Suggestions on 45 or 50 cal air gun

DEER REPELLANT

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Its been a long time since I have posted or been around due to new house, wife and alot of the ole honey do lists lol. I have gotten to a point i can get back in the tree. I am now looking to purchase an air rifle in the .45 or .50 cal. I have been looking at the air force guns and having a hard time pulling the trigger because of the different styles and packages. I would like if someone could steer me in a direction as to their experience please.
been looking at
.45

.50

I could purchase a gun then add scope but I am without ideas as to what works or will work. Looking at 100 yards or below shots. Thank you for your time.
 

Kirk

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First off I will tell you it is an expensive hobby to get in to. Once you make the initial purchases it levels out and it not expensive anymore.

I have the Texan SS .457. ($1,100) It has the built in moderator and is far quieter than the other airguns I have shot. I have made target shots out to 269 yards with it. (It will shoot much farther I just don't have the space to do it.) I have experimented with different ammo and settled on the Nielsen Specialty Ammunition as being the most consistent with my Texan airgun. I use an Air Venturi Nomad compressor ($400) to pump it up. It came out actually less expensive to buy the compressor instead of buying the scuba tank and taking it to fill it up. I have a hand pump ordered just use a quick refill to get pressure back up to optimum after a shot.

I also have a Sam Yang Dragon Claw ($489) that is a .50 caliber airgun. It is loud. I had a moderator built ($120) for it and it reduced the noise a little but not nearly as low as the Texan SS. The Sam is built on a regular rifle frame and stock and from a distance you can't tell it is an airgun.
 

Kirk

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OH...........scopes. Buy a scope specifically for an airgun. I use the Hawke brands. Regular rifles scopes will not last very long on an airgun.
 

DEER REPELLANT

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Thank you for the information. I have around an 1800 budget to drop and was looking at the packages with the scopes. I believe I will order the SS due to the length over the lss. I may just order the scope kit/gun as it is only around 200 more.
 

Rollo

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I really like my Texan SS. I would completely go for the upgraded CF tank and TX2 valve if offered. The SS is fine for accurate kill shots within 100 yds. (in my opinion). I dropped a buck at 55 last year with mine and had no issues. Go LSS for anything farther than that, unless you are doing head shots.
 

DEER REPELLANT

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Looks like the SS is back ordered and yes on the upgraded tank/valve. I am debating on the LSS as it is in stock only or preordering and possibly be be shipped around 11/15. Where I hunt I have never had to go past 125 yards on anything I have had a chance at. I worry about the LSS being so long for hunting out of a stand at the moment.
 

Kirk

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It is hard to find most firearms or airguns in stock anywhere right now. I looked on the web at the place I ordered my SS and they were back ordered for several weeks as well.

The LSS is too long for my liking. If I was going to Elk hunt I would probably consider an LSS but for local deer I prefer the SS length. When I put the moderator on the Sam Yang it is almost too long to comfortably hunt out of a stand or shooting house. Takes a lot of maneuvering to get in shooting position.
 

DEER REPELLANT

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Yea, I looked at the dimensions and decided to wait until a SS with carbon bottle and valve to be in stock. I have also been looking at the Texan with valve/carbon tank and maybe a moderator aftermarket, only stocking the .50 cal at moment. Just researching the quietest on both ends for now. Close to pulling the trigger, just making sure as this is a big investment.
 

Headhunter

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I have a texan lss. you can put ANY scope on it, does not have to be an airgun scope. Easy under an inch gun at a 100 yards.

For air, count on a $1000. The cheap air compressors (by cheap I mean a few hundred to a couple thousand dollar air compressors) do not have any way to dry the air. You do not want to put moisture into the tank or the gun. Avoid moisture as much as possible. I have a 4300 psi carbon tank and a ninja paintball regulator. For the tank, the regulator, hose and fittings right at $1000. After that $10 to fill the tank and I can shoot my gun hundreds of times on one fill. Also, at the range, just hook the tank up, set the ninja regulator and shoot as long as you want. When refilling the empty, it takes just a few seconds with the tank whereas with the pump it takes several minutes, the nomad I had would take 10 minutes to fill and then it broke.
 

Headhunter

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OH...........scopes. Buy a scope specifically for an airgun. I use the Hawke brands. Regular rifles scopes will not last very long on an airgun.
On a texan ss or lss you can put any scope you want on the gun. does not have to be an airgun scope.
 

Rollo

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It also depends on what you're willing to wait for. I personally don't have experience with the .50 cal. but my old Texan SS .45 (aluminum tank) has produced for me without fail. Quiet, accurate, powerful. I would upgrade to the carbon fiber tank and TX2 valve if I had the $$$. But my current version is good enough to take whitetail within 100 yds. shooting NSA 302 gr. hollow point boat tail lead. I also have the Air Venturi guppy tank as well as a SCBA tank (bought used on ebay). Instead of a dedicated hi pressure compressor I use a compressor booster from Altaros https://www.altaros.cz/en/compressors/48-altaros-compressor-booster-unit.html and a 3 stage filter/drier with my normal high(ish) output air compressor. As Headhunter mentioned before, clean and dry air is crutial. Hope this helps and good luck.
 
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