35E

This is an old chinese AK trainer, while this one is new, I have another one that my kids used to shoot daily and besides a lousy trigger, it worked great.

If you don't need power, the old Anschütz 275 or Haenel 49 are a lot of fun with 6, 8, or 12 shots mags.

Match rifles, like this FWB 300S, are recoiless and ultra accurate.

Airpistols are fun, too.

Walther LP53, as pictured on the James Bond poster.

or the Polish Predom Lucznik that is a little less refined but much less money:

 

[Slopemeno]

I have a couple of Predom Luczniks, a well-used Beeman/Webley Hurricane, and a Daisy 717. The Luczniks are surprisingly nice considering I paid all of $25.00 each for them.

 

[tuck2]

I have five air guns. To keep up on new calibers and modles I go to www.airgunsarena.com/index.

 

[Smaug]

I spent yesterday evening reading about airguns on a dedicated airgun forum. (airgunhome.com) and on pyramydair.com.

Just like a lot of n00bs who come here and want a high-quality, do everything gun for $150, I seem to have done the same thing with airguns. I had no idea one could pay thousands for an airgun.

I thought break-barrel was top-of-the-line, but in fact, PCPs are, and they are not cheap. Crosman makes some in the $400 range with hand pumps, but they are not well-regarded for their quality (mass produced in China) or triggers. But since they are pre-charged to thousands of PSI, there is no big mass shooting back and forth inside the gun prior to the pellet leaving. One guy on YouTube (EdgunUSA) has a load of well-done videos. Popping pest and non-native birds on the farm out to around 75 yards, some of them head shots! Pretty amazing. But it makes sense. Hunting targets for airguns are smaller, so the guns have to be very accurate to be feasible past 25 yards. He was also nailing beer cans at 170 yards every shot!

Now that I've educated myself a bit more, I have to eat some crow and admit that I want something better than a $100 airgun. Probably more like $500. So I'm going to sell my 1911 and get one, I think. (I have two other 45s, and don't particularly like 1911s)

I'm thinking of an RWS/Diana 48, with the side lever cocking. The fixed barrel design seems like it has better accuracy potential than the ever-popular break-barrels.

But I'm also intrigued with the Crosman nitro piston technology. It seems like the next stage in spring-powered guns. They're supposedly much quieter than conventional spring guns. Anyone had experience with these? Are the triggers that terrible that they're not worthy of any real consideration?

With the PCP airguns, what all is required? For instance, is a SCUBA tank absolutely required, or is a hand pump actually feasible? Seems like it would be a hassle to have a SCUBA tank around the house and take it to get charged all the time. I'm trying not to get into any more hobbies that need a lot of support equipment.

Next step I guess, is to check out some more airgun-specific fora, maybe some with higher traffic.

 

[mapsjanhere]

I love my RWS 48, but the price is typically over $400. Great airgun so, feels like a real rifle when aiming.

 

[Smaug]

tuck2: I had no luck with that address. Seems to be gone. Have you been there recently?

 

[warrior poet]

If I remember right there was a German military vet I met at Landsthul in 2006 who said he hunted with an airgun. If I recall it was something like .50 caliber. I was recovering after I busted off a piece of my spine when my HMMWV flipped in Iraq, so my memory is a bit hazy from the pain meds. But if I recall right, he said Europe has now and has had for some time "hunting" air rifles.

 

[overkill0084]

used to shoot cottontail, pheasant, partridge, wood pigeon with an old .22 BSA Airsporter "S" at about 12ftLbs at the muzzle (that was the legal limit in the UK then).

My Dad had several BSAs when I was a kid. My favorite was the Meteor. The Airsporter was accurate & powerful , but I never grew to love the underlever design. I was a bit annoyed when the BSAs were sold.
The UK put out some really nice airguns.

A bit off the topic, but I would like to get my hands on a Webley Tempest or Premier.

 

[l98ster]

I just picked up an air rifle for the exact same reasons you described in the original post. I was more tha impressed with its performance.

The rifle I picked up (after A LOT of research) was the Remington NPSS in .22. NPSS (Nitro Piston Short Stroke) is absolutely amazing for the purposes you described.

It uses a nitrogen filled piston rather than a spring, which translates into a much smoother cocking action, and is smoewhat quieter due to its design and shrouded barrel.

Accuracy is GREAT at 40-65 yards. My 40 yard target is a 4x4 inch metal plate, and although it will not penetrate it, it has reshaped it considerably!

I also have a 60 yard target of the same size, and off a rest or prone, becomes almost boring at the regularity of the hits. 10 out of 10 is very common.

I chrono'ed the gun at my range. This gun has an advertised FPS of 900 with lead ammo and 1100 with the alloy pellets. In actuality, using crossman premier hollow points (the most accurate pellet I found after much testing) is clocking in at 780FPS.

I compared my rifle to a friends Beeman. Both are great guns. I feel mine is much smoother and has a much different periceved recoil. Since it is not using a spring, it completely eliminates the "double hit" you get from a springer. Since his was close to double mine in price, I would definitly say I got the better deal.

The build quality of the Remington is EXCELLENT! It has a pretty good 2 stage adjustable trigger, but if you wanted more out of it, there are very cheap upgrades that have excellent reptuations (charley the tuna trigger).

Overall, I love my air rifle. I think if you were to buy the remington NPSS in 22, you will have absolutely NO regrets!!

I paid $250 for mine. Soundds like a steep price for an airgun, but the fun you will have is completely worth the price!!

-George

 

[Skans]

I'm thinking of an RWS/Diana 48, with the side lever cocking. The fixed barrel design seems like it has better accuracy potential than the ever-popular break-barrels.

If you are thinking about the RWS 48, you should seriously consider the B21/22 I referenced earlier in this thread. It is a Chinese made air rifle with a side cocker. The trigger is better made than the RWS 48, is adjustable, and it is an over all "stouter" rifle. These are well made air-rifles. I was going to purchase an RWS 54 and decided to go with the B21/22. I have fully disassembled my B21/22 several times to examine the components and to clean it out before using it. It is recommended that the rifle be cleaned of any excess metal shavings before use. I've had that rifle for about 7 years now and it runs like a champ. It is exceptionally accurate with a scope. Quite frankly, I have no idea what an RWS can do that my B21/22 can't do.

Do your research - there are websites out there that compare the RWS 48 to the B21/22. I'd like for someone who has examined these two rifles side-by-side to convince me why you'd buy an RWS over the B21, even if the price were exactly the same.

Here's some more reading on the B21: http://olympia.fortunecity.com/kickbox/377/sm1kindex.htm

 

[9-ball]

I had no idea one could pay thousands for an airgun.

Yes, there are even PCP's with internal velocity sensors, which allow you to choose a muzzle velocity

I'm thinking of an RWS/Diana 48, with the side lever cocking. The fixed barrel design seems like it has better accuracy potential than the ever-popular break-barrels.

This may seem true, but believe me, it isn't. I'm speaking out of my own experiences and those of the Dutch speaking air-shooting forums I used to frequent. Any quality manufacturer (and Diana surely is top of the line) makes break barrels that fit exactly, each and every time. Not advising against a side lever though, they are equally useful. Just saying that they are not more accurate. Diana seems like an excellent choice for your intended use. Any idea whether you're gonna use .177 or .22?

 

[Skans]

Although what 9-Ball said is probably correct about break-barrel's, there's something I tend to like about a barrel screwed or pressed into a receiver over one dangling on a hinge. For whatever reasons, that I don't really understand, I have also heard accuracy tends to be about the same. The side-cockers are extremely accurate, however.

 

[PzGren]

If I remember right there was a German military vet I met at Landsthul in 2006 who said he hunted with an airgun. If I recall it was something like .50 caliber. I was recovering after I busted off a piece of my spine when my HMMWV flipped in Iraq, so my memory is a bit hazy from the pain meds. But if I recall right, he said Europe has now and has had for some time "hunting" air rifles.
__________________

Are you sure that it is legal to hunt with an airgun in Germany? You cannot even use a handgun for deer( and other "Schalenwild) , unless it is to finish it off.

 

[PzGren]

Here is a Diana 5G, a plinker at the most.

 

[Eghad]

Why do you need to go to the range? You can buy air rifle target traps and I usually hang an old army blanket behind that for my target air rifles.

 

[Smaug]

Lots of great info here, thanks guys!

Eghad: I need to go to the range because I live in a condo in a tightly packed housing development. Shooting inside will not be fun for long with a pellet trap, because the longest part of my place is probably only 7-8m. There is an "on-site nature preserve" backing up to my subdivision, but I think they may consider high power airguns as firearms. I wish I had a good place to shoot.

skans, 9-ball: Thanks for the clarification regarding break-barrels having as good accuracy as side or under-levers.

skans: I think I will pass on the Chinese gun. I know I may be missing out on a great deal, but I hate to send any more money over there than necessary. Even if I end up buying a Remington, Crosman, or Benjamin, that is made in China, at least I know America gets some money too. Plus, if I get a problem gun from a Chinese company, I'm pretty much SOL.

I98ster: Thanks for the tip on the Remington. No, I have not decided whether I will go .177 or .22 yet. With .177, I'd be able to get cheap pellets locally, which would be nice. But they would be the junk pellets. I was kind of thinking about a hi-powered .22 that is about as powerful as it can be and still be subsonic. But then I read that the high-powered spring guns are less accurate as a direct result of their power. (more mass flying around inside the gun before the pellet leaves the barrel) I have mixed feelings about Remington right now. I just bought a Marlin 1894 which was not finished well since Remington took over. Left a sour taste in my mouth for them. On the other hand, I would have easy problem resolution if I had any problems with a Remington, right? $250 is sounding more and more reasonable, the more Dianas, Beemans, and Air Arms guns I look into. I guess one thing I'm curious about is why the big names in airguns don't use gas pistons if they're so great? Is it that they're more traditional and smaller companies, and therefore behind on newer technology? Or is there some weakness in the design that makes them avoid the technology?

mapsjanhere: RWS 48s are selling for $360 on Amazon now; and around $430 at the airgun-specific online retailers.

I think the next step for me is to look into our local airgun ordinances. If there is a velocity level after which they would consider it a firearm, and therefore illegal to shoot in city limits, I may make a decision based on that. I'm reading at straightshooters.com, where they have a lot of useful reviews, that lower and medium powered airguns are better for plinking and target shooting, and can be shot all day without the cocking effort becoming an issue. To them, medium-powered is still in the 800 fps range for .177, and would only require the one cocking stroke vs. 10 pumps needed on the Crosman 66 Powermaster I have now. (and that gun is only maybe a 600-700 fps gun with the very lightest pellets)

I'm also thinking of getting TWO guns. A Crosman American Classic pneumatic pistol for indoor and possibly local shooting, and then something in the big leauges like we're talking about here. Maybe not quite as big of a league as otherwise.

 

[bullethole1]

The best airgun Ive ever had was the Remington(crosman) .177 Break Barrel Vantage 1200(fps) - "Remington Vantage 1200" It costed me around 150 total at Bass Pro Shops.I bought it 2 months ago just intending on plinking with it but I shot over 40 birds last week and several more in the last few weeks,I kept a notebook on how many I killed Mostly Grackles and Sparrows(pretty darn small targets)

Very Accurate, Very Very Accurate.

Just remember do not use petroleum products to clean the gun or inside of the barrel,also do not use any type of wire brush to clean the inside of the barrel. You will have decades of good service with it. Just make sure you find some good pellets that fit nicely.

 

[Smaug]

Here are some that I'm thinking of:

1) Benjamin Trail NP XL1100 in .22 - $300 (This seems to be the same gun as the Remington recommended below, but with a wooden stock)link

2) Air Arms TX200 Beech. - $600 Link

3) Beeman R9 - $450, .177 or .22 Link

4) RWS 48 - .177 or .22 - $360 Link

5) RWS 34 Pro Compact - .177 - $290 w/ scope and mountLink