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rustyfan936 · New Member

i was wondering if anyone could suggest a good air rifle for me to get. either .177 or .22 cal would be fine. i have a budget of about $200. i saw a few tech force models that looked good. anyone know if they are any good?

broommaster2000 · Moderator

For that money you can havea Techforce, but quality control in China isn't that good. I'd check European rifles first. Don't just go and order a gun. Go to a store, hold it, feel it. It matters a lot.

You can also buy a used rifle. This safes a lot of money but costs more time.

I also advice you to read in on an Air-rifle.

Models I would check:

Slavia 630.
Weihrauch HW30 (Beeman)
Weihrauch HW50 (Beeman)

If you want to get your hands dirty I'd go for something chinese, but then my advice is to look around this forum a bit and use the search function.

23ib0d0n · Moderator

The outdoorsman · Veteran Member

AirGunEric · Site Admin

The outdoorsman · Veteran Member

ya but doesnt the beeman modle of the HW30 called something else?

I.E. beeman kodiak----webly partiot?

anyway i forgot about the $200 price range Embarassed

23ib0d0n · Moderator

Beeman R7 = HW30 pretty closely, though several dealers carry HW direct at a small savings.

broommaster2000 · Moderator

Beeman really does overprice their models. Off course, exporting from Europe isn't cheap either. The other way around is sometimes more affordable.

22magnum · Member

Rogerflat · Silver Status Member

I don't think you should start with a techforce. Too chinsy.

Gamo's have some good starter rifles, but depending on the model, they can be pretty expensive too.

BBGun Bob · Veteran Member

I don't think anyone would be sorry if they started out with a RWS 34.They are very powerful and very accurate right out of the box .It is hard to beat the German craftsmanship and quailty control.
Everyone who has bought one has nothing bad to say about these rifles.
I think a break barrell spring powered rifle is easist to use and very cheap to shoot.Pumpers are alot of work and people tire very fast of those rifles because of having to pump the thing 6 to10 times before every shot.
CO2's are very nice multi shot,single shot,and any caliber you want .But if you like to shoot alot everyday or even just on the weekends they will break your pocket book buying CO2 cartridges .To me that is the only drawback I have with a CO2 rifle.They are just to expensive to shoot .
Like Eric said choose a caliber to suit your shooting needs.I personally like the .22 caliber because of knock down power,and they can be just as accurate as a .177 cal.

Happy Shooting
Be Safe
BBGun Bob

BBGun Bob · Veteran Member

broommaster2000 · Moderator

I think a Gamo would make him happy. Something affordable, yet powerfull. What do the Shadow RSV's cost in the US? They don't look so bad, and I recon they're pretty good.

AirGunEric · Site Admin

I think we're starting to confuse the poor guy! I know I'd be getting confused with all these recommendations about now.

First, as has been mentioned- decide on a caliber - .22 or .177

Second, decide on a "powerplant"- Spring, Co2, or pump-up. Pump-up can be a real pain in the a$$ due to the repetitive effort required to shoot, and Co2 doesn't work as well in colder weather- so think about these things.

Once you've narrowed this down a bit- then we can make suggestions that might fit you ideas a bit better.

The concensus, in case you hadn't quite caught it- is that everyone seems to believe a Techforce is just too low-end for a first gun and will require more effort and hassle that you may not be prepared to become involved with to make it a decent gun.

The outdoorsman · Veteran Member

ok then

i prefer a 22 cal now for the power sourse this may help

co2 has easy use (pulling back the bolt) but has an added cost of the powerlets

pump up pneumatic is very versatile but has to be pumped everyshot

break barell single shot powerful has recoil...