.177 vs .22 Air Rifle recommendations

[Grylls]

Hey guys,

I'm in the process of getting my firearms licence and have been looking through the forum on what first gun to buy. I'd really like to get a Lithgow La101 but at the moment an air rifle is more needed.

I'm planning to use the air rifle for target shooting, mainly on our property and to get rid of a few feathered creatures that are making a mess in the shed.

I'm drawn towards a Crosman Titan NP which seems like a good little gun from a few reviews I've watched. The Crosman Trail NP2 seems even better but I couldn't see anyone that stocked it in Australia. If anyone has any other recommendations on what to buy that'd be great! Also on what size to buy as well.

Cheers!

[Supaduke]

.177 is flatter shooting and generally better for target. .22 hits a little harder but not as accurate as a.177, so better for hunting. .22's can certainly be accurate though, just .177 at short to medium ranges tend to shoot straighter. Cost of .22 is obviously fractionally higher too. Don't get too caught up in claimed FPS either. They always quote the highest achievable feet per second using unrealistic conditions. Light pellets etc. around 900-1000 FPS for .177 and a bit slower for .22 is where your best accuracy is. Airguns are certainly a case of 'you get what you pay for'. Germans make the best springers, Weirauch and Diana. Weirauch arguably make the best springers but cost a few extra bucks. I know nothing about PCP guns but they are expensive and very impractical for plinking. Crossman and Gamo are not bad for the dollars.

[AusTac]

Good luck getting .22 pellets in a smaller shop

[Jeff303]

Had a 1000fps .177 that was so finicky with pellets that it did my head in. Good advice from someone in the know was too much velocity from a light pill. ( i tried all the heaviest 177 pills) . I pissed it off. Speed isnt everything. Gunsmith mate kills bunnies all day with a super accurate 650fps target sluggy. Without accuracy you have nothing

[Grylls]

I'm in a smaller regional town in QLD so it might be smarter to get the .177 if it's going to be hard to feed a .22.

It would be used more for target shooting than anything so that's probably another tick for the .177.

I've been looking around at a few other forums and have read good things about the Weihrauch HW80.

I'll probably head to Brisbane and buy one in a store down there. Qld Gun Exchange. I'm probably looking to spend around $600 on one but would stretch it a little more if I'm going to get something considerably better for a few hundred more and something that won't have any dramas. A mate recently bought a Pardus from the local gun shop and it's really picky with pellets.

How do the Stoegers rate? It looks like I'll probably have the pick between it, Gamo and Crosman.

[AusTac]

Been looking at air rifles myself latelly, i'll be saving and getting Weihrauch myself, but i like nice things lol, i shot a gamo at the ssaa show and was pretty impressed

[Squiddy]

Just buy a 30-06 and be done with it.

[Grylls]

I'm a bit of a sucker for buying quality as well to be honest. I've learnt the hard way a few times that the poor man pays twice. I'll have to see if there's anywhere in SEQ that stocks Weihrauch and give them a look.

I'm not one for just impulse buying and like to do a lot of research before committing to something. I'd like to put my PTA in sooner rather than later though so I need to try and narrow my choices down.

[Supaduke]

You would be very happy with a Weirauch. If are spending that sort of coin , you can look at a HW77/97 , under lever springer. A very good sluggie and always rated in the top 3 of best springer rifles. If you are after a good quality long term sluggie get a Weirauch. I have one, it is almost boring it's so accurate. We now shoot toothpicks and nails to keep it challenging.

[Grylls]

I just jumped on Oz Gunsales and found a few new and second hand 77's and 97's.

There's a nice 97 with a scope but it's in .22. http://www.ozgunsales.com/listing/40033 ... scope.html

There's also a few 77's in both .177 and .22 on there as well. http://www.ozgunsales.com/listing/21913 ... rifle.html

[Walt68]

30131_1.jpg (135.06 KiB) Viewed 8591 times

I have the Crosman TR77NPS (.177), great air rifle, plenty of power and quite rigid stock, definitely a good buy. I prefer the .177 because not every shop stocks .22 pellets.

[wade06]

I was tossing up between an air rifle and 22lr (not what you asking). I ended up going the 22lr (Lithgow crossover) because of the flexibility. Cci quiet ammo at 710 fps allows you to shoot accurately out to 30-40m with a lot more energy than an air rifle and reports indicate that it's not much louder than an air rifle... On top of that u can shoot subs hv pp etc from the same gun.... Just something else to confuse matters

[Grylls]

Haha there's a lot to think about already! I really like the look of the LA101 and when I'm ready to get a 22LR it's probably going to be the one I'll get.

I like the look of the Crosman TR77NPS and wouldn't mind one to be honest. It would be the easiest and cheaper option as I could buy it new from the gun shop only an hour and a half away and it comes with a scope.

I might see what postage is going to be on that black HW77 that I posted in the link above and if they can put a scope on it for me. No idea what sort, that's a whole different kettle of fish!

[Squiddy]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_foUTtciqg

Get yourself one of these.

[Grylls]

Cheers Squiddy, that reviews alright! Qld Gun Exchange have them for $600 which is good because I could look at it in store as well instead of buying interstate.

[wade06]

The Walther air rifle looks great squiddy. I still can't believe that silencers/suppressors are illegal/really tough to get for a 22lr or air rifle.

EDIT or any rifle for that matter.

[sakoBC]

Just to confuse matters, you should be able to get both within your budget. A Diana Panther 21 + scope package and a Norinco JW15 + scope package will work out to about $700 in total.

I have both. The Diana is used for practicing on paper (10m-20m) and the Norinco has been punching paper and dropping bunnies for 30 years.
As with most air rifles and 22lrs you just need to find the ammo that your rifle likes. My Diana Panther likes pellets 6.8rgns – 7grns in weight. The Norinco likes PowerPoints and SK Match.

Unless the hold, trigger release and follow through are 100% consistent with a springer you can have accuracy issues. If I do everything correctly, my cheap Diana Panther will drop the pellet in the middle of the cross hairs every time. It is worth keeping in mind that the pellet may not always be the problem.

Enjoy

[Gwion]

Always best to blame equipment over technique!

[sakoBC]

Always best to blame equipment over technique!

or the heathaze, wind, humidity. I'm sure the Coriolis effect has caused me to drop a few points during a 100m match

[Grylls]

Haha you're making it hard now Sako. I just put a deposit down on a Walther Centuary GT 177. I'll have a look at the JW15 and Lithgow LA101 when I pick it up in a month or so when the PTA comes though.

[sakoBC]

Haha you're making it hard now Sako. I just put a deposit down on a Walther Centuary GT 177. I'll have a look at the JW15 and Lithgow LA101 when I pick it up in a month or so when the PTA comes though.

Always tough for us mere mortals on a budget. The Walther looks like a nice piece of kit. The Panther + JW15 will get you a 177 and 22lr at the same time on budget, but the Walther and Lithgow will be better in terms of quality.

[Squiddy]

Can't beat German build quality and engineering. Once you crack $600 in an air rifle you have to really spend over $1000. And then.... is it really worth it?
The Century GT will last a lifetime and do everything well.

[MR. WINCHESTER]

Fark ....

Air rifles have come .... 'Such a long way'

I've owned literally dozens and my very best / most accurate and powerful, was a Polish made Luczinek ( sp. ) brand .... bought by dad for my 14th birthday from Kmart.
I seem to recall it cost about $40.
I could head shoot sparrows at about 30 metres, with ease.
With some ( Blacksmith ) tempering of mainspring ... It would penetrate heavy gauge corrugated iron.

Aahh .... the good 'ole days.

[Grylls]

I'm happy with the purchase and am keen to try it out. Hopefully my PTA doesn't take too long.

I have two mates with the JW15 and one that wants to buy the Lithgow LA101 when I pick up the Walther. I might have a shoot of both before I decide on a 22LR. It's not something that I'm in a huge hurry to get though. I can see the air rifle getting more use than anything else I'll probably end up buying so I'm happy enough to spend a bit more on one.

[wade06]

Grylls,
I picked up a box each of 22LR CCI quiet ($8) and CCI Quiet HP ($14) today. I will let you know how they go once my Lithgow arrives .
From all reports they are as quiet as a silenced 22, easily shoot 1 inch groups out to 30-35m and have 8x the energy of a .177 air rifle.

[Strikey]

Once you have mastered the "artillery hold " and are shooting reasonably well you will need to find the pellet that your rifle prefers. Don't waste your or time with cheap pellets, look up Potters Target Firearms, sorry not sure how to link from tablet, order some JSB Exacts in both weights or try H&N pellets from ACME Firearms, H&N also come in a variety of head sizes, both Potters and Klaus at ACME are excellent to deal with and orders usually arrive in 4 days

[Strikey]

Grylls,
I picked up a box each of 22LR CCI quiet ($8) and CCI Quiet HP ($14) today. I will let you know how they go once my Lithgow arrives .
From all reports they are as quiet as a silenced 22, easily shoot 1 inch groups out to 30-35m and have 8x the energy of a .177 air rifle.

Have headshot rabbits out to this distance with a .177 air rifle that easily stacks pellets at 50m, you can have your 22lr shooting 1 inch groups

[Grylls]

Cheers for that info Strikey. I'll make sure I order a few different ones and find out what works well with the gun. I really wish I didn't have to wait haha!

I sent you a PM Squiddy but it's sitting in my outbox and not my sent items. I don't know if it's because I haven't made enough posts to be able to send PM's?

I was going to mention that I had notice in most of the reviews they hadn't used the scope mounts that come standard. Most have opted for a one piece mount to reduce the disruption from the recoil messing with the scope? I guess I'll just have to see if this becomes a problem I notice.

[Strikey]

The waiting is a PITA, lol, One piece scope mounts are just about a necessity on spring powered air rifles, Sportsmatch Mounts are highly recommended q ^

[Grylls]

Should I be getting the one piece while at the gun shop so they can fit it all up and sight it in? I did notice the Sports Match mounts were a favourite in one of the reviews. ACME stock them for just under $130.

http://www.acme-firearms.com.au/SportsM ... rings.html