Air Rifle

tueller

tueller

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Mar 16, 2012
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I wanted to hear some input on what Air Rifle I should get. Other than the red rider bb gun I grew up with, I really don't know anything about these things. I would use it for plinking but I like the idea of having it for small game hunting and disaster prep. I have reg guns/rifles so I don't need anything too powerfull/expensive. My friend told me that the Crosman Phantom is a good buy at a good price point but I wanted to run it by you guys first. Thoughts? Thanks for any input.
 
Check out Xisico or Bam rifles. They are top quality chinese imports, and copies of some very proven designs. These are NOT knock-offs! They are the guys making the Ruger Airhawk rifle, and I believe some of the Remington airguns. Check out flying dragon air rifles for a good lineup. Excellent dealer who goes through each and every gun before it leaves and for a few more dollars will do a full tune of your gun.

Get .22 if you plan on hunting at all, many people will make the argument for .177 and hunting, but I still prefer .22 with its higher retained energy downrange.


-Xander
 
Thx guys. Good point about single pump vs higher elevations.. i didn't think of that. Thx fast14riot, i never heard of them and will do some research.
 
I have an RWS 460 magnum underlever that shoots .22 pellets at over 900 fps with normal pellets, and 1200 fps with certain pellets. The only drawback is it is pretty heavy. The most accurate pellet gun to date is the Air Arms TX 200. Both of the ones i listed are one pump non break barrel.

check out www.pyramydair.com

you will find a bunch of information there.
 
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Daft Slice 1986 said:
I have an RWS 460 magnum underlever that shoots .22 pellets at over 900 fps with normal pellets and 1200 fps with certain pellets. The only drawback is it is pretty heavy. The most accurate pellet gun to date is the Air Arms TX 200. Both of the ones i listed are one pump non break barrel.
Click to expand...

The tx200 is not the most accurate air rifle to date. It is one of the most accurate springers however. Because it is a springer, it is hold sensitive unlike a PCP air rifle. Check out airguns daily and the return airgundepot section.
 
I have a Beeman R7. Great accuracy (at air gun range, we are not talking 100 yards, more like 10-25 yards), quiet, easy to shoot. Best trigger I've ever had on any gun. If I was going to get something for plinking but occasional pest control, though, I'd get something a little hotter, maybe an R9. Straightshooters.com has a lot of information on their website including a forum where you can search for information about picking a rifle.
 
I thoroughly recommend the Stoeger X20 in .22....little bit over $100.00, excellent quality and very accurate. If you have an interest, there is a trigger kit available on the aftermarket that makes the gun shoot like it costs much, much more.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Thx everyone. Due to your recommendations and my cost limitations, I am researching the crosman phantom, benjamin air rifle, xisico air rifles and the stoeger x20. The others were out of my price range. thank you for all the help and I will keep you posted on what I go with.
 
I'd recommend a side lever if you can find one. A quality break barrel can be accurate, but the cheaper ones can be off a slight bit. With a side or under lever, the barrel is fixed, this having more accuracy.
 
Just a bit of info, the Xisico XS25S is a copy of the RWS 34, including the wonderful T6 trigger group. The accuracy of break barrels is just as good as a side/under lever. The benjamin Trail NP is known for having issues due to a bad barrel pivot and bushing, about $50-$60 worth of parts and some time fixes it, but you can have a nicer gun right out of the box with other options. Vintage Benjamin Blue Streaks can be had for under $150, too.

Btw, flyingdragon has a sterling reputation for customer service and sales world wide.


-Xander
 
If you dont mind pumping get yourself an older model sheridan streak in.20 cal. Pump it 6 Times for good power out to 40 yards. Theres usually some for sale over on the yellow forums or gunbroker.
 
A silver streak in 5mm can be found, keep an eye on the yellow classified, and airguns.net. likely a little more money than a blue streak. Don't forget to check consignment shops and antique stores. Barn sales and such are good also, but you have to ask if they have any airguns.


-Xander
 
Growing up I owned pump guns including Crosman, Benjamin and Sheridan. All were good for plinking and such.
In my adult years I bought a BSA spring gun (break barrel) and an old Crosman CO2 gun. I wanted the CO2 gun for nostalgia but I find that the spring gun is the most fun to shoot. This is mostly because you cock it, put in a pellet, close it and shoot. Pumping the pump gun takes too long for me to enjoy plinking, and I find that I don't shoot the CO2 gun that much because of the CO2 cartridges. I don't like shooting it in cold weather because the CO2 doesn't work as well, and I don't like worrying about when the cartridges will run out, where I can buy them, etc. The biggest downside to the spring guns is that they are only compatible with special scopes. I even had my spring gun kill a scope that was designed for spring airgun use. That rifle now has a receiver sight on it.
 
I too shoot an RWS model 48. It's a solid gun but I realize it's expensive and a bit heavy. I've also shot a model 34 and it was also great at a lower price.
 
Beenman R7's are hard to beat. Up to a point, you get what you pay for in air rifles. When you step up to the higher cost air rifles, you do get a better rifle but it's not a 1 for 1 dollar for performance proposition.
 
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