🔴 CHOOSING "The Best" GUN: What to Consider When You Ask for Advice

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JungleShooter

JungleShooter

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Sep 5, 2018
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🔴 Choosing "The Best" Gun 🔴​

What to consider when asking on the forum for advice "What's the best gun?" ​


• Asking "What's the best gun for hunting?" is like asking "What's the best car for going to work?"
• Asking "What gun should I buy under $600?" is like asking "Who should I marry that's under 6ft tall?" 😉

If you want a good answer to your request for advice — it helps to ask a good question.
➔ The following list of shooting scenarios, factors, and requirements will help you define what it is that you're looking for in general — and then forum members can advise you with specific suggestions.

Simply copy the following template into your original posted question — with your answers. 👍🏼


Happy gun shopping! 😊

Matthias




■ Budget (preferred price and maximum price):
➔ Note: Please, do consider other expenses: You probably will want a scope, $100—$500. And in case of a PCP, a handpump to fill the tank, if the time and physical effort won't annoy you (China, $50), or instead an airtank ($500) if you have a dive shop close by to refill it ($20), or for the max. independence a compressor (China, $350).

■ Type of Gun
(answer: Yes || No || DNM (does not matter)
• Springer (hold-sensitive, limited power, independent of air-sources)
• PCP (requires accessories to refill its tank)

■ Shooting Scenarios and Ranges
(answer: Yes, and the range || No || DNM)
• Plinking (shooting at stuff for the fun of it) and max. range:
• Hunting/ Pesting: Type of animals and maximum range for each animal:
• Target shooting and max. range:
• Competition and what types (e.g., BR, HFT):

■ Basic Shape & Size of Gun
(mark with X all that you would be OK with; mark with 2 XX what would be ideal)
Standard rifle || Bullpup || Pistol || DNM

■ Style of Gun
Traditional (wood, classic) || Modern (synthetic, tactical) || DNM

■ Power and Caliber
• Do you have a particular power (muzzle energy) in mind?:
• Power externally adjustable (easy to do, instead of requiring gun disassembly):
• Do you have a particular caliber in mind?:
• Change calibers with a $300 change kit:

■ Specific Features
(mark with an X all that you would prefer, mark with two XX all that are indispensable to you)

• Suitable for left-handed shooter:

• Robust (can be banged around a bit without changing the point of impact):
• Semi-automatic:
• Fully automatic:

• Light weight (how light at least, without scope?):
• Short (how short at least?):
• Backyard quiet:
• Large magazines (around 20+ shots):
• High shot count per airtank filling (how many at least?):
 
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Vetmx said:
Your template [...] will point to maybe two guns to choose from.
Click to expand...

It very well could do that. 👍🏼
It did for me: The template prophesied my airgun future with the infallibility of Isaiah, and I ended up buying a Prophet Performance Compact +. 😄

However, many shooters might answer to many items DNM (does not matter), or make few X's in the feature section. Then their options could very well be 30+ different guns...!



Vetmx said:
Your template is a form of self diagnostics.
Click to expand...

Very well put, Frank!! 👍🏼
It helps the airgun shopper analyze what they really want from a gun.
And as they post their list, the AGN community can tell him/her that
• such a gun at such a price does not exist —
• or that what they're looking for could be bought at half their max. budget —
• or that what they want their gun to do really requires at least two guns —
• and which guns would be most fitting their requirements....

Matthias
 
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For your needs, I think you made a pretty wise choice. I recall from years ago what you always wanted out of a gun. Remember, every airgun is flawed. Even great guns have some shortcomings but they are still great guns. Not so great guns can do some things well, but they’re still not so great guns. You chose a great gun.
 
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Bigragu answer seems the trend today is to “give me what I need to KNOW NOW” As in instant gratification. A lot of questions that show up here the answers can easily be found, by using the search feature or even GOOGLE the questions, many times I have done this for questions posted(just for grins) and found the answer to the question easily to see if readily available.
 
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Vetmx said:
One things for sure, if the would be buyer answers all the questions in your template, he probably won’t have to start a topic about what gun to buy. It will point to maybe two guns to choose from. Your template is a form of self diagnostics. Answer all the questions and you’re healed.
Click to expand...
i don't get your "for sure" logic, sorry. nothing personal.

from how i read it, answering a handful of questions will result in only a couple choices available on the market that fits all the checkboxes.

i answered those questions and still had a dozen to choose from just from memory. imagine if i used google or asked the group. :)
 
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just to play out loud a bit, i'm not in the market to buy, but here's my rifle considerations if i were. using the template as a roadmap. if i didn't answer, it's already implied or i don't have a choice.

gunsilikeexample.JPG


i think that sums up everything i want in an air rifle. 10M, 15M, and 25Y #backyardplinking is all I shoot.
sanz the co2 plinkers, that's like the last, oh, 20 guns i've purchased. :)

no need to give me a list here, just me thinking it through out loud. but i think unless you're REALLY REALLY picky, you'll probably find 20 of what you'd be happy with using that template. especially if you're not already a fan-boy of some brand.

Not to take away from the idea and the fine list of questions to ask. This template will get you in the ballpark and worth following. I admit to an eye-roll when someone says something as generic as "What gun should I use for hunting?" and leave it at that. :)

Thanks!
 
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For a week I have been tucked away in little villages in the Amazon jungle and they tend to have lousy internet — or none at all.... 🤣


Thanks for all your comments! 😊



Vetmx said:
Jungleshooter, you need to step up with a springer guy best gun formula. When I buy a springer my formula is simple. Must be made of wood, not be rated for anything too close to 900fps and be made in England or Germany.
Click to expand...


Frank 😄 — I will refrain from putting my 35-page Gun Specs Table of springer on this forum. 😄
And if only not to offend you....

The main criteria were — please don't hate me —
● synthetic stock
● 20FPE minimum muzzle energy (.22cal)

The Specs Table is from the times when I thought that spending $400 on an airgun was A LOT of money.
(Yeah, over the years that number 400 somehow got a 1 added at the front end — please don't judge me, I was never good at math.)


I will dare to post the picture that shows my final selection:

Springers. Synthetic. 20FPE or more in .22cal.png



But after I realized that $400 could buy me a PCP — I have lost all my interest in springers. The differences between the two platforms are — for my very specific purposes — just too crass and numerous to even think about a springer. 😉

Matthias
 
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Bigragu said:
In order for your template to work, the buyer person “must want to read”
And comprehend.
Seems the trend today is to “give me what I need NOW.”
Click to expand...

Yeah, Augie, I realize that (I often work with people that read very little).

🔶 Hopefully those people that don't want to "read" have the CASH to just buy whatever the can get NOW — and try a bunch of guns until they find what they like.

➔ Some of us can't (or don't want to) — and the price of saving is simply "reading" and "thinking" before "buying". 😄

Matthias
 
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2L8 said:
JungleShooter, are you some kind of Psychologist or in such a field? You seem to understand and ask the questions that get to the very core of data analysis (wants and needs) which is crucial to making an educated decision.
Patrick
Click to expand...

😄 Not exactly a psychologist — but yeah, teaching, leadership, and helping people require a lot of psych and lots of analysis. 👍🏼

Thank you for your words, Patrick! 😊

Matthias
 
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Revoman said:
Well done, Matthias! Now throw in your scope/mount, pellet, slug, moderator spreadsheets and they are off to the races.
mike
Click to expand...

🤣 Mike, thanks for your kind comment. You gave me a good laugh — you actually remembered that I wrote all those spreadsheets...?!? 🤣


Well, I'm mostly just analyzing and sorting data that's already out there. I've been working producing some new data with
• HP pellet expansion tests
• BC tests of HP and
• Killing power tests


For that wish me luck (or blessings): in order to get out into the field I need a working car. And even though mine is made in Germany it's behaving like it was a China PCP — that missed the jackpot not once but three times:
lost the barrel lottery, lost the regulator poker, and lost the o-ring rally. 😖

Well, let's be positive — a broken car actually saves money as I just saw gas price soaring well beyond $6 a gallon. 😱

Matthias 🤣
 
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