air rifle for practice

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shootmore
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air rifle for practice

Post by shootmore »

Which air rifle for SB practice at home? We have a large yard to support 10m targeting.
We dry fire on a snap cap but hearing a ding hit on metal sure makes it more fun!
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Sporty
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Re: air rifle for practice

Post by Sporty »

I practice at home with an air rifle and find it helps. I found the pellet it likes best & I shoot it with confidence. Please don't laugh. It's a break-barrel Crosman Shockwave Nitro Piston. The pellets are 21.14gn H&N Baracuda Match .22 cal.
-Charlie (Lee) Meli
Retired match director @ Piedmont Gun Club, Rutherdfordton, NC
richard
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Re: air rifle for practice

Post by richard »

First of all, air rifles are not just rifles to use for practice for something else however they have their advantages. I would think that ANY rifle you shoot in practice would help you shoot other rifles better in different shooting disciplines. I hope that makes sense. Anyway any rifle you practice with should help and any air rifle therefore should help. The answer to your question is that it depends on what you want. the previous poster uses a piston rifle which provides some recoil and probably has a fairly heavy trigger. If you go with a spring or piston powered air rifle that's what you will get, a fairly harsh firing behavior. If you want something nicer and perhaps more elegant with a better feel, weight, trigger, etc. look for a new or used 10 meter air rifle. They have been made spring powered, as single stroke pneumatics, and as pre charged types with beautiful triggers and little or no recoil. Some are pricey and older ones are cheaper. If you want something harsher firing you can go with something cheap in a spring powered gun that will have a heavy trigger and won't be as accurate or as much fun to shoot. The next level up would be a quality spring gun, still spring powered but better all around including the trigger. This would include the TX 200, hw 97, R 9, Walher LGU and a few more in that price range. Next up would be the pre charged puematics and they go from junk to outstanding in all areas. If you can get to an airgun match check out the guns being shot.
Like with all rifles, buy the best you can afford. Stay away from the hyper powered large caliber stuff.
I hope this helps.
Rick Bassett
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shootmore
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Re: air rifle for practice

Post by shootmore »

yes Richard that helps a lot.
Of course we want the Anschutz but is not in the summer budget. im thinking R9 to start with, lever actions are not smooth either so near equal? How much does a decent R9 cost? Any used ones out there?
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Re: air rifle for practice

Post by thauglor »

If you are planning on only 10m, and want really cheap, a used reconditioned daisy 853 from CMP is $120 shipped. I bought that first before going to my Anschutz 2002

http://thecmp.org/cmp_sales/rifle_sales ... ir-rifles/
shootmore
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Re: air rifle for practice

Post by shootmore »

Thanks but, you have to be in the club for that purchase.
Also, the rifle shown in the link is really nice but its $600. Later I realized this and scrolled down to the basic model, a pump not a compressed air container rifle and we tried those. He's not strong enough to break and pump yet. Need a compressed air rifle
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Re: air rifle for practice

Post by abraverman »

Okay! For the last time, neither air rifle nor dry firing is good practice for Smallbore Rifle Silhouette. Only using live ammo (SK or Lapua) will help the silhouetter prepare properly for the rigors of competition!

Don't make me come back here again to clear this up. :)) :)) :)) :))
Hawkeye7br
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Re: air rifle for practice

Post by Hawkeye7br »

Adam's reply =)) notwithstanding, I shoot a P-70 junior, or sometimes the 4H club Air Arms 200T or Champion Choice version, about $550. I suppose the Daisy CO2 rifle is an option. Its good practice, I have a large yard with a couple sheds & 3 woodpiles. So far this year, Team Chipmunk has lost 9 players.....
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Re: air rifle for practice

Post by DavidABQ »

I am probably not much help since I like to dry fire during the week when I cannot get to the range.
I agree that there is no substitute for live fire but I cannot always get to the range. As a result I don't keep too much SK Standard + on hand; I am down to approximately 5 cases but I hope to pick up another case at the Smallbore Silhouette State match in the Denver metropolitan area this September.

I want to be ready if there is another run on ammo after the next presidential election.
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