Diana Panther 21 Air Rifle $99.95 at Sierra
- Thread starter Sesopedalian
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SoulAssassin
Diamond Member
- Feb 1, 2001
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is there something special about this? Does it normally go for astronomically more? I'm not thread crapping but I fail to see the deal. I can get a crappy air rifle at Walmart for < $30.
Special? As German target air rifles go, not really, but it's a decent deal. But your comparison with a "<$30" item suggests that you know little about this type of product. This air rifle isn't the best, but it's not in the same category as a "crappy" department store air rifle. There are much more expensive high-end choices in this category.
Diana makes solid products. You can have a lot of fun with a cheap, pump-gun from Crossman or Daisy, but as BlackPear1 said, this is not the same. Those $30 air guns you are talking about are almost all smooth bore, which means they aren't even rifles,but made for BBs and also made to accommodate pellets. A true rifle like this will be far more accurate than the cheaper fare.
I don't have the money for it, but if I did, I'd love to have one of these:
http://www.airforceairguns.com/condor.html
Joe
I don't have the money for it, but if I did, I'd love to have one of these:
http://www.airforceairguns.com/condor.html
Joe
SoulAssassin
Diamond Member
- Feb 1, 2001
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I never denied that, hence my asking what the hot deal was. Now it all makes sense.
If I posted a link with no description to a good deal for RAM on an air rifle enthusiast website I would probably have someone scratching their head as well.
KAMAZON
Golden Member
German made air rifles are by far superior than chinese made "BB Guns". I don't know the specifics, but when I visit my familys farm and we go shooting at cans and such, the German air rifles are just much more accurate.
Hmm, I was about to bite on this order, but I called up my dad to see what he thought and he said we should just get 1 with a scope. Anyone have any suggestions on one with a scope?
Hmm, I was about to bite on this order, but I called up my dad to see what he thought and he said we should just get 1 with a scope. Anyone have any suggestions on one with a scope?
If you like this rifle, you could get a scope/mount for it. Otherwise, Beeman and RWS (Diana) rifles are usually good, though they can be expensive depending on grade. There are lower priced Crosman and Benjamin Sheridan models which should be ok. I have a Benjamin that's over 40 yrs. old and it still performs very well in the type of shooting you describe. But I have a friend with a scoped Beeman R1 and he's shooting aspirin tablets at 25 ft. (!)
shira
Diamond Member
- Jan 12, 2005
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An error many people make is assuming that the more powerful an air rifle is, the better. In fact, the opposite tends to be true: True match-quality air pistols and rifles (used for 10-meter shooting) typically shoot 8-grain pellets at under 600 feet per second. For field-target shooting (where targets can be placed at upward of 50 meters), muzzle velocities of 800 fps or thereabouts are usually optimal. If money were no object, the air rifle I'd purchase would be
Feinwerkbau P70 Field Target
Almost all of the most accurate field-target air rifles these days are pre-charged pneumatics. There's no recoil, and the best rifles using their preferred pellets can achieve 5-shot groups of a half inch center-to-center at 50 meters.
If you want to learn to shoot, trigger control all that stuff an air rifle is a great way to do it, cheap, no recoil, quiet, and much easier to find a safe place to shoot. I'd say don't jump in and buy something over the net. Visit some shops and see what feels comfortable to you. Very good quality isn't that expensive, and if you want a plinker, these don't really wear out, buy a used one locally.
I don't want the Condor because of it's accuracy... it's just incredibly COOL! The Talons are also very cool, and they used to make one with a silencer on it to reduce the super-sonic crack when fired.
FEINWERKBAU! Man... when I was a kid I lusted after the Feinwerbau Model 125 (I think that was it). Alas... didn't have that sort of money as a kid.
Kamazon... I don't know if this is still true, but it used to be that if you were going to get a scope with a break barrel rifle like the Diana, you had to get one that was built for it because of the recoil. Apparently, cheapy scopes will deteriorate from the shock over time. Things might have changed though.
Joe
FEINWERKBAU! Man... when I was a kid I lusted after the Feinwerbau Model 125 (I think that was it). Alas... didn't have that sort of money as a kid.
Kamazon... I don't know if this is still true, but it used to be that if you were going to get a scope with a break barrel rifle like the Diana, you had to get one that was built for it because of the recoil. Apparently, cheapy scopes will deteriorate from the shock over time. Things might have changed though.
Joe
You are correct sir! These airguns need an airgun scope because the recoil (in spring actions) is both ways, and a scope made for firearms is not recommended because of failure for that reason. I learned this when I got my Diana Model 36 from a different deal at Seirra some weeks ago. I don't know about the quality of the scopes for the rifle and scope combos, but I would think they may be cheap scopes and mounts that may not last. That said, good airgun scopes and quality mounts are very expensive, maybe too much so for a basement plinker.
I would question the value of a scope in shooting at targets less than 50 yards, especially for a beginner. A quality air rifle with iron sights is a great tool to learn good shooting technique including sight picture, trigger control & breathing, etc... I find the tunnel vision and peripheral sight loss that go with using a scope to be a disadvantage in the field at less than 100 yards in most situations especially when I'm with other people.
To each their own, I'd say skip the scope and spend the extra money on a spinner target and quality pellets to practice with if it's burning a hole in your pocket. Good deal on a quality air rifle!
To each their own, I'd say skip the scope and spend the extra money on a spinner target and quality pellets to practice with if it's burning a hole in your pocket. Good deal on a quality air rifle!
Originally posted by: Scarpozzi
1250ft/sec.....wow......but why don't you just buy a .22 rifle and save $400.
Well... I live in Maryland, and both the state and my county have laws about firing "fire arms". I spent time on the phone with lawyers from each (state and county) and they confirmed that they adhere to the federal definition of firearm, which requires the expansion of gases by the combustion of chemicals. They agreed that there really was no law restricting air guns in any way. So... I can fire in my back yard (into a hill and with a backstop for safety) or in the woods or where ever, legally. There ARE municipalities in the area that forbid air gun shooting within 500 feet of houses, but I don't live in one.
Also, if you shoot a lot, even very good quality pellets are FAR cheaper than bullets, and over time, that's where the real money adds up.
Joe
You grab it by the end of the barrel. Between the back of the barrel and the stock, there are hinges and a connection to a very strong spring and piston assembly. When you "break" the barrel, it compresses the spring and puts the piston into the firing position. When you pull the trigger, the piston releases and creates the air pressure.
Here's a page explaining how the various types of airguns work.
http://www.beeman.com/types.htm
Joe
Here's a page explaining how the various types of airguns work.
http://www.beeman.com/types.htm
Joe
One other thing for those who don't know much about airguns... their history is AMAZING! I used to think that airguns were a fairly new thing, but Lewis and Clark took an airgun with them on their exploration across the country, and in the Napoleonic wars, there was an entire regiment of the Austrian Army that was equipped with airguns!
Even now, you can buy high caliber airguns for hunting small game... I think as high at .50 caliber is still available!
Joe
Even now, you can buy high caliber airguns for hunting small game... I think as high at .50 caliber is still available!
Joe
What do you guys think of this one with 1000 fps?
http://store.airgunwarehouseinc.com/gam611009854.html
Edit. If I buy one, do I need to oil the barrel down every now and then or is it maintenance free?
http://store.airgunwarehouseinc.com/gam611009854.html
Edit. If I buy one, do I need to oil the barrel down every now and then or is it maintenance free?
When people talk about cheap chinese made airguns, this is the one Walmart at least was selling.
compman25
Diamond Member
- Jan 12, 2006
- 3,767
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I've seen lots of posts from people looking for an air rifle which is good for 10m target shooting and for hunting. The experts always seem to reply that there isn't one. Buy a low velocity precision target gun for indoor shooting and a high power rifle for hunting. Based on some recommendations for an indoor target rifle for under $200, I bought this:
http://www.pyramidair.com/cgi-bin/model.pl?model_id=76
It's very different from a >$300 target rifle, but I like it. If I was going to spend more money, I'd get this:
http://www.pyramidair.com/cgi-bin/model.pl?model_id=144
http://www.pyramidair.com/cgi-bin/model.pl?model_id=76
It's very different from a >$300 target rifle, but I like it. If I was going to spend more money, I'd get this:
http://www.pyramidair.com/cgi-bin/model.pl?model_id=144
Unless something has drastically changed in the last two years, GAMO is garbage. Try straightshooters.com for some info and a selection of quality air guns. Be prepared to spend at least $150 for a decent-quality spring-powered rifle. Beeman (rebranded HW, Theoben, Webly, and others), RWS/Diana/Dynamit-Nobel, and BSA are all popular brands among the mid-high end air guns. The HW linked by the above poster is a quality German-made piece- not high-end, but light-years ahead of the junk GAMO puts out. With quality-made air guns, you are paying for better fit and finish, trigger quality, and customer support/warranty- note that power is not a factor here, as anyone can make a cheap, high-powered POS.
And no, you never want to oil the barrel on a spring-powered air gun, unless it is to put on a light coat for long-term storage. You do not want to have any oil drip down into the chamber, as it could potentially cause disealing (combustion) unless the oil is specially designed for the compression chamber (high flash point). In general, barrel cleaning is not highly recommended for spring-powered rifles, as the rifling is particularly delicate compared to powder guns, and as such is easily damaged by standard metal cleaning rods. The lack of powder residue means that only a little bit of lead from the pellets will dirty the barrel; however, you might even find that a bit of lead in the barrel helps with precision, as the buildup pretty much plateaus after a certain amount.
Spring-powered air guns are almost maintenance-free. You may need to add a single drop of compression chamber oil to keep the seal lubricated once every 10K round or so. The spring itself should be good for many, many, many rounds/years, and they are replaceable (although usually not advised for the unexperienced due to the high compression force of the spring, and hence potential for injury/difficulty in getting the old spring out and new spring in).
Ultimately, you have to consider your price, purpose, and the space you have to shoot. For general plinking, a moderate-powered 500-700fps .177 cal (i.e. Beeman R7, or the HW30: http://www.beeman.com/r7.htm) would be ideal. You do NOT need (or want) a 1200fps monster for shooting cans.
shira
Diamond Member
- Jan 12, 2005
- 9,500
- 6
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An excellent all-around air-rifle is the Air Arms TX200 MKIII. It's extremely accurate yet sufficiently high-powered (over 900 fps in .177 caliber) that it can be used to hunt small game. It's a spring-piston design using under-lever cocking (inherently more accurate than break-barrel cocking). Also, Air Arms triggers are excellent. It's not cheap (about $550 + shipping), but you can spend way more for quality air rifles. Here's a link:
Air Arms TX200 MKIII
Note that spring-piston air rifles tend to be pretty heavy. With a good scope, the TX200 comes in at close to 10 pounds.
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