Getting Started

[gsxrman]

I would say stick to a quality manufacturer.
Find one that is comfortable and the right weight/balance for you.
RThen practice practice practice, and not with a bench rest.
If your ambition is to carry out pest control you need to be certain you can hit the mark from varying distances and stances.

[JerryD]

In better times the advice would have been to go to a club and try first: the rifle that looks pretty in a catalogue may feel completely wrong for you when you pick it up. That said, the AA 400/500 series are pretty much an "Everyman" gun.

If you're going to try target first then a carbine on an unregulated rifle like the AA 4xx or 5xx series is not ideal, as there is a much smaller sweet spot where the shot-to-shot velocity variation changes least. The carbine won't cost any less than a full length rifle and isn't that much more "handy" for field work.

Also, a multi-shot like the 410 or 510 are just more money for something else to go wrong: if you're already used to springers then you've lived with single shot, and a bolt or lever action pcp is a heck of a lot quicker to load than a springer!


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[Phil Russell]

The advice to look at the AA 400 is good but I do not believe you absolutely must have a regulated one ... but opinions differ between people. I used the standard 400 for a long time and got my best ever 58 in HFT with it. The single shot is ideal for competition use as you don't end up messing around with removing the magazine between lanes.
I can't comment on hunting as I don't do that.
Cheers, Phil

[Rocinante]

The advice to look at the AA 400 is good but I do not believe you absolutely must have a regulated one

Excuse my ignorance. What is a regulated air rifle. Sub 12ft/lbs?
Sorry guys, complete newbie!

[JerryD]

Excuse my ignorance. What is a regulated air rifle. Sub 12ft/lbs?
Sorry guys, complete newbie!

"Regulated", as in, fitted with a regulator. A device that regulates the pressure of the air upstream of the inlet valve, and is supposed to make the shot-to-shot consistency a lot better. The idea is that it takes out the variation caused by the inlet valve having to work against a higher pressure at the start of the charge and then opens for longer toward the end of the charge.

Also, the most problematic and cussed piece of kit fitted to a pcp.

Modern UNregulated rifles like the AA S400 don't really need them. As long as you are prepared to learn where the most consistent section of the charge is then a regulator not required as you only get 10-15 fps variation within that. An S400 charges to 190bar, but you probably dump the first 10 shots, then get 50-60 "good" shots before the charge start to be exhausted. A regulated rifle would probably give you 80-90 shots across the charge.

My comment on an unregulated carbine is that the cylinder is smaller, so the number of consistent shots come down. Regulated rifles cost more and have more problems.

[Steyr]

If you are looking at dropping quarry then a multishot is way better than a single shot PCP which is way better than a break barrel or under lever springer/gas ram.

Side lever is also better than bolt action imho depending on make/model

There is NOTHING wrong with the AA magazine system. Very reliable.
The issue with AA mags is they are prince Charles sticky out so saddle clash and some scopes will not be happy. Plus being enclosed and full of spings, then crud build up can be a factor.

The best multi shot mag system is still the HW100 system Inc. the single shot adapter.

Air arms regs... hmmm.... I am not convinced they have really nailed it tbh.

Their knock open valves are fine... but you need to know your sweet spot. You do your part and the valve will do its part.

A reg is better in terms of flat lining consistency imho (when they work) but the knock open will serve you well.....