The short:
Rifle: Beeman HW97K - .22 (5.5mm) Caliber pellet - Beech stock ($630 - as of 8/8/16)
Where: http://www.pyramydair.com/s/m/Beeman_HW97K_air_rifle/574
Item: PY-574-2928
See my review: (coming soon, will post link when available)
Pellets: H&N Field Target Trophy (5.55mm) .22 Cal, 14.66 gr - 500 ct ($14.99 for 500 pellets - as of 8/8/16)
Where: http://www.airgundepot.com/h-and-n-field-target-trophy-22-cal-round-nose-500ct.html
See my review: HW97K Loved these pellets, under the review section on above link, on July 31, 2016.
Scope: Leupold Mark AR MOD 1 4-12x40mm P5 Dial Riflescope w/ Adj Objective / Mil Dot Reticle ($499.99 - as of 8/8/16), paid $420.99 with an offer at the time.
Note: This is a very expensive option and it has a dual purpose. Read below why I do not recommend this item
if to be used solely for an air rifle even thought it is a very good quality item.
To the point:
I was looking for an air rifle but didn't know anything about them. I had shot a few when I was a kid but that was over 25 years ago so I had to learn from scratch. I'm the type of person that does not like to cut corners, so when I want something or go looking for something I do a lot of research on it before jumping the gun. This many times turns out to be a pain in the ass because it takes time, but when all is set and done it is well worth the search.
So the reason why I purchased this rifle was because #1 I was looking for something that was self sustained, in other words this Beeman HW97K is a springer, in air rifles your have different types, here is a link to a brief explanation: https://www.crosman.com/discover/airguns/types-of-airguns. Self sustained meaning I only need the rifle and the pellets, that is it, no air tanks, no pumps no nothing. After doing much reading and watching lots of videos I had my mind set on two. The Beeman HW97K and the Air Arms TX200 which I read about much later into my search. These will run you approx $630 without a scope. Yes, to some people might sound expensive and not to others, but these rifles are beauties, are high quality and are the type of thing that you pass on to younger generations when the time comes.
I went with the HW97K because a lot of emphasis was put on the trigger by many many experts in the industry. I wanted something good out of the box. Like tools, the right tool makes complicated things much easier, specially if you are not an expert. Many people believe in starting off with a cheaper item and moving up as you get experience, I believe that if this is something you are convinced you want, and have the budget to get, buy the right one once and done. Eventually you will get to the level the item is meant to be enjoyed at, and if you take care of it, you will be able to sell it at a reasonable price and not lose money on it as you would do on a cheaper item nobody wants. I initially purchased the Blue model, received it and noticed it had some minor imperfections on the stock, I returned it and there was a long wait for a replacement, so decided to get the beech stock and could not be happier, it is actually much nicer than the blue. The rifle is well made and made to last, so it is on the heavy side, with the scope is close to 10lbs, do I suggest you get shooting rests, here are the once I got for cheap at ebay: Caldwell Shooting Rests DeadShot Combo Front and Rear Bags Unfilled 248885 ($22.95 Free shipping) I filled them with silica sand, but thinking about refilling them with half silica sand half rice to make them lighter. I did not put a sling on the rifle yet and if I do I will let you know which one I got to save you time. After doing some research I also got 2 pellets, the: H&N Field Target Trophy (5.55mm) .22 Cal, 14.66 gr Domed 500 ct- Code: PY-P-913 ($14.75 - as of 8/8/16), and the JSB Diabolo Exact Jumbo .22 Cal, 15.8 gr 500 ct - Code: 300067 ($15.49 - as of 8/8/16) both from http://www.airgundepot.com.
I went on my first day of target practice and I was able to do so in a very large empty warehouse a friend owns, so there was no wind to mess me up, nice and quiet but very hot. I set the target at 25 yards and began shooting, my purpose was to learn and get a feel for the rifle and the scope. I shot the JSB Diabolo first and was not bad but I had nothing to compare them to, after adjusting the scope and learning about how to do so a bit I was able to get the pellets in a pretty tight group, so I knew I was in the right path, after 2-3 hours I tried the other pellets, WOW, I could see the difference right away, the H&N Field Target Trophy were much better and very smooth, keep in mind that every rifle will react different to each brand and that he same rifle purchased by another person might not like the same type of pellets, but this is an excellent starting point. I posted a picture of the target in the H&N review page above and you can see that the dime size groups are excellent for a non expert, for a first timer. Also the trigger on the HW97K is smooth as butter, super light, you can also adjust it to your liking but that will be in the future as you gain experience. I'm convinced that if you get this rifle you will not be disappointed, I could not be happier with it. I hope this gives you an excellent idea to make your life easier and to answer a lot of the questions you might have about the topic.
Here are a few of the many videos I watch that helped make up my mind:
Beeman HW97K
Air Arms TX200
About the Scope: you don't have a need for a scope this expensive on an air rifle, this scope is a very nice item, and the reason I got it was with the intention of using it in other rifles if I decided to go that route in the future. Here is a review:
I know absolutely nothing about these things but always wanted to pick one up for myself. Thanks for the excellent info.
Glad it was useful.
I was looking at air guns just two days ago. Do you also have a recommended buy for a sub-500fps and sub-5.7 joules air rifle? As you may know, here in Canada, anything that falls under those specs is considered an un-controlled firearm, meaning that a license is not required.
Sorry, I do not have a recommendation since my only interest was for a spring rifle.
I did a lot of researching but only on this type.