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Questions about PCP's
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Author:  shinyrhinostudio [ Sat Nov 05, 2016 7:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Questions about PCP's
I am new to shooting, but have really been enjoying my Ruger Air Hawk 490. I've only really shot it in my garage so far, but have put over 1250 pellets through it in the first few weeks of having it.

I am definitely going to do the PAL course and am thinking I'd like to eventually hunt grouse to test the waters with hunting in general.

I'm considering going to a PCP Marauder after completing the PAL course as I can see me continuing the target shooting (at the local range) and think it could serve me well for both target shooting and hunting.

Questions I have on PCP are more about the longterm feasibility of using a hand pump on a Marauder that requires up to 3000psi. Is this something that will get old fast? I'm not sure that I want to bother with PCP if it means buying a scuba tank and making trips to the dive shop etc.

Would you guys recommend a PCP for my intentions, or should I stick with .22LR rifles for hunting/range shooting?
Author:  kelly1 [ Sat Nov 05, 2016 7:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Questions about PCP's
shinyrhinostudio wrote:
I am new to shooting, but have really been enjoying my Ruger Air Hawk 490. I've only really shot it in my garage so far, but have put over 1250 pellets through it in the first few weeks of having it.

I am definitely going to do the PAL course and am thinking I'd like to eventually hunt grouse to test the waters with hunting in general.

I'm considering going to a PCP Marauder after completing the PAL course as I can see me continuing the target shooting (at the local range) and think it could serve me well for both target shooting and hunting.

Questions I have on PCP are more about the longterm feasibility of using a hand pump on a Marauder that requires up to 3000psi. Is this something that will get old fast? I'm not sure that I want to bother with PCP if it means buying a scuba tank and making trips to the dive shop etc.

Would you guys recommend a PCP for my intentions, or should I stick with .22LR rifles for hunting/range shooting?



I used a Hill pump for a year or so ,it ends up being a lot of work if you target shoot or plink,if you went with a Crosman Discovery or Maximus 2000 fill a hand pump is worthwhile.
My opinion is if you want a near 3000 fill gun I would go steel scuba ,3500 psi fill 80 or 100 cu ft. and skip the pump [provideing you can get a tank filled]...kelly
Author:  offroad720 [ Sat Nov 05, 2016 8:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Questions about PCP's
Unless you are using subsonic 22lr, it has become nice (to me) to have a gun not breaking the sound barrier for hunting. I don't want to go back to 22lr for hunting small game. I have a smaller CC air tube PCP which isn't back breaking to fill. Same boat, not interested in a scuba tank and having to fill when the station isn't exactly around the corner from my house, or town..
I have only recently done this as kids and life expenses have slowed down and a PCP entered my budget, so I can't offer much insight to the longevity of a hand pump/PCP.

Now my 22lr has turned into the plinker.. and collecting dust.. :shock:
Author:  joe hickey [ Sun Nov 06, 2016 7:49 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Questions about PCP's
Hello. So what should we call you instead of , shinyrhinostudio ? Well for now I'll call you shiny. Anyway Shiny, welcome to the forum. Well I have been a PCP owner for four yrs, and still use a hand pump, but not just any hand pump. Mine is a ,tim the toolman taylor, hand pump. If it weren't, I would have upgraded long ago. Firstly, I purchased a good pump, Hill is IMO the best. The first upgrade was a long handle hinged to a wall and mounted to the handle of the pump. This gave me a two to one mechanical advantage over the normal way of pumping. The second, was to hook up a shop compressor to the pumps intake which is the desiccant filter. from that setup you can adjust how hard and fast you prefer to fill your gun. I keep mine set to 75 lb pressure from the shop compressor to the hill pump. With this setup, you never have to pull up on the pump handles, as the shop compressor pushes it up. So now I can top up my 3000 psi 500 cc tank from 1000 psi to 3000 psi in about 60 easy pump strokes. About half as many as without the mods. and half as easy. So I have no need or desire to switch to an alternative. So good luck with yout PAL test.
Just as a side note. As an alternative to PCP for hunting, a high quality springer such as the HW or Weirauch guns are more accurate than most shooters, and every bit as capable of dispatching small game.
Author:  shinyrhinostudio [ Sun Nov 06, 2016 12:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Questions about PCP's
Thanks for the responses, so far.

joe hickey wrote:
Hello. So what should we call you instead of , shinyrhinostudio ? Well for now I'll call you shiny. Anyway Shiny, welcome to the forum.


I signed up for this forum using Tapatalk on my iPhone and was kinda forced to use my associated email account as my username. Normally, I'm ryguy76 on forums. Shiny works for me here, lol.

Still thinking it all over. I've sent an email to the local dive shop asking about fill costs and used scuba tank availability. Want to make sure I have all my bases covered. If I can get a used/inexpensive tank, and the fill cost is not too bad, I may just go scuba tank from the hop. If I end up with a 80-100cu ft tank filled to 3500psi, how many fills would one expect to get before it drops to a psi lower than ideal to re-fill PCP?

The high quality springer, is something that I'll also explore. I like the idea of spending ALL my dollars on a high quality rifle and not need to spend close to equal rifle budget on accessories to make it work, so this is an interesting development.
Author:  joe hickey [ Sun Nov 06, 2016 5:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Questions about PCP's
I really don't know how many fills on a scuba tank, as I have never used one. In fact I have a scuba tank sitting in my workshop gathering dust. My wife is a diver who doesn't dive any more, and I never considered using it for my guns even though I have a free refill source from a friend with a shoebox. My hill pump setup works fine for me. If or when you get your PAL and a PCP gun and are looking for a tank, I'll sell you mine for $100. My son lives near you and can even deliver it. He's in New Ross.
Author:  leadslinger [ Sun Nov 06, 2016 5:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Questions about PCP's
I kinda regret getting a G6 only because I was thinking getting a 3K fill now. And boosting the G6 pump is hard, being the intake is in the pump handle. Takes me 50 ish pumps topping up my Maximus from 1 to 2K.
Author:  shinyrhinostudio [ Mon Nov 07, 2016 1:37 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Questions about PCP's
joe hickey wrote:
I really don't know how many fills on a scuba tank, as I have never used one. In fact I have a scuba tank sitting in my workshop gathering dust. My wife is a diver who doesn't dive any more, and I never considered using it for my guns even though I have a free refill source from a friend with a shoebox. My hill pump setup works fine for me. If or when you get your PAL and a PCP gun and are looking for a tank, I'll sell you mine for $100. My son lives near you and can even deliver it. He's in New Ross.


Thanks for the offer, but I hadn't heard of New Ross before. Google tells me it's Nova Scotia, which is on the opposite coast than me, unfortunately. :)
Author:  joe hickey [ Mon Nov 07, 2016 2:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Questions about PCP's
Sorry, got my wires crossed with someone else.
Author:  shinyrhinostudio [ Mon Nov 07, 2016 6:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Questions about PCP's
joe hickey wrote:
Sorry, got my wires crossed with someone else.


No worries. Just heard back from my local dive shop and am blown away with the cost of a suitable new Scuba tank. Wish I was on the east coast to take advantage of your offer, lol.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Author:  Daryl [ Tue Nov 08, 2016 1:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Questions about PCP's
About filling- I was distressed to find the local paint-ball outfit has raised the cost to fill my small scuba tank to $30.00 per fill.

Thus!!!!!!!!!!

I bought 2 older 97cu.in. carbon fiber tanks - in 100% condition from Ontario, to go along with the little 4500psi regulated to 3,000psi 17 cu in tank I bought from Air Gun Source.

Now that I have my brackets mounted in the shop for the tank, in a few minutes heading over to Praxair to get my nitrogen tank. Gotta see if they deliver?

I got the hose assemblies for the carbon tanks and the nitrogen tank from Joe Brancato - less than a week from ordering to receiving.

Now that I have the hoses and gauges - my cost will be $85.00 for year rental and $65.00 per fill of nitrogen. I expect the 200 pound nitrogen tank might last a year & I will only use it to fill my carbon tanks right here at home.
Author:  Daryl [ Tue Nov 08, 2016 4:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Questions about PCP's
Not going to last a year. Had a bit of a leak in one of the carbon tanks valve - big nitrogen tank now down to 3,000psi. It will last a bit for topping up to that level.

At 2,500psi I'll will get another - $65.00.

Got one big carbon tank along with the little Ninja tank up to 3,000psi, the Scuba tank is at 3,000psi as well.

So far, it isn't a cheap way of getting air - LOL - but it is handy and easy to acquire the nitrogen - & they are now open on Saturdays as well.
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