Need suggestions for high-quality, accurate youth rifle

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SEark71

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May 30, 2016
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Hello, I am new to the community, and can use some guidance.

My son is 11 years old, and I wanted to get him a quality air rifle for making all A's for the 2015-16 year. I did some light research, and ran up on the Gamo Silent Cat. It happened to be at the local Wal-Mart, so I gave it a try.

First I should say that I have good experience with mounting scopes, and sighting traditional centerfire and rimfire rifles. Mounted the scope last night, and tried it out today at 20 yards, with sandbags. The trigger was smooth, but LONG, and felt like 6-8 lbs (non adjustable). Once I was comfortable shooting it, put a very nice group (4/5 within a dime) on paper. I made a slight adjustment for windage and elevation, and the following group was all over the place. I then took off the scope and tried with the open FO sights, and the group still wasn't too hot. Basically a 2-inch long string-- I understand that the group should be larger due to lack of a scope, however my shooting was not that bad. I was shooting Crosman 7.4-gr pellets

Also-- the rifle was also a little hard for him to load, due to the 30-lb (listed) spring-loaded action. Can anyone recommend a rifle that has less loading weight, and more precise on groups? It does not have to be 1000fps this rifle is rated at


thanks in advance
 
+1 for the Avanti (Daisy) line of single pump pneumatic rifles. The Daisy 953 (also single pump pneumatic) is only $99, is well made, easy to work on/repair, and is quite accurate. I get it out from time to time and always am amazed how accurate it is. I would say, dollar for dollar, it's the most accurate gun out there. Also, these single pump pneumatic rifles are easier to pump than most break barrels are to cock. Great that you're getting your son into air guns. Have fun shooting with him. 
 
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"shawnlyndy"Beeman R7 or HW30! Hands down the best youth rifle at 299.00. Just youtube reviews. Heirloom quality. 299.00 at airguns of arizona delivered. Crazy accurate and beautiful too! Enough said, you won't be disapointed.
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+1

Congratulations to your son on a great academic year! I'm sure you're proud, and you have a right to be!

A word of warning-- I bought my son his first air rifle when he was about your son's age (he's a rising senior in college now), and *I* got bit by the air gun bug! He still likes to shoot occasionally and I like to shoot just about every day!

As far as choice of an airgun, I agree with Shawn-- Beeman R7 or Weihrauch HW30. They're the same gun mechanically but the HW30 comes with iron sights while the R7 is intended to be used with a scope and has no sights.

I have an HW30 that now has about 15 thousand rounds through it and it is more fun to shoot than many rifles costing several times as much. Of course, it's the accuracy that makes it so but you'll also enjoy the top quality construction and overall attractiveness of the rifle.

My suggestion-- whatever you do, do not purchase on the basis of rated FPS. A lot guns are marketed based on these ratings and get sold because of high FPS claims, and most of them are horrible rifles. It is really difficult to be accurate with a .177 that shoots anywhere close to or above 1000fps.



 
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OK, so I am hoping there will be an entertainment factor to the update below.

In a hurry to ensure I got the sale price, and 10% off/free shipping Memorial Day special (before most of the above suggestions came in), I ordered the RWSm34 from Cabelas. It came in today, and my son absolutely cannot cock it-- it takes WAY too much force to do so. Would probably be 2-3 years before he can cock it at least semi-comfortably. SO, I decided to keep this one for myself (much to the consternation of my wife) and order him either an R7 or HW30. He prefers the scope, so will probably go with the HW30.

"What do you need one for?" she asked... I used an old line from one of my favorite movies "For snakes and such"

 
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Yes. The 34 is hard to cock, especially new. I would have not recommended it on that basis. Other than that it is great. I to suggest the HW30S. The 34 is not a little loss though as he will grow into it and for now you can use it. Between the 34 and the 30 you will have have the spectrum covered for spring rifles. The other option is to install a 12 fpe spring kit in the 34. You can get good ones from www.vortekproducts.com or www.airrifleheadquaters.com. They are very easy to install as the 34 is as easy as it gets to take apart. With the 12fpe Kit the 34 will be easier to cock and be an easier rifle to shoot.
 
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I ordered him the HW30, I hope to have more success than with the RWS 34. I tinkered with it, put 80-100 rounds through it to set the iron sights followed by plinking to break in the barrel. Could not get better than 1-inch groups at 18 yds, most were 1.25"-1.5" range. Used the Superdome pellets.

That could have been human error, so I mounted the scope and mount, hoping to find the "truth" in how accurate it was, and the strangest thing-- all shots within an inch left and right, but up and down was within 2 feet of height. I know that sounds crazy, and I know what I am doing-- both mounting and shooting, the scope and mounts were SOLID. I, being mostly a centerfire, rimfire, and smokeless powder "expert" as fas ar sighing in rifles, over 25 years, had no answer. I took off the scope, and back to 1-1.5" groups at 18 yards.

I am going to try again next weekend. Just too weird, perhaps an extremely faulty scope (internally)
 
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This is a spring rifle. If you notice the front and rear sights are mounted on the barrel. There is a reason for that. Your scope is mounted to the compression tube (which the sights are not). The barrel is at a different angle than the compression tube that your scope is mounted to. That said I would expect the rifle to shoot low as I am sure there is "barrel droop" (search that) and not high. That tells me you scope is way off from being optically centered or something else is wrong. Don't worry about accuracy yet as spring rifles take some practice. Read all you can about "artillery hold", etc and you will get the idea. Use that knowledge and put it into practice. You rifle I am sure is fine. Just shoot it and figure it out.
 
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