Rake aboot 4,935 Posted January 27, 2011 Report Share Posted January 27, 2011 Can I just say that cheap crap air rifles by SMK "et all" are not to be recommended for hunting!! they are a plinking tools only I expect loads of flak but ,so what?, These cheapos are not the right tool for someone who takes killing an animal with the responsibilty it deserves. Some guns are made for shooting at targets, plinking etc,, no fault there,they provide a good value introduction to the airgunning world,, but saying they are suitable recommendations for killing anything is not on. There are loadsa folk tuning them and getting results with them, but this leads to people thinking they are up to the job,, and this can mean someone taking a standard SMK,or Norica,Gamo etc and going out hunting with it, Not good. If someone wants a cheap air rifle for hunting ,theres plenty out there, secondhand maybe, but infinitely better than new tat! My opinion, but backed up with 32 years airgunning! 5 Quote Link to post
andyfr1968 772 Posted January 27, 2011 Report Share Posted January 27, 2011 Well said that man Quote Link to post
pianoman 3,587 Posted January 27, 2011 Report Share Posted January 27, 2011 l can hardly put it better sir. l'm sorry but you just cannot come out with a piddling hundred and fifty quid budget and think that will get you into seriously and humanely efficient hunting. lt's got to be 250-300 quid at the very least and that's for a top quality 2nd hand rifle ... If you really give a moment's thought about the creature you are intending on shooting. Quote Link to post
Phantom 631 Posted January 28, 2011 Report Share Posted January 28, 2011 (edited) Can I just say that cheap crap air rifles by SMK "et all" are not to be recommended for hunting!! they are a plinking tools only I expect loads of flak but ,so what?, These cheapos are not the right tool for someone who takes killing an animal with the responsibilty it deserves. Some guns are made for shooting at targets, plinking etc,, no fault there,they provide a good value introduction to the airgunning world,, but saying they are suitable recommendations for killing anything is not on. There are loadsa folk tuning them and getting results with them, but this leads to people thinking they are up to the job,, and this can mean someone taking a standard SMK,or Norica,Gamo etc and going out hunting with it, Not good. If someone wants a cheap air rifle for hunting ,theres plenty out there, secondhand maybe, but infinitely better than new tat! My opinion, but backed up with 32 years airgunning! I beg to differ gentlemen SMK 19 complete with second kill at 35 yards early one morning. This is the rifle that got me into hunting and it has removed many a pest out to 35 yards with ease apart from the heay pull weight of the trigger, its as sweet as a nut and puts out a constant 10.5 ft/lbs at the muzzle which is far more than is needed to decimate the brain of a bunny at 35 yards. I had not tuned it in anyway shape or form at the time. In fact, the only two things I've done to it was added a UK_Niel Silencer and dampened the noise from the action by putting some felt pads between the action ad the stock. Incidently it cost £120 when new. Phantom Edited January 28, 2011 by Phantom 2 Quote Link to post
zini 1,939 Posted January 28, 2011 Report Share Posted January 28, 2011 Ummmm, This is going to turn into a interesting thread I think. I know that there are folks on here for SMK rifles and against SMK rifles. Ive only ever owned one in 1997, a Custom Lion. It was a cheap rifle with the worst trigger in the world but did kill pests for me in Bosnia easily enough if i kept within a short to medium range bracket. I sort of sit in the middle here because i agree that there are alot better rifles out there for hunting and killing humanely, but also agree with Tony that 10.5 ft/lbs is plenty of power to kill a rabbit or corvid humanley with. Si. 3 Quote Link to post
Catcher 1 639 Posted January 28, 2011 Report Share Posted January 28, 2011 (edited) Hi lads.Any one ever used co2 rifles.and if so.what did you think of them.Not looking to hunt with it just interested. Edited January 28, 2011 by Catcher 1 Quote Link to post
hunter1989 91 Posted January 28, 2011 Report Share Posted January 28, 2011 hi lads i agree with tony smkx19 are class rifle i had many humane kills with mine the limit to take a rabbit at 30 yards it 9fb so 10fb+is plenty nothing wrong with cheap rifle its how the shooter shoots not the rifle at all atb steve 1 Quote Link to post
secretagentmole 1,701 Posted January 28, 2011 Report Share Posted January 28, 2011 (edited) I prefer the Hatsan myself, as the wife managed to shoot herself up the backside with a Westlake B2 .22. It was a good shot, she was aiming at the target board 20 feet down the garden, she missed, it ricocheted off the fence behind the target and shot across to the other fence, ricocheted off that fence and back up the garden 25 feet to the third fence, it ricocheted off that, then off the bungalow and thwacked her squarely on the right cheek, leaving a good 4-5 inch bruise. Of course I was totally concerned, I was so concerned I was unable to stand, or see... That little Westie gave us plenty of fun plinking tins and targets in the back garden. When we started looking at getting into more serious hunting a couple of years ago, the Hatsan 60S was recommended by an RFD in Great Yarmouth as being a damned good rifle, affordable but quality. My old "ironsight" Hatsan has proved to be a good gun, giving good grouping at 25 yards. A second RFD and gun smith in Great Ellingham has also recommended the Hatsan 60S for rabbit killing. He did the wife a deal on a 60S, Hawke sight and mounts for £120. Yes we do have more expensive guns, mine is a Webley Stingray .177 (expensive Hatsan) and the wife has a Diana 280 T06. However we do not fancy dropping these £250-300 rifles in a puddle, ditch or animal by-product fertiliser accumulate (sh1t heap if you like). Hence our Hatsans! Our choice of guns has been recommended by two different RFDs, one of whom is certainly an expert gunsmith (some very nice Purdey guns were being overhauled or repaired) and works on air rifles (including gas ram conversions, could be interesting they do a gas ram 60S now). The one advantage with a cheaper rifle is you are buying new and will not have somebody else's problems built in. It will not immediately need a service, a new spring, new trigger mechanism, it will be ready to go from the box. People have had bad experiences with all makes of gun, why so many more reported on the cheaper guns? There are a damned lot more £50-£150 guns sold than £400-500 ones. It is the same with cars, you will get a higher number of problems reported with Ford cars than you will with Bentley, because more of them are sold. However if someone has bought a .22 cheaper air rifle after being promised that this model has been used by the Chinese secret service for political assasinations to discover it will not drop rabbits at a range you would have problems at with a rimfire rifle then they will be annoyed and will start bad mouthing their purchase. Horses for courses and all that. Just remember what you buy does have limitations and act within them, same with buying anything. Edited as my fingers were still asleep! Edited January 28, 2011 by secretagentmole Quote Link to post
J Darcy 5,871 Posted January 28, 2011 Report Share Posted January 28, 2011 Secretagentmole, as long as you are getting out there. One day you might change your mind, but as long as you're happy. We all look for different things in life, and wouldn't it be boring if we were all clones... Good hunting.... Quote Link to post
secretagentmole 1,701 Posted January 28, 2011 Report Share Posted January 28, 2011 Secretagentmole, as long as you are getting out there. One day you might change your mind, but as long as you're happy. We all look for different things in life, and wouldn't it be boring if we were all clones... Good hunting.... It would be, lol, besides if I dropped my beautiful Webley in a dung heap after I stumbled on something in the dark, I would be most dischuffed! So Hatsan for hunting and the Webley for the range! Will let you all know how we get on, it should be interesting to see how two good range shots get on hunting with properly set up cheaper rifles, keep your eyes peeled! Quote Link to post
rossi_j 99 Posted January 28, 2011 Report Share Posted January 28, 2011 A crap rifle in capable hands is a lot better that a great rifle in crap hands, My gamo cf-x could (tested on target and has taken one or two on occasions) consistantly take rabbits at 30yds ish, however it is not my rifle of choice as I own a better rifle wich I prefer, but If i Couldent afford a better rifle, would I let someone tell me I cant hunt with my gamo because they dont like it, I would laugh at them sat up there on that high horse of theres. Im not saying every rifle is up to the job but some are. I always try to make my kills as clean and humane as reasonably practical hense why I use the s410 and leave the gamo at home, as I have a quality rifle at my disposal. If your doing your best to kill clean and operating within the law then I have no problem with it! Obviously your best has to be up to standard, only your concience can decide that! You are the only one who knows how you perform with any given rifle, for me a rifle is not judged on its make, price or how it looks, it is based on power and accuracy. I can see both sides of this argument. My thaughts. .atb. .ste. Quote Link to post
rossy08 33 Posted January 28, 2011 Report Share Posted January 28, 2011 i agree with Tony and Si on this one. my 2 pence on the matter, witch im shure will cause upset to some, but try to get the point im makeing befor jumping down my neck. yes there are better tools out there for the job,but to me your basicly saying that you can only go and hunt with top end high price rifles i can't fully agree with that. yes they are the best equipment for the job,no dout about it. but to state that all cheeper guns on the market are not to be used for hunting,is crap and your on your i'v got the best there is so noting elce will do high horse. sorry how i see it. every day i see a thread about what "cheep gun for rabbits" and the only replies people get now days are get a HW or AA new or second hand. yes the best tools for the job,i'm not saying your not correct in what your saying, but there are other guns that will do the job. as Tony has proved. just think back to where you started,was it only with these top end guns.did useing some of the cheeper one teach you things like hold, how to handle the recoil. bet they did. yes there are a lot of cheep guns out there now, and lets be honest most are rubbish,but lets no tar them all with the same brush ay lads. just my thoughts sorry if offends any one, this is not amied at any indervidual. Andy 1 Quote Link to post
pianoman 3,587 Posted January 28, 2011 Report Share Posted January 28, 2011 (edited) l wonder sometimes. how many honestly capable shooters there are with the know-how to shoot to a sensible range with a low-end gun Andy . not many mate l fear. l know l've tried a few guns from the ranges of smk. norica and gamo and l wouldn't have taken one of them out to hunt with. so poor were the triggers and the general twangy performance and handling. maybe l have been spoiled with so many finest quality spring rifles throughout my shooting life but. they are what turned me into the shooter l know l am. l surely know too that. given a choice between a brand new cheap-as-chips gun or a well-used HW or AA super-rifle for a little more money. l know what l would go for. ln the end though. as jd rightly said. We all look for different things in life, and wouldn't it be boring if we were all clones... Good hunting.... simon Edited January 28, 2011 by pianoman Quote Link to post
rossy08 33 Posted January 28, 2011 Report Share Posted January 28, 2011 l wonder sometimes. how many honestly capable shooters there are with the know-how to shoot to a sensible range with a low-end gun Andy . not many mate l fear. l know l've tried a few guns from the ranges of smk. norica and gamo and l wouldn't have taken one of them out to hunt with. so poor were the triggers and the general twangy performance and handling. maybe l have been spoiled with so many finest quality spring rifles throughout my shooting life but. they are what turned me into the shooter l know l am. l surely know that given a choice between a brand new cheap-as-chips gun or a well-used HW or AA super-rifle for a little more money. l know what l would go for. ln the end though. as jd rightly said. We all look for different things in life, and wouldn't it be boring if we were all clones... Good hunting.... simon hello simon mate, how are you. there wont be many,as those of us that are capable good shots move on to the better rifles. to get the very very best from every shot. probebly the reasone we get the best then still want them tunning to be even better. and demand the best from our selves. but as i say i dont belive that all cheep guns are not to be hunted with. some yes not all. but again most of us reg's on hear have £1000's worth of kit.so to us what is cheep? would you go out and blow that on a new hobbie or something your just getting into. all the best Andy Quote Link to post
davyt63 1,845 Posted January 28, 2011 Report Share Posted January 28, 2011 hi i have used cheap riles co2 & smk and both have performed well for me,at a range of 30yds.i didn't take any quarry past this range,as i didn't fell comfortable with the rifle and my self i would rather use a AA or HW or a better brand,for longer range shots and i shall keep my refurbed( when its finished) BSA meteor in the van,as i do get to work in some rural places,i always ask first though regards davy Quote Link to post
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