What brought you to the GTA? [2023-03-17]

[GTA-Airgunner]

Good morning Airgunners!

I hope everyone is doing well and having a great start to their week.   As we look to make some improvements here at the GTA, I believe it would be useful to know why people came and joined the GTA in the first place.  This critical data will help us better understand the needs of the GTA community so that we can move in a direction to meet them.

Also, I mentioned in yesterday's post that things have changed regarding the out-of-the-box usability of airguns. And that is absolutely true.   Most of the time, I can simply pull any airgun out of the box, and it just works.  Can they be made to work better? Well, of course, they can.  But the average airgunner probably isn't a mechanic and probably doesn't know how to get in and tinker right out of the gate.  That all comes later.  And as I mentioned already, it's way less important than it used to be. 

I'm not taking anything away from the mad scientist folks, who are far better at tweaking and improving things than I ever will be. Something can always be improved, and having a place where folks can learn that process is also important.  But, I don't think it's as important as it was 20 years ago when nearly every airgun (that we could afford) needed to be overhauled before it would shoot straight.  That's why I joined the GTA.  I had cheap airguns that I wanted to shoot and perform better. 

I haven't had that same need in a long time.  Not in the same way.  Now, I want to know how to make what's already pretty good achieve better results.  Usually, that comes down to skill set and not equipment.  Finding the right optic, pellet, technique, I believe those points are as important, possibly more important, than mechanical changes.

Anyway, I hope that we can continue moving forward on both fronts.  At the heart of the GTA are awesome airgunners who love to tinker, tweak, and squeeze every drop of useful performance out of their airguns.  I want to see that continue while also improving our communications and offerings on the more generic side of things, i.e. less technical, mechanical, and more practical.

I look forward to seeing your comments and THANK YOU for being a part of the GTA.

Cheers
Rick

[Roadworthy]

I had purchased a Crosman Nitro Venom with its historically difficult trigger.  I was curious about the GRT trigger so I inquired at charliedatuna.com.  Bob Werner answered my questions and suggested I join GTA.  He was a very helpful and knowledgeable individual with an excellent product.

[GTA-Airgunner]

So my entrance was a Gamo 440 and the trigger, and eventually playing with modding the 2240..

thanks for sharing.

Cheers
Rick

[Hoosier Daddy]

The search for information on (re)obtaining the Benjamin air rifle I had in my youth.
That was about all I knew, it was a .22 Multi pump I bought in the late '70's
  I learned it was a 342 and the search began for one. Then began looking for a replacement Crosman 160 CO2 that I had before the Benji.
 Along the way, I learned about Springers, N.P., and then PCP's... and it's been a Rabbit Hole every since. 

[Struckat]

My crappy springer made me come here to learn about what other opinions I had.

Little did I know that fell into a den of enablers.

I gave my first springer to #2 son….no, I don’t hate him.

[brewbear]

In short, I came for the air rifles and stayed for the company. It's hard to find a nicer bunch of enablers people.

[buellm2]

I came here because I wasn't sure of an operational detail on my Sheridan.   The Sheridan was unused since about 1972 or 3.   It was basically new, still had the factory sticker.   It was buried in my gun safe for all those decades.   There were plenty of Sheridan experts here to help me out.   After fixing the Sheridan, I just got a lot more interested in AGs.   Then I started competing in 10M rifle and pistol.   It's been downhill ever since as I accumulated a bunch more AGs.   Whenever I had an AG question there was an expert here to help me out.

[airgunaut]

I was new to airguns but fell headfirst as soon as I shot my first one, a Daisy 880. So I was already addicted and wanted to learn more. And I still do.

Happy and grateful to find others who enjoy both the learning and the sharing of info!

[eeler1]

Migrated here after other forums closed or got too extreme, either hostile or 'nanny'.  Most people here are pretty polite and even-tempered, not much moderating needed.  I was put off at first by all the 'gates', having become used to the scrolling, un-organized topics of previous forums, but got acclimated soon enough.  Now pretty much all forums mimic the 'gates' to one degree or another.

[avator]

We relocated here to lower Alabama in 2013 and moved into a house that was built in 1904. It had arched doorways and other period correct features. We began visiting second had joints and gathering vintage items for decor. I had recently picked up a Daisy 880 and the thought came to me that some vintage airguns would also look cool in the house. That search led me to the GTA... right on the edge of the rabbit hole.

[longislandhunter]

My first air rifle purchase as an adult was a GAMO Shadow .177  Shortly after buying that rifle I started hanging out on the "Yellow" forum and that's where I first met Gene who was also on the "Yellow" and who also had purchased a GAMO Shadow.  I really loved my Shadow rifle, which I still do, and was determined to increase my knowledge of air guns and how to use them effectively.  When Gene and Bob created the original GTA I immediately registered as a  member
and I've been here ever since and am still addicted to air guns and still trying to learn as much as I can about them.  As the others have said the GTA really has a great bunch of people who are always willing to talk airguns and help out fellow airgunners any way they can.  Each morning I always look forward to logging on to  the forum to see what's going on. 

Jeff

[dk1677]

Back in 08 or so I wanted to remove destructive nutters, bought the viper express at wally world ( not enough range) then came across PA and Tom Gaylord and got the RS3 better but not fond of the heaviness and high cocking effort so back to Tom and got the 850. As with cars I looked for a forum and found GTA.

[JPSAXNC]

When the green forum went down and the yellow forum was only a shadow of it's former self. There was and still is the GTA.

[Hoosier Daddy]

I had almost forgotten about the Green forum and I dislked the lay-out on the Yellow..
What was it called? "Tapatalk"?

[avator]

I've checked out several forums since I came to the airgun game but I always land back here.

[Back_Roads]

 I voted, but never replied, I came looking for tips on my air rifles, I had a 1/2 dozen springers and a Recluse and Air Force Escape UL, that I learned how to spend more money on, it has snowballed over the years LOL Also the fun shoot gatherings seemed appealing if close enough, but the ball has been dropped on those.

[Nvreloader]

Early part of 2017, I bought a CO2 QB- 79 22 cal rifle, had a couple dozen Clucks Clucks
(wife idea, for free eggs?), after a couple weeks, the better half stated to "stop feeding the hens so much feed", to which I replied, "I am NOT feeding the chickens".

 I got to watching and as soon as the front hatch door opened, there was a MASS of Hosp/Magpies mobbing the feed trough, several hundred Hosp and a couple dozen Mag pies..Wife reported that there was numerous holes in the laid eggs, Magpies work...
Call the local Game Warden and he viewed the results and said,
Fair game on the Magpies/Hosp etc...   

Reason for buying the QB - 79, set the QB up with a good variable scope and zero it a 47 yds, feed trough range. I would slide the glass door open about 2-3" and stick the barrel thru and proceeded to enforce the NO FLY Zone with the 22 cal Ack Ack rifle, I would get several kills per hr, and then the ratio went down and the feed bill went up...

I joined GTA in the middle part of 2017 and found out how the make a tethered air gun setup (You don't shoot CO2 in NV after Oct,) and a quite device on the barrel, (thru PM), also learned to shoot the farthest Hosp/MP from the feed trough, then work closer. Kill ratio went up and feed bill decreased.

Which lead to the buying, using, refining the next 21+ Ag's, and I am still here, I hope...after the new change...
AND I still have the QB enforcing the "NO Fly Zone" after several thousand of Crosman pellets down range...

Please don't lose all the valuable information on this site....
Tia

[BreechBlockBandit]

I hadn't had any kind of airgun since I was 17. I was quite proficient in my day at racking up rats and pigeons, to the point that security guards in some places were on special lookout for me. Apparently, cleaning up piles of dead pigeons was not in their job description.

Decades go by and now I've got bird feeders and bird houses that I've made as an artist, pieces I'm quite proud of. The local squirrels started destroying them and all nonlethal methods of remedy failed. They have a taste for cayenne and engineering degrees from Milwaukee. So I went and got a Daisy 880 at Walmart, and even though it's a cheap plastic junker it does the job. Same price as it was in 1989. Alloy pellets were a newfangled joy, as they don't make the bloody mess of a wadcutter.

22 squirrels into this, it just kinda turned into a new hobby for an old guy. I am worried that the old women around here are going to start asking where all the squirrels went. I've started shooting at other things. Figured I should find other people who do this stuff a lot.

[GTA-Airgunner]

That's a great story..

TY for sharing.

Cheers
Rick

[smythsg]

I skulked around the GTA in my early springer days, but decided to join when I went down the PCP rabbit hole. My other hobbies have never forgiven me...