New rifle confussion !!!!!!!!

[Gapmaster]

I am looking at the Tech Force 99, The Tech Force 89, the -B-26 and the B-40. I am looking for an accurate rifle that I can use for shooting targets and hunt with from time to time and one that will hopefully be dependable. I like the stocks on the Tech Force, but have heard good things about the others as well. Anyone with any experience with these rifles please chime in and help me make a good decision. Looking forward to your responses. Thanks, Gap

[Gapmaster]

I feel like my post has cooties !

[shadow]

I do have a TF but not a mag shooter, it's the TF59. Basically a paper puncher but I use her for nutters and pest birds. She's been tuned by Gene and is smooth and accurate. I do have two B26's both .177 and both are fantastic shooter's. The B26 in ether caliber are great shooters out of the box and super shooters with a tune. You can punch paper or head for the sticks to hunt with the B26 and feel confident that it will drop small game with ease providing that she's spitting the ammo that she likes a hunting pellet hopefully and accurate for shot placement. Ed

[longislandhunter]

I have a TF-89 .22 cal and also 2 B-26's  (.177 and .22)

The TF-89 is a real power house and a great hunting rifle.  It also has a really nice trigger right out of the box.  It's large framed rifle but the stock is nice and comfortable.  Mine is bone stock and the firing cycle is nice.  Offhand shooting with my 89 results in very good accuracy however my rifle doesn't like to be rested on anything at a shooting bench,,, if I sit at my shooting bench and use a rest then the rifle suddenly becomes very hold sensitive, however like I said, shooting offhand I get great accuracy.  

My 2 B-26's are both a dream to shoot.  Accurate, extremely comfortable to shoot, nice firing cycles, certainly not as much power as the 89 but more than enough power for both guns to be great small game rifles.  Also, the triggers on the 26's are great right out of the box.  

The power of the 89's is really impressive and they make great hunting rifles, but I don't think I'd buy one just to target shoot with.  You don't need all that power to punch paper, at least not in my  opinion.  

If I was looking for a rifle that would make a good paper puncher and also double as an effective small game rifle I'd go with the B-26.  Remember,, the B-26 is the clone of the R-9 and I can tell you they are fine shooters.  Also, the B-26 is going to be much easier to get replacement parts, or specialized after market parts for since it's based on the popular R-9 platform.

 Just my opinion..... other may think differently.....

Jeff

[onemountain]

Well, of the four you mentioned I can only really comment on the two that I've handled, the TF89 and the B40. Both are quite accurate, though if I had to declare one more accurate I'd say the B40 is. I had a TF89 for a short while, and had gotten to shoot one a decent amount before I got mine, and I liked it. It's a powerful gun, good for hunting. But that power is also wholly unnecessary for shooting targets, and if anything would just make shooting targets more difficult. And, as has been mentioned, it seems allergic to being fired off a rest (or just about any stable surface) for some reason, another minus for shooting targets. As for the B40, it's fairly quiet, still has a good amount of punch to it, and weighs quite a bit more. The weight makes it a very stable shooting platform and isn't really an issue firing off a rest or other object. But I wouldn't want to haul it around hunting. So of those two that I have experience with, I'd lean toward the B40 for your described purposes. I could talk about the TF99 and B26, but doing so would just be hearsay from all the posts I've read here. What I can say is that none of the guns you mentioned is underpowered for hunting, so probably just go with the the one you think you'd enjoy target shooting with the best.

Oh, and as for your post having cooties, it seems like most of the people on the GTA are in the Eastern and Central time zones, so you just posted a bit late to catch the main crowd, that's all. But I'm going to go wash my hands as a precaution anyway :p  

[daveshoot]

I've had the TF-99 (as a QB36-2) and I would not recommend it for your purposes. It was not an awful gun, but it is very heavy. It is also an underlever, with the good and bad points associated with that (not really my thing). I don't really it is in the same league as the other guns you're looking at.

I highly recommend the B26, also. I have that, and a version of the TF-89 platform. I would say 26 for trigger, 89 for power, both potentially great guns.

No experience with the 40 one way or the other.

[BumbleShot]

I have a B26, R9 and a B40.  I have to say, even though the B40 is pretty heavy, I'd take it over the B26.  The R9 is still honing itself, and the B40 is more accurate at this point.  I'm hitting a 1" circle at 30 yards consistently.  I have it in .177.  I put a Bushnell Banner 3-10x40AO on it.  Great match.  The bonus with mine is that it shoots Predators and CPLs the best, and both pellets have the same POI.  I may be lucky it likes them both in such a way.

Also, although the B40 is a bit of a beast, my wife, who is pretty small loves the B40 and can cock and load it just fine.  Although, I am sure she would hand it to me to carry if we hit the woods together.  The B40 also has a fine Rekord clone trigger and is a breeze to open up and work on without a compressor.  Very very quiet compared to the B26 .22 and R9 .20.  If you don't mind a heavy rifle, the B40 is smooth and accurate.  I think it's a certain notch up from B26.

[thebookdoc]

I have a TF89 and TF97, and also considered the guns you have here as well as the B28. I got the TF97 underlever a while back as my first real 'keeper' air rifle. The loading is a little awkward, especially with a bigger scope. While I have put quite a few pellets through it, I like the TF89 a LOT better...On the other hand the TF89 I had broke after about 1500 pellets. I was going to have it tuned anyway by that point, so just sent it out for a tune/repair, and expect that will fix the problem -- likely just the seal. I think the TF89 is pretty awesome, and at the recent prices of $149, I think you'll have a tough time finding a better deal. Great stock, pretty smooth, good accuracy...can't wait to get it back from the tune! I'm sure the TF99 is a great gun, but I enjoy shooting my TF89 a lot more than the TF97, so I shied away fro the TF99 when making the choice. I didn't regret going with the TF89

One interesting find I made over the past few weeks to fill in for my busted rifle...I got a Remington Vantage 1200 for $99. The scope is crap, but the rifle is decent. I see them vary widely in price, most people get them for $179...lists at $229. Hard hitting: it was going right through my custom 3.25" thick balsa traps. Says 1200fps, and I don't have a reason not to believe it. I now have to make cube traps 6x6x6. But now I get 3 traps out of 2 balsa blocks and can shoot all 6 sides. I guess it works out for the better anyway. I'd been getting it to behave pretty well in accuracy, hitting 1" targets at 20 yds 8-out-of-10, and with nice groupings for the 8. Two just seem to fly away every time.

I was almost going with the B26 at one point...but I'm waiting for the AR2000FC to come out -- similar look to the B26-2 and thumbhols stock. Tech Force will introduce it as the TF87 next month! Prices seem to be coming in around $179...and I'll be getting the .22. This has more power than the AR1000/B26-2.

So there's my experience.

[D R Greysun]

Gapmaster - 8/19/2009  10:00 PM

I am looking at the Tech Force 99, The Tech Force 89, the -B-26 and the B-40. I am looking for an accurate rifle that I can use for shooting targets and hunt with from time to time and one that will hopefully be dependable. I like the stocks on the Tech Force, but have heard good things about the others as well. Anyone with any experience with these rifles please chime in and help me make a good decision. Looking forward to your responses. Thanks, Gap

Gapmaster,
You may not want to hear this but for the price point (or close to it) you should look to the RWS 34.

http://www.pyramydair.com/p/rws-34-air-rifle.shtml

I'm not saying the AR 1000Mag/TF89

http://www.airrifle-china.com/newEbiz1/EbizPortalFG/portal/html/ProductInfoExhibit.html?ProductInfoExhibit_ProductID=c373e91fadd4df108f6fefcd523e7434&ProductInfoExhibit_isRefreshParent=false
 
is a bad rifle. It is in fact a pretty good copy of a Norica 'Marvic Gold'

http://www.norica.es/index.php?opt=2&id=328&bs=&spos=-466.876px

also known as a Beeman GS1000 which I have in .22 cal. The RWS 34 is a much better rifle, better trigger, smoother firing, it dose however have the same disadvantage of the AR/TF/GS rifles. They are all light weight for there power out put and that makes them more difficult to learn to shoot with what I consider 'acceptable accuracy' Perhaps because the 34 is some what heavier and very smooth with a great trigger it makes the learning curve less steep. The RWS 34 (or 34P)  is a better value any way you look at it.