A shift in time. Shaking things up and moving things along.

I think I have hit some form of plateau with airguns. Machining parts and barrels to make bad guns good, good guns better, great guns perfect. For now I’m going to set up a picnic table on this plateau and relax for a bit. I have pictures of guns I want to sell but don’t want the aggravation of shipping them. I have people wanting me to build them stuff but I don’t want the responsibility and feel guilty. I’m not burned out on airguns thank goodness but I’ve kinda stalled out. I’m not a knee jerk kind of guy so I will just be patient. It’s winter time here in Pa and we all go into some sort of funk. Intenseaty22, there is nothing wrong with streamlining an airgun collection. It’s smart actually. The knowledge you obtained through owning a ton of guns will lead you to the guns you actually need. And good ones. Hopefully.

I'm a Springer man, no doubt about it. I would love to have or at least try a HW98 & 77 and a lgu or their break barrel with the barrel) breach locking thing they have. PCP wise??? I want a cricket. Something simple. All that power plenum, barrel liner stuff is too much for me. 

I have owned a lot of airguns, but my journey has landed me where I am now. Three lower priced airguns (Artemis P15's in .177, .22, and .25), less than $2,000 for all three that shoot well enough for my 25-35 yard line of sight, two Huben K1's (.22 and .25) that are stone killers, and a Benjamin Bulldog (.357) for raccoons and coyote. With these guns, I can kill anything from the size of a vole to a feral hog (but we have none where I live). What else do I really need?

I’ll bite... 

I am loving my Saber Crown MKII that I picked up when they were released and I couldn’t be happier. I was a little reluctant to get rid of my last couple Uragans and Red Wolf and was wondering if I could follow them up with something as good or better. The Crown has been better than I hoped, and has actually made me reconsider some plans I had. I spend 90% of my time at 50 yard bench, but have been venturing out more.

I have been wanting to shoot FT for the challenge and to improve my shooting overall, and have been considering that for many months. I am still trying to figure out what I want.

I also want a new rifle for hunting, but every time I buy one, I realize I don’t use it enough and can just use a 22lr instead. Sort of wish I had kept my Uragan 25 and sent it to Derrick for a better tune. Not sure what I will Do there.

I put in on the waitlist for a DW, but at this point, I think I’ll pass. I don’t think it will give me much over what I have and want, so I think I’ll stick to finding me a FT PCP.

For any gun I know I am going to keep I customize it for Me,I would rather do that than to keep figuring what gun to get next.

Custom stock,grips or whatever makes it better for me.I scope everything I own and do change scopes.

Some air guns = is not much you can do.....

I usually like .22 over .177 when I have a choice...fat fingers,not "Sticky Fingers".

I have too many guns....but only 8 favorites and out of that 5 forever airguns....all springers.

PCP,that is another problem altogether,will say I would rather have PCP pistols than rifles,have keepers there as well.

Budget...=rifle ,scope, customization,etc.it all adds up...it is Hard not to lust over some new air gun,or one you always wanted.

Use and how often and what for and ease of having FUN with it....if it ain't fun,forgettaboutit....

On the DW , I have been on the waiting list before there was a waiting list. I called AoA and asked when they were going to start one, but I too plan to pass on the DW. I am down for a .30 in bronze. The way I see it, the strength of the DW is the ease of tuning. In .30, there are only 2 pellet weights, so what's the point? Where I live, hunting starts with the .25, and I'm happy with the one I have (big collared doves, magpies, squirrels, big jackrabbits, prairie dogs, skunks, raccoons, coyote). I have a .177 and .22 for occasional use, The DW would shine in a caliber with a lot of pellet choices like the .22, but it serves little purpose for me, so I too plan on passing on it. For the few monster coons or coyotes I see a year, the .357 Bulldog gets it done.

I have deep roots in the powder burner world too, and will never again be fooled by the myth of guns (air or powder burner) that are caliber swappable (ie Thompson Center and the Sako Quad). All one does is spend their time switching barrels, and sighting in, and you never have the configuration desired when you need it. Now that I am older (65) and (a little wiser) I prefer to have guns set up in one caliber, sighted in with my projectile of choice, pick up the appropriate one, and go hunting or shooting.

Like you, I streamlined my bevy of Airguns last year. I ended up with my lightly de-tuned RAW HMx LRT .22 that fills most all of my needs in PCP’s and a PRod carbine for light duty pesting. I do want to add a nice springer like an HW97 or AA TX200 in any small caliber to complete the collection. I found I really just shoot the RAW for my own personal reasons and the PRod only gets out occasionally to pest or plink.

Well my friend, I thought that I was going to do like you and streamline my collection. I may still BUT I just ordered a new HW30S in .22 for a “change”. I want a really low and slow shooter. This should put the serious thump on those menacing tins cans that fill my recycling bin. Ha ha!



I absolutely LOVE my PCPs but in reality I don’t need them. They are almost too much for my backyard shooting range and I really want to simplify. I wish I was a one gun type guy but I love these things so much that keep buying them and not getting rid of them. My only need from an air rifle is for pure entertainment. It a fun pastime for me and no need to kill anything with them even though I have.


So I have no plan, only the desire to be content with one and no will power to sell anything off. I’m pretty much just dust in the wind  

I have come to a crossroads in my Airgun Journey. I am thinking and re-thingking what I want and or need. Therefore, already posted, and will be posting some stuffs in the Classifieds section as time permits. Have some other stuffs on the way already as we "speak" and I'm thinking hard about other guns and items that are yet to be announced. 

One of my goals is to streamline my "collection" to only the bare minimums items that meet my needs and will carry me to my later years. this will take some time to accomplish and I am OK with that as I am only 51 and I think I have plenty of time to get to where I want to be. 

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Would love to know where your journey it taking/calling you!

Click to expand...

The 50s wil do that to you... so is helping someone deal with a estate with way too much stuff...

While I haven't reach the culling point with airguns, I've started to do it with powder burners.

My journey started by following every road on the map. Always after the elusive “butterfly” gun. I wanted to hold and own the beautiful and fluttering object just beyond my reach. I wanted just one (maybe two) guns to serve my purposes. But over time had a dozen and longed for more.

So fast forward 10 years. I think, I know/have a purpose; My passion for the last several years has shifted to FT. I now only have one gun for that purpose and really have no desire for any more. It shoots better than I do so a new gun won’t help me.
The second purpose is an annual two week prairie dog hunt I and a couple of close shooting buddies (same ones I shoot FT with) have been going on for the last four years. 
Like you, I will be clearing out the safe as I don’t need an arsenal. I can only shoot one at a time. So two guns will suffice. It will be like a soul cleansing.

As the old saying goes, “ if I knew then what I know now”. 

Well, here in California, it's been tough finding powder burning anything this year since the 'Rona,(including Powder!), and I was bitten by the pellet virus in June. Kinda went on a buying spree and now have 6 Fx's and an Avenger. Problem has been finding time to learn to shoot the darn things. No downsizing for me in the near term, and those squirrels aren't going to shoot themselves, so I just need to manufacture sufficient time to learn my rifles.

Sold all my springers years ago. If I was going to get back into them it would be an HW 30/R7 or a FWB300s .

My line up at the moment.

.177 FX Logun (20 FPE) w/ BSA 6-24X44 prefers 13.4 gr JSB @ 825 fps, gets 30 + shots on a 2600 psi fill
.177 Thomas FT (20 FPE) w/Sightron SIII 10-50x60 prefers 13.4 gr JSB @825 fps , gets over 100 shots on 3000 psi fill
.22 Vulcan (28 FPE) w/ BSA 6-24X44 prefers 18.1 gr JSB @ 834 fps, gets 55 shots on 220 bar fill
.22 Colibri (30 FPE) w/ BSA 6-24X44 prefers 18.1 gr JSB @ 875 fps, gets 56 shots on 220 bar fill
.22 Cricket Pup (40 FPE) w/Mueller 8-32X44 with 18.1 gr JSB @ 975 fps or 25.39 JSB @ 865 fps 220 bar fill gets me two mags or 28 shots
.25 FX 500 (45 FPE) w/Sightron SIII 10-50x60 prefers 25.39 gr JSB @ 895 fps, get 70 shots on a 220 bar fill
.25 Cricket Mini (62 FPE) w/Sightron SIII 10-50x60 Custom built by Derrick Wall ,prefers 33.95 gr MK1 JSB @ 910 fps two mags on 220 bar fill
.30 FX Boss (77 FPE) w/Sightron SIII 10-50x60 prefers 44.75 gr JSB @ 877 fps, gets around 30 shots on 220 bar fill

Can't really say there is anything out there I need, and I've kinda grown attached to these? But then again I'd like to dip my toe in the Huben waters? Preferably a .22 that slings the 18gr just under 900 fps that can make me happy inside 50 yds. Then I've got to buy another scope dang it? LOL used my last spare recently

I like to believe I learned my lesson with too many powder burners. My current air powered collection consists of 2 pcp rifles, 2 pcp pistols and three springers, RWS34, R7 and a HWK77. Selling one of the pistols soon. Less is more for me. I like to shoot what I own a lot. So I don’t foresee any more additions in the near future.

Here's what I can say about my journey. I sold off all of my springers years ago going full tilt into PCP. But, I do regret it. My last 2 springers that I sold (my last 2 out of a collection of over 40 over the years) Theoben Evolution and a customized HW95 with TK barrel setup and custom internals, both guns were in .20 and crazy accurate. I've owned about 8-9 PCPs in the last 5 years and I'm down to 2. Daystate Regal XL and an Edgun Leshiy Classic.

I will end up buying an HW77K as my only springer, and I will keep my Leshiy. I owned an HW77 a long time ago, and no other springer I've shot was as accurate as that, even my TX200. I have an HPA guppy tank, 2 hand pumps, 2 compressors, spare parts to include Orings, some Maccari springs and seals for the popular HW guns (enough parts for a long time). I don't know why I waited so long to buy a Leshiy (probably the $$$$), but it has been the best PCP (most enjoyable) that I've owned. It's easy to take apart and tune, and capable of high power if needed, but I have it tuned to 20 ft.lbs and it's awesome at that power. It really is a gun that can do anything for me. Tuned right, and it can get plenty of shots and good power, and the quality of the gun itself is like no other gun I've owned, and, I find it really easy to hand pump. I started off shooting high power springers in the late 80's early 90's. Then in late 90's bought some gas ram guns. Then went back to springers and got into the PCP game. Went back and forth a couple of times. The sport is almost not enjoyable anymore because I seem to be chasing whatever the newest and greatest gun is instead of quality, reliability, and enjoyable shooting. I could fix any spring gun that I owned, they are usually pretty simple to work on, but PCPs have a lot of components and more failure points. 

I want to think that I'm done chasing high power PCPs, it just doesn't excite me like it once did. I get more joy out of the medium powered guns whether it's a PCP or spring gun. As a matter of fact, I've harvested more squirrels with my medium power springers than I ever did with any of my PCPs. Not because the springers were better, they weren't, but I felt more comfortable with them because that's how I grew into the sport.

I've always loved the airgun hobby and have been into it since the mid 80's. I was extremely fortunate to shoot in our local MD clubs and got to know a lot of great people. Almost all of us shot springers in field target, very few PCP guns. I miss those days, the sport has changed for me, not in a bad way, but it has changed.

No rant, just reflecting on my journey over the last 35 years of shooting.

One of the reasons I haven't been on here much is that I sold off all my pcp's except one, a Huben .22. Its really all I need and does what I want it to do. I still have a few springers but haven't shot them much lately either. Seem like my time is so limited anymore, but I have other priorities that need attention anyway. I did dip my toes back into the wonderful world of traditional archery and am really enjoying it again.

I always get a kick when anyone mentions the word "need" in conversations about guns; even moreso airguns.  You need a gun when coming under attack or starving on a deserted island.

I'm always trying to reduce my gun collection... unsuccessfully! Good luck with that...