Best Air Rifle? (Break-barrel?)

[thundersnow]

It's too broad of a search to get the results I want, so I'm putting it out into the universe (well, the TGO community anyway)...

 

Which air rifle is the best one to get for (25 yard range) varmits and general target plinking without disturbing my neighbors.  My thoughts were headed in the break - barrel style but not for any hard and fast reasons.  I'd like to keep in under $300 bucks, but if it's worth spending a little extra to get something amazing that will last me then so be it.  Looking for quality over quantity here and easy to maintain. 

 

thoughts? 

experiences?

customer service?

.177, .22 or .25?

vendor?

 

 

THANKS!

[Westwindmike]

I have a Gamo Big Cat. It does well at 25 yards but needs a better trigger. There is an aftermarket trigger that fixes that problem. It's about $30 I think.

[hkusp40cal]

if you want quiet(er), look at a Gamo Whisper.

[~48_South~]

Check out EdgunUSA on youtube, he has a fair amount of reviews on rifles and is quite the shot with them. Only problem is most of the rifles he uses are really high end items.

[Oh Shoot]

No expert on air rifles at all, and of course I'm sure it's far from "the best" strata,  but so far I'm happy with Browning Leverage in .177, has good reviews, got it for $164 plus shipping from SG, generally cost 20-30 more than that. Made by a Chinese company that's fairly well thought of which produces rifles under its own name, which I forget. Just in case you might want to start out with lesser investment.

 

It's an underlever cocker with fixed barrel, so most folks claim they are more accurate than a break barrel. Max 1000 fps with alloy I guess, probably around 900 with lead.  Haven't had it long, but it puts wicked hole through tin can at 30 yards, so guess it would do fine for birds, squirrels and rabbits. I'm sure you'd have to do head shot on possum or whistle pig. They make it in .22 also.

 

Very heavy rifle +8 lbs, pert quiet though, have shot it in my apartment, no pain. Fairly purty too, wood stock a rarity. Scope seems fine, but you'll really have to set it for a particular distance, precise point blank is pretty limited, but seems to be up to about the 25-30 yard range tops, then significant drop. The open sights are almost as good.

 

 

If quiet is a primary criterion, you'll need to stay under about 1100 fts. There's not a supersonic model out there that's very much quieter than a .22 rifle AFAIK, regardless of all the "whisper" type monickers.

 

- OS

Edited March 27, 2013 by Oh Shoot

[Guest mechanically]

I've been looking at these too, but having a hard time weighing the advantages of a gas spring vs. the traditional spring models. I like the idea of the newfangled gas unit, but the folks who make them are also prouder of them! 

[Lumber_Jack]

I saw a video of a guy kill a hog with the Gamo hunter version. That's all the marketing I need :)

[kieefer]

Subscribed.

 

Been thinking about the same thing since my Crosman 760 recently died.

 

I have noticed that Sports Authority had decent prices compared to what I found at  http://www.airgundepot.com/  (good info on this site BTW).

[hipower]

I have an older Gammo that I got 5/6 (?) years ago. It's an NRA scoped model, rated at 1200fps. I paid about 200 for it with s/h. Fun toy for backyard shooting. Accurate with me to about 30-35 yards. That's as good as I can do with the stock trigger. Which by the way, feels like it must be 25 lbs. Hardest trigger I've ever felt on an airgun, and probably on any gun. I mistakenly ordered it with scope instead of irons, that really limits its use.

 

When the neighbors first saw me with it, several complained I was shooting a 22 in my back yard. It's that loud.  

 

Hopefully newer models will be better.

[Oh Shoot]

Here's thread from not long ago re a quiet model with some punch:

 

http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/topic/60160-suppressed-rifle-450-ammo-895-per-250

 

- OS

[RichardR]

I have a pair of Gamo Shadow 1000's, great rifles but the triggers take a lot of breaking in before they smooth out.

Power & accuracy are both outstanding, the Shadow models are very nice & lightweight which is handy for toting around all day, they however are LOUD with light & medium weight pellets, so I need to use heavy pellets to keep them from going super-sonic.

[bucnball]

My experience with fixed barrel 22's has led (no pun) me to conclude that the lower speed slightly heavier projectile provides better results on small varmints and is pretty accurate for out to 30 yards or so..BTW, saw a Chinese Beeman @ a local pawn shop last week  but  I didn't need to start  buying another caliber.. Happy Hunting !

[Wyldk2]

I was in the same predicament as well. Replaced my old Daisy pump air rifle with a "refurbished from factory" Gamo Bone collector air rifle from www.woot.com for $149 + shipping. They had several models to choose from between $80-150.

 

Ordered it today, hopefully it will be here sometime first of next week.

[Oh Shoot]

I was in the same predicament as well. Replaced my old Daisy pump air rifle with a "refurbished from factory" Gamo Bone collector air rifle from www.woot.com for $149 + shipping. They had several models to choose from between $80-150.

 

Ordered it today, hopefully it will be here sometime first of next week.

 

Did you get a .22 model? Looks like one of the .177 models stays subsonic with lead ammo, but one may not.

 

- OS

Edited March 28, 2013 by Oh Shoot

[RichardR]

Just a heads up for anyone thinking about getting a spring-piston air rifle, you CANNOT put a regular rifle scope on them, they will destroy even the most expensive well made scope, due to the way the recoil jimmies back/forth.

You have to use a scope specifically designed to withstand the spring-piston recoil, I personally use "Powerline" 3-9x 40mm scopes, which are gawd awful scopes comparitively speaking but they are designed to handle the recoil, and at the ranges an air rifle is capable they work good enough.

[thundersnow]

This has been a very informative thread so far...  I gave a serious look at the Browning Leverage, but the stock doesn't seem like a good fit for a lefty like me.  I'm not really thrilled with the saftey reset after every cocking pull, but that's not a deal breaker.  My web/YouTube browsings have it narrowed down to a Gamo Whisper or a Benjamin Trail NP.  Both come with a scope and a sling for about the same power factor.  Gamo is a little less expensive, unless you factor in the Nitro Piston upgrade.  The Benjamin Trail NP has it built in.  It seems like the .22 is the better choice for staying below the sound barrier and a little extra punch downrange. 

[RichardR]

Yup .22's or even .25's pack a bit more punch at less velocity, but pellet selection & availibility become a bit more scarce, well if you are shopping locally that is, online you should have no problems finding the larger caliber pellets.

The lighter/faster .177's do have the advantage of flatter flight trajectories & plenty of power to take up to ground hog sized game (largest garden pest I've taken with mine) so I am more than happy with my Gamo Shadow 1000's but Benjamin also makes really good air rifles, so you'd probably be happy either way you go though.

[jeff43]

What size groups will these shoot at 25 yards?

[Tempest455]

Not sure if the current RWS (since they were bought) is the same quality of old. However, if they are, they will last forever. I have an RWS I purchased 28 years ago and it's like new and very accurate. 

[RichardR]

What size groups will these shoot at 25 yards?

Clover-leaf groups if ... IF ... the shooter does their part.

[stahlmangc]

I didnt want to break the bank so I bought a Benjamin Trail NP. (.22cal). Ive been very happy with it. Chipmunks at 50 yards are no problem. Maybe not the most elegant rifle, but worth the money. Put the "CharlieDaTuna" GRT trigger on it which made a world of difference. http://www.charliedatuna.com/

 

 

Check out http://www.pyramydair.com/ They have a lot of good video tutorials etc.

 

Edited March 29, 2013 by stahlmangc

[kieefer]

I had no idea they made trigger kits for pellet guns....where have I been? :lol:

[Oh Shoot]

I had no idea they made trigger kits for pellet guns....where have I been? :lol:

 

Air rifle realm has about as much geekage as the firearms one.

 

Start with the "artillery hold" and go forward from there.

 

- OS

[~48_South~]

Been doing a lot of research on this over the past couple days and people seem to like the Gamo CFX since it is fix barreled they say it is more accurate than your break barrel options in that price range (it is still a spring piston gun), if your budget is $300 you could get a Benjamin Discovery for maybe $330 including pump or for around $100 more you can get a Benjamin Marauder which is one bad dude, they are both PCP(Pre Charged Pneumatics) rifles which everyone act like PCP is the cats meow when it comes to air rifles,the rifle has a high pressure air tank built into the rifle, some like the discovery can be pumped with a hand pump others with higher tank pressure need to be filled with by a oxygen tank, a lot of PCP owners just go ahead and buy a diving tank or what not so they have air on demand to refill if they cant or dont feel like using the pump.

 

Spring Piston Pro's- Less finicky than PCP rifles,dont have to worry about refilling your rifle with compressed air you always have air on demand, some like that spring pistons feel more like a real gun when fired recoil and so on.

 

PCP Pro's- Insanely accurate,most are semi auto,no pumping between shots,typically spring piston guns are not supposed to be left cocked(charged with air) for more than 10 mins or so,with PCP that isnt an issue and you dont have to worry about scaring away game while loading like you would with a spring piston,most PCP rifles have a velocity adjustment so you can go for a lot of velocity but more air cost per shot or less velocity and less air spent per shot,typically PCP rifles fire at higher velocities than spring piston.

 

Bottom line from all the stuff I have read online I have gathered basically if you get good shooting a spring piston rifle you will be good at shooting anything, if you get good shooting a PCP rifle well...you will be good at shooting a PCP rifle lol. My take on it is its like comparing a factory Glock(Springer rifle) to a custom 1911 race gun(PCP Rifles).

[Wyldk2]

Thinkit is the .177 model. i really don't remember. But it is the Bone collector model. scope is included and that suppressor thing on the barrel. I should recieve it early next week.

Did you get a .22 model? Looks like one of the .177 models stays subsonic with lead ammo, but one may not.

 

- OS