Bullpup vs. rifle

I resemble that remark. At least for offhand shooting, or the classic kneeling/sitting positions. Prone/bench/bipod/bags, can't see a difference as long as the rest I'm using is accommodating to the forestock.

Tried for years to get better shooting offhand with bullpups - both airguns & before that a few pb - but never did do as well. Not all in my head; have a few target games I do regularly (keeping score but only competing with myself to get better.), & the bullpup scores always lagged. Wasn't for lack of trying, have owned several high end bullpups that the regulars here would recognize instantly. All shot very well from a rest, and with the exception of one problem child (reliability issues), all were excellent guns in general.

Not hating on the bullpup style, like everything else it has pros & cons. Just because I don't shoot them as well as traditional designs doesn't mean the next guy/gal won't. Some probably shoot them better. Even in my case, the difference isn't huge. Can't beat them for compactness, and they do point a bit faster. To many, that's probably worth a small tradeoff in raw accuracy.

Just two in the stable as of now, neither a bullpup- Daystate Revere in .177, Kalibrgun Cricket Carbine in .22.

Won't rule out trying another bullpup someday :).
 
I've owned both bullpups and standard rifles in my firearms shooting days. In, .22, (custom stock) .223 and .308 (one with a short custom stock) calibers.

In those days, I saw "no" difference in my shooting skills / accuracy in shooting long guns vs. abbreviated guns. This is all off hand / free hand shooting only. Never done any crutch (bench, monopod, bipod, bag) shooting. This is shooting 75 to about 125 yards, all in the standing position. I may have tried the sitting position, but not remembering that positively !

All of my current air powered guns are of the Bullpup design (all but two are under 30" long). And again, I have no trouble shooting off, or free hand, except the accessional day when my 71 hands are a little shakier than normal ! And yeah again, all of my air gun shooting is standing with only my arms to support the gun. Sometimes, on those shakier days, I'll lean my back against the back door to my house for a little support.

I enjoyed my short firearms, I enjoy my short air guns. I also enjoyed my longer guns, that I still own one of, but prefer shooting the short, bullpups more.

While the "iron sight" radius is longer using a full length rifle than iron sights on a bullpup...who uses "iron sights" anymore, I don't ! So...with the barrels being similar in length in either full length rifles AND bullpups, scopes bring the sighting picture to a pretty much "even" playing field, bullpup to long gun.



Mike
 
its hard to say .. my general feeling is a long rifle gives you a grip that allows it to become a more stable extension of yourself ..the thing with most guns though is the size and weight doesnt lend itself to holding it on target, and that includes bullpups .. ive stalked many pests that took over a 1/2 hour and sometimes requiring NO movement and keeping the gun shouldered to not spook the animal .. try that with an 8lb+ 'bullpup' or rifle with a giant scope on top of it, by the time the shot presents itself you cant hold it on target or maneuver it without resting ... so really its your entire setup and what you use it for ..punching paper from a chair amd using a rest it dont matter one bit, get what looks coolest to you ...
 
I was definitely more accurate in my airgun shooting career with traditionally stocked rifles as compared to bullpups off the bench. Just was able to get more stable with the longer rifle.

Trigger time - on any gun really - has really closed the gap for me. Now I feel that I am nearly as accurate off the bench with a bullpup or a traditional rifle.

Regarding off hand shooting while on a walk & stalk, I personally pretty much suck with both styles of guns. But it seems like I suck less with a compact gun in bullpup configuration, at least for my 'hunting' of ground squirrels within ~65 yards.

Based on my own experiences, I will normally recommend a traditional rifle as a first air gun to new shooters, especially for the target and plinking shooting our group does mostly. Where they want to go in air guns after that first one is up to them, but at least they can now make that choice with some more experience.
 
This is one of those subjective things.

It's not about which is more inherently accurate. The stock style should not be an indication in this regard. It would just be a matter of who is shooting them, and which they are more comfortable with.

If the question is indeed a personal one, which one am i more comfortable with, well I'm in my 50's and just picked up my first bullpup less than a year ago. So the conventional rifle I do a little better with at this point. But I'm learning, and do like the compactness of the bullpup.
 
well from my point of view the big difference between the two is that a bullpup in heavier in the butt and a regular rifle is heavy toward the muzzle. this is why you see butt hooks on a regular buttstock and just the opposite on a bullpup. this is what makes a regular rifle seem more accurate because of the weight foward and that weight giving a naturally better cheek weld