The Appeal of an Air Rifle

[Nitrocrushr]

Like many of the folks here on this forum, I have been drawn to and/or fascinated with air rifles for as long as I can remember.  It started with a lever action daisy in the early 70's.  Yes I appreciate my powder burners too, but there is just something about the air rifle that I have always liked Growing up on a farm, I had numerous rifles and handguns, but my air rifles were with me almost all the time. I had many more shots downrange with my air rifles than any of my center fire rifles.

However, some folks just do not understand this appeal for an air powered rifle.  As I get back into this sport, I have had so many conversations with fellow shooters who cannot grasp the concept of investing time or money into a quality air rifle.  I show them a picture of the rifle I just bought, and as soon as they find out it is a air rifle they get bug eyed and the conversation ends...lol.  I get comments like "why did you spend so much on a BB gun?", and another friend said "it's a shame they wasted a stock like that on an air rifle".......really?

I look at a quality air rifle and have the same interest and appreciation that I do for a well made center fire, perhaps even a little more.  I just don't get it.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Steve

[Sfttailrdr46]

Like many of the folks here on this forum, I have been drawn to and/or fascinated with air rifles for as long as I can remember.  It started with a lever action daisy in the early 70's.  Yes I appreciate my powder burners too, but there is just something about the air rifle that I have always liked Growing up on a farm, I had numerous rifles and handguns, but my air rifles were with me almost all the time. I had many more shots downrange with my air rifles than any of my center fire rifles.

However, some folks just do not understand this appeal for an air powered rifle.  As I get back into this sport, I have had so many conversations with fellow shooters who cannot grasp the concept of investing time or money into a quality air rifle.  I show them a picture of the rifle I just bought, and as soon as they find out it is a air rifle they get bug eyed and the conversation ends...lol.  I get comments like "why did you spend so much on a BB gun?", and another friend said "it's a shame they wasted a stock like that on an air rifle".......really?

I look at a quality air rifle and have the same interest and appreciation that I do for a well made center fire, perhaps even a little more.  I just don't get it.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Steve

When I first got My Diana 460 I went to the Nassau county indoor range 30 yards max and got similar looks and once I started grouping dime and quarter size groups the raised eye brows lowered until someone asked to try it then the light came on. I also took a shot a a bar of Neutrogena soap end on and penetrated about 2"at 25 yards that really opened a few eyes. Unfortunately shooting there is expensive so I mostly shoot in the basement or backyard it's just easier

[Gertrude]

Hahaha,.... yeah, we ALL experience it !
You really wanna see their eyes bug out ?

Take 'em shooting with you, and bring a handful of golf tee's and paintballs...set them out at 50 yds, and tell 'em these are your EASY PRACTICE targets, (just to get warmed up).

Then show 'em the bottle of aspirins you have in your pocket... and tell 'em they are not allowed to shoot the golf tee's. 

[dcorvino]

Hi Steve
I own powder burners but love airguns as well.
I have experienced this as well. One person asked me why I spent so much money on a pellet  gun when you can get them at Walmart for a lot less.
One day at the range I let a diehard powder burner try my sumatra.
This changed his opinion on airguns.
So all I know is some people will listen others won't
I hope  this helps.

Dave

[grauhanen]

Yes, that has been my experience, as well.  I have found that many PB shooters don't look at an air rifle as a "real gun".  Their view is shaped by their own limited experience with airguns, an experience that began when they were kids and they used inexpensive airguns, often like toys.  Many PB shooters remain ignorant of advances in airguns.  A few short years ago I myself was unaware of PCP's -- although when I was a boy I dreamed of a powerful, repeating air rifle that didn't need to be cocked for every shot like my inexpensive Chinese-made break barrel.  When I take a PCP to a rifle range other shooters usually come closer for a better look and are impressed because they are unfamiliar with such guns and they do look different from the air rifles of their own youth.  I suspect that many PB shooters who saw a big bore PCP they would be very surprised.  Spring piston rifles have come a long way since the 1970's and the gas ram was patented only in 1980.

[north country gal]

I think we all experience it to some extent. I post on regular gun forums all the time about my shooting with cartridge guns, especially handguns and every time I'm asked my secret for good shooting, I always reply that it comes from shooting air guns on a regular basis. I tend to get preachy about it. I tell them all the advantages of going air. Still, most of my forum friends pretty much ignore air guns. I guess air guns don't go bang or something.

[Sandaholic]

For me it seems to be hit and miss as far as finding people who 'get' air gunning. With the cost of pb ammo where it is a lot of people are turning to airguns. Or as a lot of us started on them as kids.......turning back to them. I love shooting and it just makes sense to me. I've decided to accept the fact that I will be seen as an airgun nerd.......I'm good with it   

What I am still trying to wrap my head around are the big bore PCP's. I don't see a cost benefit compared to firearms? So it must just be a because it's fun or because I can type of deal.

[DavidS]

I experience the same often.   I have managed to get a couple of my PB only friends to started shooting AirRifles by talking to them about shooting practice.    Then I steer them to an AirRifle that will produce good enough out of box power that there target practice shows them how good modern AirRifles are (I usualy steer them to the FD-PCP, or something similar [some times a Crosman 2260 if cost is a big factor]).

Once I get them shooting AirRifles I will bring over my power modded Pumpers, to show them that for most things a pumper can keep up.

Really it is like talking to Springer/Gas-Ram and PCP/CO2/HPA fans about the virtues of pumpers.   And I think we all have seen how well that works on this forum .

[DavidS]

For me it seems to be hit and miss as far as finding people who 'get' air gunning. With the cost of pb ammo where it is a lot of people are turning to airguns. Or as a lot of us started on them as kids.......turning back to them. I love shooting and it just makes sense to me. I've decided to accept the fact that I will be seen as an airgun nerd.......I'm good with it   

What I am still trying to wrap my head around are the big bore PCP's. I don't see a cost benefit compared to firearms? So it must just be a because it's fun or because I can type of deal.

For the big bore PCP's:
There are a lot of places cracking down on firearms, by passing more and more restrictive laws.   Though most of those places do not care about AirRifles, or have less restrictive laws about AirRifles.

Also there are some that do not want to get a license in the areas where a license is required for any firearm, though not for AirGuns.

[avator]

I get the same thing when someone visits my home and sees near 80 airguns hanging throughout. They ask me how I can afford to buy bullets for them all. When I tell them that they are ALL airguns they look at me like I'm crazy... I just tell them... I AM !

[Nitrocrushr]

Wow, great discussion!!  I'm glad to see I'm not alone in this.  I see some of you guys mentioning the PCP's.  While I absolutely love my springers...I can definitely see a PCP in the near future for me   Not to take over for my springers, just something different to try.

Steve

[maraudinglizard]

I have been through it as well, my cousin thought I had lost my mind spending so much on air rifles until I broke out the Marauder and showed him what it was capable of. The look on his face was priceless.  I have owned air guns since the 80's, the ammo is cheap, they are quiet enough for the backyard range, put food on the table, get rid of pest quickly, you don't have to drive to a gun range to shoot them, and not have to go through a background check to buy one.

[Nitrocrushr]

I get the same thing when someone visits my home and sees near 80 airguns hanging throughout. They ask me how I can afford to buy bullets for them all. When I tell them that they are ALL airguns they look at me like I'm crazy... I just tell them... I AM !

80 air guns!!??  Yeeehhaaww!!!  You know it's funny, I can look over a .300 win. mag long range rig, then look at a nice air rifle and give it the same amount of interest and attention.....maybe even more

[fortyshooter]

I got into the air rifles and pistols just so I could plink targets on my backyard range,as living in the city prevents using the powder burners. You can get good practice that can transfer over to the PB's especially air pistols.
I do now have access to property where several of us can go on the weekends to have target fun with the PB's.
Now all of this has opened up another hobby of building targets for both my air gun fun and the PB fun not to mention another hobby,which does save me some bucks, of reloading.  It never ends!
I don't really care if I can put 10 pellets or bullets in a single hole from 50 yds. just enjoy the sound of hitting the steels or blowing away a few cans!
I respect the air rifles and the powder burners.

[DavidS]

I got into the air rifles and pistols just so I could plink targets on my backyard range,as living in the city prevents using the powder burners. You can get good practice that can transfer over to the PB's especially air pistols.
I do now have access to property where several of us can go on the weekends to have target fun with the PB's.
Now all of this has opened up another hobby of building targets for both my air gun fun and the PB fun not to mention another hobby,which does save me some bucks, of reloading.  It never ends!
I don't really care if I can put 10 pellets or bullets in a single hole from 50 yds. just enjoy the sound of hitting the steels or blowing away a few cans!
I respect the air rifles and the powder burners.

you are lucky that you live in a city and are able to shoot your AirGuns in the city.   That is one reason I will never move back to the city, most cities do not allow shooting AirGuns in the city limits.

[fortyshooter]

Many thanks go to the legislators in Va. who passed a bill several years ago preempting local over ride of State Code regarding air guns.

[westtexasrancher]

A 40$ beeman p17 has a better trigger than most 1,000$ firearms, so that's one thing they get jealous about.

[woogie_man]

I think many of us have this same issue.

Heck I was out at the range a while ago and had the people at the range questioning me.  I was over shooting at the 50 yard range and printing small one hole groups.  After talking to a few people they were all curious about the weird gun I was shooting.  Then I really got them questioning me when I moved over to the 100 yard range they were all expecting the pellets to not even reach the targets.  Though after printing some half inch groups they started to talk.  Many of the people had seen the target rifles, as the local college has an air rifle team that shoots at the range.  Though after talking with a few of the people, and explaining the rifle they wanted to shoot.  Well after shooting they were looking at these "toys" in another light.

Now every time I step in the range they call me the air guy.  And I always have to stop and talk with people about the air guns.  I don't mind as it brings more people into looking at these rifles.

[Sfttailrdr46]

I think many of us have this same issue.

Heck I was out at the range a while ago and had the people at the range questioning me.  I was over shooting at the 50 yard range and printing small one hole groups.  After talking to a few people they were all curious about the weird gun I was shooting.  Then I really got them questioning me when I moved over to the 100 yard range they were all expecting the pellets to not even reach the targets.  Though after printing some half inch groups they started to talk.  Many of the people had seen the target rifles, as the local college has an air rifle team that shoots at the range.  Though after talking with a few of the people, and explaining the rifle they wanted to shoot.  Well after shooting they were looking at these "toys" in another light.

Now every time I step in the range they call me the air guy.  And I always have to stop and talk with people about the air guns.  I don't mind as it brings more people into looking at these rifles.

Just think Chris you are a proud member of the Air Rifle Diplomat Corps welcome I have brought in 3 and 3 more soon to be converts. Keep up the good work

[Charles Outdoors]

I had this happen the other day. I got out of my truck with my Hatsan 125 camo sniper. That rifle should impress anyone. My new neighbor saw it and across the street he came quickly.. What's that? I said it's one of my air rifles. I swear he did an about face and walked away. Not another question. I don't even think he owns a gun.