Buying an airgun-Need Advice

I'm sure this has been asked ALOT, and i'm gonna get different opinions, but I have to ask...
I have tried the a Daisy BB gun from a freind next door to me and its a piece of garbage...
I do taxidermy & 22's tear the heck out of the hide.
I need something with enough power to take a squirrel out at 100 Ft Max ??
Want to use a scope as well.
I HATE having to pump the heck out of it, so I want to go CO2..
Ok, here we go, Any recommendations??
I see them at Walmart, & other places, but am scared to buy a piece of garbage.
I know NOTHING at all about airguns !

It really depends on how much you want to spend.   If there is not a price limit, a nice Beeman R9 with a spring gun rated scope could be had for around $400 and you could go up from there.  If $400 seems like a lot, it is, but some guns run into the thousands.   That is the price you pay for not getting junk.  Personally I would not choose C02 due to the variation when the weather is cold.   Too much info about airguns to post it all here but you can call me at (860) 460-7876 and ask any questions you want to.

You mentioned that 22s tear up the hide too much.  Are you talking 22 rimfire?  A 22 pellet from an airgun might be OK.  A .177 pellet would be even smaller but not that much.  A 22 caliber or 20 caliber airgun would be better for hunting, even light hunting like squirrels, although you could get by with a .177 if you make good head shots.

 
Airgunner is right on.  The best gun, if you could only have one, would probably be the R9.  It comes in .177 and .20 calibers.  The R9 is a great shooter right out of the box and very accurate for a little over $400 with a scope.  The R9 would also have a good resale value compared to most other guns.  Over the long haul the Beeman R9 would probably be the most trouble free airgun.


I think a Mike Melick tuned QB78 in .177 or .22 would be OK in a CO2 gun for about $100--you would have to buy a scope.  Mike can tune a QB78  so that it shoots pretty hard although you would use up your CO2 a little faster--not really an issue unless you shoot a bunch.  The QB78 is also very accurate.  If you live in a colder climate, it could be that for a good part of the year the CO2 type guns would have diminished power.  I don't have that problem here in Central Texas.

Some of the so called "junk" guns would be OK if they were tuned and tweaked.    However, the total cost of a lower quality gun with the tune could approach the cost of the R9.  Perhaps some of the other forum members have some ideas along these lines.

Bevo66

[rabbit]

Hello...

     I would suggest one of the RWS spring guns. You have several to choose from. They are great shooters, out of the box, and they hold there resale value forever. All you have to do is clean the rifle, adjust the trigger to personal taste, and go shooting. I suggest you send off for a new catalog and do some research before you make - up your mind. I have several of them and would be glad to answer any questions I can. Look at all the major brands before you make a decision. There are a lot of good ones to choose from, so take your time. It would be good if you could shoot some of the better ones to see how you like them. Best of luck...

                                                                           Rabbit  

I like the gamo CFX in .177  Very accurate, fixed barrel spring powered. medium priced with a scope, it's a  light weight rifle and will take small game easy at 40 yards.

It has a synthetic stock so is not prone to getting scratched and beat up with use. it's one of the first rifles I pick up when I go varmint hunting in the back yard.

[Gene_SC]

LOL Shawn

All this information and more is gonna drive ya up a tree... You have asked a question will return a thousand suggestions and opinions.
What I have always heard is this..

What do you want to do with the air gun?
Do you want to plink?
Do you want to do small game hunting?
Do you want to compete?

Airgunner is correct. The Co 2 will be worthless in the winter months.
A decent Springer will give you constant velocity all year round.
A PCP will also give you constant velocities all year round. "High Pressure Air" (This statement is based on what I have read)

PCP's are more expensive normally to set up than Springers or Co 2 air guns.
You can buy a good Co 2 from Mike and it will work fantastic in the warm weather.
You can also buy a good Springer and it will work very well all year round.

There are literally hundreds of air guns out there. And one heck of allot of good ones. And allot of junk to:)
Basically you want one that shoots above 700 FPS for a 100 foot shot. That's for killing squirrels and small rodents. My Opinion:)

I have only been in this sport for 6 to 7 months. My love for the sport has lead me to creating this forum, just for people like you Shawn, that have never really owned an air gun but has the interest and desire to enter the sport. We have a great bunch of experienced air gunners here in this forum and you will find that they know what they are talkin about. We have also put a library section here so new and fermented air gunners can read articles on tuning, design, schematics, articles etc.

Now back to the original question.... What do you want to do with your air gun??

Just read posts to get an idea of what air guns can do and ask lots of questions

Gene

Airgunner
$400 for an airgun ??
Wow, I can buy a good handgun fo that, lol
So, in other words, Airguns are just like Firearms, you get what you pay for... Nice
The main reason I want an Airgun, is noise!
Ok, on the issue of CO2 ..
I am really concerned about pellet or shot placement being the same everytime.
Not the same hole, but fairly close at 100Ft Max
I had my mind set on CO2, but the Gene had to call me this morning and he talked me out of it.
Thanks Gene, lol
Have to admit, i'm learning alot here.
Thanks for replying Airgunner

[Gene_SC]

4  co 2 rifles and pistolas and and 7 springers. I love them all for what they do. Each one will do what I want it to do. You will find an air gun hobbiests generaly has more than one air gun... ..

Gene

Rabbit,
You hit the nail on the head.
All I want to do, is shoot a squirrel thats it, without leaving a large entry or exit hole along with noise.
I don't want to destroy the pelt, so I can mount the little bugger.
(To all you southerners, when I say MOUNT, I mean taxidermy, get your mind out of the gutter, not the other thing, lol)
Just messing with you people..
Just moved to Tennesee, so I'm officially a Damn Yank now,lol
K, back to the subject..
I like the idea, of out of the box accuracy, like a Marlin model 60 .22 rimfire.
If this is possible, it would be great.
Now for the really hard question, where to purchase.

bevo66,
Yea, I was talking about a .22 Rimfire from a Marlin Model 60
I tried .22 shorts, but in a Semi-Auto, you have to feed one at a time, and you don't get the loud crack when firing it.
Accuracy is lousy though.
It kidnda sucks , because on all the Guns & Ammo tv series, they just advertise Gamo.

[raterminator]

In your particular case, it is better to stick to .177 caliber gun. It may give you more velocity (1000fps – 1250fps) and enough muzzle energy to humanly kill at 40 – 50 yard distance without damaging the fur. But don’t expect too much out of 60 yards. Sure, if you're lucky, you could take a squirrel at 80 yards with a right head shoot, but it’ll not serve your purpose. If you are really concerned about constant shot placement at a big distance, CO2 isn’t a good choice. I’ll suggest you to look into fixed barrel springers (Air Arms or RWS 48, 52, 54), break barrel RWS 350 Magnum may be considered too. Look here, it will give you a picture of what to expect from different type of airguns: http://www.straightshooters.com/ssmenu.html  Good luck and keep us updated about your choice.

[rabbit]

Hello...

     Don't forget that you have to add in the price of a good scope and mounts for your rifle unless you buy a " combo - package ."  Overall weight is something you need to consider also. The " hard - shooting " springers have alot of recoil , and they are hard on scopes and mounts. They also take some time to learn how to shoot accurately. Practice with several different pellets. People on the Forum can help you with pellet selection. Best of luck...

                                                                        Rabbit    

~$200 + scope:

Cheap option #1: on sale RWS 46 E (http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=000622166196)
Cheap option#2: Gamo CFX (http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0024318226344a&type=product&cmCat=search&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&QueryText=gamo+cfx&N=4887&Ntk=Products&Ntx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&Ntt=gamo+cfx&noImage=0)

~$430:

Best option: R9 goldfinger (http://www.straightshooters.com/beeman/bdr9goldfinger.html)

Obviously people will disagree with my choices. These are just what I would pick in your situation.

[raterminator]

R9 is a better choice. I don't think he'll be happy with option#1. Here the test results of RWS 46: http://www.straightshooters.com/rws/rd46.html , http://www.straightshooters.com/ourtake/otr46.html

Well yes the R9 would be preferable. It's also more expensive.

You could also just use a CFX, but the RWS 46 is a much nicer piece of equipment, as is an R9.

I mentioned the RWS 46 E primarily because I happened to see one them on sale at midsouth for under $200. If all you want to do is take out some squirrels and do a little plinking that price is hard to beat.