I am looking at purchasing an introductory air rifle to add to my "weapon" collection.  Wanting one that is in the range of $100 to $200 tops.

It must have the following features:

-"Iron" sights (I do not plan on using any scope that comes with the rifle)
-.22 caliber
-gas piston power plant


Does anybody have any suggestions?

What is the hivemind's opinion on the Crosman Shockwave?  A local sporting goods shop has them for about $130, which I may be able to get 20% off with a coupon.


Thanks for the help.

If you can increase your budget a little, you could get into an RWS 34.

It can come with an upgraded trigger and iron sights, and be very good in .22 on small critters.

Hatsun 95 vortex.

Thanks for the suggestion, I have one on order.

Cabelas has 20% off Benjamin now. Their entry level Charger 177 is about $120 after the discount. The Tital 22 with the baffled barrel is about $200 after discount including the crapola scope. Both are nitro piston.

OP specified a gas piston. The RWS 34 has a metal spring.


ETA: Looks like the OP bought a Hatsen. I'm curious to hear his reasoning why he wanted a gas ram. I'm not questioning his preference. I just would like to hear the reasoning.

I cannot remember exactly why I wanted that, I think I may have been under the impression that a gas ram may last a little longer than a springer.

Unlike a metal spring, a gas ram will never fatigue or take a set. It either works or it doesn't. And it should work for a very long time . . . until it leaks. If it leaks, it's done. A metal spring will gradually get weaker over time. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Spring guns that have been shot a lot tend to be smooth shooters, albeit a bit less powerful than when they left the factory. Also, you can't leave a spring gun cocked for long periods without damaging the gun. That's not true of a gas ram.

I don't have any personal experience with gas rams beyond one Crosman Nitro I had briefly, just long enough to try it. My sense is that the gas rams probably vibrate less than a metal spring but they have a pretty pronounced jolt when they fire. They seem harder to cock, too.

Metal springs have been around a long, long time and will continue to dominate that style of power plant for the foreseeable future but gas rams are clearly becoming more popular and common. I suspect a big reason for that involves manufacturing efficiency. I don't know it for a fact, but I imagine it requires less skilled labor and time to drop a gas ram cartridge into a gun than fit a metal spring and guide -- though, honestly, it doesn't seem like manufacturers do much fitting these days.

All that said, I've heard good things about the Hatsens.

^ Interesting, I keep hearing not to leave a springer cocked or it will cause damage. Why is that? What exactly gets damaged?

If the response is going to be the spring gets fatigued, then explain why everyone says magazines are fine to leave loaded and the spring compressed because it's the cycling of the spring that causes them to fatigue and not staying in a compressed state. I mean if it's true for one, it must be true for the other, right?

Beeman makes a good one in that price range.

Txl

I'm not convinced it's true that magazine springs don't take a set. I know everybody says that but I'm still skeptical. Maybe not enough to make a difference but still . . .

How is the Hatsan? Does it seem to be a good one for the price range

Irons on an air gun are a bit different.  If you didn't already know.

How so?

I think it is a difference of the characteristics of a leaf spring of moderate strength compared to a very stout coil spring that would be used in a springer air rifle.

On the other subject, I have used both gas ram and springers. I just use springers now, due to giving the gas ram ones to my son. The performance difference was undectable in actual use, as far as I could tell. I would say to purchase an air rifle based on company reputation and not to worry about the innards used for power.

I will say that upgraded triggers are worth the investment, either buy a model that comes with an excellent trigger or install an aftermarket trigger, you will be able to really shoot better with the improved trigger.

It is working fine so far.  Havnt gone nuts with it but the scope seems a bit crap (granted I kinda expected that)

Sights on an inexpensive air gun are not going to be high quality.  That's a given.  Springers in general have some barrel droop so that means the sights have to be attached to the barrel.  Front and rear.  On my Walther LGV that leaves a short sight radius.  

Barrel droop is not unique to break barrels. Many fixed barrel guns have it, too. And not all airguns -- break barrel or otherwise -- have droop. It's only an issue because the shooting distances are so close. If it exists it easily addressed with droop compensating mounts or you can bend the barrel. Surprisingly, the latter is often the best approach.

BTW, airgunners have been mounting scopes and receiver mounted sights on airguns for years with little problem. In fact, in the 1950s and '60s BREAK BARREL match guns with receiver mounted match sights were quite common. Also, the Williams/Beeman receiver mounted peep sight has been a very popular upgrade for airguns.