Rifle advice requested

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Tarasdad

Tarasdad

Member
Oct 12, 2015
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California, United States
I am trying to decide what air rifle I should get. My last one was the RWS Model 48 side-lever in .177 caliber. I loved that rifle! Accurate, hard hitting, maybe a tad on the heavy side for all-day carry. It was a monster to shoot for extended times because of the cocking effort required, 42 pounds if I remember. Unfortunately I don't think I could use a rifle quite that powerful any more due to injuries to my left shoulder and spine resulting from a motorcycle accident in 1999 that left me with shoulder and spinal issues.

What I'm looking for is a rifle I can use for backyard/garage target shooting as well as small game hunting, primarily cottontail rabbits and jackrabbits. There might also be the occasional overly aggressive coyote on the receiving end as well. I'd like a rifle that is accurate, hits hard, but is easy to handle and use. It also has to be relatively inexpensive as I'm retired and only get SSDI payments. I've been looking at gas piston rifles and standard spring piston designs but am concerned that the effort required to cock them might be more than I can handle. Their prices are (mostly) in the affordable range - as long as I keep it to the more mass-market friendly brands, that is. Realistically $200-$300 range is about my limit. If I could come up with more money I'd be looking at something like the Brocock Contour XL S6 - made the mistake of watching a couple of reviews on it and fell in love. *sigh* Unfortunately my longtime preference for top-end shooting equipment has had to bow down to the harsh reality of a limited budget. Someday, though....

Any rifle I get will end up scoped, so with or without iron sights works. Irons would be a plus but not a necessity. As far as caliber I'd prefer to keep it to either .177 or .22 simply due to the easy availability of pellets in those calibers. I prefer wood and blued steel (hey, I'm old-fashioned that way) but synthetic and matte works just as well. I have no brand preference so the field is pretty open. I'm looking for generalized recommendations, although if you have a specific rifle in mind by all means let me know! I really need all the help I can get in this.

Thanks in advance!
 
Hard to get a budget ended airgun that will do everything well. I'd start with- pcp or spring/gasram? 

Which ever you go with, you really need to set completely realistic goals of its purpose. The "Occasional Coyote" isn't really in reach of most of the options that fit your needs. I would focus on a mild power plant that would do best with target shooting, plinking and small game like you mentioned.

IF, you can figure out a filling solution for a pcp that fits your budget/ physical condition, there are lots of lower cost options. (I have a feeling most everyone here is going to recommend 1k+ pcp rifles, that shoot 40+ fpe and have high fill pressures however..)

Higher the power, the more air you need to supply. This holds true of both PCP and springer/gasram guns really. For pcp's, this isn't a big deal with a tank+compressor, but without, it WILL impact your opinion of the gun.

My votes for cheap pcp's

1. QB79 pcp! Can improve a lot with some tinkering. Lower power levels are easy on air- 10-12 fpe range is great for small game.

2. Benjamin Discovery Can improve with tinkering. Medium power levels allow a bit more reach for longer range plinking/pesting. Simple, reliable guns, low fill pressures are easy to fill.

3. Benjamin Marauder. More power, multishot, can be very accurate. Uses more (a lot more) air than the other 2 choices, can be found used for around $300


I'll let others give advice about lower cost springers, I have always avoided lower cost ones- aside from low powered stuff.

Going used can help ALOT. Lots of bargains come up, watch the classifieds patiently with money in hand!
 
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If you want a really nice springer that is light weight and easy to cock I would go with the Beeman R7. It runs $375 new from pyramid but if you wait a little they have refurbished versions sometimes that are cheaper. I know it is a little over your budget but I think it would be perfect for you (except for the coyote part). The cheap $200 rifles don't hold a stick up to this German quality. 
 
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My advice would be to dig around on this forum because the info you seek is here. I have used the search function and found it very helpful. Look into the Benjamin Discovery in .22. It has a 2000 psi fill pressure and there are plenty of cheap scuba tanks that fill to 3000 psi. Back when Ted was making videos he made a really nice vid on this gun and there are hundreds of You Tube vids on the Discovery. For the most part pcp guns with a 3000 psi fill are out of your budget due to the cost of a high pressure air tank. Hatsan makes some nice springers. An RWS M34 in .22 wouldn't be too bad. Just figure that you are not going to get more than 700 fps out of it. I have one. I would wait to buy when we are near a holiday like TG or Christmas as some vendors like Air Gun Depot and Py Air often offer $25 or $50 off with a minimum purchase. Look for free shipping also. Air Gun Depot frequently has refurbished guns at good prices. I have read of several people scoring refurb Hatsans from Air Gun Depot. A while back Amazon was selling new Discoverys for $203 and free shipping. If you are going to use the gun for pesting get at least a 22 cal., .25 is even better.
 
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The Discovery is something to consider-they're light, don't use much air & make good power. You may be able to find a used scuba tank for filling the gun, you'll get lots of shots between trips to the dive shop. You can use a trigger from a gen 1 Marauder to improve accuracy if the stock trigger is not to your taste. A QB 78 on Co2 will give you enough power for rabbits at close range, is light, and very affordable at around $100 from Archer Airguns. An amazing springer is the HW 95 which is on special at Airguns of Arizona for $299 shipped! I have a Beeman R9 which is basically the same gun, and it was a game changer for me, powerful, accurate and built to last. They are a bit heavy at 7.5 lbs. though.
 
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Another vote for the Disco, they pop up as refurbs usually around 175-180 shipped. You can then add a modded valve with a 3000 psi fill. Another valve will let you produce high 40's of FPE, and the Cothran valve provides up to 300 FPE. After market breeches that use Marauder mags give you the multi shot capability. The gun starts off at a little better than 5 lbs. unscoped, TKO, BNM, and others offer help in quieting it. I introduced 5 people to the sport, 4 out 5 liked the feel of the Disco over the Marauder. There is a bunch of video support, the 3 screw mod can deliver a trigger that breaks consistently in low ounces. initially low entry cost, and as finances and a need occurs you can make it whatever you want.
 
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Check out the Benjamin Discovery (Disco) It is the perfect way to Discover the joys of PCP's without the high cost. Here is a complete package. The gun has iron sights and more power than most springers, is easier to shoot as well, is single shot just like springers. It pumps to only 2,500 psi so is easy to pump compared to most PCP's that are 3,000 psi and up. There are lots of mods you can do as well to increase power, accuracy and to make it quieter.

http://www.pyramydair.com/s/m/Benjamin_Discovery_Rifle_Pump/1534
 
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Tarasdad,

I personal think that the R9, HW95 would be right up your alley but only you will know what you may or may not shoot due to your injuries.
No reason to buy second hand when you can buy new cheaper. AOA has the HW95 on special for $299 plus shipping, can't beat that deal anywhere. It's one of my favorites and feel it has great power to weight for a springer. I believe the gun will shoot in the neighborhood of 14 fpe out of box gun. Great out to 40 yards. Its a great all round gun, check them out. Perhaps make another post asking others what they think of this particular gun. It's a favorite with many of us. Have fun with your search and sorry about your injuries.

Cheers 

P.S Where do you reside? If you in my neck of the woods (Northern Cal)I wood love to share a day with you and introduce several air guns where you can have hands on experience and have a better idea what you would be able to handle comfortably. Otherwise I would recommend locating an air gun club where you can get hands on experience and fellow air gunners are known to go out of their way to help others.

Good luck
 
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Do you live in a warm climate year round? If so a pre-owned Crosman 2260 with a Steel Breech and a simple trigger mod makes a real nice little gun light weight easy to scope if you decide to and very quiet with a muzzle brake/ldc. Hard to beat the convenience of C02 climate permitting. Not to mention no problem with small game in the 25- 30 yard range. Tim in Michigan.
 
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There is a Co2 rifle that gives 11 FPE out of the box its a upmarket version of the QB78, its called a SMK501 here in the UK, it retails at £139.00 so would be under $100. to you fellers in the USA, the valve has been uprated and looks very tunable to 15 fpe. and as said by windtek be ideal if you reside in a warm area. for that price budget you have you could get a decent sight and a sling set up witout causing you to break the bank. Good luck.
 
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I've been watching videos and reading reviews of the QB78 and must say I am intrigued. The prices also don't hurt! It looks like a decent rifle with decent power, especially with the power upgrades from Archer Airguns. I hadn't been looking at CO2 guns because I've always associated them with low power or strictly match rifles.

Rifles in my price range tend to be more mass-market oriented it seems. There are some decent ones if you do your research but the majority are mostly hype. I'm primarily focusing on gas piston designs for the ability to keep them cocked for long periods without harm. The ones I've been looking at are the Benjamin Trail NP 2 and a couple of different Gamo models. Reviews on these show good accuracy and power and overall decent quality. If I had my druthers I'd be getting one of the Diana 340 N-Tec models! Unfortunately they are just a bit outside my affordability range. I'd say I could save my pennies but that always seems to be a losing proposition around here, dang it!
 
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Okay, after much internal debate I've decided my best route is to try and save up the money for a Benjamin Discovery and pump. An air tank will have to wait, just WAY too much money even for a used one right now. I may go ahead and get something else while I'm working on that, time and money will tell. My process of decision and acquisition tends to be protracted. Not by choice, but by necessity. Ah, the joys of fixed income *sigh*.
 
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