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2Ten

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Dec 29, 2024
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Hi, I'm a newbie to the airgun world. I live in the country and enjoy traditional archery. I've been reading a lot about break barrel rifles. I have a firearms range but wanted to be able to plink around my yard with a pellet gun. I recently bought an inexpensive Crossman Vantage NP. I think it was a good beginner choice in spite of its laughable sights and scope. I improved the trigger with a longer adjustment screw and have a decent scope coming. What I didn't know is that I would fall into a very deep rabbit hole.

I found out that I have several friends who are also into air rifles, and because of that and I've been reading so much, I'm starting to want stuff... uh,oh.

I'm sure I will upgrade in the not too distant future. Right now, I'm considering maybe an HW95/R9 or possibly the cheaper but highly regarded Diana Model 34. Just daydreaming right now, but I know what that ultimately leads to. Anyway feel free to chime in with any views you may have on the subject of upgrades I might consider.

Right know I won't have too much smart stuff to contribute to threads, but I will be lurking.
 
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2Ten,
Greetings from Florida, glad you've joined. Knowledgeable, helpful members from both springer/nitro and PCP camps abound. Walmart's Crosman F4 NP was my first, bought some Rabbit Magnum II slugs to try and tin said, "For PCP Only." "What's a PCP?" Whoosh, right down the rabbit hole I went! Be very careful, Grasshopper. WM
 
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2Ten said:
Hi, I'm a newbie to the airgun world. I live in the country and enjoy traditional archery. I've been reading a lot about break barrel rifles. I have a firearms range but wanted to be able to plink around my yard with a pellet gun. I recently bought an inexpensive Crossman Vantage NP. I think it was a good beginner choice in spite of its laughable sights and scope. I improved the trigger with a longer adjustment screw and have a decent scope coming. What I didn't know is that I would fall into a very deep rabbit hole.

I found out that I have several friends who are also into air rifles, and because of that and I've been reading so much, I'm starting to want stuff... uh,oh.

I'm sure I will upgrade in the not too distant future. Right now, I'm considering maybe an HW95/R9 or possibly the cheaper but highly regarded Diana Model 34. Just daydreaming right now, but I know what that ultimately leads to. Anyway feel free to chime in with any views you may have on the subject of upgrades I might consider.

Right know I won't have too much smart stuff to contribute to threads, but I will be lurking.
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I've had a RWS Diana 34&48.. 34 is good with open sights but I prefer the 48 being a fixed barrel for better accuracy if you are mounting a scope.
Mark
 
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markhooper said:
I've had a RWS Diana 34&48.. 34 is good with open sights but I prefer the 48 being a fixed barrel for better accuracy if you are mounting a scope.
Mark
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Well, thanks, Mark. Now I want a Diana 48. lol. I just spent some time reading about those. What do you think about its heavier weight and the side cocking?
 
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Welcome... While in theory, a fixed barrel should be more accurate, for real world accuracy, I've not found a difference. That said, the extra weight of a 48 does help with accuracy. I've had a plethora of premium springers and my favorite is the HW97. A close second for me is the TX200, but ask 10 people their preference of those two and you'll get 14 different answers. I think the 48 is discontinued now, seems I read that. You could always go all out and get the 54. No felt recoil and very easy to shoot accurately. I love mine.
 
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But will have to throw in there, if all you want to do is plink around the yard, you really should look at an R7/HW30. Very enjoyable shooting experience and very easy to shoot accurately. But.... you are new and per your own comment, you want stuff...haha. We've all been there. The hook is set. May as well start looking at PCP at this point :ROFLMAO:
 
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@2Ten - welcome to AGN. The rabbit hole is deep. Another Trad archer here. I shoot my pellets rifles and pistols more than I shoot my bow nowadays. I am getting lazy and don't want to chase arrows anymore on the 3d range😀

Make some posts while you are lurking (oxymoron I know) There is a great AGN classified section that only members can access. Lots of good deals and scammers are kicked to the curb very fast.

The HW95 is arguably one of the best spring powered rifles on the market. I suggest a .177, cheaper pellets and flat shooting. Krale is a great vendor for Weihrauchs. Good selection and fast shipping.

Youtube is your friend. Many good reviews and many smart people sharing their knowledge. AEAC has a great channel and breaks it all down. Steve is a great resource.

 
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2Ten said:
Well, thanks, Mark. Now I want a Diana 48. lol. I just spent some time reading about those. What do you think about its heavier weight and the side cocking?
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I liked the side cocking better than the brake barrel. it is a lot heavier but it's not as long as some rifles. I don't have it anymore but I keep thinking about getting the 54, since I have gotten old, I am really sensitive to recoil and about a dozen shots out of a spring gun and I'm sore for a few days.
54 is recoilless but it's a bit heavier yet.
Mark
 
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maxtrouble said:
@2Ten - welcome to AGN. The rabbit hole is deep. Another Trad archer here. I shoot my pellets rifles and pistols more than I shoot my bow nowadays. I am getting lazy and don't want to chase arrows anymore on the 3d range😀

Make some posts while you are lurking (oxymoron I know) There is a great AGN classified section that only members can access. Lots of good deals and scammers are kicked to the curb very fast.

The HW95 is arguably one of the best spring powered rifles on the market. I suggest a .177, cheaper pellets and flat shooting. Krale is a great vendor for Weihrauchs. Good selection and fast shipping.

Youtube is your friend. Many good reviews and many smart people sharing their knowledge. AEAC has a great channel and breaks it all down. Steve is a great resource.

Click to expand...
Thanks! I checked out AEAC. Very good to know about. The HW95 is definitely on my short list of guns to consider. So is the HW50s. A friend has both, and I will get to try those out eventually. BTW: On the archery forum,TradTalk, I'm also 2Ten.
 
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Hi, welcome to AGN. You should check out " Flying Dragon Air Rifles ". They have R9s for the standard price, with warranty. BUT they have been tuned by Mike Melick. I got 1 in 22cal. Oh! it is so smooth,accurate,impressive. 25 yd groups are easily covered by a dime. The Reckord triggers are great. Another excellent choice would be HW50s in .177cal. I got mine from "Krale". Again , very,very small groups at 25yds. I think the HW50s in .177 is the perfect balance of a light,easy to cock, accurate, hard hitting, GREAT TRIGGER, break barrel springer out there. I gave mine a name, "Precious",lol. I put a Hawke 2-7x32 AMX scope on mine. The reticles on their AMX models is really good for a backyard air rifle. And yes ,you have stepped into a rabbit hole. Oh, be sure to get a good selection of pellets. H&N and JSBs are some of the most accurate. I get mine from Pyramid Air. They package them very well. That makes a difference. Good Luck
 
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HeyU said:
Hi, welcome to AGN. You should check out " Flying Dragon Air Rifles ". They have R9s for the standard price, with warranty. BUT they have been tuned by Mike Melick. I got 1 in 22cal. Oh! it is so smooth,accurate,impressive. 25 yd groups are easily covered by a dime. The Reckord triggers are great. Another excellent choice would be HW50s in .177cal. I got mine from "Krale". Again , very,very small groups at 25yds. I think the HW50s in .177 is the perfect balance of a light,easy to cock, accurate, hard hitting, GREAT TRIGGER, break barrel springer out there. I gave mine a name, "Precious",lol. I put a Hawke 2-7x32 AMX scope on mine. The reticles on their AMX models is really good for a backyard air rifle. And yes ,you have stepped into a rabbit hole. Oh, be sure to get a good selection of pellets. H&N and JSBs are some of the most accurate. I get mine from Pyramid Air. They package them very well. That makes a difference. Good Luck
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Thanks for the info! So far, I've gotten everything from Pyramid Air. Super happy so far. I have tried H&N, Crossman, and RWS. Now I need to try JSBs. Question: if you could only keep one, would it be the R9 or HW50s? Just looked at Flying Dragon... oh geesh, I think I might be in trouble. lol
 
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FelixS said:
Welcome to the hobby, and to the forum. First thing you need to do is ensure you have a belt or suspenders because your wallet is going to shrink and you'll need something to help keep your pants up.
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That's funny! Seems like good advice, but I can't decide if I should get the S99 suspenders or the S99xs which are a little wider with more holding power. Hm... I guess I just have to get both. lol
 
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2Ten said:
Thanks for the info! So far, I've gotten everything from Pyramid Air. Super happy so far. I have tried H&N, Crossman, and RWS. Now I need to try JSBs. Question: if you could only keep one, would it be the R9 or HW50s? Just looked at Flying Dragon... oh geesh, I think I might be in trouble. lol
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That's a tough one lol. HW50s in .177 cal. is lighter and easier to cock, shoots flatter within 25 yds. The R9 in 22cal is heavier and a little stiffer to cock,has a little more knock down smack, and is less hold sensitive due to it's weight. I'd have to pick the HW50s
 
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