Air Gun for Newbie...

[Upperclasstwit42]

I will be turning 18 later this month, and as a result, I was thinking about getting involved with some shooting. There are a few local ranges around where I live, but i was thinking that, since I have never handled a gun before, that something like a cO2 pistol would be a good place to start. as of right now, places to purchase are limited to pretty much Wal-Mart and Sports Authority, that I know of...
Any suggestions on what to start with?

 

[Hkmp5sd]

I would recommend taking a firearms course before heading out on your own. Airguns are just as powerful as firearms and in my opinion are more complicated to operate than a .22LR rifle. After the course, you might even decide to skip the airgun.

 

[redneck]

I'd recommend you don't get a low end airgun, like most big chain stores carry. There are some very good values out there, but the bottom of the barrel is mixed in with them. They have cruddy triggers, poor handling, awkward sights etc. They won't really do much to teach you the basic fundamentals of shooting, and while they are dangerous and should be treated like firearms, it can be tempting to fall into the mindset that "its only a bb/pellet gun".
There are some airguns out there that are very good, and would get you a very good start too.
I guess the main thing I would use to decide which one to get first is, which will you have more opportunities to shoot? If you have to go to the range either way, then I'd say go with a bolt action .22lr. If you can shoot an air rifle at home, then I'd suggest that first as you can get more practice. If you can shoot whatever you want at home, then I'd probably go with the .22lr again.
Either way, I would start with either a single shot, or some sort of manual action (bolt, lever, pump etc. ). Semi auto air guns, usually run on CO2 which doesn't offer the best performance for serious target shooting. Its temperature sensitive, and inconsistant. Semi auto airguns or firearms both can lead you to blasting away too quickly instead of focusing on the basics also.
I think it would be best to start with a rifle. Its much easier to learn muzzle awareness with a rifle, which is a big part of the 4 rules.
If you can go to a club or something and take a course and try some stuff out that would be best.
If not, I'd recommend you look at Marlin, or CZ for a bolt action .22 rifle. For airguns, I've been very happy with gamo spring piston rifles (really want to get my hands on a new CFX )

 

[Upperclasstwit42]

This is going to be a silly question, but what are the other 4 rules?

 

[Rufus Pisanus]

I own a little GAMO CO2 pistol, an air rifle and two nice air pistols: a Beretta 92 and a Smith and Wesson 586. Both the Beretta and the S&W have the weight and handling of the real thing except that they shoot 0.177 pellets with a CO2 bottle. They are relatively expensive (~$200) but I would recommend that type of gun if you can shoot airguns at home. When I was doing some practical shooting competitions I would compete with a Beretta 92FS and often train at home with the CO2 version. I would probably shoot three-four times a week for, say, 20,000 rounds per year. It's a lot cheaper to do that with a CO2 gun. Of course I would also go to the range once a week for the real thing.

I found that it was a good way to overcome bad habits or limitations. I used them to train for things like weak hand shooting, weak hand-weak eye combination, open eyes shooting, and a lot of the dynamics. For these the CO2 gun was realistic enough. Obviously the absence of recoil limits the usefulness in rapid fire etc.

 

[Justin]

This is going to be a silly question, but what are the other 4 rules?

This isn't a silly question in the least!

When handling a firearm or air gun you should always abide by the four rules:

RULE I: ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED

RULE II: NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY

RULE III: KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET

RULE IV: BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET

Print these out, and put them in a location where you will see them regularly, such as your bathroom mirror. Review them until they become ingrained and second nature.

More info here: TFL info on Jeff Cooper's Four Rules of Gun Safety