Air Gun Home :: View topic

dragonfly · Member

I'm an older middle-aged woman and am new to air rifles. I bought a cheapie (Airmaster) at Walmart around 6 weeks ago, and started learning how to shoot. I have no prior experience with long guns of any type, but I want to use an air rifle for sparrow and starling control because I build bird houses and have purple martins and blue birds. Anyway, back to air rifles: For a cheap little rifle, it seems pretty accurate, and I can fairly consistently shoot about a 1 1 /2" group at 25 yards. The area where I will be shooting pest birds will be 25-30 yards. The scope that came with the gun is frankly a piece of crap, and I can't get it zero'd on elevation as low as I need it. I want a small rifle and this one fits the bill, but the scope has to go, but most of the scopes I've seen advertised seem to be pretty large, and I don't really need that.

Anyway- is there a small air rifle that is accurate and good for a woman or teenager to use, that also has a good scope system? I really don't want to break the bank, and would be able to spend around 300 dollars or so. I don't mind keeping this rifle at all, if I can find a good scope for it. It has a dovetail mount (I believe 3/8", though I can't remember for sure). Any suggestions? Thanks, and I'm glad to be a new member of the forum. Smile

Btw, I would never have thought I would like shooting, but I absolutely love it. Mr. Green

rsterne · Moderator

My advice is don't go too cheap on the scope.... I would recommend a Leapers 3-9 x 40 AO as an excellent all-around scope and you will need a set of medium height rings for it.... Whatever you buy, make SURE it has an adjustable objective (AO) so that you can focus at close ranges and eliminate what is called parallax error.... Fixed focus scopes are usually set for 50 yards which is too far away for an inexpensive airgun....

If you think that the 3-9 x 40 is too big, you could get a fixed power 4 x 32 AO.... There are other manufacturers that carry similar scopes.... Just make sure that they are "airgun rated" as spring powered rifles have a strange double recoil which is hard on scopes....

Bob

oddtodd · Silver Status Member

I've never heard of the airmaster brand myself. I have a crosman storm XT .177 I bought at walmart when I want to do some quiet birding in the backyard.

I also have a crosman 2400 in .22 which is deadly at the ranges you are talking about now. It's a custom made rifle that maxed out on the toys including a top of the line illuminated scope, cost me 200 bucks. It's also a CO2 rifle which have some advantages and disadvantages. advantages: no spring to cock against, no spring noise when you pull the trigger, and no jumping around in your hands.

Disadvantages: CO2 can get pricey after a while, quality ammo is either internet or a few of the big box stores like walmart and meiers. At least meiers in my area are carrying them. A 40 cylinder box costs 20 bucks, a 175 count of .22 premieres are 3.95, you get 25 to 30 shots out of each cartridge and it's loud in a crosman. I do mean LOUD. ,lol. THey don't like cold weather either.

Now, about your gun. Do you have to pump it up several times for a shot? Do you use a round steel BB or lead pellets? If you only pump once, do you load it by dropping a pellet in the bore? I'm not trying to be insulting, but I have never heard of an airmaster. Could it possibly be a 760? Cmon guys, I tolde her what I liked, Now it's your turn.

Jaxom · Senior Member

Just a suggestion if you want something with a tad bit more power, and comes with a quality scope. I'd check out pyramid air, they sell a 2260se. It's a .22 cal rifle that comes with a center point 6x32mm AO "Bugbuster" scope.

Here's a link if you want to do a bit of window shopping.

http://www.pyramydair.com/p/crosman-2260-special-edition-air-rifle.shtml

fritz · Silver Status Member

Welcome to AGH.

What Bob said about scopes. I would also recommend a 3-9x40 AO, and again if that is too big then a 4x32 AO would be in order. Leapers, Centerpoint (made by Crosman), and Hawke are some good brands to start out with. I have an old Tasco 3-9x40 non-AO that serves me well on my Diana 34.

As for the rifle, if you really do need another (more so a replacement) then I would further recommend the Diana 34 in .177.

I've had mine since I was 10 (not that long for the rest of ya'll Rolling Eyes

) Anyway, its a great rifle and has served me well. Having it that young it was a bit large, but I grew into it within a year, and younger family members don't have a problem using it. Despite them being small and not as strong as I was at the time.

Combined with shipping from Pyramyd Air should be about $300, but well worth it. That's gun and scope. But I would rather purchase the scope first to see what your current rifle will do without a POS on top of it.

dragonfly · Member

fritz- Thanks for the welcome. Smile

I've heard that Leapers makes a good air rifle scope, and didn't know that Crosman made them. I'll check them out.

jaxom- thanks for the link- I'll check it out.

oddtodd- it's called a "Remington" Airmaster, but I think it's made by Crosman. I noticed the one you mention when I was in WM a few days ago to buy pellets. Thanks for the info on the Crosman .22. Is the advantage primarily more knock-down power? (I'm guessing). On my gun, I pump it 4 times- three will do, but it's a little less accurate. I've ahot one bird with it, and it was an instant kill with the 4 pumps at 25 yards. The best pellets I've found so far for this gun are the Crosman Premier hollow points. I've tried some Gamo (had problems with jamming), Daisy (very inaccurate), RWS (adequate), and the Crosman Destroyer (inaccurate).

rsterne- thanks. Does Leapers make the 4x32 that you mentioned?

under500fps · Veteran Member

This 4x32 CenterPoint on the Remington Air Master 77 does the trick for me .
It is not the state of the art but it does the job .
http://www.crosman.com/airguns/accessories/optics/premium/CP4032

oddtodd · Silver Status Member

I like the .22 for knockdown power. .177 seems to need more accuracy than I can put out. I am partial to .22 just because of the knockout. I just have this thing for hitting the center of mass and watching the target go thump on the ground. lol

Here is something fun for you to try:http://www.crosman.com/custom_store/2/step1

It's just something I threw up there for you to play with the different things you can get on a rifle. I have the rifle version and you have already looked at the 2260 which is the next step up from mine. I wouldn't recommend the pistol though. It's heavy for me and I'm a pretty good sized ol boy. lol

fritz · Silver Status Member

AFAIK Crosman owns the company CenterPoint. I have their 4-16x40AO Ill. Reticule, it has held up very well on my Benjamin SuperStreak (made by Crosman) and Diana 34 (switched the scopes around multiple times).

http://www.pyramydair.com/a/Accessories/Scopes/92

Search through those for what you need. I would go for a 1" tube, variable magnification. Avoid the really cheap ones. Make sure you are looking at a scope with standard (usually around 3") eye relief.

jlwilliams · Veteran Member

Don't be turned off by a large scope. Small tubed scopes give you a smaller field of vision and less clear image. In short, the bigger tube lets more light in, so you get a better image. 3/4" scopes are really a drag. They are small and that's nice if you want to put the whole thing in a backpack, but for a back yard verminator you will really apreciate the better optics of a 1" or even a 30mm tubed scope.

I also whoe heartedly agree that the larger pellet is better for this sort of thing. It just gives you cleaner, more mercifull kills.

dragonfly · Member

dragonfly · Member

dragonfly · Member

dragonfly · Member

fritz · Silver Status Member

Scope tube size really has no relation to the dovetail.

You still need mounts to go on the dovetail, which hold the scope. On a springer a good 1 piece mount is paramount. However, on a non-springer, a single piece mount may interfere with loading and functioning of the gun.

http://www.pyramydair.com/a/Accessories/Mounts_bases_rings_levels_and_scope_stops/1-piece_mounts/3_8_and_11mm_dovetails/1_rings/54