I Hate For This To Be a 'What Should I buy' topic, but WHAT SHOULD BUY?

Your not gonna get accuracy at that price point. Throw a rock at it. The cheep airguns will move a object out of the barrel at best. If pcp is what you want you gotta start at Benjamin, If springers are ok with you then start with gammo. . But springers are hard to shoot. If you can hold it steady then good work can be done.But that's easier to say than to do.

Stick with your original plan; it was the best.

The Diana 34 has a good midrange power level, is well-built, and is accurate. Find a used one to save a few bucks, if you need to. Add a scope when you can afford it; the iron sights will hold you over until then.

Here's another idea: tell us where you live, and if someone is nearby, he will take you under his wing and let you try his guns. You will get a free education and be able to make a much more informed decision.

The Benjamin Maximus is $200. You can also check out the QB78 variants at Archer airguns. They will both take squirrels. Others can comment on the accuracy. 

I've generally found cheap air guns to be a waste of money and I always end up spending more in the long run. The Benjamin Discovery is the cheapest air gun I would even consider for hunting. 

As a starter light hunting rig, I think the Marauder Pistol is where you should go. Just my $0.02. It's light, easy to pump, cheap, accurate enough for the ranges you shoot at and a repeater so it's actually fun to plink with. 

Walmart sells the Marauder pistol for $350. It seems like the sort of thing you should be able to buy used for just a little more than your budget. you'll have to buy a pump too of course but that is PCP guns. Cheap springers are almost never good. Then again, I don't like any springers really so there are plenty who will disagree. I just find that single shot / break barrel design to be impossible to have fun plinking with.

I would go with the CO2 powered Hammarli 850 Air Magnum over any cheap springer. You can hunt very small game at close range. They are more expensive to run but you don't have an upfront investment in a pump. They are accurate and with the PA first time 10% off, they would be $270 shipped. Again, a used one would be on budget. 

I would save a little more if possible.

I hate to agree but its just a fact of the sport . There's just not a good reliable accurate springer for under 200$ . Post a want to buy on the classified section and I'm sure one of the guys has a 34 sitting around they can help a new guy to the sport with . Maybe even a HW30 that's seen its better days cosmetically.
Believe me when I tell you none of the guys take any pleasure saying these things to new guys ...But almost to a person every one of us have Wasted money on cheap springers we wish we had back . One of the dealers ( maybe airgun depot ) has rebuilt rifles for a very low price !! Check their website , there's a link at the bottom of the page .

I will have to disagree to some extent. It is a well known fact that quality springers cost money and cheap ones tend to have issues that frustrate new and veteran airgunners alike. However, some folks just don't have the money to buy a quality springer and some new folks may also be intimidated to buy used off the forums for obvious reasons.

If you can't afford a quality springer and for what ever reason don't want to buy used, look into some of the Chinese clones sold by Flying Dragon and pay to have him tune it. He has 2 different tuning options. A cheaper basic tune and a more expensive full tune. I won't put up a link as he isn't a sponsor, but Google flying dragon airguns.

For those that maybe want to learn about springers and do their own tuning or tuning kit installs, there are tons of options. The ruger air hawk is a clone of a RWS 34 and can be had rather cheap. A drop in kit from Vortek or a quick home blueprint tune can make for a good springer on the cheap. I got one as a refurb from Midway and payed $60 shipped to my door. A simple tear down, polish, and a little lubing and I have a good shooting springer for $60.

I will always recommend buying the best quality you can afford, but I understand that sometimes the good quality stuff isn't an option. There are alternatives and atleast you can be shooting.

Just my pennies worth!!

Chec the umerex octane in 22 call.there a little more.about 250.Asome rifle.alex

Baldrick, have you considered something like a custom Crosman carbine? I know I'm always the lowbrow poster, but my MountainAir 1377 carbine was affordable and is quite accurate and somewhat powerful. Flat top piston, steel breech, power valve, trigger, decent barrel, not to mention nice walnut lever arm and stock filler. It receives a scope nicely, but I like the peep sight with a hood on the front sight. Can't remember what I paid, but I know it was under two bills. I'll try to let you know exactly what my groups are. I usually shoot at 50 feet or 50 yards as my reference.

Yes, I'm a knuckle- draggin' Crosman freak, what can I say?

My MA1322 pistol is friggin' deadly too. I'm just sayin'...

Poont!

There ARE some good, cheap springers for under $200, you just have to know where to look, and be willing to improve them oneself, in time.

My Stoeger X20 is an old standby in my rack. I shot it for a while with the stock trigger (heavy, didn't know where it would break) and it was OK. Later, I installed the Charlie da Tuna trigger, and improved it immensely. The rest of the gun is well-executed. It has a high quality synthetic stock, reasonable power level. (15 FPE) and it's pretty accurate. (about 3/4" at 35 yards for a 5-shot group of 7.9 gr. Crosman Premier Light pellets) The lock-up is very solid; doesn't seem to vary at all. 

They make an X20s now, that sell for $160, where 's' = suppressed. A quick look shows that it's rated as a 4 star rifle in most places. That's a B grade. With an inexpensive aftermarket trigger, it becomes a B+ / A- rifle. (those triggers are still kinda heavy, and not quite up to a Rekord on a Weihrauch rifle or T0x on a Diana)

Here's Rick Eutsler's review, which I thought was fair all around: 

Here's the trigger I put in mine, and how to install it:


That said, if you want a great rifle ready-to-shoot, out of the box, plan on spending more like $300 than $200, or plan on having less power. (ex. multi-pump pneumatic or CO2, as was suggested above) These lower powered rifles are marginal on squirrels and rabbits, except with well-placed head shots.

Take a look at this Gamo, the ACCU .22. It's $200 and comes with a usable scope. I don't own this rifle but Rick brags about it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFz0pwht2BQ

I am new air gunner....PCP is the way to go, safe some money and get one. You will be amazed how accurately they shoot and you can buy a good one used for 350 shipped. I started with a springer and I sent it back. bought my first PCP and the rest is history.. I love them.....PCP is the way. More money coming into owning one.Yes but once you bite the bullet you will be very happy with your new toy. Lots of great guys on here always willing to help, just ask any of them or even PM one. They will fix you right up

"Baldrick" I'd like to keep the price below $200.

I've been looking at the RWS 34 for a couple of years, but it's gotten expensive and now I'm seeing several other options at lower prices.

Click to expand...

My 1st quality airgun was a 34 Pro Compact refurb that included a 3-9x40 AO scope and a one piece droop mount for $169. I added 3 tins of pellets and for under $200 shipped I was shooting a 34 Compact. AGD adds free shipping for orders over $179. To this day its the best money I have spent on an airgun.

Keep an eye on the Airgun Depot website. Refurbished RWS 34's go on sale every 2 or 3 months.



Above is a photo of the refurbished 34

The Walther Terrus is selling at around $210.00 retail. You might get it for less than that. It might be a viable option in your price range but I would go with a .177 if you choose that power plant.