Air rifle recommendation for 11 year old
Discussion
foggy said:
Weihrauch HW99 all day long if he’s a bigger lad, otherwise HW30. Simple break barrel springers you can shoot on the open sights or with a scope.
From memory, all Scout shooting is .177 so that guides calibre. Flatter pellet trajectory in .177 too for easier sighting at various ranges.
Make it fun shooting ice cubes, sugar cubes, pasta, conkers or acorns etc. Explodes nicely and minimal clear up required. Although blasting a queue of old toy cars was fun too! And of course tin cans.
I'd 2nd this, I have had a few Weihrauch over the years and always found them to be very good rifles From memory, all Scout shooting is .177 so that guides calibre. Flatter pellet trajectory in .177 too for easier sighting at various ranges.
Make it fun shooting ice cubes, sugar cubes, pasta, conkers or acorns etc. Explodes nicely and minimal clear up required. Although blasting a queue of old toy cars was fun too! And of course tin cans.
Edited by foggy on Sunday 21st January 21:30
ETA: missed the bit about budget
foggy said:
Weihrauch HW99 all day long if he’s a bigger lad, otherwise HW30. Simple break barrel springers you can shoot on the open sights or with a scope.
From memory, all Scout shooting is .177 so that guides calibre. Flatter pellet trajectory in .177 too for easier sighting at various ranges.
Make it fun shooting ice cubes, sugar cubes, pasta, conkers or acorns etc. Explodes nicely and minimal clear up required. Although blasting a queue of old toy cars was fun too! And of course tin cans.
This From memory, all Scout shooting is .177 so that guides calibre. Flatter pellet trajectory in .177 too for easier sighting at various ranges.
Make it fun shooting ice cubes, sugar cubes, pasta, conkers or acorns etc. Explodes nicely and minimal clear up required. Although blasting a queue of old toy cars was fun too! And of course tin cans.
Edited by foggy on Sunday 21st January 21:30
If he gets into shooting he will reasch the limitations of a Gamo et al very quickly (too light, lots of recoil and poor trigger) Weihrauch all day long used if needs be . Scouts have a restriction on caliber ususally so get used to 177 and its better for target work anyway. HW30 is a superb gun and 99 if he is a bigger lad.
Badda said:
More good tips thanks 
The hw30 and 99 look lovely but at 3x the budget…not really relevant.
I should have mentioned, pick up a lightly used one from the airgun forum or guntrader etc. It’ll be towards the upper end of your budget, but will be virtually depreciation proof.The hw30 and 99 look lovely but at 3x the budget…not really relevant.
I was given a 2nd hand Weihrauch HW35 as a lad (thanks Dad). It was excellent! I used it for years and it was faultless.
I would look for a used springer from Weihrauch/BSA/other good make, rather than a new cheap gun. My mate had a cheaper lighter new air gun and it was poor compared to mine.
I would look for a used springer from Weihrauch/BSA/other good make, rather than a new cheap gun. My mate had a cheaper lighter new air gun and it was poor compared to mine.
Another vote for the .177 HW30 here. I'm sure you will find a second hand one by checking in on the forums or gun trader every so often.
I bought one for my simlar aged son a couple of years back, and it's a very well made rifle and is very accurate indeed. Great fun for a bit of father and son plinking / splatter target shooting, which we do together regularly. His younger brother is still slightly too little to achieve consistent accuracy with it, but he will get there soon I'm sure...
I was previously a loyal BSA shooter since a similar age, and still have a couple of BSA springers, but was so impressed with the build of the HW30 that I now own a (second hand) HW90 and have strong desire for another HW product. They're incredibly well made!
I bought one for my simlar aged son a couple of years back, and it's a very well made rifle and is very accurate indeed. Great fun for a bit of father and son plinking / splatter target shooting, which we do together regularly. His younger brother is still slightly too little to achieve consistent accuracy with it, but he will get there soon I'm sure...
I was previously a loyal BSA shooter since a similar age, and still have a couple of BSA springers, but was so impressed with the build of the HW30 that I now own a (second hand) HW90 and have strong desire for another HW product. They're incredibly well made!
Byker28i said:
Check Guntrader for second hand
https://www.guntrader.uk/guns/air-rifles
Most of the cheap ones will be break barrels
This !! - also - maybe post on AirGun Forums With how much you're looking to spend.https://www.guntrader.uk/guns/air-rifles
Most of the cheap ones will be break barrels
Edited by Byker28i on Monday 22 January 09:32
Badda said:
Ended up with a new .22 Gamo 440 with a scope and bag thrown in for a good price at a local shop. Feels great quality and all of us looking forward to using it. Thanks all.
Nice, now look out for cheap secondhand targets with a capture bin behindas mentioned, chalk disks are fun
http://www.chalktargets.co.uk/
and don't forget the very simple printing your own targets on card
Byker28i said:
Nice, now look out for cheap secondhand targets with a capture bin behind
as mentioned, chalk disks are fun
http://www.chalktargets.co.uk/
and don't forget the very simple printing your own targets on card
Great as mentioned, chalk disks are fun
http://www.chalktargets.co.uk/
and don't forget the very simple printing your own targets on card
Good party trick.
Fill an old 2 litre soft drinks bottle with water and start plugging it from top to bottom.
See how many times youi can hit it before it's too empty to trickle.
Even better party trick for more advanced shooters.
Put the screw top on but not tightly.
Pre plugging as above, shoot to clip thevery right side off the cap.
Hit properly it'll unscrew and fly off.
Trick for loons.
Stand a full gas lighter can next to a lighted candle.
Shoot from a safe distance.
Enjoy the impressive outcome.
Foot note, reactive targets are always more entertaining than
mere holes in bits of card. Someone on eBay was selling moulded
Lego figure clones made of some sort of powder that shattered when hit.
Fill an old 2 litre soft drinks bottle with water and start plugging it from top to bottom.
See how many times youi can hit it before it's too empty to trickle.
Even better party trick for more advanced shooters.
Put the screw top on but not tightly.
Pre plugging as above, shoot to clip thevery right side off the cap.
Hit properly it'll unscrew and fly off.
Trick for loons.
Stand a full gas lighter can next to a lighted candle.
Shoot from a safe distance.
Enjoy the impressive outcome.
Foot note, reactive targets are always more entertaining than
mere holes in bits of card. Someone on eBay was selling moulded
Lego figure clones made of some sort of powder that shattered when hit.
Best advice I can give.
If he's likely to enjoy the hobby short term (flash in the pan) buy a cheap Chinese job and you won't feel bad about £25 rusting away when he's bored of it. Smk used to sell a variety of fairly nasty springers that were astonishingly cheap. Very hot and miss accuracy and needed a fair bit of work to make usable.
If it's going to be a long term thing, buy something decent like the weirauchs mentioned. Even if you buy something smaller it will resell to upgrade later. Cheap junk doesn't as easily.
A springer is best to start. But some of the co2 guns can be turned in to a budget competitor to a PCP accuracy and noise wise (with a silencer) albeit with the cost of co2 capsules. But start with a springer. For a start a springer is always handy to have around in a few years time when there's a pesky rat/pigeon without having to find gas.
I appreciate why a previous poster suggested an Airsoft gun. They are fun, but it's not an alternative to an air rifle.
If he continues to show interest then bring him to a shooting club and let him try rimfires and shotguns, people tend to go one way or the other and enjoy clays or target shooting, personally I find target shooting a bit boring, but love clay shooting, he's getting to the age he could shoot a .410 and enjoy it.
If he's likely to enjoy the hobby short term (flash in the pan) buy a cheap Chinese job and you won't feel bad about £25 rusting away when he's bored of it. Smk used to sell a variety of fairly nasty springers that were astonishingly cheap. Very hot and miss accuracy and needed a fair bit of work to make usable.
If it's going to be a long term thing, buy something decent like the weirauchs mentioned. Even if you buy something smaller it will resell to upgrade later. Cheap junk doesn't as easily.
A springer is best to start. But some of the co2 guns can be turned in to a budget competitor to a PCP accuracy and noise wise (with a silencer) albeit with the cost of co2 capsules. But start with a springer. For a start a springer is always handy to have around in a few years time when there's a pesky rat/pigeon without having to find gas.
I appreciate why a previous poster suggested an Airsoft gun. They are fun, but it's not an alternative to an air rifle.
If he continues to show interest then bring him to a shooting club and let him try rimfires and shotguns, people tend to go one way or the other and enjoy clays or target shooting, personally I find target shooting a bit boring, but love clay shooting, he's getting to the age he could shoot a .410 and enjoy it.
My 12 yo got an air rifle at around 10 - a Gamo Junior Hunter .177 springer with iron sights (around £100) and his .410 aged 11. I can't remember the last time he used the air rifle but the s/g is regularly out. For playing he has an electric full-auto soft air MP5.
Don't spend too much on an air rifle, until you are sure it is something they'll use.
Don't spend too much on an air rifle, until you are sure it is something they'll use.
A bit late to the party but just posting up.
Scout website has good info on shooting within the organisation, can see rules/guidance etc
.177 restriction used to be in place but now .22 allowable for outdoors.
Key thing to consider is suitably to individual, did see a poster mention their child couldn’t operate their air rifle on their own & considered that a safety feature, but that kind of thing may lead to frustration.
Take a look at Scouts “Master at Arms” badge, requirement is 6 sessions where you show improvement & learn safety considerations & also take part in a competition . If In your back garden, keep a record of progress (dated used targets should suffice for 1st part to show improvement)
https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/running-your-...
Scout website has good info on shooting within the organisation, can see rules/guidance etc
.177 restriction used to be in place but now .22 allowable for outdoors.
Key thing to consider is suitably to individual, did see a poster mention their child couldn’t operate their air rifle on their own & considered that a safety feature, but that kind of thing may lead to frustration.
Take a look at Scouts “Master at Arms” badge, requirement is 6 sessions where you show improvement & learn safety considerations & also take part in a competition . If In your back garden, keep a record of progress (dated used targets should suffice for 1st part to show improvement)
https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/running-your-...
S6PNJ said:
wildoliver said:
.... a springer is always handy to have around in a few years time when there's a pesky rat/pigeon without having to find gas.
Rat, yes. Pigeon 
read up on the rules before you aim at anything alive!Your point?
wildoliver said:
S6PNJ said:
wildoliver said:
.... a springer is always handy to have around in a few years time when there's a pesky rat/pigeon without having to find gas.
Rat, yes. Pigeon read up on the rules before you aim at anything alive!Your point?
and Condition 1 specifically:
Gov website said:
Condition 1. Alternative lawful methods
For action taken under this licence for carrion crow, feral pigeon, jackdaw, magpie, rook or wood pigeon (species native to the United Kingdom), you must:
a) before using this licence, be satisfied that you, or the person authorising you to act under this licence, have made reasonable endeavours to achieve the purpose in question using alternative, lawful methods not covered by this licence
b) continue to use reasonable endeavours, or be satisfied that reasonable endeavours continue to be made, to achieve the purpose in question using alternative, lawful methods not covered by this licence
You’re not required to use alternative, lawful methods under condition 1(a) and 1(b) where the use of such methods would be impractical, without effect or disproportionate in the circumstances.
For action taken under this licence for carrion crow, feral pigeon, jackdaw, magpie, rook or wood pigeon (species native to the United Kingdom), you must:
a) before using this licence, be satisfied that you, or the person authorising you to act under this licence, have made reasonable endeavours to achieve the purpose in question using alternative, lawful methods not covered by this licence
b) continue to use reasonable endeavours, or be satisfied that reasonable endeavours continue to be made, to achieve the purpose in question using alternative, lawful methods not covered by this licence
You’re not required to use alternative, lawful methods under condition 1(a) and 1(b) where the use of such methods would be impractical, without effect or disproportionate in the circumstances.
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