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Thanks for the link! 

Couple of questions- remember I’m a PCP NOOB!

1) I Noticed that the Regal is offered in a regulated and non regulated version. What does that mean?

Which do you recommend & why?

2) I just looked back at the thread I posted here a month or so ago, and someone in that thread recommended an Air Arms S200 FT, which is a PCP, not a springer (My bad on the TX200 model, I got it wrong). It shoots 800fps, cost just over $500, and is purportedly made by CZ for Air Arms.

Is that rifle worth a look?

Bear in mind, air rifle practice only accounts for about 10% of my practice. That might increase if I get the right gun, but I’ll have buyers remorse if I buy a $1000 rifle and don’t use it enough. I have over 2 dozen rifles, the majority rimfire.



i just bought my wife a loaded 2019 GMC Yukon XLT, so money is tight- but I can also bargain with her from the passenger seat of her new ride ;)



thanks again-



DrGunner 

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I'll answer the "regulated" question. A regulator is a devise installed in the air tube or somewhere in the high air pressure path. It regulates the pressure that is applied behind the pellet on every shot. Say you fill your guns tank/bottle to 3300psi. The regulator might be set at 1700psi etc, most are adjustable. When you shoot the gun's pressure down close to the (regulated pressure) 1700psi in this case it's time to refill your gun. When an unregulated gun is filled to a pressure of say 3300psi which is a lot of pressure the set hammer energy can't open the valve as far due to the higher pressure that is behind the valve poppet so the pellet velocities can be lower. After a few shots are taken and the high pressure air has dropped some then the hammer energy can open the valve a little more, then a little more increasing the pellet velocity creating a "bell curve" in the velocity. As the supply pressure is depleted even more then the pellet velocity will begin fall just because of the lack of air. This will be the back side of the bell curve. On unregulated guns the flattest portion with the most minimal fps changes between shots of the bell curve is what you want to be shooting for when tuning. The less difference in velocities the better the POI. By knowing what the bell curve looks like by using a chronograph and the pressure at which the "flattest" portion of the curve starts at you can get a feeling for where the gun's pressure needs to be filled to from the start and also where you need to stop shooting and refill again. 

One thing about the Regal, due to it's "sling-shot" hammer design it shoots near the performance level of a regulated gun especially once you figure out the correct fill pressure.

The pros on a regulated gun is that from the first shot to the last your velocities will be pretty flat maybe varying just a few fps from shot to shot where on a unregulated gun you'll have to find that ideal fill pressure. One of the negatives of the regulated gun is it's more sophisticated and possibly higher maintenance. You've probably read a lot about regulator drift, that's one of them.

The pros on the unregulated gun...less things to go wrong internally and simpler to maintain.

I swore I'd never buy another regulated gun but if I did I wouldn't hesitate on the Regal.

Jimmy
 
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Just to stir the pot,here is my $379. refurbished .22 Kral Puncher Pro. NO problems out of the box...but I Did "tinker" with it. It loves the AA 16's and JSB Hades with the JSB 18.13's a close second. Did a little polishing to the bolt,hammer,trigger components,ect. and it is a DREAM to cycle the action! (The trigger is now pretty nice too,after some minor adjustments.)
1571497276_21366130945dab253c9d6783.20287519_20190327_164233_HDR.jpg


This is a 40+ yard 12 shot (full mag) group on a fairly calm day...
1571497454_14882497125dab25ee02a105.29988030_20190706_175718_HDR.jpg


These little stickers are approx. the size of a dime.

(FYI...there is a Nice Kral Puncher Jumbo .22 for $475 in the classifieds!)

Mike.
 
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Thanks for the detailed answer on regulated vs non!!! Very good explanation.



rj- thanks for pointing out- practice!



Mike- what you have in that Puncher is more in line with my thinking. I’ve done dozens of trigger jobs on every conceivable gun including my air rifles.



did your tinkering go beyond trigger work?



my reticence to tinker here is I don’t want to buy a gun that needs specialized air gun work that’s beyond my ability to shoot.



if I can get a gun that’s MOA or close @ 50 yards, I’ll be set.



DrG
 
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Look, I don't want to rain on your parade, but you actually think you can play with your available budget, , , , you cannot. You cannot be competitive with an unregulated gun. I went through all of your experiences and questions as well. I had the same preconceptions. My initial choice was the Kral products. You might get lucky and find a gun that shoots good right out of the box, but you probably won't and if you need factory support, you will truly be SOL. It is non-existent. You will not save any money by buying an unregulated gun, then adding a regulator and spend all kinds of money in mods and excessive tuning to be competitive. You would still have a $500 gun that is bastardized. Regardless of the gun, you still have to invest in your high pressure air infrastructure and here there is no free lunch either

So, here is my advise. Save your money and buy quality like FX or Red Wolf. They shoot well right out of the box. You will not regret it. Then avoid the Chinese cheap compressors. They are crap. This hobby is EXPENSIVE to get setup, then it gets inexpensive after that. I do not expect you to believe me. It is not what you want to hear, but it is true. Perhaps, like most folks, you will learn this the hard way.
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Don't be silly. There are a bunch of unregulated guns that are shooters. I don't have a regulated gun on the farm. but have accurate guns. 
 
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You may want to run the specs of that 3500 psi tank and whatever gun you end up with through one of the online calculators to see how many fills you would get. My gun, for instance, has the regulator set to 125 bar (1818 psi) and a max fill pressure of 250 bar (3626 psi) so that combination would start out with a partial fill and drop fast.
 
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I’m thinking I have to go regulated mainly because for my purposes, a flat shooting gun with less shots that has reliably consistent MV is preferable to any kind of bell curve.



with respect to budget- I’m bending in the direction of spending more, but again- I don’t want to throw $1000 into a gun that comprises 10% of my practice.

please keep my OP in mind: I compete in Rimfire Silhouette. This acquisition is only for backyard practice. 



As as far as the 3500 PSI tank-I don’t have it yet, that was a minimum my buddy said he could get for free.

I can ask for a better tank, my question is: how high should I go? 4000? Is the target pressure basically above the Pmax of the rifle I buy?

My buddy is willing to send whatever I need, so school me on tanks, pressure, pros/cons.

Im not interested in starting a pissing contest between the Pro-Kral and Anti cliques here.

I simply want a PCP, preferably in the $700 ballpark, that I can rely on for 50 yard accuracy. It is that simple. If what I want is a unicorn, tell me so.

Im currently scouring the web for used Regals.

I noticed Daystate makes a Regal and a Regal XL.

whats the difference?

I sincerely appreciate all the answers and helpful suggestions in this thread. Keep ‘em coming, I’m learning a LOT, which was a big part of why I joined.



DrG
 
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I have a Regal XL "unregulated"a couple years old and a Anschutz 1712. They are real comparable. originally I had them both set up with a Leupold 6.5-20 EFR the EFR with a .5 dot wasn't great for other air rifle shooting. so I sent it in and got a tree type reticle put in it. For my eyes those reticles are too busy. So now I have a Sightron big sky mill dot on it. I also have a 8 year old Air Arms S400 that was my first PCP to practice silhouettes with. Both are more than accurate enough for Silhouette practice. Remember Air rifle silhouette targets are only C 20 yards P 30 yards T 36 yards R 45 yards. One thing noticeable to me is the lock time is slower on the air rifles so follow thru is really important. Mostly shoot my air pistols at silhouette now. That is a blast.
 
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intenseaty22- No worries, brother! I really appreciate the help you’ve provided already!





oldsparky- YOU are the type of shooter I’ve been looking to hear from. I posted another thread on the same topic a month or so ago trying to explain that my springers are just not adequate for proper follow through on silhouette shooting – I was told by one member that I need to become more proficient with my RWS springers and my problem is solved...

It’s true that lock time is better on springers vs PCPs but the scope bouncing and vibrating all over the place is not conducive to observing what the rifle is doing, and what I am doing with it- when I break the shot.

my silhouette scopes are: 2 Sightron SII Big Sky 6-24×42 Silhouette scopes, a Leupold VX3i 6.5-20×40 EFR, and a Leupold FX3 30X fixed. Both Leupolds have reticles upgraded to the 1/2” Leupold dot. 

I generally start the season with the variables and as my hold improves throughout practice and matches, I use higher magnification at all distances, and swap to the 30X fixed.

All of them weigh around 17oz, and are mounted on Morr Accuracy Silhouette rings or D3 Precision Silhouette rings, which weigh less than 3 oz/pair.



So- given your knowledge of the sport and my goals here (I’m not using air rifle silhouette targets, I’m using NRA smallbore silhouette targets scaled to 25 and 50 yards)-



Do you think the Air Arms S200 @ 800 FPS might fit the bill, or should I keep looking for a used Regal or something else in my price range?



Any other rifles I should consider?

The Marauder would work, but it heavy.

so is the RWS 36 & UTG scope I’ve been using.



I gotta say, several of the Kral models have the ergonomics, weight, and right price- but according to many here, accuracy can be a roll of the dice.

I don’t want to get this wrong!



DrG 


 
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For this, just hitting them – I’m actually using cut out targets made of Birchwood cap Casey ShootnC targets so that I can see my hits. The knocking them over part comes when I actually shoot metallic spinners or true knock downs with my Anschutz 1712 at the actual distances of 40, 60, 77, and 100 meters where I practice on private property.

DrGunner 
 
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To all the regulated fan boys out there... pure crap. The Regal shoots just as well in unregulated form as regulated. It MAY get a few more shots regulated but I wouldn't even count on that. Regulators seem to have become a mantra lately. They are an easy fix instead of proper design and tuning.

To the OP, the S200 is probably not your best option. It will work, but is too light and a little weak imho. The Regal, S410, and S510 are good choices. Not sure about the Krals.

I think whatever you decide on.... you will enjoy.

My $.02.

Bob
 
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Bob- Thanks for info on the S200. Many of you keep steering me towards a $1000-1200 air rifle. I’ve been shooting for 45 years, and I absolutely get that there’s a range of quality and a “bar” below which every individual won’t go. The further we delve into any hobby, the higher the bar tends to go.

I guess nobody wants to say it, but apparently a $500-700 air rifle that will suit my purposes is a crap shoot.

Back to the search. I’ve read enough about PCPs in the last week to make my eyes bleed!



DrGunner 


 
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Silencers Legal?



Ive noticed many PCPs come with suppressed barrels or even thread-on silencers. I’m looking at a couple of used rifles, two of which have aftermarket silencers added on. I live in Illinois where all silencers are illegal- for firearms. 

What does this mean for me? 

None of my firearms have threaded barrels, so I could argue that I don’t even have the ability to use the can on anything but the air rifle that came that way, but I’d rather avoid the matter altogether.

If there’s even a slight risk of me being charged with a felony, and losing my guns, I will just remove it.

I shoot my springers in the back yard all the time & my neighbors never complain. I have 3 acres, half wooded & both neighbors count on me helping eliminate certain rodents that destroy their gardens.

Any members in Illinois running silencers?



DrGunner 
 
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