Whats your fav budget gas piston Rifle ?

[Moe M.]

I don't know if $300 is "budget", but I really enjoy shooting the Gamo Swarm gen2 magnum .22.



My 2nd favorite (~$150 new) break-barrel (have owned only a few, maybe six or eight in my life) is another Gamo, the Silent Cat in .177.
(as you can see, I like to put some color on mine. )

And finally, bottom of the list, but the cheapest good shooter I've had is a Varmint in .177. $80 new.

And finally, the one break-barrel I just hated, the Umarex Forge ($150). What a piece of poorly-made junk.

What is wrong with the Forge ? It's a good looking gun.

 

[Serdac]

I'm an HW/Beeman and UK BSA/Webley guy (might try an AA springer soon) and wanted a cheap springer in .25 for close range thumping. I didn't want to spend $$$ for an HW80/90/95/98 in .25 at the time so I purchased a Hatsan 95 (spring version) in .25 for real cheap, I think under $170 new and it came bundled with a cheap scope. It turned out to be an absolute gem, I couldn't fault it - very accurate and hard hitting. I gave it to a family member who fell in love it with after shooting it a few times, it was his intro to airguns, he's been good to me so I didn't mind. After that I picked up a Hatsan 87QE with a gas ram in .25 new for about $150, again a total gem. It currently shoots 16.5 grain lead free .25 cal pellets at 775 fps and is very, very, very accurate too. It was bundled with a cheap scope and is a death ray to large invasive iguanas out to 25-30 yards. I really enjoy shooting it.

 

[pdxFrank]

What is wrong with the Forge ? It's a good looking gun.

It is! Reason I got it really. And it looks great. 

From 5-feet away.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0C23tuPDzq0



And in spite of it's looks, the mechanical problems were numerous. 

I bought it direct from Umarex, complained, they wanted me to send it back, my dime, and wait a few more weeks for a replacement.

Nah, sold it for a little loss and moved on. It's the 3rd or 4th Umarex-branded gun I've owned that I wish I hadn't.

 

[strangeluck65]

Umarex Ruger Airhawk Elite II. $107 wally world. Takes a while for newb to get dialed in.

I have the same rifle, if it's the .177 try NSA slugs in it - they work great!

 

[ray1377]

My favorite "budget" gas ram is my Crosman Nitro Venom in .22 caliber.

I replaced the factory stock for one off a Benjamin Nitro Trail thumb-hole version.

I hit ten out of ten times on 1 inch spinners at 30 yards.

Nice gun for what I paid for it years ago which was $139 on sale if I remember correctly.

Ray

 

[1keloso1]

My old gamo 440 in .177 cal , payed $ 82 bucks for it in a pawn shop, that rifle surprised me even till this day. I hunted and shot dots with that thing all day long. Made some awesome 70 yard shots and a few farther out, wile l hunted with it. I sold it a few years back , but still remember it.

 

[Odoyle]

Used to be a Theoben Evolution 20 caliber until 20 cal Crosman Premiers got discontinued.

I would now have to say either of my 177 and 22 Theoben SLR98s. 

They cost a little more than $74 though.

 

[pdxFrank]

Used to be a Theoben Evolution 20 caliber until 20 cal Crosman Premiers got discontinued.

It is a rather odd-ball caliber, but surely there is ammo out there even better you can use without giving up a gun over it.

 

[flatpick65]

Benjamin Varmint NP in 22. Purchased reconditioned from Midway for $37.00 a couple years back. Yep, $37.00. Cocks easy, shoots straight (after a barrel bend- lol) and has a nice shot cycle. Dime groups at 25 yards all day long with 14.3 Crosmans, 15.9 JSB's or 18.1 JSB's. A modest 18 FPE gun. I've spent well over 10X the money on other springers and 40x the money on some high end PCPs, but that little Benjamin always brings a smile to my face when I shoot it.

 

[Moe M.]

I have three gas piston rifles, a Gamo Swarm .22 Bone Collector, a Ruger Impact Max in .22 cal., and a Crossman Vantage in .177 caliber, all with wood stocks, all are great reliable accurate shooters, all have needed simple trigger work, all shoot way above their price point.