Would Appreciate Some Advice

[GKing]

I'm an "old" retired guy. Want to buy a pellet gun, primarily for target and plinking, but also for small pests around the farm and an occasional squirrel.

I have decided to get a pretty good gun - something in the 1000 fps range. Considering Beeman R9, RW77, and RWS 48.

Here are my questions:

1) Advantages / disadvantages of barrel cocking vs lever cocking?

2) Accuracy any different between barrel and lever cocking guns?

3) Any other considerations favoring barrel vs lever cocking?

4) 177, 20 or 22 caliber - pros & cons

5) preference between Beeman and RWS? - I'm primarily interested in accuracy and of course quality of construction.

Thanks in advance for your advice

George

[DaMadman]

well since nobody else has posted any info let alone helpful info.

I would stay away from barrel cocking if you want accuracy. Not that they aren't accurate but I know that the lever cocking are MORE accurate in general, I am sure there are exceptions.

If you want to kill stuff like grey squirrel, fox, rabbits and such, my personally choice would be a .22 cal, the pellets are easier to find than 20 or .25 cal and they hit with more wallop than the .177.

If you are after mice and rats and squirrels and rabbits, then .177 is fine

I done know about the difference between Beeman and RWS but from what I have HEARD Beaman is a beefier more solid gun, and RWS is a, prettier, more "well finished" gun.

Bottom line is if you are shooting anything bigger than a squirrel the extra weight of the .22 cal pellet will help out, it isn't necessary but helpful. .177 cal @ 1000fps will take out rabits, rats, crows, feral cats and even a fox with a well placed shot.

Buy the best you can afford and if you put a scope on it do not skimp on the quality of the scope. A Spring piston air rifle will rip a cheap scope to peices inside and out in a very short time.

If you are just going to stick with the open sites. well then disregard the scope issue
:D :D

[skeet]

Lever cocking is easier and in my opinion a bit more accurate. Heed DMM's advice on the scope issue though. Airguns tear 'em up calibers also. He was right about the calibers..except I wouldn't shoot a fox with an air rifle. Get a decent 22 for that.

[DaMadman]

Originally posted by skeet
Lever cocking is easier and in my opinion a bit more accurate. Heed DMM's advice on the scope issue though. Airguns tear 'em up calibers also. He was right about the calibers..except I wouldn't shoot a fox with an air rifle. Get a decent 22 for that.

Skeet, I really don't think I'd be popping foxes with an air rifle either so thats good advice as well but our hunting cousins from across the pond seem to have a lot of good luck hunting foxes with their "pellet guns" so I thought I would throw them in list. hehehehee

It's kinda funny if you think about it. The difference between the way Americans and other countries view air rifles, I think because we were raised that BB/pellet guns were made for plinking tin cans and shooting pesky bird and basically a child hood amusement item, we don't view even the most powerful air weapons as viable hunting tools. On the other side of the fence (across the ocean) a lot of countries have always used them to hunt rabbits and pigeons and foxes and it probably seems a bit strange to them that we a blasting something as small as a rabbit with a 12 gauge shotgun.

I guess us Americans just have to submit to bigger is better. :D

[bckmasterpro]

I have a gamo that shoots around 750 fps in .177. its killed red squrrels , gray squirrels , and rabbits with one shot each. its also killed a gray fox on shot with a shot to the base of the neck. i personally like the .177 caliber because they are very accurate and and easy to find anywhere.

thats just my opinion im sure youll hear many more!!

[Swift]

Beeman R9 :)

[DaMadman]

Originally posted by Swift
Beeman R9 :)

I have heard many many good things about that gun.

[Cossack]

I shoot two RWS rifles (48 and 52) and a match pistol (M5) but the trigger on my buddies Beeman R 9 is better than any of mine.
And the trigger is most important to accuracy on PG's, so pick a good one.
Were I you I'd get a 17 cal (cheaper and more than enough power for what you want), barrel cocker (not one that pumps up). Get one that gets 950 fps or more, and with decent scope meant for a springer (at least 4 power) Get some good pellet gun scope mounts, the rcoil can shift the scope otherwise. Do not use a scope meant for deer rifle or 22. the paralex adjustment is wrong for a pellet gun and the forward recoil of a powerful springer will tear up the retical in no time.
Don't be concerned with accuracy until you've shot at least 500 rounds through it, perhaps more. It takes that long for the barrel to smooth out before accuracy is consistant. I've shot my 48 at least 10,000 times and the other one at least 5,000 and it was the case with both. Use diferent pellets until you find the one your gun likes. Buy good pellets, cheap ones are not uniform and won't be accurate. Cabelas used to carry a sampler pack of RWSR that had 5 or 6 differnt pellets to try.
Both of mine can hit a shotgun primer at 25 yards ('bout the size of a squirrel's eye) with the RWS match pellet. Do NOT put oil into the air chamber as some would tell you. It can tear out the seals and springs on a powerful springer when the oil diesels (ignites under pressure). Don't store them cocked (weakens the spring) or shoot them without a pellet (piston hits too hard damaging seals, etc.).
Determine where the springer is made. Some of those made in China are cheap and worth about as much as you pay.
Sprigers are laods of fun, economical and just the thing for pest and small game. I too am on the verge of retirement; just made a pellet trap that wil allow me to shoot all I want...in my shop! Good luck.

[cobra390]

I have gone through all variations of air rifles and the best to shoot is the precharged pneumatic. I had a break barrel spring gun and didn't like the vibration from the spring after the shot. After a while I had a gas spring installed and it was way better. The PC guns are the most accurate and powerfull. I have a Career 707 that is about 8 years old or so and it is great. Lever action repeater that has an adjustable power wheel that can shoot as slow or fast as you need....can rival a .22 long rifle. Have since moved up to shooting firearms.

[steven gordon]

I have a very, very cheap Chinese springer that can put three pellets in the same hole at 18 yards (the length of my basement). It has a trigger that a John Deere tractor could love (It pulls hard), but the accuracy is fabulous. I'm using a cheap Walmart .22 scope and waiting for it to fall apart; it's not like me to treat my toys as disposable, but I bought this thing at a time when I had more time than I had money. It's a cheap gun that shoots expensive pellets well and cheap pellets poorly. It kills rabbits well. At one time I was sniping doves at 80+ yards (I will neglect to say where); it was excellent practice and gave me confidence when I had a standing shot at an elk at 200 yards (took out the boiler room).

Actually I've had several of them; the seals deteriorate after about ten years and your accuracy deteriorates; I don't think there's a way to replace them.

I also have a very expensive .22 springer that I got on close out from a prominent Iowa supplier of air rifles (no names mentioned because I don't remember them and I'm posting from work, so I can't get up and look at the rifle). The scope is expensive, too. The accuracy fabulous and the trigger is sweet, smooth, and crisp. It has plenty of power to kill...Hmmm... I'd better not say for sure...I would IMAGINE it has enough power to kill a turkey with a head shot. It has enough power to kill the 177 pellet trap I had been using. Then I got a beefed up pellet trap rated for 22 pellets but not rated for 1000 fps and it killed that one, too. It's doing OK with a .22 rifle bullet trap, but I had to put a piece of 1x10 at the back to quell the ricochet. Not that the ricochet endangered me but my wife complained about the pellets when she did the laundry barefoot and wanted me to sweep up my mess when I was done. Imagine that!

One rifle cost upwards of $500 and the other cost about $50 all put together. Neither one shoots cheap pellets well and I have close to a thousand of various cheep ones I don't even look at anymore but I can't bear to throw away. The good pellets evaporate.

Either way I can shoot in my basement all winter long and have a great time. I shoot the more expensive rifle more because it doesn't feel cheap when I pick it up.

Well, that's my two cents worth.

[DarryH]

the Beeman R9 is made by Weiruach in Germany. It has a superb adjustable trigger, superb accuracy, and in 20 caliber, will kill rabbits and squirrels cleanly out to about 35 yards.

The HW77 and RWS sidelevers are much heavier, and not fun to carry for long periods. Both are great guns with the HW being the lower powered of the two, so go with .20 or .22 caliber.
The RWS sidelevers are very powerful....177-1100fps,
22-900fps, .25-750fps. The RWS trigger is more than good enough, even if the other two are a bit better.

Don't sweat the difference in accuracy between a barrel break,
side lever, or under-lever. we are talking group sizes for all that differ by about 3/100th of an inch. I have owned all three, I currently have the R9 in .20 and the RWS 54 recoiless in .177.
The RWS 54 is for sale, what does that tell you.

E-mail if you want to talk more.

[Brithunter]

Hmm I was going to say that I did not think that Beeman actually made anything but simply re-badged other makers stuff or had it badged by the maker Beeman but someone mentioned that the R9 in simply a Weihrauch rebadged although not in quite those words .

Although I do not have a Weihrauch they are excellent rifles. Back when I was looking I chose the Feinwerkbau Sport 127 in .22 and it has served me very well over the years :D .

I also do not understand about the shooting a barrel in thing :confused: never noticed it with the Feinwerbau nor the BSA Meteor Std I brought new way back. Perhaps they were made better ?

Now as to the barrel cocking verses lever cocking? all my air rifles are barrel cocking and I have yet to notice an accuracy deficiency ;) the 3rd one is a Haenel mod 302 whihc some day I need to sort out a scope mount for and scope it :D .;)

[DON WALKUP]

beman r-1, beman r-10...

www.theobenusa.com

www.barnespneumatics.com