Whats a decent & cheap springer rifle?
Looking for a “CHEAP” springer gun thats good on accuracy for 20-25 yds for plinking. A .22 cal would be preferrable, but .177 seems to be the cal of choice for local stores with the execption of one gun.
Looked at a Beeman dual caliber (.177 & .22 barrels) at Academy Sports for $139. Wal-Mart had a Crossman Quest 1000X in .177 cal for $99 and a Gamo Big Cat 1200 in .177 cal for $129.
Anyone have any ideas if these or something else under $150 is out there? I’ve got 2 Talons, just want something cheap to screw around with and not cost anything to shoot.
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😆 Sounds pretty enjoyable triggerman. Ironic that you spend so little on something that give you so much fun.
Well, I started this thread and got lots of suggestions, just never acted on any. I saw a sales circular ad in todays paper from the Academy sports store for a sale they were having on some stuff I needed. Just came home with the other stuff and a new toy that I found on a clearance sale.
It was regularly priced at $49.99 and for $24.95, is now in my hands, joined at home by 2 talon SS’s, two CF air tanks and almost 2k invested in both with accessories, this little $25 gun is just funner than a barrel of monkies.
RWS superdomes are grouping in 1″ at 25 yds, 6 pumps sails one at 585fps and I have wiped out 4 tweety birds in the last 30 minutes. Not a cheaper, more fun way to spend the day……. 😆
A lot of the new “Wal Mart Beeman’s are made in China and look good, have the Beeman name, but are not too good.
I hate it when a good company tries to get in on the low end stuff just for an extra buck
I myself own an RWS 34 panther. It is a great gun, and I have taught myself to shoot it very accurately. I’m buying a talon ss just because I would prefer it to be easier to shoot accurately, but I still recommend the panther to anyone considering a springer.
Rick, stay away from that Beeman “Dual Caliber” gun. My friend recently bought the same gun, and brought it over to sight in. He seemed proud to acquire this new gun. I set up a target with some circles to try to do this. He attached the .22 barrel, and started shooting. He couldn’t hit a damn thing with it, so I gave it a try.
This gun had the WORSE trigger pull I ever felt it my life. Just trying to keep the gun steady while trying to pull it was a task in itself, taking almost all your might to pull the thing. Horrid! The only plus about this trigger was that it was rather wide, and well rounded, so your finger wouldn’t get cut in half trying to pull it. I was only able to put two holes in a one inch circle at about 30 ft, which with this gun I’ll say was pure luck. The other 8-10 shots were way off. Now, I don’t have alot of experience with springers, but this was bad.
Once you’ve mustered the power to pull the trigger, you experience the most horrid recoil you ever felt, this, with the trigger pull makes it virtually impossible to hit the broad side of a barn, not to mention when changing barrels, they didn’t seem to attach firmly and solid, suggesting more accuracy problems even if everything else worked right. So, my friend wasn’t feeling to proud after this, I’m not sure if he tried to return it, sell it or what, but I’m sure that day was the last day he’d bother with it. What a POS.
Good choice.
I have one and it is the best $45 (club price) I have ever spent on a gun
I ended up talking myself into a .22 IZH 512M from the Sportsmans guide. Unfortunatly they wont ship pretty much ANYTHING gun (or NV for that matter) related to Mass so its coming via the lama railroad… so maybe I’ll have it before retirement.
Lots of choices….
But dont make the mistake that springers are just close range. 20-25 yards, you can get a $25 Cummings B-3 and plink at those ranges.
Springers require a certain amount of technique, but make no mistake, a good springer can be every bit as accurate as a PCP well out to 50 yards. Those that say springers arent as accurate as PCP simply do not know how to shoot a springer to its potential.
For $150-$200, you should be looking at an RWS 34… good German quality and accurate. Only downside to the 34 is it’s a bit longish for me. Feels a bit awkward, but if you like the gun, you can always send it off to Paul Watts for $40 and have him cut, choke, and recrown the barrel to make it a bit easier to point.
Some other options would be the lower end springers, but be prepared to invest in a tune kit or the very least, a trigger upgrade…else, you’ll be disappointed. These include the Quest, Gamo’s, SH, GH series Turkish, Spanish, or Chinese Beemans, and the Winchesters.
Someone mentioned the B26 and this is a good choice. Quality control issues tend to plague the Chinese guns and if you get a bad one, you’re SOL, but get a good one, and you’ll be very happy.
For a bit more scratch, you can get a used R9. The R9 is one of the better springers that can compete with PCP easily with groups.
I’ll post a few pics of groups I’ve done with various models of my springers so you can see what I mean…….
Beeman Kodiak… monster springer. Considered to be one of the harder to shoot accurately… but it CAN be done.
TX200HC in .22… easy to get groups like this…
This is from an R1. I did throw a flier, but added the extra shot just to be sure…
Webley Patriot in .22… another beast…. tamed with technique…
The aforementioned R9
The little R7 at 30 yards..
R11 at 30…
HW97 at 30…
TX200HW in .177 at 50
HW97 again… out at 35 yards…
The inexpensive B26… tuned…
A $19.95 Chinese springer at 20 yards… tuned…
RWS54 at 30…
Yeah….that would be nice. Hell it would make my day if she delivered the gun 😯
Does it come with the girl? 8)
If .22 is what you really want Hammerli Storm.
http://www.pyramydair.com/p/hammerli-storm-break-barrel.shtml
Or the BAM XS-B26 is based on XS-B20 which is a clone from Beeman R9. This has a good REKORD TRIGGER clone.
http://bestairgun.stores.yahoo.net/bamxsairri1.html
Or this one:
http://bestairgun.stores.yahoo.net/bamxsairri2.html
and this one:
http://bestairgun.stores.yahoo.net/bamxsairri3.html
gamo cfx…i’d like to try the new gas ram spring for it
Mendoza rm-200. Cheap and accurate for your range with the right pellets – big ones like RW superpoints. Sportsman’s guide has them for $90 in .177
Sportsmans guide is selling the IZH MP 513M for $50. Same gun at Pyramid is $99
http://www.pyramydair.com/cgi-bin/model.pl?model_id=159
Pyramid sell just the .177 with the synthetic stock, sportsmans guide sell the .22. You can get wood stock – but it costs $150 in .177 or .22 fropm pyramid.
Supposed to be a good deal. Wish I’d gotton one instead of a fast deer.
I like Gamo’s too…. Had a shadow and it was a nice and very accurate gun for the price ($100). I’d get a refurb CFX in a heartbeat if I was looking for another springer.
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And it isnt a springer! I want my 2 cents worth of advice back !! 😆