Nickel, Dime, Dollars 😂

[Jalan]

Hello All, this isn't anything but some thoughts from a green new comer to the sport/hobby and just wondering how deep I can dig my hole.
I recently got my first. AV Avenger Bullpup(2) 25 cal. Groundhogs, Raccoons after my chickens, paper, just plinking.
I did allot of research. AV had a summer promotion (15%) so this gun was <$400. Wow. I got a little cheap on the scope, CVLife 2-10 x 32 AO. For the money it's quite good. Compressor; open box smaller one Spiritech. $100 ($275 retail). Same overstock got a great rifle bag, $20 ($80 retail). Then, obviously, pellets.
At this point, my wife asked me, "Do you have everything you need?" ; "Are you sure you don't need anything else?" She wasn't asking to be hard about it, just rather keep our budget and understand.
So.... This is where things took a bit of a turn on me. Simple things, Silicon cloth for wipe down, muzzle cleaning patches, loctite, bubble level kit.
Ok, that outta do it. Looking great. Oops, forgot a few things. Resting it to mount the scope is making me crazy. Needed a small rifle rest. Cheap laser bore to get close(was junk, returned), basic resting sand bags, etc.
Oh, I can't be sure how this things is performing? Ask for advice, everyone said the same thing. "You need a Chrono". That sounds expensive. I found a budget Chinese one that was well reviewed and most guys here agreed.... $50.
Back to my wife; so I needed a few more things. Not overly expensive. She's completely fine but smiling with the "I knew it" look on her face.
Hmmm... Maybe I should upgrade that glass? Those digital pressure gauges look nice. A moderator would do this thing some justice. Wow, some of these higher end guns look amazing. I bet it'd be easier to fill from a bottle.
I knew, like everything, this could be a real rabbit hole. I didn't realize just how much I'd love it. I'm wondering if others out there had a similar experience and where that road led them.

All my best to everyone. Sorry for the long post but it felt good to put it out there....

 

[Racer88]

Yep. That's how it goes in almost every hobby. I recently dipped my toes into this air gun thing (just a few weeks ago). My rifle was $780. But by the time I got done... scope, scope mounts, fill tank, pellets, etc. etc... about $2200. I just spent another $200 on an inventory of the pellets I found the rifle likes. And another $90 on extra magazines.

Let's see what you got! Thread is worthless without photos! Enjoy in good health!

 

[6gun]

Hello All, this isn't anything but some thoughts from a green new comer to the sport/hobby and just wondering how deep I can dig my hole.
I recently got my first. AV Avenger Bullpup(2) 25 cal. Groundhogs, Raccoons after my chickens, paper, just plinking.
I did allot of research. AV had a summer promotion (15%) so this gun was <$400. Wow. I got a little cheap on the scope, CVLife 2-10 x 32 AO. For the money it's quite good. Compressor; open box smaller one Spiritech. $100 ($275 retail). Same overstock got a great rifle bag, $20 ($80 retail). Then, obviously, pellets.
At this point, my wife asked me, "Do you have everything you need?" ; "Are you sure you don't need anything else?" She wasn't asking to be hard about it, just rather keep our budget and understand.
So.... This is where things took a bit of a turn on me. Simple things, Silicon cloth for wipe down, muzzle cleaning patches, loctite, bubble level kit.
Ok, that outta do it. Looking great. Oops, forgot a few things. Resting it to mount the scope is making me crazy. Needed a small rifle rest. Cheap laser bore to get close(was junk, returned), basic resting sand bags, etc.
Oh, I can't be sure how this things is performing? Ask for advice, everyone said the same thing. "You need a Chrono". That sounds expensive. I found a budget Chinese one that was well reviewed and most guys here agreed.... $50.
Back to my wife; so I needed a few more things. Not overly expensive. She's completely fine but smiling with the "I knew it" look on her face.
Hmmm... Maybe I should upgrade that glass? Those digital pressure gauges look nice. A moderator would do this thing some justice. Wow, some of these higher end guns look amazing. I bet it'd be easier to fill from a bottle.
I knew, like everything, this could be a real rabbit hole. I didn't realize just how much I'd love it. I'm wondering if others out there had a similar experience and where that road led them.

All my best to everyone. Sorry for the long post but it felt good to put it out there....

I bought an fx impact and put money into it as "my last air gun" it only accelerated the problem. I got an aea turd, an fx dreamline, an old crosman discovery, built a pcp 22xx crosman, a co2 automatic bb gun, spring pistol, rebuilt my very first airgun.

It never ends my dude. Not only that but I've passed this illness on to several friends too.

 

[trapdoor2]

Like many, many things, they can be a hole to pour money into. Buy a boat or an airplane or collect slingshots, ceramic unicorns, comics, music...it never ends.

We had one guy at the range (many years ago) who bought one rifle, took it to the range once a week (Sundays) and shot paper plates at 100yds. I'd have six there and he would shake his head. "I only need one." He wasn't the "beware the man with one gun", he wasn't cheap...he was simply boring.

 

[imtrigerhapy]

Dont forget now you need a pellet pouch cause ony new guys use the original tin lol bwahahahaha just kidding good luck with the hobby hole just grab a shovel and dig a lil deeper

 

[NorCal David]

he was simply boring.

For those of us who are boring… boring and practical, there is a need (or at least a goal). What is meant by practical? One of the most practical pieces of advice I have ever heard came from my little lady when I moved from the city to the country. She advised, “If your socks have burs and stickers in them, don’t throw them in the washing machine with your underwear.” So practical is not some theoretical, distant thing. You CAN be practical and it is usually good for you.

Thanks to the great advice on the forum, I have moved slowly and as deliberately as I could to achieve my two goals with fairly inexpensive purchases. There is no need to spend a thousand dollars to shoot a starling, although competition guys have loftier goals and deeper pockets. It is their hobby, but not mine. I really enjoy shooting, time in the woods, and the accuracy required for my needs. My needs are humble and I accept the limits. Yes, I have the money to go deeper, but not the desire. Boring is beautiful!

 

[trapdoor2]

For those of us who are boring… boring and practical, there is a need (or at least a goal). What is meant by practical? One of the most practical pieces of advice I have ever heard came from my little lady when I moved from the city to the country. She advised, “If your socks have burs and stickers in them, don’t throw them in the washing machine with your underwear.” So practical is not some theoretical, distant thing. You CAN be practical and it is usually good for you.

Thanks to the great advice on the forum, I have moved slowly and as deliberately as I could to achieve my two goals with fairly inexpensive purchases. There is no need to spend a thousand dollars to shoot a starling, although competition guys have loftier goals and deeper pockets. It is their hobby, but not mine. I really enjoy shooting, time in the woods, and the accuracy required for my needs. My needs are humble and I accept the limits. Yes, I have the money to go deeper, but not the desire. Boring is beautiful!

LOL. I  never understood this. I cannot exist with only one coffee cup...

 

[AirNGasman]

A pertinent analogy might be archery.

As a young adult wanting to take up bowhunting a half-century ago I was torn between a lovely little Bear Kodiak Magnum recurve and a Bear compound sitting next to one-another in a sporting goods store. I really WANTED the recurve, but compounds offered 'advantages'.

Bought the compound and used compounds for my first 15 years or so of bowhunting, shunning most of the black-hole money-pits of compound related gadgetry EVERYONE else embraced. Upon finally realizing I'd devolved into the only wooden compounds still available (Browning), never adopted a mechanical release or peep sight, and finally removed the simple pin sight to shoot instinctively, I had the epiphany that I'm a traditional archer shooting compounds!

The 'moral' of the story is this. The archery industry grew at an incredible rate virtue of compound bows, because if a newbie buys a compound you're almost guaranteed he'll fall into the mindset "All I need now to be successful is one'a them centrifugal stabilizers... and a stabilizer-attached quiver... and moonrock/carbon-alloy arrows... and lighted nocks... and...

Or sell a newbie a traditional bow and arrows, shooting glove and quiver, and DONE!

FWIW, decades later I not only owned a Kodiak Magnum, but upon becoming a custom bowyer built a press to build rosewood replicas of them. One of the loveliest bows I ever built, of Cocobolo and Bubinga, named Rosey-

.

 

[DesertSilver]

Hello All, this isn't anything but some thoughts from a green new comer to the sport/hobby and just wondering how deep I can dig my hole.
I recently got my first. AV Avenger Bullpup(2) 25 cal. Groundhogs, Raccoons after my chickens, paper, just plinking.
I did allot of research. AV had a summer promotion (15%) so this gun was <$400. Wow. I got a little cheap on the scope, CVLife 2-10 x 32 AO. For the money it's quite good. Compressor; open box smaller one Spiritech. $100 ($275 retail). Same overstock got a great rifle bag, $20 ($80 retail). Then, obviously, pellets.
At this point, my wife asked me, "Do you have everything you need?" ; "Are you sure you don't need anything else?" She wasn't asking to be hard about it, just rather keep our budget and understand.
So.... This is where things took a bit of a turn on me. Simple things, Silicon cloth for wipe down, muzzle cleaning patches, loctite, bubble level kit.
Ok, that outta do it. Looking great. Oops, forgot a few things. Resting it to mount the scope is making me crazy. Needed a small rifle rest. Cheap laser bore to get close(was junk, returned), basic resting sand bags, etc.
Oh, I can't be sure how this things is performing? Ask for advice, everyone said the same thing. "You need a Chrono". That sounds expensive. I found a budget Chinese one that was well reviewed and most guys here agreed.... $50.
Back to my wife; so I needed a few more things. Not overly expensive. She's completely fine but smiling with the "I knew it" look on her face.
Hmmm... Maybe I should upgrade that glass? Those digital pressure gauges look nice. A moderator would do this thing some justice. Wow, some of these higher end guns look amazing. I bet it'd be easier to fill from a bottle.
I knew, like everything, this could be a real rabbit hole. I didn't realize just how much I'd love it. I'm wondering if others out there had a similar experience and where that road led them.

All my best to everyone. Sorry for the long post but it felt good to put it out there....

 

[Vetmx]

I don’t use a rope. One way trip for me.

 

[maxtrouble]

I suggest setting a budget. The next rifle will cost at least $1000.

 

[6gun]

Hello All, this isn't anything but some thoughts from a green new comer to the sport/hobby and just wondering how deep I can dig my hole.
I recently got my first. AV Avenger Bullpup(2) 25 cal. Groundhogs, Raccoons after my chickens, paper, just plinking.
I did allot of research. AV had a summer promotion (15%) so this gun was <$400. Wow. I got a little cheap on the scope, CVLife 2-10 x 32 AO. For the money it's quite good. Compressor; open box smaller one Spiritech. $100 ($275 retail). Same overstock got a great rifle bag, $20 ($80 retail). Then, obviously, pellets.
At this point, my wife asked me, "Do you have everything you need?" ; "Are you sure you don't need anything else?" She wasn't asking to be hard about it, just rather keep our budget and understand.
So.... This is where things took a bit of a turn on me. Simple things, Silicon cloth for wipe down, muzzle cleaning patches, loctite, bubble level kit.
Ok, that outta do it. Looking great. Oops, forgot a few things. Resting it to mount the scope is making me crazy. Needed a small rifle rest. Cheap laser bore to get close(was junk, returned), basic resting sand bags, etc.
Oh, I can't be sure how this things is performing? Ask for advice, everyone said the same thing. "You need a Chrono". That sounds expensive. I found a budget Chinese one that was well reviewed and most guys here agreed.... $50.
Back to my wife; so I needed a few more things. Not overly expensive. She's completely fine but smiling with the "I knew it" look on her face.
Hmmm... Maybe I should upgrade that glass? Those digital pressure gauges look nice. A moderator would do this thing some justice. Wow, some of these higher end guns look amazing. I bet it'd be easier to fill from a bottle.
I knew, like everything, this could be a real rabbit hole. I didn't realize just how much I'd love it. I'm wondering if others out there had a similar experience and where that road led them.

All my best to everyone. Sorry for the long post but it felt good to put it out there....

The airguns acceleration happened as a reward to myself for quitting drinking initially. It's worked but I have a new duck of choice. Pcp's


I can say with great authority DO NOT GET INTO BUILDING OLDSCHOOL HOTROD TRUCKS! Not even once

 

[Iowa Airgunner]

I come from land speed racing. This is a very inexpensive hobby.
I do however spend all my money on airguns. The rest goes to waste.

 

[BriarpatchMtn]

Honey I only want pellet gun and a compressor. Well ok. 18 months later I getting the look . Still shoveling the hole deeper. Today picked an A/C unit for the upstairs room. My family's 100+ year old house never has had A/C, but I need one now for my gun room to control humidity.
Maybe if I dig the hole deep enough I'll reach China so I can buy direct from manufacturers and avoid all the new tariffs...

 

[MongooseV8]

We just bought an old house in a different state so I can enjoy my pcps on my own property, you have far to go young one.

 

[Ta-Ta Toothie]

Still legal out in the back country.

 

[Racer88]

I've said it before, I'll say it again (and again).... It's still cheaper than booze, drugs, gambling, carousing, or divorce!

 

[Booder98]

We just bought an old house in a different state so I can enjoy my pcps on my own property, you have far to go young one.

I'm one of the lucky few (or not so few) than can shoot from my three-season room. I've got a pellet trap, a berm behind that, and about a mile of cornfields behind that.

 

[Vetmx]

Things you don’t even think about add up fast. Here’s a box that I toss my Hybrid empties into. And this isn’t all of them because I and others use the empties for stuff. And none of my guns are primary Hybrid shooters. This is $1,200 worth. Box got wet while washing pit bike in my basement. Time to empty anyway. It’s been a year.

 

[BriarpatchMtn]

Back woods living has it's perks. Can start mowing my grass at 5am on a Sunday morning and no one around to complain.
Could shoot out my windows if it didn't bother my dogs... maybe wife also.
Get a big bore and start casting your own slugs. That opens another hole. Lead pot, PID controller for lead pot, molds, having molds modified, a ventilation system, sizing dies and press, and of course the lead. Maybe powder coating too. Of course you'll need something to keep all those slugs in. And lead traps so you can recycle the lead. And, And, And.
My wife definitely love me, otherwise I'd be buried in one of my holes