What's a good starter?

[haggis]

Whats a good starter gun for a little rabbit removal? and also calibre and pellet make? I'm new to airguns, a virgin almost!!!

 

Haggis.

[YROCK]

Whats a good starter gun for a little rabbit removal? and also calibre and pellet make? I'm new to airguns, a virgin almost!!!

 

Haggis.

 

It depends on how much you want to spend.If a springer i would recommend an AA TX200 or HW80,77 or 97k.If you want a pcp an AAS400/410 or BSA Ultra/scorpion.If your happy to spend more HW100 or Theoben Rapid.Its down to personal prefrence but i would say .22 and always use JSB/AAfields or H&N FTT pellets.

[Beardo]

agree with the above - though you may find .177 an easier calibre to start off with as it flies flatter. (i prefer .22 though, hits harder)

[aaron airgunner]

whats your budget matey? ultimately, the more money you have the easier it will be to achieve accuracy with your air rifle.

[haggis]

whats your budget matey? ultimately, the more money you have the easier it will be to achieve accuracy with your air rifle.

 

 

250-300 maybe

[rogh shooter]

yeah hw97k

and bisley magnums or prometheus.

Edited May 16, 2010 by rogh shooter

[aaron airgunner]

250-300 maybe

hmm you could get a decent springer for that but not a PCP. average airgunners can shoot a springer accurately to about 35yrds. good springers are the following:

hw77k

hw90k

hw97k

hw80k

bsa supresport

theoben springrifles

air arms prosport

air arms tx200

 

these are all in your price range but handle them in your local gunshop to see which one fits you best in terms of weight, balance and handling.. optics, something from hawke would do you good with a magnificaiton like 4-12 or 3-9 will be fine for hunting. as for calibre both will do fine if you put the pellet in the right place, just behind the eye and below the ear on a bunny. although baring in mind the heavier the pellet the more it will drop over range, so in my opinion the .177 gives an advantage for rabbits overf .22

Edited May 16, 2010 by aaron airgunner

[bruno22rf]

If you can't get hold of any prometheus, as recommended, try throwing lumps of uneven and miss-shaped coal of various sizes at the target-same result but slightly cheaper.

[Billy.]

Don't use pointed pellets. Flat, domed or hollowpoints will be the correct pellet for a clean kill

[mick miller]

agree with the above - though you may find .177 an easier calibre to start off with as it flies flatter. (i prefer .22 though, hits harder)

 

I'd agree with that statement. A .177 is a much easier calibre to shoot to start off with, you just have to be more precise. I would say that if at all possible save or sell stuff to get another £100 together and get a secondhand PCP set-up as they are much easier to master, you can use bipods, shoot off sticks and have more unsupported shooting positions to choose from. Entire set-ups often go for around £400ish secondhand on here if you keep your eyes peeled. A .177 PCP is a very effective rifle as it can be so precise. One little tip when going for rabbits with a .177 is to try and take shots toward the back of the head as they face away from you rather than the side on shots.

[bullet boy]

Get a good springer for the price mentioned.Either a Weihrauch HW77,HW97,HW80 or Air Arms TX200.I would go for .177 and use Bisley Magnums.

[rogh shooter]

deffo bisley magnums :blink:

[mick miller]

deffo bisley magnums :blink:

 

 

No one tried the .177 Crosman Premiers then? I found them to be hard hitting and accurate in my old Harrier X.

[robkmx]

you would beable to pick an air arms s200 up for that price range there an ideal starter rifle being light and very accurate

[peek-at]

I started with a Weihrauch HW90 .22.

Its a Theoben gas ram powered rifle and although quite heavy was very accurate but I found at a bit limiting having to re-load after every shot.

 

I then bought a AA410 Extra FAC air rifle which is a PCP at about 31ft/lbs (charged with the use of a divers bottle) It has a shrouded barrel but this really does need a silencer too as it can be quite loud. (quite long with silencer fitted)

This has a 10 shot mag and I have taken rabbits out to 90 yards (takes a bit of practice to get used to holdover at that range) This cost £565 new plus mod & bottle & scope

 

I love the AA410 but I then bought a CZ452 rimfire rifle.

I have found that this is the way I shpuld have gone from the start.

It is VERY accurate, quiet using subsonic rounds and I easily take rabbits at 100 yds plus. It is easy to look after as the only cleaning it needs is a wipe over of the bolt and action with an oily rag after use.

It fires at about 100 ft/lbs and ammo is relatively cheap depending on what brand you use.

It cost £275 for a full set up second hand from a guy on this forum. You can pick them up new within your price range too.(rifle only)

 

My advive would be to go for your FAC certificate and get a rimfire from the start. it does everything the air rifle can do and more. You can even use them with low powered rounds if you need to work at close quarters (barns)

It will cost you less to set up and as a beginner will be easier to use as less holdover to worry about.

 

Just my opinion and im sure you will get lots more.............

 

cheers

 

[Dekers]

yeah hw97k

and bisley magnums or prometheus.

 

 

The interesting thing about forums is the diversity of views, if the Magnums and Prometheus work for you then great, but generally the bisley Magnums are too heavy for most people in a 12ft lb gun and the prometheous are overpriced and far from good in most guns!

 

ATB!!

[rogh shooter]

The interesting thing about forums is the diversity of views, if the Magnums and Prometheus work for you then great, but generally the bisley Magnums are too heavy for most people in a 12ft lb gun and the prometheous are overpriced and far from good in most guns!

 

ATB!!

what do u use then mate?

[chris o]

as keep saying every time i come to the airgunners section i am constantly saying gas rams are brilliant. but every time i give my opinion every knocks it. but for 25-300 quid you can get a scond hand theban evolutio, sirroco or a fenman or a wheihrauch hw 90 or 90k these are all gas rams. i have shot a evolution and i own a 90k which i got carbine d and put a full barrel custome silencer made as a one off and it looks very sexy and very little recoil and cutting the barrel back to 13-14 inch has really balanced the rifle out.

from my past experience though with spring guns the best i have shot and owned are B.S.A lightning XL, webley longbow, webley vulcan. teh only pre charged gun i have had are a brocock enigma which was a great well ballanced rifle but the best i have ever had was a daystate. the only thing wa having to recharger them after every outing. you are best finding one you like and feel comfy with but i highly recommend the wheihrauch hw 90 deadly accurate and if or when you get a fac licence they are easily taken up from 14 -30 foot pond. air arms are good but they are not for me though. prefer me gas rams.

[chris o]

oh and forgot to add air arms field targets or webley accupells. my gun really does love the accupells

[Dekers]

what do u use then mate?

 

Air Arms Field in 5.51 or Bisley Magnums...but mine runs at 26ft lb!

 

AA Field or Accupels work well in most, JSB makes a lot of pellets that are branded for other people, you need to find what best suits the barrel and purpose.

 

Bisley Magnums are excellent pellets but at 21.4g they are few people first choice in a 12ft lb gun.

 

ATB!!

[rogh shooter]

Air Arms Field in 5.51 or Bisley Magnums...but mine runs at 26ft lb!

 

AA Field or Accupels work well in most, JSB makes a lot of pellets that are branded for other people, you need to find what best suits the barrel and purpose.

 

Bisley Magnums are excellent pellets but at 21.4g they are few people first choice in a 12ft lb gun.

 

ATB!!

well mine is 12ft lb what would you suggest accupels?

[Dekers]

well mine is 12ft lb what would you suggest accupels?

 

 

If you are happy with what you are using then then stick with it, pellets are very difficult and different barrels like different pellets, but I hold with the general suggestion that Bisley Magnum are a bit heavy for most people in a 12ft lb gun.

 

If you want to try someting else a bit lighter than the Magnums, then by all means try the Crossmans, but there are many others to try as well....for example, my old Daystate Hunstman loved the Accupels, but when I traded it and bought a Falcon I found that hated the Accupells.

 

The only real answer is to try a few...but may I also suggest if you are looking to Pest Control, that Domed pellets usually produce the best accuracy and terminal effect combination.

 

ATB!!

[BattleFieldRelics]

Whats the view on Logun penetrators 16gr. on non FAC rifles?

[haggis]

hmm you could get a decent springer for that but not a PCP. average airgunners can shoot a springer accurately to about 35yrds. good springers are the following:

hw77k

hw90k

hw97k

hw80k

bsa supresport

theoben springrifles

air arms prosport

air arms tx200

 

these are all in your price range but handle them in your local gunshop to see which one fits you best in terms of weight, balance and handling.. optics, something from hawke would do you good with a magnificaiton like 4-12 or 3-9 will be fine for hunting. as for calibre both will do fine if you put the pellet in the right place, just behind the eye and below the ear on a bunny. although baring in mind the heavier the pellet the more it will drop over range, so in my opinion the .177 gives an advantage for rabbits overf .22

 

 

What's a good .177 pcp worth secondhand then? or would you go for a .22 if using a pcp?

[haggis]

What's a good .177 pcp worth secondhand then? or would you go for a .22 if using a pcp?

 

Logun?