Which air rifle for target shooting only?

aoa has some springers on there specials

I wouldnt even bother with a springer.. u would be disappointed coming from rimfire. Pcp is the only thing comparable 

It sounds like a good entry level gun that almost meets your budget is the new Umarex Gauntlet. New, they are $299 but I've seen some for sale in the classifieds for $250 I believe. Get that and a hand pump and maybe a tank later and you'd be good to go. Everyone has really been amazed at the accuracy of the Gauntlet. I think the extra money would save you a lot of headaches of going down the other route. JMTC's

JK

Yes, or you can go to www.crosman.com and look at the Benjamin Maximus, which is available with a pump and targets as a beginner kit. I would suggest the 22 caliber version. Be sure to order on a "free shipping Friday" and use the "AGNATION" 25% discount. This will get you gun, targets, safety glasses and PUMP for less than $263 as a kit.

Maximus Starter Kit

Hello all

I have 2 x 22lr rifle (Remington 597 semi-auto and Savage MKII bolt action) - I don't hunt, only target shoot in an outdoor range. Mainly 25 yards, and 50 yards once in a while

It's fun, but was wondering if I could find an air rifle that can be SUPER accurate for both distance (or at least 25 yards)

I don't know about the caliber (0.177 vs 0.22)? I've heard 0.177 is flatter, I know it's cheaper (can shoot a lot without worrying about cost of ammo), but what about some wind in an outdoor range? (I've chatted with somebody from PyramdAir, and he recommended .22 !)

And finally, what about a rifle in the $150 / $200 price range? Don't think I want PCP though....

Thanks

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Can't be done, a "SUPER accurate" target shooter for $150.00 to $200.00. If you spend much time at the range you will see several .22 lr target guns north of $5000.00. Air guns are no different, if you require SUPER accurate you need to up the budget a bit.

RogerV53, I would agree on your price for "Super Accurate". But then, even that term is vague. If he is remembering his old BB gun as a child, he would find most PCP air rifles "super accurate" via comparison. For me, super accurate is a single, lightly feathered hole at 50 meters (after ten shots). An accurate one, would repeatedly provide squirrel headshots at a specific desired range. The picture below is from a Benjamin Maximus, 10 shots, at 25 meters, covered by a Mercury dime... accurate at that distance. The green flares are due to shooting domed pellets at a hanging target without backing, so the target tore. It does not offer the crazy hole in hole accuracy of my ridiculously modified .25 Marauder at 50 meters.. but for pesting, it is more than accurate.

Aldertooth you got a good one and I've done the same thing with a few low end PCPs, but I spent many thousands of dollars to get lucky with a few. A new airgun shooter won't be able to shoot high end springers well without much practice, if I read his post correctly he requires "SUPER accurate" target shooter out of the box. Can't be done without lots of work and luck with a $200.00 airgun. IMHO the only way to get "SUPER accurate" target shooter out of the box is to pay for it, and as we all know you also need luck to get a good one. I go to the range every week and watch the bench rest gang arms race. They all can shoot but it comes down to one thing $$$ he with the most money wins most of the time.

I would agree that being accurate with springers is an acquired skill. It also requires that you read, and listen to the excellent advice on this forum on how to shoot a springer well. I had stepped away from shooting springers for so many years, it required I re-learn what I already knew. If you pay attention to what people say about artillery hold, and finding the sweet-spot on the forearm guard to hold/rest it, you can get some surprising accuracy out of (even a magnum) springer. This target is from a Benjamin Trail NP2 which is .22 caliber at 25 meters. I didn't have a mercury dime at the time, and the nickel was oversized for the task.

I am still waiting for him to define what kind of measurable accuracy he wants. Hopefully he will express it in some fraction of an MOA, or X amount of error maximum at Y distance in Meters/Feet/Yards. Then we will be able to have a real discussion with him on what kind of rig can meet his desires... and at What Cost. 

That's some fine springer shooting, I sold all my PCPs and I had many, I shoot springers only now. Sometimes I wish I had a few PCPs to shoot but after much work and practice if I do my part with my Walther LGV master pro and home built HW35K I can get 1/4 inch groups at 25 yards. I never thought I could shoot a springer as well, it took patients dedication lots of time and many thousand pellets. I'll stick with the springers as long as I can fight the urge to buy a PCP, it ain't easy.

Don't know much about PCP...

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Don't know much Biology...

-Sam Cooke. 

If he is shooting w/"average" 22, maximus will match @ 25-50yds.

My cousin has 1 that is tack driver. Light, accurate and LOUD.

Sorry French_Guy, Let me cover some terms. MOA is Minute of angle. Or, a "numbers" way of putting it would be... If a target is 100 meters away and your gun/scope/shooter combined can keep the center of all the bullet strikes within 1.047 inches... then a shot group is said to be 1 MOA. A half inch group (center to center) at 50 meters is 1 MOA. 

An American Dime is about 0.705 inches, but my target distance was 25 meters. Off the cuff, this would theoretically equal a shot group whose "EDGES" are smaller than 2.82 MOA, but then, that is not a center of the strike... so the actual MOA number would be better than that number. You must allow for the width of the round 0.22 inches, and such. So If I were guessing. The first picture was probably about 2 MOA, not phenomenal, but not bad for one of the least expensive PCP rifles on the market.

The modified Marauder I have is a sub one MOA rifle... but it cannot be purchased new for the $263 the Maximus can. I believe you would consider it super accurate. But full list on a Marauder is about 540 bucks, and I put an additional 300 in parts to improve it. In other words, the price for an "super-accurate 50 meter air rifles is steeper. You will find an occasional air rifle which is just magical; it is cheap and shoots amazing. But you cannot count on luck if you are seeking accuracy and repeatability.

Most PCP air rifles operate off 2000 PSI to 4500 PSI normal atmospheric air, not CO2. CO2 is at a much lower pressure. A CO2 sources does you little good for filling a PCP air rifle. Some scuba tank shops can help you, but many only go to 3000 PSI fills. Paintball arenas are commonly found to provide around 4000 to 4500 PSI, and many Fire Departments have 4500 PSI to fill the air tanks carried by firefighters.

Keyman, I would tend to agree that a stock Maximus is loud. With the 6.5 inch TKO added, it is quieter than a desktop paper stapler when fired. 

Sounds like you need to meet up with another airgunner.

Perhaps consider NOT buying anything Dumham's sells ( at least online, only the NP ).

In your price range, again, RWS/Diana 34 in .177. The trigger -T06- will amaze you, you'll get to learn springer technique ( it's fun and applies to all shooting) Dime groups at 25 should be very doable and d1" at 50 yards is realistic and, on sale it's in your budget.

Did the person you "talked" with recommend a magnum rifle as well as .22? 

Yes you will have to increase your knowledge of doping wind , that's airguns but you only need about 7fpe for 50 yard target, 12-14fpe is all you would need for your stated goal.



TON's of screaming deals ( and some over priced as one would think) on used rigs these days.

Shop for price.

Either the gauntlet or the maximus ( have both) would suit you tho the gauntlet wins hands down $ for $. Tune it down to 10-12fpe and you would geta ton of shts. Not a thing wrong with some of the bottom dollar hand pumps these days either. Hand pumping isnt bad at all.

If your willing to use Co2 ( temp changes fps) the QB78 now sells for $80.00 in some box stores.



John

I have the .22 Maximus, and I can attest that it quite accurate out to 50 yds. At 20 and 30 yds its one ragged hole groups. At 40 yds. its consistently under 1/2", and opens up to 3/4" at 50yds. With JSB 15.89 gr pellets mine is one mil-dot holdover @ 50 yds. Was $189 delivered from Pyramyd Air. Estink hand pump from Amazon was $56. Leapers 4-12x40 AO MilDot hunters scope from Amazon for $100. So for under $350 you can have a pretty nice set up for small game hunting or target shooting. 

I second the choice of a Diana 34 with the superb T06 fully adjustable trigger, or a QB78 Deluxe (CO2), also with an adjustable trigger. Either are plenty accurate. RC