Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Air Guns Next level rifle

I'm looking to upgrade to the next logical level rifle. I'm currently gunning a .22 cal RWS 34. I don't much care for the finicky nature of this particular springer. What's out there these days worth looking at?

Look at the gas piston type air rifles. Great power without the twang of springers.

Spent the morning looking at the PCP option and I can appreciate the pros, but the cons for me outweigh the positives. I'm thinking I'll go HW97k.

I just picked up a Hatsan 125 Vortex (nitro piston) in .25 caliber a couple weeks ago. I had been shooting an RWS/Diana 34 in .177 caliber for close 30 years. This .25 caliber stuff is NO JOKE !!! Holy crap !!!

The Hatsan 125 definitely brings the power. 22 caliber here,

I can't believe you're killin Walt's favorite beer!

Back in my youth, I liked Ranier. Saw some recently in the wallyworld and picked up a six-pack. It doesn't taste that good now. I don't know if the beer changed, or my palate.

HW100 or Air Arms S510.
Edge to HW100. I have two, one with titanium cylinder, and one with aluminum cylinder. I get 8X14 shots per fill at 850 FPS in 177. Crazy accurate, and crazy good trigger. HW has the best magazine that is easy to load, and it can't double feed. Pretty easy to rebuild by replacing orings, so it will last generations. Bullet proof design.

With the Benjamin Marauder, to be used strictly for pest control, is there a preference to the regulated or un regulated version?

I haven't abused any beer yet (with the Hatsan 125, anyways). But it sure blows an impressive hole through 1/2" plywood at 35 yards..........and keeps going !!!

Beeman R9 is your huckleberry.

Buy an air venturi 25 cal and a hand pump you wont regret

Eric, there's a lot to choose from.
3 basic categories - springers, PCPs and multi-pump pneumatics.

Prices range from around $100 for springers and multi-pumps to 700 or so. For PCPs, maybe $300 to a couple of grand or more.

I like springers but there are good multi-pumps out there, and the PCP world is quite big.

Just sticking with springers, some nice upgrades from the 34 you have would be a Beeman R9 or larger model (better quality) or some of the magnum class Diana's like the 350.

The big Diana's (350, 460 under lever and the 48 family of side levers) are all best in .22 IMO.

Hatsan rifles all make a lot of power and are not expensive.
Montana Marine had at one time posted a video of one of his .25's shooting through a heavy plate of ice. 3 or 4 inches thick. If that's what you're looking for, the 125 in .22 or .25 is a bargain.

These are much nicer rifles than the RWS 34. Not more powerful but smoother shooting and with a better trigger.

Little re-visit on my semi-newly acquired Hatsan 125 Vortex .25 cal

Finding that the trajectory is not as much of a rainbow as I had anticipated. With a 12 o'clock sight-in on a 1" bull at 45 yards.......garden pests will EASILY expire to 80 yards with a skinny daylight hold over the back.

And WHOP !!!!! A 30.86 gr H&N Baracuda at whatever velocity this gun kicks them out (I need to dig out my chrono) is a force to be reckoned with.

My Hatsan 125 Vortex in 25 cal chrono'd as follows, at 4000 ft elevation,

JSB 25.4gr - 690 fps
JSB 33.9gr - 610 fps

This was the ice blasting vid,

That is NOT unimpressive !!!

I know the 1/2" plywood I shot at 35 yards was leaned against the base of a tree in the front yard. Had to dig the pellet outta the tree. Not a toy by any means !!!

Cool vid !!!!

The trouble with those Hatsans is they're big, beastly things. About like my Walther Parrus and my brothers RWS 350. They welgh over 10 lbs by the time you get them scoped. If I'm going to carry something that big and heavy out hunting it needs to be chambered for an African round and the intended quarry needs to be a whole bunch bigger than a squirrel. My Walther is very accurate, powerful and flat shooting for an airgun but it's bulk and weight relegates it to back yard/porch use as far as I'm concerned.

Agreed.

I'd LOVE it if the Hatsan performance came in my RWS 34's package. But, I really never intended the Hatsan to be much more than a window sash, garden sniper rifle. It won't see a whole lot of carry duty.

It could also be a handful, even for some grown guys, to cock repeatedly........for target shooting and such. It takes a pretty good yank to git r done.

Big fan of quality PCP rifles. They are expensive but you get what you pay for. I’m particularly fond of .25 cal. 27g pellets at 900fps really thump.

Two of my brothers compete with these guns at 100yds. Quality air rifles are one hole accurate at 50yds if the speed is tuned to the particular pellet. Properly set up, and with good wind and range dope, ballistic software tells you how to hold for long range. For perspective, they are crazy effective out beyond a 150yds on starling sized targets. I’ve seen my brother shoot ground squirrels at over 200yds (he competes nationally).

Best part is it’s cheap and quiet to shoot once you set up with all the necessities. For example, I ordered 2000 .22 pellets today for<$70. Most of us would like more trigger time. This is the best way I’ve found.

I have Hatsans in .25 and .30 caliber. Both are nice - and accurate. The .30, of course, shoots a heavier pellet - and is a larger rifle. The "standard" weight pellet from Vortex is .44.75 gr, but I have found some much heavier, from the 50.2 grain offerings from JSB and FX to a "pellet" from Seneca in .30 caliber that weighs 171 grains! Both the .25 and .30 caliber rifles are break barrel springers. I scope mine with Weaver centerfire rifle scopes on mounts sold to withstand break barrel "recoil". Pretty inexpensive - and effective - alternative to PCP!

Mike Holmes

Amen! I shoot a Brocock XR Commander in .22 and a Taipan Vet in .25 that definitely do the job. Once you try these PCP's, there's no looking back. Very quite also with a decent moderator. There was one heck of a deal in classifieds a few days ago in a nice Taipan. It might still be there.

Best of luck,
Chris in AL

I’ve been shooting PCP’s for 15 years( various Daystates). Killed a lot of ground squirrels, coyotes, and wild hogs with no drama. No comparison to springers.

I'm not sure what a logical Next Level air rifle is to anyone but me.

BB guns led to multi pump Crosman and Benjamin air rifles and pistols. Soon I was using break barrel springers and now mostly Gas Ram rifles.

Most of the time I'm wishing I had a bunch of Collared Doves or Starlings that needed to be thinned out so I could justify a top tier PCP...

Sadly, my pesting is usually a single raccoon, possum, squirrel or maybe a pigeon in the barn so I don't need lots of firepower.

My only PCP is a Gamo Urban which reminded me why I liked multi pump rifles so much, they don't move when shot.

If I fell in with competitors in a local club, I'm sure I'd need to "upgrade" but I'm set for now.