Precision Air Rifle for Junior

[Rifle1Air]

Our daughter has been shooting for about 2 years now. She is currently using a Walther LG300 Junior rifle borrowed from her club. We are looking to make a one time purchase that will last throughout her shooting time. We are leaning towards a Pardini GRP 1 evo, pro or a Walther LG400. Does anyone have experience with both, or either, good or bad? Which do you prefer and why? Is the quality of the rifles themselves comparable and if so does that leave ergonomics as the deciding factor or is there something else to consider?

Since there is no place any where near us to go and physically try them we are finding it difficult to make a choice. If ergonomics is the factor how can one decide?

We will also be looking for a small bore in the near future. How much does it matter that the small bore is similar in brand to the air rifle?

[Mike Carter]

Much of this answer depends on whether she is shooting 3P air rifle or only standing air. Some of the stock configurations are made specifically for standing air. While they can certainly be shot in prone and kneeling, and the adjustments can be made to optimize them, it's not made for speed. And 3PAR rules does not permit multiple butt plates and sights.

Consider the LG400. Walther offers multiple stock options. Champions Choice offers 8 variants. All of them just as accurate as the next but with variations to shoot the purpose of the shooter.

I know for a fact some of the 9015 Anschutz stock offerings are made specifically for standing air only. Shooting them in prone and kneeling is possible but not optimal.

So a little more information on what her future shooting plans are might help the TT community provide a more accurate answer.

Mike

[Rifle1Air]

She will be shooting a lot of both 3P and standing air rifle.

[Rifle1Air]

She shot the 2020 Winter Air and the recent US Army 2021. Both were standing but she also shoots 3P matches.

[Rifle1Air]

We tried to narrow it down to two brands to look at only to make the choice easier for us. We know very little about any of the guns and have heard that all are very good. With little chance of looking at any it is difficult to make a choice. She is left handed so has not been able to try other team mates rifles. She is currently shooting the one brand and likes it and we saw the other brand at US Army competition. We do not favor any brand over another as we do not know much about them. We believe it is time for her to move up to the next level of rifle. Thank you for any and all input on any brand.

[pfiori]

In my experience, all of the major brands are really equal regarding accuracy.
I also find that choosing an air rifle is more a matter of personal preference for how it feels to the individual than choosing a smallbore rifle is.
Between my son and myself we have had 5 Walther Air rifles including the 2 that we currently use. They were/are all trouble free and performed quite well. I also find that there is good availability and a wide range of stock configurations available here in the USA for them and if service or repair is needed there is good support for that also.

As mike asked above, is she shooting/going to shoot 3-P Air with this rifle?
You mention 3-P but it is not clear if you are talking about 3-P Air or 3-P Smallbore or both?

There are differing opinions on the subject of commonality between your air rifle and your smallbore rifle. I think that most will say that they are 2 different disciplines and the rifles do not have to and generally will not be the same. There is a lot to support this given the freedom of configuration allowed by the smallbore rules. That said, I am of the opinion that you are better off if they are closer to the same than not.

It would also be helpful if you stated where you are located and gave a general description of her height, weight, age and what governing body's rules her matches are shot under. This information will give folks a much better idea of what would/would not be appropriate to recommend and there may be someone close to you that can help.

[Rifle1Air]

She shoots 3P in both air and smallbore. She is 5"4" and 120lbs and will be 15 in the spring. We live in the Minneapolis area. She is a member of USA shooting, CMP and the NRA. She frequently shoots both local and out of state matches. She is left handed.

[Mike Carter]

One of my Junior female shooters is shooting the LG400 Monotec. This stock is also available in the left hand configuration. It is probably the most adjustable stock made by Walther and appears to be intentionally modeled after the KK500 smallbore rifle. It is the top of the Walther line.
Being the most adjustable is a good thing for 3PAR. At the same time all those adjustments can be overwhelming. My shooter was overwhelmed by the it. Became somewhat frustrated with the time it took for her to change over from prone to standing to kneeling. Not because it was difficult, but because (IMHO) she had no experience at all with hand tools, which way tightened or loosened a screw.
There are 3 variants of the Monotec. The expert and competition have a different butt plate and no trigger guard. They are the lesser adjustable stocks.

The solution was take it home from the range and rehearse change over. Take all of the parts of the rifle off and put them back on. But plate, cheek piece, palm rest, and become intimately familiar with all of the moving parts. Including the pistol grip. After she became more comfortable with all of that and realized she was actually supposed to fit the rifle to her and not the other way around. Once she took ownership of the adjustments and fine tuned her settings her scores have increased. Not a long learning curve, just something new and totally different from a challenger sporter rifle that she moved up from.

As Pete said, all of the LG400's are equally accurate. My old LGR side stroke has one of the best proof cards I've ever seen (1985).

The best place to see this is at the Walther German web page. https://www.carl-walther.de/sport/produkte/p/2838028

All of the Walther Air Rifle offerings are here https://www.carl-walther.de/sport/produkte/luftgewehre

[bshootmore]

For 3P We went with a Anschutz in the precise stock built at the Anschutz custom shop. We had it lightened for our Jr. It weighs ~11.5 lbs, factory is ~13.5 lbs. It is lighter than factory because of the Shilen barrel which shoots as well as any Olympic rifle out there- Steve does a great job.
8.25mm ten shot groups at 50m is fabulous! When Jr. get bigger/stronger we will add weight or get a heavier barrel.

It is complemented by the 9015 in a precise stock 10m air rifle which also shoots very, very well. And it is very similar for form and fit to the 3p so practicing with the air rifle is similar to using the 3p.

Call Anschutz ask for Danny or email Danny Spann <danny@anschutznorthamerica.com>. Tell him Max and Bobby sent you.

[Rifle1Air]

Thanks everyone for your input. It has been helpful. There wasn't much said about the Pardini. She was able to hold a Pardini at a recent match and we are curious to hear if anyone has any additional information on them or recent experience with them good or bad? She kind of liked it.

[left360]

[url]viewtopic.php?f=3&t=62474/url]

[Rifle1Air]

Thanks.

[spektr]

Sorry Im Late To The Discussion.

Pardini is a fabulous company. Petra Zublasing shoots a scaled down GPR that they built just for her.
Understanding that, CALL THEM and see what it takes to get another. Its all sunk cost to them, all the programming is done.
It would be worth the call.......

[TerryKuz]

I have a LG400 and I never had any issues. It was a bit light for me so I added some weight and swapped in a steel cylinder from a LG300 Dominator.
Point being it is pretty light, and lighter than my Precise 9003.
I really like the loaded indicator, and the pellet load tray. I have my loading leaver swipe down. I think this ease of loading is helpful in a position.
Good luck.

[mymayday]

Thanks everyone for your input. It has been helpful. There wasn't much said about the Pardini. She was able to hold a Pardini at a recent match and we are curious to hear if anyone has any additional information on them or recent experience with them good or bad? She kind of liked it.

My daughter shoots a Pardini GPR1 Evo and loves it. For whatever it might be worth, last year all junior women's national records were held by Pardini shooters. Katrina Demerle holds the 3P record as well as the J2 60-standing. Mary Tucker owned the J2 and Junior records until Katrina took the J2 at the AMU match in January. Likewise, my girl Ainsley held the J3 until Emme Walrath took that at Winter Air. Not sure what Emme shoots, but the other ladies are all Pardini.

[Rednook368]

Hey Gang,

We shoot with Emme Walrath. She set the national record with a Pardini. My son has the Walther Anatomic. He likes it, but it requires some work to balance the weighting; its very front heavy. I think the Pardini is very well thought out from a design perspective. The upper end Walthers seem to function well. Joe Hein will be returning to action on March 15th. I really love his MEC focused 9015 and Walther builds--they will save you tons of upgrades over the long run. If I ever decided to pick up air rifle, I'd probably get the Pardini or one of Joe's MEC stock builds.

Just my 2 cents.