Air Gun Home :: View topic - I need a low-cost, but accurate pellet gun

tundrawolf · Member

Hello,

I understand the cost/accuracy ratio, and am just trying to get some options here.

I would love to have a tack driver, able to reach out accurately at up to 100 yards, but I realize my limitations.

I would like to spend $150-200max.

I can supply my own scope.

I have spent around $300 in the past for a wal-mart Gammo and scope, and was not really impressed with the accuracy.

Please share your experience with me.

Also, I was wondering, if I were to attach a long eye relief scope to the barrel itself, would that improve accuracy? I have never liked the break barrel design with the scope mounts on the receiver.

Thank you!

Dave

fritz · Silver Status Member

Well... a bit about you first...

Shooting experience? Male/female? Overall size?

In that price range you could do a Crosman 22xx setup with some serious bells and whistles for $250. Usually 22xx (except 2260) series are carbine or pistols, the 2260 is a full size rifle. They do about 8fpe out of the box, but can easily be up to 15 or so without spending much money (about $75 for NIB gun). Not a bad deal, but sizing might not work if you are a very large person- these are "small" guns. These run off of CO2 powerlets but can be converted to precharged or bulk CO2 (paintball tank) easily.

I personally recommend a Diana 34. Spring powered, kind of heavy for smaller shooters. Very easy to cock for teenagers and adults. Power in the the 14fpe range. My D34 puts .177 pellets into eggs at 50 yards all day when I do my part (eggs splat real nice)... I have taken many squirrels, doves, starlings, cans, paper, legos, Dora the Explorer tea sets, and eggs. When you mount higher power scopes with large objectives there are often droop problems, which can be solved with a couple bucks into a good mount (which you should just buy to begin with).

One of my favorite guns is my 1977 Sheridan silver streak. It will shoot .20 cylindrical pellets into 1/2" groups at 35 yards using iron sights. Very powerful (unknown to me exactly), I have sent pellets through a 3" waterbottle and then a 1/4" fence at 35 yards. One can be had in your price range. These are multi pump rifles, which can be a pain for followup shots. You (is a waste of time to) cannot mount scopes or other optics on Sheridan or Benjamin (essentially the same gun, but Benjis can be had in .177 and .22, not .20).

More later.

sniper · Silver Status Member

100 yards is plinking. accuracy won't go beyond 50.

price? $156 and change. i LOVE my bam-26 .22. it is a good entry level gun with a very good trigger. it is a springer. it hits 15fpe- 700fps with 14.3 pellets. i can hit cans at 75 yards, but you wouldn't hunt at that range with it.

more people will reply. Cool

WELCOME!

Amigo · Veteran Member

tundrawolf:

Welcome to AirGunHome Exclamation

I can understand your desire to avoid the inherent inaccuracy of the break barrel cocking design.

From the details provided in your first post, I have an idea that you might be interested in a Xisico/Bam B21 or B30. Both B21 and B30 are fixed barrel sidelevers that are priced low enough that even with shipping, stay under the $200 limit.

I would have added a B40 fixed barrel underlever to the list but it's about $60 to 80 over budget. However, a much less expensive alternative, the Industry brand QB36-2 fixed barrel underlever might be worth consideration. A fancier stocked version (checkering) is marketed as a TF-99 by some retailers with a 50 to 100% price mark-up.

These rifles are in a price range that also allow purchase of a lubricant kit and even a spare spring and piston seal and stay under the maximum $200 limit.

Good luck in your quest Exclamation

Amigo

tundrawolf · Member

Thank you guys for the replies. I am receiving more information than I had hoped!

I am a male, 6'1" 200 lbs, and have been shooting all of my life. I am 29 years old and proficient with a firearm.

I would personally like to avoid anything dealing with CO2, I would prefer a springer.

I appreciate your time, thank you!

Edit: The Diana 34.. It is a German made gun, I have had good experience with German equipment, personally. It is the break-barrel kind, how will it stack up, accuracy-wise against the Chinese BAM guns? I love the idea of a fixed barrel springer, though.

kanyon · Silver Status Member

Try another Gamo....this time a CFX..Fined
the right pellets and it will stack them

tundrawolf · Member

I just wasn't impressed with the Gammo, esp. for what I paid for it. It was a nice gun, but I *know* there are more accurate air rifles out there. I have been shooting for close to 25 years, and I do not want to brag, but it was the rifle, not me. I could miss terribly with the rifle, then pick up my MKII and hit whatever it was I was shooting at every time.

I don't want to give up on air guns.

Especially since I have a big pest problem where I live, and need to keep the noise down.

One thing I LOVED about the Gammo: It was quiet!

MUCH quieter than I thought it would be, and about 400 times quieter than my MKII government target model (Which is a .22LR pistol).

Is the Diana 34 a quiet gun?

AirGunEric · Site Admin

The Diana 34 is no louder than any other in its power rating- any is a far better piece than virtually all others in the same price range.

Mark5043 · Silver Status Member

Take a look at the Ruger Airhawk.Pretty accurate,and decent gun for $115.00. Smile

broommaster2000 · Moderator

fritz · Silver Status Member

If you go out in the woods and can't take 2 squirrels in a row with a D34, it's you... not the gun.

I would say go with the D34 or Bam 26 tuned by Mike Mellick (buy from www.adventuresinairguns.com if you get the B26).

Don't worry about good optics on Lady Diana though, I have had a 4x32 RWS scope, 3-9x40 Tasco, and 4-16x40 Centerpoint on her and all have held up remarkably well. Have taken so many squirrels with that 4x32. If you keep it under 35 yards don't get a scope above 6x, or you'll lose it on a moving target.

broommaster2000 · Moderator

The Diana 34 may have scope trouble when you're getting it maxed out, but getting a normal springer approved scope shouldn't be to much trouble.

After all, the D-34 isn't a springer.

Jaxom · Senior Member

Tundra,

Welcome to our home! If you still have that gamo, perhaps you can give some details on what model and what pellets you used. I've never owned a gamo rifle, but many here do, and they perhaps could give some tips on fine tuning it some.

If there's one thing I've learned here, it's that many mediocure rifles, with just a bit of tweaking here and there can be turned into something worth keeping.

Just a suggestion...

broommaster2000 · Moderator

tundrawolf · Member

For what I paid for it, I wish I still had the Gammo. It was stolen.

Has anyone tried mounting a long eye relief scope to the barrel of their break-barrel?

Also, VERY interesting about holding the gun! I had no idea.\

Yes the MKII is a .22 autoloader.