Planning on buying my first pcp. Looking for around a grand with nothing on it. Already bought a compressor. Opinions and thoughts?
N/A 1k budget. First PCP
- Thread starter Damen Hanson
- Start date
I've been looking at the dreamlines and been thinking that seems like a good way to go. Thanks
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Thanks I appreciate it! I'm just going to be hunting squirrels and birds in the back yard. Nothing to crazy.
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If you're just gonna shoot birds in your backyard then you really don't need $1k. Is there anything specific that you want or require about the gun? Some people want to be able to shoot 1" at 50 and call it accurate, others would require minimum of .5" groups at 50yds, most pcp rifles can do that with the right pellet now a days. Another thing is a good trigger, for what you want you could get a Notos and that would get the job done. But the trigger on them is nothing special, even after adjusting them. Most guns in the sub $700 category have okay triggers but there are exceptions to the rule.
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Got one up right now, just saying 
www.airgunnation.com
And welcome aboard!
PCP Rifle - REDUCED - Dreamline .25 Walnut, .22 Zelos priced to move…
Oh boy… I really don’t want to sell any of my PCPs buuuut a while back wife approved a maximum of 9 to keep my childlike enthusiasm for these things from breaking the bank. Anyway, during the last months I made a couple of “mistakes”, leading to a larger than 9 number… And even though I really...
www.airgunnation.com And welcome aboard!
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All the rifles need maintenance, just like a car. Orings wear out like car tires. Keep it simple, is a guiding light.
Product lines like HW, and Air Arms, have established solid designs and ease of maintenance.
Product lines like HW, and Air Arms, have established solid designs and ease of maintenance.
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Agreed. There is a great S510 TDR in the classifieds for $700. They are 1500+ new. Almost bullet proof and would be perfect (IMO) for his application. Pyramid has ALL the repair parts, if you need them.
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Search "WTS ROYALE 500" (.25cal) on the forum. Being sold by Mikelo123. Can't ask for a better, more accurate pellet gun! In your price range. FABULOUS gun, beautiful stock! If you don't care about shooting slugs (pellets only) you'll be amazed.
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I've killed 24 squirrels with my P35-177. I also have P35s in 22 and 25 and I like them but I think the 177 is best for backyard use because the pellets do not carry nearly as far. Still they can go about 400 yards if aimed up so you need to be careful but you need to be even more careful with more powerful guns and slugs. When I double lung a squirrel with the 177 it often runs a few steps. It doesn't with brain shots or when I get a shoulder in addition to the lungs. I have more drop DRT with the 22 and 25 but I rarely use them now because they can shoot so far. I mostly shoot 30 yard challenge targets. I shot a 191 yesterday (200 is the goal) with the P35-177. I shot a 197 with it last year but haven't repeated it, yet. My P35-22 has given me a 200 two years ago and a 198 this year. They tend to be accurate guns. The Stoeger Bullshark is almost exactly the same gun. If you don't like bullpups the same manufacturer makes the Stoeger Ranger and Scout and the SPA M60b and the Umarex Zellos. And the P35X for more power but you really don't need more power for what you describe. My P35-22 has killed a raccoon, admittedly a little one. It is more than sufficient for squirrels in my opinion (all 10 I've shot with it were DRT). All I've done to the P35-22 is adjust the hammer spring and trigger in several years use and thousands of shots. No O-ring replacements or other parts replacements. I've adjusted the regulator of the 177 and 25, it is not very difficult and because it is internal I've replaced O-rings then too.
If you really want to spend the full $1000 you should look at the Daystate Huntsman, the AGT Vixen, and the Air Maks Caiman and Katran. All are a bit over $1000 new but you might find a sale and a good used one should be $1000 or a bit less. My one >$1000 airgun is a Caiman X and it is nicer in several ways than my P35s but it has been more trouble than all three P35s combined. But it shoots great now.
If you really want to spend the full $1000 you should look at the Daystate Huntsman, the AGT Vixen, and the Air Maks Caiman and Katran. All are a bit over $1000 new but you might find a sale and a good used one should be $1000 or a bit less. My one >$1000 airgun is a Caiman X and it is nicer in several ways than my P35s but it has been more trouble than all three P35s combined. But it shoots great now.
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Just like many members have mentioned, get a nice used one from the classifieds section here on AGN. My choice now that I’ve been into Airguns for a few years would be a used Weihrauch HW100 or HW110. Or a used Brocock Sniper XR. And that’s because of the 1k budget you mentioned. I also just saw posted 2 Edgun r5m for like 800 bucks each, yesterday. That’s a hell of a score there. That’s a solid airgun there with plenty of power. It will not disappoint. Here a link to the edguns classified.
PCP Rifle - Edguns for sale
Leshiy classics, one 30 with Russian add on tank, one classic limited in red. Lelya 22. Two Matador r5m, 22 long and 25 standard. Email for info pics and pricing. No trades. 30 leshiy $1200, limited $1500, lelya $1200, r5ms $800 each asking prices. Extras available, and offers considered!
www.airgunnation.com Upvote 0
This is the big predatory quiet part I think. They're always pushing the new model and new accessories, which are suspiciously timed in release. And make it look super simple like you just pop it out of the box and drop pigeons at 1300 yards.
The host doest usually tell you that he's got financial interest in the gun company, the optics company, and the billet aftermarket company, and the slug manufacturer. Yet he presents as though it's an unbiased and honest random collection of the best variables.
The RAW hmx1000 is a great option too, and they typically shoot really well as recieved without tinkering or aftermarket.
The raw hmx1000 and the fx dreamline were the two pcp models that really stuck out to me as what felt and shot like a pretty good value that isn't too technically overstimulating. Not to mention the triggers are nice enough to make you smile just cracking a shot off at paper.
A friend watched estate sales, got an hmx1000 with optics and an 88cf scba for $1k and another found a dreamline tactical compact with carbon bottle on ebay for 1k(which was so fun I bought the same thing new)
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Ive been looking at the dreamline tac. Seems like it's a pretty good gun for the price. I'll check out the RAW hmx1000
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The dreamline has the simple advantage of buying a new barrel and turning a wheel and you're shooting a new caliber. I can't speak for RAW. But the dreamline can fill every role. You want a super accurate easy shooting plinker. You got it, you want a hard shooting slugger. You got it, you want a good pester you got it.
With a single tune you can shoot many projectiles with the turn of the PW.
My favorite aspects were simplicity, ease of maintaining , reliability, build quality, ease of tuning, ACCURACY but, best of all the shot count and efficiency from a relatively powerful tune. My .25 with a 500cc bottle would do 6 mags before needing a top off. that's 96* shots when shooting 25.4gr pellets at 900fps..
@bchannell can confirm.
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I've got mine set at 150 bar, so from 250 fill to 150 "empty" i get 32 shots at 43 fpe. I'm really asking max power from the shortest 25 barrel. My wishes were a smaller lighter walk around gun in 25 at 850 fps trajectory. (group of hunters using similar trajectory for range finding reasons) 300cc bottle.
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Are you a bullpup guy or regular rifle guy, do you prefer a broom handle or short and maneuverable. There are tons of options. Dreamlime is nice, smooth action and the trigger can be adjusted very nice, but even the 500mm can feel long as hell. Only 2 comes to mind in the short range and still very easy to tune. The Airmaks Katran compact, @rootdude has one for $750 in .22. Great shooters and very lightweight. The Brocock sniper is another that is short and maneuverable, few orings but a bit heavy. Both of these will shoot cheap crossmans very well and also jsb, along with plenty of others. Then there are bullpups, which is where a trigger snob like myself can get a bit fussy. Lmao. What are tou used to shooting previous? Clean crisp triggers, lightweight, minimal recoil. Calibers and power will affect recoil and also cocking action. Then there are magazine likes and dislikes.
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I am not going to make any suggestions on any brand or models, but will relate what I went through in making my final choices.
When I first became interested in PCPs I started looking around and was a bit shocked at what they cost, so I set the idea aside. A couple years later I got the itch again, but was still just not certain, however, I found an entry level gun that was cheap enough that if I got it and decided it wasn‘t for me, I could dump it and move on. Well I quickly decided that I did like it so on to stage two.
Like the OP, I set a budget and then started looking at products that fit the uses I had in mind. I was in no hurry since I had my cheap gun to keep me shooting and interested.
I started watching this and other forums. I did not post many questions, just observed and took notes. I also watched a lot of youtube videos. I learned a lot, both pro and con on many air guns there and on airgun specific forums.
I did this for well over a year, and came to two conclusions.
Number 1, my specific needs were never going to be satisfied by any one gun.
Number 2, my budget number was unrealistic BS.
So now I started looking at guns that met my requirements without regards of purchase price.
I looked at design features. Read customer reviews. Investigated parts availablity, both OEM and aftermarket and also looked for any information or videos of takedown and reassembly of the ones on my list.
At that point I had narrowed down my list to a manageable number and made a long drive to an airgun shop that had the three top contenders, so that I could actually lay hands on them. The owner of the shop was there and answer many of my few remaining questions and even offered a few other options. Now back to my internet data search and narrowing down my choices even more.
Anyway, the point of all of this is that nobody here is going to be able to tell you what to buy that will fit your needs. You will no doubt get a lot of good suggestions, but look at them all with an open mind and a willingness to dig much deeper. Set your expectations and then ask some more specific questions to fill in the info you can’t find anywhere or to verify the info that you did find. There are so many good choices out there, but it is not a one size fits all proposition.
By the way, In the end, over two years later, I ended up with two PCPs the cover nearly all of my needs and ended up spending over twice my initial budget amount. That said, I have zero complaints or buyers remorse regarding either of my choices.
I also still have that first entry level PCP and shoot it now and then also.
When I first became interested in PCPs I started looking around and was a bit shocked at what they cost, so I set the idea aside. A couple years later I got the itch again, but was still just not certain, however, I found an entry level gun that was cheap enough that if I got it and decided it wasn‘t for me, I could dump it and move on. Well I quickly decided that I did like it so on to stage two.
Like the OP, I set a budget and then started looking at products that fit the uses I had in mind. I was in no hurry since I had my cheap gun to keep me shooting and interested.
I started watching this and other forums. I did not post many questions, just observed and took notes. I also watched a lot of youtube videos. I learned a lot, both pro and con on many air guns there and on airgun specific forums.
I did this for well over a year, and came to two conclusions.
Number 1, my specific needs were never going to be satisfied by any one gun.
Number 2, my budget number was unrealistic BS.
So now I started looking at guns that met my requirements without regards of purchase price.
I looked at design features. Read customer reviews. Investigated parts availablity, both OEM and aftermarket and also looked for any information or videos of takedown and reassembly of the ones on my list.
At that point I had narrowed down my list to a manageable number and made a long drive to an airgun shop that had the three top contenders, so that I could actually lay hands on them. The owner of the shop was there and answer many of my few remaining questions and even offered a few other options. Now back to my internet data search and narrowing down my choices even more.
Anyway, the point of all of this is that nobody here is going to be able to tell you what to buy that will fit your needs. You will no doubt get a lot of good suggestions, but look at them all with an open mind and a willingness to dig much deeper. Set your expectations and then ask some more specific questions to fill in the info you can’t find anywhere or to verify the info that you did find. There are so many good choices out there, but it is not a one size fits all proposition.
By the way, In the end, over two years later, I ended up with two PCPs the cover nearly all of my needs and ended up spending over twice my initial budget amount. That said, I have zero complaints or buyers remorse regarding either of my choices.
I also still have that first entry level PCP and shoot it now and then also.
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One other thing Damen.
Your profile does not list where you are on this planet, but I would bet there is a member or two in your area that might be willing to meet with you and let your try out a gun or two and probably answer some questions you have not even considered asking.
Your profile does not list where you are on this planet, but I would bet there is a member or two in your area that might be willing to meet with you and let your try out a gun or two and probably answer some questions you have not even considered asking.
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