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first airgun

I wouldn't go with Gamo. I've known several people who have had duds from them this year alone already. I personally have the Ruger Impact Max in .22 caliber. It's has plenty of knockdown power and it's accuracy is truly not what I would have expected of a $150 rifle. I can put 8/10 rounds through the bullseye at 20 yards. The two strays to the right were my own fault mixed with a little wind. A very accurate rifle and great fun to shoot. I use mine for small game hunting.

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If 2 and 3 inch groupings at 20 yards is what we're going to start calling " great accuracy" we may as well start throwing rocks at targets.
And at a measly 20 yards, wind deflection is minimal at best and not nearly enough to throw those 2 fliers out over an inch.
Gamo Urban is not expensive and will flat smoke this group above. If you buy one of the cheapest rifles out there, expect to be shooting junk.
Over on that other airgun forum you're expected to lie and tell everyone how great their gun shoots. It could be the lousiest group ever shot in the history of shooting and you're supposed top say , " Omg!!! what a great rifle, and OMG look at that 7 inch group, GREAT SHOOTING!"
Then you can recommend the cheapest piece of crap airgun out there, while telling everyone , it's as good as an FX gun........and then have Travis PM you trying to sell you parts for your gun that will make the 7 inch group at 25 yards, a 6 and a half inch group at 25 yards.

 
I really do not want to bad mouth any airgun manufacturer but as with most things you do get what you pay for. Spend the most you can afford. The top spring powered guns are made by Wiehrauch, RWS, Diana, Walther, and Air Arms and also FWB. Some of the cheaper stuff is okay and some is just plain junk. The pre charged guns are a little different but lots of up front cost with pumps or air tanks, etc. but the lower priced pre charged guns are way better than the cheaper spring guns.
I personally have one spring gun left that I plan to keep and it is an Air Arms ProSport. Spring guns I had in the past were TX200, HW77, R-10, R-8, R-7, RWS 45,and FWB 124. All were very nice guns. Again, get the best you can afford.
If you have any matches near you go to one and check out the equipment before you waste any money.
Good Luck.
Rick
 
"chasdicapua"You asked!...
Actually, I would steer you to one of the entry level 2000 psi PCP rifles. These are extremely easy to fill with a hand pump. You can get a rifle and a pump combo for around $400. They're going to shoot much better than most break barrel rifles and also will have more power.
I'll second that... and unlike spring powered rifles they have no recoil, so they are easier to shoot and don't require a special airgun rated scope.
 
@lechwe, I stand apart from much of what's been written above. You say you want to stay around $200 and have a $250 cap? I accept those ground rules and keep my recommendations within those constraints.

That said, I have owned and shot a number of "cheap" springers from Crosman/Benjamin, Gamo, Hatsan, and Ruger (Umarex). Some have been disappointing, some have/are a joy, only the Ruger turned out to be irredeemable. I personally like the Crosman/Benji guns more than the Gamos since the increased heft of the C/Bs seems to give longer life to the scopes I mount on them. Gamo makes some really fun guns and getting accuracy out to 50 yards isn't all that tough. Generally lighter weight has won legions of fans for Gamo among hunters of small game. OTOH, Crosman really has proven to be leader in latter-day gas piston springers. Dependable, powerful if you want power, smooth in operation... my Crosman guns have been the total package. My 2 cents.
 
"chasdicapua"You asked!...
Actually, I would steer you to one of the entry level 2000 psi PCP rifles. These are extremely easy to fill with a hand pump. You can get a rifle and a pump combo for around $400. They're going to shoot much better than most break barrel rifles and also will have more power. 


I have to agree. My first airgun after years of powder burners was a break barrel. I was so annoyed, and disappointed I almost abandoned the whole sport.

It was vids from Ted, Matt, and Steve that had me give PCPs a shot. Best decision I ever made!
 
Hunter1898, In one post you say you've purchased from the company you linked to that has 1 ( one ) sale. Your only other post is suggesting you are "getting into - sic, selling- airgun spares" . So are you a customer posting a known safe & helpful web site, that doesnt sell things certificated for the U.S. market or are you trying to be a dealer?


OP,

Gamo's are not know for high quality, they are fun and can be a good way to start out as long as you understand that. You could shop online for an RWS34 on sale and get a much better rifle.

John
 
Since you mention you don't want to spend a ton, and you are looking at springers (pcp's need a few extras that add to the costs), might I recommend you watch the classifieds for a nice used HW95 / R9, or a Diana Model 34? 
Whatever you do, don't fall for hi speed hype & buy based on the fastest foot per second ratings on airgun boxes at the local store!
I would encourage you to buy an older quality rifle, like an HW (Weirauch or possibly an older Beeman) HW95 / R9, or a Diana (can't go wrong with a Model 34).
You can always resell it later & it should have the quality to make your airgunning fun.
 
I havnt had much luck with any gamo riffles. The crosmans run in the same price range and have metal triggers. I havnt known of anyone to have that great of an experience with the Ruger with the two barrels. If you cant find an older beaman i'd say give a crosman ago. If you check out there custom shop you will see some pumpers and co2 guns. They are very accurate. Have a HUGE custom aftermarket.The closes you can get to a PCP without it being a PCP
 
I have a two Gamo Swarm .22's that I just love. But there are some things to know about them though.... 
#1. It is a great hunting rifle, but not a good gun to shoot 150-200 pellets a day with. Sight it in and use it to kill stuff. Don't use it to continuously punch paper unless you want to stop to clean the barrel every 200 shots, and put a fresh scope on it every 5-600 shots.

#2. It likes heavier pellets (16 gr. minimum) but 18's are better. 14 and light 15gr pellets seem to be near impossible to sight-in with.

Shoot it just enough to break it in initially and determine the best pellet, then clean it, shoot it about 20 times to season the barrel.....then put it away and reserve it primary for hunting. It does a great job when used strictly as a hunting rifle.
 
OK, I'll weigh in.

I've had two Umerex springers. Gave one away because it shuddered so badly was impossible to shoot. The second stays in my gun safe and rarely if ever comes out. Both were sold as Ruger's but made by Umerex. Really disappointing.

The Crosman NP2 gas piston is a better gun by far, but Crosman's break barrels have notoriously lousy triggers. I bought the after market upgrade trigger and it helped, though the trigger really isn't all that good. The gun does shoot well though.

I moved on to Marauder PCP and am saving for a high end gun this time around, but putting all that aside, if I had to do it all over again, I'd probably, for my first gun, buy an entry level PCP with a 2000 PSI fill and a pump. That means a Maximus and a pump. Granted that's a $265 combo (Original price $350) by the time you are done (buy on Friday, on the Crosman.com site for free shipping, use the AGNATION discount code for a 25% discount) but you start in a world with absolutely no recoil, and the ability to use any scope on the planet. No worries if it's Airgun rated or not. Depending on what you'll use it for, the 12fp Euro version may have enough hitting power and you get 65 shots per fill. The US Version with around 20FP energy will get 30ish shots per fill, and when pumping the 2000 PSI fill is easy.

https://www.crosman.com/maximus-kit-22

Reviewers say the trigger isn't wonderful, but the other advantages get you going in the PCP world for the price of a springer.

Just one more thought to throw into the ring.