Because you are new, I think I would save some money and get the Diana 34. PCPs and fixed barrels like the HW97 and TX200 are 2-3x as expensive or more.Figure out what you like and don't like about the Diana. You may not like shooting springers, or at least break barrels: the cocking step/effort or the recoil/artillery hold may turn you off. You may want a bigger caliber for hunting. You may want more accuracy. Or more power. You may want a 10m rifle. Who knows?Whether you love it or only kinda like it (hating it is unpossible), the 34 is a reasonably priced classic, you will most likely want to keep it or, if not, you can get most of your money back for it selling it here or one of the other classified sites. It's a good intro to this world without having to go $4-500 deep or more at the outset.
Brian,Sorry if this seems picky, but we're learnin' you here , right? Anyway, .22 cal. does buck wind better and 50 yards except for a couple rare days a year means any consistency and small group will demand some skills where windage is concerned. Perhaps just waiting for it to die down, perhaps getting good enough to adjust your aim accordingly or both. That's easier with .22 than .177 caliber (if we're still talking about 50 yards).
Also, I don't understand anyone simply stating .177 shoots flatter than .22, but true enough in what we see discussed (springers @ 500 to 650 fps it ends up appearing that way).
look under local events in your state most airgunners will let you try there rifle so you can make a better decision before you spend your money.
Somebody buy this NOW so I don't!!!http://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=118064.0
I currently have an underlever Daisy. Shoots pretty well to be honest.I have finally decided on the Beeman R9 from here on the forum. Not the one everyone was telling me to get, but another one from another member. Got it for a reasonable deal and going to take the other funds and save for my next gun. I'm pretty confident that my next air rifle will be an S510 in either .177 or .22. I had told myself before that it was going to be .22, but I've seen some nice things out of a .177. We shall see. Thanks guys for the help again.
In short, .177 do not shoot flatter than .22, but faster (higher fps) pellets have a flatter trajectory than slower ones. As I said, just the basics
I currently have an underlever Daisy. Shoots pretty well to be honest.
I have finally decided on the Beeman R9 from here on the forum. Not the one everyone was telling me to get, but another one from another member. Got it for a reasonable deal and going to take the other funds and save for my next gun. I'm pretty confident that my next air rifle will be an S510 in either .177 or .22. I had told myself before that it was going to be .22, but I've seen some nice things out of a .177. We shall see. Thanks guys for the help again.
FWIW I just sold my .177 R9 and kept my .22 HW95 because I liked .22 better. However, shooting at 50 yards, I didn't have taso's experience. My .22 only shot about 1.2" lower than my .177 at 50 yards. That's about group size! This was using JSB 8.4 in the .177@880fps (14fpe) and H&N FTT in the .22@700 (16fpe). The 180 fpe difference had no practical difference to me..22 will have a higher BC simply because of the inertia of the heavier pellet. .22 pellets are GENERALLY heavier, but there are exceptions.All that said, the R9 was my only .177, and I decided to just stick with .22, for now, so there were preferences there beyond the rifle itself.