I've been looking for a while, and can't find anything that fits my requirements.

Sidelever (preferred)  or underlever (second choice) -- NO break-barrel, no CO2
Competition style sights -- NO scopes
500-600 fps -- this is for targets, not hunting

And then for the hard one:
Under $500


While I'd absolutely love a Beeman/FWB 603, I can't justify spending $2000+ on one.  I've been eyeballing the Daisy/Avanti 753, so opinions on that are welcome, as are suggestions for other rifles, and/or good websites to buy from.

Also, if anyone has suggestions on where to find older FWB rifles, I'd love some links.  The local JROTC group is using some FWBs from the 60s and they're still shooting 1/4" groups 40 years later.

Anyone?  Buehler?

For general info, there's the James Kitching airgun forum:
www.network54.com/Forum/79537/
One good classified site is the Brad Troyer pages:
www.airguns.net/
One site specifically oriented towards target airgun {and smallbore} is the TargetTalk forums, with a classified section:
www.targettalk.org/
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The one Daisy Avanti I fired felt like a toy, it felt like junk even if it did shoot straight within 30 feet.
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Some specific rifles you might look for are-

...if you're familiar with the Baikal IZH-46 and 46M pistols, for a while there was a side-cocking rifle being imported, that was based on the same ~500 fps action. The diopter sights it came with were considered poor, but the rest of it was "workable" for club-level shooting. I can't find it listed anymore.

...previous to that, Gamo made a single-pump pneumatic target rifle, the model 126. These are from some years back, but someone migh thave one they'll let go if you ask.

...there was also a Chinese-made version of the FWB 300, the Tec Force BS4 but it doesn't seem to be available now-
(article on it) air-guns-pneumatic-pnews.blogspot.com/2006/03/how-good-is-bs4-target-rifle.html
Compasseco website, no longer lists it:
www.compasseco.com/index.php?action=category&id=1&subid=23
(Tech Force also was selling a copy of the FWB spring-pistol for a while, too)

I'm not sure why you're put off by barrel-cocking airguns, but they can work extremely well. I have a Beeman RX , fired many thousands of shots with it and I've never felt the hinged barrel mechanism to significantly interfere with accuracy.

Weirauch produces the HW-50S, a lower-powered barrel-cocker spring rifle available with diopter sights, for around $350.
www.pyramydair.com/cgi-bin/model.pl?model_id=26

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Heh,,, look! They're selling airguns with cans:
www.pyramydair.com/p/gamo-whisper-air-rifle.shtml
(-I'd known about the barrel-shroud business, but not seen these before-)
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I should also point out--that I haven't been airgunning much in the last 3-4 years at all, so this stuff is all from before that long ago.

I didn't notice anything like you describe when I was looking around at oiline retailers however.
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Thanks for the links.  I'll keep an eye out on the classifieds, since I think I'd be happier picking up a used FWB 300 or the chinese clone than I would be with the Avanti.

I don't like break barrels because I'm used to a longer sight radius, not having the rear sights more than halfway down the rifle.  And because sidelevers are what I grew up shooting, so its just a preference for that.

I have a gamo I got for christmas a few years ago I havent shot yet, also a chinese break open barrel that once I straightened the rear sight it used to shoot better than me. Dont overlook a chinese gun, they can be accurate.

Quoted: ...I don't like break barrels because I'm used to a longer sight radius, not having the rear sights more than halfway down the rifle.  And because sidelevers are what I grew up shooting, so its just a preference for that.

If you pay for the target "aperature" sights, then the rear sight is set at the rear end of the receiver, right near your eye....  
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I have been thinking about selling my walther lgr sidecocker......LMK if you are interested.

SRM

free bump for bala
SRM

www.gamousa.com/Catalog.aspx?Product=69

I used one of these in for my high school NJROTC air rifle matches and could hit a dot the size of a normal period on a piece of paper 10 meters away.

Click me


Edit: heh I didn't read the end of your post....I found it very accurate and it came with a sling which could be attached the the upper arm to make a rock solid shooting platform, especially prone or kneeling, and the sites that came with it were pretty damn good. I decided to buy mine when I graduate high school I liked it so much.