What is your story?
- Thread starter Csbrown5
- Start date
The Original Smooth Twist barrels IMHO are some of the BEST pellet barrels ever made. Just got home from a few hours of plinking targets & it STILL blows me away how consistently accurate the platform is. The guns ALWAYS deliver. If something is off I know it's something I'M doing.
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My first gun was a cork pop gun, found out if I cut the string I had longer range. I started to learn about gun safety after popping Mom, red butt city. I than graduated to a Red Rider bb gun, hell on chipmunks had a stack of hides in short order. Next came a Crossman pumper loads of fun for many years, served me well for many a year. Learning along the way hunting with Pops about powder burners. I had arrived, no more kiddy toys for me. Ohya bigger faster for me. That brought the Feds into my life, not a pleasant experience. I jonesed for years missing shooting. Than discovered I could have air guns. I fell for the Gamo adds, 1400fps, sucker born every minute. Truthfully I never gave break barrels a fair chance, they were harder to shoot than pbs, impatient. I went to pcps with a referb Hatsan Gladius in .177. I was bitten by the bigger faster bug of old, what could be better than LCS SK19, never buy a new platform give it a few years to work out the bugs. To AoAs credit they finally worked through the bugs, read leaker. That gun had more frequent flyers miles than I did. I next explored the Huben K1 platform, bought a user .25 from a member, finally found my platform. I have since added a .22 and a custom .177 K1. The .177 is my go to gun, barn friendly to fire breathing monster. Now if I can get Kelly to mod a K1 in .30 my stable will be complete. Caution the rabbit hole is wide and deep.
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I started whit a crosmam pump gun then I jump into CO2 guns I had nitro piston guns then you want more guns now Iam 64 and now I have a cricket mini carabine .22 also have a cricket compact bullpup also FX dream line compact22 and a Broockoc contour s6 and is like an addition the more you have the more you want but that's the hobby
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I’ve always had an air rifle since I was a teenager. Except for a few years in the eighties when I was in the service. Bought a deer rifle, shotguns, 1022, etc, but there was always an air rifle in the gun safe. Hunted with muzzle loaders for many years. After nearly twenty years my trusty Shanghai thumbnail clipper was getting worn out. Purchased several cheap springers trying to replace it. Realized I could buy vintage guns for pretty much the same amount of money I was spending on modern garbage. Started tracking down examples of my favorite childhood airguns. These days I hunt small game and pests with traditional air rifles and occasionally buy a vintage airgun that interests me.
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I grew up in a crowded city in the northeast, my father worked as a plumber building new homes in a rural area to the north of us in a neighboring state. When I was about 10 years old, he came home with a bb pistol that he had bought in the town he worked in. It was the Daisy Targeteer. It was really disappointed when I shot it next to my buddy who had a Daisy model 25. Heck I could throw a bb faster than that pistol launched them but what the hell it was mine.
After my dad overheard me telling my cousin about my pistols short comings at a get together, he brought me up to that town on one of his days off. We walked into this combination hardware/sporting goods store and asked the proprietor for the best bb gun he had. The man handed him the Daisy model 99. My dad handed it to me and asked me if I liked it. I guess I was lost for words because all I could do was smile. When we got into the car, I wanted to open the box, but dad wouldn't have it. I sat there for the entire hour-long ride home with that box in my lap and read every single word and image.
I shot that rifle every day that it didn't rain in our little city backyard that summer and for many years after until I was old enough to drive and became more interested in so many other things, cars, girls, drinking etc.
I gave that gun to my nephew who was 10 years my junior. It wasn't until I was in my early forties did, I come back to the sport and purchased my first adult air rifle, the Diana model 26 in 177 caliber. It was the day I fell into the rabbit hole... I'm in my seventies now.
After my dad overheard me telling my cousin about my pistols short comings at a get together, he brought me up to that town on one of his days off. We walked into this combination hardware/sporting goods store and asked the proprietor for the best bb gun he had. The man handed him the Daisy model 99. My dad handed it to me and asked me if I liked it. I guess I was lost for words because all I could do was smile. When we got into the car, I wanted to open the box, but dad wouldn't have it. I sat there for the entire hour-long ride home with that box in my lap and read every single word and image.
I shot that rifle every day that it didn't rain in our little city backyard that summer and for many years after until I was old enough to drive and became more interested in so many other things, cars, girls, drinking etc.
I gave that gun to my nephew who was 10 years my junior. It wasn't until I was in my early forties did, I come back to the sport and purchased my first adult air rifle, the Diana model 26 in 177 caliber. It was the day I fell into the rabbit hole... I'm in my seventies now.
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I was born, raised and still live in the same small rural town in North Florida. Had two brothers that were 7 and 10 years older than me and as soon as I was old enough to walk they were cocking the Daisy Red Ryder and holding it up for me to shoot. From the Red Ryder I progressed to a Winchester pump BB gun at about age 10 then Dad gave me a .177 Benjamin Model 347 pumper when I was 14.
A place to hunt was never a problem because my dad was a Farm Bureau insurance agent at the time and was able to get hunting permission from many of the local farmers. Any small game was on the list of possibilities and although we primarily used shotguns, I would always take the Benjamin if we were after squirrels. With the exception of the Sunday after church pot roast, wild game was the staple meat when a hunting season was open. Between the four of us I never recall returning home and not having a sack full of critters to clean while Mom and my sister were getting the grease hot.
I took a job at a nearby phosphate mine after graduating high school and in 2017 with 43 ½ years behind me I retired at age 62. After retirement, with free time to wander around in my yard now I realized that I had a terrible over-population of squirrels. So, I broke out the old Benjamin only to find out that 62-year-old eyes and bi-focals do not do well with iron sights.
I started researching what was available in the air gun world that would solve the problem and ended-up with a .177 Gamo Whisper/scope and with this shooting marvel in hand I successfully scared off about 2 or maybe 3 of the two hundred squirrels that lived on my property.
Back to the internet, I found the air gun forums including Air Gun Nation and WOW, did I ever get an education on air guns (thanks again for all the helpful info guys).
Five years later I spend a lot of my free time shooting my .22 FX Impact MK II/Element Titan on my back yard range and yes, I no longer have a squirrel problem.
A place to hunt was never a problem because my dad was a Farm Bureau insurance agent at the time and was able to get hunting permission from many of the local farmers. Any small game was on the list of possibilities and although we primarily used shotguns, I would always take the Benjamin if we were after squirrels. With the exception of the Sunday after church pot roast, wild game was the staple meat when a hunting season was open. Between the four of us I never recall returning home and not having a sack full of critters to clean while Mom and my sister were getting the grease hot.
I took a job at a nearby phosphate mine after graduating high school and in 2017 with 43 ½ years behind me I retired at age 62. After retirement, with free time to wander around in my yard now I realized that I had a terrible over-population of squirrels. So, I broke out the old Benjamin only to find out that 62-year-old eyes and bi-focals do not do well with iron sights.
I started researching what was available in the air gun world that would solve the problem and ended-up with a .177 Gamo Whisper/scope and with this shooting marvel in hand I successfully scared off about 2 or maybe 3 of the two hundred squirrels that lived on my property.
Back to the internet, I found the air gun forums including Air Gun Nation and WOW, did I ever get an education on air guns (thanks again for all the helpful info guys).
Five years later I spend a lot of my free time shooting my .22 FX Impact MK II/Element Titan on my back yard range and yes, I no longer have a squirrel problem.
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Like so many here, I too started early in life with a Colt replica 45 ACP BB gun. My father gave it to me at around age 7 and I shot it every day in the basement at a hard cardboard laundry detergent lid with a hand drawn target in the middle. I was so proud of my new gun that I took it to the corner store to show the two owners there, (whom I saw almost daily). They were enamored with it (or at least acted so), making me feel rather special.
We moved from that home into a tract home (Detroit suburb), it was surrounded by forested areas, in which I would hunt for snakes, frogs and toads before hunting with my new pistol. One day I decided to take out my trusty Colt replica and laid beneath a bare tree in wait for a bird to land. It didn't take long, and a bird finally did land in the very top of the open branch tree. I laid back and let it fly.... missing four times in a row. But that bird did not fly and on the fifth shot, down it went. Now I was scared, scared because I killed a creature, so I picked it up with sticks and said a little prayer and buried it.
I went straight home after that and when I got there, my parents had asked a preacher over for dinner without my knowledge. Greeted at the door when I arrived, I thought "I my god, they know that I killed that bird. I'm in so much trouble now!" That wasn't the case, but it sure scared me at first.
I graduated to a Daisy pump action rifle the following year, still shooting the same hard cardboard lid in the basement but had more opportunities with birds on the power lines in the back of the yard, so soon started picking them off.
Since then, the family moved the SoCal area, (San Diego) which in the early 60's was wide open and not the major metropolis of today. We could walk down the street with pump air rifles without issue, no one was afraid to see such a sight back then. Likely be arrested now. Much simpler times.
Me and a friend would hunt with the Benji's every day after school. It was a lotta fun!
I have shot and still shoot, pistol shotgun and air rifles. I was a volunteer at the San Diego Police Revolver Club teaching the general public handgun safety and shooting technique. That was a fun time that lasted almost 20 years. Meeting many, many fine people along the way.... while a few rascals, a fabulous experience.
From that background I had also hunted, mostly birds such as dove, pheasant and quail with a shotgun. I really enjoyed the shotgun shooting so joined a local club that had a trap field. I got pretty good and also got bored, so I wanted to try skeet. That is a sport that I really enjoy. I also got pretty good at that.
While shooting a tournament on Camp Pendleton one month in 2011, the field manager was laid over a hay bale with a rifle like I'd never seen before. He was pointing at a cottontail about 60 yards away, took a shot, which I barely heard, and the cottontail keeled over kicking mildy. When he arose, I asked what kind of rifle is that? It makes no noise! It was and Air Force, .22 caliber air rifle.
I immediately bought one, yet quickly outgrew it and moved on to an Air Arms .22, which is a beautiful rifle.
I have since moved to mostly FX guns but have had; Air Force (1), Air Arms (2), Steyr (1) and FX (5) in the past. It's a super fun platform and while I thoroughly enjoy shooting in general, air rifles to me are very high on my enjoyability score card.
So, that's my story of how I ended up here, with all of you fine folk!
mike
We moved from that home into a tract home (Detroit suburb), it was surrounded by forested areas, in which I would hunt for snakes, frogs and toads before hunting with my new pistol. One day I decided to take out my trusty Colt replica and laid beneath a bare tree in wait for a bird to land. It didn't take long, and a bird finally did land in the very top of the open branch tree. I laid back and let it fly.... missing four times in a row. But that bird did not fly and on the fifth shot, down it went. Now I was scared, scared because I killed a creature, so I picked it up with sticks and said a little prayer and buried it.
I went straight home after that and when I got there, my parents had asked a preacher over for dinner without my knowledge. Greeted at the door when I arrived, I thought "I my god, they know that I killed that bird. I'm in so much trouble now!" That wasn't the case, but it sure scared me at first.
I graduated to a Daisy pump action rifle the following year, still shooting the same hard cardboard lid in the basement but had more opportunities with birds on the power lines in the back of the yard, so soon started picking them off.
Since then, the family moved the SoCal area, (San Diego) which in the early 60's was wide open and not the major metropolis of today. We could walk down the street with pump air rifles without issue, no one was afraid to see such a sight back then. Likely be arrested now. Much simpler times.
Me and a friend would hunt with the Benji's every day after school. It was a lotta fun!
I have shot and still shoot, pistol shotgun and air rifles. I was a volunteer at the San Diego Police Revolver Club teaching the general public handgun safety and shooting technique. That was a fun time that lasted almost 20 years. Meeting many, many fine people along the way.... while a few rascals, a fabulous experience.
From that background I had also hunted, mostly birds such as dove, pheasant and quail with a shotgun. I really enjoyed the shotgun shooting so joined a local club that had a trap field. I got pretty good and also got bored, so I wanted to try skeet. That is a sport that I really enjoy. I also got pretty good at that.
While shooting a tournament on Camp Pendleton one month in 2011, the field manager was laid over a hay bale with a rifle like I'd never seen before. He was pointing at a cottontail about 60 yards away, took a shot, which I barely heard, and the cottontail keeled over kicking mildy. When he arose, I asked what kind of rifle is that? It makes no noise! It was and Air Force, .22 caliber air rifle.
I immediately bought one, yet quickly outgrew it and moved on to an Air Arms .22, which is a beautiful rifle.
I have since moved to mostly FX guns but have had; Air Force (1), Air Arms (2), Steyr (1) and FX (5) in the past. It's a super fun platform and while I thoroughly enjoy shooting in general, air rifles to me are very high on my enjoyability score card.
So, that's my story of how I ended up here, with all of you fine folk!
mike
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It all started 53 years ago when I was a young lad of 6 years. We had just moved from a small starter home in a nice lower middle-class neighborhood soon to be ruined by a massive public housing project next door. Now 50 years later the area is a hell scape. I had my first years there going on bicycle adventures that summer with my buddies building forts in the woods, defending them against marauding savages with our trusty Daisy BB guns and sling shots. Then we had to move, I was devastated, moving away from my lifelong friends of almost three years!
We moved to an old farmhouse in the country across the road from the Red River. At one time was a cow/calf operation complete with a barn, outbuildings and 18 acres to conquer. The only people near were a family with two boys and a girl our age. We went on many an adventure all well-armed with BB guns and sheath knives strapped to our belts. Such was life in 1971 with strange happenings reported on our black and white TV over rabbit ears. Summer turned to fall and Christmas morning I was blessed with a Benjamine 340 multi pump and a precious single tin of pea green topped pellets, which I still have. Mom didn't like the extra half hour each way added to her commute, and we found ourselves back in the city. This time in a larger house with full acre+ lots, mature trees, and utility access lanes running behind the houses. It didn't take long to find friends with pellet guns and the hunts began. More fort building and now we were skinning and cooking our kills. Soon came rimfires that waited until dad could take us out to the gravel pits to practice. Lawns were mowed and leaves raked, and I bought my H&R 20ga. Topper Jr. which unfortunately was lost to thieves decades later.
Soon I got my driver's license, and we would take dads aluminum boat and sneak one of my buddies' dads ancient outboards and off we went duck hunting on Catahoula Lake. We spent half the night before working on the motor. We were quite a site with the boat strapped to the top of an ancient Olds Cutlass four door. It was my buddies' grandmothers ride before she passed, the 18 hp purple and cream-colored Johnson in the trunk. We got laughed at by the "real" hunters at the landing. Hours later we managed to return to the landing with full limits. Man, when we get out of college and have real jobs the hunting we would do with all that money we were going to make. Off to school we went and the hunting was never better than the glory days of Catahoula.
The generations changed and I had the honor of inheriting my grandfather's trusty early 1950s Winchester M94, well weather worn, which I have to this day. Its around 70 years old and has accounted for many head of game.
At that age we had been spent increasing amounts of time chasing two-legged game with most of us being bagged and working to support families. We bought various shotguns and rifles and bagged game, most of which seem to grow massively after being taken. More toys, boats etc. then in 1998 when looking at an ancient Natchez Shooters Supplies catalogue, I saw a RWS Diana M34 in .22 with an advertised velocity of over 700 fps. I remembered a Winchester .22 springer we had decades ago but it was weak, around 500 or so fps but it made a big hole in those cans. I received my mail order fine German pellet gun and was proud of my new rifle. My friends ridiculed me as playing with a child's toy, that is until they shot it. It was a fine companion for years on camping trips etc.
Then came the internet and I found a jovial fellow by the name of Ted who had a YouTube channel about knocking off Starlings with his high powered precharged air guns. I was amazed. My childhood dream of a pellet gun that could reach out with power and accuracy here unknown could be had. So began the sickness and I bought a Benjie Mrod in the devastating and unheard of .25 caliber. The rest they say is history. The sickness continues and there appears to be no cure wanted or available as my stock of PCPs grows.
I still have that M34 Diana and am installing a Macarri full tune kit to give it another few decades run. Its strange how things tend to run in circles, circles that return to the beginning. I have a safe full of powder burners yet I hunt with air rifles much more than others, just like in the beginning.
I will pass on my trusty M34 to my heirs as will I pass on my Grandfathers M94 to my heirs to treasure and enjoy. I will pass on many treasured rim fires and trusty shotguns and rifles of a lifetime that is unfortunately shortened.
And so it goes.
We moved to an old farmhouse in the country across the road from the Red River. At one time was a cow/calf operation complete with a barn, outbuildings and 18 acres to conquer. The only people near were a family with two boys and a girl our age. We went on many an adventure all well-armed with BB guns and sheath knives strapped to our belts. Such was life in 1971 with strange happenings reported on our black and white TV over rabbit ears. Summer turned to fall and Christmas morning I was blessed with a Benjamine 340 multi pump and a precious single tin of pea green topped pellets, which I still have. Mom didn't like the extra half hour each way added to her commute, and we found ourselves back in the city. This time in a larger house with full acre+ lots, mature trees, and utility access lanes running behind the houses. It didn't take long to find friends with pellet guns and the hunts began. More fort building and now we were skinning and cooking our kills. Soon came rimfires that waited until dad could take us out to the gravel pits to practice. Lawns were mowed and leaves raked, and I bought my H&R 20ga. Topper Jr. which unfortunately was lost to thieves decades later.
Soon I got my driver's license, and we would take dads aluminum boat and sneak one of my buddies' dads ancient outboards and off we went duck hunting on Catahoula Lake. We spent half the night before working on the motor. We were quite a site with the boat strapped to the top of an ancient Olds Cutlass four door. It was my buddies' grandmothers ride before she passed, the 18 hp purple and cream-colored Johnson in the trunk. We got laughed at by the "real" hunters at the landing. Hours later we managed to return to the landing with full limits. Man, when we get out of college and have real jobs the hunting we would do with all that money we were going to make. Off to school we went and the hunting was never better than the glory days of Catahoula.
The generations changed and I had the honor of inheriting my grandfather's trusty early 1950s Winchester M94, well weather worn, which I have to this day. Its around 70 years old and has accounted for many head of game.
At that age we had been spent increasing amounts of time chasing two-legged game with most of us being bagged and working to support families. We bought various shotguns and rifles and bagged game, most of which seem to grow massively after being taken. More toys, boats etc. then in 1998 when looking at an ancient Natchez Shooters Supplies catalogue, I saw a RWS Diana M34 in .22 with an advertised velocity of over 700 fps. I remembered a Winchester .22 springer we had decades ago but it was weak, around 500 or so fps but it made a big hole in those cans. I received my mail order fine German pellet gun and was proud of my new rifle. My friends ridiculed me as playing with a child's toy, that is until they shot it. It was a fine companion for years on camping trips etc.
Then came the internet and I found a jovial fellow by the name of Ted who had a YouTube channel about knocking off Starlings with his high powered precharged air guns. I was amazed. My childhood dream of a pellet gun that could reach out with power and accuracy here unknown could be had. So began the sickness and I bought a Benjie Mrod in the devastating and unheard of .25 caliber. The rest they say is history. The sickness continues and there appears to be no cure wanted or available as my stock of PCPs grows.
I still have that M34 Diana and am installing a Macarri full tune kit to give it another few decades run. Its strange how things tend to run in circles, circles that return to the beginning. I have a safe full of powder burners yet I hunt with air rifles much more than others, just like in the beginning.
I will pass on my trusty M34 to my heirs as will I pass on my Grandfathers M94 to my heirs to treasure and enjoy. I will pass on many treasured rim fires and trusty shotguns and rifles of a lifetime that is unfortunately shortened.
And so it goes.
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- Early lifer - BB gun, followed shortly thereafter with a pump up BB/pellet rifle. Very young, don't remember exactly.
- 410 single shot for my 10th birthday
- Bought my Remington 1100 at 13 with my own money after working and saving forever.
- Ruger MKII 22 rim fire Pistol at 16-ish. Loved this gun!
- Fast forward through about 40 years of life and various guns... Mostly shooting pistols out on the home place.
- 2022-Rat infestation in the barn initiated purchase of first 2 seriously airguns. 22 cal CO2 pistol, and HW50S 177 rifle.
- I really enjoy plinking with these and am already looking for the next so that wife and I can rifle shoot together.
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I started with my Dad's Crosman 38T, that was my first airgun experience. I used to shoot can's at the family cabin, and occasional the odd crow in the garden. My dad would string it up to keep all the other crows away. When I was about 8 or 9 my dad got a hold of his dad's guns, and we started to play with those. .303 British Lee Enfield, a Remington 12 gauge, and my dad bought my BRNO (CZ) .22. I still have the .303 and my .22.
Airgun Journey expanded in 2018, I moved to this hobby farm and had rats. I bought a Gamo pistol and a Crosman Optimus. Then I joined Instagram and it exploded from there. I have over 30 airguns and firearms now, and have played, tested and reviewed a ton more that aren't in the collection as well.
I'm still learning, I still consider myself a knowledgable rookie. I'll post back on here in 30 years if my heart and lungs don't give out, and give you and update on my journey then...
I don't think I'll ever shrink in Acres until I'm an invalid, right now the family has 163 acres to shoot on in total. Just gotta get some housing on the 160 up in Kamloops.
J
Airgun Journey expanded in 2018, I moved to this hobby farm and had rats. I bought a Gamo pistol and a Crosman Optimus. Then I joined Instagram and it exploded from there. I have over 30 airguns and firearms now, and have played, tested and reviewed a ton more that aren't in the collection as well.
I'm still learning, I still consider myself a knowledgable rookie. I'll post back on here in 30 years if my heart and lungs don't give out, and give you and update on my journey then...
I don't think I'll ever shrink in Acres until I'm an invalid, right now the family has 163 acres to shoot on in total. Just gotta get some housing on the 160 up in Kamloops. J
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Daisy Red Ryder around 1966 then a Crossman 760 lots of birds and squirrels. Stevens .22 to a Marlin 30-30 first deer at 12. Lots of powder burners since. Was heavy into varmint calling and sage rats. Got my first PCP FX Maverick eight months ago and shoot it almost every day. Just what I needed another hobby
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My journey for airguns all started with my uncle. He had a break barrel for us kids to shoot in his backyard whenever we had a family gathering at his house. I was hooked and knew I wanted one for myself eventually.
I discovered a mom and pop sporting goods store one day and saw they had a decent selection of airguns. Not knowing which airgun to get, I asked the owner what can I get for $300 bucks. He suggested the Diana RWS 34 in .177 and can also include a 4x32 bushnell scope, scope rings, a boyt soft rifle case, and a tin rws hollow point pellets. This was before the invention of the Internet so there was no way of doing research on the gun he suggested but took his words and bought the gun. As I later found out the D34 is one of the nicest gun you can get at that price point. Eventually, my collection grew with Daisy powerline and Gamo P23 CO2 pistol. Hours of fun in back yard plinking. This hobby lasted until I moved away for college and didn't rediscover until...
...20 years had past, I was stuck inside the house with the world during Covid lockdown. One day, my wife saw a couple of rats in the back yard and told me to "take care of it". At that instance, I immediately thought of my D34 back at my folk's house in my childhood bedroom under the bed 400 miles away. Fond memories gushes through my mind as I googled airguns looking to rekindle with my childhood hobby. I browsed through Pyramidairs selections and the Crosman 1322 popped up. It was one of the gun I wanted as a kid but never got one. The 1322 was exactly what I needed, a tool for pest control with tons of potential for mods to kill time while stuck indoors. I bought the 1322, steel breech, butt stock, and a scope as my initial load out with plans to upgrade in the future.
During my research for 1322 mods, I came across the marauder pistol. Up until that point, I never had a pcp airgun and thought it would be a nice entry level gun to start with tons of mods potential as well, just like the 1322. I decided to spend my stimulus check on it.
O yeah, the rats...never seen them again. I set up traps, food, and sticky traps hoping to use my airguns to finish them off but they never showed up. I now thank them for spooking my wife that led to my rekindling with this awesome hobby.
When I first started with my D34, the internet wasn't invented yet. Now, there are forums like this to share, discuss, and to learn with people around the world who shares the same interests, loving it!
I discovered a mom and pop sporting goods store one day and saw they had a decent selection of airguns. Not knowing which airgun to get, I asked the owner what can I get for $300 bucks. He suggested the Diana RWS 34 in .177 and can also include a 4x32 bushnell scope, scope rings, a boyt soft rifle case, and a tin rws hollow point pellets. This was before the invention of the Internet so there was no way of doing research on the gun he suggested but took his words and bought the gun. As I later found out the D34 is one of the nicest gun you can get at that price point. Eventually, my collection grew with Daisy powerline and Gamo P23 CO2 pistol. Hours of fun in back yard plinking. This hobby lasted until I moved away for college and didn't rediscover until...
...20 years had past, I was stuck inside the house with the world during Covid lockdown. One day, my wife saw a couple of rats in the back yard and told me to "take care of it". At that instance, I immediately thought of my D34 back at my folk's house in my childhood bedroom under the bed 400 miles away. Fond memories gushes through my mind as I googled airguns looking to rekindle with my childhood hobby. I browsed through Pyramidairs selections and the Crosman 1322 popped up. It was one of the gun I wanted as a kid but never got one. The 1322 was exactly what I needed, a tool for pest control with tons of potential for mods to kill time while stuck indoors. I bought the 1322, steel breech, butt stock, and a scope as my initial load out with plans to upgrade in the future.
During my research for 1322 mods, I came across the marauder pistol. Up until that point, I never had a pcp airgun and thought it would be a nice entry level gun to start with tons of mods potential as well, just like the 1322. I decided to spend my stimulus check on it.
O yeah, the rats...never seen them again. I set up traps, food, and sticky traps hoping to use my airguns to finish them off but they never showed up. I now thank them for spooking my wife that led to my rekindling with this awesome hobby.
When I first started with my D34, the internet wasn't invented yet. Now, there are forums like this to share, discuss, and to learn with people around the world who shares the same interests, loving it!
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I read a magazine article about pellet rifles when I was young. I signed up for the rifle catalog and started getting Beeman catalogs once or twice a year. Parents said hell no. Uncle died in a hunting accident so guns were verboden. Get out of the Navy and find a Beeman dealer in Lenaxa Kansas and I got money to burn. Turns out they do not make left handed Beemans and they cost more money than I have to burn. Proprietor lets me try a Diana 34. Right handed stock or not, great shooter. Still have the Mighty D34. Beat up and used, still shoots one inch groups. Only right handed stock rifle I own.
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Have been into powder burners for years and only recently gave air rifles a look. Purchase a Marauder in 22 with the intent of thinning our the starlings that live in my barn. Gun is WAY more accurate than I figured it would be. I am officially hooked!
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I still have my all wood and metal crosman 760 from when I was a kid. It doesn’t hold air and has a small piece of wood cracked off on the pumping handle. But I keep it to remember the feeling it gave me as a kid. It must be 45 years old. My next was a Sheridan blue streak which I still have. Barrel weld broken, doesnt hold air but I still have it. Got it at 13 and Im 53 now. I hope you find it.
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I had no exposure to shooting enthusiasts in my childhood. I started with a sling shot, then BB guns, then paintball guns and then on to firearms when I was old enough and had enough money. It was all pistols and AR15s for me up until ammo started getting expensive (iirc 2010ish). Then switched to 22lr to save money and was surprised how much fun they were. Then I had a couple of boys of my own and put my toys away for a few years. My oldest was drawn to shooting before he knew my history so I bought him an rws Diana 240 classic in .177 for his 7th bday and got myself an aa prosport also in .177 to shoot with him. Much joy. We now shoot some firearms too but they seem almost silly to me now for shooting holes in paper. Expensive ammo, loud and messy. Who needs that lol.
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First bb gun around 7 years old. 7mm magnum for Christmas when I was 15. 1377 when I was 17 (still have it but it's modified now). Grew up and had a wife and young kids. Felt guilty leaving them to go shooting so I bought Gamo bigcat (2007) so I could shoot at home in the yard without leaving them. Didn't get the accuracy I thought that I should so I searched the internet and found the old Yellow Forum. A couple months later I had bought a Beeman R9 in .22. Held off for a few years buying anything else and then ended up with a HW30S.... then a HW77K... then a couple HW95s. I did the springer thing and could never justify the price of a PCP but I eventually turned a couple QB78s into PCPs. Next thing I knew I ended up with a Royale 400 and now I have 4 PCPs after having sold a couple. Now in looking into a Daystate....
I do own more than I listed but that's the general road I went down. I like shooting air because it's convenient, quiet, accurate and mostly it's fun for everyone. I enjoy having family and friends shoot when time allows. I really enjoy shooting with my kids, even the grown ones.
Top = three youngest boys about three years ago
Bottom = my dad last year shooting at the house
I do own more than I listed but that's the general road I went down. I like shooting air because it's convenient, quiet, accurate and mostly it's fun for everyone. I enjoy having family and friends shoot when time allows. I really enjoy shooting with my kids, even the grown ones.
Top = three youngest boys about three years ago
Bottom = my dad last year shooting at the house
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