....... what would you get?
I know, I hate to rehash things that have previously been discussed but new models are offered, there are Christmas sales etc.
Don't want to tie up hundreds, but have been eyeing a Gammo at Wal-Mart for about $125. Seems to be the same thing offered elsewhere for about $200. Any experience with Gammo? How is the accuracy?
Any other ideas? I can't imagine spending over $200 for the rifle. The rifle must be setup so a scope can be mounted.
If You Wanted a Pellet Gun for Christmas........
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Emil Pampell-Tx
- Posts: 6743
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 1:26 pm
- Location: Tx, Richmond (SW of Houston)
- Martin Colony History: First started in Gretna, La in 1969 with a small homemade house, have had martins ever since at 2 different homes in Texas
This is a widely discussed subject, and there are many opinions. If you buy a cheaper rifle like a Gamo, it is a hit & miss type of purchase, as some are excellent and some are inaccurate. I purchased 3 different cheap airrifles, none were very accurate. I finally got a Beeman and I am completely happy with it. The RWS airrifles also seem to be very accurate., I would have saved a bunch of money if I would have gotten a better one at the beginning.
The other thing that is very important is the distance that you must shoot. Most airrifles are accurate at 30 ft to 40 ft, but many are worthless at 100ft. If you are a good shot, you will be able to hit at 100 to 125 ft with a Beeman or RWS. Most airrifles lose accuracy past that distance.
If you shoot the longer distance, a .20 or .22 pellet is more accurate than the smaller .177 caliber.
Another consideration is the noise level. The faster an airrifle shoots, the louder it is in most cases, so you may want a slower quieter gun. Also, on some cheaper airrifles, you may have trouble mounting a scope. I would recommend a scope if you are not an excellent shot, they sure do help, especially on the tiny sparrows.
I like to stress accuracy for a good reason: If you shoot at a sparrow about twice, and if you miss it, it becomes nearly impossible to get another good shot at that sparrow, as they wise up in a hurry, then they continuc to drive me nuts. On the other hand, if you get them on the first shot, you will end up killing more sparrows, you will save a ton of time, and you will feel much better wtih less frustration. It was the frustration part that caused me to buy a Beeman R9, and I am happy with it, even though I did not want to spend that amount of money just to shoot sparrows. If you never get frustrated, and if you have plenty of time, then an accurate Gamo is a good buy. Could you return it an a day or 2 if it is not accurate? That may be a plan!
The other thing that is very important is the distance that you must shoot. Most airrifles are accurate at 30 ft to 40 ft, but many are worthless at 100ft. If you are a good shot, you will be able to hit at 100 to 125 ft with a Beeman or RWS. Most airrifles lose accuracy past that distance.
If you shoot the longer distance, a .20 or .22 pellet is more accurate than the smaller .177 caliber.
Another consideration is the noise level. The faster an airrifle shoots, the louder it is in most cases, so you may want a slower quieter gun. Also, on some cheaper airrifles, you may have trouble mounting a scope. I would recommend a scope if you are not an excellent shot, they sure do help, especially on the tiny sparrows.
I like to stress accuracy for a good reason: If you shoot at a sparrow about twice, and if you miss it, it becomes nearly impossible to get another good shot at that sparrow, as they wise up in a hurry, then they continuc to drive me nuts. On the other hand, if you get them on the first shot, you will end up killing more sparrows, you will save a ton of time, and you will feel much better wtih less frustration. It was the frustration part that caused me to buy a Beeman R9, and I am happy with it, even though I did not want to spend that amount of money just to shoot sparrows. If you never get frustrated, and if you have plenty of time, then an accurate Gamo is a good buy. Could you return it an a day or 2 if it is not accurate? That may be a plan!
PMCA Member, 250 gourds, 6 poles, 2traps
I have owned and have alot of air rifles. None of them over 200 bucks. I have spring guns, Co2 guns, and pump-ups. This is My opinions on them.
Spring guns: if high power in what your after only the 500 dollar and hight PCP's can match 1000FPS. The models I had (GAMMO, Daisy, Beeman, and Cheap China model) were not consistent enough for me to hit anything beyond 15 yards. Maybe it was me, but I been shooting since I was 10 and could shoot the heads off snakes at 25 yards and hold markmanship ribbons in rifles and hand guns when in the Military. They say springs guns have a different style of shooting. I wasn't willing to change my style. They also have a bad recoil and will break or knock off most scopes IMO. especially if you lay them on a hard surface when shooting.
C02's Easy of shooting. no recoil. downfalls. some may leak and cost of buying bottled gas to charge them. Most will repeat and hit hard enough to about 25 yards.
Pump-ups. usually cheaper and all things about the same as C02's except you have to pump them up to 10 times to get maximum FPS. Only down falls is no follow up shots due to the pumping up. Can be aggravating at time.
IMO price vs cost a pump-up is hard to beat and just as acturate as 500 dollar and up PCP's. Maybe not as repeatable or may not last as long, but I ususally find that regular cleaning and resiting once every two weeks in the shooting season keeps them pretty acturate.
I had good luck with the Crossman 2100 (.177) 2200 (22 cal.) for under 60 bucks without scope) You can find these guns on sale for less sometimes. I got a 2100 out of sportman guide for 19 bucks. You just have to wait and shop around for the best price.
Daisy 822 22cal. is a good shooting gun with wooden stocks, will repeat if you do everything right (squeeze and breathing) it also is usually less than 60 bucks if you can still find them. No scope of course.
IF I was to buy another air rifle today I would look at the Benjamin AS392T. Co2 bottle powered gun in .22 cal shooting around 700 fps. Can be scope mounted, but by the time you get rifle, scope and special scope rings the price will be over 200 bucks Another model that is less than 100 bucks with scope is the Dasiy 22SG for 95 bucks. Looks like the replacement for the 822 or a refined 822 model. These guns and others you can view and read about on several online sites. Pyramyd, Compasseco, straightshooters, and others can be found by doing a search on airgun manufactures. I would do a little research and then decide what gun would suite your needs in the price range you want. My ulitmate air gun would be Talon Condor or a FX Ulitmate if I were going to spend big buck, well at least big bucks in my mind.
Spring guns: if high power in what your after only the 500 dollar and hight PCP's can match 1000FPS. The models I had (GAMMO, Daisy, Beeman, and Cheap China model) were not consistent enough for me to hit anything beyond 15 yards. Maybe it was me, but I been shooting since I was 10 and could shoot the heads off snakes at 25 yards and hold markmanship ribbons in rifles and hand guns when in the Military. They say springs guns have a different style of shooting. I wasn't willing to change my style. They also have a bad recoil and will break or knock off most scopes IMO. especially if you lay them on a hard surface when shooting.
C02's Easy of shooting. no recoil. downfalls. some may leak and cost of buying bottled gas to charge them. Most will repeat and hit hard enough to about 25 yards.
Pump-ups. usually cheaper and all things about the same as C02's except you have to pump them up to 10 times to get maximum FPS. Only down falls is no follow up shots due to the pumping up. Can be aggravating at time.
IMO price vs cost a pump-up is hard to beat and just as acturate as 500 dollar and up PCP's. Maybe not as repeatable or may not last as long, but I ususally find that regular cleaning and resiting once every two weeks in the shooting season keeps them pretty acturate.
I had good luck with the Crossman 2100 (.177) 2200 (22 cal.) for under 60 bucks without scope) You can find these guns on sale for less sometimes. I got a 2100 out of sportman guide for 19 bucks. You just have to wait and shop around for the best price.
Daisy 822 22cal. is a good shooting gun with wooden stocks, will repeat if you do everything right (squeeze and breathing) it also is usually less than 60 bucks if you can still find them. No scope of course.
IF I was to buy another air rifle today I would look at the Benjamin AS392T. Co2 bottle powered gun in .22 cal shooting around 700 fps. Can be scope mounted, but by the time you get rifle, scope and special scope rings the price will be over 200 bucks Another model that is less than 100 bucks with scope is the Dasiy 22SG for 95 bucks. Looks like the replacement for the 822 or a refined 822 model. These guns and others you can view and read about on several online sites. Pyramyd, Compasseco, straightshooters, and others can be found by doing a search on airgun manufactures. I would do a little research and then decide what gun would suite your needs in the price range you want. My ulitmate air gun would be Talon Condor or a FX Ulitmate if I were going to spend big buck, well at least big bucks in my mind.
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yvesquad
Hi all,
Here is a place you can take a look before buying anything !!!
http://www.pyramydair.com/site/articles/which-airgun/
Good reading and have a nice day
Yves
Here is a place you can take a look before buying anything !!!
http://www.pyramydair.com/site/articles/which-airgun/
Good reading and have a nice day
Yves
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Guest
yvesquad, thanks for the link! Very helpful.
Emil, the R9 is very tempting! Is this a spring gun as RC M. was discussing? Is yours the 20 cal.?
I know next to nothing about pellet guns. However, I've had a lot of experience with hunting rifles. Seems the best accuracy test is shooting groups from a benchrest (or other stable rest) and averaging group sizes (measured cener-to-center). Have any of you done this with your pellet guns? what kind of accuracy can you get with your choice pellets? At what difference do you test?
In the link that yesesquad provided, I noticed that some rifles list accuracy at 10 yds. Is this a best case or is what one could expect? Does anyone test accuracy of different models and show the results? I don't trust the mfg or retailers tests, seems the mfgs are biased and the retailers are reluctant to knock any product they offer.
Emil, the R9 is very tempting! Is this a spring gun as RC M. was discussing? Is yours the 20 cal.?
I know next to nothing about pellet guns. However, I've had a lot of experience with hunting rifles. Seems the best accuracy test is shooting groups from a benchrest (or other stable rest) and averaging group sizes (measured cener-to-center). Have any of you done this with your pellet guns? what kind of accuracy can you get with your choice pellets? At what difference do you test?
In the link that yesesquad provided, I noticed that some rifles list accuracy at 10 yds. Is this a best case or is what one could expect? Does anyone test accuracy of different models and show the results? I don't trust the mfg or retailers tests, seems the mfgs are biased and the retailers are reluctant to knock any product they offer.
I bought a new Beeman pellet gun this last Spring and I really like it!!!!!
The gun has a wooden stock and forearm and is on the heavy side. I'm not the best shot with a rifle, so I have a scope on this one. I bought some paper targets and went out and practiced. By the middle of the summer I was dropping sparrows at 90 ft. Yes, I love my Beeman pellet gun. Jim
The gun has a wooden stock and forearm and is on the heavy side. I'm not the best shot with a rifle, so I have a scope on this one. I bought some paper targets and went out and practiced. By the middle of the summer I was dropping sparrows at 90 ft. Yes, I love my Beeman pellet gun. Jim
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John Barrow
- Posts: 982
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 4:12 pm
- Location: Corpus Christi / Sandia , Texas
Hi HogWild. I have owned several pellet guns to shoot S&S with. Years ago PMCA recommended the Benjamin Sheridan pump pellet gun and I bought one. I still have and use it. Later I accelerated to an expensive Webley Stingray with walnut stock and a 2X7 Swift scope. That cost more than any hunting rifle I own, and I have hunted all around Texas, Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho and in Alaska 3 times. I have shot it perhaps 25 times because I don't like the kick/float of a spring loaded pellet gun and because I can't keep it loaded and cocked until I need to shoot it
.
I gravitated back to the Benjamin Sheridan blue streak (.177 cal) and bought one for both of my PM locations. I bought a good scope--a BSA airgun 3-12 scope and rings--for both guns and can pick out the feather on a bird I want to shoot. I can load the pump gun--pump it 3 times as I always do and let it sit for months at a time before I pick it up and get the same accuracy and killing potential as when I set it down. The gun cost about $125 from Walmart and the scope is another $75 from Cabelas.
Benjamin Sheridan is now manufactured by Crosman and I use the premier wadcutter pellets in both guns, also made by them.
I would not use or recommend any other to protect my colonies.
Best wishes and good luck with your choice. John Barrow, Corpus Christi, Tx
.
I gravitated back to the Benjamin Sheridan blue streak (.177 cal) and bought one for both of my PM locations. I bought a good scope--a BSA airgun 3-12 scope and rings--for both guns and can pick out the feather on a bird I want to shoot. I can load the pump gun--pump it 3 times as I always do and let it sit for months at a time before I pick it up and get the same accuracy and killing potential as when I set it down. The gun cost about $125 from Walmart and the scope is another $75 from Cabelas.
Benjamin Sheridan is now manufactured by Crosman and I use the premier wadcutter pellets in both guns, also made by them.
I would not use or recommend any other to protect my colonies.
Best wishes and good luck with your choice. John Barrow, Corpus Christi, Tx
~~TEAMED WITH A MARTIN GODDESS~~
Member/Mentor-PMCA. I do regular nestchecks and participate in PROJECT MARTINWATCH!! Coordinated 3 geolocator studies-2009, 2010 & 2013. State and Fed licensed bander (retired Jan., 2020)
Member/Mentor-PMCA. I do regular nestchecks and participate in PROJECT MARTINWATCH!! Coordinated 3 geolocator studies-2009, 2010 & 2013. State and Fed licensed bander (retired Jan., 2020)
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Guest
If anyone is interested, I ordered the Beeman R9 Goldfinger.
The Goldfinger is the standard R9 with these options:
1. Gold trigger (wow
)
2. Bushnell Banner 4-12x40 scope
3. Scope mounts
4. Muzzlebreak (makes cocking easier and dampens spring vibration)
5. Hardsided case
StraightShooters says they sell the GoldFinger cheaper than they can buy the individual components.
The Goldfinger is the standard R9 with these options:
1. Gold trigger (wow
)2. Bushnell Banner 4-12x40 scope
3. Scope mounts
4. Muzzlebreak (makes cocking easier and dampens spring vibration)
5. Hardsided case
StraightShooters says they sell the GoldFinger cheaper than they can buy the individual components.