For new guys, do not let cost run you off

[Ed24]

Fly I agree! The recent advancement of airguns and what you can get for your $ is really, really good. To any new shooter out there, I know all the youtube vids look cool and the market seems to make people believe you must own a high end gun to have fun or be accurate but that's just not the case. Don't get me wrong, there's a reason some guns are in the $300 range and some are north of 1k! I do think you get what you pay for " most of the time" but when starting out do you need it??? That's the million dollar question and everyone has a different opinion on this subject. If you have the cash to spend then sure go balls out and get what you want but keep in mind even the high end stuff still has problems, just the name of the game. When I got into this great hobby my first PCP was a Hatsan Flashpup 22. After learning a bit about the rifle I was able to tear it down, replace all orings, installed a huma reg. It was accurate for what I was doing at the time and a great platform to learn about tuning and working on my own guns! Much less nerve racking taking apart a $300 gun than a $2k one especially in the beginning. Now if your not one to tinker and just want to shoot expecting a high degree of accuracy, great trigger, superior build quality then $$$$$$$ and you will still find yourself complaining about something, we all do it! Now with all that said most of my guns now are all above the $1k price point but I didn't start there and wouldn't change the way I evolved in this hobby. One of my favorite guns to still shoot is my Dar2 177. The best advise I would give someone getting into PCPs is get the best you can, taking into account all that goes along with the rifle: scope, mounts, fill source, ammo. If the best you can is a $300 PCP then there are a lot of good options and nothing wrong with that! Look at the AGN classifieds, make sure the person your dealing with has positive feed back and buy from there. You can get a much better gun for you dollar than buying new and most of us keep our guns in like new condition anyways. Only the end user can make that decision on starting at a certain price point. Ask yourself what you can and can't compromise on and don't spend more then you can afford. Don't let anyone talk you into a certain gun or price point high or low. Do your research, ask questions and come up with your own decision on what you want and what you can live with. Have fun and be safe, its a wonderful sport to be in and a great time to be in it!!!

Ed

 

[silvershooter589]

Get a Beeman Commander .22 for $199 and a hand pump to start. Or a used 1st gen Guantlet on the classifieds.

Soon... and I mean *very* soon, you'll find it much easier to splurge on a PCP compressor, another low/mid-range gun and better optics.

The rest will be history.

 

[NYmike]

Honestly, unless you're a teenager and this is your first foray into a hobby none of this should be a surprise. Pretty much every hobby has a range of entry level cost going from a minimum of inexpensive and/or used gear all the way to spend as much as you want.

Take a look at astrophotography or ham radio sometime. There's guys in those hobbys with a couple hundred invested and there's a few with millions in it. Most fall somewhere in between. Recreational pastimes are pretty much a personal choice under the heading of 'whatever floats yer boat'. Speaking of boats.......

 

[Keyman62421]

Huntsman revere!

 

[PA_AirHead]

I totally agree with you, Fly. Initially the cost almost kept me away. I was coming from target archery, which is also expensive. Both sports have very steep prices to get "good" equipment, but the cost is fairly low after that. The guns retain value well, so that helps. Pellet prices let us shoot a lot for not much money. I am now very glad that I took the plunge. The hobby is my favorite and my other hobby (fishing) just doesn't get much attention.

I consider myself a very avid motorcycle rider. Adventure and sport. I purchased a GAMO .22 Whisper Fusion 10X Gen 2 sometime in 2021 early spring. I did a fair amount of riding last summer on both bikes. Just barely a year later I now own a Benjamin Akela .22, Benjamin Marauder Pistol in .22, an AEA Varmint Standard Custom in .25, an AEA Element (regulated) in .25, an FX Dreamline Tac in .25 and just a couple weeks ago I dug even deeper into the rabbit hole with my FX Impact MK3 Sniper in .25. Not to mention the air compressor and SCBA and thousands of pellets/slugs. I haven’t even put the batteries in my motorcycles this year . Not because I can’t afford to, but the airgun bug has bitten the hell out of me. I love them all, but the Element, Dreamline and Impact are my favorites.

 

[Struckat]

Greetings everyone.
This is a great thread as it very well describes my struggle.

I went cheap 10-15 years ago and bought a Gamo springer. I hated it so much that after about 2 tins it remained in the closet till a couple years ago.

In spring of 20 (work from home adventure) there was a critter that needed sootin’.
My trusty 1986 1377 wasn’t gonna get it done. The Gamo came out and resolved the situation, and renewed my hatred for it.

I came to the forms to learn about PCP, but quickly got sucked into German springers. I learned a lot upgrading them with no regrets. But I still have my eye on a PCP.

I read nearly every thread, learning and envisioning which size and flavor would fit my perceived needs best.

Buying two good springers clearly kept me from buying lesser guns that I would never have been happy with. So I feel that is the way to go with PCP.

The entry level guns are very tempting, and while I like to tinker, I am certain that I would ultimately want better.
So I am biding my time, waiting and watching. There are several in the classified right now that I would jump on, but my handler limits my purchasing power.
In a way that is good because it makes me more cautious. When do get the green light, my decision must be a good one. Currently building the bank of attaboys with her. At a certain point she will have to give in.

AA, Daystate or HW are my targets, but I am open to others. 30 or so FPE or will do.
I really need to shoot a bullpup to see if one would work for me ( think Taipan) Compact-ish is important to me.

Thank you all for the info and sharing your experiences.

 

[MrP]

There’s also something to be said for getting into this hobby on the cheaper end. I love shooting, but for me a high end gun that works perfectly without any tinkering only scratches part of the itch.

I started out thinking $500 was an inappropriate amount of money to spend on an airgun (just habitual thinking - this is how I was raised - expensive “toys” and “frivolous” things like this were never an option). Once I got over that I was going to have to spend about $450-$500 to get a high powered PCP pistol I bought the talon P and a hand pump… three years later I have three customized AF rifles with Tj barrels and the works…. The process of gathering the parts and researching and putting together those guns has been super satisfying.

So I suggest you get a really nice high-end gun and get a “cheap” one and spend time learning how to tune and rebuild it because that is a blast. Guns like the pp700 or aea guns (or a used airforce) are great because they aren’t too expensive to tinker with and can really shine when modified.

 

[Greg_E]

If you are not already a very good shooter, buying a $3000 Daystate with a $4000 scope will not help you. Might as well get a decent Benjamin, maybe a Gauntlet, a few Kral, maybe Avenger and get started. No way I would recommend to anyone to jump straight into a Delta Wolf HP or the like unless they were already accustomed to clover leaf groups at 100+ yards. My "cheap" guns are not currently holding me back, if they were I could stretch to buy said Daystate.

All that said, I keep wondering if I should buy a decent nitro/sping piston... The cost offset because the new shooter wouldn't need a compressor or air bottles can be applied to the base price of the gun. You can sit and shoot until you run out of ammo, or run out of muscle. I keep thinking about an HW97K but not really going forward. If I could plink in my yard, a break barrel would be great fun. To dangerous for the neighbors to plink at home.

CO2 can also be really fun, but I expect this to get pushed to "green gas" or just be outlawed in the very near future.

 

[tibor]

cry once sure rang strong for me.

 

[Triggernosis]

Great topic! The gun is the easiest part. I want to get into this hobby so badly, but even if I buy a $300 PCP, I still need a tank, compressor (or rental N2), hoses, scope, case, etc.. easily$1000 for a ground floor setup, and then in reality I really want a $1500 gun so there's that!. It's a huge expense for someone who like me isn't shooting it a lot. I get it for those of you shooting a ton a week. I can buy lots of 22 long rifle ammo for all that. I guess I will eventually get over the urge or pull the trigger () on the purchase.

I have less than $2,000 in my Daystate Huntsman Revere, scope, and GX compressor pump.

 

[Struckat]

I found my AA S500 for $500. Not the latest and greatest, but fits my needs very well. As I did with my springers, I will take it apart and learn what there is to know about it.
Later on, after I get a compressor, I will look into a compact repeater of some type. Right now I need to let the dust settle, at least until I am no longer getting the stink eye...

 

[Greenarrow]

These PCPs sure are fun! In fact, I like ALL air power plants. Each one has its benefits, fun being the most important one. Big or small, short or tall, I luv 'em all

 

[Numb]

Its is quite an expensive sport, But in time you get use to it.

 

[Harv24]

Have you seen what guys spend for fishing......???

The boat and trailer alone, the rods...the reels....all the tackle... accessories, fish finders...trolling motors... rain gear...gas...oil. fishing license.

Or just buying a 4-wheeler ...

Photography...

Hell, I got into PCP because powder burning got to be challenging with prices rising and inventory of loaded ammo and ammo components hard to get.

And from what I've seen in the last 2 years. Were a very small sub section of the air gun world.

My first PCP was a $500 Cayden and a $50 hand pump along with a $125 scope. and I fell for it hard.

And last time I checked... I could not shoot all winter in my basement with any of my powder burning guns...
And with a $75 moderator... I could shoot in places that don't even here it.

Yeah, this hobby is nowhere near as costly as many other mainstream hobbies.

 

[Greenarrow]

I have less than $2,000 in my Daystate Huntsman Revere, scope, and GX compressor pump.

I'm still pumping by hand!

 

[Chukar60]

I would tell anyone interested in shooting PCP’s buy what you can afford and make sure you understand all the stuff you are going to need before you decide what gun to buy.
When I started I was so excited to get my first PCP that I bought it without a thought as to the air supply. That was a rude awakening. Then you have scopes, mounts, moderators, bipods (if you want one) etc et.
The monetary threshold of this hobby is steep no matter what gun you buy, but as others here have noted once you get over that threshold it is not bad at all as long as you are not prone to every trinket, gimmick and bottle of snake oil available.
For some of us we forget that others cannot afford upper end guns or do not want to afford them. As I have gotten older I tend to forget what it was like raising kids, buying the first house and second vehicle. It takes years to establish a solid financial foundation and it is not done without sacrifice or compromise.
Buy The gun you can afford and don’t be afraid to hand pump. Lots of people here will say they won’t ever or you will wish you hadn’t. If that is what makes financial sense to allow you to enjoy this great hobby do it with a smile on your face.
My only regret with this hobby is that I did not find it much sooner. Trust me 30-40 years ago I would have bought whatever entry level gun was available and hand pumped until my arms looked like Popeye’s just to be able to shoot and I would have had all those years of fun and memories that can never be replaced.