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For the newcomers on thinking this will be cheaper than powder burners.

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Troy Bakel said:
View attachment 465991
Piatt - Thomas 0.177 Br
View attachment 465992
JRL - Verhagen 0.22LR Br

According to my spread sheet both rifles are within $125 each in yearly overhead costs.

The startup costs of the Thomas was $1756.88 more than the JRL - V due to compressor, bottles, fill station, and regulator costs.

I still have 2 bricks of batch tested ammo for the JRL - V. When that ammo is gone, it could cost me $2000 plus in travel, ammo, and testing costs if I go to Ohio to batch test a case of same lot number ammo for the gun.

So I would say year over year operational and maintenance costs, by the time I am past tense, will be about the same for both rifles.
Click to expand...
When we get anal, this is what is going to happen! Rimfire Centerfire, or air rifle! You just have to decide what your willing to accept to make a comment like one is cheaper! If it is, you probably are accepting less for that platform. Yes I know from experience!

XD7P4664.JPG

Rotham Built 40x RF
XD7P0808-1.jpg

older Hammonds built 6ppc
20240313_104041.jpg

54 diana

These are a perfect example of what is worth settleing for. All very capable and all withing a few dollars of the other. both centerfires still will compete with anything out their, in skilled hands! The Diana is capable of shooting with any springer. But as what we settle for changes, we need to dig as deep for any discipline to get the best!

When you keep up with the joneses the price changes today my center fire WANTS call for this, Id have to spend just as much on a PCP to own a pellet rifle as modern and as capable as that Bat Scoville! But I'm willing to accept less, thats all that makes one more expensive than the other!
20230505_163809.jpg

Bat Scoville by Dwight Scott 6ppc
 
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Wildcatter said:
When we get anal, this is what is going to happen! Rimfire Centerfire, or air rifle! You just have to decide what your willing to accept to make a comment like one is cheaper! If it is, you probably are accepting less for that platform. Yes I know from experience!

View attachment 465996
Rotham Built 40x RF
View attachment 465997
older Hammonds built 6ppc
View attachment 465999
54 diana

These are a perfect example of what is worth settleing for. All very capable and all withing a few dollars of the other. both centerfires still will compete with anything out their, in skilled hands! The Diana is capable of shooting with any springer. But as what we settle for changes, we need to dig as deep for any discipline to get the best!

When you keep up with the joneses the price changes today my center fire WANTS call for this, Id have to spend just as much on a PCP to own a pellet rifle as modern and as capable as that Bat Scoville! But I'm willing to accept less, thats all that makes one more expensive than the other!
View attachment 466019
Bat Scoville by Dwight Scott 6ppc
Click to expand...
You have a very nice collection of custom built precision benchrest rifles from some very skilled builders!
 
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Wildcatter said:
I've owned a lot of rimfires, and I can honestly say 500 bucks dont buy much that id call a tac driver! there is a place for everything. but even used for 500 dollars, you'll be very lucky to buy a rimfire capable of the showing the difference in match ammo, and in standard 22 rf ammo once you buy what it likes!
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A $500 22rf rifle and scope will outshoot a $500 air rifle and scope. At <50 yards they may be compatible at >100 yards there is no contest.
 
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WNYBill said:
A $500 22rf rifle and scope will outshoot a $500 air rifle and scope. At <50 yards they may be compatible at >100 yards there is no contest.
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I doubt many here are buying air rifles to shoot seriously out to 100 yards! That's like saying a $325.00 Savage Axis in any caliber will easily outshoot any 2LR that cost 1000's of dollars out to 500 yards! Thats a no brainer, but I doubt it has anything to do with the cost to shoot either one. Just trying to keep things pertinent!

Out to 30 yards or so you'll be hard pressed to find a 500 rimfire that will shoot as accurately as my Diana, and certainly not my 54 Air King Laminate, I asure that 500 dollar 22 aint going to kill squirrel or varmint every shot at 100 yards either, a lot of 1000 rf's are going to struggle to get 100% hits on ground squirrels and sparrows at that range! Put both in a wind tunnel, and that 500 air rifle will surprise you against a 500 dollar rimfire!
 
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Spartan said:
Until the handpump fails. I had a good quality Hill handpump that took a rebuild kit once, but after the second failure I could not get it to function properly again, despite having the tools and knowledge. I could never find whatever ghost had developed inside of it, and boy was it a PITA to have to keep tearing it down.

All speculation of course, but if completely cut off from society and assuming unlimited pellets, I would be interested to know how long a person could actually go on a PCP having only a handpump and a few rebuild kits both for the gun and the pump. If they used it at a reasonable frequency, I would guess a few years at most before something failed that couldn't be fixed off the grid.

Just my thoughts on it...as a lover of PCPs.
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This would be assuming a person could last a few years Off the grid , For 90% of the people first winter would be the end .
 
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ScopeFX said:
Not everyone gets into it for cost savings. To some it’s just something different that’s still close in concept, in some aspects, to the gun world
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Exactly, it's all about being happy, none of them are free, and the more you spend to shoot any of the, the more likely thay are to please.

One thing is for sure with any of them, the cheaper you decide to settle for when you buy one, the more your going to loose when you decide to sell one. The better you buy, the more return your going to get when you want to sell them.
 
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If you shoot a lot at a high level...the savings is tremendous. I shoot 8-10,000 slugs a month. If I was shooting unlimited Rimfire that would cost me 4-5000$ per month. It costs me about 200$ swaging my own. I like to shoot a lot alot and air lets me do that on a reasonable budget.

Mike
 
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Troy Bakel said:
View attachment 465991
Piatt - Thomas 0.177 Br
View attachment 465992
JRL - Verhagen 0.22LR Br

According to my spread sheet both rifles are within $125 of each other in yearly overhead costs.

The startup costs of the Thomas was $1756.88 more than the JRL - V due to compressor, bottles, fill station, and regulator costs.

I still have 2 bricks of batch tested ammo for the JRL - V. When that ammo is gone, it could cost me $2000 plus in travel, ammo, and testing costs if I go to Ohio to batch test a case of same lot number ammo for the gun.

So I would say year over year operational and maintenance costs, by the time I am past tense, will be about the same for both rifles.
Click to expand...
im scared to ask but how much is a thomas?
 
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thomasair said:
If you shoot a lot at a high level...the savings is tremendous. I shoot 8-10,000 slugs a month. If I was shooting unlimited Rimfire that would cost me 4-5000$ per month. It costs me about 200$ swaging my own. I like to shoot a lot alot and air lets me do that on a reasonable budget.

Mike
Click to expand...
If you are melting pellets, do you know the alloy? Are they 100% lead?
 
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elh0102 said:
The elephant in the room which hasn't been mentioned is the fundamental design of the PCP. It is a contraption that depends on O rings, springs, valves and seals to work properly, if at all. How long does that combination last before something fails? Compared to a cartridge firearm, not very long. It is a fun hobby and I like it a lot. I also have 6 of them, so something is generally working on a given day! I exaggerate, and I've actually had reasonably good luck with PCP rifles. But, it's a hobby unto itself. You grab a shotgun or rifle and head out to shoot targets or hunt game. The firearm is a tool, and it can be relied on to be available when it's time to shoot. The PCP isn't just a tool to support a goal. Having it in good shooting shape is part of the goal itself. It's kind of like a race car. You have a truck full of parts and you drive until something breaks, and it will.
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There are other options than PCP. You can grab a springer, a multi or single stroke pneumatic or a Co2, powered gun. Then grab apellet pouch and go.
 
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thomasair said:
If you shoot a lot at a high level...the savings is tremendous. I shoot 8-10,000 slugs a month. If I was shooting unlimited Rimfire that would cost me 4-5000$ per month. It costs me about 200$ swaging my own. I like to shoot a lot alot and air lets me do that on a reasonable budget.

Mike
Click to expand...
One more question. Can you tell me your swag and wire provider?
 
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