I've been following the $600 and under thread and there has been some very interesting guns but it sounds like most nice one's were acquired used, on smoking sales, or have been heavily modified. So my question is for a guy looking to get started and wants something good and long lasting from the get go is it even worth getting a $500 or 600 rifle or just jump right into $1,500 range. I mean they must cost more for a reason.
Cheap vs expensive PCP's
- Thread starter Cody01
- Start date
Go big if you can afford it or you will be constantly wondering what if. I started with a Marauder but ended up returning it and going big. I now own 4 FX. Last year I decided I had to have a Zbroia Hortisia. It was like going from a Caddy to a VW. It shot OK but the quality was not the same. Just my 2 cents.
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If you are unable to mill and machine parts your self and dont want to do full rebuild I highly recomend to not buy anything cheap especially if you have high expectations.
Money usually gets you decent warranty and customer service atleast that should fix things if you get lemon.
Money usually gets you decent warranty and customer service atleast that should fix things if you get lemon.
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In that price range there’s always going to be sacrifices. Barrel lotteries, unregulated, cheap stocks. Anything to cut costs to make them that cheap. This doesn’t mean they’re not great options, and if you hit the barrel lottery, you could be shooting as good as those $1500 rifles without issue. Buying used is also a big plus. You can find guns that sell for $1000 even more for that price range and have a better platform to start. Or buy a $600 gun, learn it, and over time improve it spending your money slowly to make it what you want.
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I have been asking myself this now for about 2 weeks, I have had daystate, numinous fx’s, raw, and other high end pcps and I recently just purchased 2 used pcps on the classifieds one was $160 and the other was $200 and they both pretty much shoot the same as my higher end pcps, makes me want to sell my higher end rifles and just go back to lower end rifles, the hype today is slugs and shooting crazy distances with air rifles which I don’t do, I shoot under 100yds and use pellets only. Buy what’s in your budget and have fun, don’t let anybody tell you that a $300 used Benjamin marauder won’t perform accuracy wise as a fx, etc… because they will, it takes two, the rifle and the person pulling the trigger for accuracy
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There appear to be some fine airguns in the $5-600 range and I don't want anyone to take anything I write in a derogatory way. If a person is happy with the performance of their airgun there is not much more that matters. I feel it is important to note we are talking about PCPs here as the most common modern choice.
For me getting back into arigunning 6ish years go it was very hard for me to imagine what something in the $1500 range could bring to the table. I had never experienced it and was used to several hundred buck gun before hand. When I made the jump it was with a Taipan Veteran. Here are some of the thing I noticed and have continued to appreciate.
For me getting back into arigunning 6ish years go it was very hard for me to imagine what something in the $1500 range could bring to the table. I had never experienced it and was used to several hundred buck gun before hand. When I made the jump it was with a Taipan Veteran. Here are some of the thing I noticed and have continued to appreciate.
- Overall finish is better. No parting lines. Very smooth and more care taken in the overall finish and feel.
- Smoother triggers with more crisp and predictable break.
- Nicely finished magazines and cocking mechs that runs more smoothly.
- Less of a lottery with getting an accurate barrel.
- Less need to 'modify' to get expected performance.
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When I first became interested in pesting with a PCP I thought, "No way I'm spending that kind of money for a pellet rifle"
Now I've had a couple Brococks, a Prophet Performance, a Maverick..............looking to get another Maverick in .22 or a M3.
Now I've had a couple Brococks, a Prophet Performance, a Maverick..............looking to get another Maverick in .22 or a M3.
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I've got a $500 Cayden and a$1400 Brocock.
The Cayden was actually a very good value gun, but they have to cut corners, low grade paint chips off the trigger guard. Magazines are all plastic.
The Brocock is refined with better fit and finish, All metal magazines, higher end barrel, higher grade finish.
In most cases you do get what you pay for.
The Cayden was actually a very good value gun, but they have to cut corners, low grade paint chips off the trigger guard. Magazines are all plastic.
The Brocock is refined with better fit and finish, All metal magazines, higher end barrel, higher grade finish.
In most cases you do get what you pay for.
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I'm a midrange / low-end guy, what can I say. Totally satisfied with the performance of my guns especially considering what I paid for them. All my guns are better shooters than I am.
Actually in the process of researching a lower end FT gun, as I don't currently have anything suitable.
Actually in the process of researching a lower end FT gun, as I don't currently have anything suitable.
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I wanted real bad and the budget pcp are attractive. I don’t mind tinkering, but do not have the equipment for re-engineering that some do.
With limited shooting time and budget, I set my sights high and waited. Took my time and stalked the classifieds until I found what I felt was a deal on a good gun. I had several targets in mind and bought the first one that checked the boxes.
I am the third owner of a Air Arms s500, unregulated. Non adjustable one trick pony, but it does that one trick, 30+fpe with good accuracy, very well.
I have only had it a few months, but already so so glad that I didn’t settle for less.
Paid $500.
With limited shooting time and budget, I set my sights high and waited. Took my time and stalked the classifieds until I found what I felt was a deal on a good gun. I had several targets in mind and bought the first one that checked the boxes.
I am the third owner of a Air Arms s500, unregulated. Non adjustable one trick pony, but it does that one trick, 30+fpe with good accuracy, very well.
I have only had it a few months, but already so so glad that I didn’t settle for less.
Paid $500.
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The evolution of accuracy in less expensive guns over the last 5 years or so has been amazing. Until I acquired my 3 FX guns, one bought new, 2 used, I learned & hunted with a Hatsan BT65, .25 & AT44 in .22. They taught me how to shoot, tune, mod & adjust & were perfectly adequate platforms for me during my initial learning curve. Many, many ground squirrels fell victim & I was quite satisfied. However when I purchased my Royale 500 I realized it was a whole other dimension in fit, feel, reliability & accuracy RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX! Soon after getting the Royale I purchased a Boss used. Same dependability & accuracy in .30 cal. Then was gifted my .22 Bobcat, same deal. As much as I enjoyed my less expensive guns they couldn't even come close to the way I melded with the more quality platforms. As my shooting skills advanced at a rapid rate I understood that there was just so far my beginning guns could take me. I'm GLAD I started with a less expensive platform. It forced me to get all I could from them & myself as a shooter. The higher tier guns brought out abilities in me I could not have reached with the others. Hope that makes sense.
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It depends on your use case…
If your use case is shooting pellets at typical pellet distances - say 60 yards and in - then you can get some excellent pellet guns for $350-$600, especially with after X-mas sales coming.
If your use case is shooting slugs at distances over 100 yards… well, I’d still suggest starting with pellets and 35 yards, lol. Over the next few years, there will be dedicated slug rifles with barrels designed specifically for slugs - they are already starting to appear. The tech will improve dramatically in the next 2-3 years, and the price/performance ratio will continue to improve.
I’ve got $2,000+ rifles and I’ve got one PCP that I spent $197 for (a .177 Gauntlet that shoots very accurately and has not leaked - ever). They all shoot damn accurately once you dial in a good pellet for the barrel and a good speed for the pellet - and that’s half the fun.
On these enthusiast forums, you always get the “extremists” - like the guys who spend hours trying to ”tune” their gun’s regulator so that they only have a 1fps spread over 50 shots, lol. And they will tell you that it’s necessary. Its like the guys on photography forums who constantly measure the resolution of lenses by taking pictures of test targets - they probably never actually get around to doing any real photography.
Bottom line, you don’t need a regulated, “high end” gun to shoot one hole groups with pellets at 40 yards... and a ”simpler” rifle that you can dissemble and troubleshoot easily is going to give you more time shooting and less time on these forums asking for help, lol.
If your use case is shooting pellets at typical pellet distances - say 60 yards and in - then you can get some excellent pellet guns for $350-$600, especially with after X-mas sales coming.
If your use case is shooting slugs at distances over 100 yards… well, I’d still suggest starting with pellets and 35 yards, lol. Over the next few years, there will be dedicated slug rifles with barrels designed specifically for slugs - they are already starting to appear. The tech will improve dramatically in the next 2-3 years, and the price/performance ratio will continue to improve.
I’ve got $2,000+ rifles and I’ve got one PCP that I spent $197 for (a .177 Gauntlet that shoots very accurately and has not leaked - ever). They all shoot damn accurately once you dial in a good pellet for the barrel and a good speed for the pellet - and that’s half the fun.
On these enthusiast forums, you always get the “extremists” - like the guys who spend hours trying to ”tune” their gun’s regulator so that they only have a 1fps spread over 50 shots, lol. And they will tell you that it’s necessary. Its like the guys on photography forums who constantly measure the resolution of lenses by taking pictures of test targets - they probably never actually get around to doing any real photography.
Bottom line, you don’t need a regulated, “high end” gun to shoot one hole groups with pellets at 40 yards... and a ”simpler” rifle that you can dissemble and troubleshoot easily is going to give you more time shooting and less time on these forums asking for help, lol.
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To me using RAW HM1000X is a really luxury feeling like driving a Rolls Royce. I never ride it but expect the similar great feel as I feel using my RAW HM1000X.
FX Impact M3 is also very good as far as innovation and adjustability is concerned. But it doesn't give a luxury feel.
May be just my mind set.
Bhaur
FX Impact M3 is also very good as far as innovation and adjustability is concerned. But it doesn't give a luxury feel.
May be just my mind set.
Bhaur
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If you can afford it, buy once cry once but smile each time you shoot it! Level of quality of build and craftsmanship in tandem with usually higher quality barrels = less frustration for the most part.
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Just go for the high end. Tinkering with cheap guns is fun, but if I were to do it all again, I'd buy one of the high end guns and just call it good.
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I think you hit a big part of it, the barrel. The rest counts too, but the odds of getting a “Finished” barrel is much much higher.
I bought a C362, tried my first crown job which may have worked, but the leade mangles the skirt. I can see the pellets spiral out of control.
Put a disco barrel on it. It has a good crown and ok leade, still not very accurate. I lent it to my #2 son, maybe he can hit stuff with it.
I am plotting my next gun, light portable, 12-20fpe or so. Screams PRod or 1720….Leon is jumping up screaming Brocock right now.
And he is correct….but how to convince my handler? That is a problem.
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I have to agree with the majority, from the owner of only 600 bucks guns ( they work for me and I'm very happy ) there's a definite big jump in quality when you get to the 1500+ bucks guns
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Benjamin marauder won’t perform accuracy wise as a fx, etc… because they will, it takes two, the rifle and the person pulling the trigger for accuracy @ lisamike
"Dead eye" won nationals with a Marauder. Fantastic starter gun . EDIT and it is a great gun after you buy your upgraded gun
"Dead eye" won nationals with a Marauder. Fantastic starter gun . EDIT and it is a great gun after you buy your upgraded gun
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Both sides have valid points . It really depends on the OP . Do you like to tinker ? Next would be your budget ( ya need a scope too) . What do you want it to do ?
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As long as it's accurate and powerful enough for what YOU want, and it's pretty enough for you to fondle it, get what fits your budget.
The paper you punch or the squirrel you shoot won't know the difference between an FX or a benjamin etc.
"Just don't buy hatsan... they suck"
-probably Manny
The paper you punch or the squirrel you shoot won't know the difference between an FX or a benjamin etc.
"Just don't buy hatsan... they suck"
-probably Manny
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