[Closed] Tell me about - air rifles

Can't really see the point in a tuned air rifle:

Hardly anyone can shoot accurately enough to exploit the extra power when attempting to cleanly dispatch a living creature.

Well, the kill was about 130 long paces and I was 6 foot when I was 15.

I was a teen and open to idiocy so you can all kindly get bent.

Yes it was a headshot and yes I had won an arseload of cadet shooting competitions before hand. And yes, If I had been bothered I could have probably shot at an international level. So there.

I had two great uncles that were Snipers on the Somme and grandfather who was a RAF marksman. It runs in the family.

Conversely I can't shoot shotguns for shit.

All of this is besides the point I would have never done that with a .22, unless you are shooting an FAC rifle .177 are generally more accurate over longer ranges and that's what you want. A .177 or a .22 to the body of a rat isn't going to kill it outright and either a .177 or .22 to the head of a rat will kill them cold.

The precharged ones seem a bit pointless to me unless you've got an FAC - if you're limited to 12ft/lb's, then I reckon underlever rifle like the BSA Airsporter has to maintain greater accuracy than a break barrel, they'll only turn about 10ft, but if you need more power/range, then for the money you'd spend on a good air rifle, you could buy a cabinet, FAC and a decent .22 RF

Nice one bwaarp - 'they' probably still don't believe you, but if you say it happened, then why should someone who wasn't there disagree. OK, there may have been some 'luck' involved, but I think you intimated that in your post anyway.

Of course there was! But the round would have never even got there with a .22, with the scope I was using I would have had to have aimed so far up that I wouldn't have been able to see the target! That's my point! .177's are better everyday tools. Granted I guess .22's can be a bit more affected by wind.

TBH Airarms S410's were pretty damn accurate though compared to a break barrel - so there was less variation at range than one might assume - and there was no wind at all.

Zulu-Eleven - Member

The precharged ones seem a bit pointless to me unless you've got an FAC

More accurate as well and you don't screw up your body position (by operating the break barrel) using a bolt action if your using them to train for competition shooting with proper rifles.

ok, fair comments - but for those advantages (apart from the ratting) I'd be inclined to just go for a .22RF

Ammo is so cheap as to not even be a worry, unlike my bloody .17HMR! (saying that - I took it onto the 200m range with the club and it was surprisingly consistent once I'd got the drop figured.)

You can't shoot .22lr in your garden or on friends land without peering down the bangy end of a police Heckler & Koch though (unless the land has been deemed suitable).

Conversely I can't shoot shotguns for shit.

How odd you should say that.

When I went to my first ever clay shoot, made a point of reassuring the instructor by telling him I was ex. ATC RAF Marksman (Small Bore and Full), and a current Section 1 FAC holder and regular Practical Pistol and Rifle shooter.

I achieved the most notable score of the day that no one managed to better.

Zero clays out of 100! 😳

I blame the lack of rear sight!

This thread might end up costing me money! I've ended up looking at take-down rifles, mainly so I could carry it while on my bike. I'm wondering if many folk have had the police land though, due to some of them looking like something more powerful than an air rifle?

I can see the advantage of an FAC air rifle, but it'd have to be a pre-charge (recoil vs accuracy) - mainly though because it still fires pellets, rather than bullets.

So the lethal range is the length of my garden, rather than to the next village...

Zulu-Eleven - Member
The precharged ones seem a bit pointless to me unless you've got an FAC - if you're limited to 12ft/lb's, then I reckon underlever rifle like the BSA Airsporter has to maintain greater accuracy than a break barrel, they'll only turn about 10ft, but if you need more power/range, then for the money you'd spend on a good air rifle, you could buy a cabinet, FAC and a decent .22 RF

b r - Member

I can see the advantage of an FAC air rifle

Really?
Just out of interest, what would you use it for?

I've only got two things to 'say' about shooting & accuracy.....

[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimmygrainger/8017523618/ ]Corporal Craig Harrison[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/jimmygrainger/ ]jimmyg352[/url], on Flickr

And.....

[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8448/8009486384_d7c298bffb_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8448/8009486384_d7c298bffb_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimmygrainger/8009486384/ ]AWM L115A3[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/jimmygrainger/ ]jimmyg352[/url], on Flickr

Air Rifle schmairifle, get a proper rifle!

Another vote for the BSA Lightning XL. Swapped mine for a Cannondale a few years ago and deeply regret it.

It's quite a dinky little thing (but not light!), really solidly put together and has a built in silencer.

I now only have a Chinese made rifle - it looks absolutely horrible and the Tasco scope cost more than the rifle 🙂 That said, it's amazingly accurate for a cheap and nasty break barrel with play in the hinge! Cost me about £50...

The Weihrauch hw 77 I had years ago had the best trigger of any air rifle .............ah reminiscing 😉

b r - Member

Anyone got a recommendation for a junior (son is a small 14 y/o) rifle that can mount a diopter (plus tunnel site) to?

Worth checking out the SMK XS78 CO2

[url= http://www.sportsmk.co.uk/cat/66/air-rifles/smk-air-rifles#442 ]http://www.sportsmk.co.uk/cat/66/air-rifles/smk-air-rifles#442[/url]

Reasonably light and was very accurate for a reasonably priced air rifle, you would have to budjet for gas mind.

There's a couple of good rifles on pink bike ATM

I have one of the very earliest PCPs.

Would entirely disagree about the "pointless" comments.

AWM L115A3 by jimmyg352, on Flickr

Air Rifle schmairifle, get a proper rifle!

Bit too much rifle for squirrels and magpies.

This thread might end up costing me money!

I went out Sat avo for two hours, 11 squirrels in an area the size of a football pitch. Too interested in Acorns atm.

bwaarp - Member

I had two great uncles that were Snipers on the Somme and grandfather who was a RAF marksman.

Whooooaaaah! Back off fellas, it must be true! 😉

For the record, Weihrauch HW100 in .22. End of thread.

For the record, Weihrauch HW100 in .22.

had a shot of one of these yesterday on a field target course - ohhh yah beauty. quality obvious from the first touch - want want want

After I got accidentally shot in the face/through my brain when I was 14, requiring major brain surgery on my frontal lobes, I decided I was bored with guns and got into cycling instead.

LOL, pics or it didn't happen.

Oh and whatever you do, don't get a military looking rifle unless your actually ex/currently serving. You'll get laughed at.

After I got accidentally shot in the face/through my brain when I was 14, requiring major brain surgery on my frontal lobes, I decided I was bored with guns and got into cycling instead.

😆

I do all my shooting with bow... hunting tackle as well ... Ohh Ha

After I got accidentally shot in the face/through my brain when I was 14

Did you die?

Ceebug - Member

After I got accidentally shot in the face/through my brain when I was 14, requiring major brain surgery on my frontal lobes, I decided I was bored with guns and got into cycling instead.

That wouldn't have made me bored with guns... It might have made me bored of getting shot in the face though...

BigButSlimmerBloke, you can increase power to well over the legal limit with a simple modification (vids on YouTube) but I've not got bored of the standard power of mine yet. There's something quite satisfying about seeing daylight appear through a squirrel's face... 😉 (at 100 yards of course)

you can increase power to well over the legal limit with a simple modification (vids on YouTube) but I've not got bored of the standard power of mine yet. There's something quite satisfying about seeing daylight appear through a squirrel's face... (at 100 yards of course)

Greys are a bit of a problem in my wood... Well, they were until Mr. HW100 came along. Tis a lovely thing, a little unnerving at first as it's so quiet and the trigger action is so light.
Weinrauchs are very heavy guns - I had an HW77 before this which weighed a ton - so the 100 isn't as light as the Theobens etc, but it's well balanced and easy to handle...
Bro has an Air Arms, not sure of the model but it's a lovely gun and very capable for the money...

[i]"LOL, pics or it didn't happen."[/i]

Well, I didn't have time to take a piccie at the time, what with all the blood pissing out of my face. I do have a couple of pictures of when I got home with my scar from ear to ear over my head where they opened me up and then stapled it back together. It was funny though, especially for my folks as you can no doubt imagine.

Anyone in West Yorks want to sell an air rifle then?

Weinrauchs are very heavy guns - I had an HW77 before this which weighed a ton - so the 100 isn't as light as the Theobens etc, but it's well balanced and easy to handle...

It's all to do with balance IMO.

Same as my heavy float rod that was tip heavy and felt like a broomstick. Added a fair bit of lead weight to the butt, so the rod is now considerably heavier, but balances in the hand perfectly so feels featherweight. The HW77 balances so nicely in the hand you don't notice the weight, and that weight does a great job of steadying the gun.