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BBGunn

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Sep 15, 2023
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Central Oregon
Since I retired (11-years ago) I have been trying to buy one new air rifle each Fall/Winter. I've been trying to decide which new rifle I might buy this year and I can't come up with one???

I am very set-in-my-ways. I like old school, 'long' rifles and there are so few QUALITY rifles like that these days. Some years back manufacturers decided that tradition had no value in the airgun hobby. They started designing air rifles that are so far removed from traditional style that many of us older folks can barely recognize them as a, 'rifle'.

In recent years there have been a number of quality rifles released that accel for shooting off a bench or barricade but virtually useless for carrying in the field. Less than 1% of airgun enthusiast world wide participate in any sort of airgun competition yet it seems that the majority of new rifles are aimed toward competitive disciplines. I don't get it???

For me, I have to like the way a rifle looks to really enjoy it. I don't care how well it might shoot..., if it doesn't look appealing to me I don't want it.

Anyone else get what I am trying to say here?
 
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I believe you and I think along the same lines, except the rifles I buy must be accurate too. I also assume you like walnut stocks too. Let me suggest some examples:

FWB300S
Daystate Wolverine, Revere, or Red Wolf
Air Arms TX200 (springer) or S510 Walnut
Any HW springer (except the HW57), but you had better hurry up. They seem to be disappearing off the market

If you don't mind tactical style rifles, consider a RAW HM1000x. Comes in wood too(plywood). If you can find older ones in walnut, grab it.

Enjoy your shopping
 
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Another vote for the Daystate Wolverine. Very classy traditional rifle. Everything from the stock to the barrel is perfect. Feels hand crafted every time I shoot it.

IMG_0678.jpeg
 
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BBGun, thank you for a well written start to this thread. I get what you are saying.

I too am old school when it comes to rifles, but I recognize the importance of modern sporting rifle design as well as competition to our sport.

If I showed you one of my rifles, chances are 75% that it would be a wood stocked, and 25 % have an AR15 grip. My last air rifle purchase was an FX Crown chosen mostly for its visual appeal. I shot a national match M-1 for years, and only regret that I could afford a 1903 NRA sporter hand bult at the Springfield Armory in the 1930s.

However, the M-1 replaced he 1903 on the firing line by virtue of higher scores, and the “new” air rifles have done the same thing to my cherished, traditional ones.

About the 1%. Our range in Pocatello was built by competitors, If you go to just about any board of directors meeting, 90 % of the folks there are competitors. There are 1500 members of our cub, and only 50 or so compete.

Ron
 
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I TOTALLY get what you're saying. Give me wood furniture & a long gun that LOOKS like a rifle & that's 50% of the appeal for me. Even my newest acquisition, an Edgun R3 long, .22 slug gun has a wood stock that makes me feel more at home with its more tactical appearance (compared to my Royale & Boss) than I would have suspected. I just don't care for an all metal, modular piece of equipment against my cheek.
 
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Not only do I feel your pain, but being one of few remaining folks like us still competitive (VERY) in Field Target competitions born as HUNTING simulation games, it has become increasingly difficult to beat the best in Field Target; all of which have embraced the "win at ANY cost" mindset to such degrees as adding so much/many weight ballast stabilizers to their already HEAVY $5,000 rigs as they can physically handle. 🥵

Suffice to say the term 'tactical' has at least contributed to that mentality; not to mention driving the shooting sports away from any and all semblences of aesthetics. 'Tactical' has long been the most overused term in shooting sports, perhaps even in the English language.

But if it's any consolation, the latter part of that previous sentence is changing. 'Tactical' is quickly succumbing as the most overused term in the English language...

To 'A.I.' 🤬

Relating to that subject, I've long felt technology will be the downfall of Mankind. At this point technology is contributing so heavily to human incompetence as to make it exponentially more epidemic, especially since covid. I've come to some related conclusions-

1) Never depend on human competency; it's now virtually extinct.
2) Minimize dependence on technology; much of it is dysfunctional.
3) Because it's a product of humans (see #1 above).
4) Tech functionality is often promoted as 'intuitive'.
5) 'Intuitive' is not synonymous with 'logical'.
6) In fact, as pertains to tech functionality, the two terms are antonymous.
7) So faced with these points, a question-
8) Which is worse- human incompetence, or dysfunctional technology?
9) Answer- that may be a moot question, because-
10) The worst possible 'worse' is incompetent humans using dysfunctional technology.
11) Which is usually the case.
12) Correction- #11 only until Mankin's invention of A.I. completes it's downfall-of-Mankind mission. :oops::unsure:

.
 
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I'd shoot a well fitting, ultra accurate rifle in competition even if it looked like a giant turd.

Traditional stuff is nice ,but for me it simply does not fit, being tall sucks when it comes to things like wood stocks with fixed lengths of pull and drop, and in the shooting world if it doesn't fit or feel right it's wrong.
 
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jps2486 said:
I believe you and I think along the same lines, except the rifles I buy must be accurate too. I also assume you like walnut stocks too. Let me suggest some examples:

FWB300S
Daystate Wolverine, Revere, or Red Wolf
Air Arms TX200 (springer) or S510 Walnut
Any HW springer (except the HW57), but you had better hurry up. They seem to be disappearing off the market

If you don't mind tactical style rifles, consider a RAW HM1000x. Comes in wood too(plywood). If you can find older ones in walnut, grab it.
I have to disagree with you about the HW57, I have two, one in .177 and one in.22. They were listed as tuned when I bought them and are so smooth I believe it. Lightweight, handy, easy to cock and probably not as accurate off a bench with a scope as some of the big heavy guns, but great for field carry. I have aperture sights on mine.
Enjoy your shopping
Click to expand...
 
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Vana2 said:
I've had a pair of Weihrauch HW100 PCPs (.177 & .22) for many years.

In addition to ticking off all the traditional boxes, the HW100 rifles are well designed, well made performers.

My .22 makes 30 fpe and is good for about 35 shots from a 200 bar fill.

Cheers!

View attachment 589351
Click to expand...
nice!
 
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Very very few people race cars and yet the people who make the cars spend millions getting their names and product on the race track. Why because we want what wins even if it is a diluted version. Same goes for archery. Very few people shoot competition compared to all the rest of the archers and bow hunters yet the factories strive for the best bows for 3D and formal targets. Same reason. Archers buy what is winning competitions.
It is part of the human condition to want what the cool kids are using
 
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