GTA
General Discussion To Gateway To Airguns => Airgun Gate => : copotay June 10, 2009, 01:59:26 AM
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Hello everyone, first post, although I have been visiting for several weeks and decided to join the community. First let me say I am in my mid 40s and have enjoyed airguns when I was young with the old daisy lever actions and the old crossman pump. I am in Law Enforcment now for over 25 years and have fired all kinds of weapons during that time training, practice, etc, but never ventured into the airgun arena until now. Then about a year ago we began having problems with squirrels tearing up my pecan and oak trees, and blackbirds giving me problems with eating fruit off of some berry trees we have, so I decided to take a look at what the market had to offer in air guns nowadays. Boy, needless to say I was dumbfounded at how this market has exploded with what, about 40 manufacturers selling air powered rifles. So after doing a bit of research online visiting places like pyramid air and reading reviews, I decided to run down to my local Academy where they had the .177 Gamo Shadow Sport with 3 x 9 x 40 scope for $159.00. I bought it and then decided to home tune it with a lube kit and mini trigger insert from "&%$$%&*" site after web and forum surfing: (**%*$)*_)(*_)(*(^*$#^&%*^My_Homepage_Files/Page4.html This definitely helped out with the twang and the trigger is a little better in my opinion but still not like the trigger on my centerfire rifles (any suggestions to improve this trigger would be appreciated also). The factory scope was also giving me problems by not grouping at 20 yards, so I just bought a Leapers 3 x 9 x 50 to replace it and going to try several different types of ammo to get that straight. Anyway, my question is that since I have been messing with this air rifle I seem to enjoy it alot more than when I was younger and was looking at getting a second rifle maybe in .22 caliber since I already have a .177. Not necessarily looking for Gamo and thats what the headache is, there are so many to companies that offer these rifles and so many reviews, none of them real bad on any particular gun. So I am looking to the experts in the air gun field to assist me. I definitely am trying to stay under $300.00, we don't make much as cops, and I am not interested at this time in match shooting just need a plinker and varmint hunter with accuracy to carry around the property, possibly with an included good scope such as this that I saw some people were speaking of in .22: http://www.pyramydair.com/p/RWS-34-Breakbarrel-Rifle-Striker-Combo.shtml I never had a .22 air rifle so I know anything about its advantages or disadvantages other than the ammo is more expensive. I do know that everyone has an opinion on who has the better make of weapon in cartridge weapons, that is a heated debate everytime someone brings it up here at work, so I assume its the same with air gun weapons. I like my Shadow but sometimes feel there may be something a bit better out there that I would not have to modify as much and would work great right out of the box with no mods and serve my purpose. Plus it would give me another caliber for large varmints like a possum, armaillo, etc. Yeah our property is full of varmints, lol. Well, forgive me for being so long winded, but glad to be here.
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Hi copotay, welcome to the forum and thanks for serving as a LEO. If you like nice triggers, it'd be hard to beat a Record/Rekord trigger on the better Beemans or HW rifles.
Only problem is it'd be hard to find one with the power you need and in .22 within your price range, but you might be able to find it used if you're patient and at the right place at the right time. The only gun new with this trigger under $300 is the HW30S, but that is a lower powered gun though can still get small pest at under 25 yard or so if shot placement is good. Note only the S model has the Record trigger. This gun puts out about 6 to 7 foot pounds of energy at the muzzle.
The better RWS and Diana guns are less expensive, but their triggers probably needs some tuning to get them to where you'd like them.
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hi copoty, I have a RWS Diana .22 350 magnum and I got it for $240 from a friend and it's been tuned.... Very smooth and powerful... Nice trigger pull... All I can say is just keep checking the classified for a great deal.... RWS model 34 is also a good gun and I soul preffer to get it tune...
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The Diana 34 combo is a good deal. It has a better trigger than a Gamo and gets better with use. I have a Panther in .22 and love it. They are very easy guns to work on. Good quality German gun that will last for years. That being said, I also have a Ruger Air Hawk which is a close Chinese copy which is very good as well. I got it first and then wanted a .22 so got the Panther. If the B-25 (Hawk) had been available in .22 I would have got that and been happy. Chinese quality has gotten better. You might want to contact MM and get one or the B-26 which has a copy of the Rekord trigger and save some money for a better scope.
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Get either the B-26, or the Diana 34. Both are great weapons when tuned. The T-05 on the Diana is really alot better then most people think, and it only takes a little effort to smooth them out. But both of these shooters are well within your price range, and have plenty of power to dispatch pest/prey out to 40 yards with a well placed shot! I would recommend you shoot these before you take on a more powerful magnum like the B-28, Diana 350, etc. Good Luck, tjk
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I like the Panther and the B26, too. Both have very good triggers and are powerful enough, but still fun to shoot.
I might also suggest skipping the combo deal. The combo scopes usually aren't what you really want, and will usually just have regular mounting rings.
Get the gun, save the bucks, go to Optics Planet or Hawke, or watch the classifieds, for something that really fits your style of shooting. Also, budget $15-20 for a good Accushot one-piece scope mount to go with it.
Bet you don't stop at two air guns! It doesn't work like that... (http://../jscripts/tiny_mce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-surprised.gif)And welcome to the GTA, don't be a stranger. Let us know what you get and post some pics!
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i concur with dave,...for the money an MM tuned b26 in .2 caliber cant be beat. mike tuned mine prior to delivery, and it has by far the best trgigger of any of the air-rifles ive aquired. as for shooting,....offhand groups at 25 yards yield a consistent group of less than a quarter in size. from a bench that decreases substantially ! mine is equipped with the sporter stock, an 11mm to weaver adapter , med mounts and a centerpoint 4x16x40.
as dave and my peers have said.............its addicting. ive been a member for a couple months and have aquired no less tha eight air rifles now.
grins........and yes, former LE as well............
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Welcome to the forum:) Oh nothing like a second airgun great idea. I have to agree the b-26 or the diana 34 is the way to go. I have a .22 diana 34 and recomend it.... I like the wood stock just because im old and I just like wood stock..also like the open sights that come with it as sometimes I like a change:) natchez had them for around $175 buck I think. Oh I recomend a tune also. Good luck, Tony.
tjk - 6/10/2009 12:39 PM
Get either the B-26, or the Diana 34. Both are great weapons when tuned. The T-05 on the Diana is really alot better then most people think, and it only takes a little effort to smooth them out. But both of these shooters are well within your price range, and have plenty of power to dispatch pest/prey out to 40 yards with a well placed shot! I would recommend you shoot these before you take on a more powerful magnum like the B-28, Diana 350, etc. Good Luck, tjk
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Tks for all the replies, now I have alot more options to look at, ya'll are really a wealth of information, and its true about being addicting, lol.
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Welcome to the forum coptay and thankyou for your public service. You might want to call Umarex at 479-646-4210 and ask for Gene, or the demo dept. You can get a very high quality RWS rifle for 50% off. I got a RWS 34 pro for a little more than 200.00 with shipping included, plus the scope and mounts. Or maybe you should wait and spring for the new Crosman Nitro coming out the middle of this month. But if cost is your only hold back I would say call Umarex and get a RWS demo. It will be a long time before it needs a tune and by then you'll want to do it your self. This is my own opinion of course.
Paul
Texas
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The demos can be OK, but some members have had trouble with them. It is not a sure thing. Technically they have no warranty at all, but Umarex seems to have been pretty good about backing them if reported immediately. Also, the refurbs will have an "R" stamped in metal and wood, which would affect future resale value.
That is not to say they can't be good deals, just full disclosure on the Umarex refurbs. I bought a P5 pistol that way. It has the R. It also had a rather serious problem. They did take care of it, but it had to ship back for repair.
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I know exactly where you are coming from. I started out about 2 years ago with a .177 gamo varmit hunter that I bought new for about $200 with a scope. Scope is crap. The gun is good, but I wanted more power and more accurancy. I called Umerex and talked to glen, and I got a RWS46 for $225 including shipping that was in mint condition. Glen will tell you want he has in stock and condition. The 46 in .22 is a big hitter and very very accurante. It is also heavy, so that is a bit of a drawback over the gamo. I put a BSA scope on it, I think that it is a 4x9x50 and you can pick off a soda can at 60 yrds with no problem.
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copotay,............just curious about your screen name. cop is obvious,,,otay as in south san diego by chance ?
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The RWS 34 is hard to beat for the money IMHO.I own one in .177 that has been tuned and it is a real shooter!It's capable of 1/2 inch groups @50 yds under the right conditions.It's been the demise of lots of critters
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Put you back about $500. Worth every penny. A do everything really really well springer.
Or do what I did, a Macari MM tuned B26 in .22 with decent glass for half the price. But man, the R9 is about as good as it gets with springs on an EXPENSIVE low-budget...
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If Mike Melick has any of the .22 B-26 left (I believe he said this was in doubt for the future, too), you can have a great gun giving you about 700 fps and real accuracy, smooth firing cycle, solid materials, design, workmanship. I think Mike was shipping these $160 or $170 lube tuned with trigger work that makes the Chinese "Rekord" copy work very well. The B26-2 has a thumbhole stock, and it's a bit more, but it is very nice with the lower comb. His latest announcement said he had four of these that had not been spoken coming in on an old order from distributor.
http://airgunartisans.com/flyingdragon/
With a $70 Centerpoint AO scope and a set of mounts, that's about $260 new and spiffy. Hard to get a better new rifle at the price.
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triry - 6/10/2009 3:54 PM
copotay,............just curious about your screen name. cop is obvious,,,otay as in south san diego by chance ?
Lol, not close, but I can see how you might think that, its actually a french term that means "all messed up" tks for asking
Well did not have a chance to get back to the forum after I ordered the RWS 34 P earlier this afternoon. I ended up getting the fiber stock because I realized that the the wood stock had the Monte Carlo style and I am a lefty shooting a rifle/shotgun but a righty for pistols and handwriting. Wierd huh. I chose the one that was not a combo at Pyramid and only the rifle for now, because I forgot to mention in my original post that I am usually hunting those possums and armadillos in the middle of the night and I have a fishing pond with snapping turtles that are usually eating my fish against the shore when I can sneak up on them in close quarters where the open sights will be more of an assest than a scope.
I really appreciate everyone's input in making my final decision. tks, its great to have a site like this because I am sure this will not be my last rifle.
:emoticon:
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well one thing you should do for that gamo is get a new trigger,just goto the gamo fourm and see what we have all said about the GRTIII replacemant trigger from Charlie Da Tuna it does wornders for gamo's and crosman rifles and is only $32 shipped so fast it only took 2 days to get mine.As far as a good squirrel gun I love my 22cal.Benjamin Discovery it has never missed and never failed to drop one istantly with one shoot all the way out to 60 yrds,I love it so much I will end up getting the Marauder just because it has everything the disco doesn't and can only be twice as good!
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re the GRT trigger (and similar after-market triggers).
It is a great trigger (I have one on my Gamo Delta), but the trigger weight is reduced significantly, and there is no way to adjust the trigger weight. Depending on how you shoot this may or may not be an issue for you. For me on a controlled range and me shooting, not a problem. But to use it as a trainer/beginners rifle for a kid or new shooter, IMHO the trigger is WAY TOO LIGHT. There is a safety factor with a heavy trigger. Similar reason your service pistol has a heavy trigger. For a field rifle, it depends on the circumstances of the hunt, where the trigger becomes too light. Keep the parts, and if it turns out to be too light, you can put the original trigger back in. Unfortunately, the only way to know is to actually install it and use it.
BTW have you thought about using a red-dot sight? Same zero magnification as iron, but a lot easier to see, especially if the background is dark.
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Copotay,
I have the B26 (MM tuned, custom stock by Howie) and it is smooth and a joy to shoot. I also have an untuned B25. I'd recommend either rifle. Both have really nice triggers, smooth cycling and very accurate. My B25 is brand new so it is still breaking in but it actually has a bit more velocity than the B26 by about 50-60 fps. The B25 is shooting around 750 fps with Beeman lasers. I got the B25 for $140 including a quite bright and clear 3-9 x 40 scope at bestairgun.com if you buy a couple tins of pellets and spend $150 you get free shipping. This is an awesome deal on an excellent rifle!
Andy Wong aka larspawn
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hands down win... the RWS panther 34 on .22 caliber. german quality, retains its value, shoots stupid hard (730 fps with hunting weight pellets) and it looks so mean.
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ac12basis - 6/11/2009 11:42 PM
re the GRT trigger (and similar after-market triggers).
It is a great trigger (I have one on my Gamo Delta), but the trigger weight is reduced significantly, and there is no way to adjust the trigger weight. Depending on how you shoot this may or may not be an issue for you. For me on a controlled range and me shooting, not a problem. But to use it as a trainer/beginners rifle for a kid or new shooter, IMHO the trigger is WAY TOO LIGHT. There is a safety factor with a heavy trigger. Similar reason your service pistol has a heavy trigger. For a field rifle, it depends on the circumstances of the hunt, where the trigger becomes too light. Keep the parts, and if it turns out to be too light, you can put the original trigger back in. Unfortunately, the only way to know is to actually install it and use it.
BTW have you thought about using a red-dot sight? Same zero magnification as iron, but a lot easier to see, especially if the background is dark.
Yes I looked at the red dots and have one on my M16, it works great on tactical entries in low light, I may get one for it and see how I like it. Never thought about the weight either but yes you are right about the trigger, I will have to check it out to see if I like it.
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ac12basis - 6/12/2009 9:42 AM
re the GRT trigger (and similar after-market triggers).
It is a great trigger (I have one on my Gamo Delta), but the trigger weight is reduced significantly, and there is no way to adjust the trigger weight. Depending on how you shoot this may or may not be an issue for you. For me on a controlled range and me shooting, not a problem. But to use it as a trainer/beginners rifle for a kid or new shooter, IMHO the trigger is WAY TOO LIGHT. There is a safety factor with a heavy trigger. Similar reason your service pistol has a heavy trigger. For a field rifle, it depends on the circumstances of the hunt, where the trigger becomes too light. Keep the parts, and if it turns out to be too light, you can put the original trigger back in. Unfortunately, the only way to know is to actually install it and use it.
BTW have you thought about using a red-dot sight? Same zero magnification as iron, but a lot easier to see, especially if the background is dark.
Mine was also too light for my taste. I had trouble sensing the transition from 1st to 2nd stage even though I'm used to match triggers in 10M rifles. I solved the problem by adjusting out the first stage entirely and I'm now quite happy with the trigger.