Centerfire v. Air…

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I jumped into the Springer game during the Covid extortion. For years I have shot in the neneighborhood of 50 centerfire matches per year, or more. Shooting good springers at 20 meters is similar to shooting a 6ppc at 100 yds. I still shoot centerfire but down to about 20 matches per year. I use to live in the gun room. Between loading and cleaning it was like a second full time job. Shooting my D54 in .22 at 100 yards is more challenging than shooting 1000 yds with a centerfire. Best part , I could never get my wife interested. Now she shoots her D75 almost every day and has become a force very quickly. Year before last I was running matches 4 weekends a month for 6 months. Last year it was 2 matches. Now I am down to just running the Springer match every month, I have some free time now, lol. I have less than zero interest in PCPs it's just as bad as PBs. I have accumulated a TX200, D54, 2 D75s, snd just bought a FWB 300S. Have sold 1 custom 30br and 3 high end br scopes and reinvested. I stll have 3 cenrefire bench rifles....6bra, 22ppc,and 6ppc. No plans to immediately thin them out anymore. The challenge of springers and the percision possible I find very fulfilling.
 
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Ricklin said:
A poster earlier asked about best prices to stock up on pellets. Here are a couple options.
Wal-Mart they sell the Crosman premier hollow points we typically call them CPHP's Wally sells them for 7 bucks per 500. Excellent price performance ratio. :)
Pyramyd air has a 3 plus 1 deal on pellets good selection, price is OK with the 3+1 deal.
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Sweet, thx for info!
 
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shutinsquid said:
My second string as a n00b and wanted to air something out to make sure I’m not crazy.

I got into air rifles on a whim after realizing my daughter liked shooting and is a good shot. I only have one NFA can in 22LR because it took 354 days to receive it, and that turned me off from getting more (although approvals are much, much faster as of late). After seeing that I could get multiple cans (moderators) without any NFA BS to shoot in my backyard, I looked further into it.

Then, when I bought my first air rifle (Bulldog M357 because I have lead/molds as a reloader) with a DonnyFL can and saw how awesome today’s PCP weapons are, I got hooked.

I also have many conventional pistols and rifles but don’t shoot them because I never have time to drive to a range. So, I’m selling most of my collection of regular arms save for some standards in the principal calibers, and going all-in on air rifles. I just really like the idea of shooting all the way up to a 50 CAL and doing so inexpensively in my backyard, with family if they so choose!

Did anyone else make that choice to switch from mostly centerfire to mostly air, and if yes, why?
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I flip flop back and forth, I tend to loose interest if locked in one thing for too long. With air rifles I shoot springers only, I have had several, but currently only have a 97K and a AA Prosport.
Also reloading is a hobby itself. I like a variety of stuff.
 
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.20calguy said:
I started serious shooting in 1970 with PB and Air. When I say serious, I don't mean competition or anything, I just mean pulling trigger more often than anyone I knew. I joined the NRA, and read all the shooting magazines I could find. At one point in our new marriage, I had to dispose of a wall of gun magazines. In my teens I had to have an adult purchase ammo fo me, but it was legal to walk in and purchase a Lee Loader bullets and primers, so. .
I sttill do both to this day, but now it is a drive to the range, which pretty much kills a Saturday for the PB's. I shoot air nearly every day.
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That plastic lee loader I have one still tucked in the basement
 
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shutinsquid said:
Nice. What’s the best source for bulk pellet buying? I’m glad I can cast all my big bore pills, so just need to stock up on .22 and .25.
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I like AoA, because they had a buy 3 and get a forth tin free, (25%). (They may be 20% now?)
PA also had the buy 3 get a forth tin, but if you bought a few different pellet types AoA gave the forth tin for each type, PA would count all the tins and give you the forth tin out of your least expensive pellets. So you wind up with 15 in your order and get 5 extras of the cheapest pellets in your order. I only order one type of pellets at a time from PA, because of that.
 
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JDR said:
I shoot both. But dang, cleaning the centerfires every time you shoot is a pain. I got 3 to do now. Airguns, just shoot and maybe every 5 times run a patchworm and ballistol. Black power is ever worse as you have to clean quickly after you shoot.
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Exactly. Hell i have pellet shooters that never get cleaned and are still as accurate as though freshly cleaned. Powder burners are too expensive to shoot regularly, even .22lr quality ammo is much more than any of my pellets or slugs in.25 and under. Any small game is handled with air. I only use powder for 100lb game and up. If you shoot alot and just punch paper and varmints, PBs are not the way to go. I guess if you have money to burn, rock-on but not this guy.
 
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JDR said:
I shoot both. But dang, cleaning the centerfires every time you shoot is a pain. I got 3 to do now. Airguns, just shoot and maybe every 5 times run a patchworm and ballistol. Black power is ever worse as you have to clean quickly after you shoot.
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I clean my PB's only occasionally and that goes for both pistol or rifle. I haven't cleaned my STI 2011 in years and it's been a year since I cleaned my 6mmBR. Cleaning is over rated. However I don't shoot them as much as I used to either. I'll put some oil on the slide or bolt though and the guns will hum along just fine.

I think cleaning is more of guilt thing coming from my military Dad who insisted having them scrubbed out as soon as we got back home, lol.
 
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.20calguy said:
I like AoA, because they had a buy 3 and get a forth tin free, (25%). (They may be 20% now?)
PA also had the buy 3 get a forth tin, but if you bought a few different pellet types AoA gave the forth tin for each type, PA would count all the tins and give you the forth tin out of your least expensive pellets. So you wind up with 15 in your order and get 5 extras of the cheapest pellets in your order. I only order one type of pellets at a time from PA, because of that.
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I didn't know AOA had that pellet deal, I just looked on their site and I don't see anything about it?
 
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I pretty much stopped shooting the "POWDER" guns when the cost of reloading supplies took a turn for the $$$ worse, also places to shoot because of the noise and a reason to shoot when hunting sorta fell away as an activity too.
Discovered quality / accurate Air guns back in the early 80's ( Diana 75 & FWB 124 ) that gave such pleasure being able to shoot them anywhere at any time had me hooked !!!! Modern PCP's came into the fray about 20 years ago ... whoa !

Only powder guns I actively shoot any longer is Pesting Ground Squirrels up north in the alfalfa fields with a 17 HMR .... this more than satisfies my requirement to Blow stuff up and get that visual satisfaction of Got ya !!
 
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I brought my Blitz to the county range after getting an OK from the RSO on the full auto aspect. Wish I had also brought my air bottle, had most shooters near me checking it out. We put some golf balls out on the berm and hammered them with bursts. The Blitz was a hit! BTW while we complain the Blitz is a little loud for the backyard, could hardly hear it with ear pro on at the range, very quiet comparatively. :)
 
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