I have begun to think about my air rifles in two categories that I find most useful: 1. Many (not all) of the "package deals" sell you a low-end scope that won't hold up for very long, particularly with a springer and may be less quality optics than you really want. I have found that it is usually better to buy a gun un-scoped, and then choose a decent quality scope and mounts separately. In general, remember that most will want to scope the rifle, which adds additional cost after the purchase.
But even then, there are always more factors to consider, probably most importantly, what type of power plant do you want - springer, CO2, compressed air (CA)? The better indicator is foot-pounds of energy (FPE) rather than velocity in feet per second (FPS). Manufacture's advertised velocities are almost always overstated and even when accurate, are with pellets so light that, with springers in particular, it is probably harmful to the air rifle to shoot them. "tune/modify it immediately", and what you intend to shoot (paper, varmints) and kill (time, money, varmints).ĭon't look to pure velocity as the best indicator. Your question is a reasonable one, except that for air gunners, you might as well be asking "what is the meaning of life?" There seem to be dozens of "right answers" that depend entirely on the shooter, skill and personal preferences, how much $ is available, how much weight one is willing to lug around, and philosophy of "shoot it out of the box" vs. Check the library, there are a couple of very good articles about hold sensitivity and technique. Again, it's inherent in the design, and the more powerful, the worse it tends to be. Some rifles are more sensitive than others, and the magnums tend to be some of the worst. Do it wrong, and you'll never get good groups. Most of them require a very light hold, allowing the rifle to move around the way it wants to. You have to learn the proper hold technique if you ever hope to be any good with a springer. Good luck.Īlmost forgot, hold sensitivity is something peculiar to spring piston air guns. I suggest you go back and reread my first response :-). I don't think I could do that consistently with my PCP's, and I'm pretty damn good. But it's well beyond what they were designed to do, and expecting that kind of performance is just asking to be disappointed and PO'd. Not saying it can't be done, I know a couple of guys that shoot 350's at 80 yards and hit what they're shooting at. What you're asking for is unreasonable to expect from a springer. I hope this was some help, and welcome to the GTA! If you have any more questions, you're in the right place. It's inherent in the design, think badminton birdie, it relies on the drag of the wide skirt to keep it stable. Get close to Mach 1 with a pellet, and watch your accuracy go to hell. Finally, high velocity and pellets don't go together. So a "1000 fps" gun is really only going to do low to mid 800's with typical pellets. Also remember, most of the velocity claims are sales hype, and are usually inflated over reality by 10-20% at least.
For out of the box, the Beeman and RWS guns are hard to beat, and the cost ends up being comparable to a lesser gun with tune and trigger. The CFX I mentioned at the beginning I consider an excellent choice, but it will need additional work to make it really nice. You'll be much happier with a medium powered springer as a starter gun. If you're new to air guns, I strongly advise making it later. As newbies, most of us get a case of magnumitis sooner or later. Think about what you want an air rifle, or any rifle for that matter, to do, what your intended use is. A powerful spring piston might get close to 30 fpe, and will be a real bear to cock and shoot well. Also keep in mind that power is relative. I believe all have a reputation for good accuracy, but inherent in the design is a high likelihood of hold sensitivity. I'm sure there are others, but these are the ones that come to mind. 177, I believe)īaikal MP 514(?), not sure if that's the right model number
A break barrel will always be quicker to load for a follow up shot. Also, if you want power, I assume you're intended use is hunting. I bought my first rifle, a CFX, on that assumption, and later learned from first hand experience how wrong I was.