Newbie

[pr1uk]

Hello, I have been a plinker / hunter for many years shot .22 riffles but now i am getting into target shooting. What i am after is good general advice about what gun to get with a small budget of £300 say. What i was looking for was either a single stroke pneumatic or break barrow and recoilless and balanced you guys know what i mean. Being a target gun i have researched and .177 is the way to go (get more shots in the bull ! i wish) so can anyone here recommend a good gun to look for secondhand will do nicely to keep within my budget.
Any thoughts i could have search the forum but been told i must post being a newbie.

[Hemmers]

What type of target shooting?

NSRA/ISSF style air rifle mandates .177
Field target leaves calibre choice open, although I gather .177 is popular.


Are you a member of a club? For target shooting the obvious thing is to find a club local to you. Go along, look at what everyone else is shooting, get opinions, have a go with people's gear - there may be stuff for sale within the club.

[pr1uk]

What type of target shooting?

NSRA/ISSF style air rifle mandates .177
Field target leaves calibre choice open, although I gather .177 is popular.


Are you a member of a club? For target shooting the obvious thing is to find a club local to you. Go along, look at what everyone else is shooting, get opinions, have a go with people's gear - there may be stuff for sale within the club.

I agree with clubs but the nearest club to me is too far away but i am lucky as i can set up my own range. The range will only be suitable for a hand pistol and i am going for a .177 as the best choice.

[Hemmers]

Ah, Air Pistol, now we're getting somewhere.
Yes, it will want to be .177

Given that you're asking after SSP rather than CO2, I imagine you're looking at 10metre rather than action shooting or whatnot.

You're looking at something the lines of an IZH46M, Feinwerkbau 102/103 or a Pardini K58 amongst others, most of which can be had second-hand for £300 or less (most new ones are PCP and start at £900). There aren't many dedicated target SSPs still in production - just a few models to service the market for affordable "club guns".

Have a hunt around in sales here and also on targettalk.org - it's got a bent towards Olympic style shooting, so the talk may be a bit more relevant than on here.

[pr1uk]

Ah, Air Pistol, now we're getting somewhere.
Yes, it will want to be .177

Given that you're asking after SSP rather than CO2, I imagine you're looking at 10metre rather than action shooting or whatnot.

You're looking at something the lines of an IZH46M, Feinwerkbau 102/103 or a Pardini K58 amongst others, most of which can be had second-hand for £300 or less (most new ones are PCP and start at £900). There aren't many dedicated target SSPs still in production - just a few models to service the market for affordable "club guns".

Have a hunt around in sales here and also on targettalk.org - it's got a bent towards Olympic style shooting, so the talk may be a bit more relevant than on here.

Yes those are serious target guns and serious money as i cannot find a club that i can get to i am rethinking how much i should spend on my own private range. At the moment i am playing with a really old Tek 086 and thats fun'ish but in the winter i must have got a better gun as i will be spending more time practising. I am looking all the time for secondhand and when i see something i research it fully but i am sure something more suitable will come up. If i can find one of the guns you mentioned for a good price i would be very happy.
Thank you for the advice on the guns and an olympic shooter i never will be too old now.

[defblade]

Get a Gamo Compact. About £100 second hand, and fine until you want to spend (quite a lot) more.

And if you've got maybe 6yds for a pistol range, you can still shoot rifle. City Air Weapons do targets with patterns shrunk so they look at 6yds like full size ones do at 10m.

[pr1uk]

Get a Gamo Compact. About £100 second hand, and fine until you want to spend (quite a lot) more.

And if you've got maybe 6yds for a pistol range, you can still shoot rifle. City Air Weapons do targets with patterns shrunk so they look at 6yds like full size ones do at 10m.

The Gamo Compact i have seen mentioned before is it not a plasticly gun and are they really a true target gun. In my time i have had quite a few pistols and they have been good for shooting cans but not really a gun i could get a tight group from.
My last riffle was a Theoben and i could hit a rabbit's head way across the field so would not think a short range suitable at all. No its pistols now just finding a true recognised one that i can afford.
Thank for the advice i will look up the Gamo Compact and have a good read in the mean time if anyone as any of the guns mentioned for sale please contact me.

[defblade]

The Gamo Compact i have seen mentioned before is it not a plasticly gun and are they really a true target gun. In my time i have had quite a few pistols and they have been good for shooting cans but not really a gun i could get a tight group from.

They'll put shots touching each other all day at 6yds/10m. It'll be a larger, ragged, hole instead of an almost precise one-pellet hole of a top gun. But, about £100 vs £1500. You pays your money..... You'll also sell it for the same when you move up.

Not very plasticy - the handed wood grip helps. Remember, shooting one hand only when over 14 years old

My last riffle was a Theoben and i could hit a rabbit's head way across the field so would not think a short range suitable at all.

You do know they shoot at 10m in the Olympics? A 6yd reduced target is pretty much as hard. If you can put them all through the middle at any range, there's a national team wants to talk to you

[Hemmers]

But, about £100 vs £1500. You pays your money..... You'll also sell it for the same when you move up.

Steyr LP2 is £900 new, which will out shoot most people. Granted though, above that the price points are at about £1200, £1500 and £1700. Again, you won't lose much when you come to trade it in.

The £1500 quote is a bit high though, as most common PCP pistols come in well under that.

[pr1uk]

They'll put shots touching each other all day at 6yds/10m. It'll be a larger, ragged, hole instead of an almost precise one-pellet hole of a top gun. But, about £100 vs £1500. You pays your money..... You'll also sell it for the same when you move up.

Not very plasticy - the handed wood grip helps. Remember, shooting one hand only when over 14 years old



You do know they shoot at 10m in the Olympics? A 6yd reduced target is pretty much as hard. If you can put them all through the middle at any range, there's a national team wants to talk to you

Well thank you for that information so it sounds like the Gamo Compact could indeed be a good first gun. I thought getting a suitable pistol was going to be easy but now its all down to what comes up on the private market at the right price.
So at 62 i have to shoot one handed Ok just about manage that and dont worry the National Team.

[pr1uk]

Well gone for a Weihrauch HW40 PCA .177 secondhand so have not spent the earth thanks for all the advice. If i get on well with targets then perhaps when funds are there another pistol but in the mean time the HW40 looks Ok for a start.

[silvershooter]

HW 40 is an excellent pistol. I've had one for about a month or so. Take care not to get your hand in the way when you cock it as the last part of the cocking action it snaps shut very quickly. Good write up on them here :
http://my.tbaytel.net/coopers/HW40Review/review.html

[pr1uk]

Well gone for a Weihrauch HW40 PCA .177 secondhand so have not spent the earth thanks for all the advice. If i get on well with targets then perhaps when funds are there another pistol but in the mean time the HW40 looks Ok for a start.

Next week i am now getting the FAS AP604 SSP Pistol will probably sell the HW40 on oh well got to keep trying to see what one i like best.

[silvershooter]

Weird i know i just dont like it at all does not feel right in the hand and for me it shoots high

Do you know that when it snaps shut in the cocking action the elevation screw gradually moves with the effect that shots go higher. I read a tip on here to wrap ptfe tape round the screw. Also many 10 m shooters use the "sub six" aim point on the target not the mid point of the black area. Good luck with it.

[pr1uk]

Do you know that when it snaps shut in the cocking action the elevation screw gradually moves with the effect that shots go higher. I read a tip on here to wrap ptfe tape round the screw. Also many 10 m shooters use the "sub six" aim point on the target not the mid point of the black area. Good luck with it.

Funny enough now i have ordered the Fas 604 i have sorted the HW40 bit of readjustment and yes taking advice and using the sub six i am cracking them home well some as i am not that good. I always fancied the Ras so i will sale the HW40 on soon i hope.
Thank you for the advice