Air rifle assistance needed....

[netfan]

Forgive me if this doesn't belong here, but this is the only gun forum I have, so here goes...

My buddy has 100 acres of land on which we hunt together. I try to get something for him each Christmas that adds to our fun (game camera, ladder stand, etc...). This year we have been hounded by squirrels so often while in tree stands that I believe it's time to thin the population :)

Anyway, I wanted to buy him (and myself) airguns for Christmas so that we both have something to go out and have some fun with while scouting, etc... in the summer. I am overwhelmed with the choices and have NO experience beyond a Daisy BB gun I've had for many years. Here is what I'm looking for - any help APPRECIATED!!!

1. My budget is around $400-450 for TWO guns, so 200-225 per gun
2. Durability is important
3. Ease of use is important
4. Accuracy is important - not fun to go out and miss things all day (unless it's the shooter's fault)
5. Overall cost of maintaining the gun, shooting (ammo) is important, so no bizarre and costly requirements for ammo or accessories.

ANY advice, commentary, experience sharing, etc... is GREATLY welcomed!!!

thanks in advance,

Joe

[RP12]

Gamo rifles will fill that slot.

[thomae]

I second the Gamo air rifle suggestion.

Things to consider: At your price point, you will be purchasing a spring driven, break barrel air rifle. Because of the break barrel function, you will not get the pin point accuracy that you might get with a good .22 rimfire rifle. However, if you are careful, you can certainly take small game.

I would spend the money for a GRTIII trigger upgrade (Do a search for CharlieDaTuna and you will find it). They cost $35 and are worth it.

You won't need hunting pellets, match pellets are more consistent and aren't really that much more expensive when you consider they come in a tin of 500.

Be very careful if you decide to put a scope on it. Because of the action and reaction of the internal spring, the rifle actually moves (recoils) in both directions (forward and backwards) as the spring action takes place. This is really hard on scopes which, unless they are designed for air rifles, are only designed to compensate for recoil in one direction. You will need to make sure you get a scope that is actually "airgun" rated.

FWIW, A "friend of mine" has a Gamo (I forget the model number, but it is a break-barrel .177 model) and has taken rabbits, grackles, squirrels, and crows at relatively close range in his back yard. In some jurisdictions (including the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania), please remember that it is against the law to hunt with an air rifle.

Think about spending a little more money for a fixed barrel model, or even a .22 caliber model.

Another good resource is probably the the Gatewaytoairguns forum

Good luck and Merry Christmas

[ejk24]

Look into one of the models that use the nitro piston in the Gamo line or Crossman Nitro Venom . The gas pistons are much smoother shooting than a typical springer . My son is into air guns pretty heavy and these are decent entry level air rifles that are priced at a decent price . His Nitro Venom in 22cal has taken squirrels at 30-35 yards . They are accurate when you find the pellets that they like .

[bythebook]

Netfan I have a Gamo Shadow 1000 and have taken a lot of targets with it. When it was new I shot several starlings and grackels at 75 to 85 yards with it. I know the ranges because I shot them from my bench on my range. One winter I kept a young Hawk all winter with starlings I killed off of the bird feeders an threw out on top of the snow .

I would reccomend one of these for what you want do. When they start getting weak if you send it back they will put new action in it and ship it back for $39.00, at least that what it was the last time I had it done.

[big honkin jeep]

I have quite a few air rifles and my favorite is a Benjamin 392. I really dont care for the "springer" type air rifles. They claim very high velocitys but the claims are mostly based on them "Dieseling" which is very loud and results in wide velocity swings and points of impact. Dieseling is when lubricant is compressed very quickly by the piston and actually explodes under pressure forcing the pellet out at very high velocity and with a loud report. The reverse recoil of the springers also makes them hard to shoot accurately, especially if trying to hit a squirrel in the brain bucket. It will also absolutely destroy most scopes very quickly. The Benjamin 392 is a .22 caliber pump up pneumatic and at over 600FPS has plenty of power to take small game effectively. It also doesn't have the reverse recoil and shoots straight and true. They have rifled barrels made of brass and are very accurate. the scope mounts are kind of funky but hold very well and the rifle wont destroy the scope. Your budget should be able to buy a couple along with mounts and glass. Any of the older style 390 series Benjamin pump rifles in 177,20 or 22 should be plenty powerful, accurate, and dependable. Though I don't currently own one the pre charged pneumatics are all the rage now days. They are typically filled from a scuba tank or with a special hand pump. I have looked into them but with the cost of the pump or fill equipment that can cost as much as the rifle, they have been outside my budget. Here's a link to refurbished 392s which I would highly reccommend at a great deal. http://www.airgundepot.com/392-rm.html Here's the 397 in .177cal http://www.airgundepot.com/refurbished-benjamin-397-air-rifle.html Here's a link to the benjamin lineup if you think a PCP (pre charged pneumatic) may be the way to go.http://www.airgundepot.com/benjamin-air-rifles.html

[EFBell]

I have a Benjamin model 347 (I guess it is anyway), 177 Pump with a peep site that I bought about 40 years ago. Still going strong, accurate and hits pretty hard. I used to break aspirins with it and set off shotgun primers at 20 paces but my eyes were way better then. I also have a Gamo springer. There both good guns for knocking pests off.

[ShawneeB]

Get 22 calibers.

[tiny68]

Check out http://www.pyramydair.com/. I purchased a Hastan 95 for my son a few weeks back. Very nice trigger. Worthless scope, but a decent set of sights. With good heavy lead pellets it shoots 1" groups at 20 yards. A springer was our only option. Pump ups just don't shot that hard and pre charged would work for him. He had a mid-range Gamo to start with. Piece of junk. Next he got very low end Hammerli. Is was ok. It wasn't a true Hammerli, just one of the common ones with their name stuck on it. I think their are only a few air rifle makers and they sell the same product with a bunch of different name tags on it. The Winchester, Remington, etc are all the exact same air rifle.

Call Pyrmid Air and tell them what you want. Good tech support.

Luck, Tim

[missed]

http://air-ordnance.com/smg-22-p-938.html


:-) !!!!!!!

[RP12]

He said $ 225.00 tops for price.

[netfan]

http://air-ordnance.com/smg-22-p-938.html

:-) !!!!!!!

My, Oh MY!!! Maybe I'll just get one gun and forget about the budget :) Not really, but that looks like a LOT of fun!!

[netfan]

Well, FYI, I decided to buy something so that I could get it before Christmas. After a lot of research and your conversations, I bought the GAMO Silent Stalker, IGT Whisper .177

It seemed like a solid entry level gun into the adult pellet gun world and the price was right. Since it was lower than budget I was also able to get a variety of pellets and some targets. Can't wait to surprise my friend and plink a little over the Christmas holiday. Thanks again for your help!!

[missed]

Nice!! I wonder how much quieter is will be than my older Gamo?

[rebs]

I think I have decided on the crossman nitro venom dusk for 139.00 with a center point scope that seems pretty good and its 22 cal..

[big honkin jeep]

Cool Netfan. glad you found something to fit the bill, Let us know how it shoots :)

[Tempest]

I've had an RWS for 29 years. Shoots as good now as it did then.

[shawnhu]

For squirrel sized game, you really don't need anything larger than the .177, ammo is cheap and readily available in .177.

In your price range, many have mentioned the Gamo and Crosman break barrels. They are great for power and hunting. However, they recoil violently and accuracy suffers from the back and forth affect. The artillery hold would be required for these break barrels and often times, a break-in period and selection of most accurate pellet to ensue. I've found the Crosman Nitro Venom to be picky from one gun to another in terms of pellet choice. It took 3 guns to finally settle on one accurate pellet, the JSB Diabolo Exact 8.4gr. My cousin has the Gamo IGT Whisper and it also prefers the same pellets. Squirrels and birds out to 50 yards was common after shooting hundreds of rounds at those distances as practice.

We now don't use those rifles, as we've moved into PCP's. We needed something more accurate and more powerful for longer range, and the reviews on the Benjamin Marauder in .25 cal was undeniable. 9 out of 10 of these Marauders in .25 shot sub MOA at 50 yards right out of the box. Each one preferred the same JSB Exact King pellets and Benjamin dome as well as Predator Polymags as a close second. It's very rare than an airgun shoots this consistent from one to another, and with so many hunting-grade pellets. Green Mountain is said to be the manufacturer of the .25 barrel for Benjamin on this rifle.

[shawnhu]

Well, FYI, I decided to buy something so that I could get it before Christmas. After a lot of research and your conversations, I bought the GAMO Silent Stalker, IGT Whisper .177

It seemed like a solid entry level gun into the adult pellet gun world and the price was right. Since it was lower than budget I was also able to get a variety of pellets and some targets. Can't wait to surprise my friend and plink a little over the Christmas holiday. Thanks again for your help!!

Be careful and watch out for the mounting rail area. The recoil from this rifle will jar the rail loose over time and break the stop-pin that is designed to prevent the scope from moving in on your eye relief.

Also take note of the barrel hinge for side to side play. After about 1500 rounds, these issues were discovered on multiple rifles of the same model. Be sure to use thread locker on all the screws and bolts to prevent this.

I would check these areas before the 1 year warranty is up.

It's a great shooting and super quiet break barrel. It's capable of quarter size groups at 50 yards if you master the artillery hold.

[drdonaldgrim]

I luckily just bought a Air Arms S510 and a Daystate Limited Edition Scout. These are fabulous guns and shoot about 3/8 inch at 50'yards. I mounted Hawke 8-32 scopes.,a great set up on PCP guns. Don Grim Austin