new bloke

[baddabing]

Hello all - I'm new to the forum, have posted a small intro in Intros & Welcomes, and as yet have no air rifle to call my own. I plan to use it to shoot some rabbit to eat myself, once I'm confident enough in my ability to shoot straight of course. I've done quite a bit of internet research, along the way finding this forum, and have pretty much decided that an HW97k or AA TX200 are probably what I'm looking for. Does the assembled brain agree? Are there any other rifles that should be on my radar?
Thanks all
Tom

[junglie]

Hi & welcome to the forum mate. Whatever you end up getting if your planning to hunt with it I'd try to get some trial with it first. Some guns (like underlevers particulary for me) shoot great but are too fiddly to load in the feild, or too heavy to carry around for half a day(for me personally)You can't go wrong with a good break barrel(like the 99's)

[nardona]

Agree with junglie regarding weight of underlevers in the field, once you've got a scope on they can get a bit weighty after a couple of hours, can also be fiddly to load especially in cold weather. Have you got a shop or club nearby you could go and compare the weights of a couple of rifles?

Also agree a HW99s would be an excellent rifle to try much lighter than a 97 or tx200.

[rabbitwrecker]

Hi and welcome.

Same here - I'd be looking at break-barrels too...

[baddabing]

Thanks chaps. Yes, I probably need to try a few out and see what's comfortable. Does any one have any recommendations for shops in the south Devon area?

[TonyL]

Hi Tom and welcome to the forum.

Like many people, I have hunted in the past with a variety of springers, including '77s in both calibres. And I found them perfect. Although, for field work, I find the .22 much easier to load with a sliding breech rifle.

There are a good many other worthy rifles to consider, including the HW99S, HW95, HW35, HW80, Walther LGU and LGV, Diana 280 and 31/34 variants.

Try to handle and have a go with as many as you can to see which you think will best suit your needs / size etc., ideally at a club.

Although not exactly local (although many people do come from as far afield as Cornwall and Scotland) if you could find a way to visit us at The Boinger Bash in two weeks' time you'll have a huge array of different rifles to see and try. It's a fantastic, informal, non-competitive event with the emphasis on fun and friendliness. You'd have a great and informative day or two. And you'll see the official thread on Page 1 of General Airgun.

Feel free to shout up for any further advice....we're all here to help.

[Geezer]

Welcome!

You can't go wrong with either of those choices.

Do check out as many guns as you can before you buy.

You are fairly close to Sportsmans Gun Centre in Exeter. SGC offer good value - but ideally decide what you want first, then go buy it from them.

You also need to decide whether you want .177" or .22" - which is a whole can of beans that I'm not going to open.

[TORNADOS7]

Thanks chaps. Yes, I probably need to try a few out and see what's comfortable. Does any one have any recommendations for shops in the south Devon area?

The Gun Room in Ivybridge, usually got some good second hand stuff in, they had a TXhc on the used racks there yesterday when I went in but I do have to say they're a bit of a beast, take it from me as I've got one...

They had several other bits 'n' pieces there as well, well worth a look buddy and not very far from you either...

[eyebull]

Thanks chaps. Yes, I probably need to try a few out and see what's comfortable. Does any one have any recommendations for shops in the south Devon area?

I was in Exeter the other day and popped into The Gun & Sport Shop on Fore street. Smallish shop but with an extensive range, I'm sure he'll have what you're after.

[baddabing]

Excellent, looks like a trip to Ivybridge and/or Exeter is on the cards. Unfortunately a trip up to the bash might be a step too far for her indoors, already getting the look for mentioning buying a rifle...

[Squirreler]

In my experience one is never enough. She will have calmed down when it's the fourth of fifth one, or not!

Cheers, Phil

[Rapidnick]

Firstly, welcome to the bbs.
Before you decide on the model of rifle you want to buy, you need to choose the type . Your actual choice will depend mainly on your budget and you don't say how much you are prepared to spend. From your HW97K/TX200 comment I suspect you are in the market for a quality spring powered rifle that will give you decades of good service. Both the Weihrauch and the Air Arms are in that category. You will also probably feel the need for a telescopic sight.
Both the HW97K and the TX200 are underlevers (you cock the rifle by means of a lever underneath the fixed barrel) which are heavy and more fiddly to load especially when you are cold. Personally I would shoot in the field with a break barrel design and don't let anyone tell you that a quality break barrel isn't accurate or that the barrels get sloppy in the jaws of the action because that simply isn't true. Modern quality air rifles will literally last a lifetime and should require very little in the way of maintenance. For example a modern spring should easily last you for over 10,000 shots before you would consider a new one.
Moving on to what rifles to look at, unlike many on here I don't like the HW99S half as much as the HW95 which for my money is a fantastic rifle and probably would be my number one pick. This is not to say the 99S is a bad gun it most certainly isn't but the 95 is better. I also very much like the Walther LGV. Whilst I love the heavier and bigger Weihrauch HW80 I wouldn't recommend it to a new shooter unless I knew how big they were! What might surprise you is that most of us on here will recommend you to choose a .177 rather than a .22 and I certainly will join them.
Finally you really should join a club and get to try as many rifles as possible before spending your hard-earned cash. Good luck and enjoy whatever you choose.

[eyebull]

Good post by Rapidnick above.
I would certainly consider an LGV if I was in your shoes - some don't like it, but I thought it was the best out-of-the-box springer I've ever had, and mine is not hold sensitive in the slightest. Certainly much easier to shoot accurately than my HW95k.
Ifd you can get to a range, or gunshop with a range, and try before you buy, that would be best.

[WILBA]

Firstly, welcome to the bbs.
Before you decide on the model of rifle you want to buy, you need to choose the type . Your actual choice will depend mainly on your budget and you don't say how much you are prepared to spend. From your HW97K/TX200 comment I suspect you are in the market for a quality spring powered rifle that will give you decades of good service. Both the Weihrauch and the Air Arms are in that category. You will also probably feel the need for a telescopic sight.
Both the HW97K and the TX200 are underlevers (you cock the rifle by means of a lever underneath the fixed barrel) which are heavy and more fiddly to load especially when you are cold. Personally I would shoot in the field with a break barrel design and don't let anyone tell you that a quality break barrel isn't accurate or that the barrels get sloppy in the jaws of the action because that simply isn't true. Modern quality air rifles will literally last a lifetime and should require very little in the way of maintenance. For example a modern spring should easily last you for over 10,000 shots before you would consider a new one.
Moving on to what rifles to look at, unlike many on here I don't like the HW99S half as much as the HW95 which for my money is a fantastic rifle and probably would be my number one pick. This is not to say the 99S is a bad gun it most certainly isn't but the 95 is better. I also very much like the Walther LGV. Whilst I love the heavier and bigger Weihrauch HW80 I wouldn't recommend it to a new shooter unless I knew how big they were! What might surprise you is that most of us on here will recommend you to choose a .177 rather than a .22 and I certainly will join them.
Finally you really should join a club and get to try as many rifles as possible before spending your hard-earned cash. Good luck and enjoy whatever you choose.

Agree with nick on this one. The hw95 is far better a fit i found than the 99s. Nice lightish rifle and quality build also.

[brian747]

Hi BDB, welcome to the forum, i agree with RapidNick the HW95 is one of my favourite break barrels
very easy to handle , very accurate with practise,, ,i do not hunt with my springers. i use my spring guns only for target shooting ,my preference for hunting is a multi shot PCP, but saying that lots of people do hunt with springers, break barrels are what i started hunting with a diana break barrel in .177 with open sights
many years ago , there was also many rabbits about at this time, i shot hundreds of bunnies with this airgunso i would take Nicks advice get along to a club they are normaly very helpful people , good luck in your choice and let us know how you get on.
atb Brian