Speaking as a retailer; some people who have never owned an air rifle before just want to buy the best. Now whatever the best might be is subjective, of course. These sort of buyers don't seem to care what is they're buying as long as they're satisfied it's the 'best'. Now if those people then go and shoot HFT with their fancy dandy finery, gasp shock horror, they'll still need to put in the practice. It's the idiot hanging off the trigger that makes all the difference.