Entry level target pistol

[kingdudsbury]

Hi all, this is my first post and I'm looking for considered opinions on an entry level target pistol. Thoughts would be much appreciated.
Thanks

[adiepie]

Type of competition?

Club?

Cost?

A bit more information could help us to provide a better answer......

Adrian

[kingdudsbury]

Yea, sorry Adrian. Have started at a local club but don't think I'll be doing any completions just yet until I get a bit more consistent. It's standard 6 yd. / 10m format and as for budget no more than £250. I know it's not much but just can't justify laying out £600 or do at this early stage. I have looked at a couple but opinions seem to vary so much it's hard to know. Also there's nowhere near me that seems to give any decent advice!

[p.m.h]

To dip a toe in the water you can pick up some cheap pistols to have a go and get a feel for the target shooting discipline.

Plenty of starter guns can be picked up second hand. The Gamo Centre is an under lever springer which can be picked up for around £80, the Gamo Compact is a single stroke pneumatic and can be picked up for around £80 to £120, the RHOM Twinmaster is a PCP and can be picked up for around £250.

As mentioned, a bit more information would enable a more accurate response.

Kind regards,



Phil

[kingdudsbury]

I have joined a club shooting 6yd and 10m. Competitions are some way off until I get some consistency. Budget is up to about £250 and have seen 1 or 3 but opinions seem so varied? The other problem seems to be finding a gun shop near me that has any interest on air gunning. Im worried i will have to get one on line without getting a chance to get my hands on one to try. I'm near Dartford in Kent.

[series2a]

Hw 40 accurate and cheap till you decide and try out everyone else's. Hw75 if you have a bit more disposable income, both can be sold easily as are a good quality gun.

[kingdudsbury]

Thanks for the advice, not really looked at the hw40 so will check it out.

[zooma]

Top quality used CO2 match pistols from Feinwerkbau and Walther can give performance as good as any expensive PCP pistol at a fraction of the price and so they are well worth considering as a first target pistol - and when you sell it you should get your money back or even make a few quid (if you keep it long enough!).

Models to look for and try if you can from Feinwerkbau include the Model 2, C10 and C20 and from Walther the CP2 and CP3.

Any of these are serious match quality air pistols that can be bought between £200 and £350 depending on the model and the condition and how many cylinders are included etc.

[kingdudsbury]

Thanks, that sounds like something to check out.

[RobinC]

If you are considering target shooting at 10 mts, then as Bob suggests look for the older Co2's such as the Walther cp2 or 3, sadly they are rarish, a FAS 604 SSP is reasonably common and is a quality match pistol for around £250 s/h. Any of the older PCP's FWB, Walther, Steyr, Morini, and so on are available for £500 ish. New and some s/h examples I would recomend a Steyr LP2, either standard or compact.
You asked for a starter not a budget, and I would avoid a budget pistol like the plague, they simply are not good enough for 10 mt match shooting, beginners progress fast, and within weeks the pistol you thought was superb quickly feels very sub standard. We see many new shooters come to a club, those who buy a gun quickly inevitably buy the wrong thing, my advice is first join a good target club, shoot the club pistols, try others pistols, then buy the best you can afford from the top makes.
Good shooting
Robin

[kingdudsbury]

Thanks for the info Robin, much appreciated.

[silversurfer]

Try Surrey Guns in Wallington Surrey or the NSRA at Bisley also Surrey. I used to live in Bexleyheath and I don't know of any other shops that deal with serious target pistols in your area.
Surrey Guns have several pistols on Gunstar at the moment.

As previously mentioned the FAS 604 is a very good starter pistol and can be had for around £200-£250
One week point on the older models is the top section of the pistol where the locking catch is situated they are prone to cracking in this area due to the force applied when cocking the pistol. The gamo compact is a cheaper option not as well made as the FAS and you will soon out grow it.

In my opinion the trigger mechanism on the HW's and the RHOM's are not really suitable for serious target shooting.
The older CO2 models by Walther and FWB are superb and many good club shooters still use these in competition, the only slight issue with this type of pistol is the need for a CO2 cylinder for refilling.

You could also look at the BRNO Tau-7 and AERON BRNO B-96 CO2 Czech pistols, these pistols will run off a 12 gram CO2 bulb which are easy to source and fairly cheap. They are not of the same build quality as the German and Italian pistols but that is reflected in the price and they have reasonable triggers.

The best thing to do is talk to the other pistol shooters at your club and try as many different pistols as you can, don't be tempted to rush out and buy a pistol.

The NSRA should be able to provide you with a list of clubs in your area, visit as many as possible and that way you can learn from experienced shooters.

[kingdudsbury]

Thanks for the info, most helpful. Will check out your suggestions.

[RobinC]

The best thing to do is talk to the other pistol shooters at your club and try as many different pistols as you can, don't be tempted to rush out and buy a pistol.

.

Silver is spot on and thats also the message I was trying to pass on, personaly unless restricted by budget (and then wait a bit longer) I don't see "a starter" as the right way to go. In an active pistol club we see new shooters doing this regularly always against advice and they still end up changing. As long as your club has good club pistols, find out by trying what suits you, save and buy the best that you can afford.
Good shooting
Robin

[kingdudsbury]

Cheers Robin.