Advice wanted

ALI · 04-22-2002, 11:27 AM

I'm based in Fife, Scotland. I'm looking to buy an air rifle, my budget is £100. I picked up a copy of this months Gun Mart magazine but thats just left me feeling confused. I'm hope'ing some of you can give me some advice on what gun would be best suited for me.

I will be targeting the likes of rabbits, hares, pheasant, partridges etc. I have only ever owned one gun, a .177 around 8 years ago, to put it bluntly, the thing was useless. If i was'nt within 5 feet of my quary i had no chance of killing it, and then, maybe, just maybe.

I guess with the budget i have set myself i would be best buying a second hand gun. I'd appreciate any advice on what i should be looking for.

Regards
ALI

Big Dog · 04-22-2002, 11:54 AM

The Spanish company GAMO has a nice line of air rifles, including .22 caliber. The prices might be a bit over your budget, but the quality is good. There are some fairly good Chinese air rifles on the market at a lower price.
Check out this web site for info:
http://www.funsupply.com/airguns/airrifle.htm

Klaus · 04-22-2002, 01:38 PM

You want a rifle that goes at least 700 FPS. Crosman and Daisy both make pneumatic (pump) guns that are fairly accurate and reasonably priced. I also recommend a steel barrel, for wear resistance. For game, use only the hard, pointed hunting pellets, not the flat ones. Pellets have marginal power for game like hares, so always use the highest power level recommended by the manufacturer and aim carefully.

Rock · 04-22-2002, 06:03 PM

For game you will need a 22cal or even a 25cal and use pellets made for game.Happy hunting...

toolman · 04-25-2002, 12:16 PM

a good place to start ,if you can find it where you are, is to pick up a copy of shotgun news.you can go to their website to find a supplier in your area,i think.there are several airgun companies that advertise there.also ,go to www.compasseco.com. good luck!

ALI · 04-27-2002, 02:16 PM

Thanks to all who replied, much appreciated. I have e-mailed a few mail order companies and asked them to send me out their catalogue. I think the best way for me to go is to buy a .22 starter kit, brand new or second hand. I've noticed their are a few kits out their for around £100 that include a .22 air gun, scopes, gun bag + pellets. One of these kits will do me to start out with and i can then go on from their.

I am a fly fisher, and a keen fly tier. A full pheasant skin or partridge skin will cost around £20, a hairs mask around £2, pairs of various bird wings around £2 etc etc. I plan to to use my quary for tying my flies for fishing, saves money, but more than that, it gives me another hobby to take up, i live in the perfect area for it.

The next step up in power from a .177 is a .22, then its a .25 then??? can someone fill in the rest for me. I've noticed alot that their are a few guns out their that come in both .177 & .22, alot of the time they are priced exactly the same. I'm slightly puzzled as to why someone would take up the .177 when they could have the .22 for the same price, anyone know why that would be?

Regards
ALI

wes · 04-27-2002, 03:15 PM

So that a person could use BB's or pellets. What kind of fish do you have there?

Klaus · 04-27-2002, 05:58 PM

I have never heard of .25 caliber pellets. All I have ever seen ar .177, .20, and .22. I still would recommend .177 for birds.

ALI · 04-28-2002, 06:48 AM

Wes, i fish for trout, mainly browns and rainbows. Some fisheries do stock blue's and brook trout but they are few and far between. I prefer to fish for wild brown trout. Recently i have been fishing for pike aswell. Some of our rivers also hold grayling. I've yet to fish for salmon but our rivers are full of them, you may have heard of 1 or 2 of our more famous rivers such as the river Tay or the river Spey.
Down in England they do alot of course fishing for carp, bream & chub etc, their are 1 or 2 fisheries up here that hold these fish but their is not much course fishing done in Scotland.

Klaus, the .25 guns i've been looking at must then be rifles, i was thinking they were air guns.

Why would you recommend a .177 for birds over a .22, if the .22 is more powerfull would that not be better for the job? Does this have something to do with the size of pellets for either gun?

Regards
ALI

panhandler · 05-09-2002, 11:26 PM

The caliber is the diameter of the projectile (pellet) that is being shot. A .17 can be shot faster than than the .22 and deliver more force, depending on the conditions. Force equals mass times velocity. Check out pellet weights, versus velocities delivered by the airgun. Thats the kill factor.

Crossman and Daisy make inexpensive models in both dimensions. Get a rifled barrell.

I'm not an expert, but I hope that helps!

Klaus · 05-10-2002, 07:28 AM

.177 pellets are much higher velocity. There are many cheap .177 air guns that are over 800 FPS. The .22s are generally less than 400 FPS. Since energy goes up at the square of velocity, the better .177s have more power. They also shoot flatter.

colt45 · 05-11-2002, 04:19 PM

I don't know if this will helps you, But I picked up a chines air gun in .177 cal at a tool sale here in the states. I was astounded to find that my $20 air rifle gets 800fps I put on a wal-mart $7 red dot sight and I'm know takeing out those pescky pigions with ease. I bought my Dad one at the next sale(one of those sales where they bring in a semi full of tools and junk to the armory for a week end) hes soleving the cat problems now with great sucsess. these things are dropping a 12 pound cat with one shot to the head from 75 feet. Best junk I ever bought at one of these sales.

Dale · 05-12-2002, 10:09 PM

Dang, the freezer must be full of squab and cat. I likes them cats. Secret is in the low indirect heat and plenty of marinade time.....fer sure.

NRAJOE · 05-13-2002, 02:58 PM

I LIKE CAJUN CAT , MMM,MMM GOOD. DON'T KNOW IF ITS TRUE BUT I HEARD THERE IS EVEN A 9MM AIR GUN OUT THERE THAT YOU HAVE TO AIR UP JUST LIKE A TIRE AND THERE IS A SMALL GAUGE ON IT TO TELL WHEN IT NEEDS RECHARGED!

04-22-2002, 11:27 AM	#1
ALI Registered User Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 3	Advice wanted I'm based in Fife, Scotland. I'm looking to buy an air rifle, my budget is £100. I picked up a copy of this months Gun Mart magazine but thats just left me feeling confused. I'm hope'ing some of you can give me some advice on what gun would be best suited for me. I will be targeting the likes of rabbits, hares, pheasant, partridges etc. I have only ever owned one gun, a .177 around 8 years ago, to put it bluntly, the thing was useless. If i was'nt within 5 feet of my quary i had no chance of killing it, and then, maybe, just maybe. I guess with the budget i have set myself i would be best buying a second hand gun. I'd appreciate any advice on what i should be looking for. Regards ALI

04-22-2002, 11:54 AM	#2
Big Dog Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Tallahassee, Florida Posts: 9,479	The Spanish company GAMO has a nice line of air rifles, including .22 caliber. The prices might be a bit over your budget, but the quality is good. There are some fairly good Chinese air rifles on the market at a lower price. Check out this web site for info: http://www.funsupply.com/airguns/airrifle.htm __________________ Moderator of: AR15/M16, M14/M1A, New/Beginning Shooters and Militaria/Collectables.

04-22-2002, 01:38 PM	#3
Klaus Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Cypress, Texas Posts: 2,383	You want a rifle that goes at least 700 FPS. Crosman and Daisy both make pneumatic (pump) guns that are fairly accurate and reasonably priced. I also recommend a steel barrel, for wear resistance. For game, use only the hard, pointed hunting pellets, not the flat ones. Pellets have marginal power for game like hares, so always use the highest power level recommended by the manufacturer and aim carefully. __________________ "Gee, Wally, Eddie Haskel's mom puts out!"

04-22-2002, 06:03 PM	#4
Rock Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Texas Posts: 253	For game you will need a 22cal or even a 25cal and use pellets made for game.Happy hunting... __________________ www.infowars.com www.infowars.com www.infowars.com The worst kind of slave is the one who thinks he is free... The most foolish mistake we could possibly make would be to permit the conquered eastern people to have arms. History teaches thet all conquerors who have allowed thir subject race to carry arms have prepared their own downfall by doing so...Adolf Hitler...4/11/1942

04-25-2002, 12:16 PM	#5
toolman Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: abilene,tx Posts: 4,498 Blog Entries: 14	a good place to start ,if you can find it where you are, is to pick up a copy of shotgun news.you can go to their website to find a supplier in your area,i think.there are several airgun companies that advertise there.also ,go to www.compasseco.com. good luck! __________________ Don't be messin' with my gun!

04-27-2002, 02:16 PM	#6
ALI Registered User Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 3	Thanks to all who replied, much appreciated. I have e-mailed a few mail order companies and asked them to send me out their catalogue. I think the best way for me to go is to buy a .22 starter kit, brand new or second hand. I've noticed their are a few kits out their for around £100 that include a .22 air gun, scopes, gun bag + pellets. One of these kits will do me to start out with and i can then go on from their. I am a fly fisher, and a keen fly tier. A full pheasant skin or partridge skin will cost around £20, a hairs mask around £2, pairs of various bird wings around £2 etc etc. I plan to to use my quary for tying my flies for fishing, saves money, but more than that, it gives me another hobby to take up, i live in the perfect area for it. The next step up in power from a .177 is a .22, then its a .25 then??? can someone fill in the rest for me. I've noticed alot that their are a few guns out their that come in both .177 & .22, alot of the time they are priced exactly the same. I'm slightly puzzled as to why someone would take up the .177 when they could have the .22 for the same price, anyone know why that would be? Regards ALI

04-27-2002, 03:15 PM	#7
wes Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Loveland Co Posts: 1,906	So that a person could use BB's or pellets. What kind of fish do you have there?

04-27-2002, 05:58 PM	#8
Klaus Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Cypress, Texas Posts: 2,383	I have never heard of .25 caliber pellets. All I have ever seen ar .177, .20, and .22. I still would recommend .177 for birds. __________________ "Gee, Wally, Eddie Haskel's mom puts out!"

04-28-2002, 06:48 AM	#9
ALI Registered User Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 3	Wes, i fish for trout, mainly browns and rainbows. Some fisheries do stock blue's and brook trout but they are few and far between. I prefer to fish for wild brown trout. Recently i have been fishing for pike aswell. Some of our rivers also hold grayling. I've yet to fish for salmon but our rivers are full of them, you may have heard of 1 or 2 of our more famous rivers such as the river Tay or the river Spey. Down in England they do alot of course fishing for carp, bream & chub etc, their are 1 or 2 fisheries up here that hold these fish but their is not much course fishing done in Scotland. Klaus, the .25 guns i've been looking at must then be rifles, i was thinking they were air guns. Why would you recommend a .177 for birds over a .22, if the .22 is more powerfull would that not be better for the job? Does this have something to do with the size of pellets for either gun? Regards ALI

05-09-2002, 11:26 PM	#10
panhandler Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Florida Panhandle Posts: 163	The caliber is the diameter of the projectile (pellet) that is being shot. A .17 can be shot faster than than the .22 and deliver more force, depending on the conditions. Force equals mass times velocity. Check out pellet weights, versus velocities delivered by the airgun. Thats the kill factor. Crossman and Daisy make inexpensive models in both dimensions. Get a rifled barrell. I'm not an expert, but I hope that helps!

05-10-2002, 07:28 AM	#11
Klaus Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Cypress, Texas Posts: 2,383	.177 pellets are much higher velocity. There are many cheap .177 air guns that are over 800 FPS. The .22s are generally less than 400 FPS. Since energy goes up at the square of velocity, the better .177s have more power. They also shoot flatter. __________________ "Gee, Wally, Eddie Haskel's mom puts out!"

05-11-2002, 04:19 PM	#12
colt45 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Occupied Territories of New York (Buffalo) Posts: 2,898	I don't know if this will helps you, But I picked up a chines air gun in .177 cal at a tool sale here in the states. I was astounded to find that my $20 air rifle gets 800fps I put on a wal-mart $7 red dot sight and I'm know takeing out those pescky pigions with ease. I bought my Dad one at the next sale(one of those sales where they bring in a semi full of tools and junk to the armory for a week end) hes soleving the cat problems now with great sucsess. these things are dropping a 12 pound cat with one shot to the head from 75 feet. Best junk I ever bought at one of these sales. __________________ "A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity" -Sigmund Freud, General Introduction to Psychoanalysis "If guns cause crime, all of mine are defective." - Ted Nugent "Self-defense is Nature's eldest law." -John Dryden

05-12-2002, 10:09 PM	#13
Dale Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Too Dang Hot, Arizona Posts: 4,284	Dang, the freezer must be full of squab and cat. I likes them cats. Secret is in the low indirect heat and plenty of marinade time.....fer sure. __________________ "It confuses me how some people can vigorously go against the 2nd. Amendment and still call themselves patriotic"-me

05-13-2002, 02:58 PM	#14
NRAJOE Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Toledo,OH Posts: 18,662 Images: 5	I LIKE CAJUN CAT , MMM,MMM GOOD. DON'T KNOW IF ITS TRUE BUT I HEARD THERE IS EVEN A 9MM AIR GUN OUT THERE THAT YOU HAVE TO AIR UP JUST LIKE A TIRE AND THERE IS A SMALL GAUGE ON IT TO TELL WHEN IT NEEDS RECHARGED! __________________ U.S. Army 1976-1979 237th Combat Engineers Heilbronn, Germany

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