Need a air rifle for the girlfriend

[Tradarcher]

My girlfriend is interested in learning to shoot. She never grew up around guns so has never shot any. Yesterday I convinced her to shoot my stoeger x20s. Even though I had to cock the barrel for her she shot freehanded and at 20yds was shooting surprisingly well. So I am looking for her an air rifle to do some plinking with. Obviously a break barrel is a no go as she could not break the barrel on my gun. And I do not want to spend alot in case she decides that this is a passing interest. I am thinking either a pneumatic pump or co2 rifle. Can anyone recommend me some that would be a decent buy for a beginning shooter?

[longhunter]

Pumping might be a turn off for her. How about something from the Crosman custom shop in CO2? If she decides not to pursue the sport, you still have a pretty sweet gun for yourself.

[AHMSA]

Take a look at Sheridan 2260MB.  It is a very accurate and light weight CO2 bolt action pellet rifle.  https://www.pyramydair.com/product/sheridan-2260mb-co2-rifle?m=3409

[tennx]

QB78S, light and accurate....but CO2 and winter is coming...good luck

[c_m_shooter]

Weirach HW30/ Beeman R7.  If she doesn't like it, you still get a nice rifle.

[lefteyeshot]

Cz 634. Easy to cock, accurate right out of the box, great trigger, smooth shot cycle and a $100. Ebay or budgunshop.com.

[bantam5s]

What about the Daisy 880 ?
It's extremely easy to pump, it's easy to shoot, and it's accurate.

Pumping it 4 times for 20yd or less plinking takes no effort at all, obviously 4 pump strokes is more than the one cocking motion of a break barrel springer but the effort / force required to do so is like nothing.

[SteveP-52]

Flying Dragon XS12. With or without One of Mike's tunes, easy to cock and shoot and still a nice plinker for you if she decides not to keep shooting.

http://flyingdragonairrifles.org/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=53

[DanD]

The X20 is a full, sized, full powered hunting gun. Your girlfriend might enjoy an easier cocking, easier handling, lighter weight springer.
I got my girlfriend into shooting with an HW30, then she became interested in shooting some of the bigger guns. She said of the 30, "It's such a friendly little gun." Now her favorite is a soft tuned BSA Supersport SE.
She finds multipumps cumbersome and is not interested in them. My only CO2 rifle is a Crosman 160, and it is obnoxiously loud.
Good luck!

[Gertrude]

another vote for a QB series,... but I'd suggest a QB79 over the 78,... WHY ? you might ask ? ? ?
Because it is still the same fine shooter as the 79,.. AND,..
it is MUCH easier to change/convert to a low pressure (1800 psi) / (VERY Hand "Pumpable") PCP,  if you ever choose to do so.

https://www.airgundepot.com/beeman-qb79-air-rifle.html

[bantam5s]

I just wanna add that many people don't like multipumps, but you never know until you give them a shot and at $35-$40 the Daisy 880 is affordable and worth trying out.

[ac12]

CMP refurbished 853.
It is a SSP with a 12" LoP that can be extended with spacers.

IZH 60/61
springer with adjustable stock.

[Mikeflys]

I bought my with a 2400KT from the Crossman Custom Shop. Light as a feather, accurate as a laser, fantastic gun. I use it more than her. It is my goto for HOSP and Starlings. It is not very quiet. If you need quiet you will need a TKO moderator. I have one on ours, very backyard friendly now.

[longhunter]

QB78S, light and accurate....but CO2 and winter is coming...good luck

He hails from Alabammi. Don't think he's got much to worry about, when it comes to co2 and temperature.

[tennx]

QB78S, light and accurate....but CO2 and winter is coming...good luck

He hails from Alabammi. Don't think he's got much to worry about, when it comes to co2 and temperature.

LOL.................Occurs to me , he and I are on the same side of the Mason/Dixon should have noticed.....

[Elo76]

Any breakbarrel with a 12fpe or less tune in it should be easy to cock.  My wife can cock my Ruger Air Magnum (22fpe) with some effort, but can easliy cock the Blackhawk Elite with a 12fpe tune.

Get a refurb blackhawk elite 59.99 and put in a D34 Vorkek 12fpe 79.99 (-10% with coupon code) tune kit in it ~$125.  It worked out really well.  She loves this gun because of the grip.  Either do the 2nd screw mod to the trigger yourself or have Mike (Flying Dragon) do it for you.  You'll have an awesome gun.


You will need a scope for it since it doesn't have open sights and you may need to account for some droop.

Mine had severe barrel droop which required some bending, but from the reviews I've read...it doesn't seem typical or something that can't normally be fixed by a drooper mount or a few shims.

Other than that...she loves the co2 pistols.  Maybe a Crosman 1077 would work for your needs.

[Tradarcher]

QB78S, light and accurate....but CO2 and winter is coming...good luck

He hails from Alabammi. Don't think he's got much to worry about, when it comes to co2 and temperature.

. 


Yea not to much to worry about as far as temps .

[Taso1000]

Flying Dragon XS12. With or without One of Mike's tunes, easy to cock and shoot and still a nice plinker for you if she decides not to keep shooting.

http://flyingdragonairrifles.org/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=53

This was what I would recommend too.  I picked up a full Mike Melick tuned one for $90 shipped.  It's a great rifle, I was impressed!  The trigger was not as bad as some people made it out but I wasn't looking for a match trigger either.   

Taso

I forgot to add that it was a used rifle from a member on here.  Sorry.

[farrlarr]

Take all of the suggestions from above, and any additional that come in, and take your girl to a store where she can feel/try as many as possible and let her make a choice.  Alternatively, let her look through pictures of all of the suggested guns (Pyramyd Air is a good place for this), as well as whatever specifications might be of concern (be sure to be there when she is looking so you can explain whatever needs to be explained).  Again, let her make a choice.  DO NOT CHOOSE A GUN FOR HER BECAUSE IT IS MOST LIKELY THAT THERE WILL BE SOMETHING ABOUT IT THAT SHE WILL NOT LIKE FROM THE GET GO!!  Feel free to make whatever suggestions about the guns that interest her that you think would help her make a reasonable choice, but do not choose for her!

[Steelontarget]

As others have stated I don't think you could go wrong with ordering the 2400KT from the Crosman custom shop.  I would recommend the .22 caliber with the 14.6 Lothar Walther match barrel.  The other nice thing about a custom gun with her name on it would be a certain amount of pride of ownership and the fact that you took the time to get her something special besides a run-of-the-mill-big-box-store airgun.

http://www.crosman.com/custom-shop/#

Don't get the sights but get the UTG 4 X 32 True Hunter scope for the rifle.  You can adjust the parallax down to 5 yards and use the mildots for holdover at longer distances.  I have one of these on my Diana K98 and ordered another one for my 2400KT.

https://www.pyramydair.com/product/leapers-utg-4x32-ao-true-hunter-rifle-scope-mil-dot-reticle-1-4-moa-1?a=5797

If she's bothered by a little noise, you could get the TKO 5" or 6.5" Stage-V Mod to put on the muzzle even though it's not really needed unless you want to make it backyard friendly.

http://www.tko22.com/index.html