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Bull Pup or Traditional Rifle?

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2manyAirGunz

2manyAirGunz

Member
Jul 26, 2018
1,611
39
AL
I consider myself quite new to our beloved hobby. Having no clue about the vast world and popularity of the airguns, I first discovered PyramidAir -- while surfing the net for pest control ideas -- and then AoA. From there, I was hopelessly hooked. Purchased my first PCP in 2015. That gun was a full length rifle, as were my next 5 PCP acquisitions.

I saw the bull pups on the site of the major airgun dealership out west -- the dealership near our southern border -- but I found the puppies listed unappealing. To paraphrase youtube airgunner Aaron Cantrell, then I discovered the WILDCAT. It was love at first sight. Taken with the utility and ergonomics of the Wildcat, my next 6 airgun purchases were all bull pups or semi-bull pups/carbines. Please forgive me if I flub the nomenclature, after all, I'm still new at this. 

I am recently retired, with much free time on my hands and Air-gunning -- researching and shooting -- fills a void. I really enjoy this.

All that to pose this question:

Are bull pups just a fad? Or, are bull pups the future of air-gunning?
 
I prefer pups hands down. I like powerful airguns. For power with effeciency you need a good length barrel on an airgun. I also like quiet 🤫 airguns. With power you need decent moderation. Put this package in a traditional rifle and you’ve got a 4 foot plus rifle. I’ve still got a RAW (not quiet enough) but I definitely prefer my compact pups. 
 
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With my disability it’s easier for me to shoulder a Bullpup then it is a regular rifle so if I want to try to walk and stalk the Bullpup is my go to but if I just want to spend time on the bench I’ll normally go with one of my rifles and shoot tetherd, this is why I have both Bullpups and Rifles in the calibers I like the most, .25, .30 and .357, other then that I guess it’s just more of a personal preference on what style of airgun a person likes or what kind of shooting a person will do that will determine what type of airgun they choose to buy.
 
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If I were buying a new, higher end, rifle today, I'd probably go bullpup and I'm somewhat a traditionalist. It comes down to length, I like short guns. My marauder comes in at a bit over 42 inches, making it long to carry.

There two main reservations on bullpups though

1. Position of the cocking lever. Most are way in the back making it difficult to get to. Just doesn't look or feel right to me. FX fixed that problem by moving the cocking lever forward to a more comfortable position.

2. the triggers are usually linked to the trigger mechanism by a rod. Trigger up front, mechanism in back. This can lead to slop in the trigger. At least on the Impact, FX fixed that problem as well.

Neither a traditional gun or bullpup is perfect, so your use might tell you which you want. If the two problems listed don't bother you, I'd go with a bullpup. If they do bother you, either buy an Impact or a traditional gun.

Just my thoughts
 
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I own an impact .22, wildcat.25, FX 400, S510 .22 and BSA R10 .177. All are shot and hunted with, but my impact gets the most love. My wildcat is used primarily for hunting squirrels and rabbits. It took me a long time to pull the trigger on an impact, but am I glad I did, amazing gun. I have adjusted nothing on my impact settings are same as out of the box.
 
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Pups or traditional? A question we all at some time must wrestle with. They each have their place and purpose, they each have overlapping function with one another. I sum it up this way. They are both here to stay, and it is best to think of them inclusively rather than exclusively. Own them both if you can and you wish, you can belong to both camps, no one judges. It's kind of liking trucks vs sports cars, if you can, enjoy them both. After you enjoy one and get tired of it....refresh your interest by going with the other for awhile. Enjoy the conundrum, it's a nice problem to have. :)

If anyone has experience with a lot of different guns and someone who's opinion I would revere it would be Mr. Wall who said above:

I prefer pups hands down. I like powerful airguns. For power with effeciency you need a good length barrel on an airgun. I also like quiet 🤫 airguns. With power you need decent moderation. Put this package in a traditional rifle and you’ve got a 4 foot plus rifle. I’ve still got a RAW (not quiet enough) but I definitely prefer my compact pups.
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I own an impact .22, wildcat.25, FX 400, S510 .22 and BSA R10 .177. All are shot and hunted with, but my impact gets the most love. My wildcat is used primarily for hunting squirrels and rabbits. It took me a long time to pull the trigger on an impact, but am I glad I did, amazing gun. I have adjusted nothing on my impact settings are same as out of the box.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I do not own a BSA R10, however, our tastes in air guns is identical otherwise.

My Royale is .25 caliber and my AA S510 is .25 caliber also. 

What is it they say about great minds?
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I prefer the pups. They are just much more easy to handle and carry around when out and about. My first bullpup was when I converted my Marauder with a kit. At the time I thought they just looked cool and the research I had done on standard and pup prows and cons seemed mixed. It would seem to me that it really can come down to personal tastes. In some cases someone might prefer a pup over traditional when out and about yet prefer the traditional if shooting from a rest. From what it seems to me is that the biggest factor with a lot of the debate on what is better is the distance of the barrel to the scope. Bullpups generally have the optics sitting much higher then the standard rifle design. Really though, if you shoot your gun enough then this should not matter simply from being attuned to it.

Anyway, Once I did the pup conversion to my Mrod I was hooked. It was so much more comfortable to handle/shoulder. All thew weight seemed much more balanced out and made for a much more stable unrested shooting position. From there on out all I bought as far as air rifles was bullpups. Well I do have one semi-bullpup and that basically handles like a full pup. 
 
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I consider myself quite new to our beloved hobby. Having no clue about the vast world and popularity of the airguns, I first discovered PyramidAir -- while surfing the net for pest control ideas -- and then AoA. From there, I was hopelessly hooked. Purchased my first PCP in 2015. That gun was a full length rifle, as were my next 5 PCP acquisitions.

I saw the bull pups on the site of the major airgun dealership out west -- the dealership near our southern border -- but I found the puppies listed unappealing. To paraphrase youtube airgunner Aaron Cantrell, then I discovered the WILDCAT. It was love at first sight. Taken with the utility and ergonomics of the Wildcat, my next 6 airgun purchases were all bull pups or semi-bull pups/carbines. Please forgive me if I flub the nomenclature, after all, I'm still new at this. 

I am recently retired, with much free time on my hands and Air-gunning -- researching and shooting -- fills a void. I really enjoy this.

All that to pose this question:

Are bull pups just a fad? Or, are bull pups the future of air-gunning?



Nope... There are here to stay and will take over the world :)
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