what airgun?

[shaggy]

ive got about 50 acres to shoot on but am having a problem with the rabbits

now it is fair to say that i am a total newbie to shooting floor game/vermin & pigeons

i walk round the fields & woods and see maybe 50 rabbits sometimes up to 100 rabbits but as soon as ive shot one or two with the shotgun all the rest disapear and i dont see them again that day obviousley they are not stupid

the owner of the land says he has a young lad who comes on with his air rifle and may shoot 10 or 20 in a couple of hours

so im thinking of dressing in camo and shooting them with an air rifle

i am skint at the minute and dont want to spend a fortune on air rifle / pellets / scope / camo etc

so boys my questions are

 

what airgun gas/spring?

what sort of money am i looking at for a decent sort of airgun & scopes?

whats the average killing distance of an air riffle?

a lad i worked with had £2k in a air rifle and scopes i dont want to go that far in fact no where near

is £150 for gun & scopes being unreasonable?

 

the last air rifle i had was when i was 16 it was a bsa (i think) & i had what was called then (23 yrs ago ) an OX SPRING fitted that made it like 100 times better but i guess things have moved on from then

 

lads be gentle cos i dont have a clue and all the mags are pushing the top end of the market but then again i dont want to get a lemon that wont kill a snail at 10 foot

 

 

DOH just realised im in wrong part of forum!!

if some nice mod would like to move it to airgunners please

[Evilv]

You're a wise man to ask mate. I was like you last summer, a shotgun man of 30 years and I used to have an open certificate for .22WMR and .22LR, but I'd let that go because when my kids were little, I had too many committments and too much work on. So, last summer, faced with shoots that were running with conies, I realised the half hour waits after one blast from my 12 gauge cannon were a bit counter productive. I went to the local gunshop and was offered a PCP rifle and pump for £500 - I laughed that one off and after a bit of research, I bought a second hand TX200 which was surprisingly effective.

 

In one season, I shot more rabbits than I had in five with the shottie. I also got so into this that I bought a second hand WEbley Axsor PCP with a second hand pump for £380. This is a lovely rifle and is phenomenally accurate. In the right conditions I can shoot a three shot cloverleaf with every hole touching at 42 yards. This is really deadly, because every shot hits the right spot.

 

I'm sure you will get all kinds of recommendations, but they will likely boil down to the idea that PCP is easiest to shoot well and has some real quality offerings. Spring rifles are cheaper - much cheaper usually, but a second hand Air Arms TX200 or a weirauch (sp) are very good.

 

Spring rifles are harder to shoot with supreme accuracy because the spring moves before the pellet leaves the gun, but a lot of chaps shoot vey well with them. A good trigger is really important that's why I think you're better off with a second hand example of the more expensive rifles, than a cheap new one.

 

To get anywhere with a legal limit air rifle, you must be able to hit the bunny right on the head every time between the ear and the eye or he'll somersault and run away to suffer. This means you must restrict yourself to 35 yards, but I expect you knew that.

[Dougy]

I agree totaly with Evilv.

 

If you can stretch a bit further with you doe go for a precharge the advantages are accuracy over a longer range ( within air gun range ) And allot quieter, also the AA s200 is lighter. its one that allot of first timers are using for field target because they are so accurate. and affordable

[shaggy]

pcp? is that pre charged pheumatic (just a guess lol)

so the noise aspect has to be considered as well?

also do i go .177 or .22 ?

i know a lot of the wheirach's (sp?)seem to come in .177 is this the norm?

does a .22 have better velocity due to it being heavier or does that make the killing distance shorter?

sorry boys but my head hurts lol

[pin]

pcp? is that pre charged pheumatic (just a guess lol)

so the noise aspect has to be considered as well?

also do i go .177 or .22 ?

i know a lot of the wheirach's (sp?)seem to come in .177 is this the norm?

does a .22 have better velocity due to it being heavier or does that make the killing distance shorter?

sorry boys but my head hurts lol

 

Bang on with PCP

 

Springers are more noisy (mechanical spring noise + mussle noise)

 

I am not getting into the 177/22 thing its such an emotive subject there have been linchings and stuff ( I use a .22 and love it, others love the 177).

 

.177 has a flatter trajectory and a higher velocity but it is lighter, do a search on here its been done to death that one

[Theskyfox]

Im not going to write huge amounts on this dont worry lol....but £150 isnt unreasonable, u can get a reasonable performer for that price range . Ive got both PCP and Spring and I must say that a good springer can easily be just as effective as a pneumatic rifle so dont panic. .177 or .22...both can be used and both will work effectively in normal ranges, so neither are a "bad" choice except 22 has a little more holdover. Stick to a good make rifle and you wont go far wrong, Weihrauch, BSA, Daystate, Air arms....u get the idea.

 

-Andrew

[shaggy]

when i was a boy lol lol lol no one wanted .177 most were the .22 & to be fair the pellets have probably come on just as much as the guns?

now i dont want to get into the .177 / .22 debate

but i do understand that buying a second hand quality gun may be the best way to go and as for the legal limit i do need to stay within this as i dont want to give plod any reason to take my s/c away it took me way too long to get it

 

whats holdover?

 

 

any more advice greatly apreciated & welcomed

cheers

[The Shootist]

£150 is a bit tight for gun and scope... decent one anyway. Secondhand certainly get something good for that.

PCP's are out of your price range but spend a little more and something like a Weihrauch HW95 and 3-9x40 are within reach. Excellent, accurate spring rifle.

 

 

Holdover ... means aiming above where you want to hit. Air rifle pellets drop in flight so beyond the range you set it up to you have to aim above to allow for drop.

 

 

Non FAC get a .177 (or even a .20 but will be dearer as a bit specialist) rather than a .22 as managing the holdover will be easier and .177 is still upto the job.

 

Regards

Tony

[shaggy]

now i understand holdover

when you say setting up to a range is there an average distance to set it up to?

somebody has pm'd me regarding a gamo that may be right for me so will wait till i know a bit more

[markbivvy]

i am skint at the minute and dont want to spend a fortune on air rifle / pellets / scope / camo etc

 

then take me.

[shaggy]

i am skint at the minute and dont want to spend a fortune on air rifle / pellets / scope / camo etc

 

then take me.

 

not a problem m8!!

you know that already

[dr_nick]

i am skint at the minute and dont want to spend a fortune on air rifle / pellets / scope / camo etc

 

then take me.

 

not a problem m8!!

you know that already

 

50 acres? A CZ .22lr (£230 with iron sights) would be cheap and accurate though a .177hmr would be better. Its difficult on a budget, though a TX200 (like I just sold for £200 inc scope) would be a very good gun, an fac s400 wouls be better though with all the other gubbins you are looking at £500+ (pump, scope, silencer)

[shaggy]

i am skint at the minute and dont want to spend a fortune on air rifle / pellets / scope / camo etc

 

then take me.

 

not a problem m8!!

you know that already

 

50 acres? A CZ .22lr (£230 with iron sights) would be cheap and accurate though a .177hmr would be better. Its difficult on a budget, though a TX200 (like I just sold for £200 inc scope) would be a very good gun, an fac s400 wouls be better though with all the other gubbins you are looking at £500+ (pump, scope, silencer)

 

 

dont want an fac gun though as i dont want the hassle of applying for it and believe me it would be a nightmare

i just want a decent gun for the rabbits and have decided to save up a few more quid

[georgey]

Hi M8, I have just bought a HW95K .177 with 3x9x40 scope this cost £200 ish...It dispatches all small vermin up to 30-35yds with no problem...The gun is very accurate and well built for the money...Highly recommended. Hope this helps.

[roblade]

Hi Shaggy, welcome to the quiet side of shooting

 

as you said yourself things have moved on a little and now we all know what ox springs are good for, perfect for holding the gates closed

 

as has been said your doing the right thing in asking about what rifle is best, as most have said PCP is probably the best rifle to go for but its probably going to be almost doubling your budget when you add the cost of the charge equipment.

 

So that leaves us with the springers (gas ram would be a little above budget and harder to learn to shoot). So lets have a look whats about.

 

 

THE RIFLE

 

NEW:

GAMO

COMETA

 

ok so nothing worng with the above two they will be within your budget and ready to hit the fields within a day or two of buying on line. Though they are the bottom end of the ladder they are far from bottom quality, just dont get any rifle that is chinese made, they really are bottom of the barrel.

 

SECOND HAND:

pretty much anything would be within your price bracket, depending on your size (build) you may find a slightly heavier rifle would be easier to use due to the recoil being less, the HW95 has quiet a strong recoil due to its light weight.

 

TOP OF THE LIST

you should be able to pick up a second hand TX200 within your price range, it might be a little rough and ready but it will be usable. I picked one up from my local gun shop for £80! no bluing left and stock had "character!" but it was spot on accurate and "full power", so well worth popping into your local shop and asking what they have in the bargain basement. Failing that a wanted post on here and other forums should turn something up

 

THE SCOPE

 

almost any scope will do the job my choice would be something small and simple ie fixed magnification, no paralax adjustment, no illumintaed cross hair, mildot optional.

 

MY CHOICE:

 

TX200 (cheap as possible £150ish inc postage)

4x40 hawke scope (£32 new though probably similar price but with mounts second hand)

mounts £10 second hand

bag £10 second hand

 

so total you would be looking at is around £200 for something that will last a good few years.

 

The most imporatnt thing is to not skimp on the price of pellets, the good pellets are expensive for a reason, they tend to be much higher quality, air arms field are made by a company called JSB who employ 38 people (this info is 3 years out of date) aprox 30 of those are on quality control!!!!

 

this has probably given you a little to think about.

 

But all the above is pretty useful, but nothing beats hands on, so if you can find a club local to you chances are there would be a few rifles there that fall within your buget, even it you dont choose to join the club, Im sure you would be made welcome and able to see what is available to you. What suits one person may not be suitable for another.

 

one little tip, recoiling air rifles like a very gentle hold, DO NOT PULL THEM INT THE SHOULDER. they need to be able to recoil as natuarly as possible.

 

hope this helps and you know where to ask questions the more you ask the more likly you will end up with a rifle you can enjoy

 

ROB

[shaggy]

cheers lads

i really do think it is harder geting an air riffle over geting a shotgun

there does seem to be absolutely hundreds of variations with scopes etc

i want 1 but not that badley that i will buy the first thing i see

my brother has just got a theoban (sp?) i think he called it although i have not seen it he says they are **** hot

im going to germany this saturday and wont be around for at least a week but am earning good money so my budget may just triple :yp:

 

i am a ****er for the toys though and always try to buy the best and then 3 months down the line realise i dont like or have time for the hobby in question but shooting is something ive always enjoyed so cant envisage me not wanting to go shooting be it with air riffle or shotgun

 

anyway watch this space to see how much cash i end up with through my fiddle work in germany lol

[shaggy]

http://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/ind...showtopic=21874

 

ive just spoke to 2 barrels and he is round the corner from where i work

is this gun worth it?

[Dave-G]

There's been plenty of sound advice given on the gun choice so I'm not adding to that.

 

Try to shoot with, or arrange alternate times, with the young lad who also shoots there, particularly if you shoot in low light and camo. In fact he may even let you try his gun on a joint hunt. It's actually more satisfying to share the experience with somone, and if he does as well as you suggest you will probably gain invaluable field skills

 

ATB Dave

[Lancs Lad]

S200 is supposed to be one of the best "introduction" precharges out there.

 

Was considering one as a dedicated night set up,,,,,,,,,,,they are very light.......

 

With the 10 shot conversion, you have a good little rifle. shot capacity can be an issue when on the range......but if your not taking more that 30 rabbits a night then its perfectly acceptable.

 

 

Worth the money................nice FT rig that he has there aswell..................but bling is not for the field in my oppinion.