good evening everybody. i am very new to airguns and this forum. never realized this realm is so intricate and expensive lol. i am used to firearms so i do have some knowledge of gun mechanics. anyways i am looking to purchase my first PCP airgun. i wanted to use it for hunting medium-big game. i was really interested in the Bintac m50 in 45 cal. Would this not be good for a beginner gun? so all i will need to get this working is the gun, hand pump, and slugs correct? can i leave the gun charged max at home for long periods of time? Sorry for all the questions i just really wanna know all the ins and outs of PCP guns before i make a purchase cuz holy cow its expensive. thanks everyone!
help very new to all this and im confused!
- Thread starter 30clipslinger
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From what I understand, the Bintac line of rifles would not be a good first PCP. I suggest a Benjamin Bulldog for a first PCP. Much more user friendly platform.
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I am also fairly new at this. The first rifle I bought was an AEA Megalodon. Get your self a handpump to use in a “have to “case, like when your electricity is out due to a storm or something. You won’t pump any guns pressure tanks up to 4500psi. There are small high pressure compressors that use 12 volt DC motors for less than 200 bucks. they are best powered from a vehicle battery. They have 110 volt units that make 12voltDC , imo they don’t make sufficient power to run compressors. For slightly less than 300 bucks you can get a high pressure air pump, more trouble due to being water cooled but not that big of a deal to use. They are fast, it takes a small compressor 15 to 20 minutes to pump my .6 liters tanks from 2500 to 4500 psi. It take the high pressure air pump I recently got 3 1/2 minutes to do the same thing. If you wish to hand pump your gun you should go with something other than 4500 psi. Maybe 3000psi would be manageable, barely also be prepared to service the hand pump often, get a the seals and stuff to repair it when it stops pumping. I would like to recommend you get a Megalodon, it is an awesome super fun airgun to use, however at least my specific rifle has this valve lock thing it will do when you do exactly what you were asking could you do. Leaving it setting with pressure near the max and when you go to shoot it you get a half power shot that barely gets the slug or pellet out of the barrel. I’m going to test it and see if a lower pressure won’t valve lock. Otherwise I would have to shoot it before I head to a stand or hunting spot to be sure that first shot from the stand would be a full power shot. I have a 50 cal , 8 round mags, pump action and the stroke to work action is very short, you can repeat shoot it as fast as you can cycle the action. It will produce 2 mags worth of quite lethal shots from a full charge of air and that leaves 2500 psi in the tanks. Dual tank gun with a rear tank acting as part of the stock , that tank can be removed by unscrewing from the gun leaving you with a long barreled pistol sort of, the tank does not degas when you remove it and neither does the gun. The gun will work then off the front tank just like a single tank gun , when your ready for your stock back you screw it back on and you have that air to use again. If not for the valve lock thing happening it would be a perfect hunting gun. I’m going to hunt with it, I will just shoot it into the ground before I leave the house. I’m the mean time I may try replacing hammer spring or something. Be warned , AEA and Bintec are coming from AEA I believe, the guns do not come with anykind of manual. You have you watch YouTube videos and basically figure it out. Pick a good shop to buy from if you decide to go with either brand, they will help you get going properly. I got my stuff from Bluegrass Big Bore and they gave me excellent customer service. AEA makes a single shot side lever action rifle called Element, it can easily be modified by the shop to have the same rear tank set up as the Megalodon but it’s just single shot. I was going to go that way but ultimately choose the Megalodone. To spite the valve lock issue I couldn’t be happier with it, I shoot it nearly everyday, I plink with .495 round lead ball ammo for like 12 cents per shot. They cycle through mags perfectly. I would check you tube and comb through big bore airgun reviews , I seen a great looking riflethat was .457 and the reviewer shot a bottle cap off the top of an inflated ballon without breaking the ballon. He was keyhole grouping with it out to fifty yards and was knocking down 8 inch steel plates at 200 yards. I’m sorry I don’t remember the name of the rifle, I will try to find the video and message you where to find it. I should also mention after you get into this , your also going to want a tank , so you can quickly air you gun in the field or tether to it when you bench shoot it. I’m 200 bucks into getting that set up , I just need one more 50 dollar valve and I will be able to fill a carbon fiber 4.7 liter tank to 4500 to air up my rifle anywhere I may have it. If you don’t want a compressor or air pump you should go with a regulated gun the tops off at 3000 max, and that won’t be fun to pump up to, but it is possible. I hope something in all that helps. just trying to give you a glimps of what your in for, don’t get me wrong though, I have zero regrets up to this point. The air gun is somewhere between a muzzle loader and a compound bow is the best way i can describe it in terms that might click for you. the round is way faster than a bow, but slower than a muzzle loader. A 100 yard shot has more hang time than you expect it to , but it gets there and slams the target hard, at least at 50 caliber it does. Good luck my friend, I hope you have as much fun as I have had.
Jim
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I would not recommend a .45 cal for a beginner PCP. The ammo is very expensive and most .45 PCPs are not Hand Pump friendly. All you need for plinking and most pest elimination is either a .177 or .22. Ammo is cheaper and you won't end up looking like Popeye after a few weeks of filling with a hand pump. I would recommend any of the following beginner PCPs to begin you trip down the rabbit hole:
Gammo Urban
Notos
Benjamin Maurader
There are others that are in the same ballpark as the above listed. Look at review, look in your wallet, look at pellet cost availability, and what you really want to do with it. Then decide. There are plenty of used PCPs available in the classified section of this site. You can probably pick up something that will accomplish what you want to do and not kill your budget by buying used. Just MHO and I am sure you will get a plethora of recommendations from others on this site. Good luck and welcome to the hobby.
Gammo Urban
Notos
Benjamin Maurader
There are others that are in the same ballpark as the above listed. Look at review, look in your wallet, look at pellet cost availability, and what you really want to do with it. Then decide. There are plenty of used PCPs available in the classified section of this site. You can probably pick up something that will accomplish what you want to do and not kill your budget by buying used. Just MHO and I am sure you will get a plethora of recommendations from others on this site. Good luck and welcome to the hobby.
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The man said he wanted to hunt medium to large game as his stated purpose for wanting a pcp, that is exactly why I bought my first one. Thats going to be hard to pull off with a .177 or 22. , he will have to get a big bore to accomplish his wish. I’m assuming he has gotten tired of shooting deer with powder burners or bored with it and he seeks more challenge, he said medium sized so maybe hogs or coyote. To do any of that with exception of maybe coyotes legally, it is going to have to be a big bore. Some people have little interest in pellets or slugs that lack energy at the end of their flights, it’s just a fact. Starting with a smaller more beginner friendly gun doesn’t work for all of us. That said now that I’ve had my big bore, I do want a smaller caliber regulated gun to play around with, I had zero desire for this at first. The big bore brought me fully into one side of this hobby. I intend no disrespect at all toward you and what you wrote is probably accurate and good advice for most people, just not for everyone. Reason for wanting a pcp is important. If I had started with a smaller less effective rifle I probably would have gotten bored with it and that would have been the end of my involvement in the pcp world. I would have missed a ton of fun as well. I hope you take this as intended , I respect your opinion on the subject just feel it’s off in this specific instance. Happy shooting!
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Bulldog .357 or an Airforce
some good stuff shows up in the Classifieds From time to time WHEN you have priveliges. Of course, you must do your due diligence when buying used.
www.airgunnation.com
The Bulldog is only filled to 3000 PSI so may be "pump able ". 5 shot mag, and no regulator
to fool with. Fill to 3000, shoot one 5 round mag, re-fill to 3000 PSI.
some good stuff shows up in the Classifieds From time to time WHEN you have priveliges. Of course, you must do your due diligence when buying used.
Big Bore/Arrow - Pitbull(Benjamin Bulldog)357 FINAL REDUCTION-$500-SPF!
Really need this gone, so I will give it away(almost). My loss, your gain. Family situation forces sale. Benjamin bulldog 357 all decked out in Pitbull accessories. Power spring, tube extension with depinger, barrel supports, and long moderator. Also has M-lock bipods installed in stock. No...
www.airgunnation.com The Bulldog is only filled to 3000 PSI so may be "pump able ". 5 shot mag, and no regulator
to fool with. Fill to 3000, shoot one 5 round mag, re-fill to 3000 PSI.
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Maybe a hatsan, gauntlet , jts at a sale or referb deal in a caliber he may like to use.
Kinda stay more affordable budget and a fairly solid gun to do the job to learn on before going upscale ..
Pa as low buck and .30
Kinda stay more affordable budget and a fairly solid gun to do the job to learn on before going upscale ..
Pa as low buck and .30
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If you are thinking of the Bin Tac with a 24 inch barrel it is probably powerful enough. I have never even watched a review of that rifle, however. I agree with the others, however, that a Benjamin Bulldog is probably a better choice. They come in 257, 357, and 45 caliber. All fill to 3000 which is much easier to do with a hand pump than 4500. Benjamin is also great about giving you a useful parts diagram of the gun and they can get you parts quickly and at a fair price if you need them. I suspect the Bin Tac is Chinese made and that normally means parts are much harder to come by. There is also a U. S. company called Pitbull that makes parts for the bulldog to increase power and otherwise modify it.
It is a warranty defect for an airgun to not hold pressure indefinitely. You can certainly leave them full of air, I do all the time.
If you only hunt you might be OK hand pumping but if you do target shooting having to refill it with a pump every 5 shots or so will get old. I did it with a Benjamin Marauder Pistol (Prod) that gave me about 30 shots per fill and I didn't love that. When I bought my second PCP, am Avenger, I got a Yong Heng compressor. The Avenger fills to 300 bar, I think. It also stores 3X the air of the little Prod.
It is a warranty defect for an airgun to not hold pressure indefinitely. You can certainly leave them full of air, I do all the time.
If you only hunt you might be OK hand pumping but if you do target shooting having to refill it with a pump every 5 shots or so will get old. I did it with a Benjamin Marauder Pistol (Prod) that gave me about 30 shots per fill and I didn't love that. When I bought my second PCP, am Avenger, I got a Yong Heng compressor. The Avenger fills to 300 bar, I think. It also stores 3X the air of the little Prod.
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If you're after big bore power, then you're going to need a big SCBA tank or compressor. They are air hogs.
I'd suggest getting a gun in the 22-30 cal range to start with and see if it's for you. If you're a powder guy, you're going to love PCP guns.
I'd suggest getting a gun in the 22-30 cal range to start with and see if it's for you. If you're a powder guy, you're going to love PCP guns.
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Generally you don't want to leave PCPs close to max charge for long. The high state of charge puts a lot of pressure on the air seals, these are usually rubber or teflon o-rings and things like that. These o-rings that experience high pressures for long periods of time eventually fail. For example, I keep my SCBA tanks at a high state of charge and I've had to replace the o-ring between the tank and the hose attachment two times in three years. I might be guilty of over-torquing that connector, but you get the idea.
I don't have any advice on your first gun. I pretty much only use PCPs for pesting so I mostly stick with .22 cal.
I don't have any advice on your first gun. I pretty much only use PCPs for pesting so I mostly stick with .22 cal.
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True that, but entering the hobby and moving directly to hunting medium to large game with a hand pump rifle does not compute. Crawl a little before you start running. I was being diplomatic.
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I didn't realize he was wanting to hunt big game. I skimmed on this one lol.
Just go straight up to the 72 cal Zeus. It'll kill anything roaming this continent. Might even kill a whale if you happened upon one.
Just go straight up to the 72 cal Zeus. It'll kill anything roaming this continent. Might even kill a whale if you happened upon one.
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Oh wow look at all the thorough responses! I just seen this now I didn’t think anybody would even answer lol. I actually didn’t realize that using a hand pump would be so difficult with the m50. I am thinking more about it now and honestly this seems like it would be a very expensive route for me rn to go with the m50 AND a compressor. I was really trying to keep this under $800 for everything. What do you guys think is the maximum psi of a gun that I can comfortably use a hand pump on? I may just wait it out on the m50 in the future when my funds are a little deeper.
What do you guys think about the Hatsan jet or the hatsan sortie for plinking and small game? Might try a high caliber pistol instead maybe it will be a bit more budget friendly. Thanks everyone
What do you guys think about the Hatsan jet or the hatsan sortie for plinking and small game? Might try a high caliber pistol instead maybe it will be a bit more budget friendly. Thanks everyone
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I think waiting it out is a great idea,you will learn more before spending your money..As for as a pistol ,stick with Crosman or Benjerman PCP pistols,oh wait, there are other good ones made by SnowPaek and sold my German companies. They are all easy to hand pump.
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The jets are known to have issues more than not it seems. Many will suggest an umarex notos and hand pump. It'll get you shooting for $300ish with a cheap hand pump.
Scope for around $100 for what it needs, or you probably have a rimfire scope you could use. Just make sure you get an adjustable objective or side focus since most of your shooting will be well within the 100 yard parallax most fixed scopes have.
If you want to go up from 22, then 25 is still cheaper than 30+. Guns or ammo are usually cheaper. I'd look hard at the new stoeger scout or ranger. Those are putting out great power and shot count for around $300.
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Here for me the min cal for med / bigger game to like deer is .30 . So for me in a opinion once affordable all day everyday .22 is put up I'd need .30 or + next to at least deer hunt .. a .25. Would be not smart move up .. the .30 has all my bases covered pre game commission..lol
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My first PCP was a Benjamin Marauder Pistol. I shoot it as a carbine and it comes with a simple plastic stock for that purpose. I still enjoy that little rifle and I have taken 17 squirrels with it so far. I found the power to be a little low so I retuned it. The Umarex Notos is made by Snowpeak (SPA) and is kind of a more modern equivalent. Both have small air storage so not a lot of shots but also not a lot of pumps on a hand pump to fill them. The Notos is regulated, the Prod is not. The Prod fills to a maximum of 3000 and with the stock settings you won't want to go over 2500. The Notos can be filled to 250 bar. Both are short and light with useful power and tend to be accurate.
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I’ve been looking for the same type setup. I was recommended the airforce Texan- lifetime warranty and no need to tinker with it frequently. I’m about to order one tomorrow and see how it goes. Definitely will want a compressor or a way (local fire dept?) to fill an scba tank though.
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What do you think about that macavity arms ma2 in 30 cal? It’s pretty affordable as well. Do you think that is a good enough caliber for hogs? The biggest reason I don’t want something in .22 is because I feel like it won’t generate enough power for what I’m trying to do. The notos looks nice but I just don’t know if it has the kind of stopping power I’m looking for
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