Buyers Guide & getting started tips
Okay, so you've decided you want to buy your own air rifle & scope for HFT. First off, don't rush into anything!
It’s easy to get lost and confused looking at the sheer range and variety of air guns on offer. What may look like your dream rifle in a glossy magazine may in fact be too long, too short, too heavy or just plain uncomfortable for you to use.
So, before you start throwing your hard earned cash at the first fancy stock you see, take a bit of time to view, handle and shoot as many different models as you can.
Most good gun shops will have a range facility where you can have a go with a rifle you are interested in. Better still, come along to one of our shoots and the chances are one of our members will have the model you’re thinking about getting. We’re a friendly bunch at Cambs HFT, so we’re more than happy to show you our kit and answer any questions you may have about it!
There are lots of different options to consider when you’re looking to buy;
It’s easy to get lost and confused looking at the sheer range and variety of air guns on offer. What may look like your dream rifle in a glossy magazine may in fact be too long, too short, too heavy or just plain uncomfortable for you to use.
So, before you start throwing your hard earned cash at the first fancy stock you see, take a bit of time to view, handle and shoot as many different models as you can.
Most good gun shops will have a range facility where you can have a go with a rifle you are interested in. Better still, come along to one of our shoots and the chances are one of our members will have the model you’re thinking about getting. We’re a friendly bunch at Cambs HFT, so we’re more than happy to show you our kit and answer any questions you may have about it!
There are lots of different options to consider when you’re looking to buy;
- Calibre: air rifles are available in 0.177, 0.20, 0.22 and 0.25. The most common calibres are 0.177 and 0.22. Generally speaking for target shooting most people prefer 0.177 as it has a flatter trajectory. There is nothing to stop you using 0.22, our competitions have a class for 0.22 shooters and some of our 0.22 shooters regularly rival scores with the 0.177 shots.
- PCP or Springer?
A PCP or PreCharged Pneumatic rifle uses a compressed air reservoir to fire the pellet, as such there is absolutely no recoil.
A Springer, or spring powered air rifle uses a spring powered piston to fire the pellet, so it will recoil. Spring guns can be break barrels, side levers and underlevers in their cocking action.
There are literally hundreds of air rifles to choose from these days, but some popular models used in HFT and in use at our club include;
|
PCP’s
Anschutz 2002 Air Arms EV2 Air Arms S400 Air Arms S200 Air arms MPR BSA R10 BSA Scorpion BSA Ultra Daystate Mk.3 Daystate Mk.4 Daystate Huntsman Daystate AirWolf Steyr LG110 Theoben Rapid Weihrauch HW100 |
Spring guns
Air Arms TX200 Air Arms ProSport BSA Airsporter BSA Lightning BSA Supersport Diana 280 Diana 48 Feinwerkbau Sport Theoben Evolution Theoben FenMan Weihrauch HW77 Weihrauch HW80 Weihrauch HW95 Weihrauch HW97 Weihrauch HW99 |
This list is by no means exhaustive, there are literally hundreds of different models from dozens of different manufacturers for you to choose from. You don’t have to buy new either, there are plenty of second hand deals to be had. Most gunshops will have a second hand section, and there are additional listings in the back of the AirGun magazines and also on some of the online forums such as the *Cambridge HFT Facebook page* and the Airgun BBS.
Direct links to some air gun manufacturers homepages. These links are provided freely, Cambridge HFT has no affiliation with any specific manufacturers.
Air Arms Anschutz BSA Daystate Diana Feinwerkbau Steyr Weihrauch
What is trajectory?
Trajectory is the flight path the pellet takes when it has left the barrel of the air rifle. Contrary to what you may imagine, the path is not straight, it is an arc.
A 0.177 pellet has a slightly flatter trajectory, so the arc is more subtle. With a 0.22 pellet the arc is quite large.
This arc means that you will be able to shoot some targets dead-on, and others will require you to aim high or low depending on their range.
It sounds complicated, but once you understand the basics it’ll make perfect sense to you. There are several free online computer applications that allow you to physically work out the trajectory of your rifle so you can calculate the aim points for targets at different ranges. These programs will show you a graph of the pellets flight at the different ranges and also allow you to print a copy of your scopes reticule with the aim points marked. To use the program you will need to know;
Chairgun Pro http://www.chairgun.com/
Hawke BRC (Ballistic Reticule Calculator) –this is very useful if you have a Hawke scope as you can use their specific reticules such as the map Pro, SR6 and SR12. http://www.hawkeoptics.com/brc/index.php
Confused? Got a question? Try the Cambridge HFT facebook page for advice from our members!
A 0.177 pellet has a slightly flatter trajectory, so the arc is more subtle. With a 0.22 pellet the arc is quite large.
This arc means that you will be able to shoot some targets dead-on, and others will require you to aim high or low depending on their range.
It sounds complicated, but once you understand the basics it’ll make perfect sense to you. There are several free online computer applications that allow you to physically work out the trajectory of your rifle so you can calculate the aim points for targets at different ranges. These programs will show you a graph of the pellets flight at the different ranges and also allow you to print a copy of your scopes reticule with the aim points marked. To use the program you will need to know;
- The muzzle velocity of your rifle; using a chronograph how fast is the pellet leaving the barrel?
- The weight of the pellet you will be using; the power of your rifle is a combination of the muzzle velocity and pellet weight.
- The height of your telescopic sight; this is the distance between the centre of the barrel and the centre of the sight tube.
- The magnification you want to use the scope at.
- Where you want to zero (sight) the scope in.
Chairgun Pro http://www.chairgun.com/
Hawke BRC (Ballistic Reticule Calculator) –this is very useful if you have a Hawke scope as you can use their specific reticules such as the map Pro, SR6 and SR12. http://www.hawkeoptics.com/brc/index.php
Confused? Got a question? Try the Cambridge HFT facebook page for advice from our members!
