Veronica

[Veronica]

Hello Veronica here, an airgunner from Los Angeles, CA County (USA).  Have a small high desert plains farm.
What brings us (spouse and I) to air guns?
Well, the desert plains are filled with rodents.
At first we were enamored with the wildlife but they eat literally everything that we plant.  The ultimate plague of locusts.
AND they ate the wiring in some of our vehicles.
I learned to hate rodents.

So our old Crosman multi-pump started having problems and lacks the power for rabbits.
So we bought a crossbow which lacks accuracy and is subject to wind bouncing it around (high wind area).
So we were using powder burners but had spent brass everywhere.
Bad enough to spray the farm where we are trying to grow food with lead but dirty spent brass too? 
Oh, that was too much.

A neighbor told us about airguns, and we started looking online.

So we got on forums like this one and AirGun Nation to learn.
We started out trying to create an  AirGun Nation log in but got permabanned for SPAM before we ever made a single post or reply.
Then we found this site and well, here we are.
Thanks to AGN and this forum we bought a really nice boinger (spring piston) The Weihrauch HW97KT and plan to add a night scope to it because most rodents come out at night.  The HW97 is our ranch rifle, that we carry while we work in the fields.  It will take a rabbit, gopher, squirrel, chipmunk, rat, mouse, kangaroo mouse. 
We use it for inside of the fence line because it is less likely to cause major damage to our farm equipment.

But our springer does not meet all of our needs.
We need PCPs next for greater range and power.
We have coyotes that are too big for the springer.
We want ethical kills, we do not want to cause animal suffering.

So owning a farm is a money pit; and we have to be selective and careful about purchases.
We are saving for a night scope for the HW97
Then we want a Huben for longer range and power of small rodents outside of the fence line, in the fields around the farm and the open desert.
Then we want a mid-bore coyote rifle in a .357 which is enough for deer hunting as well.

And there is the debate.
As mentioned, we are a married couple.
I am practical, I want an FX Impact .357 but my US Army veteran (retired) wants a select fire Western Airguns  Rattler .357.
Because we can take the veteran out of the army
but we cannot take the army out of the veteran.
So who will win?
We already know how this is playing out:
My hunni will get the Rattler years before I get an FX (just like we are getting a Huben instead of an FX).
So we will have gung-ho Rambo spraying a few coyotes per night for at least a year
Before I can one-shot-one-kill dozens of rabbits, coyotes and/or rodents per night with a lever action efficient FX Impact.
Yes, considered the RAW HW1000x but the FX is more flexible, more adaptable, though more complex with more o-rings.  We want flexibility, and the FX will do whatever we want; have less confidence in the RAW.
That is why there are forums.  We can learn from other people's mistakes.
Being farmers we cannot afford mistakes.
A farm is a literal money pit.
Know how to become a millionaire in farming?
A.  Start out as a multi-millionaire.  (True Story).

[Rocker1]

  Welcome to the GTA . David

[AThomas]

Welcome to the GTA!

[ezman604]

Welcome to GTA Forums Ronni!!!

SAFE & Happy Shooting!!!!
Dave

[dk1677]

Welcome to the GTA Ronni ! Great intro!

[bear air]

Welcome to the GTA. I look forward to reading some hunting threads from you two.

[airgunaut]

Funny, detailed intro, Ronni. Welcome and please keep posting!

[mr007s]

HOWDY, WELCOME, HAVE FUN, AND  "Follow the Yellow Brick Road”

[Blowpipe Sam]

Welcome!  Beware the rabbit hole!

Judging by your first post you have some literary talent.  Hopefully you will continue as an active member!

[Madd Hatter]

Ronni, I wouldn't use a NV scope on a springer as it's a double recoil gun. Of course on a PCP it's it's a no brainer. Oh and welcome!

[Berserkeley Mike]

Welcome to the GTA and great intro!

This might weigh on your dilemma: in CA, deer still aren't legal with airguns, even big bore. 
https://fgc.ca.gov/Regulations/Current/Mammals/Big-Game#353

[amb5500c]

Welcome to the GTA.
Richard