craigheff 12 Posted March 2, 2011 Report Share Posted March 2, 2011 hey guys im looking to get an air rifle but know fuk all about it at thr moment so need a few pointers before i go doing anything... what air rifle would you recommend for a reasonable price??? and at what distance would an air rifle cleanly kill rabbits and birds (crows and pigeon) any other tips you could give me would be greatly appricated! thanks craig Quote Link to post
19powell90 89 Posted March 2, 2011 Report Share Posted March 2, 2011 RECOILLING RIFLES Spring Piston This is the most popular type of rifle. Generally Simple Operation The gun is cocked either by breaking the barrel or underlever depending on the type of gun. Spring Piston Mechanism The gun contains a piston and a large coiled spring. This procedure compresses the mainspring and moves the piston back, which connects into the trigger mechanism. When the trigger is pulled the mainspring is released, pushing the piston forward which pushes the air in front of the piston through a port and propels the pellet down the barrel. The movement of the spring and piston leads to recoil, which can affect the accuracy of the gun. The lighter the gun usually the more recoil. Hence heavier spring guns are often easier to shoot and more accurate. You may have to compromise with weight though, especially if you are hunting. To shoot a recoiling rifle accurately, techniques must be learned to compensate for the recoil of the gun. Learning and improving these skills is all part of the hobby, and a huge amount of satisfaction can be gained from learning how to get the best performance from your rifle. Spring guns are usually relatively cheap, simple and self-contained. They can be very accurate and powerful. They are also quick to load. An average weight is around 7-8lbs. Advantages Cheap to buy Self contained Quick to load Reliable Excellent value for money Disadvantages Generally single shot only (there are a few multishots available) The most accurate guns tend to be heavy More noisy than a PCP to shoot from muzzle and piston noise Recoil can make the gun more difficult to shoot accurately, requiring more practice to become proficient. Spring Piston Rifles - Our Recommendations Best Value For Money Edgar Bros Models 55 & 60 - cheapest rifle we sell that is powerful enough for hunting. Reliable (not chinese). Very popular. Best Mid-Priced Rifles £100-£200 Gamo Shadow & CFX ranges - surprisingly good, Spanish made rifles. Great open sights for backyard plinking without the expense of a scope. BSA Supersport - The most popular, full UK power (12ft lbs) spring rifles. Reliable and British made. Weihrauch HW99 - Great build quality and fairly lightweight We recommend - Out of the above rifles, our vote goes to the BSA Lightning XL and Weihrauch HW95 Both these rifles are lightweight, accurate, good looking and well built Best £200+ Rifles Weihrauch HW97K Air Arms Pro-Sport Air Arms TX200 All three of these rifles are superb with little to choose between them. They are all heavy, with low recoil, built in silencers, smooth underlever cocking and all three are built to last. Of the three rifles, the TX200 is fractionally smoother out of the box. The TX200, although heavy, is very easy to cock. The Pro-Sport shoots like a TX200 but looks gorgeous! Beware of - Chinese spring guns advertised as 12ft lbs power as many of them do not produce this power.   Gas Ram Rifles Smooth Operator Imagine a spring gun but with a sealed gas unit or strut instead of the spring. They still have a piston, hence they do recoil, but they are the next step up from a spring gun. They give less recoil and vibration, require less maintenance and can be left cocked for long periods without the worry of spring wear. They are usually better built, with nicer stocks. Overall, if you do not want to mess with a pre-charged pneumatic gun, then look at either a top of the range springer or a gas ram gun. Advantages Less expensive than a pre-charged gun Consistent power No need to charge air cylinders and no charging equipment required Automatic safety catch No spring to wear out Disadvantages More expensive than spring guns Small amount of recoil Best Gas Ram Rifles - Single Shot Theoben Fenman Theoben Evolution The same actions with different stocks and different length barrels. The Evolution-Olympus with thumbhole stock is a superb gun with a great stock. Highly recommended. Best Gas Ram Rifles - Multishot In a category of one! the Theoben SLR98 is one of our favourite rifles. Look out for the new longer barrelled .177 version. A rifle of choice if money is no object but you do not want the bother of charging a pre-charged gun. Great to shoot. 7-shot magazines. Lovely stock.     RECOILLESS RIFLES Recoilless rifles are separated into 4 main groups - Spring Recoilless Rifles CO2 Powered Rifles Pump-Up Rifles Pre-Charged Pneumatic Rifles   Spring Recoilless Rifles A small group of guns usually comprising a normal recoilling spring action on a sledge in the stock. The action recoils on the sledge but the stock does not move. This allows the action to consistently recoil, producing better accuracy. The main production guns are the RWS Model 54 Airking and the now-discontinued Air Arms TX200SR. Usually these guns are heavy and a little cumbersome, and therefore not popular for hunting.   CO2 Powered Rifles This is a good way of buying a recoilless gun at a cheap price. They use small CO2 bulbs or sometimes bigger 88gram CO2 bottles. The main advantages are they are cheap to buy, recoilless and often lightweight. CO2 powered rifles are mainly purchased as fun guns to use for informal target shooting in the backyard. No recoil and bolt action cocking makes them popular with beginners, younger shooters and shooters who struggle with the weight of a spring rifle. CO2 also has some disadvantages. You have to keep buying CO2 bulbs, they are limited in power and less consistent than other power sources - CO2 can vary in pressure depending on temperature, leading to inconsistent results as the weather changes. For this reason the guns have a shorter consistent range but are ideal for multishots and plinking guns. Advantages Relatively cheap Fun to use Multishot models available Easy to use Usually lightweight Disadvantages Average accuracy Can be expensive to run Many of the guns are built cheaply - you get what you pay for! Best CO2 Plinking Gun Crosman Nightstalker - semi-auto action means these guns are great fun to shoot, they look great and are inexpensive. Best CO2 Hunting Gun Umarex 850 Air Magnum - it is difficult to recommend a CO2 gun for hunting, with the limitations described above. However, we tested this rifle at 10.9ft lbs power, so it is capable of short range hunting (25-30 yards max) in the right weather conditions. It has an 8-shot magazine, so ideal for that quick next shot. Best CO2 Value For Money An easy answer! The QB78 - At £59.95 for a recoiless rifle is a bargain although they are a little rough and ready. Alot of people are tuning them and many websites are springing up dedicated to these cheap chinese rifles. Ideal back garden plinkers.   Pump-Up Rifles Self contained recoiless gun with a built-in pumping lever. The lever is disguised as part of the forend of the stock. You usually need 5-10 pumps to get one shot at 12ft lbs power, but they are the cheapest accurate recoiless guns at full power. Advantages Cheap Recoiless Lightweight Accurate Disadvantages Time consuming and harder work to pump Best Pump-Up Rifle Sheridan EB9 rifle, no contest Beware of - Chinese made pump-up rifles, terrible quality.   Pre-Charged Pneumatic Rifles This is the group of rifles that has advanced the most in the last 10 years. They use a reservoir built into the gun to hold a store of compressed air, usually about 2500-3000PSI. This reservoir can hold anything from 30-500 shots worth of air depending on the size of the cylinder. The compressed air cylinder is charged via a stirrup pump or divers bottle. The regular spray compressor, garage pump or foot pump will NOT do the job as they do not run at high enough pressure. These guns have many advantages. They are recoilless so they are very easy to shoot accurately. They are very quiet when fitted with a silencer. There are many different models on the market to choose from, so you should be able to find just the right specification for your purpose - multishots, single-shots, lightweight, large shot-capacity, fully adjustable, whatever you want! PCPs do have some disadvantages such as cost, the extra investment in charging equipment and the inconvenience of charging the air cylinder. Advantages Huge choice of brands and specifications - many multishots available Great choice of add-ons such as silencers, bipods and custom parts Accurate Full UK power Very quiet with a silencer fitted Disadvantages Cost of initial setup Can be inconvenient to refill Whilst no recoil is great for accuracy, it also takes away some of the soul and challenge of the shooting experience. Best PCP Value For Money Air Arms S200 - Lightweight, seems to fit everyone from juniors to ladies and men. Very accurate and cheap. Single-shot as standard - an Air Arms multishot conversion can be fitted at extra cost. BSA Ultra - Ultra-short, accurate and reliable. Needs a decent silencer though. Air Arms S400 - You cannot get much better value than a HFT competition winner straight out of the box. A good hunting gun as well. Best Mid-Priced PCP Air Arms S410 - 10-shot, lightweight, well built, great magazine. Almost faultless with good backup and spares availability. Looks pretty too. Daystate X2 - 10-shot and single-shot. Slightly heavier than the S410, but built a little stronger. Easy to change from a multishot to single-shot. Fabulous company to deal with - nice people, nice guns! Best Money-No-Object PCP Theoben MFR - Single-shot but can be used multishot with the purchase of a magazine. Built-in silencer, great performer. Daystate Mk3/ Air Ranger / Air Wolf - 10-shot & single-shot. Stunning performance. Daystate really are taking airguns to the next step. Unusual But Good PCP Logun S16 S - 16-shot. Military look. Make sure you buy an S version, the earlier one was unreliable. Loads of accessories available. Actually very good to shoot as long as you read the instructions on cocking it! .177 version due now! Gunpower Stealth - Single-shot. Loads of shots per charge. Simple, no-nonsense design. Parker Hale Phoenix - 10-shot underlever cocking action. Great fun! Best Field Target (FT)/ Hunter Field Target (HFT) PCP Rifles Air Arms S400 - Single-shot. Great performance for the money. Daystate Mk3 Sport - Supplied as a 10-shot but can be used with a single-shot tray. Very fast lock time. Very accurate. Possibly the best HFT gun Steyr LG110 - Single shot. The sexiest gun on the market. Just drop dead gorgeous and happens to shoot like a dream too. Excellent after-sales support from the official importer too. Air Arms EV2 - Air Arms have ironed out all the glitches to produce a truly great FT rifle. New version coming July 2006.   Are we qualified to give our opinions? Well, we all shoot. We have owned just about every decent gun between us. At the moment we own- Heath - Air Arms S400 .22cal, Pro-Stalk 3-9x50. Daystate X1 177cal, Map Pro 4-16x50, Daystate Huntsman .22cal, MTC Mamba 4-12-50. Sean - Daystate Airwolf MVT .177cal, MTC Mamba Lite 3-12x44 Michael - Theoben Sirocco .22cal Lloyd - Daystate Huntman .20cal, LightStream 4.5-14x44    THE TELESCOPIC SIGHT To the beginner scopes look very complicated, and when you take a look at the Telescopic Sights section on the web site you will see a vast array of numbers for each model. As an example if we take a 4 x 32 scope the number four equates to how many times closer the object you are viewing becomes when viewed through the scope. The number 32 equates to the size in mm of the front lens, also known as the objective lens. The theory behind the objective lens is that the bigger this lens, the brighter the image will be when viewed through the scope. There are however other factors to consider, such as lens quality, that makes one scope brighter than another. When looking at a 3-9 x 40 as an example of zoom scopes, the number forty is once again the size of the objective lens. The numbers 3-9 mean that when the image is viewed through the scope and the 3-9 zoom (located at the rear of the scope) is adjusted the image will move from 3x closer all the way through to 9x closer .  Telescopic sights have adjusters fitted to them that enable the scope to be set up in such a way that the pellet will impact on the target at the same point where the cross hair also appears on the target. These adjusters are generally called turrets. The top turret adjusts the cross hair up or down depending on which way the turret is turned . The side turret will adjust the cross hair left or right depending on which way it is turned.  This is only a basic guide for telescopic sights and you will find as your shooting develops so too will your knowledge and understanding of them. We will also be updating this section periodically with more in-depth information on reticles, parallax, turrets and lenses.  MOUNTS These are a very important piece of your equipment that enable the air rifle and telescopic sight to work together as one. Mounts are available in many different sizes and generally the bigger the objective lens the higher the mount required. As long as you use good quality mounts that are fastened together with allen bolts from a quality manufacturer you can not really go wrong.  GUN BAGS This is required to enable you to carry your air rifle in a public place and will offer a good degree of protection from the elements. The thicker the lining of the gun bag, the more protection it will offer your equipment. If you attach a silencer to your rifle, decide on the correct length bag to accomodate this to avoid having to detach it during trips. When considering which gunbag to purchase, think about the accessories you will be carrying with you. If you need storage space for pellets, spare air cylinders, targets, etc make sure you choose a bag that can accomodate these. Internal straps to secure your rifle are a useful option on many bags, as are rucksack-style carry straps. Hard cases offer the ultimate protection but can be unweildy to store in car boots, so measure up before you buy! Never store an air rifle in a gun bag as it will rust.  PELLETS Stick to a good quality lead round head pellet from the likes of H&N, Air Arms, Crosman or Daystate and you cannot go wrong. Experiment with any of these brands and you will find a least one that will perform incredibly well. Hollow point pellets are generally used for close to medium range hunting as they impart alot of force on impact. Flat head pellets are poular for paper target shooting as they punch the target cleanly and make it easier to work out your scores. Pointed pellets are used as they are supposed to give more penetration on impact. They are not as accurate as roundhead pellets as they are not as ballistically efficient.     FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS click here for scope FAQs  AIR RIFLE FAQs   What air rifle can I purchase? Any air rifle that does not does not exceed 12ft/lbs of muzzle energy  What is 12ft/lbs? This is the maximum power an air rifle is allowed to produce in England,Scotland and Wales without a firearms certificate.(F.A.C). What is fps? Feet Per Second,(fps),is the velocity or speed a pellet travels at when leaving the muzzle of a rifle.The muzzle is the end of the barrel. Can I have more power than 12ft/lbs? Only if you apply for a firearms certificate from your local constabulary, without this you are breaking the law and could face a heavy fine or end up in prison.  What is calibre? The size of the bore or hole running through the centre of the barrel.In .22 calibre the rifle will require a .22 pellet,in .177 calibre,a .177 pellet.   What does this all mean to me? In real terms a .22cal(.22 of an inch in imperial,5.5mm metric.)the muzzle velocity equates to around 600fps.In .177cal(.177 of an inch imperial,4.5mm metric.)the muzzle velocity equates to around 800fps depending on pellet weight.   How does pellet weight make a difference? Pellets are weighed in grains,the heavier the pellet the slower it travels.That is why .177 flies faster than .22   What are the best pellets? Round headed pellets made of lead have excellent all round accuracy.Stick to a good quality pellet from the following manufacturers;Air arms,Daystate,Crosman,H+N and RWS.   What calibre is best? .22cal is generally preferred for hunting as it has good hitting power.177 is generally preferred for target shooting as it flies faster and flatter than a .22 cal.Depending on preference both calibres are suitable for hunting.  How do I work out ft/lbs? Velocity(fps)xVelocity(fps)xPellet weight(grains)   equals ft/lbs                               450240  What are joules? Another form of energy measurement.12ft/lbs equals 16 joules.  Where can I shoot? At any air rifle club in the country,see our club directory or on land where you have prior written permission from the landowner.  Can I shoot in my garden? Yes as long as the pellets do not leave your property and you are more than 50 feet away from the centre of a public highway and are not causing a nuisance to your neighbours.  Is an air rifle powerful enough to hunt with? A rifle producing just under 12ft/lbs at the muzzle in .22cal will still produce around 7-8ft/lbs at 40 yards and it will take just 3-4ft/lbs of energy to kill a rabbit providing you only go for head shots, there is to much margin for error when aiming for the body.  Will the air rifle be accurate enough? Modern air rifles are more than capable of hitting a 50pence piece at 30 yards or more in the right hands. Set your rifle at 35 yards with a scope fitted and you’re more than covered,providing your marksmanship is good enough.  What can I hunt? The most popular quarry for airgunners are rabbits,crows,magpies,feral and wood pidgeon,collared doves,rats and the jay 7 Quote Link to post
craigheff 12 Posted March 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2011 thats a great reply powell alot of the info i was looking for is in there...thanks alot, fair play to you! cheers craig Quote Link to post
rossi_j 99 Posted March 3, 2011 Report Share Posted March 3, 2011 Blinking heck scott where did you copy paste that from?? :laugh: If that dont deserve an sp I dont kno what does .atb. .ste. Quote Link to post
19powell90 89 Posted March 3, 2011 Report Share Posted March 3, 2011 Blinking heck scott where did you copy paste that from?? :laugh: If that dont deserve an sp I dont kno what does .atb. .ste. Its from the BAR website as it basically says everything what i would have said but with having to type it all out. very handy atb scott Quote Link to post
19powell90 89 Posted March 3, 2011 Report Share Posted March 3, 2011 im going to edit it and post it as a topic to see if will get pinned as it is quite helpful. scott Quote Link to post
hunterdave 27 Posted March 3, 2011 Report Share Posted March 3, 2011 spot on that will help him loads y carnt the lurcher section be as helpfull as this Quote Link to post
pianoman 3,584 Posted March 3, 2011 Report Share Posted March 3, 2011 Blimey Scott...Did you type all this out??! Quote Link to post
Alex Arrigone 24 Posted March 3, 2011 Report Share Posted March 3, 2011 too much time on ya hands scotty by the way, there are pure squashed bunnies on the roads at camp. think some squaddies have been running them over accidentally on purpose Quote Link to post
Sweeney-Todd 208 Posted March 3, 2011 Report Share Posted March 3, 2011 Hi Scott. Brilliant effort mate, first class that is. SP incomming. ATB. Bill. Quote Link to post
markswan20 2 Posted March 9, 2011 Report Share Posted March 9, 2011 alot of very usful info there thanks alot i was just looking into a new air rifle mate cheers Quote Link to post
ghillies 209 Posted March 11, 2011 Report Share Posted March 11, 2011 (edited) RECOILLING RIFLES Spring Piston This is the most popular type of rifle. Generally Simple Operation The gun is cocked either by breaking the barrel or underlever depending on the type of gun. Spring Piston Mechanism The gun contains a piston and a large coiled spring. This procedure compresses the mainspring and moves the piston back, which connects into the trigger mechanism. When the trigger is pulled the mainspring is released, pushing the piston forward which pushes the air in front of the piston through a port and propels the pellet down the barrel. The movement of the spring and piston leads to recoil, which can affect the accuracy of the gun. The lighter the gun usually the more recoil. Hence heavier spring guns are often easier to shoot and more accurate. You may have to compromise with weight though, especially if you are hunting. To shoot a recoiling rifle accurately, techniques must be learned to compensate for the recoil of the gun. Learning and improving these skills is all part of the hobby, and a huge amount of satisfaction can be gained from learning how to get the best performance from your rifle. Spring guns are usually relatively cheap, simple and self-contained. They can be very accurate and powerful. They are also quick to load. An average weight is around 7-8lbs. Advantages Cheap to buy Self contained Quick to load Reliable Excellent value for money Disadvantages Generally single shot only (there are a few multishots available) The most accurate guns tend to be heavy More noisy than a PCP to shoot from muzzle and piston noise Recoil can make the gun more difficult to shoot accurately, requiring more practice to become proficient. Spring Piston Rifles - Our Recommendations Best Value For Money Edgar Bros Models 55 & 60 - cheapest rifle we sell that is powerful enough for hunting. Reliable (not chinese). Very popular. Best Mid-Priced Rifles £100-£200 Gamo Shadow & CFX ranges - surprisingly good, Spanish made rifles. Great open sights for backyard plinking without the expense of a scope. BSA Supersport - The most popular, full UK power (12ft lbs) spring rifles. Reliable and British made. Weihrauch HW99 - Great build quality and fairly lightweight We recommend - Out of the above rifles, our vote goes to the BSA Lightning XL and Weihrauch HW95 Both these rifles are lightweight, accurate, good looking and well built Best £200+ Rifles Weihrauch HW97K Air Arms Pro-Sport Air Arms TX200 All three of these rifles are superb with little to choose between them. They are all heavy, with low recoil, built in silencers, smooth underlever cocking and all three are built to last. Of the three rifles, the TX200 is fractionally smoother out of the box. The TX200, although heavy, is very easy to cock. The Pro-Sport shoots like a TX200 but looks gorgeous! Beware of - Chinese spring guns advertised as 12ft lbs power as many of them do not produce this power. Gas Ram Rifles Smooth Operator Imagine a spring gun but with a sealed gas unit or strut instead of the spring. They still have a piston, hence they do recoil, but they are the next step up from a spring gun. They give less recoil and vibration, require less maintenance and can be left cocked for long periods without the worry of spring wear. They are usually better built, with nicer stocks. Overall, if you do not want to mess with a pre-charged pneumatic gun, then look at either a top of the range springer or a gas ram gun. Advantages Less expensive than a pre-charged gun Consistent power No need to charge air cylinders and no charging equipment required Automatic safety catch No spring to wear out Disadvantages More expensive than spring guns Small amount of recoil Best Gas Ram Rifles - Single Shot Theoben Fenman Theoben Evolution The same actions with different stocks and different length barrels. The Evolution-Olympus with thumbhole stock is a superb gun with a great stock. Highly recommended. Best Gas Ram Rifles - Multishot In a category of one! the Theoben SLR98 is one of our favourite rifles. Look out for the new longer barrelled .177 version. A rifle of choice if money is no object but you do not want the bother of charging a pre-charged gun. Great to shoot. 7-shot magazines. Lovely stock. RECOILLESS RIFLES Recoilless rifles are separated into 4 main groups - Spring Recoilless Rifles CO2 Powered Rifles Pump-Up Rifles Pre-Charged Pneumatic Rifles Spring Recoilless Rifles A small group of guns usually comprising a normal recoilling spring action on a sledge in the stock. The action recoils on the sledge but the stock does not move. This allows the action to consistently recoil, producing better accuracy. The main production guns are the RWS Model 54 Airking and the now-discontinued Air Arms TX200SR. Usually these guns are heavy and a little cumbersome, and therefore not popular for hunting. CO2 Powered Rifles This is a good way of buying a recoilless gun at a cheap price. They use small CO2 bulbs or sometimes bigger 88gram CO2 bottles. The main advantages are they are cheap to buy, recoilless and often lightweight. CO2 powered rifles are mainly purchased as fun guns to use for informal target shooting in the backyard. No recoil and bolt action cocking makes them popular with beginners, younger shooters and shooters who struggle with the weight of a spring rifle. CO2 also has some disadvantages. You have to keep buying CO2 bulbs, they are limited in power and less consistent than other power sources - CO2 can vary in pressure depending on temperature, leading to inconsistent results as the weather changes. For this reason the guns have a shorter consistent range but are ideal for multishots and plinking guns. Advantages Relatively cheap Fun to use Multishot models available Easy to use Usually lightweight Disadvantages Average accuracy Can be expensive to run Many of the guns are built cheaply - you get what you pay for! Best CO2 Plinking Gun Crosman Nightstalker - semi-auto action means these guns are great fun to shoot, they look great and are inexpensive. Best CO2 Hunting Gun Umarex 850 Air Magnum - it is difficult to recommend a CO2 gun for hunting, with the limitations described above. However, we tested this rifle at 10.9ft lbs power, so it is capable of short range hunting (25-30 yards max) in the right weather conditions. It has an 8-shot magazine, so ideal for that quick next shot. Best CO2 Value For Money An easy answer! The QB78 - At £59.95 for a recoiless rifle is a bargain although they are a little rough and ready. Alot of people are tuning them and many websites are springing up dedicated to these cheap chinese rifles. Ideal back garden plinkers. Pump-Up Rifles Self contained recoiless gun with a built-in pumping lever. The lever is disguised as part of the forend of the stock. You usually need 5-10 pumps to get one shot at 12ft lbs power, but they are the cheapest accurate recoiless guns at full power. Advantages Cheap Recoiless Lightweight Accurate Disadvantages Time consuming and harder work to pump Best Pump-Up Rifle Sheridan EB9 rifle, no contest Beware of - Chinese made pump-up rifles, terrible quality. Pre-Charged Pneumatic Rifles This is the group of rifles that has advanced the most in the last 10 years. They use a reservoir built into the gun to hold a store of compressed air, usually about 2500-3000PSI. This reservoir can hold anything from 30-500 shots worth of air depending on the size of the cylinder. The compressed air cylinder is charged via a stirrup pump or divers bottle. The regular spray compressor, garage pump or foot pump will NOT do the job as they do not run at high enough pressure. These guns have many advantages. They are recoilless so they are very easy to shoot accurately. They are very quiet when fitted with a silencer. There are many different models on the market to choose from, so you should be able to find just the right specification for your purpose - multishots, single-shots, lightweight, large shot-capacity, fully adjustable, whatever you want! PCPs do have some disadvantages such as cost, the extra investment in charging equipment and the inconvenience of charging the air cylinder. Advantages Huge choice of brands and specifications - many multishots available Great choice of add-ons such as silencers, bipods and custom parts Accurate Full UK power Very quiet with a silencer fitted Disadvantages Cost of initial setup Can be inconvenient to refill Whilst no recoil is great for accuracy, it also takes away some of the soul and challenge of the shooting experience. Best PCP Value For Money Air Arms S200 - Lightweight, seems to fit everyone from juniors to ladies and men. Very accurate and cheap. Single-shot as standard - an Air Arms multishot conversion can be fitted at extra cost. BSA Ultra - Ultra-short, accurate and reliable. Needs a decent silencer though. Air Arms S400 - You cannot get much better value than a HFT competition winner straight out of the box. A good hunting gun as well. Best Mid-Priced PCP Air Arms S410 - 10-shot, lightweight, well built, great magazine. Almost faultless with good backup and spares availability. Looks pretty too. Daystate X2 - 10-shot and single-shot. Slightly heavier than the S410, but built a little stronger. Easy to change from a multishot to single-shot. Fabulous company to deal with - nice people, nice guns! Best Money-No-Object PCP Theoben MFR - Single-shot but can be used multishot with the purchase of a magazine. Built-in silencer, great performer. Daystate Mk3/ Air Ranger / Air Wolf - 10-shot & single-shot. Stunning performance. Daystate really are taking airguns to the next step. Unusual But Good PCP Logun S16 S - 16-shot. Military look. Make sure you buy an S version, the earlier one was unreliable. Loads of accessories available. Actually very good to shoot as long as you read the instructions on cocking it! .177 version due now! Gunpower Stealth - Single-shot. Loads of shots per charge. Simple, no-nonsense design. Parker Hale Phoenix - 10-shot underlever cocking action. Great fun! Best Field Target (FT)/ Hunter Field Target (HFT) PCP Rifles Air Arms S400 - Single-shot. Great performance for the money. Daystate Mk3 Sport - Supplied as a 10-shot but can be used with a single-shot tray. Very fast lock time. Very accurate. Possibly the best HFT gun Steyr LG110 - Single shot. The sexiest gun on the market. Just drop dead gorgeous and happens to shoot like a dream too. Excellent after-sales support from the official importer too. Air Arms EV2 - Air Arms have ironed out all the glitches to produce a truly great FT rifle. New version coming July 2006. Are we qualified to give our opinions? Well, we all shoot. We have owned just about every decent gun between us. At the moment we own- Heath - Air Arms S400 .22cal, Pro-Stalk 3-9x50. Daystate X1 177cal, Map Pro 4-16x50, Daystate Huntsman .22cal, MTC Mamba 4-12-50. Sean - Daystate Airwolf MVT .177cal, MTC Mamba Lite 3-12x44 Michael - Theoben Sirocco .22cal Lloyd - Daystate Huntman .20cal, LightStream 4.5-14x44 THE TELESCOPIC SIGHT To the beginner scopes look very complicated, and when you take a look at the Telescopic Sights section on the web site you will see a vast array of numbers for each model. As an example if we take a 4 x 32 scope the number four equates to how many times closer the object you are viewing becomes when viewed through the scope. The number 32 equates to the size in mm of the front lens, also known as the objective lens. The theory behind the objective lens is that the bigger this lens, the brighter the image will be when viewed through the scope. There are however other factors to consider, such as lens quality, that makes one scope brighter than another. When looking at a 3-9 x 40 as an example of zoom scopes, the number forty is once again the size of the objective lens. The numbers 3-9 mean that when the image is viewed through the scope and the 3-9 zoom (located at the rear of the scope) is adjusted the image will move from 3x closer all the way through to 9x closer . Telescopic sights have adjusters fitted to them that enable the scope to be set up in such a way that the pellet will impact on the target at the same point where the cross hair also appears on the target. These adjusters are generally called turrets. The top turret adjusts the cross hair up or down depending on which way the turret is turned . The side turret will adjust the cross hair left or right depending on which way it is turned. This is only a basic guide for telescopic sights and you will find as your shooting develops so too will your knowledge and understanding of them. We will also be updating this section periodically with more in-depth information on reticles, parallax, turrets and lenses. MOUNTS These are a very important piece of your equipment that enable the air rifle and telescopic sight to work together as one. Mounts are available in many different sizes and generally the bigger the objective lens the higher the mount required. As long as you use good quality mounts that are fastened together with allen bolts from a quality manufacturer you can not really go wrong. GUN BAGS This is required to enable you to carry your air rifle in a public place and will offer a good degree of protection from the elements. The thicker the lining of the gun bag, the more protection it will offer your equipment. If you attach a silencer to your rifle, decide on the correct length bag to accomodate this to avoid having to detach it during trips. When considering which gunbag to purchase, think about the accessories you will be carrying with you. If you need storage space for pellets, spare air cylinders, targets, etc make sure you choose a bag that can accomodate these. Internal straps to secure your rifle are a useful option on many bags, as are rucksack-style carry straps. Hard cases offer the ultimate protection but can be unweildy to store in car boots, so measure up before you buy! Never store an air rifle in a gun bag as it will rust. PELLETS Stick to a good quality lead round head pellet from the likes of H&N, Air Arms, Crosman or Daystate and you cannot go wrong. Experiment with any of these brands and you will find a least one that will perform incredibly well. Hollow point pellets are generally used for close to medium range hunting as they impart alot of force on impact. Flat head pellets are poular for paper target shooting as they punch the target cleanly and make it easier to work out your scores. Pointed pellets are used as they are supposed to give more penetration on impact. They are not as accurate as roundhead pellets as they are not as ballistically efficient. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS click here for scope FAQs AIR RIFLE FAQs What air rifle can I purchase? Any air rifle that does not does not exceed 12ft/lbs of muzzle energy What is 12ft/lbs? This is the maximum power an air rifle is allowed to produce in England,Scotland and Wales without a firearms certificate.(F.A.C). What is fps? Feet Per Second,(fps),is the velocity or speed a pellet travels at when leaving the muzzle of a rifle.The muzzle is the end of the barrel. Can I have more power than 12ft/lbs? Only if you apply for a firearms certificate from your local constabulary, without this you are breaking the law and could face a heavy fine or end up in prison. What is calibre? The size of the bore or hole running through the centre of the barrel.In .22 calibre the rifle will require a .22 pellet,in .177 calibre,a .177 pellet. What does this all mean to me? In real terms a .22cal(.22 of an inch in imperial,5.5mm metric.)the muzzle velocity equates to around 600fps.In .177cal(.177 of an inch imperial,4.5mm metric.)the muzzle velocity equates to around 800fps depending on pellet weight. How does pellet weight make a difference? Pellets are weighed in grains,the heavier the pellet the slower it travels.That is why .177 flies faster than .22 What are the best pellets? Round headed pellets made of lead have excellent all round accuracy.Stick to a good quality pellet from the following manufacturers;Air arms,Daystate,Crosman,H+N and RWS. What calibre is best? .22cal is generally preferred for hunting as it has good hitting power.177 is generally preferred for target shooting as it flies faster and flatter than a .22 cal.Depending on preference both calibres are suitable for hunting. How do I work out ft/lbs? Velocity(fps)xVelocity(fps)xPellet weight(grains) equals ft/lbs 450240 What are joules? Another form of energy measurement.12ft/lbs equals 16 joules. Where can I shoot? At any air rifle club in the country,see our club directory or on land where you have prior written permission from the landowner. Can I shoot in my garden? Yes as long as the pellets do not leave your property and you are more than 50 feet away from the centre of a public highway and are not causing a nuisance to your neighbours. Is an air rifle powerful enough to hunt with? A rifle producing just under 12ft/lbs at the muzzle in .22cal will still produce around 7-8ft/lbs at 40 yards and it will take just 3-4ft/lbs of energy to kill a rabbit providing you only go for head shots, there is to much margin for error when aiming for the body. Will the air rifle be accurate enough? Modern air rifles are more than capable of hitting a 50pence piece at 30 yards or more in the right hands. Set your rifle at 35 yards with a scope fitted and you're more than covered,providing your marksmanship is good enough. What can I hunt? The most popular quarry for airgunners are rabbits,crows,magpies,feral and wood pidgeon,collared doves,rats and the jay nice reply! a rapid or HW80.... scope.. a 4x40 or 3-9 0r a 2.5-10, or 4-14, or 4-16 mag.(anything from a 32mm end, like a 4x32 will do, 4x40's are a good hunter, the bigger the end is the more light gets in but the higher the mounts needed..never have the scope touching the barrel..needs a gap 1-2 millimeter at least'ish) try wise if you get an illuminated ret then get center onnly. PA adjustable isnt vital, but you could get a fixed Paralex set at 35 or 40 yards, a side wheel is the easiest to mage but once set for hunting you probably wont change it much. if you get a pcp and charge gear, get the biggest bottle your willing, or capable of lugging about, they cost the same to fill most places, a 3 litte is the lighter choise, can get a carry strap for them, 7 liters still well poertable, a 12 liter is leave it in the car and the start of a mawl, but the dumpy 22 liter bottle wont have fill yu gun for ages.........or a styrup pump, top up every few shots or go for the epic full fill. rapid 400cc gun cylinder(buddy bottle) you should get 300 plus shots at 12fp levals, little pcp's like the ultra's and falcons...30-40 shots a fill. daystates HW 100 AA 410 types about -100 shots, its worth spending first time if your serious, or else go the cheap route and have a few guns along the way untill you finally folk out on a desent one. if you get a weirhach, master the opens that come with them...the fine lolly pop post sight. it'll set you in good stead for later and a scope (and fairly hot on ratting lol, tipex on the pop n V if needs be..or ilumous paint etc). red dot and reflex sights take some practace but they dunt half build your reflex's..fast but near shooting only. (30's well puhing it). (calibers a preference nowadays...) anything from 10.5 fp to 11.5 is plenty power, with springers 10.5 isa smoother shoot,less recoil, 10.5 is ok for hunting too, to 40-45 yards easilty if you can hit and the set ups right, chaising the golden 11.9 foot pounds is utter shite...and a legal problem if you get stopped, theres no real advantage unless your plenking 140 yards...the actual gitting power gained by 11.9 verses 11.5 is a nats bollock and an arrest lol. Edited March 11, 2011 by ghillies Quote Link to post
aitch2o 0 Posted March 16, 2011 Report Share Posted March 16, 2011 what a great read this thread is- thanks Quote Link to post
forest gump 0 Posted September 22, 2011 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 RECOILLING RIFLES Spring Piston This is the most popular type of rifle. Generally Simple Operation The gun is cocked either by breaking the barrel or underlever depending on the type of gun. Spring Piston Mechanism The gun contains a piston and a large coiled spring. This procedure compresses the mainspring and moves the piston back, which connects into the trigger mechanism. When the trigger is pulled the mainspring is released, pushing the piston forward which pushes the air in front of the piston through a port and propels the pellet down the barrel. The movement of the spring and piston leads to recoil, which can affect the accuracy of the gun. The lighter the gun usually the more recoil. Hence heavier spring guns are often easier to shoot and more accurate. You may have to compromise with weight though, especially if you are hunting. To shoot a recoiling rifle accurately, techniques must be learned to compensate for the recoil of the gun. Learning and improving these skills is all part of the hobby, and a huge amount of satisfaction can be gained from learning how to get the best performance from your rifle. Spring guns are usually relatively cheap, simple and self-contained. They can be very accurate and powerful. They are also quick to load. An average weight is around 7-8lbs. Advantages Cheap to buy Self contained Quick to load Reliable Excellent value for money Disadvantages Generally single shot only (there are a few multishots available) The most accurate guns tend to be heavy More noisy than a PCP to shoot from muzzle and piston noise Recoil can make the gun more difficult to shoot accurately, requiring more practice to become proficient. Spring Piston Rifles - Our Recommendations Best Value For Money Edgar Bros Models 55 & 60 - cheapest rifle we sell that is powerful enough for hunting. Reliable (not chinese). Very popular. Best Mid-Priced Rifles £100-£200 Gamo Shadow & CFX ranges - surprisingly good, Spanish made rifles. Great open sights for backyard plinking without the expense of a scope. BSA Supersport - The most popular, full UK power (12ft lbs) spring rifles. Reliable and British made. Weihrauch HW99 - Great build quality and fairly lightweight We recommend - Out of the above rifles, our vote goes to the BSA Lightning XL and Weihrauch HW95 Both these rifles are lightweight, accurate, good looking and well built Best £200+ Rifles Weihrauch HW97K Air Arms Pro-Sport Air Arms TX200 All three of these rifles are superb with little to choose between them. They are all heavy, with low recoil, built in silencers, smooth underlever cocking and all three are built to last. Of the three rifles, the TX200 is fractionally smoother out of the box. The TX200, although heavy, is very easy to cock. The Pro-Sport shoots like a TX200 but looks gorgeous! Beware of - Chinese spring guns advertised as 12ft lbs power as many of them do not produce this power.   Gas Ram Rifles Smooth Operator Imagine a spring gun but with a sealed gas unit or strut instead of the spring. They still have a piston, hence they do recoil, but they are the next step up from a spring gun. They give less recoil and vibration, require less maintenance and can be left cocked for long periods without the worry of spring wear. They are usually better built, with nicer stocks. Overall, if you do not want to mess with a pre-charged pneumatic gun, then look at either a top of the range springer or a gas ram gun. Advantages Less expensive than a pre-charged gun Consistent power No need to charge air cylinders and no charging equipment required Automatic safety catch No spring to wear out Disadvantages More expensive than spring guns Small amount of recoil Best Gas Ram Rifles - Single Shot Theoben Fenman Theoben Evolution The same actions with different stocks and different length barrels. The Evolution-Olympus with thumbhole stock is a superb gun with a great stock. Highly recommended. Best Gas Ram Rifles - Multishot In a category of one! the Theoben SLR98 is one of our favourite rifles. Look out for the new longer barrelled .177 version. A rifle of choice if money is no object but you do not want the bother of charging a pre-charged gun. Great to shoot. 7-shot magazines. Lovely stock.     RECOILLESS RIFLES Recoilless rifles are separated into 4 main groups - Spring Recoilless Rifles CO2 Powered Rifles Pump-Up Rifles Pre-Charged Pneumatic Rifles   Spring Recoilless Rifles A small group of guns usually comprising a normal recoilling spring action on a sledge in the stock. The action recoils on the sledge but the stock does not move. This allows the action to consistently recoil, producing better accuracy. The main production guns are the RWS Model 54 Airking and the now-discontinued Air Arms TX200SR. Usually these guns are heavy and a little cumbersome, and therefore not popular for hunting.   CO2 Powered Rifles This is a good way of buying a recoilless gun at a cheap price. They use small CO2 bulbs or sometimes bigger 88gram CO2 bottles. The main advantages are they are cheap to buy, recoilless and often lightweight. CO2 powered rifles are mainly purchased as fun guns to use for informal target shooting in the backyard. No recoil and bolt action cocking makes them popular with beginners, younger shooters and shooters who struggle with the weight of a spring rifle. CO2 also has some disadvantages. You have to keep buying CO2 bulbs, they are limited in power and less consistent than other power sources - CO2 can vary in pressure depending on temperature, leading to inconsistent results as the weather changes. For this reason the guns have a shorter consistent range but are ideal for multishots and plinking guns. Advantages Relatively cheap Fun to use Multishot models available Easy to use Usually lightweight Disadvantages Average accuracy Can be expensive to run Many of the guns are built cheaply - you get what you pay for! Best CO2 Plinking Gun Crosman Nightstalker - semi-auto action means these guns are great fun to shoot, they look great and are inexpensive. Best CO2 Hunting Gun Umarex 850 Air Magnum - it is difficult to recommend a CO2 gun for hunting, with the limitations described above. However, we tested this rifle at 10.9ft lbs power, so it is capable of short range hunting (25-30 yards max) in the right weather conditions. It has an 8-shot magazine, so ideal for that quick next shot. Best CO2 Value For Money An easy answer! The QB78 - At £59.95 for a recoiless rifle is a bargain although they are a little rough and ready. Alot of people are tuning them and many websites are springing up dedicated to these cheap chinese rifles. Ideal back garden plinkers.   Pump-Up Rifles Self contained recoiless gun with a built-in pumping lever. The lever is disguised as part of the forend of the stock. You usually need 5-10 pumps to get one shot at 12ft lbs power, but they are the cheapest accurate recoiless guns at full power. Advantages Cheap Recoiless Lightweight Accurate Disadvantages Time consuming and harder work to pump Best Pump-Up Rifle Sheridan EB9 rifle, no contest Beware of - Chinese made pump-up rifles, terrible quality.   Pre-Charged Pneumatic Rifles This is the group of rifles that has advanced the most in the last 10 years. They use a reservoir built into the gun to hold a store of compressed air, usually about 2500-3000PSI. This reservoir can hold anything from 30-500 shots worth of air depending on the size of the cylinder. The compressed air cylinder is charged via a stirrup pump or divers bottle. The regular spray compressor, garage pump or foot pump will NOT do the job as they do not run at high enough pressure. These guns have many advantages. They are recoilless so they are very easy to shoot accurately. They are very quiet when fitted with a silencer. There are many different models on the market to choose from, so you should be able to find just the right specification for your purpose - multishots, single-shots, lightweight, large shot-capacity, fully adjustable, whatever you want! PCPs do have some disadvantages such as cost, the extra investment in charging equipment and the inconvenience of charging the air cylinder. Advantages Huge choice of brands and specifications - many multishots available Great choice of add-ons such as silencers, bipods and custom parts Accurate Full UK power Very quiet with a silencer fitted Disadvantages Cost of initial setup Can be inconvenient to refill Whilst no recoil is great for accuracy, it also takes away some of the soul and challenge of the shooting experience. Best PCP Value For Money Air Arms S200 - Lightweight, seems to fit everyone from juniors to ladies and men. Very accurate and cheap. Single-shot as standard - an Air Arms multishot conversion can be fitted at extra cost. BSA Ultra - Ultra-short, accurate and reliable. Needs a decent silencer though. Air Arms S400 - You cannot get much better value than a HFT competition winner straight out of the box. A good hunting gun as well. Best Mid-Priced PCP Air Arms S410 - 10-shot, lightweight, well built, great magazine. Almost faultless with good backup and spares availability. Looks pretty too. Daystate X2 - 10-shot and single-shot. Slightly heavier than the S410, but built a little stronger. Easy to change from a multishot to single-shot. Fabulous company to deal with - nice people, nice guns! Best Money-No-Object PCP Theoben MFR - Single-shot but can be used multishot with the purchase of a magazine. Built-in silencer, great performer. Daystate Mk3/ Air Ranger / Air Wolf - 10-shot & single-shot. Stunning performance. Daystate really are taking airguns to the next step. Unusual But Good PCP Logun S16 S - 16-shot. Military look. Make sure you buy an S version, the earlier one was unreliable. Loads of accessories available. Actually very good to shoot as long as you read the instructions on cocking it! .177 version due now! Gunpower Stealth - Single-shot. Loads of shots per charge. Simple, no-nonsense design. Parker Hale Phoenix - 10-shot underlever cocking action. Great fun! Best Field Target (FT)/ Hunter Field Target (HFT) PCP Rifles Air Arms S400 - Single-shot. Great performance for the money. Daystate Mk3 Sport - Supplied as a 10-shot but can be used with a single-shot tray. Very fast lock time. Very accurate. Possibly the best HFT gun Steyr LG110 - Single shot. The sexiest gun on the market. Just drop dead gorgeous and happens to shoot like a dream too. Excellent after-sales support from the official importer too. Air Arms EV2 - Air Arms have ironed out all the glitches to produce a truly great FT rifle. New version coming July 2006.   Are we qualified to give our opinions? Well, we all shoot. We have owned just about every decent gun between us. At the moment we own- Heath - Air Arms S400 .22cal, Pro-Stalk 3-9x50. Daystate X1 177cal, Map Pro 4-16x50, Daystate Huntsman .22cal, MTC Mamba 4-12-50. Sean - Daystate Airwolf MVT .177cal, MTC Mamba Lite 3-12x44 Michael - Theoben Sirocco .22cal Lloyd - Daystate Huntman .20cal, LightStream 4.5-14x44    THE TELESCOPIC SIGHT To the beginner scopes look very complicated, and when you take a look at the Telescopic Sights section on the web site you will see a vast array of numbers for each model. As an example if we take a 4 x 32 scope the number four equates to how many times closer the object you are viewing becomes when viewed through the scope. The number 32 equates to the size in mm of the front lens, also known as the objective lens. The theory behind the objective lens is that the bigger this lens, the brighter the image will be when viewed through the scope. There are however other factors to consider, such as lens quality, that makes one scope brighter than another. When looking at a 3-9 x 40 as an example of zoom scopes, the number forty is once again the size of the objective lens. The numbers 3-9 mean that when the image is viewed through the scope and the 3-9 zoom (located at the rear of the scope) is adjusted the image will move from 3x closer all the way through to 9x closer .  Telescopic sights have adjusters fitted to them that enable the scope to be set up in such a way that the pellet will impact on the target at the same point where the cross hair also appears on the target. These adjusters are generally called turrets. The top turret adjusts the cross hair up or down depending on which way the turret is turned . The side turret will adjust the cross hair left or right depending on which way it is turned.  This is only a basic guide for telescopic sights and you will find as your shooting develops so too will your knowledge and understanding of them. We will also be updating this section periodically with more in-depth information on reticles, parallax, turrets and lenses.  MOUNTS These are a very important piece of your equipment that enable the air rifle and telescopic sight to work together as one. Mounts are available in many different sizes and generally the bigger the objective lens the higher the mount required. As long as you use good quality mounts that are fastened together with allen bolts from a quality manufacturer you can not really go wrong.  GUN BAGS This is required to enable you to carry your air rifle in a public place and will offer a good degree of protection from the elements. The thicker the lining of the gun bag, the more protection it will offer your equipment. If you attach a silencer to your rifle, decide on the correct length bag to accomodate this to avoid having to detach it during trips. When considering which gunbag to purchase, think about the accessories you will be carrying with you. If you need storage space for pellets, spare air cylinders, targets, etc make sure you choose a bag that can accomodate these. Internal straps to secure your rifle are a useful option on many bags, as are rucksack-style carry straps. Hard cases offer the ultimate protection but can be unweildy to store in car boots, so measure up before you buy! Never store an air rifle in a gun bag as it will rust.  PELLETS Stick to a good quality lead round head pellet from the likes of H&N, Air Arms, Crosman or Daystate and you cannot go wrong. Experiment with any of these brands and you will find a least one that will perform incredibly well. Hollow point pellets are generally used for close to medium range hunting as they impart alot of force on impact. Flat head pellets are poular for paper target shooting as they punch the target cleanly and make it easier to work out your scores. Pointed pellets are used as they are supposed to give more penetration on impact. They are not as accurate as roundhead pellets as they are not as ballistically efficient.     FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS click here for scope FAQs  AIR RIFLE FAQs   What air rifle can I purchase? Any air rifle that does not does not exceed 12ft/lbs of muzzle energy  What is 12ft/lbs? This is the maximum power an air rifle is allowed to produce in England,Scotland and Wales without a firearms certificate.(F.A.C). What is fps? Feet Per Second,(fps),is the velocity or speed a pellet travels at when leaving the muzzle of a rifle.The muzzle is the end of the barrel. Can I have more power than 12ft/lbs? Only if you apply for a firearms certificate from your local constabulary, without this you are breaking the law and could face a heavy fine or end up in prison.  What is calibre? The size of the bore or hole running through the centre of the barrel.In .22 calibre the rifle will require a .22 pellet,in .177 calibre,a .177 pellet.   What does this all mean to me? In real terms a .22cal(.22 of an inch in imperial,5.5mm metric.)the muzzle velocity equates to around 600fps.In .177cal(.177 of an inch imperial,4.5mm metric.)the muzzle velocity equates to around 800fps depending on pellet weight.   How does pellet weight make a difference? Pellets are weighed in grains,the heavier the pellet the slower it travels.That is why .177 flies faster than .22   What are the best pellets? Round headed pellets made of lead have excellent all round accuracy.Stick to a good quality pellet from the following manufacturers;Air arms,Daystate,Crosman,H+N and RWS.   What calibre is best? .22cal is generally preferred for hunting as it has good hitting power.177 is generally preferred for target shooting as it flies faster and flatter than a .22 cal.Depending on preference both calibres are suitable for hunting.  How do I work out ft/lbs? Velocity(fps)xVelocity(fps)xPellet weight(grains)   equals ft/lbs                               450240  What are joules? Another form of energy measurement.12ft/lbs equals 16 joules.  Where can I shoot? At any air rifle club in the country,see our club directory or on land where you have prior written permission from the landowner.  Can I shoot in my garden? Yes as long as the pellets do not leave your property and you are more than 50 feet away from the centre of a public highway and are not causing a nuisance to your neighbours.  Is an air rifle powerful enough to hunt with? A rifle producing just under 12ft/lbs at the muzzle in .22cal will still produce around 7-8ft/lbs at 40 yards and it will take just 3-4ft/lbs of energy to kill a rabbit providing you only go for head shots, there is to much margin for error when aiming for the body.  Will the air rifle be accurate enough? Modern air rifles are more than capable of hitting a 50pence piece at 30 yards or more in the right hands. Set your rifle at 35 yards with a scope fitted and you’re more than covered,providing your marksmanship is good enough.  What can I hunt? The most popular quarry for airgunners are rabbits,crows,magpies,feral and wood pidgeon,collared doves,rats and the jay hello very good write up and yes it is from bar but like you said they are all the guns you like you missed the weihrauch hw90 better than any of the theobens solid german woodwork and barrel and heavy. it was made to have a gas strut put in it. the tbs are to light and cant take the power.the gas strut has to be in a heavy rifle to calm the power i had one put in a hw98 and it was as good as my air arms ev2.and the 90 was in .22 great review by the way had a lot of the guns myself you listed Quote Link to post
andyfr1968 772 Posted September 22, 2011 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 (edited) I totally agree with the above reply and TBH, I'd never read the OP and replys before. To say that Theoben's gas ram rifles have low recoil is total bollox. They've built up a very deserved reputation as scope breakers for a good reason.... They do!! Theoben's guns have a relatively small swept volume capacity of air compared to the 90 (same cylinder as the ) and so have to use a ram with a much higher pressure which combined with the fact that they are relatively light gives a fair old kick to the optics when they go pop. Edited September 22, 2011 by andyfr1968 Quote Link to post
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