GTA
All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General => Air Gun Gate => Topic started by: Nitrocrushr on January 11, 2015, 08:11:25 PM
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Like many of the folks here on this forum, I have been drawn to and/or fascinated with air rifles for as long as I can remember. It started with a lever action daisy in the early 70's. Yes I appreciate my powder burners too, but there is just something about the air rifle that I have always liked 8) Growing up on a farm, I had numerous rifles and handguns, but my air rifles were with me almost all the time. I had many more shots downrange with my air rifles than any of my center fire rifles.
However, some folks just do not understand this appeal for an air powered rifle. As I get back into this sport, I have had so many conversations with fellow shooters who cannot grasp the concept of investing time or money into a quality air rifle. I show them a picture of the rifle I just bought, and as soon as they find out it is a air rifle they get bug eyed and the conversation ends...lol. I get comments like "why did you spend so much on a BB gun?", and another friend said "it's a shame they wasted a stock like that on an air rifle".......really????
I look at a quality air rifle and have the same interest and appreciation that I do for a well made center fire, perhaps even a little more. I just don't get it.
Has anyone else experienced this?
Steve
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Like many of the folks here on this forum, I have been drawn to and/or fascinated with air rifles for as long as I can remember. It started with a lever action daisy in the early 70's. Yes I appreciate my powder burners too, but there is just something about the air rifle that I have always liked 8) Growing up on a farm, I had numerous rifles and handguns, but my air rifles were with me almost all the time. I had many more shots downrange with my air rifles than any of my center fire rifles.
However, some folks just do not understand this appeal for an air powered rifle. As I get back into this sport, I have had so many conversations with fellow shooters who cannot grasp the concept of investing time or money into a quality air rifle. I show them a picture of the rifle I just bought, and as soon as they find out it is a air rifle they get bug eyed and the conversation ends...lol. I get comments like "why did you spend so much on a BB gun?", and another friend said "it's a shame they wasted a stock like that on an air rifle".......really????
I look at a quality air rifle and have the same interest and appreciation that I do for a well made center fire, perhaps even a little more. I just don't get it.
Has anyone else experienced this?
Steve
When I first got My Diana 460 I went to the Nassau county indoor range 30 yards max and got similar looks and once I started grouping dime and quarter size groups the raised eye brows lowered until someone asked to try it then the light came on. I also took a shot a a bar of Neutrogena soap end on and penetrated about 2"at 25 yards that really opened a few eyes. Unfortunately shooting there is expensive so I mostly shoot in the basement or backyard it's just easier
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Hahaha,.... yeah, we ALL experience it !
You really wanna see their eyes bug out ?
Take 'em shooting with you, and bring a handful of golf tee's and paintballs...set them out at 50 yds, and tell 'em these are your EASY PRACTICE targets, (just to get warmed up).
Then show 'em the bottle of aspirins you have in your pocket... and tell 'em they are not allowed to shoot the golf tee's. ;D
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Hi Steve
I own powder burners but love airguns as well.
I have experienced this as well. One person asked me why I spent so much money on a pellet gun when you can get them at Walmart for a lot less.
One day at the range I let a diehard powder burner try my sumatra.
This changed his opinion on airguns.
So all I know is some people will listen others won't
I hope this helps.
Dave
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Yes, that has been my experience, as well. I have found that many PB shooters don't look at an air rifle as a "real gun". Their view is shaped by their own limited experience with airguns, an experience that began when they were kids and they used inexpensive airguns, often like toys. Many PB shooters remain ignorant of advances in airguns. A few short years ago I myself was unaware of PCP's -- although when I was a boy I dreamed of a powerful, repeating air rifle that didn't need to be cocked for every shot like my inexpensive Chinese-made break barrel. When I take a PCP to a rifle range other shooters usually come closer for a better look and are impressed because they are unfamiliar with such guns and they do look different from the air rifles of their own youth. I suspect that many PB shooters who saw a big bore PCP they would be very surprised. Spring piston rifles have come a long way since the 1970's and the gas ram was patented only in 1980.
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I think we all experience it to some extent. I post on regular gun forums all the time about my shooting with cartridge guns, especially handguns and every time I'm asked my secret for good shooting, I always reply that it comes from shooting air guns on a regular basis. I tend to get preachy about it. I tell them all the advantages of going air. Still, most of my forum friends pretty much ignore air guns. I guess air guns don't go bang or something.
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For me it seems to be hit and miss as far as finding people who 'get' air gunning. With the cost of pb ammo where it is a lot of people are turning to airguns. Or as a lot of us started on them as kids.......turning back to them. I love shooting and it just makes sense to me. I've decided to accept the fact that I will be seen as an airgun nerd.......I'm good with it ;D
What I am still trying to wrap my head around are the big bore PCP's. I don't see a cost benefit compared to firearms? So it must just be a because it's fun or because I can type of deal.
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I experience the same often. I have managed to get a couple of my PB only friends to started shooting AirRifles by talking to them about shooting practice. Then I steer them to an AirRifle that will produce good enough out of box power that there target practice shows them how good modern AirRifles are (I usualy steer them to the FD-PCP, or something similar [some times a Crosman 2260 if cost is a big factor]).
Once I get them shooting AirRifles I will bring over my power modded Pumpers, to show them that for most things a pumper can keep up.
Really it is like talking to Springer/Gas-Ram and PCP/CO2/HPA fans about the virtues of pumpers. And I think we all have seen how well that works on this forum :) .
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For me it seems to be hit and miss as far as finding people who 'get' air gunning. With the cost of pb ammo where it is a lot of people are turning to airguns. Or as a lot of us started on them as kids.......turning back to them. I love shooting and it just makes sense to me. I've decided to accept the fact that I will be seen as an airgun nerd.......I'm good with it ;D
What I am still trying to wrap my head around are the big bore PCP's. I don't see a cost benefit compared to firearms? So it must just be a because it's fun or because I can type of deal.
For the big bore PCP's:
There are a lot of places cracking down on firearms, by passing more and more restrictive laws. Though most of those places do not care about AirRifles, or have less restrictive laws about AirRifles.
Also there are some that do not want to get a license in the areas where a license is required for any firearm, though not for AirGuns.
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I get the same thing when someone visits my home and sees near 80 airguns hanging throughout. They ask me how I can afford to buy bullets for them all. When I tell them that they are ALL airguns they look at me like I'm crazy... I just tell them... I AM !
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Wow, great discussion!! I'm glad to see I'm not alone in this. I see some of you guys mentioning the PCP's. While I absolutely love my springers...I can definitely see a PCP in the near future for me ;) Not to take over for my springers, just something different to try.
Steve
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I have been through it as well, my cousin thought I had lost my mind spending so much on air rifles until I broke out the Marauder and showed him what it was capable of. The look on his face was priceless. I have owned air guns since the 80's, the ammo is cheap, they are quiet enough for the backyard range, put food on the table, get rid of pest quickly, you don't have to drive to a gun range to shoot them, and not have to go through a background check to buy one.
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I get the same thing when someone visits my home and sees near 80 airguns hanging throughout. They ask me how I can afford to buy bullets for them all. When I tell them that they are ALL airguns they look at me like I'm crazy... I just tell them... I AM !
80 air guns!!?? Yeeehhaaww!!! You know it's funny, I can look over a .300 win. mag long range rig, then look at a nice air rifle and give it the same amount of interest and attention.....maybe even more ;D
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I got into the air rifles and pistols just so I could plink targets on my backyard range,as living in the city prevents using the powder burners. You can get good practice that can transfer over to the PB's especially air pistols.
I do now have access to property where several of us can go on the weekends to have target fun with the PB's.
Now all of this has opened up another hobby of building targets for both my air gun fun and the PB fun not to mention another hobby,which does save me some bucks, of reloading. It never ends!
I don't really care if I can put 10 pellets or bullets in a single hole from 50 yds. just enjoy the sound of hitting the steels or blowing away a few cans! ;D
I respect the air rifles and the powder burners.
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I got into the air rifles and pistols just so I could plink targets on my backyard range,as living in the city prevents using the powder burners. You can get good practice that can transfer over to the PB's especially air pistols.
I do now have access to property where several of us can go on the weekends to have target fun with the PB's.
Now all of this has opened up another hobby of building targets for both my air gun fun and the PB fun not to mention another hobby,which does save me some bucks, of reloading. It never ends!
I don't really care if I can put 10 pellets or bullets in a single hole from 50 yds. just enjoy the sound of hitting the steels or blowing away a few cans! ;D
I respect the air rifles and the powder burners.
you are lucky that you live in a city and are able to shoot your AirGuns in the city. That is one reason I will never move back to the city, most cities do not allow shooting AirGuns in the city limits.
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Many thanks go to the legislators in Va. who passed a bill several years ago preempting local over ride of State Code regarding air guns.
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A 40$ beeman p17 has a better trigger than most 1,000$ firearms, so that's one thing they get jealous about.
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I think many of us have this same issue.
Heck I was out at the range a while ago and had the people at the range questioning me. I was over shooting at the 50 yard range and printing small one hole groups. After talking to a few people they were all curious about the weird gun I was shooting. Then I really got them questioning me when I moved over to the 100 yard range they were all expecting the pellets to not even reach the targets. Though after printing some half inch groups they started to talk. Many of the people had seen the target rifles, as the local college has an air rifle team that shoots at the range. Though after talking with a few of the people, and explaining the rifle they wanted to shoot. Well after shooting they were looking at these "toys" in another light.
Now every time I step in the range they call me the air guy. And I always have to stop and talk with people about the air guns. I don't mind as it brings more people into looking at these rifles.
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I think many of us have this same issue.
Heck I was out at the range a while ago and had the people at the range questioning me. I was over shooting at the 50 yard range and printing small one hole groups. After talking to a few people they were all curious about the weird gun I was shooting. Then I really got them questioning me when I moved over to the 100 yard range they were all expecting the pellets to not even reach the targets. Though after printing some half inch groups they started to talk. Many of the people had seen the target rifles, as the local college has an air rifle team that shoots at the range. Though after talking with a few of the people, and explaining the rifle they wanted to shoot. Well after shooting they were looking at these "toys" in another light.
Now every time I step in the range they call me the air guy. And I always have to stop and talk with people about the air guns. I don't mind as it brings more people into looking at these rifles.
;) ;D Just think Chris you are a proud member of the Air Rifle Diplomat Corps welcome I have brought in 3 and 3 more soon to be converts. Keep up the good work
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I had this happen the other day. I got out of my truck with my Hatsan 125 camo sniper. That rifle should impress anyone. My new neighbor saw it and across the street he came quickly.. What's that? I said it's one of my air rifles. I swear he did an about face and walked away. Not another question. I don't even think he owns a gun.
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Honestly I am getting involved with airguns out of necessity. It started with a pest problem, and the old Benjamin 20 caliber I have is showing wear, plus my eyes are now not so cooperative with the iron sights on it.
I'm still of the mentality that if I can get away with using a powder burner, I'll do that, but the problem I've been working on, and where I'm working on it, it's not practical.
After all is said and done though, I'm getting more trigger time with the airgun than any other lately.
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I could hunt Hogs with my Henry .357 MAG but I find it more exciting with my .25 cal PCPs :) :)
I can check my zero before going hunting,.... in my Backyard,
I can have all the trigger time I ever want,...in my Backyard, ...with Big Bores too, and those things I can't do with firearms.
As for how people perceive airguns ? Yes most don't even know PCPs even exist but I tell you what,....I was forced to sell several of my PCPs after going to the range and let hardcore Firearms guys shoot them (ho boy how wide those eyes get :) :) ), heck, this guy would not let me leave and ended up giving me 1800 bucks for one of my Rainstorms .357 :) :)
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I can get trigger time, any time I want, right in my basement. no need to spend hundreds on range dues/fees. it can be 40 below, outside, but, it's a balmy 65 down there. as far as hunting, I think it makes me a better hunter. I have to get a little closer to my target. now that I think about it, the ranges aren't all that different. 30-35 yards is still shotgun range, and, that's about as far as I've ever shot anything with a .22, as well.
ammunition cost is another factor. if I shot my pb's as much as I shoot my airguns, I'd need a second job, just to buy ammo.
I'm just a big kid. my airguns help me remember a time when things were different, less hectic. when I was a kid, we didn't have a schedule. we'd call each other up, " hey, let's go fishin ", or whatever tickled our fancy, at that particular moment. carpe diem, ya know ? I NEED that in my life. even if it's only for an hour or two, when I'm home.
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Scott..... we might be related...
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;) Off the top of my head all 3 of us are probably related in some fashion even if not by genetics ;D ;D
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Yah,, we're all related, one way or another. I've only been around here a short while and got back into air guns to tackle a chipmunk population explosion. I now own 5 rifles, they all do what I need them to do, but find myself wanting new challenges after becoming proficient with each one..... will it ever end ? ::)
In reading and communicating with some of the members, I've become more knowledgeable in shooting and modification to make my experience better, THANKS GTA.
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I can get trigger time, any time I want, right in my basement. no need to spend hundreds on range dues/fees. it can be 40 below, outside, but, it's a balmy 65 down there. as far as hunting, I think it makes me a better hunter. I have to get a little closer to my target. now that I think about it, the ranges aren't all that different. 30-35 yards is still shotgun range, and, that's about as far as I've ever shot anything with a .22, as well.
ammunition cost is another factor. if I shot my pb's as much as I shoot my airguns, I'd need a second job, just to buy ammo.
I'm just a big kid. my airguns help me remember a time when things were different, less hectic. when I was a kid, we didn't have a schedule. we'd call each other up, " hey, let's go fishin ", or whatever tickled our fancy, at that particular moment. carpe diem, ya know ? I NEED that in my life. even if it's only for an hour or two, when I'm home.
Beautiful said, especially the last sentence. I gotta admit that it does bum me out that I can only shoot indoors though. Being outside in the woods, even just plinking is what really miss.My wife has gotten into shooting the last year or too and I hate that we can't just go out for a walk and shoot away.
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I'm fortunate enough to still be able to get around. I do hunt quite a bit, I just don't post about it. although, I'm getting soft, in my old age. I don't like to be out and about, when it's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey. hunting, for me, is another form of relaxation, not an exercise in winter survival. ( at least not unless it has to be ). most of the time, I only have enough time home to get caught up on the "honey-do" list, and, get in a little trigger time, here and there. then, back on the road, for a week or two.
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;D My eclectic collection is all about options I like having them whenever I do things whether hunting, fishing, camping or whatever so my AG's reflect that mind set ;D ;D ;D
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Scott..... we might be related...
scary thought ;D.
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Scott..... we might be related...
scary thought ;D.
awww... c'mon buddy.. :D
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Yeah Guys,
I still remember sitting down with my Dad and shooting his CO2 pistol when I was about 5 or 6. It was the coolest thing I could think of and some great Dad time. Now, there is nothing more relaxing than just sitting, in my 12 yard range, slowly shooting and making minor tweaks to my stable of air guns. It's a reality FIX that resets your brain ;) It must be the German wiring I got from my Dad.
You go through all the same process working on (stock/metal work), adjusting and constantly tweaking as you do a powder burner - you just don't have the bang or expense.
I was the neighbor kid who was always hunting in our backyard ravine and learned how to use my Dad's tools at a young age.
Right now, I've shot too much stuff and just enjoy the challenge of the Bullseye.
If people don't get it, I smile :D and just think WHATEVER :P
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At first, the appeal was strong. Especially when 22LR ammo became scarce. Honestly, I'd rather shoot 22 than pellets. But pellets are more plentiful and a lot cheaper. I went through the usual progression with air rifles, going from cheap to more expensive, but then my economic situation turned bleak, and so I had to sell off the higher dollar guns. Now I am back to cheap guns and that's probably where I will stay. I am seriously considering selling even those off and moving on to a cheaper hobby or just buying a few replica handguns, which I find more fun to shoot than rifles. I don't mind shooting BBs at all. That's where I started out in the first place. So I guess you could say the appeal of air rifles is wearing off for me.
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MEDIC !!!!
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Shooters are generally a pretty conservative part of the population and not especially open to new things.
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Sorry scrane........... :-\,
Now that just sounds ridiculous ::)
My Two Cents............... and Avator --------> my wife does feel I need some counseling!!
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These days some people would balk at spending so much money for an airgun. Prices have gone up since my beginning days. There still are cheap airguns that look like Euoropean counterparts, but they are not the same in quality. The appeal for me was being able to shoot as much as I wanted to at various small targets out in the backyard or fields. More freedom than shooting a rimfire rifle. It also helped my interest in airguns greatly when I looked through the offerings in the ARH and Beeman catalogs. It was like "Wow", and this was over 30 years ago.
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;D I count my blessings every day. For my age I am in good to excellent health, can afford to indulge in most anything I want to do and AG's fill an important niche in the life I live along with a couple other hobbies. As far as what I choose to own for me personally my preference is to buy the very best possible whatever and use it until it is worn out and needs to be rebuilt. That being said if I end up with 8 or 10 keeper AG's in whatever flavor they may be I would just rather have 10 $500 dollar guns than 20 $200 guns but that is just me some people have a different perspective or different priority's doesn't make them wrong or me right just different. At the end we all love the AG's and shooting them for the tightest groups or the highest possible FT or HFT score they can achieve or whatever it is that puts that silly 10 year old kid smile back on their face ;) ;D ;D ;D
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Like all of us I had a Red Rider as a kid. My parents were dirt poor, so I was jealous of my friends pellet rifles. Most of the years in between were filled with Pb's and archery. Still do the archery. My Pb's sit. In the last 12 months I shot a PB exactly twice. The 2 shots in the vitals of a buck with my Savage 99 .308. But I have shot thousands of pellets in that 12 months.
I hunt and pest a LOT. Last year, just the mammals I kept track of were approaching 200 with Ag's . I stopped keep track and taking pictures. I take a few now and then, but not many anymore.
For YEARS , heck most of my life I fought a pull and flinch. As my bio dad ( my real dad, but not the guy who raised me) thought it was funny to hand me a 12 gauge to shoot when I was far too young to shoot one. But shooting AG's has fixed that. AG's have vastly improved both my shooting ability and my ability's as a hunter.
I try to spend at least a few minutes each day shooting or at the very least working on an AG. My down time.
There is a lot i love about AG's, the flight of the pellet reminds me so of the mystical flight of the arrow. I just love it.
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Like many of you, I shot BB guns as a boy and graduated to firearms. The challenge of shooting is what I like. With firearms, I handloaded and dealt with the challenges of noise and recoil. But, alas, the challenges of finding a place to shoot and finding time to get to that place, finally got me. I love being able to shoot in my back yard or in my garage whenever I want. As was said above, it fills a need I have. I guess all of us who shoot airguns or firearms have that need. Airguns equal convenience now and I don't shoot firearms much now.
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Like all of us I had a Red Rider as a kid. My parents were dirt poor, so I was jealous of my friends pellet rifles. Most of the years in between were filled with Pb's and archery. Still do the archery. My Pb's sit. In the last 12 months I shot a PB exactly twice. The 2 shots in the vitals of a buck with my Savage 99 .308. But I have shot thousands of pellets in that 12 months.
I hunt and pest a LOT. Last year, just the mammals I kept track of were approaching 200 with Ag's . I stopped keep track and taking pictures. I take a few now and then, but not many anymore.
For YEARS , heck most of my life I fought a pull and flinch. But shooting AG's has fixed that. AG's have vastly improved both my shooting ability and my ability's as a hunter.
I try to spend at least a few minutes each day shooting or at the very least working on an AG. My down time.
There is a lot i love about AG's, the flight of the pellet reminds me so of the mystical flight of the arrow. I just love it.
Boy you wrote something similar to what I was going to write. I do not have a lot of money so I really enjoy the airguns I have. For all my guns I worked extremely hard to earn them. ;)
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I had this happen the other day. I got out of my truck with my Hatsan 125 camo sniper. That rifle should impress anyone. My new neighbor saw it and across the street he came quickly.. What's that? I said it's one of my air rifles. I swear he did an about face and walked away. Not another question. I don't even think he owns a gun.
So we ask, why do they act/react like that (see above) to "Air Gun"s. Here is one big reason. They never saw anyone shoot an airgun in a movie. Dirty Harry did not blast the bad guy with a Sumatra. Mrods were not at Iwo Jima. And yes, they don't go bang. I think they would be more impressed if we took the shrouds and suppressors off of our guns and let um go bang. But they have an ingrained impression of the louder the bang the better (more powerful) the gun. Guns that go Phft or a soft "tack" do not impress those macho guys. Plus there is no hard recoil. They can't shoot your Daystate and say....Man that gun kicks like a mule. So....it's no bang, no kick...it's a toy. Then comes the "how much did that gun cost you?? Followed by Gawdang you coulda bought a really nice AR for that much money. Why didja spend that much on a pellet gun?? Once you hear that, it's time to pack it up and go home.
They are hopeless and should remain the same. ::)
And then it's the ladies in my neighborhood that see me sneeking around the yard carrying my evil looking black bullpup (MDRL Mrod) on a single point sling and say "George, that guy has got an Assault Weapon". "That can't be legal, should I call the Police?" Followed by, "Don't worry honey, its a BB gun, just a toy." ;D
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Like all of us I had a Red Rider as a kid. My parents were dirt poor, so I was jealous of my friends pellet rifles. Most of the years in between were filled with Pb's and archery. Still do the archery. My Pb's sit. In the last 12 months I shot a PB exactly twice. The 2 shots in the vitals of a buck with my Savage 99 .308. But I have shot thousands of pellets in that 12 months.
I hunt and pest a LOT. Last year, just the mammals I kept track of were approaching 200 with Ag's . I stopped keep track and taking pictures. I take a few now and then, but not many anymore.
For YEARS , heck most of my life I fought a pull and flinch. But shooting AG's has fixed that. AG's have vastly improved both my shooting ability and my ability's as a hunter.
I try to spend at least a few minutes each day shooting or at the very least working on an AG. My down time.
There is a lot i love about AG's, the flight of the pellet reminds me so of the mystical flight of the arrow. I just love it.
Boy you wrote something similar to what I was going to write. I do not have a lot of money so I really enjoy the airguns I have. For all my guns I worked extremely hard to earn them. ;)
Matt I suspect a lot of us are quite similar ;)
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I just recently got into air guns. I have a whole bunch of centerfire rifles and pistols. I imagine I was like most guys...I had been through a few lower end air rifles over the years...mostly the 10-pump type you buy at Walmart. But what really got me hooked on air guns was when I bought a Marauder. I was totally unprepared for the accuracy and power. I now have a Marauder rifle, Marauder pistol, and a Benjamin Trail NP2.
All the guys at my office have borrowed one or more of these guns...and everyone loves them. These guys also have a bunch of centerfire rifles/pistols and have begun adding air rifles to the stable. These nicer air guns are something that most people have just never seen...they are totally unfamiliar with them...as was I until about a year ago.
One of my co-workers immediately bought a Marauder after shooting mine. Another co-worker borrowed the Mrod pistol this week to take to his annual hunting trip with about 30 other dudes.
These guns are fun, accurate, powerful, cheap to shoot, versatile in that you can hunt or plink with them, and ammo is readily available anytime you want it. I can't imagine why someone wouldn't like them.
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Friend of my spent a couple month selling "some" of his western vintge p/b for a down payment on a new Porche. Said he lost a little on most of them. He put down two used Porches and $80,000 on the new Porche. He even looks at my Hatsan 155 and 135 like there toys. Want even pick up one of my lovingly rebuilt B3's or old XSB4-2's. He hardly ever shoots his gun. Usually to hot or cold for him.
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Friend of my spent a couple month selling "some" of his western vintge p/b for a down payment on a new Porche. Said he lost a little on most of them. He put down two used Porches and $80,000 on the new Porche. He even looks at my Hatsan 155 and 135 like there toys. Want even pick up one of my lovingly rebuilt B3's or old XSB4-2's. He hardly ever shoots his gun. Usually to hot or cold for him.
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I'm not getting the Porche reference in your post. What's the correlation to your Hatsan?
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Don't sell inexpensive airguns short. Pumpers are quiet as are CO2. Look what DavidS has done with his 880s. I love my slightly modified 880 and 1200 pistol. Can shoot in my shop here in town, and if I want to pop a starling, as long as I don't stand in street, nobody knows.
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Don't sell inexpensive airguns short. Pumpers are quiet as are CO2. Look what DavidS has done with his 880s. I love my slightly modified 880 and 1200 pistol. Can shoot in my shop here in town, and if I want to pop a starling, as long as I don't stand in street, nobody knows.
+1.