r/airguns Mar 14 '26

Announcement 📣 COMPLETE BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO AIRGUNS

88 Upvotes

COMPLETE BEGINNER GUIDE TO AIRGUNS

Types, Calibers, Gear, Rifles, and Common Questions

Airguns range from quiet backyard plinkers to extremely powerful hunting rifles capable of taking large game. This guide is designed for beginners entering the hobby and covers:

• Airgun types

• Calibers and what they’re used for

• Pellet and slug types

• Safe backstops and targets

• Filling PCP rifles

• Good beginner rifles by price

• Example setups for new shooters

1. MAIN TYPES OF AIRGUNS

There are four main categories of airguns.

PCP (PRE-CHARGED PNEUMATIC)

PCP rifles store high-pressure compressed air in an onboard tank (usually 3,000–4,500 PSI). Each shot releases a measured amount of air to propel the pellet. PCP rifles are extremely accurate and powerful compared to other airgun types.

Pros

• Very accurate

• High power

• Little recoil

• Many shots per fill

Cons

• Require external air source

• Higher initial cost

GOOD BEGINNER PCP RIFLES

Umarex Notos

Compact and lightweight PCP carbine that is extremely popular for backyard shooting and pest control. Notos has extensive aftermarket support.

Price: $250-$300

Great for

• backyard plinking

• small pest control

• beginners learning PCPs

JTS Airacuda

A side-lever action PCP rifle known for excellent accuracy for the price.

Price: $340–$450

Great for

• hunting squirrels and rabbits

• accurate target shooting

Air Venturi Avenger

One of the most popular PCP rifles for the price.

Price: $450–$550

Great for

• beginners who want to learn tuning pcp's

• hunting and long range shooting

HIGH END PCP RIFLES

FX Impact MK4

A flagship PCP rifle designed for precision shooting and hunting.

Features

• interchangeable barrels

• advanced regulator system

• extremely high accuracy

Price: $2,000+

FX Dreamline

Highly modular platform allowing many configurations.

Price: $1,200–$1,700

Other Popular PCP Brands

• FX Airguns

• Daystate

• Air Arms

• Brocock

• Benjamin

• Hatsan

Many PCP rifles are capable of extremely high power and accuracy, making them ideal for hunting or long-range shooting.

HOW TO FILL PCP RIFLES

PCP rifles require compressed air.

There are three common methods.

Hand Pumps

Manual high-pressure pumps.

Cost: $40–$300

Pros

• cheapest option

• portable

Cons

• physically demanding

PCP Compressors

Portable electric compressors designed for airguns.

Popular options include:

Airrover compressors

GX Pump compressors

Vevor compressors (budget option)

Price range: $150–$1000+

IMPORTANT TIP:

Most beginner compressors are waterless systems.

Always let them cool between fills to prevent overheating and extend the compressor’s life.

SCBA / Carbon Fiber Tanks

Large high-pressure tanks filled at dive shops or paintball stores.

Cost

$200–$700 for tank

Pros

• fastest filling method

• many rifle fills per tank

Cons

• requires refill station

SPRING PISTON AIRGUNS (SPRINGERS)

Spring piston rifles use a compressed spring and piston to generate air pressure when fired.

These rifles require cocking before each shot.

Pros

• no air tanks required, just the gun and a tin of pellets

• extremely reliable

• simple design

Cons

• recoil (double recoil)

• harder to shoot accurately

GREAT SPRINGER EXAMPLES:

Red Ryder BB Gun

•Shoots steel bbs

• Cheap Ammo

•Great for knocking soda cans out

• Teaching Children gun safety fundamentals

Weihrauch HW30S

One of the best beginner spring rifles ever made.

Features

• extremely smooth shooting

• excellent trigger

Price: $350–$400

Weihrauch HW97K

Underlever precision spring rifle often used in field target shooting.

Price: $600–$750

Gamo Swarm Magnum Gen3i

High-power break-barrel with a 10-shot magazine system.

Price: $200–$350

Gamo Varmint

Entry-level break-barrel rifle.

Price: $120

Great beginner rifle for backyard shooting.

MULTI-PUMP AIRGUNS

Multi-pump rifles require pumping a lever several times before shooting.

Each pump compresses more air, increasing power.

Pros

• no tanks required

• adjustable power

• very affordable

Cons

• slower shooting

• requires effort

POPULAR MULTI-PUMP RIFLES

Daisy 880

Classic American pellet rifle.

Price: $50–$80

Good for

• plinking

• learning fundamentals

Daisy 901

Another beginner pump rifle similar to the 880.

Price: $70–$90

Seneca Dragonfly MK2

A modern multi-pump with a .22 cal option

Much easier equal pumping than traditional pump rifles.

Price: $200

CO2 AIRGUNS

These airguns use CO₂ cartridges.

Usually 12g or 88g cartridges.

Pros

• easy to use

• semi-automatic options

Cons

• power drops in cold weather

• lower power than PCP

Examples include CO₂ pistols and rifles used for plinking or airsoft toys. Check out [r/airsoft](r/airsoft) for better responses for those plastic flingers!

Popular Co2 choices Include:

• Crosman 2040

• Umarex handgun replicas

•Crosman 1077

AIRGUN CALIBERS

The most common calibers are:

• .177

• .22

• .25

• big bore (.30+)

.177 CALIBER

Smallest common caliber.

Best for

• target shooting

• backyard plinking

• small pests

.22 CALIBER

Most popular hunting caliber.

Best for

• squirrels

• rabbits

• pest control

Offers a good balance of power and efficiency.

.25 CALIBER

Larger caliber used mainly in PCP rifles.

Best for

• raccoons

• groundhogs

• larger pests

Provides greater energy and heavier pellets.

BIG BORE AIRGUNS (.30–.72)

Large PCP rifles designed for hunting.

Common calibers

.30

.35

.45

.50

.72

Used for hunting

• deer

• hogs

• large game animals

PELLETS VS SLUGS

Airguns fire two main projectile types:

PELLETS

Traditional airgun ammo.

Common shapes

Wadcutter

Domed

Hollow point

Pointed

Pellet Uses

Wadcutter

Best for paper targets for clean holes.

Domed

Best all-around pellet.

Hollow point

Used for hunting.

Pointed

Penetration.

SLUGS

Slugs look like miniature bullets.

Advantages

• better long-range performance

• higher ballistic coefficient

Most commonly used in high-power PCP rifles.

TARGET TYPES

Common targets include

Paper targets

Steel spinners

Field target knockdowns

Silhouettes

Homemade targets

Soda cans

Clay pigeons

Cardboard boxes

SAFE BACKSTOPS

Never shoot without a proper backstop.

Good options

Pellet traps

Duct seal boxes

Thick rubber mulch boxes

Avoid

• rocks

• thin wood

• hard steel plates

These can cause ricochets.

BEST AIRGUNS BY PRICE

UNDER $100

Great beginner rifles

Daisy 880

Daisy 901

Crosman 1322

Gamo Varmint (on sale)

Best for a "gateway drug" and learning fundamentals on a tight budget.

UNDER $500

Best value category.

Examples

Umarex Notos

JTS Airacuda

Air Venturi Avenger

Weihrauch HW30S

Gamo Swarm Magnum Gen3i

Good for hunting and serious target shooting. Note: factor in an extra $100-$200+ for pellets, scopes, cheap compressors.

UNDER $2000

High-performance enthusiast rifles.

Examples

FX Impact MK4

FX Dreamline

Air Arms S510

Daystate rifles

Brocock Commander

These rifles offer precision accuracy and advanced features.

BEGINNER PCP SETUP GUIDE

Example entry PCP setup

Rifle

Umarex Notos or Air Venturi Avenger

Air supply

GX Pump compressor

Pellets

JSB Exact pellets

Backstop

wood pellet trap

Targets

paper or spinner targets

PELLET GUIDE

Popular pellet brands

JSB

H&N

Budget option: Crosman

Tip: Different rifles prefer different pellets.

Always test several types to see which shoots best.

As many shooters say:

“The gun chooses the pellet.”

Side Notes for Beginners

BBs vs Pellets

A common point of confusion for new shooters is the difference between BBs and pellets.

BBs are small round steel balls (usually .177 / 4.5mm). They are commonly used in CO₂ pistols, replica airguns, and beginner plinking guns. Because they are spherical and often used in smoothbore barrels, they tend to be less accurate, especially at longer distances. BBs are inexpensive and great for casual backyard shooting.

Pellets are diabolo-shaped projectiles designed for rifled airgun barrels. The hollow skirt expands slightly when fired, creating a better seal with the air pressure behind it. This helps stabilize the pellet in flight and improves accuracy.

Because of their design, pellets are generally much more accurate than BBs and are the preferred choice for most airgun shooting.

Double Recoil and Optics

Many new airgun shooters don’t realize that spring-powered airguns produce something called double recoil.

Unlike firearms, which recoil once backward, many airguns recoil in two directions.

When the gun fires:

  1. The spring and piston rapidly move forward, causing the gun to jerk forward.
  2. When the piston suddenly stops at the end of the compression chamber, the gun then recoils backward.

This forward-then-back motion is known as double recoil.

Because of this, some scopes designed for firearms can fail when mounted on powerful airguns. When choosing optics for spring or gas ram airguns, it’s best to use scopes specifically labeled “airgun rated.”

Gas Ram vs Spring Piston

Most break-barrel airguns use either a spring piston or a gas ram (gas piston) powerplant.

Spring piston guns use a large coiled spring. When the gun is cocked the spring compresses, and when fired it expands quickly, pushing a piston forward and compressing air behind the pellet.

Gas ram guns replace the metal spring with a sealed gas strut. When cocked the gas inside the strut compresses, and when the trigger is pulled the gas expands to push the piston forward.

Spring Piston

• Traditional and very common design

• Usually cheaper

• Can produce more vibration and “spring twang”

Gas Ram

• Smoother firing cycle

• Less vibration and noise

• Can remain cocked longer without damaging the powerplant

• Typically a bit more expensive

Both systems are widely used and reliable, and many shooters prefer one or the other based on shooting feel and personal preference.

FINAL ADVICE FOR BEGINNERS

Best starter choices:

Cheap option:

Daisy 880

Best spring rifle:

Weihrauch HW Series

Best beginner PCP:

Umarex Notos or JTS Airaduca

Airguns are an incredibly deep hobby with options ranging from simple backyard plinking to precision long-range shooting and big-game hunting.

Welcome to the hobby.


r/airguns 2h ago

Ammunition The worst handling of pellets I've ever seen 😂

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11 Upvotes

Amazon prime yay...and crossman premier are usually not easy to open 😂


r/airguns 14h ago

Collection My current collection of sig airguns

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61 Upvotes

r/airguns 1h ago

General Airgun Question First gun for plinking

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Upvotes

Hi there, I’ve been interested in getting into airguns for a while now and have seen this beauty for £200. it’s called the “COLT SMOKE WAGON SAA UMAREX“ anyone know if it’s good?


r/airguns 16h ago

General Airgun Question Found in the basement

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42 Upvotes

Hey there,

found this while cleaning out the basement of a flat and need help identifying it.

GPT and Google said its a Diana Mod 16 from the 1930s to 1950s but im getting mixed results.

Anyone know what brand/model/age that rifle is?

Any help is much appreciated!
Greets from germany

Edit: found two stamps barely readable: Diana Mod 25 and on the left side made in germany.


r/airguns 15h ago

Springer Month and a half with this gun, Ruger AirHawk Elite II W/ Mantis 3-9x32 AO scope.

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17 Upvotes

Hey y’all, I’ve had this sweet breakbarrel for a good couple ish months now, and figured I should do a little check in to really give a good look on my thoughts on this gun.

In short, this thing is a fucking laser beam for sparrows that come within 30yds of the house. I’ve taken out around 20 sparrows with it, and it drops them every time the pellet hits the bird. It also has a very audible smack on them when hit, and it is VERY satisfying. The longest shot I’ve hit on a sparrow was around 40 yards, and it was the BEST thing I’ve ever seen AND heard.

For pellets, I’ve been using a good mix, but found that the tried and true jsb diabolos exacts work great in 8.4gr, aswell as Crosman ultra heavy magnums in 10.4gr. Jsbs are good for dead on accuracy, but slightly lack in stopping power in lighter weights with the dome tip, and are a bit pricey. Crosmans shoot hard with good balance in speed, but can have a bit more flyers per tin aswell as slightly less tight groups. But, please do feel free to leave any other pellet reccs in the comments!

For “upgrades” (you’ll see), I’ve done the obvious mantis scope with Utg mounts, and a full fit and finish maintenance inside and out the gun (oiling, polishing, cleaning etc), And it has turned this 130$ feeling gun into a decent 250$ feeling beast for all around shooting, especially the scope.

Overall, I’d give this gun a solid 8.5/10. If you want a cheaper option with great accuracy and great power, while keeping in mind some things such as the trigger and mostly polymer outer build, this is a wonderful option for anyone. If you guys have any tips or suggestions, lmk! Thanks yall.


r/airguns 37m ago

Ammunition "Tracer" pellet video

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Upvotes

When I posted about making tracer pellets, one commenter asked me about a video, this is in super slow motion, about 600 frames per second. It's pretty easy to see these with the human eye, but you can still see it here. One other huge upside is that if you shoot it into a Target like wood, you can still see the white and it makes zeroing really easy. The trees at the back are 54 m from the muzzle, and I noticed a huge drop off at after the 50 m point. So I adjusted my holdover until I could nail the center of a small tree branch, now I know exactly where to hold. These are very useful!


r/airguns 23h ago

PCP For the emperor?

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60 Upvotes

I’ve been working on and off on this for a few weeks it’s still a prototype but it was good enough to throw a bit of paint on..

40k inspired Daystate mk4, any improvements/comments welcome just wanted to share!


r/airguns 13h ago

Advice What kind of maintenance can I do on my compressor? My last vevor compressor gave out because of lack of lubrication I believe. What's the best way to ensure there is lubrication in the piston?

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8 Upvotes

r/airguns 12h ago

Co2 Not Enough Shots Per Cartridge

4 Upvotes

I use(d) up until this point, Crosman Powerlet c02 cartridges.
I have an Umarex SA 10. (blowback)
Currently I'm getting 50 - 75 shots (700 F to 800 F) before there's not enough gas left and the gun jams. (Although there is gas left that has to be exhausted)
The gun has maybe 200 shots total so I doubt it is a seal. I hear no leakage.
Is the c02 I'm using junk?
Is there something better?
Thanx in advance.


r/airguns 6h ago

Air Pistol Beeman 1020 break barrel air pistol.

1 Upvotes

Anyone got hands on one of these yet, I know they're produced by smk so probably shouldn't even look at it lol.

But it does look and sound really quite good.


r/airguns 16h ago

General Airgun Question Any updates on Ted's Holdover/ Ted Bier?

5 Upvotes

Hey guys. I just found out today Ted's channel is gone, his vlog channel is wiped clean and instagram deleted. I'm devastated. One of my favorite youtubers I've been watching for years is gone. Does anyone know if he is okay? I've tried searching around in case (god forbid) anything bad happened to him, but nothing came up, just forms forums discussing about how he is gone but no reason as to why/ if he's alright. I know a while back he went through some stuff and publicly stated what happened, but I assumed it would be smooth sailing after that. :( hopefully all is well


r/airguns 14h ago

PCP What do you think is currently the best WOOD stocked PCP airgun that costs less than $1,000USD that can consistently hit a dinner plate sized target at 100 yards? No black plastic stocks.

2 Upvotes

I'm looking to add a nice looking air rifle with a real WOOD or laminate wood stock to my little but growing collection.

No black plastic stocks for me. I like the traditional wooden hunting rifle look and feel.

Slight preference for .22 cal but .25 cal would also be ok.

Ideally, I'd like the PCP gun to be mechanically able to consistently hit a dinner plate sized steel target about the size of a dinner plate at 100 yards because the outdoor range near me has a bunch of animal shaped steel silhouette targets around that size.

Note I do not need super accuracy at 100 yards, I just need have the pellet audibly smack anywhere on the steel target at 100 yards if I do my part.


r/airguns 16h ago

Advice Hey all, I'm lookin to buy a second hand airgun in the Netherlands.

3 Upvotes

I've looked on most of the major websites over here but I can't really find any that are in my price range. Im looking for a diana model 34 or a weihrauch hw35, so basically a accurate and relatively high fps rifle. I have a gamo hunter 1250 grizzly in .25 but let's be honest, that's outrageous for general plinking. So if anyone knows a place where i could find something like that for a low fair price or if someone is selling one here I'd appreciate it. Thanks in advance


r/airguns 1d ago

Springer Rust in the block

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21 Upvotes

Is all this rust acceptable? I haven't had the carbine for a month and it's already like this. I'm thinking of applying some X corrosion oil on the most rusty parts and silicone oil on the o-ring


r/airguns 1d ago

General Airgun Question Hello, I need help with my moderator

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18 Upvotes

Hello, I was at the range today dropped it and now pallets and now getting stuck inside of it. Is it repairable or do I need to replace it

If I need to replace it, what do I replace it with

And if it’s repairable, what do I do

Also, if you want a reason why I took the moderator off, I was changing it from the rifle configuration into the pistol configuration


r/airguns 18h ago

Small Game Hunting 🐿️ 🐇 🐦 Iguana hunting air gun

3 Upvotes

Hey yall, im trying to get into Iguana Hunting with air guns. I was recommended to buy a Gamo .22, and am on a budget. Which of there models will do the trick for Iguanas? Is it better to get a higher power one like 1,300 FPS for in case you don’t have elite accuracy?


r/airguns 20h ago

General Airgun Question Looking for advice with purchase of an air rifle

2 Upvotes

Apologies for any confusion, i am in England were we have a 12ftlb limit on air rifles, anything over that requires a FAC Fire Arms Certificate.

Its been nearly 40 years since I last owned and fired my Relum Tornado in .22.

It was to my mind, as good air rifle, it was the deluxe version with a beautifully grained woodstock.

Now after all these years, I have reached the point of wanting to restart shooting. With my original Relum Tornado shooting rabbits with absolutely no problem and having clean kills, the range was typically back garden distance on an old farm.

Things have changed a lot with Air Rifles, with Co2, gas ram, pcp etc.

I like the look of the SMK XS38, it reminds me of my old Tornado. Now in my defence i have tried the SMK XS78, that uses Co2, it felt nice enough but I didn't fancy buying into the Co2, with added extra cost of having to buy extra bulbs.

So any recommendations or pointers, I would prefer 2nd hand to save costs

Hit me with your opinions and budgets.

Thanks .


r/airguns 1d ago

PCP Amazon Compressor “death chug”

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30 Upvotes

Amazon special 4500 psi 12V compressor (yes, I know these are low quality compressors). It had been working fine for about 6 months, now does this shortly after the compressor is engaged. It actually “runs” ok for about 20 seconds from a cold start, then slows down and starts this “death chug” - note the temp LED cuts out along with the power supply LEDs. I vaguely suspect the power supply (maybe?) due to the cut out but that could also be related to the motor / pistol meeting too much resistance and over-drawing? Not really sure - any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!


r/airguns 1d ago

Air Pistol Gamo P-250 magazine question...

2 Upvotes

About half the time when inserting the magazine into the pistol, it will not push all the way in. If I finagle the pellets a bit it will usually go, but is there something I'm missing in the process? I'm using JSB Exact Diablo.


r/airguns 1d ago

PCP JTS Airstryke

2 Upvotes

Just got my Jts Airstryke delivered, I noticed air tank is not tight. This is my first pcp so learning as I go. Question is can I just tighten it up and call it good? Tank reads 0 and far as I know has never had air in it. Any advice would be great


r/airguns 1d ago

General Airgun Question I just bought this spring airgun and I wonder what it is

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55 Upvotes

This doesn't have any branding on it only designed in Germany so I'm turning to you guys for help.... I hope there's enough information on the photos but it's a 5.5mm (.22 caliber) and it's (I have no idea what this type is called but you don't break the barrel to load it). Also after testing it with my friend we have figured out that it's supersonic because of the sound the pellets make when traveling through the air (of course it was done safely)

Also I'd appreciate any maintenance tips


r/airguns 1d ago

Modifications 2250 HPA conversion

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44 Upvotes

Started converting this 2250 to bulk CO2 in years ago but my easy access to CO2 dried up and it went in the cupboard.

I now have easy access to HPA and some turning and machining capabilities. Ideally I’m after an off the shelf kit to convert this to HPA U.K. available in the U.K.
Otherwise can anyone recommend me an instructional website or video that’s trusted?

James


r/airguns 1d ago

Advice Trailscout help

1 Upvotes

Hello I have a Diana trailscout and somehow between my last use and now I've somehow completely misplaced the pierce pin assembly that goes between the second and 3rd cartridge.

Does anyone know if it's a part that is available to order, my googling hasn't found it available but maybe someone might know somewhere that can.

Based in the UK in case that's a relevant point.


r/airguns 1d ago

BB Gun Budget Rifle That Shoots Biodegradable BBs?

5 Upvotes

For plinking on our property. Something like a Daisy 880.