Pellet Gun Advice Needed

cgmblade said:
I looked up the Nitro NPSS online. The reviews and specs are very appealing, and it's good looking to boot. One question though, I saw that it came with a 3-9x scope. Even on a 30-30 I prefer something more like 1.5-4x.

At the short ranges we're shooting w/ airguns is a 3-9x really needed and how's the field of view?
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You can order without a scope and mount your own. 3-9 is pretty standard for sporting airguns. It's a different kind of shooting. field of view at 3x is generally fine. The ranges are short- but at 30 yards you are most often looking at a head shot on a small animal- or a 40 yard shot on a dove.... the scopes are about right.
 
Thanks Koyote, I'm seriously going to consider one of these. Your explanation of the 3-9x scope is persuasive so I won't tinker around with the general consensus.

I like the Nitro but am also intrigued by pump guns because, if I understand correctly, you can vary the power according to the number of pumps. Are there any pump airguns you'd recommend that are suitable both for target shooting/plinking and small game hunting? I think I'd prefer a .22.
 
varying the power will vary your POI, too. That's the only problem. The benji 392 is the only current production 'stock' multi pump .22 right now. Jim Giles at crooked barn is an airgunsmith who does great work- he won't modify the internals of a pump gun, but you'll get plenty of power out of the 'CB 1322 custom' - just ask him for a stock instead of the custom grips. (I think he also has 18 inch barrels available, which will give you more power. 24 inches is doable, too.) Mountain air will do up a flat top piston and valve job .22 pump conversion with any barrel length you want and a custom bolt/breech, you can get the stock from them (the crosman plastic or an RB grips custom wood one)..... going to be under $300 all up. They have a .25 caliber conversion as well as a .20 - but those use custom barrels and cost a bit.

Budget is a huge issue, which is why it's hard to know what to suggest.
 
Koyote, you are a wealth of information. I really appreciate your guidance. In terms of budget; less is always better, but since the Nitro is around $300 I'd pretty much resolved myself to having to spend at least that much. Another $50 or so wouldn't kill me, but I don't want to spend more than is necessary to get a decent airgun that'll meet my needs.
 
There's a $230 nitro version, no scope..... (and you might end up wanting a scope of your choosing later- some of the varmint hunting kits are pretty cool)

There's nothing at all wrong with grabbing a refurbished plastic daisy powerline 880 to see if you like pumping at all- with a thousand .177 pellets you are looking at less than $60!

I have some of jim giles' work and he's very good. I'm constantly temped by the mountain air conversions, they are excellent quality and a stock is easy to put on.
 
Hmm...I actually have a Daisy Powerline 880. I've only used BB's in it. With .177 pellets does it develop enough power to humanely hunt rabbits and such?
 
880- head shot on a bunny, myself I'd only go out to 20 yards. That power level I generally consider a barn rat gun. But it's all in shot placement

If you like the shooting with a pumper after several hundred rounds, the CB or MA .22 conversions with a 14 inch barrel will do great.
 
Raisedby wolves said:
Just don't try 50 yard shots.

Out to 30 or so you should do well.

Carl-
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Thank you. I've got rabbits all over my yard. They are usually out around dusk and seem to think that if they don't move I can't see them. If I walk obliquely instead of directly toward them I can usually get to within about 10 feet before they hop away.
 
koyote said:
880- head shot on a bunny, myself I'd only go out to 20 yards. That power level I generally consider a barn rat gun. But it's all in shot placement

If you like the shooting with a pumper after several hundred rounds, the CB or MA .22 conversions with a 14 inch barrel will do great.
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Thanks again. Yeah, I'm going to have to practice a lot before I take a shot at a bunny. I'd rather not take a shot if I'm not confident of good placement. I wouldn't want it to run off wounded and suffer unduly.
 
Squirrels are tough buggers.

Seriously, the 880 will dispatch them humanely, just don't try to shoot them at disatnces.

You have almost 700 FPS out of an 880, so you should feel fine hitting bunnies with a headshot or good body shot at anything out to 30 yards or so.

Carl-
 
koyote said:
value? I have an airgun sitting here that I got on sale for $90, that develops 625 fps on a 14.3 grain .22 pellet. That I can shoot 300 rounds out of for thew price of one 100 round box of .22subsonics that won't cycle my .22 rifle anyhow. In .117 that's closer to 500 rounds for the price.

Not all airguns are 'fancy schmancy'- and not all answers are .22LR. There are a lot of places I can go shoot out here with an airgun where I can't shoot a firearm- because down here, they are different.

I have some accurate .22 powder burners, but I have airguns that develop .30 inch groups at 25 yards. and groups half that size are possible in the hands of a good shooter. (I haven't managed it yet, but someday)

I can and do repair, customize, and build my airguns with much more ease than a .22LR- and much more legality. I can have a 12 inch barrel and a shoulder stock if I want. Oh, did I mention that airguns down here are NOT power limited and are NOT firearms?

I can hunt small game in areas legally sensitive to the discharge of firearms AT ANY NOISE LEVEL. I can hunt small game indoors (I have varminted indoors with a delta. requires head shots.)

I can challenge myself to make head shots on bunnies at 40 yards.

So, aside from some idea that a .22LR is...better, since I can hunt with an airgun, and shoot it legally in more places...and transport it legally in more places.....and since I like shooting them- I ask you- why not an airgun? I've got kids, I know my man parts work. I can run a tactical course with a 12ga. I'm not going to lose manly or ego points shooting a pellet. :D

If you want real downrange energy, then yes- you have to spend $500 on a good 9mm setup. Personally, I'm considering a .32 upper for a discovery, though. Unless I can score a used .308 custom.
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Why do i have the feeling may have slightly ( lol ) annoyed you with my opinion on the matter? I shoot a 22 cal pellet gun regularly in my shop when i cant make it to the gun range, lots of fun..I also shoot a webley hurricane, a .177 cal pellet pistol, just for fun, ive taken squirrels, rabbits and grouse with both of these..i lost count of how many crows ive dispatched..all in fun..Its not that i think they are useless, not one bit.

When it comes to value, maybe i should have been clearer incase some of you couldnt understand what i meant..what i should have said was this; why spend 300$ on a air rifle when you could buy a 22lr instead? but hey, if you like air rifles go ahead. If you hunt in noise sensitive areas or where firearms are more controlled, sure ,hell yes..an airgun will do the trick.

But yeah, thanks for adding the part where you reminded us all that your man parts work, that you arrent afraid to shoot a pellet gun and you can run a tactical shotgun course...good to know. keep up the good work bud.

-Gaurdian
 
Well, I ended up getting a older production Sheridan 397 made right here in WI!!

So, any recommendations on what kind of pellet to use (.20) both for target practice (cheap) and for varmint duty?

Thanks.
 
bkrosco said:
Well, I ended up getting a older production Sheridan 397 made right here in WI!!

So, any recommendations on what kind of pellet to use (.20) both for target practice (cheap) and for varmint duty?

Thanks.
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Good place to start. http://www.straightshooters.com/straightshooters/samplercontent20.html

Also check the crown of your rifle, lot of benjis and sheridan's muzzles get dinged up and will really ruin accuracy, easy to recrown yourself. Another common accuracy problem is paint overspray in the bore also easy to remove yourself. Chris
 
397 ? that's thew .177 model..... a silver or blue streak would be .20

I'd start with crosman premiers in either case (heavies for the .177)

The daisy ammo I've tried has been TOO cheap to use well. some of the more expensive stuff will be fine, some won't- it boils down to economics, I can pull 1/4 inch or so off groups in the quest at 50 yards using a particular match ammo, but it's almost as expensive as shooting CCI minimag .22LR, let alone federal bulk box.
 
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