Thanks to all the wonderful advice you BBS members gave me, this post has become a pretty informative thread for any new and confused target shooter wanting to buy a
cheap competition air pistol....I've noted some of you point other newbies at it already......
So I thought I'd add a ps.
I actually went to play with an HW40 this afternoon. (Thanks to a very lovely UBC member - who I won't name in case he doesn't want 16000 BBS members calling!)
The HW40 is a fab little air pistol, and cheap as chips really. I WANT one
, and aim to get one in a month or 2 - for garden plinking and 6M UBC comps. With practice, using the 'Cookie method'
so I'm told (finger and thumb to push the top down) wasn't too difficult.
BUT buying a secondhand CO2 match pistol - was definately the spot-on choice for 10M target, for those that can't afford a PCP. I love my Tau 7!
I've put about 1500 pellets through it in 2 months, so I'm getting to know it well. Accuracy is brilliant in the right hands (not mine yet!).
Also shot a BRNO Aeron B96 this pm, an equally fine CO2 match pistol, takes 5 pellet mags, so may be more fiddly for single-shot comps. The Alfa Proj also comes highly recommended, see details earlier in the thread.
Hope that helps another newbie!