Suggestions for Cheap Sporter/Scope Combination

atomicbrh · Post by **atomicbrh** » Sun Feb 01, 2009 5:55 pm

Many times when I am putting on the monthly Air Rifle Silhouette Matchs at our local club no one even shows up with a Springer. Most folks are just shooting Smallbore, and then PCP Air rifles in Target and Open class. I think that if I had a loaner sporter rifle available people would shoot it.

I am looking for something inexpensive but that is extremely safe and simple to shoot. I would prefer a rifle that has an anti-beartrap mechanism or just designed so that it is about impossible to hurt yourself with it. I would like this rifle to be somewhat easy to cock. In a previous post Dee is having good success with a Barska 6.5 to 20. I will probably try that scope on this loaner and see how long it lasts. This does not have to be a super competitive rifle and scope combination. I will be purchasing this out of my own pocket so cost is a factor. I took this same loaner approach in Smallbore with a CZ Silhouette and a Tasco 10 to 40 Scope with Eley Sport Ammo and it has worked out well when new folks show up with euqipment that will not work at all.

Does any one have any suggestion for a Sporter Rifle and Scope that fits these requirements and will hold together for a reasonable length of time?

Bobby R. Huddleston

shakes · Post by **shakes** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 10:58 am

Bobby have you checked out the Straight Shooter website and forum? It's all air guns all the time. They might have a couple of suggestions for you.

Matt

Innocent · Post by **Innocent** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 11:01 am

Bobby,
Things were going find fine until you got to the easy to cock part of a springer...

Mary

atomicbrh · Post by **atomicbrh** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 4:02 pm

OK Mary, forget that "easy to cock" or should I say "easy to crank" part. I have shot some fine TX200's but those folks who have not shot much competitively IMHO would have a hard time working with a cheaper version of something like the TX200. With the arthritis I have a hard time placing the pellet in the chamber and then I can never remember to push the safety off on the TX type rifles.

I am open to any cheaper springer suggestions since I will not be shooting it much, just loaning it out during matchs. I do not like to see that Sporter first place prize not given out at my matchs. Especially when we have a corporate sponsor for the Monthly Air Rifle Matchs.

Bobby

isledweller · Post by **isledweller** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:06 am

You can take a look at a Gamo CFX. No pinched fingers with that set up.

ter · Post by **ter** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 1:09 pm

Sent a PM to Atomicbrh.

Dee · Post by **Dee** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 1:36 pm

Hi Bobby, just wanted to say that I am not sure if the Barska scope I have would hold up on a springer rifle for very long. I use mine on my 10m recoiless SSP air rifle and while it has been 2 years and still no issues dialing it has not seen the reverse recoil impulse that springers put out. For the $40 it might be worth a shot to try one and not be out to much if it fails, maybe even get it replaced to put on something else.

Otherwise I would suggest maybe some of the mid range Bushnell scopes like the Trophy or Legend series. The only go up to 15-16x IIRC and not target dot just a duplex crosshair.

As for a rifle perhaps a RWS Mod. 34 would be a good choice. So long as you never take your hand off the barrel when cocking/loading it is safe and failry accurate albeit the trigger is a manly one

For anything springer good enough to even bother with it and quality enough to last your probably looking at $350-400 for the whole RWS/Bushnell rig new. At which point you can sometimes find TX200 used for $450 or so. Alot more rifle for a little more money but then you still need a scope.

Even the springers can get costly. I recently got a TX that had been professionally tuned and came with the one piece Beeman fully adjustable mounts/rings. In walnut used I paid $600 and dropped another $400 for another Bushnell 4200 Elite 6-24x w/dot ( a great springer scope ). But if I was to price this rifle out as is new the Rifle with wlanut stock alone would cost me around $650 shipped, plus another $250 for the full tune job and another $75 for the mounts, then add on the $400 scope and you suddenly have $1375 in a springer pellet gun and haven't even bought pellets yet

At least they are still somewhat cheap though. But I will never part with this rifle it is so smooth and nice shooting and fills the small game hunting niche perfectly. The PCP's I have would go long before this rifle ever will

Look used and see what you can find. the HW97s are a little cheaper than a TX around $100 less I think.

1armoured · Post by **1armoured** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 8:58 pm

IMO you don't need a 20x scope on a loaner spring gun, shooting offhand at air-rifle silhouette distances.

I use a Barska 3-12x airgun scope on springers, and haven't had any problems with them. They're relatively inexpensive, as well.

I don't know of any under-lever guns that would fit your requirements for 'weight of crank' except some of the older less powerful Falke and Diana/Original/Gecado models and the Gamo CF-20,

and the older rifles don't have anti-bear trap.

The other problem is cheap and cheerful triggers on anything that doen't cost big bucks.
They can be awful to shoot.

The Beeman/Weihrauch HW57 has a pop-up loading port, easy to cock, and good trigger.

I have Weihrauch, and Air Arms springers, with decent triggers on, and they're a pleasure to shoot,
but they 'aint cheap !

A low powered, easy to crank, German made Beeman break-barrel in .177 with the 'rekord' match trigger and a Barska 3-12x could be the way to go for a bit of quality coupled with ease of use.

cheers,

Bob259 · Post by **Bob259** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 3:04 pm

Try this one out, you can't beat the price...
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=507923

1armoured · Post by **1armoured** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 3:33 pm

27lb cocking pull ?

Not for the fainthearted or weak-in-crank !

cheers,

Bob259 · Post by **Bob259** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 6:39 pm

1armoured wrote:27lb cocking pull ?

Not for the fainthearted or weak-in-crank !

cheers,

That's why I went to the Dark Side

Innocent · Post by **Innocent** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 10:15 pm

That's why I went to the Dark Side

Bob wrong side of the berm but something about canned milk ad comes to mind between the 27# cocking pull and going to the dark side...that is why the smallbore is so much easier.

Innocent

Bob259 · Post by **Bob259** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 4:28 am

Innocent wrote:
That's why I went to the Dark Side

Bob wrong side of the berm but something about canned milk ad comes to mind between the 27# cocking pull and going to the dark side...that is why the smallbore is so much easier.
Innocent

Should have known........

1armoured · Post by **1armoured** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 4:45 pm

27lbs crank is good for some.

Shapes and lifts the bosom !

(I think maybe every big girl should have one !)

cheers,
Sean in 'Godzone'

BlauBear · Post by **BlauBear** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 8:28 pm

1armoured wrote:27lbs crank is good for some.

Shapes and lifts the bosom !

(I think maybe every big girl should have one !)

cheers,
Sean in 'Godzone'

Delicately put! Very nice!