Which FWB or Anchutz smallbore rifle?

[Tnilsson]

I've searched the forum and found a lot of "which air rifle" threads, but no "which smallbore" threads.

My 14-yr old son has a FWB 800x air rifle and is saving for his own smallbore too (his competitions are mixed between air and smallbore). The Walther models are out of his (and our) price range. Which leaves Anschutz and FWB as far as I can tell. He'd like to get a rifle that could carry him through the remainder of HS and on through college (if he is fortunate enough to make it onto a team one day). His current team uses a base model Anschutz for practice, but I was wondering if there's any benefit to sticking with FWB given his experience with their air rifle. In any event, I suppose it also comes down to which model would have the best longevity for use as he continues to improve in this sport, which is obviously a cost/value determination.

Any advice would be appreciated. We can't try them out as we live on the West Coast where precision rifles don't seem to be sold, so we'll have to order one sight unseen. I assume a medium grip would be best (I don't know which grip is on his FWB air rifle as we purchased it used from a retiring college shooter).

Thanks for any tips,

Torgny

[Trooperjake]

Its like asking which is better, Vanilla or Chocolate Ice Cream.

Both are great rifles,

I have a FWB 601 and a Anschutz 19 series
FWB has a slight edge on the trigger

Both brands can get you to the Olympics....

I suggest visiting some smallbore matches and see what is shot.
You can find a list of them in the NRA publication "Shooting Sports USA"
available online.

Try this link nra_ssusa_201609.air

[Tim S]

As above, both a good rifles, and mechanically pretty similar.

Have you thought of looking for a second hand rifle? Anschutz Match 54 and FWB actions haven't changed for many years, and smallbore barrels maintain their accuracy for a long time, so a used rifle isn't a disadvantage for most shooters. By the time it is, a gunsmith can replace the barrel to restore accuracy, or you can upgrade to a new rifle. Anschutz are usually more common than FWB or Walther second hand, and most modern stocks and sights can be retro-fitted if you find an older model at a good price.

[Tnilsson]

I have considered used. But I haven't found one yet, though I'll keep looking. And thanks for the info.

Thanks.

[patriot]

As suggested, visit the clubs. It is there you will often find the best deals on used rifles. Many shooters will also let your son get behind the trigger to see how their stock fits, which is more important than the barreled action brand and model. You don't want to waste time and money fighting a poor fitting stock.

Mark