New member and airgun noob

[SpindleB]

In regards to compressors, the majority of the people here seem to be owners of the GX CS series (1-4) or AUTHENTIC Yong Heng compressors. YH has been around longer than the GX's but there are lots of "clones" out there to be aware of. Check past posts on here with feedback on both. Some people have shelled out big bucks on compressors but I'm on my 2nd Yong Heng. Got 3.5 years of great service from my 1st one with a full refund when it died (extended warranty) & my newer one seems even more robust. They're not portable like the GX but I stuck with what's worked for me. I use mine for topping off tanks, not my guns. Member "Biohazardman" has some great posts regarding do's & don'ts, care & maintenance, repairs, etc. for Yong Hengs. Lots of GX stuff too by members.
If you're into eastern European guns there's an Edgun R3 on classifieds. I have the same one on loan to me right now set up for scope clicking with slugs. Amazing, built like a tank, laser accurate. They're single load (no magazine) & rear bolt action but it's performance is unreal. Just a heads up.

And there are a number of users that have 2 cylinder Tuxing compressors because we don't want to wait hours to fill our tanks. I just filled a new 9L tank in 75 minutes non-stop with my 2 year old Tuxing TXEDM042. Last I heard that was 5 hours with a GX-4 and no way non-stop with a Yong Heng. I do have a Yong Heng, bought it last year when I caught it on sale and had a big coupon on AliExpress. In my shed, in the shipping box still.

 

[Gerry52]

Thanks for the welcome! I'm near Corsicana. I'm drinking it all in. Anyone have any advice on the Benjamin Akela or the AEA challenger? I'm researching all these models y'all are mentioning as we speak.

Just the fact that nobody has responded about the Akela should tell you something. I'm not saying they're bad but there ARE better options in that price range. Don't know if AEA is a good way to get your feet wet with PCP's. Some people love them but also a lot of problems for the uninitiated. If you'd give an idea of what your budget is or if you're looking for a no tinkering, straight out of the box GREAT shooter it would help. Finding a 1st pcp that is relatively trouble free, accurate, low maintenance, consistent & will give you a POSITIVE & joyful experience for the 1st time is not a problem these days IF your budget allows for most of the suggestions you'll get. Taipan Vet mentioned above would be in that category along with others I could mention but I won't, not knowing what you want to spend.

 

[Gerry52]

And there are a number of users that have 2 cylinder Tuxing compressors because we don't want to wait hours to fill our tanks. I just filled a new 9L tank in 75 minutes non-stop with my 2 year old Tuxing TXEDM042. Last I heard that was 5 hours with a GX-4 and no way non-stop with a Yong Heng. I do have a Yong Heng, bought it last year when I caught it on sale and had a big coupon on AliExpress. In my shed, in the shipping box still.

Although I DON'T disagree with you, how many people have to fill a tank from empty on a routine basis? I've done it ONCE in 8 years. Mostly we're topping off tanks & gun bottles.

 

[SpindleB]

Although I DON'T disagree with you, how many people have to fill a tank from empty on a routine basis? I've done it ONCE in 8 years. Mostly we're topping off tanks & gun bottles.

I've upgraded from 3L, to 6.8L, to 9L so I've done it several times in the last year.

Topping a 9L from 3000PSI to 4500PSI with a GX or Young Heng is how long?
All a matter of scale.

 

[SpindleB]

Just the fact that nobody has responded about the Akela should tell you something. I'm not saying they're bad but there ARE better options in that price range. Don't know if AEA is a good way to get your feet wet with PCP's. Some people love them but also a lot of problems for the uninitiated. If you'd give an idea of what your budget is or if you're looking for a no tinkering, straight out of the box GREAT shooter it would help. Finding a 1st pcp that is relatively trouble free, accurate, low maintenance, consistent & will give you a POSITIVE & joyful experience for the 1st time is not a problem these days IF your budget allows for most of the suggestions you'll get. Taipan Vet mentioned above would be in that category along with others I could mention but I won't, not knowing what you want to spend.

The problems with AEA are pretty much the older design semiauto. The Challenger, if you go by the forum, is an outstanding rifle, especially the bullpup and the new Challenger 2 Long.

A lot of people like the Akela especially the refurbs from Airgun Revisions.
Reximex Throne 2 is a bullpup with most of the features of guns twice to 3 times its price (when purchases from Krale, only 50% to double when purchased domestic)

Only really new stuff I have are a a pair of Niksan, .22 Ozark and a .25 Escalade, both under $400 from DonnyFL.com.
Accurate and like heavy pellets.

Then there is the flavor of the month, Pinty, price just went up to $300 for the P-Force and Bullpup but there is a coupon for $40 "GTA"

 

[OldVet]

Welcome Jonas ,
I Want you to do your homework teach.
You can find each form very interesting.
I read you like bullpups, and we're looking at the AEA Challenger. I think the .30 cal would drop a hog humanly. I don't own one but want one.
A good PCP. A good Compressor, and a good Scope. I do have a .22 cal Zelos bullpup, and I love it. Has an adjustable regulator. I have a twin cylinder Compressor on the way. Like SpindleB said above. How many airgun video's have you seen on u tube those guys all own a large bottle , so to fill your PCP you just turn a valve. You will need a good Compressor to fill a 6.8L tank , and that's where the Tuxing 2 cylinder comes in . It can fill a 6.8L tank in 45 minutes , or a 500 cc bottle in 3. These guys here on this form are great to learn from. I learned so much here. I was taught about a place called Air gun Revisions they have a .25 cal Akela for $355 just now. They do go quick but be patient, and listen to these guys. An Akela is not as dependable as others.
I have 2 Barra 1100z's in .22 cal , and never had a problem with them. Watch some reviews on the airgun you choose. Happy shooting , and God bless.

 

[Bngen3]

Just the fact that nobody has responded about the Akela should tell you something. I'm not saying they're bad but there ARE better options in that price range. Don't know if AEA is a good way to get your feet wet with PCP's. Some people love them but also a lot of problems for the uninitiated. If you'd give an idea of what your budget is or if you're looking for a no tinkering, straight out of the box GREAT shooter it would help. Finding a 1st pcp that is relatively trouble free, accurate, low maintenance, consistent & will give you a POSITIVE & joyful experience for the 1st time is not a problem these days IF your budget allows for most of the suggestions you'll get. Taipan Vet mentioned above would be in that category along with others I could mention but I won't, not knowing what you want to spend.

Just the fact that nobody has responded about the Akela should tell you something. I'm not saying they're bad but there ARE better options in that price range. Don't know if AEA is a good way to get your feet wet with PCP's. Some people love them but also a lot of problems for the uninitiated. If you'd give an idea of what your budget is or if you're looking for a no tinkering, straight out of the box GREAT shooter it would help. Finding a 1st pcp that is relatively trouble free, accurate, low maintenance, consistent & will give you a POSITIVE & joyful experience for the 1st time is not a problem these days IF your budget allows for most of the suggestions you'll get. Taipan Vet mentioned above would be in that category along with others I could mention but I won't, not knowing what you want to spend.

Thread hasn’t been active all that long. I got 2 Akelas , one .22 and a .177. Got them both from airgunrevisions and paid under 500 total for both. Also have a GX4 and yeah it took a bit over 3 hrs to fill a 6.8l from 0 to 4500 psi but I won’t be gettin much below 3k before I refill again and it sure won’t take 3hrs . I also have a vet 1 and comparing that to the akelas isn’t too fair as that gun is 3 times the price but it is a bit heavier. I haven’t had much trigger time with all three of these but I enjoy shooting them all.

 

[OldVet]

Hey Jonas ,
Budsgunshop has a Umarex Gauntlet 2 SL in .22 cal for $327 , SL stands for side lever. Always be sure to check out the return policy , but I have been buying at Buds for 10+ years , and I bought my Zelos there. The Gauntlet has a preset regulator. I don't own one of these , but lots of guys do here at the nation. Oh yeah free shipping.

 

[SpindleB]

Hey Jonas ,
Budsgunshop has a Umarex Gauntlet 2 SL in .22 cal for $327 , SL stands for side lever. Always be sure to check out the return policy , but I have been buying at Buds for 10+ years , and I bought my Zelos there. The Gauntlet has a preset regulator. I don't own one of these , but lots of guys do here at the nation. Oh yeah free shipping.

I have a G30, gen before SL.
Long
Heavy
Hits hard
Moderately accurate
Easy to maintain
Easy to modify
Solid construction.

Mine has:
0.7L bottle
Huben Power Cricket adjustable regulator
Huma Air 40 moderator
Hajimoto norings breech seal

You don't want to haul it around in the woods all day. Air Venturi Avenger and Avenge X or the Airforce platforms are better choices there

 

[Gerry52]

I've upgraded from 3L, to 6.8L, to 9L so I've done it several times in the last year.

Topping a 9L from 3000PSI to 4500PSI with a GX or Young Heng is how long?
All a matter of scale.

My YH takes 15 minutes to top off my 60 minute SCBA from 3k to 4.5k. I can easily live with 100psi per minute.

 

[SpindleB]

My YH takes 15 minutes to top off my 60 minute SCBA from 3k to 4.5k. I can easily live with 100psi per minute.

That is fine, but that isn't 9l either which was my point. The dual cylinder are faster and someone like me that uses a lot of air it makes a difference. As a matter of fact I'm refilling a 9L that I've been using to test various, failed, attempts at building a Tee adapter 100CC plenum. It was all the way down to 2200psi. Probably 40-45 minutes. YH probably 50% longer and a GX a couple hours minimum.

If you are just doing guns a YH or GX is fine. Like I said, have a YH in my shed, still in box, as my backup. If you are doing more than guns (or tanks to fill guns) like I do, then the higher flow are nice. I'd like to upgrade to a higher volume compressor but my 100 year old house doesn't have 220V or 30amp circuits. So I'm limited to the dual cylinder 2200w compressors.

 

[coastal drifter]

my favorite bullpup, it comes in many calibers can be barrel swapped comes with tube like the one in the picture or bottle version, accurate, powerful short and light. Being it's a tube it could be hand pumped with less effort than a bottle.

 

[jonas74]

I'm really glad I found this group! I'm still floored at what we have done with stored compressed air as a source of power. Man, these devices are amazing!

I have a few acres of pretty dense woods as my backyard. My interests are coalescing around a couple of use cases:

1) A high capacity 22 or 187 I can plink and shoot targets with while sitting on my back deck. Max distance would be 50yds, with more from 20-40yds. This would be my relax and play gun to teach my grandkids to safely shoot.

2) A sub 30" big bore carbine, bullpup or pistol I can carry on my walks around the property. I could see a deer or two, maybe. I could more likely come too close to a hog though or see one that might make some good eating. I have to admit, that bintac s45 mini compact gives me the warm fuzzies. I'm worried about semi auto problems though.

I'm at least a couple weeks from having money to spend though, so I'm purely researching. I will certainly WANT to tinker with my guns (I can't not tinker with my car, lol), bur I don't want to HAVE TO tinker to make a gun work getting started. I worry about plastic magazines breaking and air seals leaking. I don't cover big enough areas (dense woods) to need a bad-a scope. Reliability is probably the biggest concern, while at least having features like a magazine at least, if not semi auto.

Anyway, just wanted to express my gratitude for the coaching. It is much appreciated!

 

[SpindleB]

I'm really glad I found this group! I'm still floored at what we have done with stored compressed air as a source of power. Man, these devices are amazing!

I have a few acres of pretty dense woods as my backyard. My interests are coalescing around a couple of use cases:

1) A high capacity 22 or 187 I can plink and shoot targets with while sitting on my back deck. Max distance would be 50yds, with more from 20-40yds. This would be my relax and play gun to teach my grandkids to safely shoot.

2) A sub 30" big bore carbine, bullpup or pistol I can carry on my walks around the property. I could see a deer or two, maybe. I could more likely come too close to a hog though or see one that might make some good eating. I have to admit, that bintac s45 mini compact gives me the warm fuzzies. I'm worried about semi auto problems though.

I'm at least a couple weeks from having money to spend though, so I'm purely researching. I will certainly WANT to tinker with my guns (I can't not tinker with my car, lol), bur I don't want to HAVE TO tinker to make a gun work getting started. I worry about plastic magazines breaking and air seals leaking. I don't cover big enough areas (dense woods) to need a bad-a scope. Reliability is probably the biggest concern, while at least having features like a magazine at least, if not semi auto.

Anyway, just wanted to express my gratitude for the coaching. It is much appreciated!

I am sure there will be plenty of advice for guns over $1,000

However, just starting out you may want to keep costs down until you figure out what you really want or need.

Couple of hand pump friendly bullpup:
Airgun Revisions is out of stock on Refurb Akela but when in stock are $249

Niksan Elf .22 from Pellet Shop $380 accurate, power adjust, magazine

Niksan Defence | ELF-S – The Pellet Shop

Features: Anti-Hammer Bounce Trigger Four Way-Adjustable Adjustable Cheek Piece Self Indexing Magazine Picatinny Rail Transfer Port Power Adjuster Ergonomic Styled Stock High Precision Barrel Technical Details: Stock WalnutBarrel Length 55cm / 21.65 inchTotal Length 78cm / 30.70 inchAir Tank...

www.thepelletshop.com

Pinty QM-23 Bullpup $300 but $40 coupon GTA https://pintydevices.com/products/9-pellet-pcp-air-gun-pcp-qm23-24
Several threads running about the very low cost rifles from Pinty

Semi Auto pretty limited low cost also hand pump friendly
Hatsan Sortie Tact New: $299 at Pyramydair.com
I have one, it is okay, doubt you want to go 50 yards but walk about short range it is great.

 

[jkingrph]

Hello from Jacksonville, Tx. I have not gotten into the PCP rabbit hole, but springers are more my game. Started with a FWB 124 back in 1975, then about ten years later a FWB 300a match rifles, then a long period of activity while my son was growing up then college and law school, Finally really got back into it about ten years ago. I recently got my first SSP rifle and restored it, a FWB 602 meistergrade, one with a beautiful tiger striped walnut stock. I have about 1 3/4 acres and can get out to about 40-45yards, but getting arthritis in one of my knees do not want to walk that far to set up targets. I have a couple of pellet trap target holders set up one at 10m for my match rifles and pistols, the other out at about 25 yards , plus a dueling tree

 

[greenbeans]

Welcome Jonas! Already a to. Of good advice here!

It’ll all come down to budget, the big items other than the (first) rifle are compressor and scope. I’m happy with my YH, serves me well but whatever you get I’ll probably run you $300-400 at least if it’s one of the usual suspects. You can get reasonable scopes for $150-$250 (discovery, westhunter and the like). “Nicer” for $300-500 (Arken, athlon) and the sky is the limit. So as a starting point, I’d come up with an “all-in” budget and then decide where to make trade-offs. Since you like bullpups, Eastern Europe and would probably be happy with a powerful .25 or .30 based on your description (I’d go .25 since ammo is way more expensive in .30 and you’ll probably shoot your first gun a loooot):

RTI prophet 3
AGT Uragan 2 (note that the 3 will be available soon!)
Taipan Vet (there’s a 700mm slug slinger version…)

All of them great guns with their pros and cons but honestly they’re all awesome so a lot of it will be taste/preference in terms of weight, length, mainly shooting from a bench/rest or woods walker, looks and a couple of technical stuff (e.g., balanced valve vs. traditional).

if Eastern European is not a requirement:

BRK Ghost
FX maverick/wildcat III
The new FX Leopard looks promising as well

Other than the Mav/Wildcat, none of them are budget-friendly though you’ll also have to think about whether you want to shoot slugs or not but that’s a separate rabbit hole so I’d suggest to not go there (yet).

Ammo: AEA pellets, thank me later

Long story short: figure what you would want in your first rifle, budget and how much will go to scope vs rifle and then go from there

 

[OldVet]

Jonas ,
I wanted to let you know that AGD, or Air Gun Depot has some of the best specifications for airguns. They give you all the info like barrel length , weight , ect. For good prices I shop at Natchez , and Buds. Have fun , and God bless
Edit: Hi again Jonas , There is a post called the $2,000 Dollar Gun. It is under general discussion on page 4. It is very informative, and you can learn a lot about the higher end air guns. I was looking for heirloom rifles to leave behind when I go , and the guys here taught me a great deal. I think you will enjoy it. It's about 8 pages but very good reading.

 

[Nkcaudill]

Welcome to the addiction!!

 

[SpindleB]

I am sure there will be plenty of advice for guns over $1,000

However, just starting out you may want to keep costs down until you figure out what you really want or need.

Couple of hand pump friendly bullpup:
Airgun Revisions is out of stock on Refurb Akela but when in stock are $249

Niksan Elf .22 from Pellet Shop $380 accurate, power adjust, magazine

Niksan Defence | ELF-S – The Pellet Shop

Features: Anti-Hammer Bounce Trigger Four Way-Adjustable Adjustable Cheek Piece Self Indexing Magazine Picatinny Rail Transfer Port Power Adjuster Ergonomic Styled Stock High Precision Barrel Technical Details: Stock WalnutBarrel Length 55cm / 21.65 inchTotal Length 78cm / 30.70 inchAir Tank...

www.thepelletshop.com

Pinty QM-23 Bullpup $300 but $40 coupon GTA https://pintydevices.com/products/9-pellet-pcp-air-gun-pcp-qm23-24
Several threads running about the very low cost rifles from Pinty

Semi Auto pretty limited low cost also hand pump friendly
Hatsan Sortie Tact New: $299 at Pyramydair.com
I have one, it is okay, doubt you want to go 50 yards but walk about short range it is great.

Not sure why I forgot to add

Reximex Throne 2
All the features of guns 2-3 times it's price.
Well reviewed.
Expensive stateside, cheaper at Krale and Balistas. I literally tried to order one from Krale yesterday and it went from "in stock" when I put it in my cart to "not in stock" when I tried to buy. Balistas was $90 more. Still almost $100 cheaper than stateside ($712).

Air rifle Reximex Throne GEN2 5,5mm

Throne GEN2 is the second generation of the successful bullpup windbreaker with a modern tactical look from Turkish manufacturer Reximex.

www.balistas.com

 

[SpindleB]

Not sure why I forgot to add

Reximex Throne 2
All the features of guns 2-3 times it's price.
Well reviewed.
Expensive stateside, cheaper at Krale and Balistas. I literally tried to order one from Krale yesterday and it went from "in stock" when I put it in my cart to "not in stock" when I tried to buy. Balistas was $90 more. Still almost $100 cheaper than stateside ($712).

Air rifle Reximex Throne GEN2 5,5mm

Throne GEN2 is the second generation of the successful bullpup windbreaker with a modern tactical look from Turkish manufacturer Reximex.

www.balistas.com

turns out Huma Air has the Throne 2 fot $617, only in .25.
I know, I just bought one