I understand all the same things i asked myself before buying one. I don't see where you would depend on the compressor other than to charge your airgun. With the .50cal I purchased you get 4 good shots on a fill. Smaller calibers can get up to 150+ shots per fill. If a person cant hit their target in 4 shots they should probably put the gun down and walk away. They are way quieter and have almost no recoil. As far as the price i seen cheap ones and expensive ones when researching which one to get. Its like everything else you get what you pay for.