What would you recommend for a .177 target rifle, budget under $2000

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Dhart, when you say target, do you mean shooting Field Target or Benchrest? If so, I would recommend the RAW TM1000 in .177. With the thumbhole stock, you can use it for field target and bench rest as it has a rail underneath the stock that you can put a 3" plate on for bench rest and a great hamster (where does that name come from?) for field target. 

Get the polygon barrel as it shoots the JSB monsters lights out. 

If you are going to shoot targets in the back yard and with friends, I would suggest the RAW HM1000 in .177 with the polygon barrel. 

There's a reason why lots of guys have suggested RAW to you in this thread. I have three and they are most excellent and accurate rifles. And, as others have mentioned, made in the USA. Also, I'm assuming you've already got a scope for it. If not, then forget what I said!!
 
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DHart, I think it would be good to give your parameters such as;

  • Maximum length?
  • Caliber (.177 or .22)?
  • FPE?
  • Bullpup, Rifle/Carbine, Semi-Bullpup?
  • Weight?
  • Style (Field Target, Benchrest, Traditional Sporter)?
  • What will it be used for? (Strictly Target, Occasional Hunter)
  • Minimum Shot Count?
  • Air Reservoir (Bottle or Cylinder)?
  • Loading (Single Shot, Magazine/Clip fed, Options for both)?
  • Action (Side Lever, Bolt, Biathlon Style Side Lever)?
  • Bullpups (Are you opposed to a rear lever or do you prefer a mid lever)?
  • Quiet out of the box (Having the option to install a moderator)?

I think it would help narrow things down on what the guys here would suggest.
 
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Dhart, when you say target, do you mean shooting Field Target or Benchrest? If so, I would recommend the RAW TM1000 in .177. With the thumbhole stock, you can use it for field target and bench rest as it has a rail underneath the stock that you can put a 3" plate on for bench rest and a great hamster (where does that name come from?) for field target. 

Get the polygon barrel as it shoots the JSB monsters lights out. 

If you are going to shoot targets in the back yard and with friends, I would suggest the RAW HM1000 in .177 with the polygon barrel. 

There's a reason why lots of guys have suggested RAW to you in this thread. I have three and they are most excellent and accurate rifles. And, as others have mentioned, made in the USA. Also, I'm assuming you've already got a scope for it. If not, then forget what I said!!
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I'm just an amateur target shooter... pretty much content with shooting targets out to 50 yards or so on my back property. But I don't like inaccurate or inconsistent guns.

Would .22 caliber be noticeably better than .177 at bucking breezes? There always seems to be some kind of gentle breeze blowing around here and I can never tell if that's the reason for my fliers, or if fliers just happen due to pellet inconsistencies and/or rifle irregularities. So, I'm wondering if .177 might be too light for my purposes?

Already having a RW .22HP, I have plenty of .22 caliber pellets to use, from 15.89 to 18.13, 18.52, to 21.14, to 25.39. The RW likes the 25.39 the best, so I could use the lighter pellets in a different rifle.

The RW .22HP is a VERY long and heavy rifle, nice on the bench... but it is a beast. So, something a fair bit shorter and lighter would be nice!

I know the RAW rifles have done very well in competition. I just don't know anything about them. I need to do my homework.
 
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DHart, I think it would be good to give your parameters such as;

  • Maximum length?
  • Caliber (.177 or .22)?
  • FPE?
  • Bullpup, Rifle/Carbine, Semi-Bullpup?
  • Weight?
  • Style (Field Target, Benchrest, Traditional Sporter)?
  • What will it be used for? (Strictly Target, Occasional Hunter)
  • Minimum Shot Count?
  • Air Reservoir (Bottle or Cylinder)?
  • Loading (Single Shot, Magazine/Clip fed, Options for both)?
  • Action (Side Lever, Bolt, Biathlon Style Side Lever)?
  • Bullpups (Are you opposed to a rear lever or do you prefer a mid lever)?
  • Quiet out of the box (Having the option to install a moderator)?

I think it would help narrow things down on what the guys here would suggest.
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• Rifle, carbine, semi-bullpup, and bullpups considered (want it shorter than my Red Wolf .22HP)

•.177 possibly, or .22 is good, if that would help buck the breezes

•Medium to light weight

•FPE up to perhaps 20 or 25 FPE would be OK

•Backyard targets and plinking up to 50 yards

•Would be nice to get 50 shots, or more, on an air fill

•I really like the look and feel of cylinder, but not ruling out bottle

•Mag and single-shot feed

•I like a side lever, preferably, but not ruling out bolt (Daystate Regal)

•With bullpup, I would prefer forward side lever, but rear side lever might be acceptable

•Definitely need the option to add a moderator!
 
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DHart, first, a word about "wind bucking". The .177 is often mentioned as having the advantage of being flatter shooting than the .22, not so. That probably originates from FT discussions, where the fpe is limited to 20. At that level, the .22 is going to be consideraly slower than the .177, siimple math, as fpe equal MV squared. So, the considerably slower pellet obviously has a steeper trajectory. But, factory FAC rifles are generally built to a muzzle velocity level, not fpe, and usually around 900 fps with either caliber, making their trajectories essentially the same. All this said, you will find little-to-no practical difference in their performance in the wind. The limiting factor will be your ability to deal with it.....I know, because mine is poor! After reading your latest comments, I believe the Daystate Regal would be well worth trying. Not only is it much less expensive than most of the other options mentioned (I recommended RAW), it is light, short, handles great, is magazine fed (with s/s tray), and comes with moderator that is effective. Mine is in .22 and I shoot it in the back yard often, with close neighbors, no problem. It is a cylinder rifle, so without the larger bottle capacity, you might find it slightly lacking in shot count, but not extremely so. But, that slim profile gives it great handling characteristics, very similar to a sporter rimfire rifle. Mine might not quite shoot with the RAW or Steyr, but I would never lug either of those in the field.
 
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DHart, first, a word about "wind bucking". The .177 is often mentioned as having the advantage of being flatter shooting than the .22, not so. That probably originates from FT discussions, where the fpe is limited to 20. At that level, the .22 is going to be consideraly slower than the .177, siimple math, as fpe equal MV squared. So, the considerably slower pellet obviously has a steeper trajectory. But, factory FAC rifles are generally built to a muzzle velocity level, not fpe, and usually around 900 fps with either caliber, making their trajectories essentially the same. All this said, you will find little-to-no practical difference in their performance in the wind. The limiting factor will be your ability to deal with it.....I know, because mine is poor! After reading your latest comments, I believe the Daystate Regal would be well worth trying. Not only is it much less expensive than most of the other options mentioned (I recommended RAW), it is light, short, handles great, is magazine fed (with s/s tray), and comes with moderator that is effective. Mine is in .22 and I shoot it in the back yard often, with close neighbors, no problem. It is a cylinder rifle, so without the larger bottle capacity, you might find it slightly lacking in shot count, but not extremely so. But, that slim profile gives it great handling characteristics, very similar to a sporter rimfire rifle. Mine might not quite shoot with the RAW or Steyr, but I would never lug either of those in the field.
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Thanks for that. I very much liked the Daystate Regal when checking it out at AoA. And they told me that it was one of it not the most popular air rifle that they sell, in part because the cylinder gives it more of a traditional rifle profile and look. That is certainly a strong contender for me - along with the WildCat MkII, which felt really great when I handled it.

Sounds like the RAW is a very heavy rifle? I need to go look at them online.
 
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The Daystate Huntsman Regal XL in .22 or .177 is an awesome rifle for the price. They offer it in a non-regulated model and the newer model with the Huma Regulator and both are excellent.

The Huma model will be more consistent though. I have the non-regulated version in .22 and it's a tack driver. 1/2 inch groups and less at 50 yards. Excellent trigger, beautiful stock, and easy to work on.

I've taken mine apart to change out a busted o-ring. I get about 35 shots on 210 bar fill in the non-regulated version. The Huma regulated version should get around 45 shots.

The total length is 41 inches with the factory Airstream moderator. If you remove the moderator, it's about 37 inches. Add the moderator of your choice and do the math on the total length.

In my opinion, the factory Airstream moderator is not really effective. The good thing is if you plan to pick up one at AOA, you can pick out your stock. Here's some groups at 50 yards I did with my non-regulated Huntsman. 

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In my opinion, the factory Airstream moderator is not really effective. The good thing is if you plan to pick up one at AOA, you can pick out your stock. Here's some groups at 50 yards I did with my non-regulated Huntsman.
Click to expand...

I have compared my Regal with the Airstream moderator to both my RAW, and my Steyr with Hogan silencer, and they are all essentially the same, within 2-3 db of each other. Not saying it's the best, but it seems pretty effective to me. 
 
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RAW TM-1000 .177 and don’t look back!, well worth the wait for new or comb the classifieds, until one shows up, if weight is an issue the walnut saves a little over laminate ( not much though!, but everyone I’ve seen is beautiful!) also I agree with others, the LW poly barrel shoots just about everything great and with factory silencer extremely quiet... my thoughts anyway, GOODLUCK!
 
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In my opinion, the factory Airstream moderator is not really effective. The good thing is if you plan to pick up one at AOA, you can pick out your stock. Here's some groups at 50 yards I did with my non-regulated Huntsman.
Click to expand...

I have compared my Regal with the Airstream moderator to both my RAW, and my Steyr with Hogan silencer, and they are all essentially the same, within 2-3 db of each other. Not saying it's the best, but it seems pretty effective to me.
Click to expand...

But those are different platforms. I've already tried comparing the factory Airstream on my Huntsman to my other moderators attached to it; DonnyFL Sumo, Koi, Tanto, Tatsu, Fat Boy and my Neil Clague LDC (8"x1.2"). I also tried using the Airstream moderator on my Brocock Contour S6 Elite which has the same diameter shroud as the Huntsman and it was loud compared to my other moderators. Just my experience. 
 
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Another vote here for the Regal XL here.

I have the non-regulated .22 caliber and use for both target and pest control. However, with the new HUMA regulated version (either in .177 or .22); along with Slingshot Hammer system, that gun will shoot extremely accurate at your specified range. 5 year warrantee is practically "bullet proof" in terms of risk, and that warrantee is considerably better than most brands. I have a Donny FL Sumo LDC on mine and it is extremely quiet for backyard use. With your $2K budget, you can get a great scope and rings for under $400 too. Joe has reviewed two new Discovery scopes on YouTube, and the Athlons are also excellent. Motorhead (GTA forum) works on Regals for tuning, so that is another resource too. So many choices!!

b-t-w: Every recommendation (i.e., other gun models and brands) by others responding to this post is excellent, so I don't envy you making your choice. 

Save up and buy them all for true happiness! Also, since we have a vested interest, let us know what you do choose to buy!
 
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I'll admit I don't know what I don't know but, I would find it no fun to only shoot 25-30 yards on paper with my Wildcat II. I use splatter burst targets and after I shoot the center red out of the targets I start aiming for the intersecting lines on the target. And, if the semi bullpup design is important I think you are talking about the Wildcat. I just got the Brocock Sniper so it seems we have similar tastes. Haven't tested the Brocock yet but with the Donnnyfl moderator on it, it seems more like a regular sized rifle. Not so with the Wildcat. They both have the same moderator on them. The first thing that struck me about the Wildcat was how sweet the trigger was. My Wildcat is totally stock except for the moderator. I must add that FXs are finely built tuned machines and with all of mine that I have had I plan that sometime in the future I will have to send them off for an expert overhaul. I don't think that's an issue with many of the others mentioned by other posters.
 
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Don't know if you are talking competition benchrest or just for fun in your backyard? This is my backyard benchrest gun

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Brocock bantam .177 non regulated, 12ft.lbs gun that AOA built for me. Actually 13 ftlbs on high...10 on med. and 6 on low power. I shoot 30 yards in my backyard and this gun without a moderator is dead quiet. With a moderator it's silent. 240 shots per fill. And you can buy one for 899. right now @AOA. It won't out shoot a RAW so if you are thinking competition, forget this post. But for fun in the backyard benchrest competition....cheap fun. Weight of gun about 7pounds...9 with scope. Gun shoots 3/8" @ 30 yards. My .177 Impact shoots 1/4" @ 30 yards....at over twice the price.
 
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