Anyone have experience with the Beeman R1 and R9? I have an RWS 34 Diana in .177 and would like to upgrade to a better rifle and go with a heavier caliber.
The RWS seems to have a lot of plastic on it, where the Beeman appears to be all steel (receiver end cap, safety, trigger, sights, etc.). The RWS cocking lever is stamped and the Beeman appears to be machined.
There is a Beeman R9 "Goldfinger" package that looks good and is reasonably priced. The R1 is more expensive, but has a threaded receiver end cap and better finished stock. (The R1 looks like it's about a pound heavier than the R9, though. That may be a big detriment.) I don't have any place around to see these in person, so any good feedback would be much appreciated.
And last question. I'm trying to decide between .20 caliber and .22. Is .20 caliber popular? Is it much less effective on squirrels out to approximately 40 yards? Any other pros and cons would be appreciated.
Oh - by the way. How do the RWS 34 Dianas hold up over time? Is the plastic end cap or safety prone to crack or break?
Oops - another question. Is it better to go with the Beeman one-piece scope rings and mount, over the separate scope rings, such as on the Goldfinger?
Ahem - thought of another one. Is the Bushnell scope that comes on the R9 Goldfinger a good one for an air rifle? Is a Leupold EFR air rifle scope a good bit better? (It's approximately $350, compared to approx. $114 for the Bushnell Banner 3x9 air rifle scope.)
Thanks!
The RWS seems to have a lot of plastic on it, where the Beeman appears to be all steel (receiver end cap, safety, trigger, sights, etc.). The RWS cocking lever is stamped and the Beeman appears to be machined.
There is a Beeman R9 "Goldfinger" package that looks good and is reasonably priced. The R1 is more expensive, but has a threaded receiver end cap and better finished stock. (The R1 looks like it's about a pound heavier than the R9, though. That may be a big detriment.) I don't have any place around to see these in person, so any good feedback would be much appreciated.
And last question. I'm trying to decide between .20 caliber and .22. Is .20 caliber popular? Is it much less effective on squirrels out to approximately 40 yards? Any other pros and cons would be appreciated.
Oh - by the way. How do the RWS 34 Dianas hold up over time? Is the plastic end cap or safety prone to crack or break?
Oops - another question. Is it better to go with the Beeman one-piece scope rings and mount, over the separate scope rings, such as on the Goldfinger?
Ahem - thought of another one. Is the Bushnell scope that comes on the R9 Goldfinger a good one for an air rifle? Is a Leupold EFR air rifle scope a good bit better? (It's approximately $350, compared to approx. $114 for the Bushnell Banner 3x9 air rifle scope.)
Thanks!