Anyone into airguns?

kamagong

kamagong

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Unlike many of you I never had anyone teach me about guns. I've always liked them, but my father didn't approve of them. He did allow me to get a BB gun when I was a boy though. I don't remember much about it except that it was a Crossman in .177. I had a lot of fun with that gun and I was a fair shot with it. I could stay on one side of the backyard and hit a lizard on the opposite wall. Not bad for a self-taught city kid.

I lost that gun when my parents divorced. I haven't fired another BB gun since. A few months ago I noticed that my 11 year old cousin had one hanging on his bedroom wall. He and I had some fun with it and did some shooting in my aunt's backyard. I was saddened to see that my skills have gone to hell. I was clearly outclassed by my little cousin.

I've decided to do something about that and get my own airgun. I'm older now so I'm thinking of getting a heavier .22 gun instead of the .177 that I had previously. This gun will be used for fun, mainly plinking in the back yard. I'm leaning towards the Benjamin 392 http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...&parentType=index&indexId=cat20742&hasJS=true Any opinions on this gun? Do you have any other recommendations? What about my choice for a .22? I don't have any logical reason for choosing it over a .177, but I think that it might be more fun to shoot a heavier pellet.
 
Air guns?

OH GOD, does that bring back some memories.

When my dad came home from WW2 he had this gov't job and he moved us up to Washinton D.C. We lived in an apartment for a couple of years before he bought a home out in the boondocks of what would in twenty years become suburbia. But when we moved it was a nieghborhood with woods all around, and after school we kids roamed it with our Daisy Red Ryder bb guns and Ulster scout knives. I had got the primary shooting lessons down on the eastern shore, and in our new home in Wheaton about 3 or 4 tons of bb's were used in those woods. Alot of my allowance went to those tubes of copper bb's.

Later dad got me a pellet rifle and continued to coach me with the holy trinity as grandad put it. Sight picture, breath control, trigger squeeze. When I got to .22 caliber firearms the foundation was there. I continued this family tradition with my kids and grandkids. We had Daisy's then Sheridans and Benjamin's pellet rifles. They were both good, and the kids learned well on them. Later I took some income tax returns and bought a Fienwerkebau 124 in .177, and a Beeman Webley Tempast air pistol in .177. To this day I still practice with them in really bad weather when I can't make it to the range. I love the Webley air pistol because of the way the piston is set up, it has a rearward recoil like a .22 auto pistol. The Izaak Walton League I belong to has air gun league shoots once a week in the evening, and everyone kicks in a dollar for the purse. Real high stakes shooting.:D

I firmly believe that alot of airgun practice makes a better shot with firearms. All my kids grew up shooting on the junior league, and when my daughter Jessica became a state parole agent and had to qualify with a .38 revolver, she took some ribbing from her male co-workers. Stuff like " hold onto the wooden part, sweetheart". When it was all siad and done, out of 23 parole officers that shot for qualification that day, Jess was number 1. But then she was a medal winner as a 12 year old junior. My son Matt, a county police officer, did the same. Out of his whole acadamy class, he was top marksmen.

If you buy a quality air gun, its an investment in your future marksmenship. You can set up an air gun range anywhere, and drill the holy trinity into your being in your own rec room. But don't skimp. Get a Beeman catalogue and look through it.

Airguns are great!

P.S. I forgot to add- the secret in being consitantly accurite with a pump up air gun is always do the same amount of pumps. There was this one kid in the nieghborhood, Jimmy Harkins, who was like a wizzard with his Sheridan blue streak. I mean, he was like a Yoda charater that used the force or something to will the pellet on target. He'd make incredable shots. Then he told us that he always pumped it the same, no varriance in pressure.
 
How was that kid's Sheridan? Benjamin and Sheridan are one company now. The 392 looks a lot like the Blue Streak, the only difference that I can see being the difference in caliber. I don't know why, but when I first saw a picture of the 392 I immediately wanted it. Maybe it's the pump action, maybe it's the wood stock, but that gun appeals to me.
 
I would go with the single pump like RWS Germany. I had a Benjamin hand picked by a fellow that worked in the St. Louis Factory. It was accurete as hades but, multiple pumps is a real downer. Go for a single pump. JMHO...Dang... forgot to add that the .177 is mainly target & the .22 is for small game.
 
Yup! I don't have anything in the big league range, but there's a few air rifles around and a Crossman 1777 pistol on hand. Unfortunately, here in out little town it isn't legal to shoot em in the yard, even if there is a corn field right across the road.

If you are just shooting for target and plinking, I would probably stick with a .177. You get a little faster velocity, easier to find pellets, and they can be pretty darn accurate. I also am partial nowadays to the single pump variety, either the break barrels or with the under lever. Lazy I guess.

Hey, what you need is a Crossman and then find one of the Crossman branded knives out there! That would make a nice set. Ya always got to match a knife up to any new gun acquired. ;)
 
I hear you Amos but, a single pump for me is the cats meow. I have a Gamo that don't shoot accurate as squat. I had a Crossman & returned it faster than I could spit. It was worse than the Gamo. After a days pumping & shooting... you will want to ditch the pump unless your young with lots of energy. A RWS Diana is the cats meow...accurate & single pump..JMHO
 
pogo said:
After a days pumping & shooting... you will want to ditch the pump unless your young with lots of energy.
Click to expand...

Psst, hey guys, why do ya think I bought the Feinwerkbau when I got some money back from uncle Sam?:D
 
While my single pumps are lesser guns, I would like someday to get a good RWS or Fienwerkebau with a good scope on it. I've always respected both of those.

I still have the Crossman break barrel my son bought with his own money at the gun shop up in Alaska. It's not a hunting gun by any stroke, but has proven to be a decent little plinker and a lot of fun. I also have his first Daisy lever that I got him when he was a little tyke. We used to set it up with a box and target in the house back then and I'd coach him a little. One of these days when he and his family are out of their apartment and settled more I'll probably send both to him. Then again, I'm trying to convince him to send me the grandkids for a summer and I'll just introduce them to the air rifles. :D

I haven't shot the Crossman 1777 much since getting it cause I get tired pumping a bunch for each shot. I may give it to my Dad just to give him something to mess with.
 
What is this, International Let's Post About Guns in the Wrong Forum Day? :)

moving-van.jpg
 
I got my first BB gun when I was 6 years old. It was a Daisy Model 25 Slide Action Repeater and I still have it along with the instruction book, packing materials and disassembly tool. I didn't keep the box, though. I don't know how many thousands of rounds that rifle has through it, but it touched off in me a lifelong love of guns and shooting. When it comes to air guns, I have been around the bend a few times, owning most brands and types that were marketed in my lifetime and I do not exaggerate.

I still hunt small game with a Crossman model 766 that I have owned for over 20 years. The key to accuracy is to understand the trajectory of the pellet or BB and the idiosyncracies of your particular gun. Airgun projectile trajectories are significantly different from those of rimfire bullets due to the lower weight of the airgun projectile and the typically lower velocity. This experience comes through much shooting at various distances as well as through working out equations of motion for the projectiles if like me, you are inclined towards that.

I have found that hunting increases my shooting ability. I hunt small game as well as big. I use airguns, rimfire, centerfire, archery, slingshot and throwing knife.

PM me if you want to discuss this more. You should also join one of the airgun forums. One of the better ones is:

http://www.airgunforum.net/agf/index.php
 
Save your money, grit your teeth and buy quality.

I would recommend German: Feinwerkbau and Weihrauch are the names to remember. (Pronounced roughly Fine-vurk-bough and Vye-rark respectively).

Pump-up American-style rifles, e.g. Benjamin and Sheridan, can't compare in quality or accuracy.

For plinking, either calibre is acceptable.

For hunting, I prefer .177". The trajectory is flatter, and the calibre has a trifle more inherent accuracy.

For small game & target work I use flat-head pellets. It might sound odd, but if shooting a live target, I want to do as much damage as possible, hence I don't use the typical pointed "hunting" pellet. (Think 9mm ball vs. a .45 JHP)

Enjoy!

maximus otter
 
Check out wierauch, webley, logan, air-arms, (dont know how much you want to spend here)

you could also try to get hold of a copy of 'air gunner' magazine from the UK, air guns are popular here as its the only type of gun you can get hold of (as long as its less than 12 ft lbs muzzle energy that is!! :|)

a lot of the high end uk guns are PCP (pre charged pneumatic - not angel dust!) rather than spring powered
 
I prefer to buy really cheap chinese rifles and upgrade them as I see fit. I'm not really passionate about air rifles, so I'm not going to spend $300-400 on a rifle just shooting at paper targets in my backyard. Honestyl, I think I enjoy taking it apart and upgrading it more than I do shooting it sometimes.

I bought this guy - http://airgunuk.co.uk/catalog/B4-177-inderlever-rifle-p-16193.html

Upgraded the spring and re-finished alot of the internals. It needed alot of sanding to get really smooth cocking and firing. With everything flush, it is actually a really nice rifle for me. Definetly feels more powerful than out of the box, I can believe the advertised 900fps after working on it, maybe a bit more?
In the process of re-finishing the stock, since I got bored with firing it. Nobody to shoot with, so I just work on it haha.

Just be careful what you buy, Chinese crap is hit and miss. I bought another similiar rifle that LOOKED better, and it turned out to be a piece of junk. The stock was the only good thing about it. The actual gun and internals, trash. sights were worthless, alot of plastic, very underpowered. It wouldn't even dent a 2X4. That other gun nearly passes through a 2X4, the sights are adjustable and spot-on, and it contains NO plastic internals.
 
If you can afford it, a Beeman R-7 in .177 is a popular choice for good reason.

www.straightshooters.com got me hooked on European single stroke air rifles.

Pro's for .22
- the pellets are easier to pick up out of the can and insert in the barrel.
- they are more effective in general on larger game

Con's
- pellet expense, yes they really are more expensive.
- they are harder on the backstop so, they do more damage when you miss and hit something unintended.
- trajectory on the .177 is much better
- too much for most paper shooters
- the .177 pellets are very effective on your typical pests
 
maximus otter said:
Save your money, grit your teeth and buy quality.

I would recommend German: Feinwerkbau and Weihrauch are the names to remember. (Pronounced roughly Fine-vurk-bough and Vye-rark respectively).

Pump-up American-style rifles, e.g. Benjamin and Sheridan, can't compare in quality or accuracy.

For plinking, either calibre is acceptable.

For hunting, I prefer .177". The trajectory is flatter, and the calibre has a trifle more inherent accuracy.

For small game & target work I use flat-head pellets. It might sound odd, but if shooting a live target, I want to do as much damage as possible, hence I don't use the typical pointed "hunting" pellet. (Think 9mm ball vs. a .45 JHP)

Enjoy!

maximus otter
Click to expand...
Sounds like good advice especially coming from you.. But Google did not get very far. Perhaps you could elaborate with links, please.. Thanks
 
Big5 has an as in todays (1/20/07) newspaper for a Beeman air gun for $150. great price for a quality product.
 
Buy English! Seriously folks, no-one makes better airguns - although some, like Weihrauch, make them as well. & I'm not saying that because I'm British. I'm saying it becasue I'm an air gun nut!
 
bladefixation2 said:
...the UK, air guns are popular here as its the only type of gun you can get hold of...
Click to expand...

Wrong.

sunnyd said:
Perhaps you could elaborate with links, please.
Click to expand...

Customer reviews of the FWB 124:

http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews4975.html

Customer reviews of the Weihrauch HW77:

http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews975.html

Have a look at the Beemans' sites for comments on these rifles.

http://www.beeman.com/

http://www.beemans.net/

maximus otter
 
I started thread a couple weeks ago and got some good info also on air rifles. I wanted to get in to PCP rifles but decided the start up was a bit more than I wanted to get into. So I went with a spring piston rifle (Webley Patriot). It is one of the most powerful spring piston rifles around. The down side is that it is heavy and big (well for me anyway):) and it takes a bit of cocking effort (48 pounds). But I am gettting use to theses issues and I find this air rifle accurate and very hard hitting. I bought this air rifle to hunt eventually (.22 cal.) but for now I am sighting in the scope (Leapers). If you are going to hunt a scope is a must and if you are going to mount a scope on a springer make sure you get a scope that will take the punishment of the recoil. For plinking and overall enjoyment, I use my Benjamin model 342 .22 cal. (circa 1986).
 
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