If you had it to do over...

I'd would have purchased a shoe box compressor and FX revolution to solve my pest problem. I did get a shoe box 4500 psi with my 1st PCP. At 10 or 11 years old I began with a daisy pistol I could hide from my parents. Switch to PB guns at 21 then back to air rifles for pests about 27. Diana 27 and soon Diana 34. Now Talon SS .25 modified for 50 ftlb ( raccoons), FX Bobcat .22, Impact .25, and most recent Diana AM03 .22 gas piston Break barrel from AOA with scope and recoil mount and a rifle case. Arrived scope mounted, sighted in, ready to go. 3 Pests 1st day. All said and done I would have liked to have bought a compressor and an Impact with 2 barrels .22 & .25 . Good shot counts, short, power adjustable, Quiet. Still feel the FX revolution would have answered all my needs Including raccoons tearing into my attic with quick follow up shots and a 4x scope with 50mm objective lens and mounted lite. All this was not available when I needed it so I started with a head lamp and a Diana 34. It worked aiming at eye reflections over iron sights.
 
I would go straight to the higher end air guns. Oh and all them times I bought new, I would have tried to find a deal on the classifieds. There are benefits to buying used, alot of times you can get a like new gun (most people take good care of something when they spend $1000+ on it) at a discount and you know that it doesn't have any problems and even what pellet/s it prefers.
 
1st , I would have kept the Daystae 13mm ! Yes I should have done that rather than letting it get left in a dump. Live and learn.

I couldnt really have started with a compressor as the lowest cost unit was right at $4,000 - I checked-.

Ramble on................
The Daystate was first, tagged Grizzly with it, ODD gizmo !!! SCARY ! NO powder, no real idea and a Bear. But, way cool! Job ended & forgotten.
Needed a Shoulder rebuilt and wanted to keep shooting "rifles" for 100m during rehab, Uncle Al came over with a magazine and said " look powerful airguns you can still shoot them, an airgun cant recoil".
I had a Fire 201 9mm in day's from ARS. , fun, the little misses shot a full six pack of purple soda the first time I left the House and said " this one is mine you need to get another one". Off to a fine start. Oh ya original yellow Hill hand pump. Got the career 707 2 weeks later. Fun. Learned to keep the ES down using the power wheel at 50 yards, NO chrony, a couple of thousand shots to learn it, then solid Pelletman ammo, helium just to see what that did, .... ..... .
Around then the first 2 Internet airgun ( US )forums showed up, joy! Other people, nice. Even met 1 local down in Sarasota. Offered my a springer that you cocked three times ( ??? ) and had extra barrels & such, all for ONLY $1,140. I passed on that Whiscombe only due to ignorance, now that I've used a few, I should have purchased that.

THE thing to do different----------------------

GET TO a MATCH!
MEET others!
You learn more in one day than in years of reading. I have fired nearly every FT/BR and target rifle ever made now, everything from a Park ( Parks?) with chain drive to a Thomas, also others like the D.A.Q. 458, Talon, 100 year old airgun , home made airguns, proto-type aurguns, got to look though about every scope made, heard SOP many correct tips and tricks, lown down on what's coming next, who does exactly what tuning ............ .

It was ALL fun however I very likely would have purchase somewhere around 100 less airguns. Which brings it down to about 25 I REALLY liked and the 6 that are now "keepers"( more or less, might betalked out of one).

I would,
Get to a match.
Go to an airgun show - hopefully with shooting
Get with other people who have been intio airguns longer than ones self.

And,
Buy more pellets.

John
 
I would have gone with the marauder in .25 instead of .22 which I haven't had much luck with getting her to shoot consistent groups. I also would have bought a .22 or .25 wildcat instead of the .30 bobcat. The bobcat is a great gun , but she hogs air and .25 would have fit my need better. As for my latest purchase, I love my .25 cal Streamline and wouldn't change her. Next thing is the get a compressor, now that there are some options that are budget friendly.
 
Interesting topic, to see how people go about getting involved in this sport. I’m 66 and only have one pellet gun at this moment, a Beeman R7, 177 cal. I like to hunt squirrels and the area I live in is building up with homes making it more difficult to hunt with 22 cal power guns. I did a lot of reading and asking questions first. I finally decided to jump on the PCP train. Thanks to “ Centercut “ I purchased a tank from EBay for 150.00 shipped that has 3 1/2 more years on its hydro test. Just ordered a Compressor from Joe in Ca. I purchased a used 25 cal Wildcat from “ Glassman “, still waiting on delivery for that.. ordered a few pellets from Pyramid Air on Black Friday. Ordered two scopes from Trenier Outdoors, a Optisan 6x24x50 FFP, and a MTC Viper Pro.
So that’s my story so far. Would like to get a FX Crown in 22 cal. someday and that’s probably going to be it for me. Those two guns would cover all the bases for me...
 
  • I would have bought a used, tuned P-Rod instead of new, so as to skirt the Crosman Barrel Lottery
  • I wouldn't buy any rifles that shoot well, but don't also look and feel good.
  • I wouldn't have bought the Benji 1701P; too loud for what I want to do with it. To be fair, it WAS marketed as a silhouette pistol. I just forgot to consider the loudness factor.
I think I have more regrets in springers than in PCPs. I had already learned a lot about airgunning through springers. (and multi-pumpers as a kid)
  • I would have sent my first springer (Stoeger X20, in .177) out for a pro-tune, instead of selling it for a song and buying something new.
  • I would have not bought the Crosman NP2. It was not accurate or well made enough for my standards.
  • I would have not bought a new TX200. I would buy one used and already tuned or a Walther LGV instead.
  • I would have not bought a Crosman 1377. Just not powerful enough to be worth the pumping effort. I would get the 2300T for low power and a PCP 1720T for higher power.