Advice Wanted

[ReBreatherSteve 0]

Good morning,

 

My first posting so no flaming please.

 

The rabbits, crows and magpies have won the battle, it's time for me to buy an air rifle, whilst I type this I can see at least 6 rabbits enjoying breakfast on my vegetables, my wife keep going out to try and scare them off but she's wasting her time, however it does keep her fit!!!

 

Ok, now for my question, I have a budget of £1,000 however I don't want all the hassle of diving bottles and filling up, getting on a bit and I'm not as nimble as I used to be. I've looked around the net and liked the look of the Theoben SLR98 gas ram, nice a easy to use without to much hassle. Remember this air rifle will sit in the corner of the room for most of the time and when I see one of those pesky rabbit it will get used. I have no intention of going out and shooting in my local woods it just for my own use, in my own garden.

 

Can anyone recommend something better or something without a big ugly bottle at the front of it, they remind me of my old diving days with a crack bottle on an SLJ (BCD).

 

Any advice would be appreciated and if anyone knows of a good quality second hand one for sale or if you know of one brand new in a shop please let me know.

 

I live in Yorkshire but my son travels around the country a bit so no problem picking one up.

 

Many thanks

[Guest Scuba1]

First of all, welcome to the forum RBSteve. Have a look in the for sale section on here, there is bound to be something in there that you like the looks of. If all you want is to put a dent in your rabbit population, anything with close to 12 ft/lbs will do the trick so take your pick.

I would have thought, that with a name like that, you would have the odd cylinder to fill a PCP in your garage . I know that I have and I use a PCP now having found another use for my cylinders other then just diving.

 

ATB

 

Michael

[whosthedaddy 0]

Hi,

Keep away from the slr98,way over priced gun and you can catch them used on gun trader for 300 ish,google gun trader and have a look on there as prices on new Rifles vary threw different dealer,you will tell which is taking the p and which aint.

I would look towards a bsa lightning or theoben evolution,the evolution is around 370 and has a gas ram so noworry about the spring braking,the lightning is a springer and you can add a gas ram,lightning price is around 190-250 dependant on which model you go for,gas ram can be brought for around 50-60.

I would opt for 177 too for flater pellet flight rather then the loopy un prodictable 22.

You will need a scope and I would say look towards the Bushnells and simmons range.

 

With your budget you could have a realnice pcp set up but I agree with you about the filling,which is one of the reasons I have a few gas rams and springers in the cupboard.

 

My advice would honestly be to check prices and looks of guns on gun trader then go your local shop to handle a few and keep away from any thing chinese,bam or smk.

 

for 300 you could get a BSA lightning and scope,whih is what I would opt foras it is one of the lightest springers on the market,which is why I recommend you go handle them down the shop,the average springer is 8ibs+,I guess off the winder sill wont be to bad.

[Lee85 44]

for a grand you laughing, pick what you like really, i'm not an expert by any means but all the daystate range look nice and there about that and under, also if it's just for your own garden why not get a nice reliable springer which everyone on here would agree is fit for the job?

[ReBreatherSteve 0]

for a grand you laughing, pick what you like really, i'm not an expert by any means but all the daystate range look nice and there about that and under, also if it's just for your own garden why not get a nice reliable springer which everyone on here would agree is fit for the job?

 

 

Hi Lee85,

 

I've just noticed your in Bradford area, which shops do you use? I might go along and try the weight of a few air rifles.

 

When you say springer I guess you mean a rifle with a standard spring inside. I thought these type of rifles lost strength as time went by, so it might start as a 12 pounder but within a year it's down to a 10 pounder. Is this not the case?

 

Any advice on a nice reliable springer?

[ReBreatherSteve 0]

First of all, welcome to the forum RBSteve. Have a look in the for sale section on here, there is bound to be something in there that you like the looks of. If all you want is to put a dent in your rabbit population, anything with close to 12 ft/lbs will do the trick so take your pick.

I would have thought, that with a name like that, you would have the odd cylinder to fill a PCP in your garage . I know that I have and I use a PCP now having found another use for my cylinders other then just diving.

 

ATB

 

Michael

 

Hi Scuba1,

 

My cyclinders are small been Inspiration based, the largest one I have is a 7ltr. I just don't like the hassle of charging them up therefore I just want something I can pickup and shoot. Some of the replies think a springer might be best so I'll take a look at a few of them.

 

Thanks for the feedback.

[Guest Scuba1]

First of all, welcome to the forum RBSteve. Have a look in the for sale section on here, there is bound to be something in there that you like the looks of. If all you want is to put a dent in your rabbit population, anything with close to 12 ft/lbs will do the trick so take your pick.

I would have thought, that with a name like that, you would have the odd cylinder to fill a PCP in your garage . I know that I have and I use a PCP now having found another use for my cylinders other then just diving.

 

ATB

 

Michael

 

Hi Scuba1,

 

My cyclinders are small been Inspiration based, the largest one I have is a 7ltr. I just don't like the hassle of charging them up therefore I just want something I can pickup and shoot. Some of the replies think a springer might be best so I'll take a look at a few of them.

 

Thanks for the feedback.

 

You don't have to fill the gun up every time you want to go out to shoot and a 300 bar 7 ltr bail out cylinder will give you a hell of a lot of fills and depending on the gun, you get upwards from 50 shots per fill and thats a lot of bunnys to drag out of your garden. Just leave the charged up gun in the living room with 10 shots in the magazine close by and bob is your mothers brother.

 

ATB

 

 

Michael

[aaronpigeonplucker 32]

you've got 1000 pound to spend! you could pick any airgun in the world! if you have got diving bottles with you then i seriously wouldnot matter about the hassle of filling them up. as scuba said you have more than 50 shots per fill and thats a lot of rabbits. also you do know you can't just buy a gun and start blasting away at bnnys. you need a set of opticts (scope) and a lot of practise.

[bunny killer 19]

Good morning,

 

My first posting so no flaming please.

 

The rabbits, crows and magpies have won the battle, it's time for me to buy an air rifle, whilst I type this I can see at least 6 rabbits enjoying breakfast on my vegetables, my wife keep going out to try and scare them off but she's wasting her time, however it does keep her fit!!!

 

Ok, now for my question, I have a budget of £1,000 however I don't want all the hassle of diving bottles and filling up, getting on a bit and I'm not as nimble as I used to be. I've looked around the net and liked the look of the Theoben SLR98 gas ram, nice a easy to use without to much hassle. Remember this air rifle will sit in the corner of the room for most of the time and when I see one of those pesky rabbit it will get used. I have no intention of going out and shooting in my local woods it just for my own use, in my own garden.

 

Can anyone recommend something better or something without a big ugly bottle at the front of it, they remind me of my old diving days with a crack bottle on an SLJ (BCD).

 

Any advice would be appreciated and if anyone knows of a good quality second hand one for sale or if you know of one brand new in a shop please let me know.

 

I live in Yorkshire but my son travels around the country a bit so no problem picking one up.

 

Many thanks

hi i own two pcp rifles a theoben mfr .22 with scopes weirach silencer and a spare 280cc buddy bottle,i am getting around 150 shots in one fill,gun totals around £1000,,my other is a airarms s200 in .177 10 shot conversion full kit scopes silencer sling etc,,value around £550,,around 60 shots to one refill,,,,both guns are superb hunting rifles but are pcps,,the s200 i am selling for £350,,thats a hunting kit complete plus 3 x10 shot mags included plus a original tool kit,gunbag..this gun has been killing rabbits at 40 to 50yds with head shots using accupell pellets,,if you dont want the pcps go for a weirach hw90 which is a gas ram ,no spring,a bit heavy but a great gun,,price alone i think around the£400

[Lee85 44]

I'm from Bingley, i use a shop called 'Trader' in Shipley to fill my rifle, although its not a gun shop - they just do refills and sell second hand guns.

 

I've heard about Bradford Shooting Supplies - They might sell rifles, give them a buzz first:

 

01274 600003‎

 

161 Brownroyd Hill Rd

Bradford, BD6 1RU

 

You say you don't like the bottles on the guns, the rifle foryou might be the Daystate Hunstman Classic:

 

 

Bottle nicely tucked away in the stock and a really nice looking gun

 

- The Airgun Centre do it for £726 with scopes and mounts, 500 pellets and a case, then if you were to buy a large divers bottle, for what you need it'll last you for a long time before you need to take it back to a dive shop to get it refilled - theres a big dive shop up Dudley Hill in Braford that refill. You can get a complete fill kit with all the attachments for about £200 so you'd still have a bit of change. (The dive shop don't sell these kits but most air gun shops do)

 

Theres my 2 pench worth anyway. good luck

[ferretville 69]

Quite a budget you have there but being realistic for what you need it for a decent springer is going to be the order of the day. Weirauch do some decent springers and so do airarms . Half decent scope and mounts and your sorted. As you said its only for the garden bunnys and most of the time it will be sitting in the corner. No need to shell out on a daystate or any of the dearer rifles on the market when a decent springer will do you fine. Good luck with the gun and rabbits atb FV.

[ghillies 209]

Good morning,

 

My first posting so no flaming please.

 

The rabbits, crows and magpies have won the battle, it's time for me to buy an air rifle, whilst I type this I can see at least 6 rabbits enjoying breakfast on my vegetables, my wife keep going out to try and scare them off but she's wasting her time, however it does keep her fit!!!

 

Ok, now for my question, I have a budget of £1,000 however I don't want all the hassle of diving bottles and filling up, getting on a bit and I'm not as nimble as I used to be. I've looked around the net and liked the look of the Theoben SLR98 gas ram, nice a easy to use without to much hassle. Remember this air rifle will sit in the corner of the room for most of the time and when I see one of those pesky rabbit it will get used. I have no intention of going out and shooting in my local woods it just for my own use, in my own garden.

 

Can anyone recommend something better or something without a big ugly bottle at the front of it, they remind me of my old diving days with a crack bottle on an SLJ (BCD).

 

Any advice would be appreciated and if anyone knows of a good quality second hand one for sale or if you know of one brand new in a shop please let me know.

 

I live in Yorkshire but my son travels around the country a bit so no problem picking one up.

 

Many thanks

 

 

gas rams kick a bit, but only one part of recoil, the release, theyre sometimes louder than a springer too... eather way if your getting a non pcp because of 'niblenes probs' then get the full barrel version, not the carbine, because the more leverage the easier it is to pull after a while using it.

 

however...a rapid is a bit fiddley but thats only because of unscrewing the bottle, but... theres filler adaptations that allow you to leave the bottle on, in terms of use for ease yu cant beet the convenience of 300 plus shots (regs add a few more) on one 'minour fidley but not strnous' fill, compaired to pull the barrel..pull the barrel..pull the barrel.......

 

a 3 litre bottle is managable...plug in, open the tap...close off and detach... if you can get hold of manchester airguns, get a rapid tuned and regged with a longer barrel, i can get 450 shots in .177... i usualy fill less and shoot about 300 max for ease of filling, or more fills due to filling less, just seems better that way to me.

 

oh and if its your fingers then .22 may offer easier loading.

[ReBreatherSteve 0]

Many thanks for all the advice, lots to think about.

 

Going to SDS Water Sports, Sheffield, on Saturday to take a look and feel a few air rifles.

 

Does anyone know if they have a web site for their air rifles? I can easily find the diving site but not the air gun site.

 

Also thinking of driving over to Blackpool air rifles, again to have a look.

 

 

As a side issue when I was getting my rebreather re-filled many years ago (2000) at SDS my eye was attracted to an air rifle, after further conversation with Arthur it turned out to be Ripley single shot air rifle. When I asked how much it was he stated a customer had ordered it over 6 months ago and the price was just over £1k. That’s where I got my budget figure from of £1k. Just to complete the story I ended up walking out with over £3k's worth of Sony under water video equipment which I still use today and I only went to get my 3ltr bottle refilled!!!

[SEAN3513 7]

ripley are said to be be the best you can get........not very popular because of the price.

 

you can get a ripley "hog".............for around £600 new (pcp)

 

if your interested !!!!

 

grab yourself a copy of airgun world or airgunner ......will give you an idea of whats available and prices.

 

cheers

 

sean

[top gun 0]

Welcome to the site steve.. Seeing your from Bradford, Kirklees Guns I can recomend in Huddersfield. They've been on the go for years and wont rob you..