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Budget (not cheap) intro pcp gun ideas

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G

Gargos

Member
Aug 21, 2021
10
0
TN, United States
I recently got a ruger impact max elite for some backyard fun and wouldn't you know the whole family wants to get in on the fun now, including my elderly father who can't handle the cooking effort of a springer. I was looking into buying a relatively inexpensive, but still quality, pcp for each family member. Thus the effort to keep costs down as much as possible. I was eyeballing the Beeman chief 2, and up to as expensive as a Benjamin Fortitude, Diana Stormrider, or Gamo Urban but I would like to spend as little as possible per rifle since I will be buying at least 3. I would also like them to be manual pump friendly, also for budgetary reasons, as I have heard some are and some aren't. Any suggestions? 

Edit: I would also like to stay in .22 since I have a few thousand already. 
 
My leading assumption is that you don’t want to have to tinker to keep 3 people’s rifles operational. Based on a preponderance of user reports, the Gamo Urban is the least likely to have leaks or accuracy issues. So if its features appeal to you, that’s probably your best bet.

Or if you like tinkering, get 3 different guns. Variety is the spice of life :)




 
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If at the end only one keeps shooting you lost the opportunity to buy a Daystate Revere.

Buy the Revere or an Air Arms, share it and see if the rest of the family is still interested.

In the worst case scenario you end up with a very good rifle.

If they indeed liked the Hobbie, you will appreciate a very good rifle and you won't even think about buying a Gamo.



https://www.pyramydair.com/product/air-arms-s510-xtra-fac-pcp-air-rifle-poplar?m=2279#9385

https://www.airgunsofarizona.com/precharged-pcp/daystate-huntsman-revere-.22-air-rifle/


 
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What kind of targets and what distance are you all going to shoot?

Is everyone shooting at the same time most often?

How many guns for what size people are we talking after you and Dad?

Are you hand pumping for the whole family or is everyone but Dad using their own hand pump? A single hand pump will heat up quickly and take forever to fill multiple PC's. Most women and children are not going to stay enthusiastic about hand pumping for long. You won't stay enthusiastic about pumping 4 PCP's either. Kind of wondering what logistics you have for this.




 
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What kind of targets and what distance are you all going to shoot?

paper and spinners, about 20-40 yards away

Is everyone shooting at the same time most often?

Yes

How many guns for what size people are we talking after you and Dad?

my fiancé my dad and me. 

Are you hand pumping for the whole family or is everyone but Dad using their own hand pump? A single hand pump will heat up quickly and take forever to fill multiple PC's. Most women and children are not going to stay enthusiastic about hand pumping for long. You won't stay enthusiastic about pumping 4 PCP's either. Kind of wondering what logistics you have for this.

half of the reason I am considering doing the hand pump route is so that everyone can get a little workout at the same time, with 2 hand pumps we should be fine I think. 

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What kind of targets and what distance are you all going to shoot?

paper and spinners, about 20-40 yards away

Is everyone shooting at the same time most often?

Yes

How many guns for what size people are we talking after you and Dad?

my fiancé my dad and me. 

Are you hand pumping for the whole family or is everyone but Dad using their own hand pump? A single hand pump will heat up quickly and take forever to fill multiple PC's. Most women and children are not going to stay enthusiastic about hand pumping for long. You won't stay enthusiastic about pumping 4 PCP's either. Kind of wondering what logistics you have for this.

half of the reason I am considering doing the hand pump route is so that everyone can get a little workout at the same time, with 2 hand pumps we should be fine I think. 

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Problem with hand pumps is you have to do maybe 5 minutes or 50/60 pumps then a 15 minute cool down. You will do that 2 or 3 times to fill depending how far down you take the gun shooting. You have to let it cool down before doing another gun. The last 15% pumping is challenging for anyone under maybe 130 or 140lbs. At 160lbs plus you can lean into it with your weight. If Dad can't cock a springer I don't think he will be doing much PCP pumping. 

If I had to choose one I would probably take a chance on the Gamo Urban. It is $269 at Sportsmans Guide maybe cheaper elsewhere. Make sure wherever you buy it has a real good return policy! Most shoot reasonably well but many don't. I would probably stick to one model so you can tell if one has a bad trigger, shoots poorly etc etc. You have a comparrison to judge a bad gun.

Personally I would rather get two Marauders at $450 off Crossman site with our discount, assuming it is still available, then share two better guns rather than get three $300 cheap ones. Used Marauders pop up frequently too. A used AA200 would be another great used gun for a pump. 




 
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If you are going down the rabbit hole of PCP and getting three, you may as well budget in for a small compressor. Hand pumping will get old very quickly; especially if you are doing this for three people. 

For what you intend to do, I would have suggested the RWS 850 with bulk CO2, but apparently they are not making them any more. 

Of the choices you listed, the Gamo Urban seems to fit the bill nicely, for what it's worth... but looking longer term, I would get one decent PCP (there are some screaming deals on the Classifieds if you look for them) and a small compressor. The time saved by the compressor will keep folks shooting longer than waiting on you to pump anyway. 
 
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Sounds like you are likely to be the "designated pumper" for the family! Your perspective is probably different, as I am 71, not as strong as I was, and have a torn rotator cuff. So, my advice, do what is necessary to avoid hand pumping. It loses its appeal fast, and long term, you're not going to get moisture free air. The thought of a shooting session with 3 or 4 rifles that have to be hand pumped is frightening. Sorry, I digress, and I can't really offer any suggestions for rifles in the price range of those mentioned. My limited experience with rifles in that segment is pretty dismal. If sharing is an option, maybe buy two decent rifles and scuba fill equipment. 
 
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