What To Buy

[craigymac 11]

looking to buy a rifle what would you guys recogmend ?

[woodcote1 88]

What for? What budget?

[pianoman 3,587]

Hello there craigymac.

 

You make no mention of any previous shooting experience or know-how. If you are a beginner, I'd suggest a quality spring rifle to learn the craft of shooting properly, from the ground floor up; and this will provide you with a rifle that will enable you to grow and develope your shooting without outgrowing or outshooting it and having to change to something better.

 

For that, go for;

 

WEIHRAUCH HW80.

WEIHRAUCH HW97K.

WEIHRAUCH HW77.

WEIHRAUCH HW95.

AIR ARMS PROSPORT

AIR ARMS TX200 SERIES.

DIANA 52 SIDELEVER

DIANA 54 AIRKING.

 

These are among the very best and the most expensive. But any of them will provide you with a lifelong reliable shooting rifle you can really count on. For calibre choices, go for .177. This will provide maximum accuracy you can use both as a target as well as a hunting calibre.

 

.22 is just as accurate and in my opinion the better for hunting. But the pellet has a more pronounced trajectory path-curve which you must learn to adapt to your rifle's accuracy.

 

For Pre-charged pneumatic (PCP) have a cast around the forum and see what the lads shoot with. I have no experience of shooting with these to make any worthwhile note of.

 

Best wishes.

Pianoman

[craigymac 11]

thanks for your responces .

my experience of shooting i havent shot for about 8 years but used to shoot high calibre weapons .

i dont hold a fac so not going to go for shotgun etc. i am looking to kill rabbits etc (would 177 or .22 be best for this?)

if you could recogmend some rifles i can see if i can get them at the right price

 

thanks alot craig

[Stigy79 5]

Hello mate, I second what pianoman says, Im also getting back in to shooting after a lengthy break so decided to get a decent springer to start from the bottom up with air arms tx200 hc 22, lovely gun without much recoil. just go to your local gun shop and sholder a few til one feels right.Little hint though, if you are new try targets before hunting so your more likely to get a clean kill! All the best with your choice as it can be difficult! 22 better for hunting rabbits, packs more punch!

Edited February 21, 2013 by Stigy79

[The one 8,481]

Theres a nice s300 in the for sale section and its no mine

[Craig Fosse 286]

Hi craigymac, if I was you having previous experience on high caliber rifles, do what piano an says, go springer. I did while I was in the marines, shooting the sa80, .50, gpmg, gmg. All very high caliber weapons, and I got myself an air rifle and was like...what the hell I can't hit a barn door, a springer shows you how to shoot properly. From the ground up. I then entered the world of the Pcp, and in the future I will be looking at a tx200 because the springer I had was cheap and cheerful and only really allowed me to shoot out to 25 yards. All the best with picking, you have come to the right place to ask. There is a wealth of knowledge here, what might help is to tell us a budget you have. If you are aiming to go down hunting like you say remember its not all about the rifle...equipment is a big one, gloves camo gear etc etc, so you may need to have a look at ur budget and not spend it all on a rifle.

[craigymac 11]

cheers for the reply craig , am ex 3 para got loads of camo gear left over since i got out . buget wise no more than £300 for the rifle scope etc . i was never a grear shot when in didntt need to be accurate with the .50 or gpmg lol .

[Craig Fosse 286]

Ah awesome mate, so at least we are on the same wave length then, now there are loads of decent rifles for that price it just depends what your tastes are, if you were like me and didnt know the main meaning of shootings ( apart from getting a box of lead down) then I'd suggest going down the route of a springer, what piano man has up there in the list is great. I'm actually looking at the tx200 to buy in the future, but I'm bias to air arms because I have used a lot of their Pcp rifles and own one myself. Shooting a springer isn't easy however it teaches you how t shoot properly. To get a Pcp set up for that price will be difficult, because you need the dive bottle or pump to get clean air in which for an example a 3 ltr air bottle goes for over a Hundred quid and doesn't deminish in value very much. You should be able to pick out a good second hand springer with a scope easily. Or depending on where you live your local gunshop might have some for sale. Do you have any idea at all? Start researching now and learn a lot about the subject. Please I beg of you, don't do what I did and come back off a tour and get a cheap smk for 130 quid and learn very quickly that I know nothing about it or hunting for that matter. If you have any questions mate just pm me. Also you have the great pick of choosing between .22 and .177 which has been an on going discussion forever . Prepare yourself for a steep learning curves, lots of swarming and lots of disappointment, but when you hold your bunny in your hands for the first time with a well placed clean kill, the smile will last a life time.

[Skot Ruthless Teale 1,701]

look for a second hand hw95 with scope should find one for less that 300 squid

[jonny10 20]

Aa prosport defo the best springer available

[Taz-n-Lily 62]

Hi,

Get yourself to a club if you can. The people will be friendly, and some will let you try their rifles. Shoudering a gun in a shop is ok, but you really need to shoot a rifle to decide if you like it.

 

I have a TX200 mk3 which I bought 2nd-hand. They are built like brick sh*thouses so you are very safe buying pre-owned, and you'll get one with a scope comfortably within your budget.

 

On the subject of TX's, they don't have much recoil at all, but a simple selftune (can be done using original parts) transforms the rifle completely - from great to excellent.

 

Anyway - hope you get sorted soon. I needed to clear my head after too much admin, and had an hour spare this afternoon.

I took my TX to my permission for a bit of plinking - skinny sticks stuck in the ground at 30 yards. Great fun and really blows the cobwebs away! Shoves the attention outwards, if you see what I mean.

Edited February 27, 2013 by Taz-n-Lily

[craigymac 11]

cheers for your replies guys been talking to my mate he recons to get a multi shot to save me from buying twice . what you guys think ? he has a AA multi shot .

[craigymac 11]

i was thinking between one of these two air arms tx200 or the hw 97k

[Bossmugler 14]

Dare I say this. PCPs are great guns. But can become boring to shoot after a while. And even their deadly predictable accuracy gets mundane.

A good springer gives you the best of both worlds and makes you more in tune with the rifle, as well as teaching you the correct principles. Also a nicely tuned springer will hold its own against most PCPs. Just look on here or Hunters Vermin channel for proof.

 

I do have both a high end PCP and Springer, and shooting the springer just makes me smile more. Of course it will depend on your guns intended purpose, as a multishot is ideal for a hunting scenario if you need a quick follow up shot, and is lighter to cart around if rough shooting. But lately I am seeing more and more people trading in their PCPs and going back to spring. Just my opinion.