Warm Hello From Essex (New Shooter)

[JAK Frost]

Good eveing all,

 

Would like a couple of minutes to say hi to you all 'hello!'

 

I have been looking at your furums and had finally decided this is the site for me (Hopefully thinkibg right). I am just getting into air riffle shooting and just about to purchase my first gun within the next two weeks.

 

I have read the threat of tips n hints / guide / what to buy - Very helpfull thread i must say.

 

BUT, i was wondering if some kind people could maybe advise me on a gun that will provide me a setup for both starting out shooting targets then allows me to venture into the stick to attempt to shoot small vermin.

 

I originally had a budget of around £150 mark, but after visisting various shops and reading advise, it seems that maybe it should be more around the £300 mark.

 

I honstly dont mind paying £300 for a gun / scope / bag / pellets and certificates etc IF this would be a much better gun (going on performance and built quality).

 

IE - £310

A Fully Tested Certificated Quality Rifle (BSA Supersport Mk 2) with High Quality Mounts Complete with detailed test Certificate, a choice of the New Hawke 3-12 x50 IR MIL- DOT AO or The Hawke Sport HD 4 -12 X 50 IR Mil Dot AO. Deluxe Case and a Pack of Pellets to get you Shooting!.

 

Really appriciate any and all the feedback,

[Marc Z]

Hello mate, welcome! I'm new to the site myself.

 

Go secondhand on that budget...

 

http://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/218783-bsa-lightning-22/

 

For starting out you can't go wrong with something like this.

[clakk]

welcome n hello ,as your man said look on gunwatch on here plenty much bargins for 300 quid

[Fatcatsplat]

A Fully Tested Certificated Quality Rifle (BSA Supersport Mk 2) with High Quality Mounts Complete with detailed test Certificate, a choice of the New Hawke 3-12 x50 IR MIL- DOT AO or The Hawke Sport HD 4 -12 X 50 IR Mil Dot AO. Deluxe Case and a Pack of Pellets to get you Shooting!.

 

Really appriciate any and all the feedback,

 

 

I reckon, based on the above, that you're looking at The Airgun Centre in Rayleigh - Great place to buy an air rifle, BUT, have a look round the second hand market as well. 300 will get you a very good springer or maybe an entry level PCP - Would personally avoid CO2 just cos they're a pain at times.

 

Take your time and have a good look round

[pigeon pete]

hi you could look at guntrader or gunstar ,,welcome

[olly321]

welcome mate enjoy the forum

[la bala]

hello welcome

[leeds chimp]

hello and welcome

[Uncle Albert]

I honstly dont mind paying £300 for a gun / scope / bag / pellets and certificates etc IF this would be a much better gun (going on performance and built quality).

 

IE - £310

A Fully Tested Certificated Quality Rifle (BSA Supersport Mk 2) with High Quality Mounts Complete with detailed test Certificate, a choice of the New Hawke 3-12 x50 IR MIL- DOT AO or The Hawke Sport HD 4 -12 X 50 IR Mil Dot AO. Deluxe Case and a Pack of Pellets to get you Shooting!.

 

Really appriciate any and all the feedback,

 

Hiya and welcome to the forum. You don't say whereabouts in Essex you are. From the advert it looks very much like it's from The Airgun Center in Rayleigh as someone has said. They do good packages and coupled with a lifetime guarantee you can't go far wrong. You must realise that that will apply only as long as the shop is in existance. However there are no signs of it closing down as there are always people in the shop and they are a friendly bunch of people. They also sell second hand rifles and generally have some in stock. A few years ago I got a BSA Hornet from the S/h and I got the guarantee with it.

 

There are a number of questions you are going to have to answer.

 

1. What do you want to do with it? Hunting, plinking, target, general fun shooting? You say that you want to shoot targets and then maybe go on to hunt. No probs.

2. Springer or PCP? If you go for PCP then you will need either a divers bottle (about £150.00) or a pump (about the same). Divers bottle, 3lit but will need refilling (about £3.00). Go for a bigger one and the weight increases. Pump can be a little cheaper but unless you are young and fit you will need to give it about 30 mins to get your heartrate back to something approaching normal after filling your gun. Remember you are filling the cylinder to approx. 200 bar (about 2500psi). For me that decision was a no brainer.

Springer is self contained but you need to cock and load it each time. Not brilliant when you need to get off a second shot or keep as still as poss. I would tend to avoid the CO2 rifles.

3. Single or multishot. Multishot is far better when out hunting, you don't really want to be fiddling about trying to load your gun in the dark, but either are OK for target shooting.

4. New or second hand. S/H is the cheaper option and there are some very good deals about but you are unlikely to get a package deal. It's not impossible though, but do you know how well the gun has been maintained.

 

PCP's are easier to shoot as there is far less recoil. Having said that if you learn to shoot a springer well then you can shoot anything. Springers are heavier which helps with the recoil as well.

 

You would do better to find an HFT club near you and go along and have a go. Most clubs have club rifles and you can be taught to shoot correctly and safely. They are a very friendly bunch of people in general and willing to help. Most will also be willing tolet you try out their rifles before you go out and spend your hard earned folding stuff. Try as many as you can. Remember, the one for you is the one the feels right, fits you and you are comfortable with. The initial outlay can be as big as you want but you will get the key that opens the door to a lot of fun.

 

At our HFT club (Rochfordac.co.uk) we teach people to shootand you can take it to whatever level you want. We have 4 PCP's in the club and a springer. Look it up on the web and contact Karen if you want to come over. At any one time there will be a number of different rifles in use from the basic to the top end.

Edited August 23, 2012 by Uncle Albert

[walshie]

Hello and welcome

[B725]

Hiya and welcome to the forum. You don't say whereabouts in Essex you are. From the advert it looks very much like it's from The Airgun Center in Rayleigh as someone has said. They do good packages and coupled with a lifetime guarantee you can't go far wrong. You must realise that that will apply only as long as the shop is in existance. However there are no signs of it closing down as there are always people in the shop and they are a friendly bunch of people. They also sell second hand rifles and generally have some in stock. A few years ago I got a BSA Hornet from the S/h and I got the guarantee with it.

 

There are a number of questions you are going to have to answer.

 

1. What do you want to do with it? Hunting, plinking, target, general fun shooting? You say that you want to shoot targets and then maybe go on to hunt. No probs.

2. Springer or PCP? If you go for PCP then you will need either a divers bottle (about £150.00) or a pump (about the same). Divers bottle, 3lit but will need refilling (about £3.00). Go for a bigger one and the weight increases. Pump can be a little cheaper but unless you are young and fit you will need to give it about 30 mins to get your heartrate back to something approaching normal after filling your gun. Remember you are filling the cylinder to approx. 200 bar (about 2500psi). For me that decision was a no brainer.

Springer is self contained but you need to cock and load it each time. Not brilliant when you need to get off a second shot or keep as still as poss. I would tend to avoid the CO2 rifles.

3. Single or multishot. Multishot is far better when out hunting, you don't really want to be fiddling about trying to load your gun in the dark, but either are OK for target shooting.

4. New or second hand. S/H is the cheaper option and there are some very good deals about but you are unlikely to get a package deal. It's not impossible though, but do you know how well the gun has been maintained.

 

PCP's are easier to shoot as there is far less recoil. Having said that if you learn to shoot a springer well then you can shoot anything. Springers are heavier which helps with the recoil as well.

 

You would do better to find an HFT club near you and go along and have a go. Most clubs have club rifles and you can be taught to shoot correctly and safely. They are a very friendly bunch of people in general and willing to help. Most will also be willing tolet you try out their rifles before you go out and spend your hard earned folding stuff. Try as many as you can. Remember, the one for you is the one the feels right, fits you and you are comfortable with. The initial outlay can be as big as you want but you will get the key that opens the door to a lot of fun.

 

At our HFT club (Rochfordac.co.uk) we teach people to shootand you can take it to whatever level you want. We have 4 PCP's in the club and a springer. Look it up on the web and contact Karen if you want to come over. At any one time there will be a number of different rifles in use from the basic to the top end.

dont forget there is the gas ram

[PUK]

Welcome.

[JAK Frost]

Many thanks for your advise so far. I have been to a few shops in essex, and been informed of variouse things.

The best advise so far which sound rubbish, but maybe someone could confirm, **** A BREAK BARREL RIFFLE ARE RUBBISH AND THEY LOOSE THE ACCURATSY DUE TO MOVING THE BARREL? ****

But if this is the case, why do they sell loads of these right up the big boys price (£1000+)?

 

Also been informed of maybe a SMK gun, but then again, looked at various reviews and description, that these are cheap chinese guns. So in the long run, im going to need to replace / upgrade.

 

I have been looking a the second hand market as advised from this site, but was slightly concerned on how this may have been treated - BUT why would someone purchase a £250+ gun to misuse these?? Where's the respect and logic in this?

 

Im going to have a good eye out both on the second hand market online and shops, and new too.

 

Anymore advise and tips for the future would be grand.

 

Thanks in advance.

[theosmith]

you could buy an underleaver rifle, no movemnt in barrel then.

 

or if you want pcp something like a logun axsor, bsa ultra can be very cheap

[Marc Z]

I use a BSA lightning XL, and never noticed any loss of zero due to barrel movement. Get a good quality springer as a first/intermediate gun and you're set for life, no running costs like a PCP or co2. Avoid cheap SMK type stuff, this is where innacuracy problems stem from. I've had the springer for 6 years of good use on all legal quarry, and it's never let me down. Only now making the jump to PCP for the multishot and fast quiet cocking.

 

Trust me, for your budget you'll get a cracking second hand gun.

 

Great advice from all the above posts!

[JAK Frost]

Thanks Marc Z,

I have contacted the owner of the BSA Lightning, that you posted previously. Im just awaiting a reply from them. Also been looking through the For Sale Threads, Guntrader and Gunstar. Soo many too choose from, but location seems to a challenge. Im going to venture out tomorrow after work and hopefully try out a coule of rifles, ie, Lightening, to make sure it feels right.

 

Thought this was going to be a easy choice and a cheapish hobby, well thats what i told the wife, ha ha.

BUT im Sure this will keep me busy and out the house along with carp fishing.

[Marc Z]

It is annoying when all the bargain guns seem to be everywhere but here, but something will pop up.

 

Definitely worth getting a basic BSA so you have a good quality but well priced rifle, and try and keep some of that budget aside to top it with a decent scope (in case it comes with a budget one); a good scope is as important as the rifle, a half decent scope on a half decent rifle is better than a good rifle and naff scope, or vice versa.

 

Once you're set up, with a springer it really is a cheap hobby! £10 for 500 pellets (maybe 4-6 tins a year) and a service every 5 years for £25. Great little hobby, I love it.

 

Marc

[pigeonblasterian]

[r_haines666]

hi and welcome going by the 2 scopes its from pell pax

[JAK Frost]

Just a bit of an update,

I have purchased my gun at long last. I ended up getting a second hand air riffle (3months old);

Weihrach HW80k with Hawke Eclipse 3-9x50 AOIR.

 

I have had a quick play in a long garden. Now time to get some experiance and get some land in time.

[flynny]

Ey up cock

 

ATB Flynny

[la bala]

[garygreengrass]

Hello and welcome