Quick Question Or Two - First Air Rifle Purchase For Over 25 Years

[dfunds75 2]

Firstly hello everyone, have been reading this forum for a large part of the last couple of days as I'm about to purchase my first air rifle in over 25 years. My first (and only) was .177 break barrel (no idea of the make\model) which I got from a friend for £25 when I was 13. I bought it with no regard for any of the air rifle laws, as you do when you're a teenager living in the countryside with bugger all to do of a summer holiday other than play in the woods\orchards near where you live (simpler times eh) and kept it successfully hidden from my parents until I moved out when I was 20.

 

That thing was a workhorse. In the years I had it I never cleaned it or stored it properly (sometimes it was left in a hidey hole under a barn on my mates parents farmland for days) yet it still performed without a problem for years. The only thing I would do would be to take off the telescopic sight which I saved up for a couple of months to buy if I had to leave it outside overnight.

 

A chance meeting with a mate who I used to shoot with when we were young got me thinking to how much fun I had with that thing, and how I'd like to get back into shooting so that when my kids are a little older I can see if they like it, and it can be another thing we can do together.

 

 

I don't want to break the bank, and have around £200 - £250 I can spend and for that want to get everything I need to start shooting with it.

 

The 'lets buy the shiny thing with all the tech I can get' part of me wants a PCP, the realist in me thinks a break barrel is the way to do.

 

I think the attraction of a PCP is being able to head out with it charged and fire off however many shots the rifle would give me (this seems to vary massively). However I think that at this point the hassle of actually filling the reservoir (either by hand, getting\keeping a canister at home or going somewhere to fill up) is going to spoil the enjoyment somewhat.

 

The ease of having a spring\break barrel rifle is that I can simply take out with me and start shooting is a very big draw, as it's something that if the situation dictates, I can leave dormant for a few years and not have to worry about seals etc (I've read that PCP's can stay charged for years and then used straight away, is this true?).

 

 

Anyway - life story etc over, onto the questions

 

 

• What would I be looking at having to purchase (and approx cost), on top of the rifle\bag\pellet cost should I go with a PCP airgun to give me the ability to shoot regularly, and without having to travel to fill up on air?

 

• With the cost from the first question taken into consideration, is £200 - £250 a realistic budget to be able to get what is necessary, or would I be better served spending the money on a better spring rifle?

 

• Lastly - if anyone can recommend specific rifles that fit in my budget that would be great. There is so much choice and having spent a few days reading/watching videos on youtube I'm probably now more confused than when I started. I would ideally like something that is ambidextrous as my eldest son is a lefty and this will hopefully end up being used by the whole family. Also, I think I'd prefer something that looks more contemporary and not like the rifle I had.

 

Thanks for taking the time to read this wall of text

 

D

 

 

[jandcguns 65]

right from what i took in lol, your looking for an air rifle in your budget ?, pcp have from 40 shots poer charge to 500 depending on the gun an most are filled to 200 bar and all i can really say is cheap pcp aa s200, or a decent springer weirauch hw80 , 95, 97 all very good i sure one of the big lads on here ha will tell you all about this as im not good at explaining

[bigmac 97kt 13,821]

Go with the springer mate the pcp will cost a lot more im not saying that you will not get one for that price but by the time you have got every thing you need to go with the pcp it will have cost you close to £500 and there is nothing better than picking up your gun putting the pellets in your pocket and out the door you go and a springer will do that for you every time and will never run out of air just look at the hw range you may pick up an older rifle for that kind of money and you can not go wrong with eny hw hope this helps atvbmac :thumbs:

[jandcguns 65]

Go with the springer mate the pcp will cost a lot more im not saying that you will not get one for that price but by the time you have got every thing you need to go with the pcp it will have cost you close to £500 and there is nothing better than picking up your gun putting the pellets in your pocket and out the door you go and a springer will do that for you every time and will never run out of air just look at the hw range you may pick up an older rifle for that kind of money and you can not go wrong with eny hw hope this helps atvbmac :thumbs:

thats what i ment to say lol

[dfunds75 2]

cheers chaps

 

That's just what I wanted to read

[kruby01 114]

For that budget it's definitely going to be spring and you should get a decent second hand rifle but then don't forget a scope can set you back a bit as well. Don't buy cheap as you will regret it but you don't need to splash out either. A budget scope but from a well known make should be okay, hawke is a favourite and I do like Simmons myself. Personally as we'll I won't buy second hand scopes, plenty of people do but I'd just rather not as they can be broken so easily.

A bag is a bag really

Pellets again don't go for the cheapest most people spend around £10 a tin ( accupell, rws, air arms)

Also if you're planning on hunting rather than target shooting then don't forget camos and maybe a lamp?

£250 should just cover what you need but be careful on splashing out because things soon add up

[Skot Ruthless Teale 1,701]

Second hand weihrauch hw80 or hw95 mate with a scope and bag should get one for £250.

[zini 1,939]

Ive got a full setup you can have for £300.

 

HW80 and scope, silencer and sling.

[bigmac 97kt 13,821]

Ive got a full setup you can have for £300.

 

HW80 and scope, silencer and sling.

If you can get the extra £50 i would have this off zini (si) as its off him it will be one of the best out there and he has a vid of him using this rifle on one of his posts hope this helps atvbmac :thumbs:

[gosling1960 191]

 

Ive got a full setup you can have for £300.

 

HW80 and scope, silencer and sling.

If you can get the extra £50 i would have this off zini (si) as its off him it will be one of the best out there and he has a vid of him using this rifle on one of his posts hope this helps atvbmac :thumbs:

 

 

 

Second what he said above have this one of Si you will not regret that decision.

[jandcguns 65]

i agree with the above

[gurtwurz 792]

Yep, thats a good deal for that , it's stupidly accurate, built to last your shooting lifetime and already tuned up to a very high standard. Spend the extra 50 notes and you'll be well set up mate

[andyfr1968 772]

Hello, mate. I enjoyed reading that, good post.

 

Si's will make someone a fantastic rifle and for very reasonable money too but..... (sorry, Si ) if you're wanting a rifle for your kids to use then it may be rather on the large side. For yourself fantastic but for the little ones, no.

 

I'd agree with the above comments that a spring gun will suite your needs best. It'll also make you and your family better shots in the long run as they need more skill to master than any PCP but we'll more than gladly help you out with any problems that you may experience.

 

HW all the way but maybe look more towards the 99 or 95. Properly good quality kit and proper full power guns but easy enough for the young ones to master.

 

Good luck and please keep us posted.

 

Cheers.

[webster 90]

another vote for the but as said above they might be a bit heavy for kiddies

[secretagentmole 1,701]

HW80 and 3 cans of Spinach???