What budget air rifle for bunnies?

[secretagentmole 1,701]

I am sure you will, but I was explaining why we went for a second Hatsan for the wife! Handbags have been withdrawn on this side, HW do make lovely guns and I saw a lovely HW100, but with all the other kit needed to go with it, I decided that £1000 was a whimsy over my £400 budget! Did not stop me dribbling though! The underlever abomination I tried was still built like a swiss watch, the cocking action was like silk and the pellet door glided. But the stock on it was short for me and it did not feel balanced. My impressions only.

 

Saying that when it comes time to upgrade, if I upgrade I will once more go out with an open mind in the budget I have and I will try what is in the shops I visit. If I like it and it is there I will buy it, does not matter if it is new or secondhand, as long as it has an action I am happy with, a balance I like and a stock that suits me! It is all about personal choice, but I don't like people hammering the lower priced guns for no good reason! I will happily admit the B2 Westlake could be a bit lairy, was built on a very limited budget and was noisy as a car crash in the percussion section of the Philharmonic Orchestra but was great fun in the back garden with targets and cans! I would not have attempted any hunting with it though!

 

Best of luck finding a gun and hope you get your AA.

[Karpman 44]

A quality gun is just that, I picked up a Hatsan 44-10 Pcp.

 

Now being a little new at the sport I had to do some research and was close to being sucked in buy the hatsan, After holding it though the build quality was just not there simple as.

 

Accuracy and power were not my concerns, I was quiet sure it was accurate and powerful, Consistency and reliability were my main concerns.The gun it'self was rather front heavy short and also bulky, The trigger was sharp and not in a good way and the side cocking lever seemed a little flimsy and difficult to replace.

 

There ain't that many second hand so there either dead, Superb or theres not many being bought.

 

The second hand hand route of a house hold name air rifle for me is surely the way to go, This in it's self is not without it's pitfalls though finding nice examples is not easy as I found out!

 

Sorted now though:)

 

Cheers

Karpman

[zini 1,939]

Now then ladies please put away your handbags

 

 

I'll have my say mate especially if he is trying to say anything indirectly about my family.

 

Si

[secretagentmole 1,701]

Not saying anything indirectly Zini, never picked up an issue of AGW, just convenient letters. Your shooting skills are excellent, the post you put up about killing the birds proved that and hopefully I am going to be able to put up some photos of what we get! Zeroed ours to thirty yards today. burying the pellets in the wood behind the target so the power is there and they were placing to three quarters of an inch, despite us suffering in the zero degrees atmosphere...

 

Coffee never tasted so good. HW mechanisms are fantastic, the cocking action on that underlever was smooth, nearly effortless and the pellet door was a peach. Perhaps the trigger needed adjustment and the stock could have been changed I don't know, I just did not like the gun. Perhaps in another couple of years I will be looking at HW, or I could gas ram the Hatsan and Webley, see what difference that makes, but by then my 60S will be four years old and at a cost of £25 a year to own (assuming no value on trade in) that still ain't bad! At two years old there is still no discernible barrel wear, the mechanism is still solid and the trigger still a peach!

 

The thing that makes me laugh more than anything is the fools you see on preloved selling B2 Westlakes/SMK rifles for £70, they are selling those rifles for twice the cost of the blasted things. That is when a cheap rifle is too damned expensive. My wife traded a Gamo 400 with wood stock in when she bought her Diana, she bought it for £100 in October, tried it, found that the half power rifle was not what she was after so she went for the Diana, she got £100 when she traded it in last week! Not bad going is it?

 

Edited to say that Si gives damned good advice on scope set up as well as being a crack shot!!!

Edited January 28, 2011 by secretagentmole

[secretagentmole 1,701]

A salient piece of advice though, use good ammo, I am using RWS super hollow points... Bad ammo in a good gun is a hell of a lot worse than good ammo in a bad gun!

 

Edited to say zeroed in on them, hopefully next week live trials!

Edited January 28, 2011 by secretagentmole

[secretagentmole 1,701]

By the way, apology to Si, my crack about the initials AGW did not come out as intended, anybody who indulges in that leisure past time could never pull off the superb shooting that Si is able to. He is also very knowledgeable about setting up sights and correct use of the mildot! I make no apologies for my love of the Hatsan and acknowledge what he says about trade ins also representing a good value buy for those on a restricted budget.

 

I had a lousy experience with one HW but I will not allow that to predjudice me in case I win the lotttery and can seriously consider that HW 100 that really took my eye... But until then I will put up with what my budget allows and what felt right to me. I may be misinformed and damned lucky with my Hatsan, but the wife's is 2 years newer and performs just as well during setting up the new scope so there is life in my old dog yet, but I wont be going for 60 yard kills because I dont think I would be able to hit the bleeding things for a start!

 

By the way for all of you who read my previous posts, NTVs rule ok?

[venomviper 129]

hi ya buddy

a word from the wise lol

do you see what you want in a gun buddy ?

cal 177 or 22 ?

walnut stock or beech ?

under lever or break barrel ?

now like a lot have said hw/webley/air arms/bsa ?

and most will tell you i have owned most of them i find them very good guns webley tend to be a little under power crono wise i have to test every gun i have as for my pest control company hw and air arms are very classy gun a little on the heavy side but thats why we have slings still a top gun the hw95k like si said top little shooter such an easy gun to use and comfy to and very well balance like the rest but you will need to go through a few of these guns to find the one that fits you buddy

the monety you have will get you a nice hw most days matey so hold tight and have a look about hatsons smk are cheap guns yes i know a few that swear by them but again what si says try to go for a better top market gun you will find they are a lot better matey (not knocking the hatson or smk )

i hope after all this you find a nice gun and get some pictures up of your vermin shoot once you are sorted

 

shay

[Rake aboot 4,935]

Jeez this thread took a wrong turn somewhere eh ??

 

As my opinion is well stated in my other thread I`ll not repeat mesell,, but Mole,, you are obviously bessoted with your cheapo gun, but try not to let it have you talking utter crap and making yourself sound clueless about airguns bud !

 

Atb

[secretagentmole 1,701]

Rake,

 

I love this little gun, I have good groupings at 30 yards on the range, which I think is about as far as I would want to shoot with an air powered. She may be two years old, cheap as chips, but she is a well made gun that still fires well. I might be lucky with her, I might not, but I hate people knocking what I think is a good value little weapon. I had a bad experience with the underlever HW, I allowed enough bees to get into my bonnet to sound like a hyperactive beehive and I picked a fight with a guy who I have congratulated on his shooting!

 

How daft is that? I will admit that there are good value second user unbutchered HWs out there in the guys budget. The experience I had with one was bad. The trigger was that sensitive a gnat farting would probably have set it off! Not good on a £240 gun! I personally would love a hand fitted Theoben, I am not that far from them, but barring lottery wins that is a pipe dream for me.

 

I will keep you all updated on moles progress and will post pictures of any success or slugs up the posterior.

[hunter1989 91]

bloody hell lads

 

secretagentmole

 

Right my say

 

as allot of you no i rate the mod60s highly as it was my first rifle

 

but as for the hw are crap are you on this planet that's like saying my wife crap in bed

 

the cheaper end of the market is good for your first rifle or if you feel it... an experience shooter but come on hw aa are the best ever,

 

every one has mixed opinion and are all strong opinionated people by the sounds of

 

but for bringing Si son in to it that's low matey if anyone said anything out of order regarding my family well lets just say in fact just image Si never swear and get his ass out on here but you made him buddy

 

Si is a very intelligent man and a true and good friend tome,yes we have had small debates over shooting but never lead to anything likes this

 

if Si don't like the mod60 that's cool as everyone likes different things,no need to get you arse up though pal,

i like the smk market but many don't i wont go to these length you have and fall out with people

 

cheap springer's are like mar-mite you love them all hate them-i love them but that's my opinion.

 

i would not give advice over hw as they are very smooth accurate powerful very nice wood and are relibe but what do you expect there German made,

 

anyways said my bit

 

atb steve

[hunter1989 91]

also just read rogers thread i agree bang out of order pal no need for it,

you keep saying all the specs of the mod60 like true glo e.c.t

 

MY SPECS OF AAS400.177

 

aa s400 cassic .177

jager scopes worth 2 brand new mod60

hard case

bipod

 

specs of bsa metoer mk5

 

simmon 3-9x40

endura sling

dulexe carry case

 

specs of mod60

sas trigger

true glow

hang on you already said the specs i think

 

it is boring reading about shooting at your ply wood buddy and saying the same shite

[millsy44 72]

.

Edited January 29, 2011 by millsy44

[secretagentmole 1,701]

Hunter the one that I tried had a hair trigger that was susceptible to gnats farts, honestly, it was a mare! It was hyper sensitive! The cocking action was a beauty, really great. Sweet, smooth and easy. I just wish I could have got on with the stock on that gun and that the trigger was not liable to go off if a bunny farted up the field. I like a nice clean, clear 2 stage trigger and this was not on this gun.

 

I did like the look of an HW100, but seeing as it was way out of my league price wise I never picked it up (though I did drool a bit). I have posted an apology to Si as some of the things I said were bang out of order. By the way my Hatsan does not have Tru Glo optics, that is the wife's gun, mine has the old iron sights on it.

 

Si has given me some good advice on pellets, and the effective range of what I am using, so I will use this tin up and switch to AA Fields, apparently more stable at distances over thirty yards! I am currently on RWS super H points.

[rossy08 33]

Hunter the one that I tried had a hair trigger that was susceptible to gnats farts, honestly, it was a mare! It was hyper sensitive! The cocking action was a beauty, really great. Sweet, smooth and easy. I just wish I could have got on with the stock on that gun and that the trigger was not liable to go off if a bunny farted up the field. I like a nice clean, clear 2 stage trigger and this was not on this gun.

 

I did like the look of an HW100, but seeing as it was way out of my league price wise I never picked it up (though I did drool a bit). I have posted an apology to Si as some of the things I said were bang out of order. By the way my Hatsan does not have Tru Glo optics, that is the wife's gun, mine has the old iron sights on it.

 

Si has given me some good advice on pellets, and the effective range of what I am using, so I will use this tin up and switch to AA Fields, apparently more stable at distances over thirty yards! I am currently on RWS super H points.

 

 

look mate the rekord trigger is adjustable for fu-k's sake.and if i hear tru glo optics once more,they come on £35 bb guns,nowt to shout about.

 

i cant even be bothers to type what im thinking see my previous post pg4.

 

Andy

[Rake aboot 4,935]

Is it just me or am I reading the same posts over and over and over ,,,,,,,,,ad infinitum!

 

Getting boring now.

Hopefully any new shooter that was reading this will have taken out the advise they were looking for and will make decisions based on advice from the experienced shooters on here !

 

ATB