not airsoft, i want to use the metal pellets

what's a nice beginner gun? i just want a rifle with a scope, nothing fancy like a laser or anything
just looking at walmart/academy i don't know which brands are nice and which ones are cheap/you get what you pay for

6/18/2009 10:21:53 PM

you'll put your eye out!

i had a daisy something or another as a kid.

6/18/2009 10:52:59 PM

Anything at those kind of places is going to be mid-grade to downright junk. You're going to get what you pay for and it ain't going to be much.

For a step up, look at a real sporting goods store like Dick's, Bass Pro, or Gander Mtn. IMO, Gamo makes some of the best ones that are still reasonably priced.

6/18/2009 11:06:08 PM

i saw a bunch of those at academy, it seemed they had the most models so i didnt know if they just put out generic crap

6/18/2009 11:20:03 PM

Daisy PowerLine 880

6/19/2009 12:00:10 AM

Do you know if you want to shoot BB's or an actual .177 pellets, some can shoot both but some only shoot one or the other. The type of action used i.e. lever-pump, break-action (spring), CO2, etc. should also be looked at depending on the person, just wiki it.

This was way back but I always hated the lever-pump guns that you had to crank up like 20-50 times to get a decent shot after the piston rings or seals started to wear out. Break-action was nice if you were a good shot (rodents) or were just plinking. Scopes can be had for cheap if it's only for an airgun so you don't have to purchase a combo set if you like a particular airgun that doesn't come with one.

6/19/2009 12:19:19 AM

I had one from walmart several yrs ago (it was probably the top one they carried). It was a break-barrel with a scope. Shot at around 1000fps, maybe a little more I think. I don't recall the make or model. But it worked great for shooting targets.

Make sure you have some place decent to use it.

[Edited on June 19, 2009 at 1:05 AM. Reason : .]

6/19/2009 12:55:03 AM

Daisy Powerline 901 (pellet and bb)

6/19/2009 1:15:52 AM

i have one of those pump-action crosman 760 rifles...they shoot .177 pellets (single shot) or BBs...you load up something like 50 in the reservoir and then you can put 7 (i think) in the line...you just pull back the action (which has a magnetic tip) to load the BB

they're definitely on the lower end of the spectrum at ~$40 (BBs at 600fps and pellets at 625fps), but if you're not going to be doing anything but screwing around, it's great...mine's 12-13 years old and it still works flawlessly...i used mine to shoot groundhogs and deer in the orchard/garden when i was in high school...it accepts scopes, too

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=9222897

[Edited on June 19, 2009 at 8:14 AM. Reason : .]

6/19/2009 8:10:32 AM

Get a .22 cal. pellet rifle--you'll like it better.

http://www.airgundepot.com/392.html

6/19/2009 8:24:37 AM

^ for that price, he could buy a marlin model 60 .22 rifle

[Edited on June 19, 2009 at 8:28 AM. Reason : .]

6/19/2009 8:27:15 AM

^ Well, he can shop around--but I just like the .22 pellet gun better. And you can keep it for a lifetime and pass it along through the generations with your other guns, you know.

6/19/2009 9:22:37 AM

If you want any reasonable "stopping power" in your pellet rifle, go for a .22 caliber.

^^ Well, I agree that for the price of a good pellet rifle you could easily purchase a .22LR rifle, such as Mossberg's plinkster models (Both the bolt action and semi-auto versions cost around $130).

But it's much easier to shoot a pellet rifle in your back yard, although I believe some cities around here allow .22LR's to be fired within the city limits in certain circumstances at least. You can much more safely and easily control pests and shoot targets in populated areas with a good .22 Caliber pellet rifle than with a .22LR. Note that they even make some pellet rifles that have suppressors on them as well to further reduce the noise levels.

6/19/2009 12:47:01 PM

I have bought 3 pellet rifles from Wal-Mart and all 3 of them had a hard time holding air pressure. They are really cheaply made. Get one from Dick's.

6/19/2009 1:03:43 PM

Quote :

"But it's much easier to shoot a pellet rifle in your back yard"

ah, i didn't think about shooting it within the city limits (that's what growing up in podunk does to you )

if that's the case, then, yeah...a decent pellet gun would probably be best...i just figured the rifle was more useful...as far as basic rifles go, the model 60 and plinkster are both good guns...i like the wooden stocks best (the plinkster used to be synthetic only, but i think they have a wooden stock now), but that's just because i like the way it looks oiled [/homo?]

6/19/2009 3:12:13 PM

i've got a 901 and it gets pretty good accuracy with pellets especially, .177 lead pellets.

mine came with a little scope but i haven't taken the time to attach it and adjust it yet...

i wouldn't spend more than $100 unless you are gonna get a .22 pellet gun, he's right about the .22 rifle and city limits.

most all pellet guns have rifling as well.

go Daisy, Crosman, or Benjamin, and go to Dick's. you can try calling pawn shops too but make sure you test it before you buy it from their.

6/23/2009 11:29:46 AM