elefantman Posted December 22, 2013 Report Share Posted December 22, 2013 Evening. Done my intro in the newbie bit.. Now onto the stupid questions. I'm after a rifle suitable for both target and vermin use... My past rifle was a .22 Fenman which I loved and was perfect for hunting but a bit rough and ready for the target side. So.. I've got a budget of up to 300 quid.. What rifles are worth looking at? And should I be fussy about calibre? I've always favoured the slight heavier 22 for knockdown but is that really the case? Anyway any thoughts and guidance greatfully received.. Cheers Jim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zetter Posted December 22, 2013 Report Share Posted December 22, 2013 (edited) If its for target and vermin I would go .177 as .22 puts you at a major disadvantage on things like HFT and both calibres produce clean kills if you do your job properly. For the budget you are looking at you would struggle to get a PCP and charging gear even second hand so I would look to decent springer. A HW95 or HW80 springs to mind as good for both target and vermin. If you fancy another gas ram you would probably be able to pickup a second hand Theroben for that sort of money though they are becoming rarer. I would say a HW97K or AATX200 but from my view they are a bit weighty for lumping about hunting any distance though if you can handle the weight they would be my choice every time. Edited December 22, 2013 by Zetter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruno22rf Posted December 22, 2013 Report Share Posted December 22, 2013 I'm with Zetter on the TX200-(IMHO a far better gun than the weirauch)-if the weight is a problem then save a bit more and get something like an Air Arms S400..177 of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catweazle Posted December 22, 2013 Report Share Posted December 22, 2013 A 0.22 won't be a disadvantage in target shooting competition because they have their own class. A 0.177 is easier to hunt with though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lambchop Posted December 22, 2013 Report Share Posted December 22, 2013 Like it zetter, "springs to mind" seriously though agree everything you said, .177 more versatile for areas requested and own and shoot hw and air arms. Hw77 and 97 for some reason I'd pick over tx but couldn't tell you why both high quality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
secretagentmole Posted December 23, 2013 Report Share Posted December 23, 2013 Buy an HW90, you know it makes sense! Why? It has two names on the mechanism, Weihrauch and Theoben! Yep a gas rammed German! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted December 23, 2013 Report Share Posted December 23, 2013 Tx all the way, if you can handle the heft hunting. Calibre matters if you are the only one in your class and end up being compared with .177 shooters, after using .177, .20 and .22 hunting I shouldn't buy another .177, liked the .20 but no great gain and .22 kills as good as anything and better than most up to 35yds without loopy even coming into it. Think of the TX internals as a custom built sleeved and buttoned gun, because that's what it is in all fairness. Awkward thing to load till you get into it though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elefantman Posted December 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2013 Thanks for the thoughts guys... Still not sure about the 177 against 22. My hunting always used to be dependant on stelth and getting as close as possible to the target, Although I could (and still can) group shots within an inch at 30+ yards (once I was used to a rifle) I was never really that comfortable taking shots at live prey much over 25ish as my worst fear is not getting a clean kill... I know it can happen and I have dealt witha few but it makes me feel bad each time as although I have no issue with killing (and with pidgeons/rabbits eating) I dont like to see anything suffer. As for the target side its always more for fun than competition and I've never taken it too seriously.. just like I've done with pre 65 trials and landy trials it's just an excuse to get together with like minded people and enjoy the sport.. Hence I am leaning towards the .22 still. The AA Tx200's and HW's have both been suggested as good possibilities to what I need from a rifle so I'll try and find a dealer locally with one I can handle and see how they feel. I did come accross a BSA ultra tactical multishot (pre charged 177) locally just within my price range but I'm not sure how much extra I'd have to budget for the charging bottle etc... So although I may be able to stretch the budget a bit (dont tell the missus) I doubt I could fit it all in. Anyway.. many thanks for the thoughts so far.. any other suggestions more than welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zetter Posted December 23, 2013 Report Share Posted December 23, 2013 Second hand you could probably get a 300 bar 3ltrs bottle for about £100 ish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David M Posted December 23, 2013 Report Share Posted December 23, 2013 I got a top quality secondhand thumbhole stocked .177 Air Arms s400 carbine pcp complete with good scope, 3 litre 300bar bottle, camo suit and Deben bipod for £420 this year, I didn't like to beat him down to £400 for it as I already thought it a fair deal. If you could stretch your £300, there are some bargains crop up from time to time. I really enjoyed good success with a cheap tuned B20 .22 springer in the field in 2011-12 but have had exceptional results this year with the 400, I won't go back to my .22 springer as my main hunting gun and caliber now, but still enjoy the odd 'out to 25 yard' batch up and wait session with it. My mate has an AA TX200 and it is a heavy lump but is consistantly very accurate, an HW95 is a copy of the chinese SMK XS20 or my B20 (.. ..) and having no underlever to cock, is a little lighter but still accurate out to sensible ranges....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elefantman Posted January 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2014 (edited) Evening all.. Well I've gone down the 177 route... Not so much down to a serious decision but mainly due to the fact that a very nice air arms tx200 came up for 200 complete with scope/bag etc which i thought was a good price. I've also hit it lucky with some shooting permissions so I'm all set... But I think a few hours with some targets is required first before I start tackling the bunnies. Thanks again for the advice/thoughts.. Really appreciate the input and to hear the views of those more experienced than myself. Cheers Jim. Edited January 3, 2014 by elefantman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slipp3ry Posted January 3, 2014 Report Share Posted January 3, 2014 (edited) Was just about to post a suggestion but a couple of minutes (and generally it seems) too late now. Congrats on TX, if I re-thought my last purchase I think I would go .177 for the better trajectory. How did you find the permissions? Edited January 3, 2014 by slipp3ry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elefantman Posted January 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2014 Evening, I used to live and work on farms so I had a few contacts to talk to.. Although I think it just paid to go out and chat with a few people.. Cheers Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zetter Posted January 4, 2014 Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 Nice choice Jim I think you will have a blast will it. Regretted getting rid of mine a couple of years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clubshot Posted January 6, 2014 Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 No location - Check out your Local air Gun Club and see what others are using and why - Many Clubs have a For Sale Table - where members move on unwanted gear - BOB/R www.lvagc.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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