The sport of air gunning does not have to cost very much money at all. In fact it is a sport that you can easily participate in on a budget. The best place to buy your first airgun is to look at our second hand air rifles in the airgun marketplace. All air gunners are very passionate about the sport and take care of their guns better than any other possession they have. Yes this sometimes includes the wife as well. In the market place you can often find airgun traders and enthusiasts selling good quality Webley air rifles at around £100. Best value for money New air rifle Vs Pre-owned rifle? You can also see the average price for a used air rifle.
The cheapest place to start the sport is in your own back garden. However, do consider the noise pollution and your neighbours when you discharge your air gun.
Best Budget Air Rifle UK
The most budget friendly airguns are the spring loading air rifles. This is because they have been around forever, the technology is cheap and basic. However don’t let that fool you these springer rifles can be very powerful and accurate. The budget springer airgun rifles are also know for the reliability as well, the only down side its it’s a single shot and you have to re-spring. Read more about different types of air rifles & the different types of pellets. Here is a good value starter springer air rifle that will last you many years if you look after it.
Budget Air Rifles under £200
There are some great air rifles out there if you are on a budget, especially if you buy second hand air rifle.
- Remington Pest Control (look for deals that include the scope and bag, a good price is around £150)
- Crosman Ratcatcher 2250 XL (good value for a high-power CO2 gun, expect to pay £199)
- Gamo Whisper X (with aa scope fitted as we’ll expect to pay around £170)
- Hatsan 55 (has some great reviews and expect to pay around £140- £150)
- Stoeger X20 (usually around £140 but if you shop around you can find them for less than £100)
Airgun Budget Pellets
The only other item you need is a tin of pellets such as are very own iHunter Pellets which come in at just under £7. Thats it your done and ready to shoot, always ensure that you follow the UK air gun laws. When beginning air gunning on a budget you can make your own targets or you can download free air-gun targets and print them yourself.
Of course the budget pellets are only worth the saving if they are accurate. If they are cheap and cheerful but you can’t hit the barn door with them they become useless. So before you go all in and by bulk pellets to save money, first see if you can get some free samples. If this isn’t possible then buy the smallest amount possible, you may have too try several budget brands before you find a suitable budget pellet.
Hollow Point Pellets – Wadcutter Pellets – Pointed Pellets – Diabolo Pellets
Air Gun Targets On A Budget
Usually after you have mastered the art of air gunning on a budget and hitting a few bullseyes on the paper targets you might want try something different. Yes tin cans are a good basic airgun target as the aluminium tears when you hit it, but on average cans of pop are around 60p so not exactly budget. So what else can you use as a budget air gun target ? Chalk sticks make very satisfying airgun targets as they explode when you hit them and from the Works you can usually get a box of 48 coloured chalks for around £2.50. Thats fantastic value airgun targets at around 5p each .
You great exploding air gun targets on a budget can be made from a pack of modelling clay. Just roll out the clay to the same thickness as a 2p piece and then cut out shapes using the wife’s pastry tools. It all depends on how good your shooting skills are but for me I use an apple corer and then I can make hundreds at a time. Don’t forget to prick a little hole at the top of the shape before it dries, this way you can then thread them and hang them up too shoot. Another great budget target is to cut up old clothes, fill the material with flour, tie and then hang up to shoot.
More Budget Airgun Targets
- Strong mints
- Charity Shops Pots
- Kids Lollipops
- Biscuits
- Rotten Fruit
- Toy Soldiers
- Twigs cut into disks and allow to dry in the sun (airing cupboard)
- Corks
Always ensure that you have a proper stop behind your targets so you do not place anyone in danger. Of course if you want to ramp up the fun and satisfaction us our flash bang pellets.
Budget Airgun Clothing
Now if you want to look the part when you go hunting (make sure you know what vermin you are allowed to shoot). You can get combat trousers on eBay for around a tenner, if you want genuine army surplus they start at around £20 and upwards. Again if you are on a strict budget for your air gunning camo gear then eBay is your best bet for a camouflage jacket starting around £12 and upwards. f you are wanting a more genuine article that is also warm and waterproof expect to pay £30 and upwards, which actually isn’t that expensive for what you actually gets.
If you want to go for the full look and get the boots as well you can get mens tactical boots for around £15 but I am not sure of the quality. Remember the real deal all cost £100 and above so if you want to keep your feet dry do a little research first. Or if you are on a strict budget for your air gunning gear than get some cheap wellies and they will also keep you dry.
Retaining The Value Of Your Airgun
This is important what ever budget you are on but you can keep the value or even add to the value of your budget air gun. It all depends on the condition of the airgun when you first make that purchase. But a bit of elbow grease and TLC always makes the gun look better. So an essential item to your budget airgun kit is, an air rifle cleaning kit. If you clean your airgun on a regular basis then it will be more likely to retain its value and help with the budget of upgrading your airgun. On a note to actually cleaning inside the barrel itself is, clean it when you first get it and then leave it alone.
Then if the rifle begins to loose accuracy clean the barrel, this may be hundreds or even thousands of pellets, each gun and each barrel is unique. Also refer to the manufacturers documentation.
Once you have used your airgun wipe it down with a lint free cloth ensure there is no moisture on the surface anywhere. Then carefully put it away in its storage case to ensure your don’t get any scratched to the stock or the outside of the barrel. The aesthetic of the budget gun are very Important as you are more likely to get more money from an unblemished air rifle.
Budget Air Rifle Scopes
Airgun opticals can become quite expensive but if we are talking budget scopes the entry level is the laser sights, which really a scope at all. At the very basic level it does help with the aiming of the gun but if you want accuracy you need optics. That being said you can get air rifle starter kits including the scope for around £180 brand new. Something like the GAMO WHISPER STING AIR RIFLE has a set of sights on there that cost around £30. So the starting point for your budget air rifles sites starts at £30 and upwards. I would not break the bank on the optics until you really become a serious air gunner.
Our Best Selling Budget Air Rifle Laser Sight
This is the best budget laser sight for an air rifle out there, you want get more value for money than this. We must stress that the quality of these laser sights are amazing, the build quality is definitely not budget.
Clear and super bright laser dot sight
Mounting latch (11mm/20mm switchable) fixes laser sight to weapon securely
Windage and elevation can be adjusted by Allen wrench
Direct clamp-on installation, quick release
Suitable for fast aiming and shooting at stationary and moving objects
Of course you can also pick up second hand sights in our airgun market place. People are always upgrading their air gun gear so they want to offset by selling their old kit.
Budget Shooting Glasses
Yes ideally you do need some shooting glasses to protect your eyes especially when shooting irregular targets. You can never predict the ricochet even when a pellet hits a flat backstop, so it’s better to be safe than sorry. As with anything you can spend a fortune on shooting glasses but we are talking budget shooting glasses. Having a look on the market we have found quite a few good budget shooting glasses under £10. That is fantastic value for protecting what cannot be replaced, your eyes. So at iHunter we strongly advise that you wear shooting glasses, make it a habit, putt those glasses on before you pull that trigger.
Budget Air Rifle Cases
You really do need a case for your air rifle, firstly to store it dust and moisture free (put a few silica gel sachets Ian there as well). Secondly transporting your air rifle if you are out there shooting in the wild. Of course with the land owners persimmons in the first place.
Budget Secure Storage For Airguns
By law you don’t have to store your air guns in a secure cabinet. However if any under 18`s have access to your property you are obligated by law to store the air rifle/s in a secure location.
this means a gun cabinet in the case of FAC air rifles but could be a cupboard for non FAC. As you get more into the sport of air gunning and the money creeps up on what you spend then you are gong too keep them safe and secure. Looking in the market place a good budget gun cabinet will cast you around £80 and you will be able to store 3 air rifles in there. Of course there is eBay where there is a few on there for the £40 so its best to shop around first.
Budget Air Gun BiPods
Trust me the more time you spend air gunning more and more accessories seem to make their way into your ever growing air gun accessories kit. The market choice for air gun bipods is huge and would be impossible to look and review everyone of them. We do like the look of DETECH Adjustable 6-9 Inches Rifle Bipod and at £17.99 its a great price for this piece off kit. There have been a couple of bad reviews on the budget air gun bipods because the adapter was missing. Every other review for these budget air gun bipods have been great. All expressing what great quality for the money. We have in stock the
Budget Pellets
If you are not sure what weight suits your rifle best then we have a fantastic sample pack for you to try. QYS pellets have an Olympian pedigree and they don’t come much better than this QYS Pellets sample pack. choose from our airgun pellets, 177 pellets and our 22 pellets. For all round shooting diabolo pellets are the most versatile.
Best Budget Hunting Torch
Sometimes it’s fun to go out shooting at night, for others that work in the industry its a necessity to shoot in the dark. The night shooting of ground game is necessary to ensure that damage to game, wildlife, livestock and growing crops is kept at acceptable levels. It is a safe and effective method of control. It is the responsibility of all those involved in pest control to ensure that it is carried out properly. So probably the best hunting torch is the BRINYTE T28 Artemis. However if you are on a budget the BRINYTE PT18pro Oathkeeper with an output that can reach 2000+ lumens is well equipped to get the job done.
If you are on a budget what projectile should you be using, pellets vs slugs.