Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Air Guns Looking for first airgun since I was about 12

You can get a Benjamin (Sheridan) 392 (.22) or 397 (.177) at Academy and a lot of other places for less than $200. They have iron sights, and a receiver sight is available, or you can mount a scope if you want. Blacked brass barrel, wood stock - looks just like the one they've been making since who knows when. I remember seeing friends shooting them 60 years ago, and I'll bet the same guns are still in action if they were cared for.

Springers lose power in cold weather, which is just when coon hunting is done. Great for target shooting, less so for cold weather hunting.

One of the things I like about the 392/397 is weight. It weighs about 5.5 lb, less than my Marlin .44 and .22 lever rifles. Some of those big guns weigh 10 lb, which is OK for a .458 Winchester or a target rifle, but not on a coon hunt.

And you won't be embarrassed to carry a 392.

had the opportunity to send about 300 pellets down range from a benjamin nitro genesis. it is a secong generation of the nitro piston. i must say that is would make a good starter rifle. My earlier comment was concerning the nitro trail and it is not as nice ergonomically or operationally as the newer ones. Not as accurate as my marauder, but a hell of a lot of fun to shoot - can't hardly move my right arm from cocking so many times in 2 days.