Help me figure out what airgun I need :)

[Pumacarl]

I think with your experience and knowing what you had, and my experience and knowing the low end pretty well, you should probably go for a bottled Zelos in .25. I don't have one, but I have had SPA's and recognize its make up. Tofaz4u has a series on his on YouTube that you should give a watch. You might have to buy used to keep it under $700. If you want to go .30 for under $700 a Gauntlet would not be a bad choice for accuracy. I love my Gen 1 .22, but it is long and delicate. I don't bump the barrel and it stays dead on and shoots awesome but it's no Evol. Staying under a price is hard. I think that by the time I got done with my Gauntlet I had $900 into it. Worth every penny to me though. Of course, you know better than anyone, that ultimately your best bet is watching the classifieds and buying a tier one gun for around $1k. That's the magic number, it's going to be hard being happy for less, having had what you did.

 

[Pumacarl]

Furthermore, I don't know how much the Avenge XL is going to cost, but between the "real" bottle it has, the Arca rail, and the modularity, it is definately the King of the budget guns, I think, at least for options.

The reason I am not recommending the 250z is because I don't have mine sorted yet, and as you probably read by now, I had a lot of problems to work through with it. It is cool though. When I eventually figure out what it wants to eat and get good results then I will feel better about recommending it as a project gun. I know a lot of people have already got good accuracy out of theirs in .25 though, so maybe my concerns won't be yours.

Finally, Macavity is coming out with an MA3 which fixes the bad stock of the MA2 with a beautiful one, has a bigger plenum, and a externally adjustable reg, and it is supposed to be around $6 - 700. THIS will be the gun you want if it becomes available sometime soon. The way these guns are made is very good. The machining on the inside is like tier one, and the cocking action is a treat. If you haven't seen the SHOT show report on it check it out. Everyone was talking about the MA8 and this got eclipsed, but the MA3, if released at $600 is going to own the low end, or at least it should.

One more. I know you liked your AirCuda, well JTS is coming out with PRS style stocks and they will be right in your price range too. I think that I'd go with the MA3 myself, but you said you were looking for a gun you can put on an Arca Swiss, so check it out.

 

[Danman]

I think with your experience and knowing what you had, and my experience and knowing the low end pretty well, you should probably go for a bottled Zelos in .25. I don't have one, but I have had SPA's and recognize its make up. Tofaz4u has a series on his on YouTube that you should give a watch. You might have to buy used to keep it under $700. If you want to go .30 for under $700 a Gauntlet would not be a bad choice for accuracy. I love my Gen 1 .22, but it is long and delicate. I don't bump the barrel and it stays dead on and shoots awesome but it's no Evol. Staying under a price is hard. I think that by the time I got done with my Gauntlet I had $900 into it. Worth every penny to me though. Of course, you know better than anyone, that ultimately your best bet is watching the classifieds and buying a tier one gun for around $1k. That's the magic number, it's going to be hard being happy for less, having had what you did.

Yes, the Zelos, good call! Lol i was gonna say Snowpeak M60. My thoughts are along the same line.... First, $700 will be difficult to maintain, for a few hundred more there is quite a bit more options, and (usually) quality jumps up. Second having owned some real nice stuff in recent years, it may be hard to love a factory assembled, slapped into a box and shipped over rifle.

 

[CTAirgunner]

I may have to just hold out and possibly wait for some of my stuff to move on marketplace so I can increase my budget some , I have done some spring cleaning and getting rid of things I thought I would use but havent in a couple years at least.

I told myself I wouldn't buy any airgun until I finish the late 50s Genuine Norlund Voyeuger Hatchet I have been refinishing as my personal pack axe anyways so I got some time.

I would definitely buy a Taipan 1 Long in .25, my first one shot 33.95 at 890 fps with an ES of like 2 fps over a fill and I could dump an entire tin in a quarter sized hole at 65 yards. It was awesome, just a little on the "big" side.

AoA also has a few Wolverine Rs that are nice that would suit my duties very nicely, and with HAM points could get a considerable amount off..

 

[Madeintheuk]

Wildcat mk3’s are going for decent prices used atm. Another option along with mavericks. For the “high end” and tuneable category, they can’t be beat. They don’t hold their prices well being FX, so used you get a lot of gun for the money.

 

[CTAirgunner]

Wildcat mk3’s are going for decent prices used atm. Another option along with mavericks. For the “high end” and tuneable category, they can’t be beat. They don’t hold their prices well being FX, so used you get a lot of gun for the money.

I did actually really love the feel of my Wildcat MK3 .... ill have to surf classifieds for a while.

Also enjoyed my panthera as well, both have .30 cal option

 

[Madeintheuk]

Still a bit cautious of balanced valves. Purely from lack of knowledge, but I do miss my wildcat mk2. Very simple rifle for an fx, but the mk3 has everything externally adjustable, so a better option for you

 

[CTAirgunner]

Still a bit cautious of balanced valves. Purely from lack of knowledge, but I do miss my wildcat mk2. Very simple rifle for an fx, but the mk3 has everything externally adjustable, so a better option for you

To be honest I had a feeling Id be pulled into a higher budget, I received a few texts and much like you and I have talked about, we can always try but likely won't ever be happy going that route.

The MK3 in 30 I had was a laser and consistent. Accurate as hell too.

 

[Pumacarl]

It's great to play in the shallow end of the pool, when there is a deep end to dive into. If you're going swimming again, dive into the deep end first, because that's what you're used to. In other words, hold off and save up some cash for something you want to live with and not just play around with. $700 is a tough number in this game, you know it. Good luck, try for happy, because satisfied never seems to last for very long.

 

[Smok3y]

Hey man. I have had some similar considerations lately as well as far as a rifle in this price range. I prefer to stay in some of the higher end models around that price used instead of going with lower end new. That $700 limit does make that pretty hard though.

Winter is the best time to buy used, because the market definitely takes a hit with people selling while many cannot shoot. We are getting closer to the end of that window though…

I like your idea of the Taipan based on the many great reviews. I have only held off because I’m finding that I don’t really care for bullpups. A RTI Prophet 1 could fit this budget if you get lucky as well. I just sold one for $750 and easily could have been closer to $700 without some addons. They are excellent shooters. I think you can find a DRS very close to that price range (maybe $700-800) and I feel like it fits what you are looking for if you want to move it into a chassis later. This option is actually leading the way in my lower end option range right now.

 

[CTAirgunner]

Hey man. I have had some similar considerations lately as well as far as a rifle in this price range. I prefer to stay in some of the higher end models around that price used instead of going with lower end new. That $700 limit does make that pretty hard though.

Winter is the best time to buy used, because the market definitely takes a hit with people selling while many cannot shoot. We are getting closer to the end of that window though…

I like your idea of the Taipan based on the many great reviews. I have only held off because I’m finding that I don’t really care for bullpups. A RTI Prophet 1 could fit this budget if you get lucky as well. I just sold one for $750 and easily could have been closer to $700 without some addons. They are excellent shooters. I think you can find a DRS very close to that price range (maybe $700-800) and I feel like it fits what you are looking for if you want to move it into a chassis later. This option is actually leading the way in my lower end option range right now.

My Taipan Long .25 wasnt massive but it was certainly big for a bullpup but man was that a laser. I had just gotten into shooting when I had it and at 115 yards the first day I ever stretched it past 65. I was shooting 1.5 inch groups with 33.95 and that was when I just picked up the hobby. I do miss it, I was actually reached out to by the guy who bought it 5 months ago and asked if I wanted it back but I wasn't thinking about airguns at the time.

The DRS .22/.25 in 700mm config has my eye, in Walnut, why? the flat front fore end of the walnut stock would be perfect for a rigid mounted Arca Rail. The price point is super reasonable imo.

 

[FL22]

With plenty of money left in the budget for the build. And comes with four magazines.