Newbie here, looking at my first PCP

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Back_Roads said:
Keep an eye in the Air Force Outlet Store page, a short time ago I got a Talon SS for $350. There are many PCPs under 500 that would suit your needs. I do alot of farm pesting, and own in the neighborhood of 100 air rifles.
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Outlet Store Archives - Airforce Airguns

Welcome to the AirForce Airguns Outlet Store! We certify and test all AirForce blemished and refurbished products. Blemished Utility and Texan rifles include our Limited Lifetime warranty 20% Off Sale : Select Rifles up to 50% off **Please note, the prices listed reflect the 20% Off**
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I did see one on their outlet page a week or so ago - it's gone now (the one I was looking at anyway). I'm okay waiting a bit though - I'd rather gather as much info as I can before making a purchase. I'm hoping whatever I get will fill my needs for the next few years.
 
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MongooseV8 said:
This is what I would suggest too. Paired with a GX CS3 or CS4 and you will be in the zone for years. I would not get an AF anything since it sounds like you have a lot of neighbor property close by and might be dangerous to go with too much fpe. A 177 with adjustability like the Stoeger XM1 series will allow you to slow things down if you need to. Check out a DonnyFL Tatsu to throw on the end as well.

And welcome to the forum :cool: (y)
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The Bullshark looks compact - one of the reasons I'm looking to get into PCP is a shorter rifle profile. The Crosman I have is almost 46" long (just measured it) and I feel like a kid using a crutch as a rifle when I use it. Heck, I don't think my deer rifle is that long to be honest.

The direction I'd be shooting would be towards the 40 acres of woods which butts up against my back yard. I learned with the Crosman that it would shoot through the targets I had set up when I poked some holes in my shed which was across the yard behind my target :/
 
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williamh427 said:
A 22 cal would be my recommendation. Ammo is roughly about the same cost as 177 and will produce more energy.
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Thanks - I think I'm pretty set on the 22 caliber. My 177 will take out a squirrel at 10 yards if I make a head shot, but there's not much room for error. Anything less and then the dog needs to finish the job. The 22 caliber Crosman I have is a lot more forgiving and even body shots will dispatch a rat quickly most times.
I am curious to try those 177 slugs though....
 
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jakev383 said:
Thanks! The Notos pops up quite often when looking at backyard pest control, and always seems to be a suggested follow-on video when I watch something about the TalonSS...
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If you can afford it, try and get a regulated PCP, the accuracy is way more consistent. Tony @ Talon Tunes sells AF and he might be able to regulate one for you.
 
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jakev383 said:
Thanks - I think I'm pretty set on the 22 caliber. My 177 will take out a squirrel at 10 yards if I make a head shot, but there's not much room for error. Anything less and then the dog needs to finish the job. The 22 caliber Crosman I have is a lot more forgiving and even body shots will dispatch a rat quickly most times.
I am curious to try those 177 slugs though....
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22Cal is my favorite overall. However the slug selection and accuracy can be much more tumultuous compared to 177. The new JSB Knockout MK3 10g have been shooting well in a wide variety of barrel manufactures, which is not normal for pcps and slugs. They are also super soft and have a huge cavity so they expand better than maybe any other type of ammo. I just bought another pile of tins from Pyramid for $0.022 a slug out the door, making them cheaper than most decent pellets.

If you decide on 22Cal I really like the Hades/Atomics for hunting, but the 18g JSB/FX are also pretty good and will give you a little extra range. If you want to try slugs I use the Nielsen 17.5g slugs, but push them at ~980fps. If you can pick a pcp that will produce ~35-40fpe in 22Cal that will allow you some head room to tune in different ammo at max speeds.
 
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MongooseV8 said:
22Cal is my favorite overall. However the slug selection and accuracy can be much more tumultuous compared to 177. The new JSB Knockout MK3 10g have been shooting well in a wide variety of barrel manufactures, which is not normal for pcps and slugs. They are also super soft and have a huge cavity so they expand better than maybe any other type of ammo. I just bought another pile of tins from Pyramid for $0.022 a slug out the door, making them cheaper than most decent pellets.

If you decide on 22Cal I really like the Hades/Atomics for hunting, but the 18g JSB/FX are also pretty good and will give you a little extra range. If you want to try slugs I use the Nielsen 17.5g slugs, but push them at ~980fps. If you can pick a pcp that will produce ~35-40fpe in 22Cal that will allow you some head room to tune in different ammo at max speeds.
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Yeah, seems like there is a huge variety of 22 caliber projectiles out there. I haven't looked yet, but it seems there would be a market for "test kits" of pellets which had 5-10 different pellets and 10-20 of each of those to help someone dial in a setup or tinker.
 
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jakev383 said:
Yeah, seems like there is a huge variety of 22 caliber projectiles out there. I haven't looked yet, but it seems there would be a market for "test kits" of pellets which had 5-10 different pellets and 10-20 of each of those to help someone dial in a setup or tinker.
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There are sample packs you can get from JSB, HN, and Nielsen etc. You will find most pellet style pcps will do well with most pellets, but maybe only with a slug or two. I would not count on finding a good slug combo in 22/25Cal with a normal pcp. Most people waste a lot of time and money trying to find a slug that shoots well only to go back to pellets. For some reason the little 177 KO slug shoots well in a lot of pcps so far and its still pretty new.

I have solid performing setups in 22/25Cal that do very well with slugs, so I dont want to steer you away from trying them. But they can really test your knowledge and patience.
 
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MongooseV8 said:
There are sample packs you can get from JSB, HN, and Nielsen etc. You will find most pellet style pcps will do well with most pellets, but maybe only with a slug or two. I would not count on finding a good slug combo in 22/25Cal with a normal pcp. Most people waste a lot of time and money trying to find a slug that shoots well only to go back to pellets. For some reason the little 177 KO slug shoots well in a lot of pcps so far and its still pretty new.

I have solid performing setups in 22/25Cal that do very well with slugs, so I dont want to steer you away from trying them. But they can really test your knowledge and patience.
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my Condor 22 shoots pretty much all the ammo I have tried very well..as long as you turn it down to keep from supersonic.. I shot some Nielson slugs, and they seemed to hit harder than the jsb 34 grain beasts..at least at 50 yards on 3" spinner for powder guns.. they really hit hard.
Mark

IMG_20241231_173221516.jpg
 
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markhooper said:
my Condor 22 shoots pretty much all the ammo I have tried very well..as long as you turn it down to keep from supersonic.. I shot some Nielson slugs, and they seemed to hit harder than the jsb 34 grain beasts..at least at 50 yards on 3" spinner for powder guns.. they really hit hard.
Mark

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Yeah I would have to say the AF rifles all have a reputation for doing well with slugs. But they are also one of the few that were designed to use slugs. Tried and true rifles!
 
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MongooseV8 said:
Yeah I would have to say the AF rifles all have a reputation for doing well with slugs. But they are also one of the few that were designed to use slugs. Tried and true rifles!
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actually when I got mine from airforce direct.. Rachel told me they didn't recommend slugs in the Condor, just the Texan.. the Texan is a straight bore.. the Condor and talon has choked barrel..
I was scared to try slugs because I didn't want it stuck in the barrel.. but a friend gave me samples of the Nielsen and FX hybrid.. the FX I tried first..it just dropped into the chamber and would drop out of you tip the gun up and bump it.. Nielson was snug like pellets..I wonder what size it actually takes since I think this is the smallest Nielson.. 216,2165,217,2175&218 are the sizes I see..
Mark
 
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I have 3 P35s which I bought before the Stoeger bullshark was available. Today I would just get the bullshark, they are both made by SPA and nearly the same. I've taken 21 squirrels now with the P35-177 using H&N Baracuda Match pellets. Only a couple have run at all and they only went a few feet. But the 22 and 25 drop them a bit quicker. I use simple round nose pellets. I tried the JSB slugs in my P35-177 and they were wildly inaccurate. The 22 likes the Baracuda Match too. All three are plenty accurate with their preferred ammo. The are also short and light. The P35 is only 5 lbs. The bullshark has a much larger stock and weighs a pound more but 6 lbs is still pretty light for a pcp. I use in shroud printed moderators in my P35s which makes them quiet. My neighbors know when I shoot them if they are outside but it sounds more like a nail gun than a firearm. No complaints.
 
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Will Dough said:
I agree about the sights. It would also be an awesome "first pcp", in my opinion.
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I've got a velox and it's a pretty decent pistol.. great open sights..I also have a hatsan blitz..I don't care for the peep sights on it, the rear one has too big of a hole..
but they are decent.. the blitz has a really hard trigger pull though..
I sure like the power and simplicity of the airforce Condor SS..
all my PCP guns are in 22 so I can get ammo locally or order it in.. a good selection of different ones in 22 caliber available..
Mark
 
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markhooper said:
I've got a velox and it's a pretty decent pistol.. great open sights..I also have a hatsan blitz..I don't care for the peep sights on it, the rear one has too big of a hole..
but they are decent.. the blitz has a really hard trigger pull though..
I sure like the power and simplicity of the airforce Condor SS..
all my PCP guns are in 22 so I can get ammo locally or order it in.. a good selection of different ones in 22 caliber available..
Mark
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Hatsan makes some great airguns. I've been looking at the Velox. But it's one of those guns that I can't justify purchasing since I got a Gk1. That gun took up my airgun budget for the next five years, at least. But I think it's awesome that there are some decent semi-auto pcp pistols that can be used for more than just plinking. The Blitz is another one that I really want but essentially have no real use for. The idea of a full-auto .30cal air rifle is sort of like my ultimate dream for the past 40 years in terms of airgunning. Now they're here, tempting me for several years now. It's one of those guns that will likely just appear in the gun room without my wife realizing it, lol. I can't imagine a peep sight being all that useful on a full-auto anything.
 
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JimD said:
I have 3 P35s which I bought before the Stoeger bullshark was available. Today I would just get the bullshark, they are both made by SPA and nearly the same. I've taken 21 squirrels now with the P35-177 using H&N Baracuda Match pellets. Only a couple have run at all and they only went a few feet. But the 22 and 25 drop them a bit quicker. I use simple round nose pellets. I tried the JSB slugs in my P35-177 and they were wildly inaccurate. The 22 likes the Baracuda Match too. All three are plenty accurate with their preferred ammo. The are also short and light. The P35 is only 5 lbs. The bullshark has a much larger stock and weighs a pound more but 6 lbs is still pretty light for a pcp. I use in shroud printed moderators in my P35s which makes them quiet. My neighbors know when I shoot them if they are outside but it sounds more like a nail gun than a firearm. No complaints.
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Interesting, which of the JSB slugs did you try?
 
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