I've decided

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Gamo Urban has my vote as well. Excellent gun out of the box: very well balanced stock, light to carry, accurate, easy to hand pump. And silent thanks to the excellent moderator. Plus a great two-stage trigger after you put in a longer m2.5 set screw.

Artemis Pr 900w (aka Diana Stormrider) is another quality gun. I have 2 in .22, fantastic hunters. A nice classic design. Even lighter to carry (and easier to hand pump) than the Gamo. High quality components, e.g. a titanium cylinder. Check it out on Hardairmagazine. But this gun contrary to the Gamo often requires some work to really shine -- the breech in mine required some polishing for the pellets to seat well. One of the 2 also benefited from some crown work, easy to do. It is also a tad louder and more pellet fussy -- it strongly prefers the JSB exact jumbo 5.51 (yes, THAT specific size!). And don't forget to clean the protective gunk out of the barrel. Mine are gen 1, with the single stage trigger and the gauge underneath. Love them, regulated them with the excellent Lane -- but they work well unregged too. They even come with open sights, a rarity in the PCP world.

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Artemis Pr 900w (aka Diana Stormrider) is another quality gun. I have 2 in .22, fantastic hunters. A nice classic design. Even lighter to carry (and easier to hand pump) than the Gamo. High quality components, e.g. a titanium cylinder. Check it out on Hardairmagazine. But this gun contrary to the Gamo often requires some work to really shine -- the breech in mine required some polishing for the pellets to seat well. One of the 2 also benefited from some crown work, easy to do. It is also a tad louder and more pellet fussy -- it strongly prefers the JSB exact jumbo 5.51 (yes, THAT specific size!). And don't forget to clean the protective gunk out of the barrel. Mine are gen 1, with the single stage trigger and the gauge underneath. Love them, regulated them with the excellent Lane -- but they work well unregged too. They even come with open sights, a rarity in the PCP world.

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I have seen, where a 2nd barrel band is sometimes necessary to improve out of box accuracy. Did you find that to be the case? --- I know you have gen 1's but wonder if the "gen 2" barrel breaks are removable. They add about 3" to the overall length.
 
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I put the extra barrel clamp on one of my 2, and don't regret it -- it was only an extra 10 bucks or so with Pyramydair. But it may not be necessary if you remove the muzzle break, as that reduces barrel weight. I would expect the stock moderator to be removable -- mine have a simple set screw and they come off. (The Gamo does not!!). Be ready for a hefty bark though, because this is a powerful gun.

The disadvantage of the extra clamp is, you need to take the barrel out of the breech to slide the clamp on. Be sure to try a well fitting key in each of the 3 set screws, they are different as I recall. You will need to remove the breech from the cylinder as well, otherwise your barrel will be blocked by the transfer port. Once the barrel is off, seat a pellet and see if there are any burrs. And check the crown + clean the barrel thoroughly, you might even want to lap it with fine (e.g. 2.5 grain) compound.

As i said, I regulated mine. Tuning it below the knee (see B Sterne in Hardairmagazine) was a bit harder than the Gamo because the Artemis lacks a hammer spring tension adjuster. You need to clip coils from the spring or shim it with washers. My advice: if you really want to mess with this spring, then go extremely slow on removing coils - one at a time. Get a spare spring just to be sure!

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I put the extra barrel clamp on one of my 2, and don't regret it -- it was only an extra 10 bucks or so with Pyramydair. But it may not be necessary if you remove the muzzle break, as that reduces barrel weight. I would expect the stock moderator to be removable -- mine have a simple set screw and they come off. (The Gamo does not!!). Be ready for a hefty bark though, because this is a powerful gun.

The disadvantage of the extra clamp is, you need to take the barrel out of the breech to slide the clamp on. Be sure to try a well fitting key in each of the 3 set screws, they are different as I recall. You will need to remove the breech from the cylinder as well, otherwise your barrel will be blocked by the transfer port. Once the barrel is off, seat a pellet and see if there are any burrs. And check the crown + clean the barrel thoroughly, you might even want to lap it with fine (e.g. 2.5 grain) compound.

As i said, I regulated mine. Tuning it below the knee (see B Sterne in Hardairmagazine) was a bit harder than the Gamo because the Artemis lacks a hammer spring tension adjuster. You need to clip coils from the spring or shim it with washers. My advice: if you really want to mess with this spring, then go extremely slow on removing coils - one at a time. Get a spare spring just to be sure!

🐦
 
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Ok, I was able to increase my budget a little, from about the original $250 to about $325, or so. This probably includes some better PCPs.

I'm researching the Benjamin Fortitude, with an odd twist. I'll post it here, but also on a new thread if that's allowed. It's a little wordy, but here goes:

I'm contemplating a Benjamin Fortitude. A video from Airgun Depot did some ballistic testing. Some info from it. (Btw, I want to use it for hunting rabbits & jacks in the desert. The jacks especially, if jumped, run and when they stop & in sight, they are 50+ away. If we do a sit & wait, we see them much closer).

Here is the info. followed by my question:

After 75 shot strings, the .177 velocities are remarkably consistent.

.177 (10.5 gr. Crosman Prem. Ultra-Mag) - Ave. Velocity: 845 fps ... Ave. FPE: 16.65 ft.lbs. Standard Dev: 8.85

.22 (Gr. not mentioned but I calculated a 13.2 gr. & pellet used) - Ave. Velocity: 790 fps ... Ave. FPE: 18.60 ft.lbs. Standard Dev: 16.16

.177 was quite consistent, while the .22 was noticeably less. The presenter stated that the .177s were more typical (they looked higher than most, to me). --- The .22 was said to be lower than typical (I agree). *Since his target test (of 5 dif. pellets) did not use a 13.2 gr. perhaps the .22 #s are in error.

My question is (if #s are all correct), although the .177 smaller in diameter the ft.lbs. are only less by 2 1/2 ft.lbs. than the .22. Would that mean the .177 having a flatter trajectory, although smaller in diameter, would be as effective as a small game/varmint round?
 
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I prefer 177 caliber for the Fortitude.
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Do you see the .177 as effective as the .22. I realize the diameter difference, and the heavier pellet retaining more energy at a distance, but the .177 is flatter. Some say the .177s pass thru w/o doing enough damage to ethically stop small game. I don't know if any available .177 pellets will expand enough inside an animal for a quick kill.
 
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Save that money. Pocket it and save to buy one over $500. If you buy something in that price range, you may be turned off to the sport.
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I've thought about it, but that would take a good while, with the way things are today. The only $ I can save is at birthday & Christmas time. All else is needed for the family. --- I also want to get out there, rather than staying home all the time. Jacks are year-round, so outside of Summer heat waves, hunting is possible. Even during the heat, there are places at altitude that are full of jacks, along with cooler weather. At 63 and a good amount of health disabilities, I don't want to waste time.
 
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I prefer 177 caliber for the Fortitude.
Click to expand...

Do you see the .177 as effective as the .22. I realize the diameter difference, and the heavier pellet retaining more energy at a distance, but the .177 is flatter. Some say the .177s pass thru w/o doing enough damage to ethically stop small game. I don't know if any available .177 pellets will expand enough inside an animal for a quick kill.
Click to expand...

It's much easier (FOR ME) to consistantly headshot (a bird) with a 177 vs a 22 given similar power levels at 50 yards.
 
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I prefer 177 caliber for the Fortitude.
Click to expand...

Do you see the .177 as effective as the .22. I realize the diameter difference, and the heavier pellet retaining more energy at a distance, but the .177 is flatter. Some say the .177s pass thru w/o doing enough damage to ethically stop small game. I don't know if any available .177 pellets will expand enough inside an animal for a quick kill.
Click to expand...

It's much easier (FOR ME) to consistantly headshot (a bird) with a 177 vs a 22 given similar power levels at 50 yards.
Click to expand...

Whatever I end up with, I need to be good with it.

Thanks for all your advice, sir!
 
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My first one was a Gamo Urban, and I still love that gun. It's light,quiet, the BSA barrel is great, easy with a hand pump, and the ergonomics are spot on. It's still the best feeling gun I own. Mine likes the JSB 18s and is sighted in at 30 yrds with them for squirrel. But it also likes the H&N Hornets very well, which is a great hunting pellet for small game. They are expensive, but will punch through a rabbits skull with ease.
 
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https://youtu.be/_D43DrpdMfc

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Wow, I can't thank you enough. I wasn't certain the pen could get the lead in there at such a huge angle. The 2nd shot is something I feel the need for, if my 1st doesn't do the job. 

I've noticed how much you help others. We're all glad we have you, and I'm still a newbie.

Well, I'll have to research the Maxima, too. I would imagine that it is quite similar to the Fortitude.
 
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The Air Venturi Avenger is a good choice in your price range. Light and good accuracy.
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Yup! The Avenger, along with the Origen are both being considered. They are at least available, right now. I can't find the Fortitude or Stormrider (.22) for sale, anywhere. I like the idea & price of the Maxima, w/pellet pen, but my budget is now a little higher, so the currently "unavailable" Fortitude, has some advantages, except for the fact that I can't find the .22 version anywhere. If I did, I would likely go with it. I like the streamlined sleekness, the long shot-curve & the 5 yr. warranty.
 
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