Air Rifle for Rabbiting??

[niknak]

Evening all, I've been plinking around for a couple of years with a .177 (had for the last 20 years). I've now moved to the country and would like to start taking the sport a bit more serious. Like rabbiting, pigeon etc. I've heard alot about the Crosman Rabbit Stopper. Would it ideally be suitable for rabbits and pigeon?? I'm on a very tight budget. Any other recommendations? Thanks for your help.

[kipper]

niknak,

 

ultimate hunting air rifle is airarms S410k in my opinion;) but that may be out of your budget??

 

are u after a pcp or a springer?

 

what budget are you working to,

Edited December 6, 2005 by kipper

[whippet.22]

The crosman range are underpowered, overpriced ****. How much are you budgeting and I'll think of summat for you.

[niknak]

Hi Kipper,

 

Thanks for replying. I've heard good and bad on pcp's. And not alot of bad on springers. So either would be good. As long as it does the required effect on both rabbits and pigeon.

 

Budget wise i'm looking at around £200. Not alot these days but trying to feed three kids.

 

Cheers NikNak

[niknak]

Hi Whippet.22,

I have been told this, but wasn't sure myself.

Budget is around £200.

Cheers NikNak

[kdubya]

ultimate hunting air rifle is airarms S410k

 

Sorry thats an opinion NOT fact

cheers KW

[roblade]

are you looking for second hand or new?

 

pcp (pre charged pneumatic) or self containd (spring) or the Co2 (underpowered)

 

PCP rifle:

falcon

Air arms S200

AA S400 (if your lucky)

 

(the above rifles your should be able to pick up second hand from forums like this and airgunbbs)

 

spring

anything HW (though 57 is the lesser)

anything Air Arms (TX200 £160ish)

gamo quick shot S (£134 new including redot from JS Ramsbottoms very accurate rifle i know im goingnto get one!)

 

 

(again easy to buy these rifles within your budget buying second hand eg sold a HW97 in excellent cndition today with bag and scope for £170)

 

 

Co2

crossman rabbit stoppa

QB78

modified rat catcher

 

any of these are well within your budget new

 

if your goign to go PCP you will have to budget for a pump which are about £60-70 second hand

 

Co2 you will still incure costs as you need to buy the Co2.

 

my choice would be a second hand TX200 MK1,2,3 or HC you should be able to pci up one of these with scope and mounts well within your budget.

 

as for .177 or .22 stick with what your used to, a bunny not goign to be able to tell what size the bit of lead was.

 

hope this helps you out a little

 

ROB

[whippet.22]

Get a .177, a flatter trajectory and will kill just as well as .22 at airgun hunting ranges (35 yards max). I reccomend that you join www.airgunbbs.com/forums and have a look in the sales section, but put a few posts up on the site before you want to buy summat and fill in your profile otherwise no-one will want to sell to you.

You could afford a secondhand PCP on that budget, ut there wouldn't be owt left over for a divers bottle/pump and mounts + scope etc so we'll be looking for a quality second hand springer for you. At the moment on the BBS there's a fair few guns that you could buy and plenty of cheap scopes too.

Edited December 4, 2005 by whippet.22

[kip270]

Take a look at a Webley, you may get one cheap cos they are going under

[dunganick]

got the impression it was only one section of the company, and it would not affect us in this country.

 

might be wrong

[kip270]

Here is the write up from Stimes.

Sad day for Webley & Scott

 

Webley & Scott has announced that it has regrettably had to appoint administrators to manage the company and to find a buyer for the business. Impending changes in legislation, adverse publicity in the national press and the economic recession have all led to a position which the shareholders cannot support any longer.

 

Hopefully the strength of the brand name, both nationally and internationally, will help the company find a buyer to keep its historic name alive. Webley International is still operating as a supplier of airgun accessories, imported airguns, blank firers and other gun accessories, and will continue to do so.

[stupidsalmon]

Go for an Air Arms S200 .177 mate, has good reviews and is a brill starter precharged rifle,

Cheers

SS

Edited December 4, 2005 by stupidsalmon

[spider.20]

hi niknak

by the sounds of things it looks like you'll probly be best off with a nice second hand springer. you should take a look at airgunshooting.org they are a part of airgunner and airgun world magazines. the e@rly bird section is where i got my AA s410 kit (all in pump, scope an gun) for jus under £500 it was months ago but it still makes me smile

 

also if you go to reviewcenter.com (that link will take you right to the shooting section) then you can take a look at genuine customer reviews of loads of air guns and shooting products.

hope this is helpfull

 

spider

[roblade]

reviewcenter.com (that link will take you right to the shooting section) then you can take a look at genuine customer reviews of loads of air guns and shooting products.

hope this is helpfull

 

spider

sorry have to say comics are a waste of time if you want the truth about a rifle!!! hey are good to be able to get a image of the rifle and what it looks like but that where the fibs stop, for one thing the comics get the best of the best rifles (and some even after they have been tuned i think!) the only good thing about the comics is as sniper has said the bullsye section, but even then the priceses can be on the high side.

 

best bet is stickignt o forums such as this one and airgunbbs and do a deal with a known and trusted member

 

ROB

[Jon-Boy]

I second the gamo!, a very cheap gun at £140 ish and very accurate springer

[whippet.22]

Mate, there's a guy selling a mint condition Webley Exocet in .177 with a Simmons Diamond Rec 3.8-12x44 for 180 quid on the BBS, he's a well respected person and guaranteed reliable. That price includes postage .

That's 20 quid left over for a gunbag and some pellets.

[spider.20]

i stand by what i said about revievcenter!

it'a not the mags that run that site. it's all real people that have bought the products. i should know coz there's a few of my reviews on there. they take all the reviews an total the ratings people give them then give the product a mark out of ten.

you can also order the reviews by respect rating. that means other members of the site ether say they agree or dysagree with the rating.

realy it's worth a look!

an the link i put up was to the swap shop an bullseye sections of next months mags.

 

spider

[P03]

Niknak, Whatever you decide to buy good luck :thumbs: , but here are some points for consideration .177 flatter trajectory=easier targetting, .22 heavier pellet more energy transfer=cleaner kills, PCP great consistancy good power=need very careful handling and looking after (expensive!!!), Springers (2 types break barrel and side/under lever)-break barrel Point Of Impact(POI) changes slightly every time rifle is cocked ok if you use iron sights bad if you use scope, under/side lever on the whole very useable rifles however even the best spring in the world weakens with time and use so again POI changes but regular zero checks can compensate. CO2 least said the better. I'm sure some of the guys will disagree with me but I talk from the experience of owning at least one of each type. best of luck mate

P03

[old rooster]

There's a guy on here selling an "as new" Diana model 52 for £150 !!!!!!

 

I'm amazed that he's still got any arms, thought they'd have been pulled of long ago.

[niknak]

Thanks all for your input and advice. I've told the family and they are chipping together to buy an air arms TX200. Hopefully be good enough to bag me a few pigeon and rabbit.

 

Good Shooting All

 

Niknak

[blackthorn]

niknak you ain't gonna go far wrong with air arms

[matto]

Seriously mate,dont get a Crossman or any other C02 gun,they are not upto the job.

In your budget id get a qaulity springer,Webley,HW,BSA etc,but if you get a precharge you still gotta fork ut for charging equipment so a springer is the only serious contender for you on £200.

[roblade]

matto, looks liek hes settled for the TX200

 

dont think you will regret going for that one at all

 

i have had 30+ rifles and thats probably the best onm i have ever used

 

ROB

[BOLTA]

.177 flatter trajectory=easier targetting, .22 heavier pellet more energy transfer=cleaner kills

 

P03

Hi,

 

It is true that .177 in sub 12 ft/lbs guns will have flatter trajectory than for example the .22 but this may not be true if we step up to high power FAC air rifles. In fact, FAC rifles in .22 and .25 will many times give better accuracy and flatter trajectory with medium to heavy weight pellets than a sub 12 ft/lbs rifle with light .177 pellets.

 

Now, about the statement about .22 with heavier weight pellets giving more energy transfer = cleaner kills. This is completely out of line. It has nothing to do with the truth at all.

It is true that a heavy weight .22 pellet has more energy downrange than a light .177 pellet but this has nothing what so ever to do with killing power resulting in cleaner kills. I would suggest any one to look at this energy a pellet or what ever sort of projectile has as it target to be only for penetrating, reaching the vital internal organs and for expanding the pellet (if expandable) - and nothing else. More energy itself CAN NOT kill any cleaner than less energy if you have enough energy for penetrating and reaching the vital organs.

So what actually kills ? Well, this is rather simple. The destruction level inside the quarry decide how fast/clean a kill will be. The higher destruction level up to a certain, perhaps unknown border, will make a cleaner kill. Higher destruction levels can easily be reached with a moderate powered gun and not only with a high power FAC gun. If someone finds that destruction border for a certain quarry, this person will soon finds out of that more energy will not kill a quarry any cleaner because you CAN NOT kill anything deader than dead !

 

So energy levels can not and should not be used for anything regarding killing power what so ever, EXCEPT from one thing. And this thing is that a hunter/pest controller must have enough energy to penetrate the "outerskin" plus have enough energy to reach the vital organs and destroy these to get a clean kill.

A hunter/pest controller should be much more concerned about shot placement and making maximum destruction inside their quarry (a wider and more deeper wound channel, best is always to shoot completely through the quarry to get the longest and safest wound channel).

 

Cheers,

Bolta

[Ferret Master]

Hi,

 

Niknak, since you are in Devizes do you go to 'The Ranges' at the bottom of the car park near the brewery. The owner of the air rifle shop and range is very pleasant and will let you try his guns before making a decision for nothing.

 

FM