Classic style rifle. What would your choice be?

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madeintheuk

madeintheuk

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Apr 19, 2020
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Washington depot, Connecticut, United States
So I think I’m at the point where I have enough compact rifles and bullpups. What I don’t have, is a nice classic style rifle I can use for hunting/pesting. 

to give you some criteria, I would be looking for something classic (not synthetic), that is regulated, probably tube to keep light and compact, in .22,.25, or .30 but HAS to be rugged. I don’t want poi shifts every time I bump it or drop it. 
I was looking at the dreamline platform. It seems to check all the boxes, but I know about the stx barrel system and how easily the poi can be knocked off. I have barrel bands on both my wildcat and my impact that help greatly, but not sure how well the dreamline will do. I also saw the carnage that mountainsports caused on the dreamline tactical he put through. I know it was extreme, put it sure puts it into perspective. Anything can happen in the woods, and if it does, I’d like to know I’m not dead in the water. 


thanks in advance. 

 
I guess a lot depends on what you wish to accomplish with the gun. Do you wish to punch holes in paper or flesh? I have owned many pcp's and spring guns too. My wife's AA S510 in .22 caliber is about as trouble free as one could ask for. In ten years the only thing I've had to do is feed it air and pellets. Lots of other guns come and go, but this little gem just keeps on trucking. No regulator, nothing but simplicity and a joy to shoot. PS, I have been informed by the powers that be; that it is not for sale............now, or ever.

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I'd probably grab the Daystate in .22 Ready to go out of the box, lightweight and frugal on air. 

Myself, I prefer the HW100 by a long shot. But the shot count isn't great at high power. Tuned down a bit, it's better and the gun really comes into its element. Best trigger ever put on a sporting air rifle, and an equally excellent magazine system. Stainless airtube is heavy, but it will never rust. Full 16mm diameter barrel. Probably not what you want, but it's my favorite. 

Personally I can't say "rugged" and "FX" in the same sentence and keep a straight face. I still own a Tarantula that's pretty ok despite that. 

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I love when the traditional rifle topic pops up. I get to look at beautiful rifles, some that I wasn’t aware of. I rarely look at them on various retailers sites because once my wheels start turning, my checking account starts dropping. I think with a traditional tube rifle the first thing to consider is size and air consumption. I would stay .22. Next is how much power do you absolutely have to have. If you’re not going to wake up one day and feel you need to start shooting Monsters out of your .22, you won’t need a gun that looks like a goose gun. Over the last couple months I did 2 traditional rifles for friends of mine. They were budget guns, one regulated and one not. These guys are not power hungry and don’t care what their gun is shooting as long at it’s good out to 70yrds. After all, a 14.3 out of a 22 is still more devastating than a .177. The DAR I just got done with is getting 60 shots at 850fps now. That’s really nice for a tube gun and a lot of dead critters before he has to start pumping. With that gun and with a perfect tune, every time you go +30fps it costs you one mag of shots. But it boils down to what kind of airgunner you are. If you don’t want to take your gun apart to adjust the reg to see what the difference in shot count and accuracy between a 15.89 and a 18.1 is, then you’re probably going to have to buy a gun off a trusted recommendation that best suits your needs. I would also like to add that every tube gun I’ve built for myself or others, I’ve built a SSG for them. Cut the muzzle report in half and always gained more shots. The exception was when setting up a Brocock Compatto. The slingshot hammer required nothing to improve the guns efficiency.
 
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I'd probably grab the Daystate in .22 Ready to go out of the box, lightweight and frugal on air. 

Myself, I prefer the HW100 by a long shot. But the shot count isn't great at high power. Tuned down a bit, it's better and the gun really comes into its element. Best trigger ever put on a sporting air rifle, and an equally excellent magazine system. Stainless airtube is heavy, but it will never rust. Full 16mm diameter barrel. Probably not what you want, but it's my favorite. 

Personally I can't say "rugged" and "FX" in the same sentence and keep a straight face. I still own a Tarantula that's pretty ok despite that. 

IMG_20210508_144423054_HDR.1642969096.jpg
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That’s a gorgeous bit of wood on that hw100. I also really like the mag system on it. I’m not much for spring fed mags, especially for a grab and shoot cause they can stay loaded for long periods of time. 


What I’m looking for is regulators, rugged, and accurate. I would also prefer not to have to use a moderator, but it’s not a big deal if I do. I’m Lso not looking for ridiculous power. If I could get a .22 in the 25-30fpe range, I’m perfectly fine with it. Just want something to point and shoot. No dialing in, no poi changes, just shoot it. 


seems the daystates and the AA lead the pack so far. Any experience with BSA? I have a lead on an R10 for a good price, and I also like the ultra clx, but other than experience with their barrels, I know nothing else. 
 
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I really like classic traditional looking rifles with nice wood, bluing, etc. I like to hunt with my rifles as well as shoot from the bench. But first and foremost....it has to be what I consider a good hunting rifle. Thats why I just bought an Air Arms S510 XS. Doesn't get more traditional or classic looking than that. Heck, I haven't even shot it yet. But I have no doubt it will deliver........has a very good pedigree.



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The BSA R10 has always been on my list of guns to own someday. It has a bottle but not a burden of a bottle. Do a search of the R10 on here. I know several guys who have had them and discussed the gun. I’m sorry I can’t remember their names right now. I have a BSA Ultra SE and it’s a quality piece, comfortable ergos, and exceptionally accurate. If the guy hasn’t messed with that R10, you might want to jump on it if it’s priced right. The guys who have left their R10’s alone seemed happy.
 
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Let’s throw another in the ring. What about the zbroia hortitsia? The compact 330 looks nice, and similar mag setup to the hw guns. Haven’t seem much for long term reliability though.
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I've actually been interested in this model for awhile. I like the looks of the black ash stock with the 330mm barrel. It looks very comfy and the gun looks handy. I also like the uninterrupted flat top picatinny scope rail for easy scope mounting without the magazine getting in the way. I just haven't seen much reviews or talk on the Hortitsia model, specifically in the 330mm version. 

I came across a video where they made some upgrades to the bolt action and a few other areas. I believe Joe Brancato/TopGun-Airguns is the distributor. The pictures on his site reflect the old model and I'm not sure if he currently carries the updated version. You should buy one and report back here so I can make a decision lol.

https://youtu.be/0923NAoWtcI


 
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