So.....what is your upper limit? and what do you look for?

[Yng@hrt]

Gee whiz, reading some of these limits has put my mind at ease. Time to kick it into gear; “On Donner, On Chewy, On Tavo, C’mon Becto, deliver me some more Vintage!

[marty2]

What I look for the most is accuracy and a good trigger. I've bought and sold a few air guns over the last 4 years looking for the perfect gun(guns) and right now my keepers are the 3 RAWs, a CZ, an AA and one HW springer that I have. The only other AG I would be tempted to purchase would be a Thomas after Mike starts offering his rifles with a wood target stock.

[Kallysan]

So far, and I know it won't last, my Limit is $500 but some of the High-End PCP are singing their Siren song.  Sure hope Umarex brings out the Gauntlet in .25 it would soothe the beast for quite awhile.  lol

[Kallysan]

At least We are not as bad as my buddy.  Over our 1 week July shutdown he bought 3 Olympic class 10M air pistols (Steyr LP10, Morinin 162EI, and a 162EI Titanium) to go with the 3 he already owned.  lol   But like the rest of us it makes him happy.  He shoots about 500 pellets a week in his basement.  I guess its kind of my fault, talked him into buying a tank and his first PCP pistol and then talked him into buying a compressor.  lol

[AG72]

The upper limit is in the hands of the manufacturer 
I have some guns that cost a 1000$ or more, both pcp and springers if you count scopes, mounts and tuningkits, and pcp´s needs air so a pump and a tank ads to the cost, but for me it´s totaly worth every spend penny.
And you don´t have to spend 1000´s of dollars for a great gun, a couple of my latest ones, the hw35 from 1969 is one of the best guns i have, and that one cost me as much as my browning x-blade did, and that gun is a piece of cr.. And my hw30 in 20 cal, gracious what a great gun!
But now i´m done buying any more guns, or let me say it this way, if i need another one then i have to sell one of them i have, cause my cabinett is full, i plan to sell my 177 air arms for a 22, cause i have a bunch of very accurate 177 but only two 22´s...
So now i have started to look at co2 pistols, cause they don´t take so much space... Yes i am definitly done buying...

[dan_house]

I started the $1200ish thread kind of asking the question you pose....when is it enough ? How much is enough ? When I bought my first gun it was less than $200.

...... all the while knowing I don't NEED another.

My first AG was a Beeman 0035, a clone of something... likley made by Gamo..... then got a Crosman 2250..... both of those guns were sub 100, but I learned a lot from them, notably what they DIDNT do.  And what I wanted from my next purchase. Cheap guns are fun --if you dont expect much (and YMMV)-- but a great way to learn whats gonna work or not. Then you can justify the better gun's expense.........

I dont need another gun, I need a BETTER one....

[lizzie]

Lizzie, I started the $1200ish thread kind of asking the question you pose....when is it enough ? How much is enough ? When I bought my first gun it was less than $200. That was in 2014. I am fortunate enough to have a modest collection now and catch myself looking for the next one, all the while knowing I don't NEED another. A rabbit hole for sure this hobby is !

My apologies, Jim! I didn't realize that was the purpose of your thread....and was thinking you actually wanted advice on the best expenditure of 1200 dollars for a gun. Hah!

Where does it end?
I'm not sure it does.
I'm not sure it should.
In my (admittedly) limited experience over 9-10 years, it has most definitely slowed.
My taste and wants have narrowed.
My selectiveness has increased greatly.
At first, I was just having fun trying any and everything I could get my hands on, that was affordable for me.
At this point, my "wants list" is very small.
I am not interested, as of yet, in pcp. I am what I'd consider a traditionalist, and enjoy the older practical but nicely built, springers. I'm pretty much the same with pb's. My favorite "real" gun is an old 70's Savage/ Anschutz target .22 that I picked up in a pawn shop (scoped with a cheap Gibson's scope) for $425 about 4 years ago. Solid shooter, fun as can be.

What I am saying is that I don't think it really needs to stop, as long as a person isn't sacrificing his wellbeing, or that of the people who love and care about him, just to keep buying air rifles and related equipment. If I could afford a top-of-the-line target air rifle, I'd do it in a heartbeat, just because I think it would be a blast to shoot, but I'm not willing to spend the money, when it can go for things I'd rather have happening in my life.

[CraigH]

I could say $1000, or perhaps $1500.    Accuracy and low ES should be a no excuses given.    Beyond that there should be excellent build quality and excellent finishes outside and internally.   And factory packaged to ensure undamaged delivery.

Without the above fulfilled, may as well go with one of high value quotient that may be an overachiever.

[Rat Sniper (AKA: PaulT58)]

My initial limit was $100 for an air gun.  They are toy guns after all... 

Then I found GTA and learned about some pretty amazing springers/gas ram rifles and the limit went to no more than $200. 

Then i discovered PCP's and the not to exceed limit went to $300! 

Then Cabala's had that sale on .25 Synrods with an extra $40 off using discounted Gift Cards from Staples.  That blew the $300 limit by $40, but, I'm still holding my self to that $300 limit as much as I can on single item purchases!   

I've managed to gather another couple PCP's for under the $300 ceiling along with a 90ci carbon fiber tank and a YH compressor, so I feel stepping over that $300 limit one time for the Marauder is justified since I have more than made up that $40 the other deals I managed to snag! 

Now, if we are talking the limit of the whole inventory, well, I choose not to think about that!  LOL!

[JimL911]

No real limit. I'm a springer guy so most can be had for $700 or less. I won't pay the price for a Whiscombe though. About $300 is my scope limit. Add mounts and tune kit $1200 all in isn't very far off for a quality set up.

[lizzie]

HAHAHA Paul.....you got it BAD!

[Motorhead]

Limits are .... well Limiting and not very conducive to the trial & error of ones lust be in wine women or song & Air guns too.
Also growing up like many, Dad had .22 RF guns and others we got to shoot "with dad" but the day to day stuff was BB & pellet guns out in the local fields & woods.

As a young adult still kept that desire for the low power "just for fun" air guns while purchases made of relatively low cost powder burners were made creating my own stash that one day perhaps would be shared with my son or daughter.
In @ 1977-78 purchased my first real gun a Ruger 10-22 for $79.00 then an H&R 940 sidekick for @ $90 with others these first few young adult years.  @ 1981/82 got bored with what AG's i had at the time investing into a gun that was by AG standards of the time CRAZY !!! a  FWB 124 delux that was purchase threw an non store FFL dealer at cost ... IIRC @ $275.00 followed by  a DIANA 75 10M match gun at $525.00 !!
* Now this was way back in the early 80's where I was making less the $7.00 hr & living on my own.  Many years passed, got married in 84 and here 33 years later still with her !  In raising 2 boys, home ownership the GUN acquiring went stagnate for the next 20 + years   
About 8 years ago got back into shooting the AG's once more finding out when inquiring about local folks AG venues that my "Vintage" air guns were Nice guns but relics of a bygone era being eclipsed by SSP, PCP and a slew of modern designs that I knew nothing of
In finding other like minded AG enthusiasts the next few years were spent working with what i had, then @ 6 years ago my son gifted at Christmas a .22 m-rod  and it has NEVER been the same sense !!
Tuned & tweaked on it until no stones were unturned while working on others guns to do the same, in time was working on guns I drooled to own getting the satisfaction of working on and shooting while in my possession.
Thus became the foundation of "RELATIVITY" between makes and models behind the quest of the ideal modern AG's.
Having worked on 100's & fortunately able to land a few I thought were keepers bought & sold my way to where at today.

Still have the FWB 124 & Diana 75, added a HW35 a few years ago as well a Diana 100 SSP for the low power easy & fun shooting.  None are per-say inexpensive air guns by even today's standards.
PCP's are no different with my least expensive being a Hatsan AT-44, which sadly only shoots fair. Otherwise top shelf gun the likes of RAW, Daystate, BSA, WAR and my original m-rod. these are guns valued in the $700-$2500 range each.

Upper limits .... To each there own within limits of budget of course.

Shooting better grade air guns IMO helps you become a better shooter !!
While many simply don't take AG shooting that seriously to invest big money in it, if you do however the rewards & pleasure of ownership are long lasting !

Just a snippit of my AG Journeys

[ranchibi]

Well, yesterday, I put in an order for a Daystate Huntsman Regal XL .22...gulp...1,100 (1st PCP)...then pump @ 200...extra magazine 100....rings 30....scope 200....my D48 was the most I had previously paid for one...have a case for it luckily! I purchased it because I sold some equipment recently I had for close to 20 years and actually made $ on it LOL. So, it was actually a gift to myself from myself ...had been eyeballing a slew of PCP’s for awhile.....

[Hoosier Daddy]

Some one said it's viewed cheaper than motorcycles... and they are right.
I got 5 in the shop at the moment and only rode one this past season.
Guess I need to do some rearranging of equity next spring. 

[Bryan Heimann]

I really don't have an upper limit on what I would be willing to spend.  I do, however, have an upper limit on what i can afford to spend!  I prefer a spring gun, maybe a gas ram too, but am not really interested in a PCP rifle.  I would say that my upper limit on budget, for the time being, is probably around $500.  I am willing to spend every bit as much on a air rifle as I would be willing to spend on a firearm.  I also have so many cheap guns at the house, that it gets on the wife's nerves a little bit.  I would have to be willing to get rid of a couple to pick up a new gun.

The criteria i would be looking for include a solid, quality mid-powered piston rifle that offers a fair trade-off between weight and relative accuracy, with nice looking wood and quality, steel open sights.  The new Diana 340 n-tec premium, i think, would suit me well, and also the 34 premium.  The LGV Master, while hefty, would be an absolute dream I think.  Also, almost anything from Weihrauch.  I would put down $1,000 for a quality piston rifle before I would pay half that on a decent PCP.  I especially love a break barrel.  The finest break barrel I have ever owned is my flying dragon tuned xs28m.  I am eager to see what a "quality, European" piston rifle offers above that!

[mac]

Pretty interesting thread Lizzie. I just started this hobby a few months ago. I have been building and racing vintage dirt bikes for the past 20 years and thought that this would be a much cheaper hobby.
 I think it will be IF I keep it under control but I can see how it could easily get a bit costly if I were to get everything I,m reading about and thinking "ya I need that one"LOL.
 I have three so far and the Hatsan 95 was the most at 160.00.I then decided that I wanted to try a gas ram and have a more durable stock  so then came the Benjiman Prowler which I really like so then came a Vantage NP to have a cheap open sited gun.
 I know the guns that I have are pretty good and can be made even better if need be and I,m really enjoying them,but the more I read on GTA and the more videos I watch the more I want to try a MM tuned XS25  and own a R9 or R7.
 My limit was 200.00 on one gun and has now stretched to the R7 or 9 price range.So if I get those two other guns will I be done? I hope so but I doubt it LOL.

[Acapulco]

Started out 11 years ago in the hobby. I remember seeing the air force rifles and i said i would never spend 500.00 on an airgun. Well, I spent 800  few years ago on a purchase...that was tough. I just don't see the value/quality in the high priced guns.

[lizzie]

Hello Scott, and welcome!
As for the eventual R7  and/or R9....I advise (and you have no reason to heed it- haha)- keeping your eyes peeled for a used one. You can sometimes get a superb deal on used guns, and unlike some types of products, airguns seem to keep getting better with age, unless they have been abused and mishandled.
I am a big advocate of buying refurbs and used guns, but I realize a good many folks are not.
Just something to keep in mind....and to keep your eyes open for.
Except for my first FWB 124, the nicest guns I have, have been purchased from other members here.

[lizzie]

Started out 11 years ago in the hobby. I remember seeing the air force rifles and i said i would never spend 500.00 on an airgun. Well, I spent 800  few years ago on a purchase...that was tough. I just don't see the value/quality in the high priced guns.

On the super high end guns, I tend to agree, but if I were a competition shooter, I'd think much differently about it.
Much seems to depend on how vested one is in the sport, in ways other than monetary.
For the standard air gun market, which the vast majority of us fit into, I do understand why some would pay relatively large sums of money.
I compare it to myself, and my purchasing of shoes.
Yep! Not heels or other footwear for entertainment, but for working in!
I am an RN, and on the job, I am typically on my feet moving from the time I arrive, until the time I get off.
I learned a few years ago, that even high quality sneakers would no longer be enough to protect my feet from damage.
I now will wear ONLY high-end professional clogs. The Danish made variety. Most people I know wouldn't consider spending 150-200 dollars on a pair of shoes, especially to work in.
I tried the first pair, and will never wear cheap shoes to work in again.
For me, it's well worth the cost....
and that's really what all this is about anyway. Is it worth the money to you, to buy higher quality air guns?
If not, that doesn't indicate any lack of knowledge or taste. It means that either it isn't that important to you, or you just don't prioritize as some other folks do.
It's not anything which is right, wrong, or indifferent.
It's all a personal preference thing.

[Tater]

My limit was 200.00 on one gun and has now stretched to the R7 or 9 price range. So if I get those two other guns will I be done? I hope so but I doubt it LOL.