Suggestions please

[Walker570]

OK guys, it has been a very long time since I owned an air rifle, remember those old ones you loaded via a 'tap' in the fixed barrel I did say a long time.

OK I am considering getting and air rifle for mainly magpie control with shots out to 20yrds or so maybe a touch further. I have a 22RF but the problem is within a large dairy farm and there is public access close by, so I don't want any ricos.

There is such a wide choice these days and the price range is frightening. Looking to spend around £300 - £350 if I can get away with that. I have a choice of four or five scopes I can use.

 

What would be your choice/suggestion ?

[Zetter]

Are you doing a lot of walking with it or shooting mainly from one location?

 

If its the latter I would look at a springer underlever like the Air Arms TX200 or a HW97KT. Good solid platform, well built and as accurate as can be.

For the budget I think you would struggle to get a PCP and the charging gear as well unless someone has a bargain with a pump as well.

If you plan on doing a lot of walking with the rifle something like a HW95 or 80 would fit the bill.

 

Calibre wise its a personal thing but for shots up to 20-25yards max personally I would go for a .22 as the knock down tends to be better and if you are shooting round buildings there is less chance of it punching through and damaging roofing and the like.

[oldypigeonpopper]

hello, if you want a good one HW 95 K then a hatsan 900 X a hatsan striker or if you want gas ram a crossman venom, 20/25 yrds no problem in177 but if rats a .22 althogh a heavy 177 pellet can kill both you would need a springer friendly scope for £350 you can get a s/h air arms S200 PCP and pump. good luck

[Walker570]

All static shooting from fixed position. Estimate 40 to 50 magpies went off the muck heap yesterday!! Should be fun. Thanks for suggestions so far.

[bruno22rf]

TX200 - very little comes close - and, by the way, once you have shot a handful of Magpies off the Muck the rest will disappear like a **** in the wind.

[Walker570]

Noted Bruno. Canny birds magpies, but they like food. A couple of semi gutted rabbits on the muck pile should keep them coming.

I've just cleaned out two families in my little wood doing the same but with feeding the rides and squirrel traps. 17 Rem and 410 handled those :-)

 

I am close to Solware, so I will slide across and have words with them as well. They will probably have a selection of used rifles as well.

Hoping to up the tally on corvids in the next few weeks :-)

[Walker570]

Well, gone and done it. Called at Solware and they had two nice second hand TX200s. The carbine model had very little use and was just the right size to handle in a hide or close space. Put one of my Hawke scopes on it. It has a mil dot reticule which might come in useful. A nice rifle at the price and just about to go out and set it up. I think there are going to be a few very poorly magpies about in the next 10 days :-)

 

On edit. Just run about 20 pellets through the gun and got it printing spot on at a measured 27 metres. Shooting it, as would be, out and about with no elbow rest, the second shot at the final setting almost went through the same hole. Good enough for me, not wasting any more pellets on paper

Edited July 8, 2016 by Walker570

[Walker570]

Check out the corvid count.

 

Heh! am I pleased I asked you guys what to buy. This TX200HV is just awesome. Far more accurate than I can shoot for sure. Many thanks to all and particularly to bruno22rf for putting me on to the TX200. Smart looking rifle as well.

[Pistol p]

You could buy this lovely HW95 .22 I'm wanting to sell.

[bruno22rf]

No comparison twixt a 95 and the TX - the AA is in a different league altogether.

[Walker570]

My big arthritic fingers have trouble putting that pellet in, so this morning I am sitting here drinking my first cup of tea, designing a little gizmo to put that pellet in easy peazy. Also getting the wood together for a permanent hide overlooking that slurry lagoon. It is going to be a continuous job keeping the Maggie numbers down, they are everywhere...rubbing hands vigorously :-)

[FalconFN]

Very wise choice. Good luck with the maggies.

[winnie&bezza]

Go on walker, tell them how many magpies you shot.

[Walker570]

Got 11 out of the Landie window in an hour and a half. Not the best position so went over and set a hide up this morning and hopefully this afternoon/evening we may see the toll climb higher :0 Also the farmer has a Larsen set up and so the call bird is chattering away all the time and some nice handy wooden posts for birds to land on. Watch this space.

Added to this I have come up with a neat little loader. Needs a bit of fine tuning but enables a pellet to be carried in a loading' stick' and then pressed into the barrel with no fumbling. Simple to make with a drill and hacksaw and some J&B. I will eventually make up four or five, then very little delay in getting the TX200 re charged.

 

Piece of plastic 3/8th stock board about 4 inches by 1/2 inch. Piece of old hacksaw blade about 2 inches from the hole end. Cut a slot about half way down the side of the piece with a hacksaw at a slight angle into which you can slide the piece of hacksaw blade. Take a nail which will go through the hole in the blade and cut it to about 3/8ths inch leaving the head on. Push the hacksaw blade into the slot. It will stick out a bit acting as a spring. Put this in a vice and tighten up so the hole in the blade is tight against the plastic. Drill a hole through the hole in the blade and through the plastic. Then putting the plastic in a vice cut down through that hole enough so the plastic 'gives' a bit. Now the fine tuning I have to do. Find a drill bit which will just make a hole big enough to gently hold a pellet when you push it in skirt first. Now put the modified nail through the hole in the blade and with some J&B glue it in place(de grease and roughen first) When you press the blade the nail will push the pellet into the barrel. The fine tuning is having it so it stays there :-) May put a long point on the nail, because it appears to grip the inside of the skirt so pulling it back out when you let go of the spring(blade) and a long point would just centre in the middle of the skirt.

It works very similar to inserting a primer on a black powder rifle.

It may seem a bit fancy but with my arthritic old fingers I am dropping about three out of every four tries.:-(