14 replies to this topic

[Camoghost]

I need the "pro's" help here. I'm looking for the very good airgun to hunt with. I collect old Crossmans and I have a Viper Gamo and The Varmint Hunter Gamo in .177. I'm looking for something that will shoot tight groups as well as have plenty of knock down power down range. Pound for pound, dollar for dollar what is the best gun for the price?

[ShooterJohn]

What you want to spend and how quiet do you want it to be. You can go from the NEW Benjamin Discovery on up for a PCP adult air rifle.

[Camoghost]

500.00 or so. Loud is never a good thing for as quiet as possible.

[Shoot-it]

u have it GAMO

[ShooterJohn]

My favorite plinking, pest control and small game hunting airgun is the Beeman R9 Goldfinger combo. I have two of them one in .177 and the other in .20cal. They now make a .22cal version too. Here is a link to the gun and it's features.http://www.straights...ingerprice.htmlIt has probably the best trigger in it made for springer airguns. Both of mine are very nice shooting and remarkably quiet. They come with a scope and are set to go out of the box. I do like to shoot at least a 100 pellets through them mainly like any springer to get the extra oil out of them. The first several time you shoot them they diesel from the oil and sound like a .22lr. But that quickly goes away and they are great small game shooters. I have taken cottontail and squirrels to 65 yards with my .20. They are so accurate I use my .177 to shoot the heads off of dragonflies at about 10 yards easily. I shoot my .177 the most but I would recommend the .20 or maybe the .22 as you could even hunt turkey with it. They are great pest control guns and I enjoy shooting pigeons at a local steel yard as well as from a friends barn. A real quality adult airgun makes all the difference in shooting. It sort of makes you a kid again, it's so much fun.

[THE KNOT]

I can do plenty with my gamo 117 Varmint hunter love it , And when my scope for my 22 cal benji discovery gets here i'am sure i will have more than i need at 450 with a scope your half way there

[ShooterJohn]

I think he is looking for something quieter and though I like the Discovery it's got quite a POP when it goes off. Plus the .20 or .22cal of the R9 is legal in California for turkey hunting .177 is not. The R9 Goldfinger package comes with a 4-12 power Bushnell scope which is a nice one and can stand up the the springer, all for $499.

[cliff]

RWS DIANA 350 Magnums take a man-sized man to cock, but once cocked these are devilishly accurate and extremely potent in .177 caliber. They are pretty to look at and fun to shoot. For a meager $385, if one shops well on-line, breaking the sound barrier requires a slightly heavier pellet. An 8.9 grain Beeman Field Special will keep the cool with subsonic striking potency. Mine sports a Bushnell Banner scope of 12 power maximum which seems all that's needed for fifty yard carnage. Spring-powered Air rifles have a quirk that destroys high-powered rifle scopes; they recoil hard in two directions. This quirk rips lens from scopes not glued on BOTH SIDES of the lenses. cliffy

[ShooterJohn]

But it's .177cal so in California you can't hunt turkeys with it. A lighter pellet in .177 breaks the sound barrier not a heavier one. The more weight the harder to push and the slower it goes.

[cliff]

I'm naive regarding California Laws, so now realizing that .22 caliber air rifles are required for turkey hunting, Enter the Dragon: a .22 caliber RWS Diana 350 Magnum at $385 if shopped properly. Still a most potent non-firearm by any standards. The Beeman Silver Bear pellet in .22 caliber will snap a turkey's neck without regard to race, creed, or color of beard.

[Hot Brass]

Springer, get a Beeman Kodiak in .22 or .25, .22 RWS 48, 52, or the 54 with recoiless action. The .22 RWS 350 mag is no slouch.There are PCP`s in the $500 range.

[Camoghost]

My favorite plinking, pest control and small game hunting airgun is the Beeman R9 Goldfinger combo. I have two of them one in .177 and the other in .20cal. They now make a .22cal version too. Here is a link to the gun and it's features.http://www.straights...ingerprice.htmlIt has probably the best trigger in it made for springer airguns. Both of mine are very nice shooting and remarkably quiet. They come with a scope and are set to go out of the box. I do like to shoot at least a 100 pellets through them mainly like any springer to get the extra oil out of them. The first several time you shoot them they diesel from the oil and sound like a .22lr. But that quickly goes away and they are great small game shooters. I have taken cottontail and squirrels to 65 yards with my .20. They are so accurate I use my .177 to shoot the heads off of dragonflies at about 10 yards easily. I shoot my .177 the most but I would recommend the .20 or maybe the .22 as you could even hunt turkey with it. They are great pest control guns and I enjoy shooting pigeons at a local steel yard as well as from a friends barn. A real quality adult airgun makes all the difference in shooting. It sort of makes you a kid again, it's so much fun.

John, I like this gun (by the looks of it) What caliber would you get? .20 or .22.. I'm going to order 1 today.. Thanks!

[ShooterJohn]

In the Beeman R9 Goldfinger Combo the .20cal is the most efficient as a hunting and plinking gun. It's legal for turkey here in California and is an excellent small game gun. You want to order some JSB pellets while you're ordering the gun. They will tell you which to get just tell them you want to hunt with the pellets. They're a domed pellet and the most accurate I know of.

[cliff]

While Beeman of California manufactures nothing known to me, it imports only the finest German-made pellets. Pellets of extreme accuracy used by me are: Silver Bears, Trophies, Field Specials, Crow Magnums, and Kodiak Match pellets. Select the LIGHTEST pellet that won't crack the sound barrier with your selected rifle for best, most accurate, and quietest results. Once the sound barrier is breeched, you may as well use a .22LR Hi-Speed. The RWS Diana 350 Magnum from Germany, at $385, is DIFFICULT to best at any price in .177 to .22 caliber.

[cliff]

To me, Gamo is too much hype! Gamo Rapter pellets are designed for ballistic sensation, and NOT for serious hunting. Too hard, too light, too inaccurate, Rapters probably help sales with blazing speed reports. They are NOT suitable for hunting anything at their meager 5.1 grain weight in .177 caliber. More like a steel BB than a real lead hunting pellet, they irk me: a personal opinion.