Air Rifles

[UNO]

When I was 15, I spent a lot of time hunting rabbits and crows with air rifles. Since then, I've closeted them/they broke/given away, and been shooting rifles, pistols, shotguns, etc.

Last week my girlfriend wanted a tour of the Daisy airgun museum, so I took off for the shift and we made the tour. It rekindled a ton of memories of good times, and i bought a Winchester 1100ss for $50 from the refurb rack. It's a $120 1100fps spring powered break barrel. Cheaper end, but enough to hunt vermin again. I find myself getting excited about it, and even considering a nicer air rifle in the near future if my excitement continues.

Practically, it allows me to kill squirrels (they chew on the decking) with much less regard for danger zones than my suppressed .22, but really, it's the fun of tinkering and playing with them on the cheap ($10 for 1000+ rounds, etc).

Anyone else have an airgun hobby or feel similar?

[barnetmill]

Decent air guns that give usable accuracy cost more than what a .22 rim fire will cost to achieve the same degree accuracy. As you state you use them only when circumstances force you to use them.
For cost versus accuracy firearms are cheaper. At 65 ft my modestly priced CZ452 with CCI .22 quiet segment ammo will shoot better than I can hold it and seems to be about the noise level of an air rifle. I kill squirrels at a feeding stating with a live oak as a back stop.
For squirrels with the air rifle you should be able to place your shot ideally into about 5/8 of an inch for brain shots for what ever range you are shooting them at. With the segmented quiet CCI .22 any solid body will usually prove fatal. 40 grain lead bullet at 700 fps breaking into three pieces is effective on a squirrel size critter. There are some that I know using .25 cal pellet guns for more knock down power.
But since this forum is all about quality and luxury items we should be talking about not cheap airguns, but the top of line air guns and those are right up there with target firearms in cost.

Below is a precharged Feinwerkbau P8X Pellet Pistol


Only $2,099.99


Save $300.00 (13%)
List Price $2,399.

https://images.airgundepot.com/ay/airgundepot/feinwerkbau-p8x-pellet-pistol-2.gif

[UNO]

Decent air guns that give usable accuracy cost more than what a .22 rim fire will cost to achieve the same degree accuracy. As you state you use them only when circumstances force you to use them.
For cost versus accuracy firearms are cheaper. At 65 ft my modestly priced CZ452 with CCI .22 quiet segment ammo will shoot better than I can hold it and seems to be about the noise level of an air rifle. I kill squirrels at a feeding stating with a live oak as a back stop.
For squirrels with the air rifle you should be able to place your shot ideally into about 5/8 of an inch for brain shots for what ever range you are shooting them at. With the segmented quiet CCI .22 any solid body will usually prove fatal. 40 grain lead bullet at 700 fps breaking into three pieces is effective on a squirrel size critter. There are some that I know using .25 cal pellet guns for more knock down power.
But since this forum is all about quality and luxury items we should be talking about not cheap airguns, but the top of line air guns and those are right up there with target firearms in cost.

Below is a precharged Feinwerkbau P8X Pellet Pistol


Only $2,099.99


Save $300.00 (13%)
List Price $2,399.

https://images.airgundepot.com/ay/airgundepot/feinwerkbau-p8x-pellet-pistol-2.gif

Thing is, most competition airguns push around 600fps for accuracy reasons. Not enough for vermin. I'm looking at getting into the PCP airguns. Who knows? This time next year I may be planning a deer hunt with a Quakenbush!

http://www.quackenbushairguns.com

*sometimes living well doesnt mean spending a lot. I've owned some of peoples grail guns, and kicked them to the curb because they brought me no joy. Les Baer, Wilson Supergrade, Sr25 ACC, etc. To name a few. Yet I have some cheap stuff that just works and puts a smile on my face.

[barnetmill]

Thing is, most competition airguns push around 600fps for accuracy reasons. Not enough for vermin. I'm looking at getting into the PCP airguns. Who knows? This time next year I may be planning a deer hunt with a Quakenbush!

http://www.quackenbushairguns.com

*sometimes living well doesnt mean spending a lot. I've owned some of peoples grail guns, and kicked them to the curb because they brought me no joy. Les Baer, Wilson Supergrade, Sr25 ACC, etc. To name a few. Yet I have some cheap stuff that just works and puts a smile on my face.

True sometimes living does not require a lot of money, but it is the exception.

The most wealthy people I know spend more time when shopping to make sure they get the right deal. It is nice to see that the quackenbush name has been revived.

I have some cheap air guns that were a complete waste of money relative to me hitting anything with them.

[UNO]

True sometimes living does not require a lot of money, but it is the exception.

The most wealthy people I know spend more time when shopping to make sure they get the right deal. It is nice to see that the quackenbush name has been revived.

I have some cheap air guns that were a complete waste of money relative to me hitting anything with them.

So far I've gotten a 5 shot 1.5" or so group at 35 yards with my $50 investment and irons. Not shabby! Anyway, I bought it because it was half off and it has rekindled a desire to explore further. PCP guns seem the way.

[EDELWEISS]

I too am interested in Air Guns. Way back in the last century, it was pretty common for me to shoot 100 rounds a night "just to relax". I told myself it was practice BUT damn it was just fun. I used a medium quality single stroke shot, single shot, spring pistol. When I was in the Army, I hooked up with some guys from the Marksmanship Unit and discovered they did the same thing (shooting air gun to relax), in the barracks.

Nowadays, I'm pretty much terminally confused by the new technology. Do I want a spring gun or a precharged air gun? I think I want it mostly for relaxing indoor (in basement/garage) practice that's (YES) cheap and maybe the occasional pest control. I'm not thinking hunting, at least not at this point.

Regarding pest control, Ive seen reports of air guns with FIXED noise moderators (silencers), that aren't NFA items because they are fixed to the (not a firearm) air gun. I have no clue how actually quiet they are but I do like the FU, and more important, any noise cancelation is a good thing in a suburban/urban area.

[UNO]

I too am interested in Air Guns. Way back in the last century, it was pretty common for me to shoot 100 rounds a night "just to relax". I told myself it was practice BUT damn it was just fun. I used a medium quality single stroke shot, single shot, spring pistol. When I was in the Army, I hooked up with some guys from the Marksmanship Unit and discovered they did the same thing (shooting air gun to relax), in the barracks.

Nowadays, I'm pretty much terminally confused by the new technology. Do I want a spring gun or a precharged air gun? I think I want it mostly for relaxing indoor (in basement/garage) practice that's (YES) cheap and maybe the occasional pest control. I'm not thinking hunting, at least not at this point.

Regarding pest control, Ive seen reports of air guns with FIXED noise moderators (silencers), that aren't NFA items because they are fixed to the (not a firearm) air gun. I have no clue how actually quiet they are but I do like the FU, and more important, any noise cancelation is a good thing in a suburban/urban area.

For indoor use, I'd be sorely tempted to buy a Crossman 1077. At indoor distances it's very accurate a d c02.

For vermin, I'd probably go .22, because you can get the energy needed still subsonic, which is a lot of your noise. With my cheap .177. I just use heavy for caliber pellets.

[7 Mary 3]

55600

I've had an itch for a quality air rifle ever since I read this article in a 1985 Guns and Ammo Mag....yes I kept the mag all this time.

The article was about these guys in South Africa back before it went full commie. They were retired SADF officers and the like who would meet twice a week and set up a range in the back yard for some mini sniping. Full blown piston guns with scopes up to 10x or more. They used empty 9 mm cases set in modeling clay at 35 yds. One of them done the math and it was like shooting at a human torso size target at 1000+ yds.

7M3

[barnetmill]

They used empty 9 mm cases set in modeling clay at 35 yds. One of them done the math and it was like shooting at a human torso size target at 1000+ yds.
The size of the target might be equivalent to a human torso at 1000+ yards, but it is not the same at all as actually shooting at 1000 yards.

[Boy Scout]

I keep a cheap Gamo break-barrel pellet pistol in the work car. Derived more from my UC days, I used it as a hush puppy and streetlight eliminator for surveillance ops.

[Forklift]

My RWS has taken a lot of squirrels, it's accurate as I need, while not being to expensive. With the "Raptor" pellets it will knock a squirrel out of the tree at ~30 yards easily offhand. I'd like to have a better rifle, but to be honest, the price vs usability has kept me away.

[UNO]

My RWS has taken a lot of squirrels, it's accurate as I need, while not being to expensive. With the "Raptor" pellets it will knock a squirrel out of the tree at ~30 yards easily offhand. I'd like to have a better rifle, but to be honest, the price vs usability has kept me away.

My scope arrived. Also Daisy. 3-9x, and for 30 dollars very nice optically. Specially made to handle a springer. Anyway, I'm anxious to see what I can achieve.