Thinking about a high end PCP Airgun

[nortac]

I've been giving serious thought about a high end PCP air rifle. Last year I tinkered with a refurbished Gamo Bone Collector gas spring gun in .177 caliber. It was accurate enough to get me interested in airguns but left much to be desired. For a while I was looking at getting a fairly high end springer, but after giving it much thought, I view that as just a stepping stone. What I really want is a repeater with target accuracy out to 100 yds. That pretty much means a high end PCP. The afore mentioned Gamo had "hunting" accuracy out to 50 to 60+ yards at most, at least in my hands.
Of course I'm conflicted about the costs involved, both for the gun and all the start-up support costs. For the money I'd be spending, I could have a custom precision centerfire rifle built. But that would require that I'd have to drive to a distant range to shoot and get my money's worth from the investment in it, as well as the time involved to go shooting. Where as with the PCP, I step outside my door and I can shoot on my property safely, up to 100 yds., within the "city limits", although gunshots are not unheard of where I live which is semi urban/semi rural.
I won't be starting with an "entry level" gun and I won't be using a hand pump. That would kill all the fun and only result in a later upgrade. At the very least I'll buy an air tank and that in itself costs as much as a mid priced or entry level gun. I will eventually probably get a Air Venturi compressor, which costs as much as the gun.
So I'm seriously considering this set up;
Air Arms S510 XS Ultimate Sporter Xtra FAC, Walnut. Air rifles
Topped with: Hawke Sport Optics Hawke Sidewinder FFP 6-24x56 Scope, FFP MIL IR Reticle. Variable magnification.

 

[Acmemfg]

May I humbly suggest a Hatsan AT44 in .25 caliber if you are looking for a PCP repeater. With Hawke Optics on top, this rifle is a squirrel assassin.
Sadly it is EXTREMELY sensitive to air supply (I use a pump) and as a result, the air cylinder can be prone to springing leaks. No fun.
My favorite is the Benjamin Discovery.
In .22 caliber it is not a repeater but has proven to be more durable than the Hatsan. I use a Barska 3x9-40 regular rifle scope on this one. Excellent. Only bad thing is here in Appalachia, the squirrels are tough little spuds and although a .22 is adequate, the .25 is superior.

Sounds like you are looking for some top drawer ordnance. These rifles are solid hunting airguns. Accurate, but probably not what you may call “precision”. They still raise hell with the squirrel Mafia in these parts......

 

[OkieStubble]

I will eventually probably get a Air Venturi compressor, which costs as much as the gun.
So I'm seriously considering this set up;
Air Arms S510 XS Ultimate Sporter Xtra FAC, Walnut. Air rifles
Topped with: Hawke Sport Optics Hawke Sidewinder FFP 6-24x56 Scope, FFP MIL IR Reticle. Variable magnification.

You are serious, cuz that's a serious price tag.

 

[nortac]

You are serious, cuz that's a serious price tag.

Yup, for what I want, I gotta pony up. This is all about precision and applied ballistics. This is about training, not plinking. I've got the Gamo for that.
@Acmemfg , I'm looking for better than minute of squirrel. I'm sure that those rigs of yours serve their purpose well. I had actually considered each of those in the past. The Air Arms linked above now has a regulator that provides consistent pressures over many shots before performance drops off. It is truly capable of MOA accuracy at 100 yds, in the right hands! But you have to pay for that performance. It will take a while to purchase all that is needed, I'm not that flush with cash. Probably start with just the air tank. Then the gun when available, probably steal the scope off of the Gamo until I can afford the one I really want to mount. Eventually get the compressor.

 

[jkingrph]

Nice, I have not had my air rifles out for several years now. Mine are rather old a Feinwerkbau 124 barrel cocking .177 sporter, which back in the early 1970's when I bought it was advertised as putting a pellet out at 1000 fps. I originally put a little Williams receiver sight on it, and later a Beaman 3-9 air rifle scope, which is still there. In those days accuracy was measured at 10 meters or 33 feet, and if I were careful and using a good rest I could put what seemed like pellets all in the same hole. The other is a match grade, same brand side cocking, model 300 that has a trigger to dream for. It attaches to a little rail so it moves fore and aft to adjust LOP, then the actual trigger shaft tilts side to side, and the trigger shoe can swivel on that shaft so you can customize the fit to you finger.

Both are spring air guns, the 124 has a rather harsh recoil but by the time you feel it the pellet is gone so it does not affect accuracy. The M300 is not designed for so much power, but rather to get a pellet to the target at match range with the most accuracy. It has a rather unique mechanism in that it is what was called a recoilless rifle. When you pull the trigger the entire cylinder/barrel unit is released and slides back a couple of inches on some precision rails, so as the piston slams forward this unit slides back, an equal and opposite reaction, so balanced that you do not feel the piston action at all. Couple that with an excellent match apeature sight and a stock made for position shooting and it's accurate beyond dream.

I have made some rather long shots, back in my younger days took a crow at about 60 yards with the sporter, and I consider that lucky. MOA at 100 yards, I think you are going to have an absolutely perfect day, no breeze as most pellets are very wind sensitive. For that range I would go the largest caliber and heaviest pellet available.

 

[nortac]

@jkingrph , thanks for your input. I have seen videos of this rifle (with an aftermarket regulator, before it was offered with a factory regulator) shoot dime sized groups at 50 yards and MOA at 100 yds. Of course I don't expect to do that anytime soon, but aspire to do so in the future. And that was with .22 cal. pellets. It is also offered in .25 cal.

 

[nortac]

Air Arms S510 Extra SA - Bing video

 

[jkingrph]

I looked at the video, and it is rather amazing. I wish I could afford one along with a proper compressor for it, but being semi, mostly retired I would find it hard to cough up $2500-2800 for a gun and compressor. Some of those rifles are rather elegant. It would be nice if the air cylinder were detachable so you could carry a spare or two to the field.

 

[Ricksplace]

If you can find a used scuba tank, and a dive shop that will fill it for you, you can get many refills before getting the scuba tank refilled. Our junior shooters program at my shooting club uses FWB PCP match rifles. One scuba tank keeps 5 rifles shooting for months.

 

[nortac]

I looked at the video, and it is rather amazing. I wish I could afford one along with a proper compressor for it, but being semi, mostly retired I would find it hard to cough up $2500-2800 for a gun and compressor. Some of those rifles are rather elegant. It would be nice if the air cylinder were detachable so you could carry a spare or two to the field.

I hope to acquire this set up before I'm retired, which is just around the corner for me.

 

[nortac]

Saw a video from the same guy, using a different rifle, an FX Crown, shoot a golf ball at 175 yds. Hit it on the forth shot.

 

[jkingrph]

I hope to acquire this set up before I'm retired, which is just around the corner for me.

Something like that was out of the question for quite a while before I was retired. I was putting my son through university, then private law school so not a lot of discretionary funds available .

 

[nortac]

[QUOTE="jkingrph, post: 9746684, member: 35781"...... so not a lot of discretionary funds available .[/QUOTE]

That's totally understandable.

 

[nortac]

Not sure how I'm gonna swing it, but I have preordered the Air Arms S510 above. Supposed to be available early next month. I haven't broke the news to SWMBO, I'm sure she'll be thrilled!

 

[jkingrph]

Good Luck

 

[dfoulk]

You'll shoot your eye out.

 

[nortac]

I'll shoot something's eye out, at 100 yds.

 

[dfoulk]

I'll shoot something's eye out, at 100 yds.

Yeah, that's a really sweet gun. I'd love to get to shoot something like that as it has to be exceptionally accurate.

 

[nortac]

If you can find a used scuba tank, and a dive shop that will fill it for you, you can get many refills before getting the scuba tank refilled. Our junior shooters program at my shooting club uses FWB PCP match rifles. One scuba tank keeps 5 rifles shooting for months.

Pyramyd Air, from whom I will be buying the air rifle in question, has refurbished air tanks at a reduced price. A local dive shop will refill up to 4500 PSI for $10. That will do me for quite a while until I can afford a proper air compressor.

 

[eKretz]

I own a Daystate Mk3 in .22, it's an excellent little rifle. I sometimes practice at about 60 yards by shooting at spent 9mm shell casings. Usually hit them first shot easily. The good rifles are extremely accurate. I have an 88 C.F. 4500 psi tank to fill my rifle from; it lasts quite a while filling to 3200 psi since the rifle tank air volume is considerably less than the fill tank.