Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Air Guns Good Stuff

Got me thinking about an air rifle. It would be nice to pop off crap birds and such without firing a gun and spooking horses. Would rather stay with a springer, probably 22. Not looking for the best of the best, just decent accuracy. What is currently available?

I would skip over the low priced Chinese made guns..........they'll just frustrate you. Depends on your budget, but I would recommend most any of the Weihrauch line. The HW50S or the HW95 are nice basic rifles with great triggers for around the $350 area. http://www.airgunsofarizona.com/spring-piston-rifles/

As an alternative to the nicer German air rifles....

If you don't want to spend four hunerd bucks on a bb gun, I got a fifty dollar pawn shop Crosman Crusher NP(nitro piston/gas ram) .22 with the plastic stock, that with the 18" barrel is a little shorter in length than the HW95 with the 16' barrel and weighs about the same as the 15" barreled HW50s, and is more powerful than both.
The Nitro Piston is also less sensitive to temperature, as the coil springs in many springers often needs a few warm up shots in cold weather to get the tar used on some springs as a tuner to loosen up.
And.. theoretically, a gas ram powerplant can be left cocked for long periods, while it has been speculated that an actual coil spring will be weakened by leaving it cocked/compressed.


Now for the caveats.

While I like the Nitro Piston power plant, the Crosman triggers in stock form don't hold a candle to some of the more advanced triggers from Weihrauch or Diana. But...they can be replaced for about $35, or improved with a $2 RC roller bearing. And the Crosman's Gamo style trigger has a far more convenient safety lever that's mouted inside the trigger guard than the less convenient automatic safety of the Weihrauch HW rifles.
I haven't done anything to my trigger yet other than some minor adjustment, but have managed to ignore the less than perfect trigger.

My particular model, the Crusher, came with a barrel shroud that I had to remove to get acceptable accuracy as I assume I was getting some pellet clipping that was causing hugely erratic accuracy. But after removing/unscrewing the shroud accuracy was hugely improved.
And for this reason would choose one of the Nitro Piston models with a conventional unshrouded barrel if I was buying one again.

Despite it's imperfections, I enjoy shooting this rifle, and appreciate it's power. Accuracy is good enough to hit a spray paint can sized target every time at 60 yards(on a day with ordinary wind conditions).
And has enough power to go through both sides of these fairly lightweight steel cans at that distance.

But as with anything shooting a not so aerodynamic/low SD object at 800 or so fps, compensation for drop at various ranges can be a challenge.
With the scope dialed in at 60 yards, I have to aim about 4 or 5 inches low at 25 yards.

I certainly wouldn't mind an HW. But as with everything, there's pros and cons. And all that refinement doesn't equal perfection in my book.

Hope it works for you............Crosman replaced a Nitro Piston powered rifle I bought for my nephews to play with.......twice. First one blew out in two days, the second replacement was left cocked for a couple days unnoticed and lost it's gas. The third replacement rifle is still in the box.......they lost their interest.

I guess I got lucky. Bought it used and have about 2000 pellets through it with no issues yet. Haven't had a reason to leave it cocked overnight, but I wouldn't hesitate to leave it cocked for a few hours while walking the woods.

And I'm easily amused.
A 1377 is my second most used airgun, and you gotta pump that thing up every time!

And like I said, I wouldn't mind a Weihrauch. And I know they're a nicer rifle with a better trigger.
But the Nitro Piston .22 is a real thumper for its low weight and cost. At least mine is.

I bought a GAMO WHISPER a couple of years ago. DON'T. Changed scopes twice. Even with the high priced "quality" pellets. Can;t hit a feral cat at 10 yds.