Clod Weather Hunting Springer or gas ram under $300? Which is best?

[A.K.A. Tommy Boy]

John:     Cold weather shooting report with a 22cal Crosman Summit Ranger NP2 Rifle.   These shots were taken standing with the rifle braced on my garage door frame. 3 or 4 were shot off hand. The garage was not heated and the rifle has been in the garage for about a week. It was a little before 7am. The outside temp was -17 F with an 8mph wind from the north west.  I took around twenty shots with 22cal gamo redfire 14.5gr hunting pellets. The range on the shots was 25 Yards.  I was checking my guns zero before I went out Cotton tail hunting. This rifle has been shooting well right from day one. The first shot was right on. No fliers.  The high shots were ones I pulled due to stiff fingers and shooting errors on my part.    Good luck on finding the right gun for you & Best Wishes - Tom


Dear All : To see my Review of the Crosman Summit Ranger NP 2 Rifle :

Click Here  >  https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=139029.0

[Barkis]

Dang, Tom, that is some good shootin'!

[A.K.A. Tommy Boy]

Dang, Tom, that is some good shootin'!

Dennis..It's not me...it's the rifle.  This one is a really good shooter.  It is not pellet picky and it's easy to shoot well with. This NP2 gun is great.   Best Wishes - Tom

[Nomadic Pirate]

Dang, Tom, that is some good shootin'!

Dennis..It's not me...it's the rifle.  This one is a really good shooter.  It is not pellet picky and it's easy to shoot well with. This NP2 gun is great.   Best Wishes - Tom

I had two Diana 34s one in .17 and one in .22 My Crosman/Benjamin Nitro pistons and NP2 always outshot the German guns.

[Xraycer]

Benjamin NP2

Not looking for a benjuman or Grossman want better quality.

If you're looking for higher quality, then Diana is the brand you want, based on your list. I own a couple of NP2, I got for really great prices, and I have been very happy with their build, and accuracy right out of the box. I also own a Diana48, but I would much prefer to grab the much lighter, synthetic stock NP2 for a day in the woods.

[A.K.A. Tommy Boy]

Dang, Tom, that is some good shootin'!

Dennis..It's not me...it's the rifle.  This one is a really good shooter.  It is not pellet picky and it's easy to shoot well with. This NP2 gun is great.   Best Wishes - Tom

I had two Diana 34s one in .17 and one in .22 My Crosman/Benjamin Nitro pistons and NP2 always outshot the German guns.

See...There It IS from the Man himself...Manny the Super Hunter           Best Wishes - Tom

[unionrdr]

Owning a Benjamin Trail NP XL725, a $300 rifle I got for $225 with scope on amazon, I've found it to be very good quality. Accurate and powerful. They have the trail NP2's in wood, synthetic and camo. .177, .22 and .25. Diana's don't have any more power, and seem to me people think they've got to be better because they're German, or UK , whatever. The grass isn't always greener on the other side, folks. Keep that in mind. Good quality can come from here too.

[Xraycer]

Owning a Benjamin Trail NP XL725, a $300 rifle I got for $225 with scope on amazon, I've found it to be very good quality. Accurate and powerful. They have the trail NP2's in wood, synthetic and camo. .177, .22 and .25. Diana's don't have any more power, and seem to me people think they've got to be better because they're German, or UK , whatever. The grass isn't always greener on the other side, folks. Keep that in mind. Good quality can come from here too.

As much as I like my NP2s, my Diana48 is built like a tank. After 18 years, with zero servicing, this thing is still as smooth in operations and as accurate as ever. However, its nearly a $500 gun, even back nearly 2 decades ago.

[Nomadic Pirate]

Benjamin NP2

Not looking for a benjuman or Grossman want better quality.

If you're looking for higher quality, then Diana is the brand you want, based on your list. I own a couple of NP2, I got for really great prices, and I have been very happy with their build, and accuracy right out of the box. I also own a Diana48, but I would much prefer to grab the much lighter, synthetic stock NP2 for a day in the woods.

Ho yeah, forgot that part

My Panther 34 is way heavier then my Titan.

[A.K.A. Tommy Boy]

Owning a Benjamin Trail NP XL725, a $300 rifle I got for $225 with scope on amazon, I've found it to be very good quality. Accurate and powerful. They have the trail NP2's in wood, synthetic and camo. .177, .22 and .25. Diana's don't have any more power, and seem to me people think they've got to be better because they're German, or UK , whatever. The grass isn't always greener on the other side, folks. Keep that in mind. Good quality can come from here too.

I agree Leonard.  I've got a Benjamin Trail NP XL 1100 with a lot of upgrades to it. It is around 12 lbs with a scope but is a very serious hunting rifle. It is the most powerful rifle that I own and very accurate...once a person learns how to shoot it.    The NP2 Summit Ranger is not as powerful but it is about 7 lbs. and you don't have to worry about hunting damage to the plastic stock. The German guns I don't know anything about, but from all that I have read about them, here in the forum, they have excellent workmanship and are  Exceptionally Fine Hunting Rifles that look as good as they shoot.                       
Best Wishes - Tom

[Privateer]

Ho yeah, forgot that part

My Panther 34 is way heavier then my Titan.

I know that Panther!
 

And I can say the NP2 I had would out shoot it every time.
Springrrrr can tell you I was hitting a 4 inch target at 90 yards with the NP2.

[unionrdr]

The NP2's, in my opinion, are lighter, true, but not as good as the Trails were/are. My trail is some 12-13lbs with the Centerpoint 3-9x40AO mildot scope. I love the welded Weaver rail too. Nice solid double-click when you cock it. Shoots better than the FPE claimed as well. Even in this video as well, where I test the two weights of H&N hornets;

I'm used to heavier, " spoils of war" rifles dad taught me to shoot with, so a heavier air rifle is fine with me. And the blued steel, 7/8" barrel shroud with built-in suppressor makes it look more like the magnum it's said to be. The 19.91gr H&N FTT gave a best ever of 858/32.55! 3 of the 6 shots in that group were over 30FPE! The above video shows it doing the same with both weights of H&N hornets- 24.38gr older and 23.16gr newer.
  That said, the Diana's are really handsome, lean, wood-stocked downright handsome sporters. Just a bit over-priced for the power produced, in my opinion. That said, I'm very slowly weakening...

[RAJOD]

I would go for a Benjamin Prowlers or NP2 gun.    I got one for 54.00 and its just just as bad as my 300.00 RWS and Beaman.

I would not dump a bunch of money into a springer hoping for PCP accuracy its going to be a total waste of money so get a cheap on as they shoot pretty good for the money.

[Jadocs]

I think as long as you get good glass, good mounts, and ensure your stock screws are tight that you can expect pretty good accuracy as long as you do your part. I would stick to .22 or above.

[Troy A.]

Those .22 Crosman/Benjamin NP rifles are good rifles an you can find them well under $100. But if you don't insist on a springer, I would recommend a Gamo Urban and a $45 Chinese PCP pump, under $300 for both.

[unionrdr]

Well, I really like the gas ram nitro piston in my trail .25 XL725. But my Hatsan Striker 1000x .22 is very accurate, well balanced and not at all pellet picky. I got the 1000x from midway for 96 bucks. I put a Hammers 3-9x32ao mildot on it as well. Hole in hole accuracy with 14.3gr CPHP's @ 25yds. It liked the H&N hornets as well. Darn good for a 96 dollar springer!

[AG72]

John:     Cold weather shooting report with a 22cal Crosman Summit Ranger NP2 Rifle.   These shots were taken standing with the rifle braced on my garage door frame. 3 or 4 were shot off hand. The garage was not heated and the rifle has been in the garage for about a week. It was a little before 7am. The outside temp was -17 with an 8mph wind from the north west.  I took around twenty shots with 22cal gamo redfire 14.5gr hunting pellets. The range on the shots was 25 Yards.  I was checking my guns zero before I went out Cotton tail hunting. This rifle has been shooting well right from day one. The first shot was right on. No fliers.  The high shots were ones I pulled due to stiff fingers and shooting errors on my part.    Good luck on finding the right gun for you & Best Wishes - Tom

Now stop just a sec! You are both saying and showing that ther is a gun that shoot Gamo pellets accuratly?! Wow, that is not something you see every day, they must have done something wrong at the factory hehe!

[Xraycer]

John:     Cold weather shooting report with a 22cal Crosman Summit Ranger NP2 Rifle.   These shots were taken standing with the rifle braced on my garage door frame. 3 or 4 were shot off hand. The garage was not heated and the rifle has been in the garage for about a week. It was a little before 7am. The outside temp was -17 with an 8mph wind from the north west.  I took around twenty shots with 22cal gamo redfire 14.5gr hunting pellets. The range on the shots was 25 Yards.  I was checking my guns zero before I went out Cotton tail hunting. This rifle has been shooting well right from day one. The first shot was right on. No fliers.  The high shots were ones I pulled due to stiff fingers and shooting errors on my part.    Good luck on finding the right gun for you & Best Wishes - Tom

Now stop just a sec! You are both saying and showing that ther is a gun that shoot Gamo pellets accuratly?! Wow, that is not something you see every day, they must have done something wrong at the factory hehe!

LOL Gamo must have outsourced production for this particular batch of pellets

[A.K.A. Tommy Boy]

John:     Cold weather shooting report with a 22cal Crosman Summit Ranger NP2 Rifle.   These shots were taken standing with the rifle braced on my garage door frame. 3 or 4 were shot off hand. The garage was not heated and the rifle has been in the garage for about a week. It was a little before 7am. The outside temp was -17 with an 8mph wind from the north west.  I took around twenty shots with 22cal gamo redfire 14.5gr hunting pellets. The range on the shots was 25 Yards.  I was checking my guns zero before I went out Cotton tail hunting. This rifle has been shooting well right from day one. The first shot was right on. No fliers.  The high shots were ones I pulled due to stiff fingers and shooting errors on my part.    Good luck on finding the right gun for you & Best Wishes - Tom

Now stop just a sec! You are both saying and showing that ther is a gun that shoot Gamo pellets accuratly?! Wow, that is not something you see every day, they must have done something wrong at the factory hehe!

For some unknown reason this gun is not pellet picky. Every pellet that I have shot through this Crosman Summit Ranger NP2 rifle has shot fairly well out to 25 yards. I don't have to re-adjust the scope. I have shot Crosman Piranhas, Gamo Red Fires, Crosman Destroyers, H&N Terminators and others.  Some... but not much... variation in POI out to 25 yards. I don't have a clue why...that is just the way it is on this particular gun.              Best Wishes - Tom

[Jadocs]

That’s some great shooting Tom!

Leonard, I heard that the CP scope that comes with the XL looks like it was made at the same factory as the Hammers, is this true?