Springer <--> PVP <--> Springer

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Yeah as a kid, I similarly started on a Crosman Pumpmaster 760 multi-pump in the 80s and 90s. I threw that away upon turning 18 and realizing that airguns are highly illegal in my city. Now I've moved to greener pastures and started again. i picked up another 760, which sadly is constructed much more cheaply these days. Within a year I've amassed a small collection of springers (check my profile!) and can't get enough. I will be getting plenty more -- but need to get a new safe first.

I'm thinking about getting a first PCP just to dip my toes in the pool but don't really know where to start. I'm in no rush, so just waiting for something to really catch my eye one day.
The Seneca Dragon Claw seems really badass and fun.
Thinking an Air Force Condor might be interesting.
Otherwise I've seen a couple of good things about FX Dreamlight.

I'm still having too much fun with springers at the moment -- when I get more clarity on where to start I'll venture over to the other side :)
 
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I always enjoyed the idea of plinking but, sadly, it wasn't part of my life until ~2012. I got into PB as well as pellet guns as I now had someplace to shoot. I started off with a Beeman P17 and a GAMO Bone Collector (gas piston ?) both in .177. These were the guns I basically learned to shoot with. Then I heard about PCP's and was hooked. Picked up a Crosman 1720T pistol after getting a chance to shoot the Crosman 1701 at a gun club event. This really fueled my desire for more so I picked up the Benjamin Marauder in .22. Was blown away by the accuracy of a PCP, quiet and no recoil. Meanwhile, a buddy of mine borrowed my GAMO which he had for almost 2 years. Next I picked up a Marauder Semi-auto in .22 and then came the Maverick in .25. By this time I've acquired a Benjamin Recharge compressor, 3 tanks and I've built a range in the back yard with a bunch of steel targets. Love shooting PCP's. The P17 has an air leak that I haven't been able to solve so it sits. I recently got my GAMO back from my buddy and shot it for the first time in 2 years. WOW does that thing kick and so much louder lmao. Forgot what it was like for the recoil to pull my sight off the target and the accuracy has always sucked. I had another buddy take it at one point to have him shoot it to take the shooter out of the accuracy question. He was getting 1.5-2" group at 10yds. His Beeman R7 was doing one ragged hole at 10yds. I enjoy shooting at tiny targets so the GAMO is a waste of time for me but it was a ~$150 rifle so it is what it is. Next, I'm considering an Impact in .22. With all this being said, I've never owned or shot a springer but if I get one, I won't just dip my toes in, I'd get a good one in .177 cuz I do recognize the simplicity of just a gun and a tin of pellets.
 
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BOOMBBQ said:
Wow i gotta check out the Diana 54. That wasn't on my list but it sounds very special. I did get the Diana Oktoberfest gallery gun and love it. It's a blast! What do you love about the 54?
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The 54 is fantastic - highly accurate, plenty of power, easy to shoot well, and a springer (side lever too! which has a ton of advantages..)

But it really boils down to the fact that, other than the weight, it's essentially the perfect hunting rifle.
 
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Springers, gas rams, all the fine points of owning these have been mentioned above. Especially the quality German made models. They truly do give you a sense of pride of ownership, knowing you have a piece of German made craftsmanship each and every time you hold one.
One of the things not mentioned aside from difficulties of holding technique, springer recoil jolt, etc that comes from springer shooting, is factoring in age and physical status when shooting springers. We all get old, and depending on how we treated our bodies early on, cocking and shouldering up a springer can be very difficult for some. I, for one, cannot cock my Beeman classic RX1 in 20 cal hardly anymore. Yeah, I can do it, but I also make the ugliest grimacing face and will later on pay for it in a sleepless night due to pain. Years and years of driving in #10 sheet metal tek screws with a drill motor has taken its toll on my rotator cuffs. The enjoyment of shooting a springer quickly goes away. PCP’s allow the physically challenged folks to still be in the game.
 
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BOOMBBQ said:
I'm really early in my airgun journey right now and am a huge fan of German and UK springers. I'm very tempted by PCPs, but don't have the knowledge and gun safe space for them yet. I'm wondering how others have made the transition from springers to PCP or vice versa. What drove you to go one way or the other? Do end up keeping both types of guns and shooting both?
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BOOMBBQ;

"I'm wondering how others have made the transition from springers to PCP or vice versa." Money, time and one's willingness to spend on both of them and ones ability to pay for it or them. For me, it was very easy and always having a decent job and a means to pay for my "new to me found hobby". When I purchased my first "adult airgun" in 1983, an RWS45, I was very impressed with its ability to take down small game such as rabbits, squirrels and an occasional pecky bird. Shortly after that I purchased a Daystate Huntsman in .177 that I still own as I write this post and that was pretty close to 40 years ago.

The transition came with a sacrifice when it comes to its cost but never at the expense of our family budget that I always put first. I was the sole wage earner and the passion for my new found hobby had to wait but as time progressed, my passion grew even more. At the time, the springer was my go-to-airgun (Beeman R1 in .177, HW77 in .177) because I began the compete with my Daystate Huntsman in the late 80's. The next pcp was the Korean AR6 in .22 that I purchased from Air Rifle Specialist and time and space won't allow me to tell just how many air guns I've purchase since then. Hunting and shooting with the pcp was so much easier than with a springer and I always had a reliable source for air that wasn't a problem. As it goes with time and as I began to ripen, I took the dive deeper into the rabbit hole so called "the dark side" which changed the game completely for me. So to answer your question again, it was "Money, time" and I almost forgot----convenience!

Ps......I can't remember when I last shot one of my springers but I still have my "trusty" and in this order, Beeman R10D in .20 caliber, my TX200 in .177 caliber, my HW97 in .177 caliber, my FWB300, my Beeman RX2 in .22 caliber and a couple of Chinese clones of the TX200 and the RWS/Diana 350 both in .22 caliber.
 
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Like my daddy used to say "all you need is the money"...Springers are a no brainer...out of the box performance with guns like HW97, R-9, TX200, ect you just need pellets and PRACTICE...yes keep the screws tight...consider them LOW maintenance not no maintenance. PCPs have a hassle factor HOWEVER that "Hassel factor" can be greatly reduced depending on the model and intended use AND how much money you want/can throw at the hobby. I've said before and will again...FOR SOMEONE WHO WANTS A GOOD RELIABLE PCP GET AN UNREGULATED DAYSTATE HUNTSMAN...WHY...they are very easy to hand pump from 100 to 200 bar...hand pumping a gun to 250+bar is no joy...again throwing money at a tank is better BUT for simplicity sake pumping is ok...PCP's are very easy to get used to and to me worth the dollar cost and hassle factor...that said I own PCPs that generally have a "PLUG AND PLAY" reputation and I personally have very few problems with my PCPs and always felt problems were overstated...ask folks who have owned Huntsmans or Taipan Veterans for a while. IF YOU LIKE TO SHOOT AND CAN AFFORD THE COST GET ONE OF EACH...springer and and a PCP but I would counsel not to go cheap...but that's just me.
This Huntsman .177 I got in trade 3 years ago from a member who got it used from AOA I stopped counting how many tins at 12 two years ago I have put through it...still consider it my most accurate air gun...and beginning to believe it's indestructible. Best of luck on you airgun adventure!
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I started with a cheap springer ,poor experience , then a PCP , then a top line PCP . Then a HW97 tuned to 11.6 fpe and a list of springers follows .
I mostly shoot springers now . Love the grab a gun and tin of pellets and go shoot of a springer and accurate target shooting . still shoot PCP but more often springer .
 
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RM100GUY said:
Like my daddy used to say "all you need is the money"...Springers are a no brainer...out of the box performance with guns like HW97, R-9, TX200, ect you just need pellets and PRACTICE...yes keep the screws tight...consider them LOW maintenance not no maintenance. PCPs have a hassle factor HOWEVER that "Hassel factor" can be greatly reduced depending on the model and intended use AND how much money you want/can throw at the hobby. I've said before and will again...FOR SOMEONE WHO WANTS A GOOD RELIABLE PCP GET AN UNREGULATED DAYSTATE HUNTSMAN...WHY...they are very easy to hand pump from 100 to 200 bar...hand pumping a gun to 250+bar is no joy...again throwing money at a tank is better BUT for simplicity sake pumping is ok...PCP's are very easy to get used to and to me worth the dollar cost and hassle factor...that said I own PCPs that generally have a "PLUG AND PLAY" reputation and I personally have very few problems with my PCPs and always felt problems were overstated...ask folks who have owned Huntsmans or Taipan Veterans for a while. IF YOU LIKE TO SHOOT AND CAN AFFORD THE COST GET ONE OF EACH...springer and and a PCP but I would counsel not to go cheap...but that's just me.
This Huntsman .177 I got in trade 3 years ago from a member who got it used from AOA I stopped counting how many tins at 12 two years ago I have put through it...still consider it my most accurate air gun...and beginning to believe it's indestructible. Best of luck on you airgun adventure!View attachment 307064
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RM100GUY:

I was shooting my Daystate Revere in .177 on yesterday shooting 3 different kinds of pellets and being a Daystate owner for right at 40 years, this pcp never seizes to amaze me with its accuracy. I've not taken the time to chronograph it yet but even shooting the 16.20 grain JSB Exact Beast pellets at 30 yards, they were one ragged hole groups. One of these days, I'll share some photos of my toys as I once did back in the day. BTW...More power to your pump!
 
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BTW: I agree with the last two posts by @beerthief & @RM100GUY - the BIG key to having a good time is just skipping the cheap stuff and buying soemthing excellent, no matter if it is a springer, PCP, SSP or literally anything else, just buy the absolute maximum your budget can bare (or the top of market/best of breed) and you'll never really regret it. Top end stuff almost always sells better too when it comes time to recover your investment and move it into new hobbies or needs.

IMO the best way to do that is to be the guy buying some slightly outdated top end kit, you'll get absolutely fantastic performance, and at a price that means you can recover nearly 100% of the investment later on, if not more in some cases. The classifieds forum here is a GREAT way to go for that. :)
 
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BOOMBBQ said:
Which ones are you thinking of starting with?
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There lies the problem,......if I start selling one by one ( tried that before ) I inevitably get seller regret ( I truly love my guns ) and try buy them back from the buyier :ROFLMAO:

The only way I could pull this one off would be to sell all in bulk,...well that's never gonna happen, so I guess I will stick with my wandeful PCP line up :ROFLMAO:
 
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BOOMBBQ said:
Wow i gotta check out the Diana 54. That wasn't on my list but it sounds very special. I did get the Diana Oktoberfest gallery gun and love it. It's a blast! What do you love about the 54?
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I love how it has a classic stock design and nice checkering. I love that it’s made in Germany. Most of all, I love the technology behind the recoilless action. A true marvel of airgun engineering paired with German quality. I hate the plastic barrel bushing, plastic sight, and plastic trigger guard. Luckily I took off a metal trigger guard from an old 48. So that’s one less plastic part. Besides the dislike of plastic parts it’s top 3 in my airgun collection. I don’t think I’ll get over that magical feeling of shooting a magnum springer with no recoil
 
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I can't speak to PCP. I would love a PCP but the accessories and extra are just more cost and effort than I like right now. I picked up a .177 TX200 MKIII and shoot out to 50-yards. It will shoot 2.5" to 3" at 100 yards but it takes work to get there. It shoots around 1" at 50-yards. I have video of 16.6 yards to 100 yards if it helps.

I come from the rimfire and handgun world. Springers require some discipline and consistency to shoot precision.
 
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I have both but enjoy springers and gas pistons more than PCP's. The thing I have with PCP's is that once I got past the initial novelty they were no more difficult to shoot than PB's. In fact I find that out to 50 yards my 22 M-rod is more accurate than my Ruger 10/22 PB. Within 50 yards I feel like I'm operating a machine that "automatically" makes one hole groups (given calm wind conditions...). The springer is a constant challenge for improvement. You can spend your whole life getting better and seeing progress all within 50 yards.
 
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badger5th said:
I have both but enjoy springers and gas pistons more than PCP's. The thing I have with PCP's is that once I got past the initial novelty they were no more difficult to shoot than PB's. In fact I find that out to 50 yards my 22 M-rod is more accurate than my Ruger 10/22 PB. Within 50 yards I feel like I'm operating a machine that "automatically" makes one hole groups (given calm wind conditions...). The springer is a constant challenge for improvement. You can spend your whole life getting better and seeing progress all within 50 yards.
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Correct PCPs are just a perfect hunting machine, I cannot even think of using them as target shooters
 
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AirArcher66 said:
Correct PCPs are just a perfect hunting machine, I cannot even think of using them as target shooters
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To go a bit beyond my previous response I think 100 yard+ target shooting is where a PCP (with slugs) would shine and become a challenge again. All I have at my gun club is 100 yards. At some point will try the M-rod at that range; only out to 50 yards so far. Regarding hunting, yeah, at short-mid ranges a PCP is more certain and less succeptible to user error..
 
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badger5th said:
To go a bit beyond my previous response I think 100 yard+ target shooting is where a PCP (with slugs) would shine and become a challenge again. All I have at my gun club is 100 yards. At some point will try the M-rod at that range; only out to 50 yards so far. Regarding hunting, yeah, at short-mid ranges a PCP is more certain and less succeptible to user error..
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More accurate, more powerfull, less heavy, more quiet, repeater,.....as a hunter a PCP has no challengers in the airgun world.
 
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Simplyhooked PCPs said:
RM100GUY:

I was shooting my Daystate Revere in .177 on yesterday shooting 3 different kinds of pellets and being a Daystate owner for right at 40 years, this pcp never seizes to amaze me with its accuracy. I've not taken the time to chronograph it yet but even shooting the 16.20 grain JSB Exact Beast pellets at 30 yards, they were one ragged hole groups. One of these days, I'll share some photos of my toys as I once did back in the day. BTW...More power to your pump!
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Love to see some groups. Pumping is getting harder and harder since my stroke 8 mo's ago...guess a tank is in my future 'cause I'm not giving up PCP's without a fight!
 
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