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Need help with choosing a new air rifle!


joeshaw08
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I've had a bog standard, .22 'no-make' air rifle which was bought for pest control (mainly brown rats)

Im have become interested in quarry hunting, preferably rabbits and pigeons, but am worried that the rifle im using will not provide a clean humane kill. ???

I know it might be difficult to provide me with an exact rifle, but a kick in the right direction will be a great help!

Il be hoping to shoot from a 15-30 yard range...if this is any help at all!

As il still be carrying on with TRYING to control the rat problem, il be doing alot of shooting at night-any ideas which scopes will be useful??

sorry if i sound like a complete noobie, but hopefully you guys could help me out!

Cheers. :rolleyes:

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Daystate X3 FAC with gen 1 night vision.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Only joking. Right mate you need to give more details, like budget and where you will be shooting, i.e back garden etc, PCP or springer.

 

From your rough description I would suggest:

 

AAS400

Hills pump - now I am using mine properly ???

Deben Mounted Lamp

Scope - 3-9x50 MAP anything by Hawke nothing too fancy. Zeroed for 35yds.

Laser dot - zeroed for 15 yds

 

Your ratty tactics you using liquidised cat food?

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Ah reet, well my budget is preferably anything below £200 - but i don't mind pushin' the boat ouT

 

There is a farm at the back of my house, so il ask permission to shoot on the farmers land, but for now it is my back garden :rolleyes:

I've heard cat food is effective but iv not tried it!im havin a real job shooting the ******** aswell...could probably do with advice on that too!

Cheers for that though il look that gear up ???

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a webley vulcan, very powerful, and with the short barell its easy to manover you could get a realy basic scope for about £50 but u wil need to get mil-dot cos rats are not always at the place you hope ??? remember to get a illuminated scope i seen some of theses on uttings for about £45 it realy helps at low light shooting. this was my first gun n it lead to allot of rat deaths hope this info helps.

LM

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I've heard of the webley vulcan,its not in production anymore is it?sure i can get it second hand no probs though.

 

I've been doing abit of looking around and have seen a BSA XL Tactical vampir kit

http://www.airgunbuyer.com/Showproducts.as...%20Rifle%20Kits

 

Does anyone know about this bit of kit and recomend it?

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I have a BSA Supersport and, based on online reviews and my own limited experience, I would recommend it for your purposes. I bought it with a scope from uttings.com for about £190.

Having said that, the imminent ban on mail order is making me consider the purchase of a BSA Scorpion as that was the gun I would have liked but couldn't afford when I bought the Supersport. I still can't afford it but I can justify the purchase to myself as I'd have to pay a small fortune extra for it in a face to face purchase after the ban ??? .

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You don't need an illuminated scope, especially if you are working to that kind of budget, a small flashlight will do.

 

Liquidised cat food makes the ******* stay still, because they have to lap at it rather than running off with chunks, giving you a good opportunity to blat them.

 

Now I know you want a springer:

 

Secondhand BSA Lightning or HW95 - .22 or .177

Simple scope, MAP is handy so Hawke 3-9 x 40 MAP

BSA 2LF - Laser and flashlight

 

Set the scope for 30yds, set the Laser for 15yds, for ratting.

 

Getting that set up will allow you shooting for bunnies, pigeons and you famous ratties :whistling:

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Nice, i'll give the tin of Felix a try then!

 

Hmm..I was quite set on buying the BSA Supersport but looking at reviews, the hw95 looks like a good bit of kit!

 

I've ordered the laser sight and am waiting for that, but i've also ordered the Hawke Nite-Eye 3-10x40 illuminate ret. , brand new at 35 quid.

But im now thinking that maybe that wasn't a good idea :yes: a)because i may not need it as i have the laser b)because it was from ebay!

 

I would love the hw95, but at brand new its above my budget and if im getting it second hand, im worried about its performance not being so great as i wont be able to 'try before i buy' im guessing.

 

Can anyone recommend a reliable source for second hand gear?

Cheers.

 

p.s. Embarrising to ask this, but how does a MAP scope work?! :)

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There wont be much wrong with a second hand Weirauch mate. But try it before you part with cash!

 

Have a look at the lightning too they are a great rifle for the money, sold mine to Caplock on here and he is well chuffed :unsure:

 

MAP is Multiple Aim Point, In a nutshell it has small markings on the scope which give you correction for distance and wind.

 

MAP.jpg

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Incidentally, the affore-mentioned MAP scope isn't completely as simple as the diagram shown. When I got my scope I went and downloaded Hawke's BRC (Ballistic Reticule Calculator - or something similar) software. With it I found that those aim-points will vary, depending on the muzzle velocity of your chosen pellets and the distance between the centre of the barrel and the center of the reticule.

 

Not saying that the diagram is wrong or bad (I personally think it's great), and indeed most of the time it's a pretty accurate guide, but to make sure that you know exactly where those aim points are you'll need a chonograph (cheap at around £40 for a simple Combro) and the software (which is free), and perhaps someway of checking the height of the reticule above the barrel's centre. Something that I would like to work out myself actually... any ideas?

 

I'd plug my rifle as well, but a Prosport is a bit expensive, heavy and hard to cock quickly (pratice makes perfect however). Have no idea what they cost secondhand though.

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Ahh reet cheers for that thats cleared it up!im kind of regretting not buying one of those now as it may have come in useful for the ratties... :lol:

I think im gonna stick with the bsa supersport guys, cheers for the help and you'll probably see me asking a few amature questions in other threads <_<

Cheers.

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I've had a bog standard, .22 'no-make' air rifle which was bought for pest control (mainly brown rats)

Im have become interested in quarry hunting, preferably rabbits and pigeons, but am worried that the rifle im using will not provide a clean humane kill. <_<

I know it might be difficult to provide me with an exact rifle, but a kick in the right direction will be a great help!

Il be hoping to shoot from a 15-30 yard range...if this is any help at all!

As il still be carrying on with TRYING to control the rat problem, il be doing alot of shooting at night-any ideas which scopes will be useful??

sorry if i sound like a complete noobie, but hopefully you guys could help me out!

Cheers. :lol:

Try a Webley Xocet XS .22 pick them up new for about 210/220 good rifle i had mine wen i was 15 still got it now and will do the work on a rabbit right out to 40yards

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I've had a bog standard, .22 'no-make' air rifle which was bought for pest control (mainly brown rats)

Im have become interested in quarry hunting, preferably rabbits and pigeons, but am worried that the rifle im using will not provide a clean humane kill. <_<

I know it might be difficult to provide me with an exact rifle, but a kick in the right direction will be a great help!

Il be hoping to shoot from a 15-30 yard range...if this is any help at all!

As il still be carrying on with TRYING to control the rat problem, il be doing alot of shooting at night-any ideas which scopes will be useful??

sorry if i sound like a complete noobie, but hopefully you guys could help me out!

Cheers. :lol:

 

The BSA lightening xl is a great rifle! I use one for wood pigeons and squirrels. Mine is in 0.177. Great for the ranges you have mentioned. Short, light and easy to handle. Very accurate when you have perfected your shooting technique. If you buy one in 0.177 - use bisley pest control for the rats. Splat! Fitting a gas ram improves the rifle further, but you can add that whenever you like. I bought mine from JS Ramsbottom online. Get one quick before the law changes ;)

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