Powerful air rifle for rabbits

[jammie*dodger]

I’ll chip in on this one as I have a similar question. 
I’m leaning towards .177 as I believe they have less drop initially and would be easier to shoot with, is that true.

budget wise I’m looking at £200-300 with a slip and some pellets. If I can I’d prefer it not to be a PCP so I don’t have to worry about a pump or a bottle. I’m happy buying used if the gun is in good condition.

initially I’ll be shooting at a local target range, not sure what the range is but I used to shoot clays there and like the place.

[oldypigeonpopper]

3 minutes ago, jammie*dodger said:

I’ll chip in on this one as I have a similar question. 
I’m leaning towards .177 as I believe they have less drop initially and would be easier to shoot with, is that true.

budget wise I’m looking at £200-300 with a slip and some pellets. If I can I’d prefer it not to be a PCP so I don’t have to worry about a pump or a bottle. I’m happy buying used if the gun is in good condition.

initially I’ll be shooting at a local target range, not sure what the range is but I used to shoot clays there and like the place.

hello, £300 or so will get you a HW 99S in 177, Hawke vantage scope and fitted silencer

[bruno22rf]

Or, if you are lucky and patient, a proper Gun like the TX200!

[oldypigeonpopper]

1 minute ago, bruno22rf said:

Or, if you are lucky and patient, a proper Gun like the TX200!

hello, ok if you have muscles like Popeye

[bruno22rf]

It's heavy for a reason OPP - it's made of steel that's thick enough to last a lifetime. Stick a LW tube on the end of a ,pretty much customised, action and you have the TX. Hand on heart OPP - if you found yourself stranded on an Island and knew you were going to be there for the rest of your life - which of the 2 would you choose?

[GingerCat]

Id take the 99s. Mine was as accurate as hell, light and easy to shoot. My 77 was a big lumbering beast, the tx200 is heavy too. Both are good guns but the weight puts me off. 

[Ultrastu]

Good question bruno .desert island airgun .It would have to be relativley easy to strip and make parts for as they wore out .

The tx is easy to strip .but the piston runs on orings .and once they have split your gun is useless as your never ever  gonna be able to bodge an oring up out of seaweed and coconut shells .

I like bsa lightenings. Light accurate and easy mechanisms. But you need a big long spring compressor to strip them .i think the hw99 would be better as they are easy to strip well made and you'd have a chance of bodging a repair .

Also i can imagine on a island where hunting for food would be a MUST 

Your gonna want that gun with you all the time so a light weight carrier would be my first choice .

 

Edited March 4, 2020 by Ultrastu

[jammie*dodger]

Is the weight an issue when shooting or just when carrying it? If the later that’s no problem as far as I am concerned. 
if it affects shooting then that’s a different matter.

Edited March 4, 2020 by jammie*dodger

[Ultrastu]

The weight of a tx 200 works in its favour when shooting as the extra mass helps with recoil and hence accuracy  .

But they are also slow and fiddley to load .not ideal in a hunting situation .

[villaman]

Hw 99 will do everything you want it to do or any of the HW guns 

[bruno22rf]

"Slow and fiddly to load?" - your left hand falls naturally where the anti bear trap sits, the only added movement is to depress it with your fingers - takes nanoseconds and is easily achieved as your right arm extends to reach the under lever. The breach is then exposed on cocking and is big enough to easily thumb a pellet home unless you have hands like a shovel. The difference between the 2, loading wise, is completely irrelevant in the real world, what brings home the Bacon is accuracy - the HW will never compete against the TX unless considerable tuning/fettling has been undertaken.

[chrisjpainter]

14 hours ago, bruno22rf said:

"Slow and fiddly to load?" - your left hand falls naturally where the anti bear trap sits, the only added movement is to depress it with your fingers - takes nanoseconds and is easily achieved as your right arm extends to reach the under lever. The breach is then exposed on cocking and is big enough to easily thumb a pellet home unless you have hands like a shovel. The difference between the 2, loading wise, is completely irrelevant in the real world, what brings home the Bacon is accuracy - the HW will never compete against the TX unless considerable tuning/fettling has been undertaken.

Aye. You just get used to the sequence of movements. Few better springers out there.

Edited March 5, 2020 by chrisjpainter

[clay shooter]

I use  the Air arms S400 works and kills stone dead. We have four purpous built warrens here all four are heavy in numbers .. Makes a early morning pastime or a midnight lamp but some black ones have emerged and a few white. Perhaps escaped pets..the  gun i cannot fault it..ammo cheap too..