I wouldn’t imagine they are massively popular on here, but used to enjoy shooting one when I was younger, so what’s good?

Single shot, multi shot, charged, spring .177, .22, scopes, wood, composite? BSA seem reasonably priced and I remember them from being younger – any good?

Not going to be shooting fluffy things, just targets, tin cans etc

You’re into guitars too, yes?

Go .177. The BSA Supersport I’ve got is a lovely rifle. Nice tight grouping and it generally feels well made. Made in Brum too.

Ashley Cole likes them

Serious stuff seems to be all pre-charged, but then having a magazine and not cocking can’t be bad.

Son and I still though have spring guns, Weirhauch and Gamo – today we built a range (8m, but will stretch to 10m)) in one of our out buildings and put the diopter back on the Weirhauch, seriously accurate 🙂

I’ve had quite a few air rifles in the past…if you’re just after something for shooting a few targets, a BSA Lightning would be ideal. A simple, traditional break barrel rifle with not a lot to go wrong with it.
I’ve had some fancy multi-shot, precharged rifles. A lot of features came into their own when used for hunting, multi-shot is great at night so you’re not fumbling for pellets or struggling with gloves when it’s cold. They’re quieter too, that probably doesn’t matter to you though.

b r, you do know the barrel’s bent on the one on the left?

Things haven’t changed that much, although air cartridges to replace your spring seem popular. The 177 .22 debate continues, think you can get .20 if you can’t make your mind up. BSA have been around a long time, seem decent.

if you’re planning on punching paper, then .177, for vermin then .22

Weirauch rifles are reliable and hold their value. Ive always wanted a Theoben, but own an HW35 carbine. Ive tweaked it a bit, but it can be a bit inaccurate sometimes. Usually after my dad has borrowed it and “re-zeroed” it 🙄

Stoner, former national cap cadet Full Bore rifle 😉

b r – not that you would expect to miss those targets, but wear glasses when shooting indoors or somewhere with the chance of ricochets. I know a couple of folk who have lost eyes due to them!

Sorry if you already do.

If you don’t get any sensible answers head over to airgunbbs and fill your boots.

All mine are PCP which may be a bit ott if you just want to do a bit of plinking in the garden. If you go for a springer stick with .22 IMO.

I used to do a lot of shooting, centre fire rifles, shotguns air rifles the lot, I spent serious money to be honest, and in my opinion the best for paper punching would be an Anchutz or Air Arms RN10 derivative, anything else and I’d go for a Theoben Rapid 7 of which which I had three 22s two 20s and 177, to me they were a perfect rifle, extremely accurate and easy to maintain.
I could literally talk for hours on the subject to be honest but on a forum I’m afraid the naysayers will probably pull their faces at talking about guns!

Just recently tested & looked at quite a few after having to retire my old Original 35.

Pre-charged really are a bit boring – quiet, no recoil, but very, very accurate, expensive and a bit of a faff.

I prefer spring, but then I’m a traditionalist.

BSA and Webley no longer made in the UK. Feinwerkbau don’t make the Sport anymore. 😐

After a lot of looking and travelling I’ve narrowed it down to a couple of models from either Weirauch or Air Arms – not cheap but look lik they’ll last and tbh, I’ve always wanted a Weirauch. 🙂

I’ve always prefered .177, just because that’s what I started with and what I’m used to.
Cheaper on pellets and a higher muzzle velocity, but if you’re hunting can pass straight though quarry whereas .22 tends to have more stopping power.

Some good info here, along with a good idea of what’s available.
No idea of what the shop’s like, but the site is quite informative.

Muti shot, gas powered all the way..177 flavour. All depends on your budget for brand etc. Scope again depends on budget , air arms or thebon if ur splashing out. Used to have a spring weirhauch which are great to shoot etc but just don’t hold a candle to pre charged

I didn’t know Russel Brand liked guns 😆

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d84r8gMGxFQ&playnext=1&list=PL594CEF09990E139D&feature=results_main[/video]

b r, you do know the barrel’s bent on the one on the left?

Haha – range safety

b r – not that you would expect to miss those targets, but wear glasses when shooting indoors or somewhere with the chance of ricochets. I know a couple of folk who have lost eyes due to them!

True, but with proper pellet traps pretty much stops that.

I’ve always wanted a Weirauch

Got mine, a HW55M s/h, at 14 and use to cycle across town with it to go to the local shooting club – law has changed, slightly since 😥

Its very satisfying to use, serious build quality and in its day was about the most accurate spring rifle you could buy – but could also now do with something heavy duty, maybe an old Airsporter?

My car has been shot twice by an air rifle.

I have a hole in my front bumper by the fog light as a result (I guess that they were aiming for the fog light, but missed, words fail me really) and a dent in the BMW badge on the boot.

I guess it serves me right for driving an 11 year old BMW.

I used to shoot air rifles with my step brother back in the early 80s, but that was just safely in our back garden.

Its very satisfying to use, serious build quality and in its day was about the most accurate spring rifle you could buy – but could also now do with something heavy duty, maybe an old Airsporter?

Oooo, that takes me back, a school mate had one, still does AFAIK, and we used to shoot down his garden, which had the advantage of being a) long, and b) overlooking a stream and a sloping field with nothing in it but grass. Airfix kits hung from tree branches were a particularly satisfying target, when bits flew off, and aerosol paint cans as well, they used to spin round and round in a haze of coloured mist if you punched a hole in one. Great fun!
Wonder if he’ll sell it?

I’d go for a Theoben Rapid 7

I used to make the main body for the Rapid 7, tolerances and quality of finish were pretty damn tight.
Would love to see what they are like nowadays.

Anyone got a theoben slimjim pump? I need a ftlb in my Taunus.

Its amazing the rapid 7 is still a gun of choice – I was fwapping over owning one 21 years ago!

Mind you, the HW77 is hardly a spring chicken either 😉

I still use a BSA Airsporter that’s about forty years old, I also use a BSA Meteor that was a Christmas gift when I was 12, 22 years ago, all they even needed was seals and oil, i had a Lightning XL and would recommend that.
Pigeon watch forum has a good classified section and often some killer bargains.

Some killer bargains

I see what you did there 😉

My little bro has just replaced his trusty Falcon carbine with a Weihrauch hw100..

I always wanted a Theoben

What’s the best non FAC air rifle for grey squirrels and magpies.

There is no “best” Gorehound as there are many good rifles out there and it depends on your budget as well. Even the “best” calibre for those two bring up many debates. I still prefer .22 as it hits harder whereas .177 has a flatter trajectory for greater range but I used to tune my rifles so they were over the 12ft/lb limit anyway but for me my HW80 was a fabulous hunting rifle but was producing 17ft/lb but was incredibly accurate as well. Not legal though but I shot on land where I had permission and so no one was ever going know it wasn’t legal as it just looked like a normal HW80.

For plinking and targets AirArms S200.

Purchase a Weihrauch in preference to a BSA, like the difference between a Bentley and a Ford, although not as far apart in price!

Experience? I’ve had numerous of both.

i have a gun for sale its a 177 split barrel some kind of russian thing very powerfull and accurate. pre charged are good but not unless you have a portable pump… my mates £500 quid multi shot can do 35 shots befor it needs pumping…………..

my mates £500 quid multi shot can do 35 shots befor it needs pumping…………..

35 shots is a good evenings hunting though surely..?

or are you planning a massacre..!? 😯

For plinking and targets AirArms S200.

Only these? I’ve got an S200 and find it great for rabbits, etc. Although it was originally developed as a target gun.

I never thought there would be so many people into shooting on here, I thought it would be all Daily Mail and ban everything 😀

I have an Air Arms S410 PCP .177 Carbine which is a fantastic piece of kit, got it second hand but it still cost an arm and a leg. Very accurate, briliant quality. Just bought a Brocock Contour Single Shot PCP .22 skeleton stock new, which cost a lot less than the AA, but to be honest it gives me much more enjoyment and satisfaction. Also really accurate, with heavy pellets it hits very hard. Just got the six shot conversion for it so that will make it more practical for use. It is the smallest full power PCP out there and you can carry it all day and it won’t become a burden. Oh yeah both are non FAC set at 11.5 ftlb.

BSA have got a new R10 MKII out which looks like it will be really good and the recommendations for the Weirhauch and Theoben can’t go wrong. I have had a look at the BSA Ultra and Air Arms S200 PCPs which I was considering for my son to use, for which the S200 looked for me the best of the two. But at the last minute a good deal came up on the Brocock and my boy loves it.

A lot of gun shops have access to a range that you can try the gun on first to give you an idea.

.177 all the way, the trajectories flatter and they keep their power over longer ranges. I somehow killed a pigeon at about 100 yards with one on my mates farm.

for vermin, .22 all the way, because of this:

I somehow killed a pigeon at about 100 yards with one on my mates farm.

why were you taking the shot in the first place? (even assuming fishermans’ tales RE 100yrds). You obviously recognise it was a lucky kill – “somehow”

100 yard kill with a .177 air rifle?

That’s like the mythical 300m headshot of a rabbit with a .17HMR…

Air rifles are good for accurate shooting of vermin up to about 30m or so. If you can’t do a 10p sized group at 25m, I would not risk shooting something living with it.

100 yard shot and killed a pigeon???? I guess your man members about 2 foot long too pmsl. I think you need actually measure the distance and you’d be surprised that your 100 yard was nowhere near so forget the ultimate sniper comments and stick to reality. Otherwise go onto AirgunsBBS and tell them on there how good a shot you are and let them laugh at you. You should have been shooting at the Olympics dude.
More to the point though, why would you even try shoot something that far off shows the measure of your responsibility as well.