Seeking seasoned advice

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kohersh

kohersh

Member
Sep 12, 2019
103
1
FL
I'm new to high powered air rifles, new to the forum, and looking for advice.

I bought a Gamo swarm magnum to help out with pest control duties of the rampant iguana infestation around me in S. Florida. Thinking PCP would be somethign I work my way into, stick with something simpler. The gun arrived, sighted in with a $100 Leapers 3-9x40 and I was excited to see my first two 25yd shot land on the mark. Shooting slowly from a rest I started to see the shots deteriorate, falling low, ending up consistently low 2"-3" by the end of shot 7. thinking maybe the gun needing some adjustment or I was too enthusiastic with this new gun that was shooting miles different from the pumpmaster 760 I had been using. The next morning I experienced the same result, first 3-4 on target, then the rapid deterioration, I packed it in frustrated at myself for shooting poorly. the gun cocks heavy I thought I must be a wuss, cant be the gun I just suck.

Next morning again, shooting at a faster pace, 5 shot group, a decent thumbs width spread @25 yd and then the dropping again. This time I shot 20 more through it and found that the gun stabilized, but ended up with a wider spread, at over 4" low and most shocking of all, it ceased penetrating the discarded aluminum hurricane panel I was using as a target, no more blown out holes, I could retrieve the crushed pellets. 

Then it hits me, my gun is stored inside at 75 degrees in 45% humidity, then I take it outside to 90 degrees and call it 90%RH. It would seem as the gun warms up everything changes. The windage does not change near as much as the elevation. A call to pyramid revealed that this could be expected but that my situation seamed 'extreme'. SO I am over the heavy, and far louder, heavier, and longer than expect swarm magnum, and NOW ready to go head first into PCP.



First off- does anyone agree with the hypothesis?

Second-My hobby experiences have thus far taught me that you get what you pay for, and when I go into something halfarsed,I get through the learning curve just fine but am filled with regrets of wasting money, and being stuck with gear taht nobody wants for pennies ont he dollar,on the road towards the ultimate endgame of where I inevitably end up- which is always with top of the line gear, that I am satisfied with.

So I am wanting to just 'pull the trigger' and get straight into it with a FX wildcat mk2 compact, or maybe even the impact X, and with great optics on it. Would this be something that any of you advise against? I am mechanically knowledgeable and not the least bit reluctant about learning my way through what makes these goes pop. I have continued to shoot the swarm, typical shots are 50ish yards and I just make big adjustments on the dots to land on target...but its too long, unwieldy, tiring, and ultimately unreliable in this environment.



Thanks for any advice!
 
IMO, there is nothing wrong with what you stated. The thing with springers is that its hard to tell sometimes if your hold is causing inaccuracy or if its the gun itself. Small changes in the way its held can cause inches of movement in the poi. You know yourself the best, and if you know you'll end up using the gun a lot and this is a lifelong hobby then why not start with the best. Starting with the best is only a issue if the person is not truly committed to the sport, due to the fact that it will likely not be used enough to warrant the high price. But if you have the money then there is no point in buying something you are not 100 happy with. Personally i would recommend the wildcat because you can still handpump it relatively easy if you are in decent shape. If you get the impact you are basically committing to buy a tank or compressor due to the high air capacity, which would run anywhere from 300s for used tanks to the low thousands for a new compressor.
 
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You do not need to spend a bunch of money to do the task at hand unless you really want to.

I believe it is better to do want you are doing now,ask questions,be aware some people will tell you= must spend a lot of money and please get a FX.

I think it is far better to understand your situation;A newbe that does not want to hassle and just shoot and do what has to be done.

Please do not overthink your problem;just prove or disprove your hypothesis yourself,it will help you no matter what rifle you get.

Do some research and come up with your solution,that way You learn by studying and will be more happy with the outcome...

Reminds me of a beginning guitar player in this respect,the guitar does not practice by itself.....and as I found out ..a good guitar makes it easier for a person to practice because it has a more refined feel,it becomes more joyful to play.That said what you are looking for is a more "joyful time"with your choice of air gun.....refinement does cost,that still refinement makes it easier to do the task at hand..butt you still need to Practice.....

I Know I could bring any of my less than $500 springers and do "the job"I have been using them for over 30years,yet I could do it with my PCP to,the plus is the PCP are multi shot and easier to use....

What makes you happy is your choice




 
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All of this great advice seems pretty inline with my thinking. I've loved shooting always but never thought much about these real deal airguns until the desire to pest out these invasive species really came to my doorstep. I had decent success shooting 20yd open sights with the pumpmaster on .177's, but an instant burning desire to step up the game. The .22 gamo has already taken down several big boys from 60 yards across a large canal (with compensation for the drop) bank but the quick recovery of a bolt, rather than a break will make my hunts more fun for sure. So it seems I'll be on the lookout for a .25 wildcat., if anyone has one used, I'd buy it I will post in the classifieds soon as my new account is able.



Considering a portable gun only compressor, like the AV Nomad2 or the Hatsan Spark. Thoughts? I would rather not deal with the SCBA tank, 
 
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Hans

I see you're from Florida. Yeah buddy I would contact Ken Hicks at SPAW and get a Wildcat for your situation. Ken is located in Yulee Fl.

I just recently bought a used FX 500 from him at a killer deal and am very happy with it. He had a used Wildcat for sale at the same time that was also a great deal but someone scarfed it up quick.

https://spaweapons.com/collections/fx-pcp-airguns



Of course you can't go wrong with a new one. I've just been very lucky with used rifles hear lately.

Good luck

Fuss




 
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Cool! Thanks. Seems no used ones that fit my bill at the moment.

What I failed to mention in this thread is that given where I shoot, the more the gun looks like a conventional rifle- the more concern it could raise. Hence my desire for a compact, bullpup that is not flashy, and doesn't bark. Nothing illegal or wrong here I would just not rather raise eyebrows if possible.

I can see myself diving headlong into this and owning multiple guns, but this one will be for a specific job: DeIguanafication
 
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At the moment, I'm still a dedicated springer shooter; but, I've got PCP envy!!!! Both my Weihrauchs (HW95; HW97K) are superbly accurate and reliable springers that provide me with repeatable results. They are expensive, but not as much as the better PCPs, nor do I need pumps or scuba tanks to shoot them. IMO, any Weihrauch or Walther or Diana should be able to get the job done. OTOH, if you're shooting beyond 35 yds, I do believe that the ease of shooting a PCP would make long range shooting much easier to hit what you're aiming at.

BTW, I have a Gamo and a Crosman that can shoot out to 30 yards very accurately; they are just more finicky and require more effort on my part to make it happen consistently. After buying a Hammerli 850, I now understand the value of a non-recoiling air rifle. The Hammerli is just an awesome shooting air rifle that is so easy to make kills with pesting. My longest head shot so far is 27 yards. 



So, there are many paths to getting a great gun: pick one and enjoy it!



Arch_E
 
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You might consider a PCP with adjustable power levels. For shooting in and around structures, have limited distance, etc. If you go with the bigger caliber/energy PCPs, you encounter some of the same limitations that might apply with shooting a .22 short rimfire round. Though I haven’t shot an iguana, yet. I’m sure a 30 FPE .22, shooting JSB 18s would get the job done right out to 50+ yards.
 
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I am interested, always interested, in learning. What am I doing wrong potentially in my hold that would cause something like this? FWIW I am shooting from a rested position, but not a vice.

And actually the swarm, I think, performs quite well if the drop is accounted for. I have 4 kills at 50 yards holding high, it is a thumper. But it's louder and more violent to shoot than expected, that it is heavier and longer than I expected makes it tough to shoot without a rest of some type.
 
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Kohersh,

There are other Bullpup options out there besides FX, I’ve never shot an FX, simply because I’m very satisfied with my Vulcan and Taipan Veteran. Both air guns are produced in Ukraine and Check Republic. The Eastern Block countries in Europe have been using and producing Airguns for a very long time and produce high quality in my opinion. Like I said I have no bias against FX, I just chose the Vulcan first because it was cheaper 4 years ago than FX and the Vulcan is very accurate, very well built and very few problems out of the box, its a .25 cal. My second PCP is a Taipan Veteran in .22, I bought it because I wanted something less powerful for the environment I shoot in, again I’m very satisfied with that purchase as-well.

Beach-gunner
 
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I definitely checked those out early on in my search, actually I started the PCP search at the M Rod and was stuck on a conventional rifle appearance. It wasn't until someone else suggested a P Rod with the included the shorty stock that I considered something more compact for this task..

The Vulcan2 came on my radar as did the AA Galahad and I like them for their bolts/cocking mechanism, the bullpups with the rear coker in the buttstock were ruled out early, despite the fact I repeatedly saw and continue to see great things about the taipan. So then it came down to the reputation of FX, since many others seems to be about in the similar price range for the bullpups I'm stuck on them. I'll likely end up with more than 1 eventually.
 
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I had 4 springers and mostly enjoyed shooting them but after 4 scopes I tried the Marauder PCP and I was hooked. My neighbor is still shooting it and I am now really happy with my Cricket after 6 years. I hurts when I think of how much I've spent on accessories. tanks, air compressor, range finder, shooting sticks, bypods, and countless other goodies but when I start shooting it's all good. I could have saved a lot if I had started with quality stuff recommended by some of the more experienced shooters here though. Kind of like fishing, You know cheap stuff will catch fish but by the time you have a garage full of gear you're down to 3 or 4 go to setups. Probably more. Good luck with the airgun addiction! In a few years you'll have most of the toys you don't need and have a reliable go to gun you're really happy with.
 
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