Yesterday's Weapons Forums

There are a lot of choices out there, and the decision making process can be a bit daunitng.

A few suggestions may help with the brainwork a bit.

If you've never done the airgun thing before, start out cheap and simple.
Look for something in the low to mid velocity range~ 400-700 fps base is a good place to start.

Power plant?

The most simple of all is the break barrel spring rifle (and pistol).
All that is required for them is a supply of pellets, and maybe the occasional dab of lube on the piston.
Most of these come with reasonable instructions.
The cheapest base models come with usually poor triggers, which can be user remedied.
On-line tutorials abound in this respect.
I would look for a properly fit stock, (this means wood/carbon fiber to metal fit) to begin with, and then a solid barrel latch lock-up.
Most makers have over-come this hurdle now, so there should not be many problem guns on the market today.
I would avoid a high velocity springer for a first rifle.
The jarring dual recoil of these guns rattles the fillings, and takes a bit of getting used to.
I would go as high as 650 fps with a lead .177 pellet for a beginners gun. They are a bit easier on the user.
Scoping these can be a bit problematic- a springer rated scope is a neccessity.

Pumpers or pneumatics:

Again, both in rifle in pistol form.
The Crosman pumper series pistols are a very good place to start.
Power is usually not that high- about the 475 fps mark in .22, and about 590ish in .177.
These guns are easily maintained, with the occasional drop of light oil on the pump linkage and piston cup.
Accuracy is quite respectable, especially when the sights are improved.
There are a few pumper rifles on the market that are a good value.
The 362 Crosman thread on this page is a fair example.

Pre-Charged Pneumatics, more commonly referred to as PCP's:

I would avoid these high power, high pressure variants for a starter's gun.
The cash outlay, and high power need to be worked up to in my opinion.
It would be better to learn about projectile behavior with a moderate cost system that is easy for the neophyte to figure out and work on.

CO-2.

These can be a lot of fun!
Best for plinking and target shooting.
A supply of CO-2 caplets is required, as is a small lube bottle for getting the oil drop on the gas cartridge's nose, as is a supply of pellets.
Most are pistols, ranging from very cheap plastic to high end competition guns.
There are a few CO-2 rifles on the market as well.

Personally, I'm not much of a CO-2 shooter.
These guns require a base temperature of at least 68 F to perform reliably.
I do have a lot of fun with CO-2 plinking when it's warm enough out doors.
I would hesitate to hunt with CO-2, just based on the temperature sensitivity....

Will continue to add to this as I can...

Regards,

Doc Sharptail

_________________
"Ain't no Half-Way" -S.R.V.

"Oh Yeah!.....All Right!" -Paul Simon

I'll agree with that. After watching ratting vids where shooters used big money PCP rifles, I was all set to get a bottom end one. I hadn't considered recharging the air reservoir which involves mucho perspiration using a bicycle tire style pump.

Now if there was a fitting so you could add air from a regular tank, that might be a different story.

So I'll install the steel breech on my pumper, add a scope and get a decent bend in my learning curve. SW

_________________
Slava Ukraini!!

There are compressors and tanks available for just what Hogger is discussing.
This is a route of convenience, and there is more than a bit of fiscal (ahem) outlay.

For safety's sake, bottles and tanks should be hydro tested.
Most new tanks are tested before leaving the factory.
Be aware that the same bottles and tanks do have expiry dates, usually about 5-7 years.
Some tanks like dive tanks, and fire-fighters air bottles can be re-hydroed after expiry.
Most of these systems are in the 200-300 bar range.
These high air pressures act much like steam- the safety idea is paramount.

Regards,

Doc Sharptail

_________________
"Ain't no Half-Way" -S.R.V.

"Oh Yeah!.....All Right!" -Paul Simon

And just for fun, I found the ne plus ultra of air guns. SW

_________________
Slava Ukraini!!

Most shots were 10-Pin balls.

I counted two pumpkin shots on the old E-50 Econoline.

Still impressive- despite the horrendous drop.
I'd estimate a velocity around 900-1050 fps.
I can't hear these vids, and there's no c/c on this one.

Looks like the breech is gonna need a new seal- blow off in that location gets progressively worse with each successive shot.

Regards,

Doc Sharptail

_________________
"Ain't no Half-Way" -S.R.V.

"Oh Yeah!.....All Right!" -Paul Simon

Pellets:



Czech pellets made by JSB in 16 gr.
Branded Air Arms.
JSB does use their own marketing and labelling too.
Seems to be a shortage of them around here recently.
I have shot this configuration before, and they are quite accurate.



There's what a skirted dome looks like under the 55mm f3.5 Micro-Nikkor P.C.
Pardon the short depth of field.
Shot wide open at f3.5.

The 18 gr. version of this with the JSB labelling is one of the best pellets I've shot.
The 16 gr. pellets shown are a matter of convenience as the current hunting .22 air rifle is sighted in for the 16 gr. Predator.
Both seem to shoot to almost the same p.o.i. at 15-20 yards.

I need to do a bit more looking around to re-stock on pellets.
About time to hit a show I think.

I've found that pellet selection is a bit on the important side.
Just like shooting .22 L/R, air guns do seem to have their preferences.
This is where taking shooting time pays off- learning what your particular barrel favors will go a long ways towards over-all enjoyment of your gun.
The issue is even a bit more critical to hunters, when the best shot placement possible is a real concern.

Will add more to this as I can...

Regards,

Doc Sharptail

_________________
"Ain't no Half-Way" -S.R.V.

"Oh Yeah!.....All Right!" -Paul Simon