Break Barrel or PCP for first gun

1
Here is my situation:
1)I have not shot since I was in boy scouts (where I shot 22 bolt actions) but really miss it and want to get back in to it.
2) I live in a pretty urban area of greater Boston and am planning to shoot both in my basement
3) There is a gun club about 30 miles from me that holds weekly silhouette and monthly field target shoots (and is currently working on a 10m indoor range specifically for air guns)
4) I am a scuba diver and former paintball player. As such I already have two steel 100 cu ft air tanks and a 20 oz CO2 tank.

So here are my questions
1) What type of gun would you suggest for me? Should I still start with a break barrel or would you suggest going directly to PCP
2) Is the BC power inflator valve on a SCUBA regulator a "foster" valve
3) What size pellets and power of gun should I be aiming for to be able to do the various events at the club and safely fire in my basement?
4) How much of a pain is refilling the PCPs? The independent nature of the break barrel is appealing to me, but having to learn the artillery hold and it being single shot is a bit of a down side.
5) Currently the gun I was looking at was the Air Venturi Bronco, but if I already have the supporting gear I need from my scuba back ground, I might consider splurging on a Benjamin Marauder (in either .177 or .22). Any thoughts on that or suggestions for other guns?

Re: Break Barrel or PCP for first gun

2
If you want to shoot in field target matches you are limited to .177.

The Marauder is a fantastic rifle for the money, has the best trigger I have ever used, and is very quiet which is a bonus for you if you still plan on a little practice in your back yard. Since you already have scuba tanks, you're ahead of the financial game. I don't know about the SCUBA BC valve question you asked but if you're trying to get around a fill adapter, forget it, you're gonna need to spend the $80. Once you have one, filling a PCP is super fast and simple, about a 30 second procedure, most of which is taken up removing and replacing the dust cap. Don't forget to check the visual and hydro on your tanks and factor in the expense of having them updated if you haven't used your gear for a while. I haven't shot formal FT but I see no reason the Marauder wouldn't be suitable. DO NOT buy the Benjamin pump, it's a complete POS.

The bronco is not suitable for spring piston class FT due to its low power. For that you are going to want a 12ish foot pound gun, preferably with a fixed barrel, such as the Air Arms TX 200. I have a BAM B-40, a Chinese copy of the TX 200 which I bought when everybody was sold out of TX200's. I wish I would have waited. If you really do want to shoot FT, stay away from the Chinese stuff and save your pennies for AA, Weihrauch, RWS, etc. Basically, British or German = good, reliable and competitive.

Don't forget to factor in the cost of a scope, for FT about 4-16 parallax adjustable is minimum. Leapers and Centerpoint scopes are decent for the money. Check them out carefully as soon as you get one, though and if you notice any issues send it back for replacement immediately. Shooting a quality airgun can be cheap which is why I suggested the Bronco but like anything, if you want to compete costs add up quickly. Be careful, it's addictive and costly, especially if you can shoot in your backyard/garage like I can.

Don't discount the the utility of learning the artillery hold, it will be applicable to all your shooting and make you a better shot simply by virtue of the gained awareness of all your muscles and points of contact with the rifle.

If I was going to have only one air rifle it would definitely be a spring piston.
'Sorry stupid people but there are some definite disadvantages to being stupid."

-John Cleese

Re: Break Barrel or PCP for first gun

3
I took my tanks in for VIP and Hydro anyways. Who knows I might want to do some diving and I really don't want them having a "catastrophic failure" in my house. :shock: They were last VIPed in 2009 and Hydroed in 2005 so it was time.

I love the look of the Beemans/Weihrauch and Air Arms just was not sure it was a good idea for a first gun/not knowing how much I will be really in to this and having several folks telling me to go PCP. That said I personally prefer the idea of the springer since it doesn't require hauling around my tanks.

So it sounds like to me I should budget about $750 and get a good gun. (either the Marauder and accessories or the TX200 HW97 Beeman R9/R1 either way with a decent scope should run about that much). I have fortunately found a near by dealer that does take high quality air guns in trade/cash to resell as used. They do currently have a 177 R1 right now at $450 (http://www.ktpguns.com/firearm.php?gid=174979), but not sure it is worth going for/buying used or just waiting a few more weeks to build up the cash for a TX200. If I don't like the TX or shooting in general, I might at least have a place to trade it in.

That said I am going to hold off on buying until the 20th. That is the first day of the field target competitions this year so I am going to swing by see what folks shoot and pick people's brains to determine what I might want. I don't want to go out and spend money before I know if I like the sport or the group of people in my area.

Jason

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