N/A Can PCP Work For me

Greetings, 2nd post here. I have one (fairly good quality) air rifle, a spring gun from Macarri. I purchased the .22 Tarantula TX R9 from Jim years ago when he was building them. Now considering a .25 PCP but not sure it is best for me. All my shooting is 'sport' pest control, ground squirrels, starlings, etc. If I spot something in the back yard I go to the garage and grab the springer, load and shoot. Realistically I may only take 3-4 shots at a time or day, sometimes more. I may go weeks w/o shooting. At 60, it's becoming more difficult to maintain a consistent spring-gun hold and sometimes my accuracy suffers. That's where I believe a PCP could help.

Would a PCP work for me? Should they be stored at 0 PSI? How long does it take to fill something like a Wildcat? If I fill it and shoot a few pellets, should I empty the tank? If I could fairly quickly fill it from a tank, shoot, then had to empty the stored air it really doesn't bother me. Thinking of something like a Wildcat .25 at $2500/$3000 all-in with optics.
 
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Greetings, 2nd post here. I have one (fairly good quality) air rifle, a spring gun from Macarri. I purchased the .22 Tarantula TX R9 from Jim years ago when he was building them. Now considering a .25 PCP but not sure it is best for me. All my shooting is 'sport' pest control, ground squirrels, starlings, etc. If I spot something in the back yard I go to the garage and grab the springer, load and shoot. Realistically I may only take 3-4 shots at a time or day, sometimes more. I may go weeks w/o shooting. At 60, it's becoming more difficult to maintain a consistent spring-gun hold and sometimes my accuracy suffers. That's where I believe a PCP could help.

Would a PCP work for me? Should they be stored at 0 PSI? How long does it take to fill something like a Wildcat? If I fill it and shoot a few pellets, should I empty the tank? If I could fairly quickly fill it from a tank, shoot, then had to empty the stored air it really doesn't bother me. Thinking of something like a Wildcat .25 at $2500/$3000 all-in with optics.
@Davesteve Welcome to AGN. PCPs should not be stored at 0 psi. I’d say mine are good when stored at 60% -90% of fill pressure. I shoot mine often and just put them away where ever the reservoir pressure rests as long as it is above the regulator pressure in my regulated air guns. I’ve stored some unregulated rifles at 100% and haven’t had issues. There is no need to empty the reservoir unless you intend to reduce the setting on your regulator or disassemble your air gun to work on it. Fill times vary depending upon your fill source, namely compressors. From a SCBA tank we’re talking a fill time (top off) of maybe 2 minutes for a moderate sized reservoir (moderate meaning approx 500 cc or less).
 
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Though the initial investment might be costly for gun and air source it sounds like a PCP might just be the ticket for you. SO much less strain on the body to shoot, for us older guys, than springers & the accuracy is ridiculous. Keep an eye on Classifieds & something appealing for you just might appear. No problem with leaving bottle or tube pressurized, in fact they prefer it. Sounds like you're ready to do a "half gainer" down the Rabbit Hole!
 
Greetings, 2nd post here. I have one (fairly good quality) air rifle, a spring gun from Macarri. I purchased the .22 Tarantula TX R9 from Jim years ago when he was building them. Now considering a .25 PCP but not sure it is best for me. All my shooting is 'sport' pest control, ground squirrels, starlings, etc. If I spot something in the back yard I go to the garage and grab the springer, load and shoot. Realistically I may only take 3-4 shots at a time or day, sometimes more. I may go weeks w/o shooting. At 60, it's becoming more difficult to maintain a consistent spring-gun hold and sometimes my accuracy suffers. That's where I believe a PCP could help.

Would a PCP work for me? Should they be stored at 0 PSI? How long does it take to fill something like a Wildcat? If I fill it and shoot a few pellets, should I empty the tank? If I could fairly quickly fill it from a tank, shoot, then had to empty the stored air it really doesn't bother me. Thinking of something like a Wildcat .25 at $2500/$3000 all-in with optics.
Welcome. You will need a 4500psi pcp compressor $200- $600. It will take a few minutes to fill it depending on the compressor. Its best for pcp's to be stored full of air or at least above the regulator pressure. The barrel should be cleaned with ballistol and patches before using it the first time, then every 200 shots or so, or when its dirty. I don't own anything fx myself, but i belive the Wildcat is a decent platform for what you have in mind. I just ordered a compact myself. Air-maks krait L hp .25
 
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Welcome to AGN. Your tentative selection of a Wildcat is fine but you can save some money and give up little unless you need all the power the Wildcat can make. A Stoeger Bullshark is a bullpup that will make 30 fpe or so in 22 which is plenty for pest control. I've used my P35-22 which is very similar to take a small raccoon. The Bullshark is under $500. I like the Vector Veyron scope line for these guns, I have a 6-24 SFP on my P35-22 right now. I like 6-24 since I can pest at 6X and shoot targets at 24X. But if you will never shoot small targets a 3-12 or 4-16 might be better. Be careful with FFP if you want to be able to use the lowest magnification. If the reticle is thin you may not be able to see it. A Bullshark and a Veyron should be under $750 and would make a nice setup. You could add a GX CS2 to fill the Bullshark and still stay under $1000.

I leave my airguns at the pressure they were at when I finished shooting or I refill them to their limit or the pressure in my bottle, whichever is less. I take out the magazine and make sure the barrel is empty and the gun is not cocked. They normally reside in my coffee tables and when a pest shows up they come out, get cocked and a magazine loaded and I am ready.
 
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@Davesteve Welcome to AGN. PCPs should not be stored at 0 psi. I’d say mine are good when stored at 60% -90% of fill pressure. Isl shoot mine often and just put them away where ever the reservoir pressure rests as long as it is above the regulator pressure in my regulated air guns. I’ve stored some unregulated rifles at 100% and haven’t had issues. There is no need to empty the reservoir unless you intend to reduce the setting on your regulator or dissemble your air gun to work on it. Fill times vary depending upon your fill source, namely compressors. From a SCBA tank we’re talking a fill time (top off) of maybe 2 minutes for a moderate sized reservoir (moderate meaning approx 500 cc or less).

What he ^said.

Having a source of air is THE most important consideration for PCPs. If you aren't planning on shooting much, a tank and a dive shop would work, if that's a possibility. If you are only going to shoot 3 or 4 shots at a time, a hand pump might be doable, but it is fairly difficult, depending on the gun fill pressure and your condition. If a gun fills to 3000psi, you could pump it to 2500-2700psi, and have plenty of air for the minimal number of shots you normally use. The last couple hundred psi are the hardest to get.

With that said, I only use a hand pump as a backup, and pretty much hate hand pumping.
 
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Greetings, 2nd post here. I have one (fairly good quality) air rifle, a spring gun from Macarri. I purchased the .22 Tarantula TX R9 from Jim years ago when he was building them. Now considering a .25 PCP but not sure it is best for me. All my shooting is 'sport' pest control, ground squirrels, starlings, etc. If I spot something in the back yard I go to the garage and grab the springer, load and shoot. Realistically I may only take 3-4 shots at a time or day, sometimes more. I may go weeks w/o shooting. At 60, it's becoming more difficult to maintain a consistent spring-gun hold and sometimes my accuracy suffers. That's where I believe a PCP could help.

Would a PCP work for me? Should they be stored at 0 PSI? How long does it take to fill something like a Wildcat? If I fill it and shoot a few pellets, should I empty the tank? If I could fairly quickly fill it from a tank, shoot, then had to empty the stored air it really doesn't bother me. Thinking of something like a Wildcat .25 at $2500/$3000 all-in with optics.
It will suit you nicely I think, and keep it charged or you'll hate pcps chasing oring leaks. I've got one that's seen little use and been charged for a decade
 
Welcome!

Great feedback above.

I would start by saying, as others have implied, that the jump from springer to PCP will be a notable power increase. Which is to say that you will need to be aware of your backstop. The FX Wildcat in .25 is shooting 55 ft lbs from the factory (assuming a +/- 30 grain pellet?). You're projectile will pass through squirrels and starlings inside of 100 yards. It looks like your Tarantula was a 16 ft lb pistol.

As others have noted there are many other less expensive options for bullpups, and any caliber you desire. I own a Maverick (sister to the Wildcat) and love it. But I likely could have saved $500++ on the gun and still be just as happy. If money is not a concern, then buy whatever makes you happy.

.25 is not outrageous, but likely more than necessary. If your range is 75+ yards the .25 has some advantages, but .22 is still plenty for squirrel and birds. If you're range is <50 yards a .25 may make a mess of your backstop. Also, more power = more recoil (I mean, not much, but still).

A regulated air gun (like the Wildcat) is strongly preferable for shot consistency. Unregulated guns are still perfectly serviceable, but will require you to learn the trajectory "drop" over their pressure curve. If you're just grabbing the gun at random and hope to know where to aim, the regulator will be preferable.

You will need an air compressor. A shoebox compressor is likely best for you (@ $250) based on your reported shooting style. I would leave the gun filled, and refill after any session shooting more than a magazine. That way the gun should always be at the ready when that pesky squirrel runs by. Do not, I repeat, do NOT buy hand pump. You're welcome ;-).

Search here and on youtube for people pesting starlings and squirrels. See where and what they shoot. This will help to inform your choice of equipment. Also, continue to ask more pointed questions here. The members of this forum are a treasure trove of info and you might find some close enough to you to show and tell.
 
Welcome to AGN. I considered the Wildcat in .25 but after talking with one of the guys at Utah Air, I chose the .25/600 FX DRS Tactical. My requirements were to to able to hit a 1” paper dot at 75yds and the DRS can do this easily. When you get your PCP, take advantage of the free tins of pellets when you buy multiples; you’ll need them when you realize how much fun these guys are to shoot.
 
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I love my Wildcat, its the second I have had in my safe. They are wonderful offhand for hunting/pesting. Enough weight to help stabilize your shots and very good center of balance depending on your scope choice. I would suggest not getting anything over ~20-22ozs if you can help it. Mine is in 177 and is one of the most accurate in my stable. As everyone has already noted leave a pcp filled with some air, just grab and shoot. At some point all pcps will leak but even if you cant fix yourself you can send it in to any reputable shop for a reseal. FX is good about warranties if you decide to buy new. The Wildcats can be found on sale at retailers since FX is likely to discontinue them soon. I would recommend a Compact version, either tube or bottle with a moderator of your choice. I have a Huggett on mine and it is pretty darn quiet. In 25Cal even in a Compact Tube version you will still get a fair amount of shots on an air fill. Personally I would get a 22Cal if you can, assuming your shots are within about 80yds. In 22Cal a Wildcat has plenty of power to max out most pellets and even some light slugs out of a Compact barrel length. But a Compact 25Cal can still be a little monster or turn it down for lots of shots and low noise while still being effective on smaller targets.

GX CS3 compressor is a good starter, not very expensive and simple to work on if you need to in the future. The Omega Trailcharger is another good budget compressor.

Scope mounts, I really like the UTG Accu-Sync one piece mounts. They are light weight, very sturdy, high quality, and very cheap. As for a scope I would look at the Lighter Athlons or Hawkes with a reticle that suits your environment.

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