Air Rifles for training

[Rifleman]

Okay I have not shot air rifles for years and I am looking for a recommendation from some of you that are into the air rifles. What I am considering is buying an air rifle for my Brother in law to use to practice his shooting. He does not need a top of the line pin point shooter. He is a beginner and lives in the city, so an air rifle would be ideal for him. Here are my parameters:

Good quality
Accurate ( within reason)
Scoped
Under 250 bucks for gun and scope

Can you guys recommend something that will fit the bill here?

 

[Admin]

I know Randy and Chuck shoot air rifles so I'd bet one of them will fill us in.

 

[Doohan]

Good idea R-man!

I shot Chuck's Air Arms gun... I loved it! would like to have one some day...

Chuck-where is a good starting point?

 

[Anonymous]

Chuck is far more qualified than me-- but, in the Beeman R-9 .20 caliber I've found everything I want an air rifle to possibly be.

 

[big6x6]

Oh BOY! AIR RIFLES!

Question:
Mostly TARGET shooting or mostly SMALL GAME hunting?

 

[Doohan]

Small game = cats? :shock:

seriously.. most likely target shooting. Do you need more FPS for game? Is that why you ask?

Subsonic for paper
Supersonic for feline?

 

[big6x6]

Small game = cats?

Took the words right out of my MOUTH! :lol:

seriously.. most likely target shooting. Do you need more FPS for game? Is that why you ask

Actually...You usually ALWAYS want subsonic. Caliber choice is really the issue. UNLESS if really serious into small game hunting, .177 is almost always the better choice.

 

[Doohan]

:lol:
hehe...

Ok,

Best buy for a paper punching, and part time rodent control?

 

[big6x6]

Best buy for a paper punching, and part time rodent control?

Beeman R-7 or R-9, Webley Xocet or Stingray, or a BSA Supersport. Rifle ALONE in the $250.00 range or so. All of these are either German or English made. Really good quality. I have some great used values I'll be glad to part with if anyone is interested.

 

[Blue-Dot-37.5]

I second Chuck's choices. Quality in airguns is just as expensive as CF's or more so. Also, a new gun needs some shooting to break it in, my TX200 owners manual said to shoot 200 pellets just to get rid of the assy. oil and stop the dieseling. Simmons 44 Mag scopes are pretty reasonable and hold up to the recoil on spring air guns. Listen to what Chuck has to say about scopes, spring air guns eat more scopes than you'd think! I'd go with .177 cal., and try the Crosman Premier pellets in 7.9 grains. The 10.5 gr. pellets have a bit more retained energy, but they usually aren't as accurate, and have more of a rainbow trajectory. Pellet guns, like .22 rimfires are pellet sensitive, so if you buy a new gun and want some to try, let me know. I've got probably 30 different tins of pellets - all .177 cal.

Stay sub-sonic! The pellets bounce around quite a bit going from super-sonic to sub-sonic and that plays havoc with your groups.

 

[big6x6]

Well, Dwight...what about the AIR RIFLE?

 

[Rifleman]

Well I spent the day with the bro in law taking him fishing and he can just buy his own. :lol: