mid-low end pcp advice please

[Gwylan]

I know your budget is a bit limited, but try and think ahead a bit. You may want to join a club, (great fun!) They will almost certainly have bottle, and sell air for a small charge, so you don't need a pump. The Ultra is a great hunting rifle in .22, where shot count doesn't matter so much, but it needs a 230 bar fill in .177, and that's a lot of pumping! You mentioned the power curve, it's not really suitable for HFT, for example.
As suggested, I'd go for a S/H S400.

Gus

[spike589715]

Hi
Another vote for the AT44
I love mine - I have done a fair amount of tuning including fitting a reg
I have some info on my web pages there is a section on th 44
Here http://www.theywalkamongstus.co.uk

Cheers
Si

[jimmytwohand]

Such great replies. Many thanks! This is a little shorter and less personal to the posters than it was due to being logged out and losing the text when i tried to post....

It makes the choice of new a bit trickier but significantly widens the scope for finding 2nd hand bargains.

On the new side:
Spike seems to have done some great things with the AT44 but it would all be beyond my competence. I can barely wipe them down with an oily rag. Im not sure if id be happy with a Hatsan either for pure and ludicrous snobbery, despite all the good things i hear. Stupid reason i know, but there it is.

The Walther rotex R8 at £375 brand new from RFD is highly tempting. Massive shot count. Hasnt been around long enough to see possible issues with it though and im not sure about plastic triggers. I wonder if there are any aftermarkets available yet....

Ultra is looking like a fine choice but low shot count and curve is still a concern. Upgradeability and tune/reg options may negate this down the road though. However if im going to be spending more money then it might be sensible to spend it right off the bat and forget the bottle/pump until next month.

S400 looks great but may be moving away from the light and handy concept. Although would be perfect if i decide to reenter FT or the like.

2nd hand lots to look out for, R10s, 410s the falcons.

Great advice which has really helped the search. Now i just need to resist the temptation to look at the HW100s......

[chimpy leon]

Dont resist! They are truly brilliant rifles, and a lot of good second hand ones about for not much over your budget. The other suggestions are good, especially the Air arms but I consider the HW100 to be the benchmark.

[Bill50]

Bill,

Have a look at the NWSS Facebook page - it lists all their S/H stock. There's an S200 on at the mo. Not far for you to go for a look, and you can have a couple of hours on their range too!

Cheers Mr Tuck been searching high and low for an AA,have a membership card for paying my shooting fee for the range at Chester.


ps that pic was Jan 30th.

[jimmytwohand]

Been doing some digging and still come up with the options of the BSA Ultra or AA S400 new. Im swaying towards the s400 though for better shot count but wondering about the supposed barrel inadequacies.

2nd hand the S400, R10 and HW100. The R10 and HW100 are pushing the boundaries of my budget so they may be a next month purchase. The other consideration is distance from me. I need a local sale ideally as I would like to inspect the rifle first and I don't have transport.

The S400 is £430 new or £413 in carbine. There seems to have been a few decently priced rifles move through this forum but outside most people seem to be charging more than retail!

[Jonnymac]

I had the same dilemma a year ago. In the end I went for an S410. It's as accurate as anything else on the market and a very good gun.
The barrels are a little flimsy, but if you knock it, you just release the clamp and re-tighten.
I got mine for £300 S/H and it was an absolute bargain. It's pretty light too. At your price point, I don't think you need look much further.

I've fired a few HW100's and they are nice too. A little heavier though and a little more soulless, but just as deadly accurate with a slightly better cocking action and mag system. Doubt you would get one on your budget though.

R10's are OK, but didn't light my fire when I used them.

[charub]

Take a look in the sales section - there's a bargain AA shamel in there at the moment. Not lightweight, but a very tidy gun in its time.

[jimmytwohand]

I did see the Shamal but its Kent, collection only. Im not too keen on the idea of sight unseen and I don't have the days off to megabus it down there. Does look a bargain for someone though.

The S410 is about £600 new. That would mean a post payday purchase when my budget would be closer to £800. I wonder whether I really need the multishot though and only ever having used single shots I do have doubts about pellet deformation from mag loading.... Having said that if one came up S/H in Birmingham for the money you paid I would snatch their hand off. I have enquired about a walnut thumbhole S410 with adjustable cheekpiece nearby but heard nothing back. Im assuming its gone. At £475 it was seemingly nicely priced but I don't NEED walnut and trimmings.

Its hard finding the time to get down and try these rifles. Im limited by public transport and its a 5 hour round trip to nearest RFDs. Im not really getting any days off at the moment which doesn't help. Likewise the close clubs are out in the sticks and inaccessible to me.

I'll just keep trawling the market and see what comes up. Otherwise it will prob be a new S400 when I can get to a stockist.

[Biker_Bob]

Don't discount the importance of toughness.
The BSA Ultra is built like a tank, short and stumpy with a thick full floating barrel.
The Cayote, S200 and S400 all suffer from weedy barrel syndrome and the barrels are all held in a barrel band up front.
If you're taking the gun into the field the chances of the pointy end getting a knock are very high.
The Ultra is also extremely easy to strip and repair at home and seals are cheap, that said I've had several Ultras and I've only had to replace one O ring (on the filler valve) on one of them.
Shot count is the problem, doesn't bother me as I take my pump in my rucksack.
Also, Ultras are cheap - £250 will buy one any day of the week and if you shop around they can be had for less. I paid £190 for mine on this forum.

[jimmytwohand]

Great post. Really hard to choose. Is there any difference in accuracy between these rifles as that would probably be the factor which I would weight most heavily in deciding?

[Jonnymac]

With the air arms S4**, weihrauch HW100 and the BSA R10, I hit everything I aimed for.
I would say between these there is nothing in it. The AT-44 I have heard are probably not as good, but I have no first hand experience to back this up.

[danco1987]

BSA Scorpion if you need more shots. I've been using mine none stop for nearly 3 years now - in the rain, sunshine, day, night, at least once a week and its great. Deadly accurate and robust. Use the new style bsa magazines - I've never had any problems with them.

[jimmytwohand]

Very interesting. Sounds like it will come down to what shoulders best and what crosses my path first..... thanks! Just as i get close to a decision some new consideration pops up.

[Biker_Bob]

Great post. Really hard to choose. Is there any difference in accuracy between these rifles as that would probably be the factor which I would weight most heavily in deciding?

I'd trust the Ultra and AA S400 to stand head to head. I'd be more wary of the Cayote and especially the Hatsan.