Is Crosman a good for a beginner?
I think Crosman makes some of the best airguns for beginners, although my personal preferences for a complete beginner would be either the Daisy 880 or its big brother, the Winchester 77xs (or 1977xs, as it's also known).
As for Crosman airguns, like the Daisy (and the Winchester) companies, making airguns for beginners is pretty much a specialty, as they have many different models and offer fewer high-end, higher-powered airguns (although they do make some finer, higher-quality products well worth owning). In my opinion, the Crosman 362 in .22 caliber is an exceptionally good air rifle, suitable for
beginners that already have some rudimentary experience. Also, the price is very good, considering what you get for your money (a very good quality, robust, accurate and easy-to-use air rifle). It's a bit more powerful (and dangerous, consequently) than lower powered .177 caliber airguns, but the 362 also is very capable of small animal hunting and pest elimination (birds, mice/rats, squirrels, bunnies and similarly sized critters), as well as being excellent for target practice. It's easy to use and maintain, but probably is a little more gun than really necessary for an absolute beginner with no prior experience.
If you are looking for something for the complete newcomer, with no prior experience whatsoever, I would highly recommend the Daisy or Winchester mentioned earlier, or the Crosman Legacy 1000 and/or Crosman Classic 2100B. Both are practically the same airgun with slightly different looks, and both are quite good air rifles, but in my experience, they can be a bit tougher to pump up to full power (12 pumps) for smaller, less-muscular beginners, although strong youths and teens should be up to the task. However, for easier pumping with almost the same power and overall ease of use, you might go with something like the Crosman M4-177, which shoots with about the same strength, but requires only 10 easier pumps for full power, and a younger shooter in particular might really like the fact that it's a copy of the venerable M4 (AR-15) assault rifle. It does require some more exacting attention to detail for general use however, so that could be an issue as well for an inexperienced newcomer. However, all of the Crosman (and other) airguns mentioned should be able to handle the elimination of smaller pest animals within about 15 to 20 yards, and the .177 caliber pellets typically are cheaper and easier to find in stores than pellets for .22 caliber airguns, although I have no trouble finding what I need online. Lastly, tons of fun and with slightly less power, the Crosman American Classic air pistols (they make both .177 and .22 caliber models) can be a great choice for newbies, and for even more fun and utility, they can be purchased with the Crosman shoulder stock that will turn them into very short carbine 'rifles,' which are about the perfect size for younger, smaller beginners in particular, although they're accurate, so much fun and so easy to use, they're great for all airgun enthusiasts from beginner to expert!
Feel free to contact me for more detailed information or other recommendations if you'd like. Good luck!
