First Gun

[WindHunter]

I've been into carp fishing for a while and recently I went to a mates house and tried shooting. We killed one pigeon and I ate it earlier . So ive decided I want to get one, I dont want to spend loads just a .22 that can kill pigeons and maybe rabbits, to get me into it...then who knows.

Any help would be appreciated.

cheers

 

 

...Sorted profile

[henry d]

 

Just a thought,try filling in your profile so people will know where you come from and may even be able to link up with you

[steve3562]

great shooting m8. was it nice? how much were u looking on spending on a air rife? give us a chance to say what would be a good choice!

 

pm if u need help

steve

[deadeye ive]

Well your dad will have a input on this young fella ............Look for second hand in your local or nearest RFD (Registered Firearm dealer )

 

Multishot Pcp )Pre charged Pneumatic ) ....you'll need a pump or divers bottle but what you have IMO is a better and more practicle rifle .......Air Arms or falcon

 

Simmons 3 x 9 x 50 Deerfield Scope

 

 

Good Luck

[Davrian]

Welcome mate!

 

Your starting in a good place, lots of good advice to be had on here, don't be afraid to ask? I think we all try to keep it light humoured!

 

Firstly before you buy a rifle are you aware of the law? I know this is going to sound boring but so many people buy the gun thinking they're just going to use a piece of common land or shoot from public footpaths! I even found a model shop locally selling BSA springers with no knowledge of the law! Personally I don't think air gun law is easy enough to find! Why is a printed copy not supplied with every new rifle?

 

So you'll be needing a piece of land large enough or permission from such a land owner? I we keep it legal we're doing all we can to protect our sport from the antis.

 

Anyway enough about that I don't want to put you off.

 

If your new I'd say buy second hand, that way if the sports not for you, you can sell your rifle on with little or no loss of money. PCP's do come up second hand and something like the Air Arms S200 would make and excellent first rifle but you'll need a means of charging it! so that could start getting expensive.

 

A good old springer is where most of started but I'd say don't be tempted by some of the cheap **** offered new! If it looks like a bargain and its new (often Chinese) then there's probably a reason its cheap and you'll soon be disappointed, better to buy something second hand with some quality to it. Ask in your local shops to see if they have anything second hand, ask on here what people think of a particular rifle before you buy because there is some **** on the market!

 

Springer are perfectly good enough to start hunting as long as you get something half decent, don't be tempted to skimp on pellets again they can have very disappointing results.

 

Before hunting make sure you can hit a target the size of a 10p piece consistently at 25-30 yards, its not fair to just hurt things! Also make sure you know what you can shoot legally with an air rifle, Pigeons and Rabbits are a great place to start.

 

Best of luck mate

[fiiish1987]

Hi and welcome. You should learn to shoot on a springer first. a) because you learn to handle recoil thus you are able to handle any further airgun. and if you spend £500 on a pcp with pump/ bottle and all the gear and discover you don't like the sport...your stuck with a £500 ornament.

I would recomend a bsa lightning. i got mine on here second hand for £130 with a scope. It's a fantastic gun and i cant see myself replacing it for a long while yet. Its simple, accurate and most of all an absolute pleasure to shoot.

 

Also i expect if your serious about getting a rifle then you may have bought some of the magazines. the rifles in the reviews are tuned up versions and so the actual shop rifles are nothing like the ones in the comics. if you interested in a rifle then ask about it on here or check out reviewcentre.com theres quite a few good ones on there.

[Axe]

I started out just as you did, very little knowledge of the sport and rifles. In my early stages I was very tempted to get either a Weihrauc HW77 or an Airarms TX-200 HC. Both a sping powered rifles at the top end of the market, you can certainly pick these up for a good price second hand and are perfect for a freshman.

 

However, whilst actually sticking with my old and trusted BSA Meteor, I soon decided the sport was for me and looked at other options. Eventually I picked up a secondhand Logun S16 and this demonstrated just how good a PCP can be.

 

So my advice is firstly, have a think about what you are likely to do in the end. If you are very unsure as to the outcome, go with the springers I mentioned above. If your likely to get into the sport, look for a decent secondhand PCP, as no doubt this is where you finally end up.

 

Springers are loud but fun and need some getting used to. They act differently when held in the different firing postions and don't like bi-pods. PCP rifles are very quiet and do not recoil like a springer. In addition some PCP rifles have multi shot magazines which can be very helpful in the field.

 

Don't follow my example on an S16 but have a look at the Air Arms models like an S200 of S410. You will of course also require either a hand pump (cheapest option) or a divers bottle, so keep that in mind.

[SNAKEBITE]

Your first gun should be a springer. These teach you to shoot properly. Correct technique etc. Getting a p.c.p as a first gun is like learning to drive in an automatic, gets you results but you just cant drive properly!

 

It all depends if you want to learn a sport and a craft or just want quick results with no substance. Move onto a p.c.p. when you've got the basic skills.

[WindHunter]

Thanks for the response, i was thinking about the advice from this forum and friends that a roughly 3 kg gun that is silenced and is around 130 quid just to get used to. I was also told about the legal limit of the power of a rifle at my age, i think its 12 pounds per foot, im not to sure on that... So maybe a .22 11 pounds per foot. I may be talking complete rubbish, but I know its something like that. Thanks again.

 

In reply to post #3 the pigeon was very nice

[SNAKEBITE]

Don't even think about the power issue. Spend your time on accuracy.

A 10lb gun is more effieicent in the right hands than a 11.99lb gun in the hands of a muppet.

 

If you buy a standard non messed around gun then you will be fine on the legal limit. Don't worry about it.

The only age restriction concerns owning/using a gun and buying pellets. Not on power levels. It is sub 12lb across the board without an FAC.

[WindHunter]

Ok, so are there any paticular guns out there that you would recommend ( I dont mind second hand ) in my sort of price range?

[Axe]

One thing you might want to do is pop down to your nearest gunsmith and try some out. Offer them up etc and see if they suit you. At your price range you will be looking at a springer. Whilst the purists of us may say it is the best way forward, springers can be frustrating to a newbie, so make sure you get a comfortable rifle.

[Ferret Master]

Hi,

 

Welcome to the forum. What is your price range?

 

FM

[WindHunter]

My price range is anything under 130 pounds. Are springers silenced?

[fiiish1987]

like i said the bsa lightning is a top notch rifle. others to look at are the air arms range, most weirauch rifles (in particuarly the hw80) and if you can get hold of one a webly stingray or longbow.

 

DO NOT BUY AN SMK FOR HUNTING! Alot of people make that mistake (regretibly so did I).

 

There are many other good rifles but these are probably the best of the springers to look at and the most commonly found second hand.

 

 

I forgot. you can silence a springer (the lightning has it as standard) however it is still fairly loud due to the mechanics involved in the firing process). Don't let this put you off. im having fantastic bags of bunnies at the mo with mine.

[Axe]

A springer can be silenced but on a cheap springer it will have very little effect from the sound of the spring and action clattering.

[WindHunter]

Ok thanks for the tips, il have a look about and see what i can find. I like the sound of springers.

The bsa looks nice but i cant find a second hand price only the new price whcih is 229 pounds.

 

Also the Weihrauch HW80 looks very nice, one guy says its 100 quid second hand on review centre.

[Davrian]

like i said the bsa lightning is a top notch rifle.

 

 

I forgot. you can silence a springer (the lightning has it as standard) however it is still fairly loud due to the mechanics involved in the firing process). Don't let this put you off. im having fantastic bags of bunnies at the mo with mine.

 

A lightning has just appeared in the Buy Sell Swap section! bit more than £130 but it does have a scope.

 

I wouldn't waste your time trying to silence a springer it doesnt work as the majority of the noise happens behind the barrel! and not in it! PCP's on the other hand respond very well to silencers.

[wolf]

DO NOT BUY AN SMK FOR HUNTING! Alot of people make that mistake (regretibly so did I).

 

 

So did I SMK XS19 load of pooh! It now sits in a gun slip waiting for the day i can be bothered to plink tin cans. For hunting i use PCP or even a good quality CO2 will do the trick. good luck and have fun

[Evilv]

If you're at all interested, I'm about to sell my TX200. It isn't new, but is a very fine gun at 11.6ft pounds or as near the legal limit as you'd want to be. I shot about 180 plus rabbits with this gun last summer and very few ever got up to argue about it. It is deadly accurate and surprisingly quiet - much quieter than the Webley Axsor I bought for more money, but that is a multishot bolt action and doesn't need the cocking a springer does. Horses for courses I suppose. I'm going back to rimfire after a twenty year gap, because I have so much shooting that I want a flat shooting, deadly tool to do the job at longer range. At 35 yards to a max of 40, and this springer will put every one in the bag.

 

PM me if you want more info and pictures.