For new guys, do not let cost run you off

[Fly]

Pcp air guns can be insanely expensive. When I first got into this hobby I was shocked at some of the prices of air rifles. Way back as a kid I enjoyed pump
Rifles. Then the brake barrels arrived and I think it can't get any better than this. Well
.a few years back the entry level pcp,s came out & I became hooked on air guns. I have been a gun lover my entire life. Every thing from smokeless powder
To black powder. But now a whole new world of hunting and just plain old plinking. I could never get into the higher priced guns but I do not care. I,m enjoying
This hobby as much as anyone. The company's as hatsan, air venture Aea have opened a whole new world to us old Joe lunch bucket guys. I thank the air gun
Manufactors that opened the market up to retired folks as myself.

Fly

 

[_CTAIRGUNNER_]

You can shoot can shoot 2500 rounds of CHEAP .223 ammo, that would be the same cost as buying an Impact, so right then and there that tells you theres savings , especially when you are buying 2500 rounds of .22 jsb for like $125.00

Initial cost is tough but it saves in the long run!

 

[dizzums]

yeah you dont need all that fancy stuff unless you just want to impress people .. in the real world pesting and plinking around my rural place, i just want it quiet and effective. a marauder or stormrider, walmart premeirs and a handpump will do anything mr fancypants can with his 10k$ setup, oh he thinks hes all that and a bag of potato chips for sure .. the action isnt long range in practical situations though unless you just look for that, again, to impress people .. nothing really against expensive toys though. if you got the money knock yourself out .. id like a lamborgini huracan to lol ..

 

[_CTAIRGUNNER_]

yeah you dont need all that fancy stuff unless you just want to impress people .. in the real world pesting and plinking around my rural place, i just want it quiet and effective. a marauder or stormrider, walmart premeirs and a handpump will do anything mr fancypants can with his 10k$ setup, oh he thinks hes all that and a bag of potato chips for sure .. the action isnt long range in practical situations though unless you just look for that, again, to impress people .. nothing really against expensive toys though. if you got the money knock yourself out .. id like a lamborgini huracan to lol ..

So you classify peoples pursuit for more and the want to achieve more as a need of others approval (impressing people) ?
I didn't get into airguns to pest but have since been offered the opportunity and that is this coming sunday, is it wrong that I didn't get into airguns to pest?
These are usually the comments made by jealous people, it is unfortunate that some of the equipment is out of reach financially for some , but that shouldn't be the reason to put a negative stigma on the ones who enjoy said equipment.

 

[tcarlson777]

I totally agree with you, Fly. Initially the cost almost kept me away. I was coming from target archery, which is also expensive. Both sports have very steep prices to get "good" equipment, but the cost is fairly low after that. The guns retain value well, so that helps. Pellet prices let us shoot a lot for not much money. I am now very glad that I took the plunge. The hobby is my favorite and my other hobby (fishing) just doesn't get much attention.

 

[ctshooter]

yeah you dont need all that fancy stuff unless you just want to impress people .. in the real world pesting and plinking around my rural place, i just want it quiet and effective. a marauder or stormrider, walmart premeirs and a handpump will do anything mr fancypants can with his 10k$ setup, oh he thinks hes all that and a bag of potato chips for sure .. the action isnt long range in practical situations though unless you just look for that, again, to impress people .. nothing really against expensive toys though. if you got the money knock yourself out .. id like a lamborgini huracan to lol ..

You must be a very unhappy person in real life. I predict you drive a Prius or some other tiny POS. Do you actually believe every person with their fancy guns is doing it for "look at me" privileges? That is so unbelievable laughable it's pathetic.

 

[hawkeye69]

A lot of hobbies are expensive and air guns are no exception. For people just getting involved, don't forget about buying good used guns. There are plenty of used guns available for a fraction of you'd have to pay to own the newest models. You'll spend a lot less and have just as much fun.

 

[coyote9669]

I was of the same mindset as you in the beginning. I really hesitated, but that didn't last long. I purchased my first (Weihrauch HW44 pistol). I thought that would be my first. I was wrong, so now I have 5 rifles, the compressor, air tank, and ATN thermal scope for two of the rifles. I have a lot of fun shooting around the ranch and taking out destructive pack rats who eat up my vehicles wiring. Like Ctairgunner indicated, I can shoot a lot of ammo for a fraction of the cost of even 22LR.

 

[DanH]

I have lots of powder burners the sit in the safe not being used collecting dust. Bought a Maverick in .22 last year and having blast. I shoot this gun every day either pesting or at targets living on on a farm there is lots to shoot at. Yes it was expensive at first but well worth it to me. Buy what you can afford and enjoy life.

 

[Fly]

Guys the point for my post was to the new buys coming in. I have nothing against the ones who can afford a $3000 Daystate . My post was guys
Maybe looking into our hobby that maybe thinks $300 is alot for a air rifle. At first I did and still kinda do. But I get every penny's worth of fun from
my guns. If I could afford a $1500 rifle I would buy one. No way I'm jealous of any of you. Envy you, well sure I do. But that is very different than jealous.

I think it is great that some can afford those rifles. I could have before I retired but do not look back or regret retiring. I have much more time to shoot
& enjoy my rifles the you do (Wink). Who is jealous now.

Fly

 

[ITACUD]

Great topic! The gun is the easiest part. I want to get into this hobby so badly, but even if I buy a $300 PCP, I still need a tank, compressor (or rental N2), hoses, scope, case, etc.. easily$1000 for a ground floor setup, and then in reality I really want a $1500 gun so there's that!. It's a huge expense for someone who like me isn't shooting it a lot. I get it for those of you shooting a ton a week. I can buy lots of 22 long rifle ammo for all that. I guess I will eventually get over the urge or pull the trigger () on the purchase.

 

[Ezana4CE]

Once you get your feet wet in a hobby then I think it’s easier to determine if it will be something you see yourself doing long-term. So if a person starts with a used or an entry-level PCP it shouldn’t take long for them to see if they will continue to shoot, especially if they also liked, own, and have been shooting firearms. Once a person knows that they will stick with the hobby then I think it’s time to think about investing in the basic things needed to keep themselves shooting: an air supply, ammo, maintenance tools (cleaning kits, oil, drivers and wrenches, etc), basic replacement parts (like o-rings).

The most important thing to me was finding a quality gun that suited my desires then securing a reliable air supply (SCBA tank and a dive shop worked well for a while). I got my first upper tier rifle used for about half of its retail value. After that experience I learned more about what I appreciated in an air rifle and the differences betweeen what various manufacturers had to offer in terms of features and quality; quality is relatively subjective. Then I began paying closer attention to guns that stood out to me and eventually bought them after further looking into them. Once I did that, I didn’t see much need to keep buying guns.

Some guys like to try the latest and greatest, trade or sell them, and move on to the next gun. Nothing wrong with that either. I think a common thread many of us share is the desire to enjoy ourselves in our shooting activities. With that said, it does get costly the deeper one delves into air gunning. However, I believe that once you cover your bases it can get easier to temper the temptation to splurge with a little discipline. So entering the hobby with the expectation that eventually you will spend more money is reasonable and realistic until you acquire the basics.

 

[808surfer]

I just sold my 11 pound Hatsan for $450 locally and purchased an FX Dreamline from a member for less than $300 more.... Oh my gosh!! That was the best $300 I have ever spent. Only using for getting rid of feral chickens wreaking havoc on our garden. Half the weight and the trigger is so smooth compared to the Hatsan.

 

[jmohme]

You can shoot can shoot 2500 rounds of CHEAP .223 ammo, that would be the same cost as buying an Impact, so right then and there that tells you theres savings , especially when you are buying 2500 rounds of .22 jsb for like $125.00

Initial cost is tough but it saves in the long run!

exactly!
I shot $150 of 9mm today through my CZ in less than an hour.
This evening, I shot maybe $10 worth of JSB 18.13 pellets in the same amount of time and did not have to bother with uncomfortable ear protection.

both the CZ Shadow 2 and the RTI Prophet are loads of fun, but in a years time. the cost of ownership is much less on the expensive PCP

 

[Ripper]

I myself had a hard time justifying paying higher prices for air guns at first until I upgraded and seeing the quality difference. But I still don’t have as much into any Air gun as quite a few of people here do. My most expensive gun is $1500. But I think for around 600 bucks is good for a decent shooter. And I would advise anybody new to the sport looking for opinions on what to buy to avoid the cheap big box store guns. I do know there’s some people that like theirs but after shooting something better, I can’t see buying something like that anymore. I do enjoy my vintage air guns though that I got for decent prices.But most of them needed a little work after I got them too.

 

[delooper]

My two cheapest guns are airguns (Crosman P1322). My most expensive gun is an airgun (Edgun Leshiy 2). All my guns "in the middle" are powder burners. But my most expensive firearm-related belongings are my optics. Night vision and high-end glass is expensive!

You can get into airguns without too crazy of an initial investment. But there are a bunch of slippery slopes. How much do you invest on compressing your air, and air storage? There is a gun for every income level, etc.

I agree with the OP, you can get into the game with little initial investment. IMO the best entry point to PCP is the guns with built-in pump levers. They're great. What doomed my bank account was the desire for a semi-automatic.

 

[Keyman62421]

Yep I got the bug years ago. Went to AOA on vacation and convinced myself that I couldn't afford a Wolverine . MISTAKE! 1st gun was a marauder. A good gun but it just wet my whistle. Now, after 6 guns I'm remembering. Buy the best gun you can buy. Afford it however you have to!
Cheaper in the long run and more fun in the short. 2 cents

 

[_CTAIRGUNNER_]

Yep I got the bug years ago. Went to AOA on vacation and convinced myself that I couldn't afford a Wolverine . MISTAKE! 1st gun was a marauder. A good gun but it just wet my whistle. Now, after 6 guns I'm remembering. Buy the best gun you can buy. Afford it however you have to!
Cheaper in the long run and more fun in the short. 2 cents

MY BIGGEST mistake in this sport was starting cheap.

 

[douger]

my first pcp was a bsa was fantastic gun and a pump. i learned real fast to get a tank. tank was more than the gun. best way o go get a good bigger tank and a decent gun. now there are good 300-500 guns but get a great gun and dont look back

 

[WNYBill]

Just got in!! M-rod F&T , good scope and a tank, nearly $1000.00, but it will out shoot my $500 Tikka 22 rf. at 50 yards. And, it is teaching me to judge the wind! My only complaint, the M-rod is "clunky" and heavy. Wish there was a comparable rifle, that looked like a rifle and in the 6 pound range. Something like the M-pistol/stock that looked like a rifle.