Air Gun Home :: View topic - New to forum, new to air rifles, need a kick in the a$$

J5311 · Member

Hey whats up guys. I hail from NJ and am interested in purchasing an air rifle. Now, I have read about my local laws and I am currently waiting for my licenses. (my department said 3 months but i read it shouldn't take more then 30 days... wth?)

Anyways I was looking at the Gamo Whisper and the Gamo CFX. Both in .177 cal but I have been reading posts that say they aren't what Gamo claims to be. I would like a gun to shoot at about 1200 fps w/ the pba which I would only use I would say rarely and 1000 with everything else.

My main purpose for the gun is plinking around. I'm really not into hunting at all, but I love being able to hit that shot that your buddies think you will never hit.

Also which are better, the breaking barrel types like the whisper or the fixed barrel like the CFX.

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

~Jared

kanyon · Silver Status Member

Hi..welcome...
If you are only going to use it for plinking
FPS is not as important as people will have
yer beleave...Theres a reason why target
guns shoot in the 500/600 fps range..accury..
The CFX would be my choice..but is a bit more
of a drama to load than a brake barrel..

But there are a lot of others out there in the same
prise range...

PS...Don't use PBA pellets in ANY spring gun..
They are too light and don't give enough piston brakeing
letting the piston slam into the end of the chamber
seal & spring damage will resalt in time...

Pete

fritz · Silver Status Member

HEHE someone else stuck in this s*** hole excuse for a state. I live across the river from the Nation's previous capitol.

I should mention that Kanyon was talking about the loading port on the CFX, it operates awkwardly and can pinch the skirt on your pellets. Skip the Gamos, they aren't all that and won't do the job like a nice piece of German engineering. I recommend you go for a Diana 34. It costs slightly more than the CFX, but out of the box will perform much better. The 34 is a break barrel.

What distance do you plan to plink?

A word about spring piston guns in general... they ALL can tend to kill scopes because of their recoil. You will have to use iron sights or an airgun rated scope with good mounts. Another thing about that recoil is it can take some tender love and dedication to shoot well. It is said that anyone who can shoot a springer will be good with any other type of gun.

I have a 34 myself, and it can reach out and blow eggs up at 50 yards. It has taken plenty of squirrels and groups decently with most pellets- although quality ones do work much better. With a 4x scope she shoots beautifully at 10-20 yards in the back yard to plink with.

sniper · Silver Status Member

don't believe velocity claims. don't use pba, it is crap.

1000fps in .177 really means 850 with a 7.9 grain pellet.

that's good for plinkin' out to 75 yards. not hunting, plinkin'

J5311 · Member

Thanks for the responses... I'm not too fond on the wood stock. IDk i guess I like a more tactical looking gun, but I found the RWS Diana 34 Panther. To me it looks like the same gun except the for the wood stock. And I read a post where there Leapers 3-9x40mm with a red/green reticle works well with this gun. any opinions?

Source:
http://www.pyramydair.com/blog/2006/08/rws-diana-34.html
Gun:
http://www.airgundepot.com/rws-34-panther-177.html
Scope:
http://www.pyramydair.com/s/a/Leapers_5th_Gen_3_9x40_AO_Mil_Dot_Rifle_Scope_with_R_G_1_Tube/659

In all it will be around $300 which is where My limit is around.

BTW: I live in Perth Amboy, but I'm not like most people here....... I'm white... hahahahahaha... j/k But you. I'm the last exit on 287/440 before you go into staten island... So i'm not too far away from you.

fritz · Silver Status Member

Yes, the panther is the same gun, just a different stock. All of the Diana guns with the "Panther" title have the same action with a synthetic stock. I'm a wood and metal guy myself (unless wood won't function in the conditions it's being used in).

Your talking about the Striker combo? That sounds like a deal to me. Leapers droop base, rings, scope. Leapers is a decent quality optics maker (for the money). I don't have one, but they are supposed to hold up quite well on springers.

Noone has yet asked- do you have previous experience with firearms of any kind?

Good luck finding a nice place to shoot up there.

J5311 · Member

hmmm any experience... my mother didn't want me to throw rocks. lol

Other then that it was the carnival with the compressed air rifles.... shot out the star second try. and I had a pistol that is now broke due to it being cheap, but out of all my friends and brother I had the best eye. you know shooting a can probably at about 20 yards.

I would like to shoot at about 75-100 yards. where i go in north jersey there is a long driveway if you could call it that and a field. Enough room for the distance.

fritz · Silver Status Member

You need a magnum springer or a good pcp to do 75-100 yards if you intend to really hit anything.

My 34 can hold like 2" at 75 yards off a bench with Crosman hunting pellets.

EDIT: I should add that for me, 2" is not acceptable accuracy to hunt game of any size. Also at that distance I don't feel the pellet will have enough energy left for a clean kill should a hit be made.

J5311 · Member

well it will be my first rifle.

I'm not looking for anything expert, but more beginning intermediate. I find no reason to get something to "start with" and then move to something better. This air rifle will be my leisure activity for the weekend. later in time I will buy powder pistols and rifles. I'm using the air guns to gain a respect and bearing for fire arms

Slavia · Moderator

broommaster2000 · Moderator

Welcome aboard! Mr. Green