chunter,
Sam asked you a good question: Do you plan to use the air rifle for practice only, or will you compete with it?
I learned on a spring-piston air rifle, and if you mainly want to improve your shooting discipline the spring-piston rifle is the fastest way. They recoil (both backwards AND forwards), vibrate, and have a fairly long "shoot time". If you do not hold them EXACTLY the same way for each shot and do not follow through for each shot, you will not shoot well. Bad form is punished with a spring piston rifle and hence you will improve quickly.
I spent a year learning to shoot with a spring piston in my basement. At first it was terribly frustrating and I had the feeling that everyone else does when learning to shoot this power plant: this gun is defective. LOL I proved myself wrong a year later by finally developing good technique. In fact, a friend let me shoot his competition .308 from a bench rest at 100 yards one day. It was my first time ever shooting a firearm and I shot 2 3-group CTC groups under 1/3". I knew how how to consistently hold and follow through from my spring piston training. Even my dad's side-lock muzzle loader is fast by comparison.
If you are looking for basement practice only, a break-barrel spring piston rifle would be a good choice. Look at the Beeman R7 or R9 if you want to buy new. The R7 is a highly accurate plinker, and also very mild mannered. It is everybody's sweetheart gun. You can cock and shoot it all day without wearing out your arm. The R9 is similar but in a larger, heavier, more powerful package. You can add the Beeman R6 and R8 to your search list if you are looking for something used (they are no longer sold new).
If you also plan to compete in matches, there are three classes:
Sporter (spring piston): Here the two winning guns are the AirArms TX200 and HW97 sold by Beeman. Both are underlever spring piston rifles. Underlevers are preferred to break-barrels for matches, not because they are more accurate, but because you can put a larger scope on the top without getting in the way of cocking and loading. They group equally well.
Show up to any airgun meet and you will see plenty of both. Airgunners are friendly and most will force you into shooting their rifles. My advice is to see which fits you best and buy that one. The TX has better internal machining, but surprisingly (or maybe because of it) HWs seem to need less repair work. Don't let my comment put you off, they are both highly reliable and built like tanks.
The TX shoots a bit faster from the factory, the HW has cut (not pressed in) checkering, a larger loading port that is also more lefty friendly, and a silent anti-beartrap mechanism. The TXs go clack-clack-clack when you cock them. I've owned a TX, but shoot HW because it fits me better.
Target class: These are the highly accurate 10M rifles that shoot slowly and hence teach you to dope the wind really well. If you're looking for PCP the FWB P70 is the most popular out there (in the 10M, not FT version).
Personally, I like the older recoilless spring-piston guns because they feel so mechanical and I'm not tied to a SCUBA tank. The Diana 75, Anschutz 380 and FWB300 in any configuration are the Truimvirate of this class. I have them all and any would serve you well.
If this class interests you I could write forever about the nuances of these guns. This is the LEAST popular class of air silhouette. I'd make sure you have a healthy population of active shooters in this class before getting started. It might be that you're the only one in your area with a Target class gun and that would be no fun if you want to compete. Collectors and enthusiastic afficianados buy and shoot these guns. A workhorse with lots of cosmetic damage, but that shot well, should be in the $350-$450 range. Good collectable specimins are now going for $1000 plus.
Open Class: For PCP, CO2 (not recommended for outdoor use in Logan) and custom tuned spring pistons. Truthfully, any PCP you buy will be up to shooting Master scores--in either hunter or target style stocks. Even the Chinese clones are highly accurate, if not as cosmetically appealing or mechanically tight.
They are the most firearm-like in terms of having a fast shoot time and not a lot of vibration going on. They are easiest to shoot well right off the bat, but the flipside of this is that like a firearm they don't punish bad technique as much as a spring piston. FX, Daystate, Logun, and Falcon all make great hunter style PCPs. If target class is more to your liking look at Steyr LG100 conversion, FWB P70 FT or Walther Dominator. There is a great American made USFT that shoots very well offhand (I've shot them many times). There is a few months wait for one. Mac-1 Airguns makes them.
I shoot HW97 for sporter class, (AAA) Anschutz 380 for Target class (AAA) and a ZM Steyr LG100 for open class (Master). You don't need that much gun for Open class, but I have it for Field Target so I use if for Silhouette as well. I've shot all types of target and hunter style PCP rifles for open class and they all do just fine.
