"PulpoBoracho"@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.
I've got 2 hand pumps (A Benjamin and a Hill 3) that I don't use except to make sure they work from time to time. My situation is a little different than a lot of others in that I'm a paid Firefighter so, I can fill my bottle any time I want for free. I used the hand pump for a while when I had a Discovery. It worked ok and got me through until I got my bottle. But, that's what it was meant for, biding my time until I got my bottle setup. I think it depends on how much you plan to shoot and how much patience you have. IMO, the PCP road is ultimately going to lead to getting a compressor or bottle setup. Is it worth it? Like I said, it depends on how much you're going to shoot. FYI, You don't shoot PCP's down to 0 pressure. You find your sweet spots high and low zone and shoot in that area. What this means is that for about, 100-150 pumps you should be back in action. It's been a while since I've pumped so, if there's any "hand pumpers" out there that would like to correct my numbers, please do. "Hand pumpers," lol, that doesn't sound right.
Even on the Pyramid Air ad for the Marauder, it says the rifle operated from 2000-3000 psi BUT, most owners fill theirs to around 2600. Maybe you operate from 2000-2600 so, you're pumping 600 psi between sessions.
You've mentioned about dime size groups @ 30yds a few times. If you get dimes at 30 then you'd probably get dime-ish to quarter groups at 50. It's not as though your shots are going to be all over the place at 31 yards. I mean, I get it... you don't need to shoot the long range. I realize you don't want to pay for more than you have to but, what about "You get what you pay for?" Just a thought.
When I had a Talon SS it was a decent 40yd gun. Others have had better experiences but, I can only speak to what I experienced. They claim 1" at 50 which should be about dime at 30, right? Personally, I could barely get 1" at 40yds. But, I've grown a lot as a shooter since then so, who knows where I'd be at today. Anyway, It might be another option for you to consider. The SS is pretty quiet but not as quiet as a M-rod (in my experience), and it's single load (no mag). From what I've read, it seems most folks that buy and talk about their Air Force rifles are modifying them in one way or another at their own pace.
It sounds, to me, like you want a rifle that's decently accurate and quiet that you won't have to mess with, just fill and shoot. That's why I like the M-rod for you. It's a low priced, high value, quiet, easy to use, decently accurate air rifle. And, it's very popular which means there's lots of advise waiting for you further down the road if you need/want it.
One of the most important things to consider when making the change to the PCP world is your high pressure air supply. Will pumping 100-150 times between shooting sessions work for you? Will there be a time later on that you might upgrade to a compressor or bottle system? Is it feasible to pump up the rifle after you're done so it's ready to go for the next time? You don't store PCP's empty, it's bad for them just like pumpers. You mentioned about the pumps breaking down. I've had my Benjamin pump for years and haven't had any issues. Granted I don't use it much anymore, but I did use it regularly for a while.
As with everything, the way you treat it is the way it will treat you! There are rebuild kits available as well. I plan on getting a rebuild kit for my pumps even though I don't use them much. If something does start to fail, I know I've got the parts standing by to make the repair right away.
I personally don't like Co2 rifles. It's got nothing to do with loudness, accuracy, or quality. It's got to do with the fact that I can't produce my own Co2 to refill them with or manufacture my own cartridges. So, I'm always going to have to buy more Co2's and I'm always going to want just 1 more. That's just my opinion on it. I actually own 3 Co2 powered guns. 2 are for nostalgia and 1 is about to be sold off (or, maybe given away. hmm).
If they weren't so expensive, I'd solve all your want's and needs and recommend an FX Indy or Independence. They're both high end rifles with on board pumps and small reservoirs. So, you get beyond the accuracy you're looking for, quiet, a small number of shots between pumping sessions, and/or 3 pumps per shot. No external power sources needed at all. But the price is going be about double your maximum budget. It's always the $$$, isn't it?
Tom
