Can you suggest an air rifle for me?

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PulpoBoracho

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Dec 24, 2015
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I've been using a Crossman 2100 pump up air rifle in .177. I'm trying to work on my trigger control, breathing, and dealing with the effect of my pulse when using a scope. I mainly shoot inside at about 10yards and the accuracy is decent. I took the gun into my backyard where I can increase the distance to about 20-25 yards and again the accuracy was... decent. I should add that I never pump it up to the full 10 pumps. I usually just pump it up 4 times.

I really had a good time outside in my backyard. Again using only 4 pumps at 20 yards as I said the accuracy was decent. However at that range I could clearly see the inconsistency of the pellet. Sometimes they were straight, sometimes they went a little off but sometimes I could also see more of a lob into the target. I'm sure a lot of it had to do with my shooting but I'm positive I also had some very good clean trigger presses, which might not have been absolutely dead on bullseye but there is no way (at least I don't think) the result should have been as poor as it came out. 

I assume that a lot has to do with the gun itself and I'm thinking not pumping it up fully probably contributed to the issue as well. Working with pellets that my gun likes would probably help as well but I'm more concerned about the differences in shots while using the same ammo. Anyway, what I am looking for is some suggestions on an air rifle that will give me better accuracy at the range but probably most importantly, while doing it as quiet as possible.

While inside I could care less about the noise but outside I'm close to neighbors and in a residential area where it's illegal to be shooting pellet guns outside. I don't think my neighbors care but I also don't want to disturb anybody's peace with my hobby. I am not a hunter. I do not care about the stopping power. I just like putting holes in paper.

I've been looking at the Marauder PCP, seems to have the pin point accuracy I'm looking for (assuming I have the skill to shoot that well) but that seems to be a little overkill for 25 yards and less. I'm looking for an air rifle that:

1. Can give me dime sized (or less) accuracy at 10-30 yards.
2. Is as quiet as can be. (Almost as important as #1)
3. Is chambered in .177
4. Is not CO2 powered
5. Can be shot from a bipod (heard break away models have to be held a certain way, not sure if bipod throws off accuracy on these types of guns)

I'm sorry if there is a better place to ask this question. I read till about page 7 before I decided to ask my own question. Thank you for whatever advise you can offer.

P.S. Wanted to add that the reason I don't pump it up fully is because I'm trying to keep the noise level down. Pumping also makes a lot of noise I would like to avoid so I don't draw any unwanted attention to myself.

MOD EDIT: Moved to General Aigunning. I think you'll get more responses there.

 
Check out the Classifieds for Wolverine .177 with Huggett Shroud

1) It's puts jsb exact 10.3's though the same hole at 25 yards all day long. Email me from the my classified listing and I'll put your name/date on a target and put 10 rounds into it to show you.

2) It has a full Huggett Shroud so no report. You hear the trigger mechanism then the noise of the pellet hitting the target (the loudest part)

3) It is .177

4) It is PCP and you can easily get 100-150 shots on a fill

5) It is bipod capable but one is not installed.

It is a top of the line field gun but you didn't mention is price and it's not cheap. You would be getting a $2000 gun for $1300 plus shipping though.

I used it as my backyard chipmunk / squirrel gun and even with neighbors in the yard they didn't notice.
 
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I won't argue that PCP guns are the penultimate, but buying the gun is just the first step! 

I sat down about a week ago, doing my best to justify the purchase of a Marauder. The price on the gun was right, and a friend of mine, with two scuba tanks, was willing to give them to me. Well, I still needed to fill them, buy a regulator (I want to remain as safe as I can be with respect to NOT overfilling the gun), scope, and a few more accessories, and suddenly I was up to nearly $2,500! 

As a comparison, I bought a Benjamin 397, scope and mount, SuperSear, and a few different types of pellets. All told, I've spend less than $500. Yes, I have to pump the rifle, but I justified that as I needed to build up a few arm muscles along the way. Darn thing shoots 1/2 groups at 25 yards!

Now, would I buy a PCP? Yes, and I am still thinking about that issue. But at least I have something to peak my interests, should they remain.
 
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Gorgata you are correct. We should ask him what his budget is. However, if he’s looked at the Marauder as he said in his post, he probably has a pretty good idea.

Allen to buy a Marauder, decent scope w/rings, a SCUBA tank, a couple of tins of pellets and fill whip is just north of $800, not even close to $2500. If there is a local dive shop, he could pick up a used tank with a fresh hydro and save another $50 to $75. And the $2500 you quoted surprises me. I tried to come up with a list of “accessories” that would push a Marauder package there and couldn’t get there. I’d love to see your itemized list if you have the time. Also, if you use a SCUBA tank, you can't over fill the gun. Max pressure on a SCUBA tank is 3000psi and the max fill on the Marauder is 3000psi. So he is safe there. 

The OP also stated that noise suppression is #1. The marauder in .177 is quieter than a 392. And he also stated in his post that he doesn't want to pump his next gun.

 
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"Alan"I won't argue that PCP guns are the penultimate, but buying the gun is just the first step! 

I sat down about a week ago, doing my best to justify the purchase of a Marauder. The price on the gun was right, and a friend of mine, with two scuba tanks, was willing to give them to me. Well, I still needed to fill them, buy a regulator (I want to remain as safe as I can be with respect to NOT overfilling the gun), scope, and a few more accessories, and suddenly I was up to nearly $2,500! 

As a comparison, I bought a Benjamin 397, scope and mount, SuperSear, and a few different types of pellets. All told, I've spend less than $500. Yes, I have to pump the rifle, but I justified that as I needed to build up a few arm muscles along the way. Darn thing shoots 1/2 groups at 25 yards!

Now, would I buy a PCP? Yes, and I am still thinking about that issue. But at least I have something to peak my interests, should they remain.
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A Marauder with free tanks?? If the price was right on the rifle, I'd have sure done it!! You don't need a regulator to fill, just due diligence, really. And even if you had to buy a top notch yoke and hose assembly...I'm not sure what you were spending your other $1800 on, but I think you might have talked yourself out of an opportunity. If you just prefer the pumper over a PCP there is nothing wrong with that, but dang...
 
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Thanks all for the responses. I wanted to leave my budget out of the equation because I just wanted to hear what people would suggest. I'm not sure if I'm ready to invest $800 plus for a pellet gun. Not to put it down because it looks sweet and appears to give me what I want but I would like to ease into the hobby if possible.

The Marauder is still an interest but I feel like it's a little bit of overkill for what I'm trying to accomplish at my distance. I sort of feel like it's shooting a .308 at 25 yards. Way more than I need for what I'm trying to accomplish. But then again I could be totally wrong which is why I'm seeking advice. After researching the internet I've made some adjustments and tried some different pellets and my group got a tiny bit better but I still feel like I'm capable of better. I suspect that I am capable of outperforming my gun however this is just speculation. I'd like to find a gun that is the next step up, while offering some conveniences that I want. I try to treat shooting like I learned to ride a motorcycle. Sure I can run out there and buy a 1000cc bike but I'd rather work my up on a 500 and outgrow the bike. Now that I have read your responses I can kind of narrow my search down.

Can you suggest a .177 air rifle that focuses on accuracy 1st (dime sized group at 30 yds) and does it as quietly as possible in the:

$0 - $250 range
$250 - $500 range
$500 - $750 range
$750 - $1000 range 
$1000 plus

I really appreciate the responses so far. Thank you for your help. I'm researching some of the suggested guns and set ups now. It appears I'm not going to be able to get exactly what I want unless I'm willing to cough up the dough, which I don't think is unreasonable, I'm just not sure I'm ready or skilled enough for that much gun (PCP) right now.

Happy Holidays!
 
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If you're just shooting targets, get a refurb Daisy Avanti 853 from the Civilian Marksmanship Program for ~$100. it's a target rifle so it's probably not going to be good much past 30 yards. But within its range, it will be quite accurate. It is an SSP (single shot pump) - one pump, one shot.

If you want more or better advice, you still really need to fill in the blanks as to how you plan to use it realistically (hunting, target, etc.), anticipated range, open sights or scope, etc. Better yet, how about if you pick out what you think might meet your needs and why to get everyone started, and we can add experience from there?
 
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Sorry I thought I made that clear in my original post. It's for target practice only. No hunting at all. Not that I'm trying to take away anyone's ability to hunt, it's just not for me. Max distance is 30 yards. I would prefer to shoot using a bipod or off a rest/bench/bag of some sort. The list I created in my original post is what I'm looking for in order of importance, however after reading some of the responses I narrowed it down a little bit and responded.

Not to be rude, because I appreciate your advice, but if I knew what I wanted I would just research that particular model. For example, I had been looking at the Marauder but after looking into it, it seemed like overkill for the distance and accuracy I wanted to shoot at. After reading some responses though it may be that a PCP rifle is what it's going to require to give me everything I want. That is why I narrowed it down slightly and asked more about the recommendations for each price point. One last thing I didn't mention. I would be shooting with a scope.

Like my earlier motorcycle example, I'm not the kind of person who runs out and buys a Cadillac before learning to drive well. I'd rather work my way up. In the mean time I'll check out that Daisy Avanti. Merry X-mas!

Edit: Left out words and spelling errors.
 
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If you are referring to my suggestion (qb79) I never meant to say it is a hunting airgun, the qb79 works with either 9oz CO2 tanks (which I know you don't want) or HPA tanks, specially the more common 3000psi 13ci tanks (e.g Ninja tanks). The qb79 costs about $100 new, not including tank or scope, I recently bought mine for $85 on AirgunDepot along with a Tippmann 3000psi 13ci tank regulated @850psi, since I like to tinker with my airguns I have already disassembled my QB and it is extremely easy to work on, my tank hasn't arrived yet (bought from amazon) but I already did some work in the gun so that when my tank arrives I will be shooting at around 12fpe which is more than enough for the type of shooting I will do, mainly target shooting and plinking. Here is a link of the qb79 http://www.airgunhome.com/agforum/viewtopic.php?t=9434&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0 and another one http://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=49943.0

On the other side it is not necessary to tune the qb79 to fit your needs since it will already shot pretty good out of the box at 30 yards, however it will benefit from some elbow grease. 

Good luck.
 
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.177 marauder tuned to 12 fpe would be perfect plus with the low power tune you could easily use a hand pump or a standard scuba tank for the easy way out but still on the cheap. 

The AA S200 would be another great choice in the slightly higher price range than the marauder. It is another 12 fpe pcp so it would be perfect for what you want. The biggest draw back for the s200 is that you would need to add a moderator to get it super quiet. 
 
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@HatsanHunter: I was referring to the post just before yours. I'm looking into your suggestion of the qb79. It's very interesting. So it's basically a CO2 gun that has been very slightly modified to be a PCP? Is it quiet? Can I use a manual pump to recharge it?

@LDP: You recommend the Marauder with a "low power tune". Could you explain that? One of the reasons I shy away from a PCP is because it appears that you need another tank to actually pressurize your gun. I saw there is a manual pump I could purchase but heard it fails often. Would the low power tune require less pressure to be stored? In other words with a low power tune are you suggesting using the gun at a lower pressure? I've heard the Marauder needs to be somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000 psi. Please excuse my ignorance.

@Brazos: Would the HW30S (Beeman R7) be able to give me a dime sized group at 30 yards using a bipod? I heard you need to hold these types of guns a certain way. Does a bipod mimic that hold or throw the shot off?

As always, thanks for your help!
 
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PulpoBoracho - We are all here to learn and share our experiences with each other. 
The Marauder is a great way to start into the PCP world! From my experiences, it is one of the quietest rifles available (even shooting at full power). It's so quiet that, when I first receive mine, I thought it was malfunctioning! 
You are correct that you will need a source of high pressure air (tank or pump) to refill the rifle. I believe the "tune down" that LDP is referring to is having the power turned down so that it shoots a little slower (correct me if I'm wrong LDP). There are some advantages to this. A tuned down rifle is generally quieter than one shooting at full power. With the M-rod already so quiet, I'm pretty darn sure that noise will no longer be a concern. You should be able to easily hear the pellet hit the target over the noise from the rifle. 
It gets to be a pain pumping a rifle with a hand pump. But, keep in mind that you're "paying it forward" in a sense. Lots of pumping now means lots of shots later. What you've got now is a few pumps in between shots every time. This brings me to another benefit of a tuned down PCP rifle - shot count. A tuned down rifle uses less air with each shot so, your air supply will last longer. Maybe someone can speak to the shot count of the Marauder stock vs. tuned down. 
Having to pump a few times between each shot (like you're doing now) can adversely affect your accuracy. Two big ways this happens are that it keeps your heart rate a little higher and you have to come off the rifle to pump and then reset. So, you're bumping around due to your heartbeat which can be transferred to the rifle. You also have more of a chance of not placing your head in the same exact spot each time which can lead to a whole other list of issues. With a PCP, you can rest after charging to let your heart rate come back down. Then you can rest your head on the rifle and not have to move hardly at all until it's time to reload the 10 round magazine. 

When I first read your post, I was going to suggest an Air Arms rifle. You can get them already tuned down, I believe (just look for non-F.A.C.). They are not as quiet at the M-rod but still very quiet. I have no experience with the lower power model but, I imagine it would easily address your noise concern. Mine is a full power version and I love it for its ease of use, accuracy, and noise level. I still think this might be something for you to consider. It's downfall, for you, might be the price. 
Good luck with your decision! :)
Tom
 
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@Tominco: Thank you for your reply. Let's say I decide to go the PCP route. Do you have any experience with the manual pump? Is it truly a viable way to consistently refill the rifle. You mention it but it doesn't necessarily sound like you think it's a huge burden especially considering I'm pumping between each shot now anyway. Also, to your credit you are dead on about my heart rate increasing between pumps. In an attempt to increase my accuracy I've been pumping my 2100 a little more to try to get more consistent pellet flight. Seems to have worked a little bit but the downside as you mention is my heart rate really increases. Not so much that I feel like I need medical attention, but I can absolutely see the effects when trying to hold the rifle steady. I have no problem doing the pumping first. Like you said it could actually be an advantage over what I'm doing now.

Also, in regards to price. I don't mind paying a lot if it's exactly what I want. For now I would say my budget is no more than $1,000. However, if a qb79 for $300 can shoot groups just as well and as quietly as a $1,000 gun then of course I would want to go to for the cheaper option. I guess what I'm trying to avoid at this point is paying for more than I need. I don't need dime sized accuracy at anything more than 30 yards so no need to pay more for a gun just because it can shoot dime sized groups at 50 yards.



 
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Have you tried many pellets, OP? Maybe a higher quality pellet would yield better consistency out of your rifle? Maybe one or two more pumps? I know noise is a big issue for you, but I also know my pumpers aren't significantly louder at 5 or 6 pumps than they are at four (this said without any scientific evidence to back me up, just my ear). Maybe a lighter pellet at 4 pumps to yield a bit more velocity without the extra air pressure would help? Unfortunately any suggestions I would make from my experience (limited to only 3 brands) would be springers, which you don't seem interested in. How's the barrel of your 2100? Have you ever cleaned it? If not, that may help with your accuracy issues.
I might suggest a Discovery: definitely capable of the accuracy you want, tunable if you want to, lower fill pressure (2000 psi vs. 3000 plus), still plenty of shots per fill (20 plus in .177), plenty of manufacturer and aftermarket support, low price (I've seen one as low as 180 bucks refurbished), etc. You would need a "muzzle break" (like a TKO unit) because it's LOUD without it, but the other advantages make a 50 dollar break worthwhile, I'd say. Just some food for thought.
 
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