Ireland's Finest! Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 I've been seriously considering buying an air rifle, I'd be completely clueless when it comes to the different types tho Anyone care to give me a quick break down of the different type of air rifle you can get and how they actually work? Also they need to be filled with air every so often?(Sorry for what seems a very stupid question ) Been looking at this particular one, any opinions on it. Its around the price range I'd be looking at and looks the right job. http://www.sportsden.ie/guns/gun-showroom/air-rifles/bsa-22-break-barel.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisheruk Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 Yep, good enough as a starter. also look at weirauch. They are very accurate. No need to fill them up with air. As you crank the barrel dow to cock it it compresses its own air charge and you are ready to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ireland's Finest! Posted February 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 Yep, good enough as a starter. also look at weirauch. They are very accurate. No need to fill them up with air. As you crank the barrel dow to cock it it compresses its own air charge and you are ready to go. Cheers for that. Tbh I'm not looking to get into air rife shooting big time just looking for a decent one to sort out feral pigeons and jackdaws around the farmers yard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomhw100 Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 (edited) I've been seriously considering buying an air rifle, I'd be completely clueless when it comes to the different types tho Anyone care to give me a quick break down of the different type of air rifle you can get and how they actually work? Also they need to be filled with air every so often?(Sorry for what seems a very stupid question ) Been looking at this particular one, any opinions on it. Its around the price range I'd be looking at and looks the right job. s http://www.sportsden.ie/guns/gun-showroom/air-rifles/bsa-22-break-barel.html Firstly welcome to the wonderful world of air gunning ! Secondly there are 2 main types of air rifle:spring and pre charged pneumatic (pcp). you can get gas cartridge operated air guns but I wouldn't bother with these. Springers split into two categories: break barrel: you literally break the barrel to cock the gun and insert the pellet directly into the chamber. Underlever: the barrel stays where it is and a lever underneath needs to be pulled down to cock the gun and on most models a sliding mechanism opens to insert the pellet. Neither of these need to be filled with air manually other than the initial cocking of the gun. These are cheaper than pcps,involve less technology,are louder,and have a slight recoil also these are only single shot.but still full power(12lbft) you only have one shot then you have to break the gun to cock it and reload it. Pcps are altogether a lot more expensive. Firstly you have to fill the air gun manually either with a stirrup pump (£130 upwards) or a diving air bottle. Once filled you have a number of shots before you need to recharge for instance: my weihrauch hw100kt takes about 70 shots before it needs to be charged again. These guns are then loaded by either a bolt like a normal rifle or a side lever,this in turn allows the shooter to have a number of shots eg my gun has a 14 shot clip. The pros of this are,you don't need to break the gun to cock it and load it,they are quiter than Springers,virtually no recoil. The gun you have shown is made by BSA which is one of the reputable makes although I'm not sure what model that is,it is a break barrel so you would have to break it and load it every shot. There is many reputable makes weihrauch,air arms,BSA,falcon,Theoben,daystate and fx these are the big players in air guns. For your budget you could either get a quality springer(weihrauch hw80,hw97,hw77'air arms tx200,BSA lightning,Theoben evolution. Or you could maybe get a cheap pcp(falcon prairie,air arms s200. Although for that price you. Could get a better gun second hand. Ultimately the choice is yours and it's your money.,I would say if you can afford it get a pcp and if you can't get one of the Springers I mentioned Hope this helps Tom Edited February 12, 2012 by tomhw100 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomhw100 Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 If your not that bothered about getting into Airgun shooting seriously that gun you've looked at would be perfect for what you want although definitely have a look at the weihrauchs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisheruk Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 If that is what you are after, you could get a good s/h one for half the price. If it is going to be short range a .22 would be best. More knock down power, but that is a bit controversial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomhw100 Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 Ah yes fisheruk has just reminded me what I missed out thought there was something For what you want it for get a .22 it has more stopping power as fisheruk said,although a .177 is flatter and more accurate it doesn't have as much killing power and wind effects it more to. A .22 is more than accurate enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ireland's Finest! Posted February 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 Firstly welcome to the wonderful world of air gunning ! Secondly there are 2 main types of air rifle:spring and pre charged pneumatic (pcp). you can get gas cartridge operated air guns but I wouldn't bother with these. Springers split into two categories: break barrel: you literally break the barrel to cock the gun and insert the pellet directly into the chamber. Underlever: the barrel stays where it is and a lever underneath needs to be pulled down to cock the gun and on most models a sliding mechanism opens to insert the pellet. Neither of these need to be filled with air manually other than the initial cocking of the gun. These are cheaper than pcps,involve less technology,are louder,and have a slight recoil also these are only single shot.but still full power(12lbft) you only have one shot then you have to break the gun to cock it and reload it. Pcps are altogether a lot more expensive. Firstly you have to fill the air gun manually either with a stirrup pump (£130 upwards) or a diving air bottle. Once filled you have a number of shots before you need to recharge for instance: my weihrauch hw100kt takes about 70 shots before it needs to be charged again. These guns are then loaded by either a bolt like a normal rifle or a side lever,this in turn allows the shooter to have a number of shots eg my gun has a 14 shot clip. The pros of this are,you don't need to break the gun to cock it and load it,they are quiter than Springers,virtually no recoil. The gun you have shown is made by BSA which is one of the reputable makes although I'm not sure what model that is,it is a break barrel so you would have to break it and load it every shot. There is many reputable makes weihrauch,air arms,BSA,falcon,Theoben,daystate and fx these are the big players in air guns. For your budget you could either get a quality springer(weihrauch hw80,hw97,hw77'air arms tx200,BSA lightning,Theoben evolution. Or you could maybe get a cheap pcp(falcon prairie,air arms s200. Although for that price you. Could get a better gun second hand. Ultimately the choice is yours and it's your money.,I would say if you can afford it get a pcp and if you can't get one of the Springers I mentioned Hope this helps Tom Thanks very much for that reply much appreciated. I now have a bit more knowledge of air rifles. Yeah cant see myself getting into it big time tbh honest so I'll be going to have a look at the one in the link and see what I think of it and if it doesnt suit I'll look at some other models you mentioned. Air rifles aren't really popular over in the Republic the main reason been they have to be licenced which most people aren't prepared to do considering all the hassel involved in it and the money. So not many dealers actually stock any great variety of them which is unfortunate I suppose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchy Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 my brother has one in .22 they are realy under estiamted form 60 yards the grouping is the same size as a 2p coin with bisely super field dont buy accu pell or nothing you either want h&N field target or bisley super field they are medium wated pellets and give off a nasty smack on a crow no move ment lmao straight to the deck search deep blue clay and field the bsa ultra is £210 and the tactiacl lightning is 190 quid its a bargain thats were i got mine from they are closing down and selling every thing off real cheap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the enigma Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 I had one of these in .22. They're a nice,light,handy air rifle..... perfect for round a yard. I really liked the tactical stock,the pistol grip fitted my hand really well. They're pretty accurate once you get the hang of the recoil. They're also easy to work at. To get the best out of them,get it stripped down,give the internals a good polish and re-lube with good quality lube.Also polishing the trigger makes a big difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 (edited) Ah yes fisheruk has just reminded me what I missed out thought there was something For what you want it for get a .22 it has more stopping power as fisheruk said,although a .177 is flatter and more accurate it doesn't have as much killing power and wind effects it more to. A .22 is more than accurate enough. You have mainly gave very good advice but now you have gone and let yourself down A .177 has just as much killing power, due to the fact that a .177 hole in the right place is just as lethal as a 22 sized one , the key is putting it in the "right place" new shooters will also find that they can be more accurate with a .177 due to the flatter shooting you mention. I have owned lots of airguns over the years most of them were 22 but I now use a .177 and have found no difference in killing power at all Edited February 12, 2012 by fenboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratsmasher Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 (edited) What your looking at ther is a BSA Lightening XL they good little air rifles - reliable, powerful and accurate - I shot one for a year or so - their only prob is that they dont half rattle when they go off and everything within 100yards will be gone so im thinking in a barn maybe it might just be a tad too noisy. Hatsan do a lot of decent spring air rifles are fairly quiet but within your budget(breakbarrel), although a lot of people dont like Hatsan because its deemed to be a bit tacky, but if you want to stick to the mainstream brands try and get yourself a weihrauch HW77 or 97 bit more expensive but worth it. I'd stay away from Gamo and SMK and all those brands cos something is guaranteed to fall off within 1/2 an hour. Also have a look at the Air Arms TX200 genna be very naughty now but you will find this place useful Check this out Hope this helps and if you need any more help feel free to drop me a PM and I will try and help (although I think i've just about run out of things to say on the topic) and if not Im sure there will be someone on here who will be willing to help atb Ratty Edited February 13, 2012 by Ratsmasher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ireland's Finest! Posted February 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 I had one of these in .22. They're a nice,light,handy air rifle..... perfect for round a yard. I really liked the tactical stock,the pistol grip fitted my hand really well. They're pretty accurate once you get the hang of the recoil. They're also easy to work at. To get the best out of them,get it stripped down,give the internals a good polish and re-lube with good quality lube.Also polishing the trigger makes a big difference. Good report there, how did you find the noise out of it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 Weirauch HW95 is highly recommended as a springer. But take your time otherwise you'll end up wishing you had bought that expensive PCP and before you know it you'll have 4 air guns in your cabinet..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catweazle Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 0.22 is not better in wind than 0.177, the opposite in fact, 0.177 copes better than 0.22. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ireland's Finest! Posted February 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 I don't really want to spend a fortune on one because I doubt I'll have an awful lot of use for one, just looking for something reliable to sort a few ferals and jackdaws around a few farm yards.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 I'm not well up with the law in Eire, but that is a Lightning and is running at what would be FAC levels at the figures quoted. Does that matter in Eire? It isn't cheap for the basic rifle, is that another issue in Eire??! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cannon Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 Try for a Weihrauch. The BSA Lightnings CAN be good rifles, but they take a bit more effort to tame than a Weihrauch. Straight out of the box Weihrauch will give you more satisfaction in the springer category. The link you posted seems to be expensive for that rifle. Dealers will be all too keen to tell you how good the rifles are that they have in immediate stock. That website only has four air rifles so not much of a selection lol. Check elsewhere for Weihrauch/Air Arms if you want a reliable airgun that will last many moons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ireland's Finest! Posted February 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 Weihrauch does seem to be the make everyone is recommending . I'll have to find out if any of my local dealers stock them. I really like the look of those daystate pcbs but there pretty expensive? Also having to refill them with air seems a bit messy and will require me to buy some sort of air cylinder? ALso how would say the first ten shots compare to the last ten shots before it would need to be refilled. Surely it loses performance after a few shots? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cannon Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 The initial outlay for a PCP setup is more expensive. They are not self contained units and do require filling every so often. To do this yourself you would either have to buy a divers tank with the correct fittings or a pump, the latter being the most strenuous way to fill a rifle lol. As with shot consistency, PCP's all have regulators to make sure that shot to shot consistency is maintained up until the point where the rifle starts to run out of air. Performance will usually be +/- 5% fps per shot depending on variables such as pellet choice etc. The last 10 shots you will notice start to drop off, indicating a refill is necessary to maintain the rifles zero point. I've seen many people try to re-zero their rifles thinking there's something wrong, when it's just running out of air lol. If you don't think you'll get into airgunning in a big way I'd say a springer is your best option, but a PCP will be easier to shoot from the off. Bit of practice and you'll be grand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomhw100 Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 You have mainly gave very good advice but now you have gone and let yourself down A .177 has just as much killing power, due to the fact that a .177 hole in the right place is just as lethal as a 22 sized one , the key is putting it in the "right place" new shooters will also find that they can be more accurate with a .177 due to the flatter shooting you mention. I have owned lots of airguns over the years most of them were 22 but I now use a .177 and have found no difference in killing power at all .22 definitely has more stopping power than a .177 so no I haven't let my self down!. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 (edited) .22 definitely has more stopping power than a .177 so no I haven't let my self down!. YEP, if you start with an equal level of power the heavier pellet will carry it's energy better and often impart its energy better, therefore it will have more stopping power, that will generally mean the .22 unless you find a VERY heavy .177. It isn't worth the debate just the same, as the difference is likely to be marginal, and many other factors also come into play! So, no need for Pistols at Dawn! Edited February 13, 2012 by Dekers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomhw100 Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 (edited) YEP, if you start with an equal level of power the heavier pellet will carry it's energy better and often impart its energy better, therefore it will have more stopping power, that will generally mean the .22 unless you find a VERY heavy .177. It isn't worth the debate just the same, as the difference is likely to be marginal, and many other factors also come into play! So, no need for Pistols at Dawn! Thank you dekers now that's a man that talks sense! Edited February 13, 2012 by tomhw100 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ireland's Finest! Posted February 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 Yeah think ill look for weihrauch springer and if I really get into the hole air rifle craic I could think about upgrading to a pcb. Thanks for all the advice. I'll report back how I get on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 Yeah think ill look for weihrauch springer and if I really get into the hole air rifle craic I could think about upgrading to a pcb. Thanks for all the advice. I'll report back how I get on. I think you will find that is something to do with electric circuits, then again you may be talking about a Daystate, that would be a PCP with a pcb! ATB! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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