what vintage rifle

[fatttmannn]

How could I forget the 335? Or, how about one of the break barrel BSFs? I say, break barrel because I dislike the fixed barrel 54. (To heavy and agricultural IMO.) Or an Original 45.

HTH
Ian

nah have to dissagee, I love my 54

[The armourer]

Hi mate, what you need to think about is your budget, I would agree with IJ about a HW35, but the BSA Mercury that I use is perfectly good, and you can pick them up off here quite easily, and they are easy to maintain. Its just a personal thing with me, but stay away from the Chinese stuff.

[DT Fletcher]

I'm curious, Dean, what sort of muzzle energy did the old Crosmans produce?




You're right, Trev, they are rarely seen over here. But strangely enough there is a 140 for sale here:

http://www.gunstar.co.uk/crosman-140...ir-Guns/708268

There are lots of variables, especially how many pumps the gun is given, but any proper operating Crosman .22 cal. pump should deliver at least 11 to 12 foot pounds.

For pest control, one advantage with the pneumatics is that you can charge them and then leave them ready-to-go. But, in my opinion the biggest advantage is practical in that the pneumatics are naturally recoilless. No spring jump!

[trevor1]

will give you 700+fps for 8 pumps-.22 calibre. I had a look at the one for sale Danny,said to be in perfect cond. Mind you,if it isn't a set of easily installed seals with instructions...costs but $10 at right now!

[laverdabru]

Well, I would have thought that if the OP has the sort of budget that would extend to a Service, he could afford a modern air rifle (I use a Weihrauch 35 & scope) for serious vermin control, & an 'classic', such as a BSA AirSporter/Webley Mk3 for pride of ownership/plinking/close range (15-20 yards or under) vermin control.
I would certainly doubt some claims for the power output/killing range of some older airguns. A well known book claims an early AirSporter could kill a rabbit at 60 yards with a head shot - this in the days of open sights. Hmm. I'm quite happy to use my Mk4 sporter for pigeons/rats at 20 yards & under with open or tele sights, or the Mk3 Webley unscoped at similar ranges, but no more.

Just my 2p worth.

Bru

[I. J.]

nah have to dissagee, I love my 54

I know you do. But then some people love their Tornadoes and Wobbly pistols. It takes all sorts to make a (Airgun) World.

ATB
Ian

[fatttmannn]

I know you do. But then some people love their Tornadoes and Wobbly pistols. It takes all sorts to make a (Airgun) World.

ATB
Ian

agree it would be boring if we all liked the same, oh wait I cant get any more BSF,s has you have them all, I do like my Relums and my Webley Pistols mind

[Airsporter1st]

Well, I would have thought that if the OP has the sort of budget that would extend to a Service, he could afford a modern air rifle (I use a Weihrauch 35 & scope) for serious vermin control, & an 'classic', such as a BSA AirSporter/Webley Mk3 for pride of ownership/plinking/close range (15-20 yards or under) vermin control.
I would certainly doubt some claims for the power output/killing range of some older airguns. A well known book claims an early AirSporter could kill a rabbit at 60 yards with a head shot - this in the days of open sights. Hmm. I'm quite happy to use my Mk4 sporter for pigeons/rats at 20 yards & under with open or tele sights, or the Mk3 Webley unscoped at similar ranges, but no more.

Just my 2p worth.

Bru

A good condition Mk2 Airsporter will produce around 10.5 ft-lbs in 0.22, which will ensure more than enough residual energy at 30 yds for clean headshot kills. Accuracy with open sights is good enough at that range, in my opinion.

[fatttmannn]

A good condition Mk2 Airsporter will produce around 10.5 ft-lbs in 0.22, which will ensure more than enough residual energy at 30 yds for clean headshot kills. Accuracy with open sights is good enough at that range, in my opinion.

yes agree, My 1965 model is more than adequate at those ranges with open sights.

[Garvin]

There are lots of variables, especially how many pumps the gun is given, but any proper operating Crosman .22 cal. pump should deliver at least 11 to 12 foot pounds.

For pest control, one advantage with the pneumatics is that you can charge them and then leave them ready-to-go. But, in my opinion the biggest advantage is practical in that the pneumatics are naturally recoilless. No spring jump!

will give you 700+fps for 8 pumps-.22 calibre. I had a look at the one for sale Danny,said to be in perfect cond. Mind you,if it isn't a set of easily installed seals with instructions...costs but $10 at right now!

Thanks to you both. They are a touch more powerful than I'd assumed. At those levels, ownership in the UK might even leave you sailing a bit close to the wind, in terms of legal power limits. But I've heard this said about some Sheridans and certainly the Spanish Setra - which you should assume is over the 12 ft/lb limit unless you know otherwise, apparently...

[davymole]

vintage or old whats the differenceThe HW35 almost been around long enougth to appear on the antiques roadshow ideal choice of rifle for whats needed to remove vermin from the garden

[Muskett]

The HW35 comes in many guises, and by the amount of fettling to get them to perform near the legal limit there are probably better rifles. Every 35 is a little different power wise. One reason they brought out the HW80 and 77 and other models (thanks must go to the Original 45 for the competition). Thousands upon thousands of HW35's have been sold and continue to be because they are classics, but they remain old technology and just good but not great; great trigger aside. They have always been on the heavy side and again each finds its own power level. Thousands of hours have been spent tuning them to make them better with mixed results. Good but not great. All I'm saying is that there are better rifles in the HW stable. There are other nice rifles to shoot too.

Open sight, iron sight, with a lot of practice work well at farmyard ranges when there is plenty of light. The ones I like are done by BSA and also very vintage rifles. HW's, then you need to chose the right foresight element,; FWB Sports yuck. Webley MKIII good, but Vulcans too wide; BSF's old school so I liked. Having young eyes helps. Knowing your trigger helps. To be good you need to shoot the one rifle a lot. I could do it when a youngster but would struggle now to better 15m to get a solid hit (hit an empty 12b case head on).

With unforgiving springers then it takes tins of pellets to get in tune and regular practice as it takes so little to throw a shot. You need a practice session if you leave it a week or two. As much skill as technique.

Keep things to farmyard ranges then a 4x scope is plenty, six if you must. Most 3-9x40's only come into focus at 35m so best shot at x5. AO scopes makes a lot of faffing for skittish quarry. The input to get from 25m to 40m is why we have PCP's and they need driving well with trajectory and wind.

[DEAN C.]

I have shot hundreds, indeed probably a few thousand rabbits, and everything else that flew or ran when I was a teenager with a Mk1 Airsporter and open sights, but that was in the 1970's, and I wouldn't dream of using one for anything over 25 yards now, and I am certainly a much better shot now, than I was then. I didnt get the percentage of instant kills I do nowadays with modern PCP gear and a rangefinder, and 8 years of HFT competition practice.

A late mk2 Airsporter or Mercury, Webley Vulcan, or Longbow and a 4x32 or 4x40 scope, and yes maybe push it to 35 yards, but they dont quite match the accuracy of most German guns if I am really honest.

I love the older BSA under levers, but again in the modern day of humane despatch, you do need a scope on over 25 yards.
I have used my MK2 Airsporter with an old Tasco for a few restricted distance rabbits, but would rather take my Pro sport or even better, a modern PCP.

Old guns are a great pastime, (as my small collection of BSA's proves) but how many people have the skill or experience, to pick and select the right gun, right pellet, and understand their aimpoints.

I think that I might agree with the idea of an early HW35, BSF or Anshutz, and a nice scope even though it pains me to say it(I like British guns). That is if the poster really wants to stay vintage or at least pre 1980.

[laverdabru]

I have no doubt that a good condition A/Sporter or Webley Mk3 could take out vermin with a head shot at 30 yards - I was referring the claim in the book that that an A/Sporter could kill a rabbit at 60 yards.
As I have a large garden, backing onto fields, I will use my Mk3 with open sights/AirSporter Mk4 with 4x32 teles for the closer ranges, up to 20 yards, but the new(ish) Weihrauch 35k for longer shots.

Bru

[Muskett]

How is my ProSport?

I remember shooting feral pigeons as a lad with an old farmer. Those days it was quite normal to hit the pigeons off their roosts with a .22 air rifle with open sights and knock them to the ground. My job was to run and catch them if I could beat the farm dog to them. No one was nearly as squeamish in those days. Trapped rats were drowned (its not nice). No one was intentionally cruel, it just was the way it was. Some of the boys could hit a flying pigeon with an air rifle; they were that in tune with their gun (pretty close, as they bolted from the tree). Most things were shot at pretty close range to guarantee it went into the bag, and nothing went to waste even if it was just for the farm wild cats.
However, there was a heck of a lot more wildlife of every kind in those days; bugs, beetles and birds. Its a bit of a desert now.