What????

[Lawdog]

What got you involved in air gun shooting?  Was it just for target shooting?  The ability to shoot more at a lower cost?  Small game hunting or maybe pest control?  I got back to shooting air guns for a duel purpose reason.  Pest control and as to be able to shoot more around the place, cheaply.  Just wondering what the reason is that got the rest of you hooked on air guns?  Lawdog
 

[Questor]

Good question. I got into shooting because my house has a really cool crawlspace in it that allows me to have a 10 meter airgun range that doesn't interfere with the rest of the house. I set up a pulley and cable arrangement to take my targets downrange, and then set up a pellet stop. This was so satisfactory that I got into firearms too.

Airguns are very underrated, but also are overrated by some.  I think they have more applications than most will admit.

[Questor]

Two things I particularly like about airguns is that when you're done shooting, you just wipe it down, and you've cleaned it.  The low maintenance is a big plus.  The other thing is that they can be shot indoors without special ventilation systems.

[TC Shooter]

The other thing is that they can be shot indoors without special ventilation systems.

And no ear plugs are needed! My R7 and HW30 are great for indoor range use in the winter months. I wanted a rifle for off hand target use and the air rifles fit the intended use perfeclty! And the accuracy is far better than I would have ever expected! I am hooked and will always be an air gun shooter!

I bought the HW30 first. From a friend and did not realize what I had for a paltry $40! Later it "died" and I bought an R7. Had the seals replaced in the HW30 and now use it for open sight shooting and the R7 has a red dot.

[Patriot_1776]

Back before June, I could say I haven't had an airgun in about 5 or so years.  But finally got one out of necessity for squirrels in our backyard.  My mother, brother, and myself had been trying to get a section of our yard cultivated so we can have a garden again.  Those squirrels were ruining everything!  They were eating the fruits off our peach, plum, and our little apple trees if they had apples.  Even the irises weren't spared.  What was worse, our shed that we built back around '94 was settling alittle for some reason.  Didn't know why at first, but then the squirrels were finally discovered.  Those screwy squirrels had tunnels running under it, that was the problem :evil: .  Well, that all changed abruptly for them; hopped down to the local hardware store and got the Daisy Powerline 856F.  There used to about seven in late June, by mid to late July, six were in the ground and the seventh left.  About three weeks ago we had another one in our front yard that came in from the empty lot across the street, and now it is with the other six.  BTW, that little gun is pretty good for the distances encountered; averaged 30 ft. for the squirrels and they all succumbed to headshots, except the last one which was point blank.   That is my little tale of why there is an airgun back in the house.  Patriot

[VictorLouis]

Don't have to waste the better part of the day with a 1hr/15min. round trip time to the range, plus the time spent there. Step out back, plink, and return inside. Convenient, as well as cheap...depending on a lot of other variables, LOL!

[mjfa]

It started with a Daisy back in 1964 when I was 9.  Since then I have gone through Crossman, Marksman, Sheridan, Diana, Weirauch, Feinwerkbau, Steyr, IZH, FX, BSA, Anschutz, and every new airgun always get me excited.  Mainly shoot 10 Meter Air Pistol and Rifle, but also likes to plink, hunt and long distance target shooting.

[mjfa]

It started with a Daisy back in 1964 when I was 9.  Since then I have gone through Crossman, Marksman, Sheridan, Diana, Weirauch, Feinwerkbau, Steyr, IZH, FX, BSA, Anschutz, and every new airgun always get me excited.  Mainly shoot 10 Meter Air Pistol and Rifle, but also likes to plink, hunt and long distance target shooting.

[Dand]

First to safely hunt grouse in populated areas, second to chase dogs out of the beaver pond in my back yard. Then I discovered how much fun an R7 can be in the basement and/or garage while the kids were napping or sleeping. I could practice shooting at home while attending the kids and when its too cold and dark during winter.  Eventually I'll introduce the boys to basic gun safety and marksmanship with air guns.

[doc_kreipke]

Like Patriot, my reason was squirrel interdiction, but for defending bird feeders rather than garden plants. At first we tried all the environmentalist-approved ways of keeping the bushytails away from the feeders: strategic location, baffles, etc. Some could penetrate even the most clever countermeasures, though. So, we even resorted to giving the squirrels their own food supply, which they consumed with gusto ... along WITH the birdfood, the greedy little creeps.

So, in a non-PC moment, we resorted to buying a ... ohmygosh ... a GUN! Now we have a feeder perimeter such that if you come into it, you'd best be sportin' feathers. We do have a measured response, though. Tree rats sniffing around on the ground get a spanking from my wife's Beeman GH500. If they actually get onto the feeders, they buy a Crow Magnum from a Winchester 1000 above the diaphragm. After that, they don't come back ... some voluntarily, most not.

In the meantime, I've learned that there's a lot more to air rifle technology than just what you can get at your friendly neighborhood hardware store. I've also gained a greater appreciation of firearms and shooting sports in general.

[Chris]

Started shooting air gun silhouette in my garage after I saw an 82yr. old man hitting 95% of the rams, chickens, pigs and turkeys he was shooting at...with am Izzy and 4x scope.  Heck, if that old man can can hit those those 1/2" tall figures at 10m cradling his gun like a taco, anyone can...right?  WRONG!   :x

Don't know how many pellets I've put down-range, but I still get the shakes shooting the last five!  Guess buck-fever can hit the air gun guys too...huh?   :lol:  

...Chris    

[longgun]

When I was a youngster, I had a crossman 22 cal pump pellet  pistol.  And any target that moved was fair game.  Shot lots of tin cans, etc too.  Traded that pistol for a model airplane  which I crashed the first time I flew it.   Now no pistol and no airplane.

Years later I took up rifle silhouette, and was doing well when everyone started talking about practicing with an air rifle during the off season.  Since then I have had several fine air guns.  

I live in the Texas Piney woods now and have game of all sorts.  From deer to small critters.   I have lost the desire to shoot the critters and now only shoot the steel targets,  and any occasional serpent that happens by.

I have just sold my AA S400E and am in the process of buying a Beeman R7 to practice with.    I wanted something lighter weight and easier to handle than the other springers that I've owned (  R9, TX 200, Hw77K and others).   I just shoot to try to keep sharp and keep the shakes down.  It's been a long time since I was really competitive,  but it is cheap shooting and something I can do inside  my shop if I want to.   Don