Needing suggestions on new rifle.

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10Bore

10Bore

Member
Aug 10, 2016
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New to the forum from Missouri.

Looking to get into a rifle to handle pest birds and vermin around the shop. Maybe an occasional squirrel in the yard so a .22 is not necessary but I liked the thump of and older multi pump .22 I used to have as compared to an RWS .177 I messed with for a while.

Been checking out the Gamo IGT stuff and just starting to look at the Hatsan stuff. Really like the idea of a piston over a springer just to help with vibration. Also liking the idea of the Gamo "Whisper" technology.

Just starting to look so I am sure there are other brands and features I am missing.

Looking to stay under $300 right now so if I have to shoot sights for a bit until I get a scope I am fine w that.

School me and I am open to all suggestions.

 
For pest birds and vermin, you will be OK with a .177. For squirrels, .177 will work, but you'll either need to take head shots, or get a relatively higher powered one. Squirrels are tougher than they seem.

An airgun that makes enough power to take squirrels humanely will do some damage to your shop building, if you miss. 

I'd avoid the Gamo stuff, it has a pretty bad reputation. Stoeger makes nice guns at an affordable price. They have a gas ram gun with suppressor for around $200. They just need an aftermarket trigger, which you can put in yourself. 

I have the aforementioned HW 30 S, and it is a wonderful airgun, but only suitable for head shots on squirrels, and only out to maybe 25 yards.

Maybe there is a local member who can let you try some guns out before you decide.
 
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Squirrels get the 22LR when I am out actually hunting. This will be for squirrels in the yard and around the shop, maybe an occasional hunt close to houses. I know how tough they are and can be which is why I lean a bit towards the .22 caliber. 

Birds can be lured to the ground away from the building so as not to damage anything. 

Understand the head shot on squirrels as that is where I shoot them anyway. Never knew there was any other place to aim.

Live South of KC MO.
 
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Good advise to consider the hw95/R9 (same action made by Weihrauch) or the D34. The caliber debate is endless, but IMHO .177 is plenty for small game out to 35-40 yards.

The D34 is a bit less expensive than the hw95. But the build quality is better on the hw95.

Both are heirloom quality airguns that will give you decades of service with proper care.

Once I started hunting with airguns (an .177 R1 in my case), I never picked up the 22lr again.

Good luck
R

 
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You can get a .22 Maximus from crosman.com with a pump for $279 with the AGNATION coupon code. That would be a solid little pester. Even better would be to see if you could get the Maximus Euro in .177 in the combo for the same price. For doing pest control around buildings 12ft-lb .177 can't be beat
...edit: I just realized you posted this in the springer section. Still recomend it tho

but for a gas ram for $300 this probably
http://www.cabelas.com/product/bsa-grt-supersport-se-air-rifle/2075870.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch%2F%3FN%3D5100283%26Ne%3D5100283%26No%3D40%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Dairgun%26Ntx%3Dmode%252Bmatchallpartial%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%252BProducts%26WTz_st%3D%26WTz_stype%3DSP%26form_state%3DsearchForm%26recordsPerPage%3D20%26search%3Dairgun%26searchTypeByFilter%3DTopRated%26x%3D10%26y%3D6&Ntt=airgun
 
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After some tinkering with the trigger, and some cleaning and loctiting of bolts, and chamber lube I can drop squirrels at 40-45 yards with my Crosman Nitro Venom Dusk 22...I dunno how it compares to the more expensive models suggested but it shoots groups like this at 21 yards with off the shelf walmart Crosman Hollow Points. The lower 3-4 shots were due to me dialing in the scope during this session.

 
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Deciding on an air rifle can be a slippery slope. If you are going to spend three hundred dollars why not get a PCP? Because you then need a means of filling the thing, add another one hundred fifty plus. You can get a good gun for less money. I just got a Crosman Phantom .22 for $75. The rear sight is a piece of crap but I fixed it and now it is a tack driver. Cheap but accurate. I would not recommend the gun as a first gun, especially to someone with a nice three bill budget. My advise; take some time to think about it then buy a Hatsan 95 Vortex QE in .25. Why do I recommend that gun? Because that is what I want. That and I hear the thud the .25 makes is unparalleled! Good luck.
 
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10Bore do what a LOT of us do , we don't buy them we rent them. :). I wanna try a ton of the cool different guns out there so I pick one up , shoot it a while and enjoy it , then send it on to its next home . The HW rifles are incredible ..The amount of quality you get for your money . I owned quite a few springers and first time I shot a HW 30 I almost went thru an entire tin of pellets it was so much fun !!
Don't get me wrong there are a lot of guys who can shoot Benjamin and Hatsan Break barrel guns and get 20 yard one hole groups ..I'm just not one of them so I need a rifle that's a little more forgiving , and slightly less violent recoil . The fun of all the options is part of what makes airguns fun
 
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Alright, alright already, Joe! You just couldn't leave it alone, now Im going to have to buy a HW. I dont when or how but if they are all that I have to have one.

I am one of those guys that gets good results from his Hatsan but I will admit it is work (not like shooting my wife`s QB78, which has a built in zeroing system and never missies). It takes discipline, and I hate discipline. 
 
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