newbie needs help choosing rifle please :)

[Patrick 2]

Simple advice,go to you nearest decent RFD who stock a good range of air rifles and handle them and see which one suits you best,which feels right and your most comfortable with.Ideally,if it's possible have a few trail shots.I say this because you'll get numerous recommendations on different guns but remember what might suit one person may not suit you.A gun your comfortable with and enjoy shooting can only lead to better marksmanship.Power wise comparing like for like there's no real difference,they all have to be under 12 FPE, FAC models excluded of course,and remember accuracy is more important than an extra 1/2 FPE.

[haloutdoors]

I am with Mr Greengrass a nice little S200 or Falcon FN19 are easily picked up with your budget and should leave you enough to buy the air tank as well. I was on guntrader the other day and saw several Falcons selling between £2-300 quid. Not bad for a PCP.

Springer wise £450 will get you a lot of gun s/h and no buffering about with filling and power curves. I really like the HW95 but any quality springer will do the job. Air arms or Weirauch. Excuse the misspelled name.
Personally as a first rifle I would go for a good quality springer as it will teach you more technic wise. A nice loose hold will be more consistent than trying to control the recoil. Whatever you end up getting, enjoy it.
ATB. Hal.

[Ninapuppy]

If your a natural shot then a spring gun will allow you to match PCP ranges If your just average then a PCP will give you more range. Airguns are quite short range weapons and the difference for a average or below average shot for a PCP/spring gun will be probably ten metres or so further with the PCP for hunting.
You could get a good second hand PCP and a pump or second hand tank for 450??
Spring guns are lower maintenance and in the hands of a good shot on par with PCP.
Accuracy wise the PCP will allow you to get more accuracy when hunting when your shooting position doesn't allow you to get a artillery or consistent hold on the gun. In addition the PCP can be rested on a hard surface and won't be affected by this like a spring gun.
Horses for course a springer is just a low maintenance pick up and go gun , the choice is yours , why not pop along to a club and try both??

[JME]

Personally if I were in your position I'd get a second hand HW95K in 22.

Well made, lightweight, accurate, easy to shoot springer.

If your doing rats I'd go .22 purely as I've had better success with this over .177 with rats.

Great all round airgun IMO.

Stick an MTC scope on top and your ready.

OR

An AA TXHC - heavier under leaver springer.

[Darrenkirk]

Hi
My name is Darren and I'm the M.D. of Pellpax. Just to correct one of the facts that appeared in this thread. The Pellpax that is being referred to is Pellpax Target Sports Limited of Cromer. They did indeed go under. However I bought the pellpax domain and started the business you now see on the internet. We are nothing to do with Pellpax Target Sports Ltd, are trading very strongly, deliver all over England and Wales every weekend and now into Scotland once a month. We have thousands of very happy customers. If you need any advice please don't hesitate to give us a call. I'd be quite happy to have a chat with you to give you some confidence about how we do business.
Kind Regards
Darren Kirk