Help deciding on Air Gun.

I’ve had my .25 Wildcat for a year now and have had zero issues with it, it seems like some of the issues with the FX Impact and Crown come from folks trying to tune them and getting things messed up, not saying all the issues but some come from tinkering and that’s why the less bells and whistles the better when it comes to airguns in my book, I think if you order a Impact and have it tuned for the pellet you want to use you should be just fine and have no issues, there are good videos out there that go over the Impact in great detail which is nice so a person can learn as much as possible before changing things themselves.

If I was hunting hogs from a fixed location this is what I’d use, Texan .357 with a LDC, I set it up for shooting yotes from my deer stand.

If your budget is around $2000, here's my recommendation. Buy two guns.

Buy something in .22 for small stuff. Game and pests up to rabbits, and racoons are fine with a .22 at 75 and 100 yards. Economical to shoot, sip air, and generally lots of fun.

For the bigger game such as pigs, get something in a .45 or .50. The Seneca Dragon Claw is about $600 and shoots well, or if you want better, get an Airforce SS in .45. You'll take the pigs faster and much more easily than trying to stretch a .25 or .30 to do the job.

Good luck,

Ha, that's a great idea Saltlake

I had a an older model .50 Career Dragon Slayer. The precursor to the Dragon Claw. I always shot the 180 gr round balls out of it and could consistently hit a target the size of a quarter at 30 and 35 yds with it. Was amazed at the darn accuracy of those round balls in that gun!

Jim Chapman did a killer article on his and that helped me make up my mind to try one. It's another one of those guns I wish I'd never sold! LOL

Also I had a gun store nearby and I could buy a box of 100 musket balls for less than $20 bucks. I tried many slugs with it but always went back to the round balls. Those 180 grain round balls would go through a treated 2x4 at 30 yds like butter!

The only downside is it was one loud Mutha! LOL Mine definitely needed a muffler on the end. So if they can be muffled and retain accuracy I might entertain the thought of having one again?

http://www.americanairgunhunter.com/dragonslayer.html

Will Piatt of Saddle Mountain Gunsmith fame would be the man to get one tuned to your liking!

https://sites.google.com/site/saddlemountaingunsmith/home

My Dad shooting mine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUmBok3X3Tw

Jimmy

Me shooting my Bully .30.

This is also nice with the JSB 44.75’s with the DonnyFL Emperor on it. In the video I was shooting at a 50 yard 3” AR 500 plate, cocking the lever and hitting the plate are louder the the shot, I did adjust the trigger down to 2-3 lbs and that’s it, those shots were 991 to 996 with most in the 994-995 area but again that’s tethered being I was shooting off the bench.

Yes my chrono fell over and hit some bricks but nothing some duct tape couldn’t fix. I have the trigger set so I can feel it with my numb finger that’s why I bump the trigger before I shoot sometimes and no eye blinking, stayed right on target.

......believe it or not , a past customer traded a decent .177 diana 48 (old full barrel version) to me for two new .22 webley jaguars , which were rebadged pre-quattro hatsan model 85's.... i had already had feedback on these as powerhouses. they usually shot around 770 fps with premiers , as i had to test and inspect every turkish webly. this guy , caro , had a south texas ranch where feral hogs were pests. he already had one .22 jag and explained that dropped hogs in the trap / cage he would set , with one shot behind the ear, using this gun that he carried in the farm truck. crazy , huh ? i suppose that's why i remember this so well from 2010.... considering your neighbor factor , i would go with a current production .25 marauder or synthetic marauder....the big bores are expensive and loud - even with the quietening muzzle adaptors. pellets, parts, and service are easier for .25 mrods, too.. 

Scap - check out the Airforce Texan SS. It's a fully shrouded barrel, and well muffled. There are reviews online that demonstrate the muzzle volume. It's the big bore I'd recommend you research. Only you can make the final decision, but the SS is a great, moderated option

NOISE...it's always been a problem in my life when shooting in my backyard. I've owned many many airguns over the years, from springers to C02 to top end pcp/s. Not one of them was quiet enough to shoot with any neighbors nearby. Some people are naturally nosey and like to call the police to report "suspicious" activity!

Well...being involved in a whole lot of "suspicious activity" in my 75 years, I've learned that unseen and quiet are two good friends to take along when shooting.

There have been several great noise moderator producers in my past. Neil Clague is one. DonnyFL is a current favorite. Prices on decent hearing protection devices that muffle the sharp crack of a high powered pcp will range from around $125 to $185 USD. This is a "life of the gun" investment, so it is money well spent. All aluminum construction and adapters to fit just about any caliber high powered pcp on the market today.

NOISE...it's easy to tame, and troublesome if not managed. I believe both these guys in mention advertise on the main forums we use. Enjoy your hobby without bothering sensitive neighbors! Have untethered fun...life is short!

Well...being involved in a whole lot of "suspicious activity" in my 75 years, I've learned that unseen and quiet are two good friends to take along when shooting.

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Now that is funny and so very true on the shooting part.

Has anyone done the AA s510,FX Streamline and Daystate Huntsman decision tree - can't decide which one I want...

Has anyone done the AA s510,FX Streamline and Daystate Huntsman decision tree - can't decide which one I want...

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You sound just like me. First it was the Streamline, I was so close to going for it but kept hearing about leaks and other problems with FX. Then started looking at the Huntsman. Beautiful gun. Only issue I've heard about is the the bolt can be stiff to operate. Looked at the S510 but haven't really done much research on it. Then I think, what the heck do I need a pcp for, I love my .22 Diana 34. Put over 25,000 pellets through it. Torn it down multiple times, replace broken Vortek spring twice, can completely tear down the T06 trigger in 60 seconds. Have become very accurate with it. Can fix any problem with it myself. But still in the back of my mind, a pcp would be nice to play with. Never had one, don't "need" one but it's not about "need", right? Still mulling it over.

Wow Outdoorman, as knowledgeable and skilled as you are with the springer piston guns, I would love to see you delve into the dark side!

Jbgoodstok, I've had an AAS500 which is just a single shot AAS510 and they are very impressive guns. Beautiful too, with the Walnut stock of course. It would be a hard choice. You absolutely can't go wrong with any of those three, but If I had to choose in order I guess I would choose the Daystate Huntsman over the AA S510 just because I've never owned a Daystate, but have shot a few and boy are they a dream to shoulder!

Jimmy

Scap, I saw that Vulcan on the classifieds. Awesome choice. I hope she meets your expectations.

As for the tank. I've always bought used, but have bought several fill assy's from Joe. If you're sure you will be relying on the paintball place to fill your tank I guess the 97 cu ft Great White is the way to go. I've only had experience with one paintball store and they could never fill my tank past 4000 psi and sometimes less than that? It got to the point it wasn't worth it for me to drive that far.

I contacted a local Arc3 gas distributor and leased a 6000 psi Nitrogen tank. Bought a 6000 psi fill assy from Joe Brancato and love this set up.

I lease the tank for roughly $115 to $120 a year. Costs me about $160 to fill it and lasts me close to 8 months. I shoot a lot but mostly .177 and .22.

Depending on where you live you might be able to get Nitrogen way cheaper than I can? I know lots of guys do. I can't believe some the great prices guys get in other areas of the USA? Also the air we breathe is 80% nitrogen and it's a good dry gas for your gun. No need to worry about introducing moisture to your guns.

If you plan on getting a compressor in the future.........a smaller tank would be easier on the compressor. Less chance of the compressor over heating. A Great White would be tough on a compressor. My used tanks are 44 cu ft Scott Air Pac type tanks. Something small like that or even Joe's Guppy tank would be easier on a compressor, but would offer you less for your money if you plan to use the paintball outlet to fill your tanks?

Just food for thought man. I'm sure someone else will chime in on the tanks. Anyway , you have bought one heck of a gun for your first PCP. Look forward to your success with it!

Jimmy

Condor ss 25 cal at 80 FPE with a slug will do it. But like coldair said if your neighbors are iffy, a larger more powerful slug would lessen the chances of them running and dieing on their lawn during a barbecue. But a 25 would be a good all around gun for target and smaller game if and when the airgun virus takes hold.

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I would second this. I have an escape SS in .25 and it hits very hard. I have killed full grown foxes with one shot. I only use pellets because I don't know where to get slugs from. Hint Hint Critta. Please let me know. As far as noise the SS version is fairly quiet. 

I've tried Benjamin bulldog 357, Hatsan bully 457 and Winchester model 70 357 all with DonnyFL for hunting and target shooting. I say they all great for medium to big hogs or deers and occasional backyard ol'fry pan target plinking. 1 shot killed so be sure where you aiming and be very steady. As scope I use atn 4k day night. Good luck hunting mate.