We think alike. If you have a decent low end gun like an Optimus, Hatsan Striker, Ruger Blackhawk, etc. it’ll get the job done. If you feel the urge to buy more low end guns, tinker and experiment I recommend you buy used and bid low.
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In defense of the “snobs”…
- Thread starter BryanH
- Start date
We think alike. If you have a decent low end gun like an Optimus, Hatsan Striker, Ruger Blackhawk, etc. it’ll get the job done. If you feel the urge to buy more low end guns, tinker and experiment I recommend you buy used and bid low.
My first air gun was a Diana 48 in .22, man what a beast. Then I bought a 34 in .177, then I started buying FWB 300S's and a FWB 601 (ssp). I put Vortek kits in both Diana's and it was a nice improvement over stock. The 48 was always a bear to shoot offhand and tote around so the 34 got used the most. I was wanting something more accurate and consistent so last year I chose a TX200 in .177, also considered a HW97. After purchasing the 200 I sold the 48 and haven't missed it one bit.
I consider the 34 to be at the low end of quality rifles, just my opinion. The TX200 is a fantastic rifle, after installing a Vortek kit there is no vibration, and the rifle is very consistent. Should a rifle that costs $850 need tuning? IMO, no! It should be tuned and ready to shoot right out of the box. But this is the world we live in, and you do what you have to do. Would I trade it for 15 big box store rifles? Heck no! Would I buy it again? I might go with the 97 first, but I'd tune it too.
I don't comment on cheap box store springers because I have no experience with them, but I will recommend to someone looking for a rifle to buy a quality one. There are several firearm forums that I'm a member on and I see it a lot where someone posts that they have a Marlin, Glenfield, Ruger 10-22, (insert whatever cheaper rifle you want) that will outshoot any CZ, Anschutz, Winchester 52, (insert any quality rifle) and that it'll shoot 3/8" at 50 yards with Remington golden bullets all day, every day, if "I do my part". Now, there is probably a cheaper rifle somewhere that does shoot exceptionally well, but they aren't the norm, and are few and far between.
I've always worked and saved my money to buy the toys I want and learned years ago that there is a lot of truth in the old saying, "buy once, cry once".
This and a $1.75 will buy you a cup of coffee in some places.
I consider the 34 to be at the low end of quality rifles, just my opinion. The TX200 is a fantastic rifle, after installing a Vortek kit there is no vibration, and the rifle is very consistent. Should a rifle that costs $850 need tuning? IMO, no! It should be tuned and ready to shoot right out of the box. But this is the world we live in, and you do what you have to do. Would I trade it for 15 big box store rifles? Heck no! Would I buy it again? I might go with the 97 first, but I'd tune it too.
I don't comment on cheap box store springers because I have no experience with them, but I will recommend to someone looking for a rifle to buy a quality one. There are several firearm forums that I'm a member on and I see it a lot where someone posts that they have a Marlin, Glenfield, Ruger 10-22, (insert whatever cheaper rifle you want) that will outshoot any CZ, Anschutz, Winchester 52, (insert any quality rifle) and that it'll shoot 3/8" at 50 yards with Remington golden bullets all day, every day, if "I do my part". Now, there is probably a cheaper rifle somewhere that does shoot exceptionally well, but they aren't the norm, and are few and far between.
I've always worked and saved my money to buy the toys I want and learned years ago that there is a lot of truth in the old saying, "buy once, cry once".
This and a $1.75 will buy you a cup of coffee in some places.
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That is too funny. I grew up thinking you could go no better than a marlin micro-groove barrel and CCI standard velocity.
You can certainly do better… or a whole lot worse, lol.
I think the air rifle equivalent would be a RWS 34 and CPHP. It will smash a goldfish cracker all day 15-20 yards but my R9 with a very good pellet will hit another pellet.
Everything is subjective to your own experience and, more importantly, your expectations.
You can certainly do better… or a whole lot worse, lol.
I think the air rifle equivalent would be a RWS 34 and CPHP. It will smash a goldfish cracker all day 15-20 yards but my R9 with a very good pellet will hit another pellet.
Everything is subjective to your own experience and, more importantly, your expectations.
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Not 100 percent sure I agree here. If you happen to get a highly accurate cheap gun, then maybe. And, if you are fortunate enough to have a pellet in pellet accurate cheap springer, then more power to you. To me it's all about pellet placement. I don't really trust my cheaper springers enough to risk killing a racoon ever. I like to can plink, etc with them.
I have one cheaper (xisico xs25) that is actually quite accurate, but had a full tune done. That gun is the only cheap springer I'll trust to go after any living creature.
But, for me, aiming a springer at a living g creature should only ever be performed if you FULLY trust that gun...and for me that really only happens north of the cheapies. Nothing against then at all, I do pull our my ruger once in a while, and I also frequently shoot my daisy red rider and daisy Avanti...
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I agree, you should not use something to kill a animal without full faith it will do the job.
As for a cheap gun, just gotta know your limits. I have killed literal bucketfuls of animals with an $80 gun. Door nail dead.
Even killed armadillos with a MM tuned springer. I assume your are familiar with him. Great rifles, great guy too.
As for a cheap gun, just gotta know your limits. I have killed literal bucketfuls of animals with an $80 gun. Door nail dead.
Even killed armadillos with a MM tuned springer. I assume your are familiar with him. Great rifles, great guy too.
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My early experience was similar. Spent something like $220 for a Gamo Whisper and could never get the gun to shoot accurately. Then “upgraded” for another $100 to a gas ram Power plant and was still disappointed with accuracy and build quality. So that’s $320 for a poorly performing spring gun that I have not shot in 10 years 
It is all about expectations and I suspect many buyers of lower priced guns have their expectations too high. The Weihrauchs I’ve subsequently purchased were ballpark $275-$350 and the ratio of quality/accuracy to price was multiples better than the Gamo.
I get that budget constraints are important and not flexible for some. But pointing out to a newb that you can gain significantly better quality and accuracy for a modest bump in price is very helpful info.
R
It is all about expectations and I suspect many buyers of lower priced guns have their expectations too high. The Weihrauchs I’ve subsequently purchased were ballpark $275-$350 and the ratio of quality/accuracy to price was multiples better than the Gamo.
I get that budget constraints are important and not flexible for some. But pointing out to a newb that you can gain significantly better quality and accuracy for a modest bump in price is very helpful info.
R
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I have had several Benjamins, gamos, hatsan and the like. I do buy them from box stores because they often have a nick in the breech seal or something but once I get one that seals its fine. In fact the Gamo hornet I tuned up by squaring up the factory spring and applying moly and resealed it. I then bought a Charlie da tuna trigger for it and polished the barrel. It shot just as good as a top end gun. That doesn't make it a top end gun but the idea that they make a good door stop is silly. I can shoot the magnum Benjamin trails straight out of the factory good enough to hit game at 20 yards too. Ive always had those kinds of guns and have tons of good memories with them. Obviously I don't recommend magnum springers to new guys but my advice to broke guys trying to get into the game is to buy the cheapest 15 fpe or lower springer and get out and shoot. All that said if you can afford a TX 200 go get one you won't be disappointed.
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@Raden1942
"...That doesn't make it a top end gun but the idea that they make a good door stop is silly..."
Hmm? Maybe you have a point. It could be a bit long, even for a door stop:
Mod edit: buying and selling is only allowed in the classifieds section.
"...That doesn't make it a top end gun but the idea that they make a good door stop is silly..."
Hmm? Maybe you have a point. It could be a bit long, even for a door stop:
Mod edit: buying and selling is only allowed in the classifieds section.
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The good thing about inexpensive air guns is that they will get people started in the hobby. If the interest in it develops they will acquire some higher end guns. This was the case with me.
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Agreed here. And I still shoot my "cheapies" but the only one I'll aim at a living creature is the one MM tuned, and I trust that one. My other cheapos are can plinkers. Not to say you can't get a fantastic gun for a cheap price, I just feel it's more of a roll of dice. They have improved over the years though.
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You've missed my meaning entirely. I advocate that people both get (and promote) what they want to.
J~
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I'd say balancing out the cost, power, accuracy, and quality, the 34 is the best bang for the buck !
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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. As is quality. I had a gamo that shot lights out, produced 16fpe in 177, and had an decent upgraded trigger. Lasted a good 13 years only ever getting some loose stock screws once. Thousands of rounds thru it. Lent it to a friend and it got left to the elements. No telling how much longer it would have lasted. I also had a norica "beeman" gt600 that was an excellent gun and very cheap ($100) and a cheap Chinese side lever I can't recall the name of that was absolutely worthless. That and my hw50. Budget never allowed for the more expensive guns until my pay get better, and for a long time I just didn't shoot airguns save for my gamo. If someone asked for specific advice on guns I have no knowledge of I would not suggest something more expensive. But often it is the case with reputable brands, that you do get what you pay for.
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Well I don't have a dog in this hunt, but I do get aggravated with people who push their opinions on others, I have a couple of high end air rifles and I will agree that there's a big difference in the handling and performance of a high end German or English built air rifle that you can't get in one made in China or Turkey, on the flip side of that coin allot of folks have to deal with Champane taste and a beer bottle wallet, When I decided I could no longer deal with $90.00 a brick .22RF or a buck a shot .38 specials, 9mm, or .45ACP ammo, I turned to the next best thing, air power, $600.00 pellet guns were not in my wheelhouse, so I bought a $230.00 GAMO Swarm, it treated me so well that I purchased five more low end beak barrel rifles, and yup, every one of them had an issue or three, mostly bad triggers, junk scopes, and break in periods, but I learned allot from doing trigger jobs, replacing scopes, and testing pellets, maybe I was just lucky but I never got a lemon, never had to send one back, today every one of them and I'm now up to about a dozen give or take a couple are still giving me great service, I also have an R-7 and an R-9, both fantastic guns, while I really enjoy my HW built Beeman's, I really get off on taking what some snobs consider a junk Chinese or Turkish built rifle and doing a trigger job to and finding the right scope and pellet combo for them and make them shine.
As far as others giving you grief or talking smack in your direction it could be that you are a bit overly passionate about your high end guns and pushing your point a little heavy, have you ever met a smoker who has recently quit but feels like he/she has to save every smoker they meet, ever meet a chevy owner that just has to convince a Ford owner thaat they need to get rid of their favorite pickup because it ain't a GM product, those folks are usually boring as well as irritating, I watched a video last week between Tyler Patner of Venturi Arms and Tom Gaylord where the topic of discussion was "Are Spring Powered Guns Dead", Tom was put in the position of having to defend Springers while Tylor spent the bulk of the discussion bashing all air guns that weren't PCP's, to the point of suggesting that anyone that doesn't own a PCP rifle has to be retarded, needless to say I'm still pissed at him over that.
My point being if you like something then enjoy the hell out of it, talk about even when ever someone asks for your opinion or your advice, but don't try to make converts and for sure never be rude or insulting to any one that's not ready to hear your preaching about it.
Just saying.
As far as others giving you grief or talking smack in your direction it could be that you are a bit overly passionate about your high end guns and pushing your point a little heavy, have you ever met a smoker who has recently quit but feels like he/she has to save every smoker they meet, ever meet a chevy owner that just has to convince a Ford owner thaat they need to get rid of their favorite pickup because it ain't a GM product, those folks are usually boring as well as irritating, I watched a video last week between Tyler Patner of Venturi Arms and Tom Gaylord where the topic of discussion was "Are Spring Powered Guns Dead", Tom was put in the position of having to defend Springers while Tylor spent the bulk of the discussion bashing all air guns that weren't PCP's, to the point of suggesting that anyone that doesn't own a PCP rifle has to be retarded, needless to say I'm still pissed at him over that.
My point being if you like something then enjoy the hell out of it, talk about even when ever someone asks for your opinion or your advice, but don't try to make converts and for sure never be rude or insulting to any one that's not ready to hear your preaching about it.
Just saying.
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At what point was I rude or proselytizing to you, or anyone? To keep it real here you’re the one calling out and calling names.
And obviously you have done almost the exact same thing as I have, and a similar experience that you just posted.
Just keep in mind you might get half what you paid for the cheap ones. Or you could have bought them used and bid low.
I’ve killed piles of animals with cheap guns, and can make a good recommendation for one on a budget.
Maybe you should have read the thread, lol. Have a good week.
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I dunno... This group is five rounds at nine yards with a $140 QB77 with a ten dollar flea-market Gamo scope and the Crosman pellets I got from WalMart. So I'm thinking that a "budget gun" isn't all that bad a thing. My Beeman .22 QB78 shoots almost as well with a $5 scope.
Others should post their budget groups so that we can see the down-range reality.
Ride on,
J~
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It’s all relative. If you can accept the shortcomings of a CO2 powered rifle, it’s hard to beat a QB. For a midwestern hunter, not so great in the winter. And I’ve experienced CO2 valve lock in the summer when I lived in North Carolina. It can happen to any CO2 gun if it gets hot enough, mine set in the sun on the river bank.
The other side of that coin, QB rifles are near the top of the price range for a CO2 gun that runs on cartridges. I would not call them “cheap”. But they are great rifles.
The other side of that coin, QB rifles are near the top of the price range for a CO2 gun that runs on cartridges. I would not call them “cheap”. But they are great rifles.
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LOL ! I just sold my 34 a couple months ago to a guy in Southern California. Had a RWS one-piece droop mount and a Sig Sauer Whiskey3 4-12X44 ASP scope on it. Cocking it was aggravating my left shoulder arthritis. Hated to part with it.
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