Best Air Rifle?

[onrway]

I don't want to spend a bunch of $ trying to find the best air rifle so I will just ask those who should know. What is the opinion of the group? Which one to buy?

[Tink]

http://www.punaweb.org/Forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=19739&SearchTerms=Pellet,rifle

A little bit of info here.
Edit to add Gamo makes some good high velocity varmint rifles

Community begins with Aloha

[birdmove]

onrway, it depends on what you want to do with it, and what you consider "best". Not being a weisenheimer, but I may be able to help you if you tell what you want to do with it.

Are you familiar with the various types of air rifles as far as what powers them? Are you wanting to hunt with them, or just do target shooting on your property? What is you budget? Does the loudness of the air rifle matter to you?

Do you just want to shoot pests (as in rats or mongoose)? Do you understand what calibers these come in? There are certain limitations, as far as what airgun pellets you can walk in to a store and buy here.

I'd be happy to try to help you choose, so you don't wind up unhappy with your choice.

Jon in Keaau/HPP

[onrway]

Are you familiar with the various types of air rifles as far as what powers them? Are you wanting to hunt with them, or just do target shooting on your property? What is you budget? Does the loudness of the air rifle matter to you?

Do you just want to shoot pests (as in rats or mongoose)? Do you understand what calibers these come in? There are certain limitations, as far as what airgun pellets you can walk in to a store and buy here.

Good points.
I have not used an air rifle since the 60s when I had a Crossman co2 powered BB gun that I used to kill Jack rabbits with in Texas. I know nothing about modern air rifles, except they don't use gun powder. I want to be able to shoot varmints. Most power for the money is what I am looking for don't care much about sound.

[MarkP]

I just bought a Benjamin Trail NPXL 1100. It is a "springer" but has a gas strut instead of a coiled steel spring. It does not seem to alarm the neighbor's dogs so it seems pretty quiet. It is .22 caliber. It really seems to pack a wallop although I have not hunted with it yet. I am somewhat disappointed so far with the accuracy as the point of impact keeps shifting. It has only a scope, no iron sights. It may be that the scope that came with it is just too cheap. I do think that the problem is with the scope not the rifle itself.

Springers require a special technique wherein you hold the rifle very loosely and let the recoil move the rifle around. If you could carry a 500 lb vice around to clamp it in each time you shot that would work too but if you try to hold the rifle tightly yourself you won't be consistent. A pre-charged pneumatic like the Benjamin Discovery is easier to shoot accuracy because the recoil is very small compared to a springer but they cost lots more and the Discovery at least is reported to be loud.

As to caliber I can't say which is better other than that .25 cal pellets are way more expensive and less readily available. A powerful .17 will kill a mongoose but a weak one will just maim. The same is probably true of .22 cal rifles but the larger calibers are built with more power from the get-go.

The NPXL was $260 from WalMart.com. J. Hara's has it for $299.

[birdmove]

OK. Lets talk about the various types of "powerplants" for airguns. The main types are spring piston, and the latest design of that type that uses a gas piston, CO2 powered, multi pump airguns, and "pcp", which are pre-charged pneumatic.

They lump the spring piston and gas piston together, because they are the same basic design. These are also called break barrels. On these airguns, you pull down on the muzzle end, and the barrel pivots till it cocks the mechanism. You put the pellet into the open breech, and then close the barrel, pivoting it till it locks into place. These make good power, but are a LOT of work to shoot accurately. The problems are that these have a very distinctive recoil. You may lauff at an airgun having recoil. It's very different than a powder burning firearm recoil. It's a two way recoil. The gun jumps quite a bit, and, to get good accuracy, you must hold the air rifle precisely the same every time. Also, believe it or not, this unique recoil can cause the scope to slide backwards, and can destroy a scope not made specially for this type of airgun. Your experiences with powder burners will not help you a lot in shooting these types. Some people can shoot these well. I can't, and I am a life long shooter and competitor. If you want to be able to buy an air rifle, and shoot it with fine accuracy without a lot of preparation etc, stay away from this type for now.

Next is the multi pump pneumatic. These require you to pump the forearm for each shot. Typically, you pump them at least three times, and up to ten times for highest power shots. These can be quite accurate, and make decent power. I like the Crosman 2100B, and the Benjamin 397 and 392. The Benjamin's, are now owned and made by Crosman. Many of this type are made of a lot of plastic, which I don't care for too much. The Benjamins are all metal, with brass barrels, and wood stocks. They look great and have a long heritage. They are, however, a bit more work to pump than most others of this type. What I like about these, is that you control the power, and some of the noise. Want to just shoot bullseyes at 10 yards? maybe use 3 pumps. Want to shoot rats? Try 6-8 pumps. Other than the Crosman 2100B, and the two Benjamins, I think the rest are mostly plastic.

Now, for CO2. Many of these still use the small 12 gram metal cannister for power. Some use two cannisters, and some use just one. There is also a special larger 88 gram canister. With the 12 gram one, I, just yesterday, got 51 good power shots from the single CO2 can. That's more than many airguns get. Most seem to get around 40-45 good shots before the pellets start dropping on the target due to low CO2 gas. My 51st shot was still exactly on target, and had not started dropping yet.
The idea of the 88 gram CO2 can is lots of shots bfore it runs empty. But, I would stay away from that design for two reasons. First, I don't know of anyplace on the island that sells the 88 gram CO2 cans. Second, you can't order them from Amazon or any other airgun dealers, because they cannot be shipped from them by air. Since we live on an island, you'd have a nice wall ornament airgun, but wouldn't be able to shoot it. Same thing with the smaller 12 gram CO2 cans, but you can walk in to Wal Mart, Sports Authority, or most sports or fishing stores and buy them off the shelf. Wally World sells them for a very good price, and you can buy boxes of 40.
Our climate is about perfect for CO2 airgun shooting. Cold weather messes with velocities, and therefore accuracy. That won't be a problem here. These are best used pausing for a short time between shots. Fired fast will change the temperature of the CO2 and may cause velocity fluctuations.

Now for the "PCP", or pre-charged pneumatic. These tend to cost more than the other designs. They have a built in air tank, and you must fill that tank to the correct pressure. Then, you get a number of shots. Could be 30 or so. To fill these you have to either have a large air tank, or a special hand pump. If you use a tank, then you'll have tio take the tank somewhere to have it filled when it gets low. A diving shop should be able to do it. If you use a hand pump it is also doable. You cannot use a standard tire pump because car tire only need to be filled to maybe 42 psi. These airguns have to be filled with from 2000, to 3000 psi, depending on the airgun. The special pumps sell for like $150 or more. And, you have to take it easy pumping, because, if you pump too fast, the heat generated can melt the o-rings in the pump. Crosman is coming out with a new PCP air rifle called the Maximus, that you pump up to 2000 psi.It should take something like 40 pumps to fill. The gun should sell for $200.00. Add $150 for the pump, and your at $350.00.

The most common calibers are .22 and .177. There are .25 caliber, and much large. Good luck finding any .25 caliber pellets here. And, there is not much of a selection in .22 either. .177 is better for availability, but, you won't find many of the "premium" airgun pellets here either. The good news is, you can order a wider selection from Amazon and some airgun dealers.

Understand that, if you buy an air rifle, if you want to shoot with the best possible accuracy, you will have to buy a good selection of pellets of different shape and manufacturer, and test each one on targets, to find the most accurate one or two that your airgun likes.You buy an airgun, and grab a tin of pellets, you may find that pellet, in your gun, may give inch and a half groups at 10 yards. I have air rifles, and inexpensive ones at that, that can group as good as 0.0" at 10 yards. That is measured center to center as the benchrest competitors measure groups. You measure the widest width of your group edge to edge, subtract the diameter of the caliber, and that gives you your group size. Yes, I can, if I am in my grove, sometimes get groups the width of a .177 pellet. .177-.177=0.0". More normal is tiny cloverleaf shaped groups, maybe 1/4" width at 10 yards.

Now, if you want to be able to shoot out to 25 yards, 50 yards or so, it can be done. But you may need to set yourself up with a PCP type of airgun. If you are good shooting to 25 yards, a good CO2 shooter should work. Maybe a multi-pump, though, 10-20 yards may be more realistic.

As far as accuracy, you have to think about what you are going to shoot, the size of the area to humanely take that animal, and then see how far away you can shoot and reliably keep your shots within that group size.

I'm 62 and my eyes aren't that good, so I need to use a scope. Airguns tend to be shot at way shorter distances than powder guns. I do a lot of shooting at 10-15 yards. If you try a regular rifle scope, you may have a parralax problem at the shorter distances.The answer is to get an airgun scope with AO, or adjustable parralx. You can focus the front lens down to 10 yards and even closer. A 4 power scope with AO can be bought for around $40.

Here is a couple of air rifles that might do a good job for you.

http://www.airgundepot.com/sheridan-2260...rifle.html

They call this a Sheridan, but it is made by Crosman. Nice wood stock. This is a .22 caliber CO2 airgun that uses one CO2 can. A scope can be easily mounted on it. I would like one myself. Crosman is a US company, and parts are easily got for these, and they ship to Hawaii. Crosman is great to deal with. The .22 caliber for sure hits harder that the .177. This airgun is usually about $150.00. I think you can get another 10% off with a coupon code.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Benjamin-397-....le/8586191

This is the Benjamin 397 multi-pump, which is a .177 caliber. These are a little harder to set up with a scope, but it can be done. The mounts are available. This airgun is all wood and brass, which should mean no rust!!This price is really low for this airgun, as they were recently about $165.00. Wal Mart would ship it to you, probably for zero freight, and, if you had a problem, I hear they are really good about returns. This is also now owned and made by Crosman. I am very high on Crosman's customer service.

Now, if money is no object, and you want a high end airgun, look at the Benjamin Marauder PCP unit. Then you would need the $150 air pump too. Feel free to read reviews on these.

Here is a decent multi-pump with a metal receiver:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Crosman-2100-C...e/15939531

You could get one of these, mount an AO scope (4 power, or 3x9), grab some pellets and sight it in. Maybe good for 25 yards. Probably for just over $100, you good get your feet wet and get shooting.

For me, quiet is best, as I try to shoot rats at night, and do not want to disturb anyone. They go into our chicken coop and eat the food from the feeder. I use a Crosman Custom Shop 2400KT CO2 air carbine in .177, and this is the most accurate, and quiet, air rifle I have.

http://www.crosman.com/custom-shop/

You can go through the steps and set the gun up how you want. They show a Heritage air rifle. You don't want that one, as it has a plastic receiver, and you can't mount a scope securely on that. The 2260MB, has a metal receiver (hence the "mb"), already on it, and no problem mounting a scope.

Here is a free forum you can join, and read up on all of this, do searces, etc.

I better sign off here, or Rob may shut me down!!






Jon in Keaau/HPP

[birdmove]

MarkP is dealing with the bane of the break barrel type of airguns. I have two, and have mastered neither. My older one uses a spring, the newer one a gas piston. This type does require a very long break-in also. Often 500-1000 rounds. The gas piston is supposed to be quieter and have less recoil. But, they can be very humbling. My break barrels throw fliers sometimes as much as 4-6 inches off at 10 yards. My Crosman CO2 shooter is so accurate, I consider a shot 3/4" out of the groups, to be a flier.

That's why I wouldn't suggest a break barrel for you. Typically, a newcomer buys a break barrel after shooting powder burners for 40 year accurately. They try their new gun, find it doesn't give anything resembling a group, and get to dislike all airguns, sell at a loss, etc. My CO2 airgun, and my multi-pumps, have pretty much zero recoil, and are easy to shoot tiny groups with.

I would take a good look at that Sheridan 2260MB CO2 shooter in .22 caliber. Or the Benjamin multi-pump. All these have decent wood stocks, open sights, and are almost all metal construction (except for the plastic trigger and trigger guard on the 2260MB). Even if you decided later to try a break barrel, or get a PCP gun, these guns I mentioned would be keepers.

WARNING, WARNING, WARNING, airguns tend to be addicting, and, once you go down that path, don't blame me for the consequences....

Jon in Keaau/HPP

[terracore]

I've read that gas piston break barrels need 500-1000 shots through them before the accuracy sets in, but what I find to be more important is picking out pellets that don't have any dented or imperfect fins. If I pick through the pellets the accuracy is almost as good as firing a regular firearm, though occasionally I do get one shot that doesn't make any sense. Generally if I'm aiming at something the size of a golf ball I will hit it within 100 feet or so. I've only shot between 100-200 pellets through the Crosman so I'm not in zone where the break-in accuracy has set in yet. The scope accuracy seems to drift. Not sure if that is the scope's fault or my amateur installation or the fact the rifle gets tossed around a bit, but the whole setup seems to require a bit of tinkering every now and then.

Pellets for the .22's come in a variety of weight, sizes, and configurations. The hefty ones have the least accuracy. Crosman makes a .22 hollow point pellet that works good for rabbits, roosters, mongoose and the like. My dream is a PCP, I know a guy on Kauai that uses them for pig hunting. I was surprised to find out that the pellets cost the same as traditional ammo. There are PCP rifles in .357 and other sizes now that are commonly available. One company in Europe makes a 50 cal for big game hunting but they don't offer a warranty.

[birdmove]

Keep an eye on your scope and mount, terracore. You may find the mount sliding to the rear with shooting. If that happens, you may have to go to a one piece scope mount with a stop pin. My Crosman Phantom did that, and then, when I went to the stronger mount with stop pin, it broke the scope. I'm shooting it with open sights for now. That Phantom is also pretty loud. I wouldn't even consider shooting it at night (as in rat control), as someone might mistake it for a .22 long rifle or something.

I recently got a Crosman F4, which is an inexpensive gas piston model. Is is quieter, and with less recoil, but, so far, no decent groups. I usually grab one of my multi pumpers, or my best CO2 air rifle, and get plenty of tiny one hole groups. They are so much easier to shoot well. I don't like being dependent on the 12 gram CO2 cartridges, but, every time I shoot that carbine, it just puts a smile on my face, as it's so accurate, has a good trigger, and from Crosman's Custom Shop, I think I paid like $85.00 plus freight about 6 years ago.



Jon in Keaau/HPP

[Royall]

Lots of info but didn't read to see if any stores were mentioned.. J Hara, in Kurtistown has a good selection of air rifles. Some can take a pig down they said...