N/A Is air pistol cheaper in the long run [edit:] than competitive firearms shooting?

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KimbapSodaPap

KimbapSodaPap

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Jul 21, 2025
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Western Washington
Never shot airgun before but getting very interested in it. Partially for the competitive aspect (10m air pistol) and long-term ammo cost being cheaper than powder burning ammo. Dumping in a grand for a competition pistol is a bit daunting, but given that the pellet ammo is so cheap, I'd imagine that it very quickly beats out powder burning ammo in affordability.

Is this something that's you've all found to be true in your experience?

Edit: looking at .177 specifically
 
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Airgun ammo especially smaller calibers are definitely more cost effective than PB ammo. Plus one can shoot a 10m pistol indoors or out as they are quiet to shoot. It's just that PCP airguns need to be filled/charged by handpump, tank or compressor so the initial cost can be daunting but well worth it in my humble opinion.....
 
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Struckat said:
I can shoot in my basement every day.
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I personally wouldn't be able to, but what I would be able to do is go to my local range at certain hours where no firearms shooting is allowed (noise). This is really attractive to me as it'll mean I get more range time where I can actually hit targets and not just dry-fire practice.
 
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Ranchibi said:
Airgun ammo especially smaller calibers are definitely more cost effective than PB ammo. Plus one can shoot a 10m pistol indoors or out as they are quiet to shoot. It's just that PCP airguns need to be filled/charged by handpump, tank or compressor so the initial cost can be daunting but well worth it in my humble opinion.....
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I'm not opposed to handpumping at the range/an event or eventually investing in a scuba tank. But out of curiosity, is it feasible to have a spare PCP cylinder to just screw in? So I'd pump two or more cylinders in my own time, and then when I'm at the range or an event I already have it all good-to-go.
 
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KimbapSodaPap said:
I'm not opposed to handpumping at the range/an event or eventually investing in a scuba tank. But out of curiosity, is it feasible to have a spare PCP cylinder to just screw in? So I'd pump two or more cylinders in my own time, and then when I'm at the range or an event I already have it all good-to-go.
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Yes! Especially the 10m pistols which usually have air cylinders that can be swapped out!
 
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KimbapSodaPap said:
I'm not opposed to handpumping at the range/an event or eventually investing in a scuba tank. But out of curiosity, is it feasible to have a spare PCP cylinder to just screw in? So I'd pump two or more cylinders in my own time, and then when I'm at the range or an event I already have it all good-to-go.
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My Morini came with two tanks (new not used ) but even back 9 years ago it was over 2k with a pump / https://www.champchoice.com/
 
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MDriskill said:
This may be beside the point if you've already decided on PCP. But you don't have to break the bank to get started. There are good target pistols out there at lower price points, and with self-contained spring-piston or single-stroke pneumatic powerplants.
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Is something like a Chiappa FAS 6004 what one would consider single-stroke pneumatic? I'm seeing new ones on MidwayUSA for just under $500, which sounds good. There's also a couple listings on eBay. One $750 on its own and one $850 with the case, an extra o-ring, and some pellets. Seems a little steep to me, unless if I'm missing some notable info? Is this like one of those things where guns manufactured before X-date have some secret sauce and ones manufactured after X-date are made with bubblegum and pig-iron?
 
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Yes, the FAS is a good choice. One reservation is that the velocity is a little low to consistently punch cleah holes in target paper:
www.pyramydair.com

FAS 6004 Review | Blog | Pyramyd AIR

Chiappa’s Single Shot Pneumatic Target Pistol What exactly is an entry-level 10 meter single stroke target pistol? Well, the answer depends upon who you ask and what period of time you're asking about. Some 30 years ago, the answer was quite different than it is today. And notice that I didn’t...
www.pyramydair.com

The Weihrauch HW 75 (aka Beeman P2) is another good SSP choice:
airgun-world.com

Gun test: Weihrauch HW75 - Airgun World

Tim Finley tests the impressive Weihrauch HW75 single-stroke pneumatic pistol credit: Archant There is a pistol in the Weihrauch stable that does not get the praise, or indeed the press, it deserves. The HW75 is only available in .177 calibre, unlike the spring-powered models which come in .177...
airgun-world.com airgun-world.com

The IZH 46M may be the best entry-level SSP, but now rather hard to find. The easiest-to-charge SSP I've ever shot.

IZH M46

I’ve been thinking of getting a 10 meter pistol to shoot indoors this winter and the M46 looks like it might be a good choice. First off I’m a lefty so a set of grips will be needed but that’s the case regardless of whatever gun I get. My question to those of you with M46 experience is what if...
www.airgunnation.com www.airgunnation.com

Another popular choice is the uber-classic FWB 65 springer. No longer made, but plenty of them around in good shape.

A Pair of FWB 65's

A meager collection of Feinwerkbau Model 65's by some measurements but I enjoy my treasures. They are the short barreled "Beeman Mark II's", which I prefer. Look closely and you can see the grips on the target gun are made by Rink. I have the original FWB target grips but they are a bit small...
www.airgunnation.com www.airgunnation.com

Lots of other good ones out there! I am not really a target pistolero to be honest, I'm sure others will have good suggestions.
 
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My only experience with the HW 75 was shooting one for five minutes at the Hickory show. I instantly bonded with it and have been looking for a well-priced one ever since! It lacks many refinements of a full-race four-figure match gun of course, but it just has that certain je ne sais quoi about it...
 
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