Air Rifle Thread

Just noticed this thread...

Here's an old pic of my Unlimited Class PCP Field Target comp rig. It has 'extensively' been modified since this pic. :) The glass in this pic was also just temporary test equipment at the time.

I also run a few rigs set up for 'back-yard' type pests as well.

You could say that I am a fan of 'BB guns,' as some of my buddy's like to call them.

At one point I was shooting approx 2,000 rounds per month.

I can also hold my own with my centerfire rigs as well...

WOW ^^^^

I'm still learning about the wide world of "bb" guns
That's a very nice piece of work, where does one find out more? I'm learning on a 2240 that's slowly becoming something else..

God damn that Diana has a lot more wallop than I was expecting :eek1

It's putting a .22 domed pellet through 400ish pages of phone book at 15 yards. I think a pointed pellet would probably zip right through it.

The rifle is great. The trigger feels too soft for me, but I have yet to really play with any of the adjustments yet. I can never tell exactly when it's going to release. It has three adjustments, and the instructions tell what does what, but I don't know what the terms mean, like "pull off" so I'm not really sure what to adjust yet.

My groups suck -- after about 40 rounds last night I was averaging about a 2" group at 15 yards And I'm having trouble sighting in the iron (fiber optic) sights because I'm finding it hard to focus cleanly on the sights but still be able to see the target well enough to aim at it. I should probably move it into ten yards and see if that's easier. I'm trying to use the artillery hold but god damn this is a jumpy rifle. It flies all over the place when you pull the trigger. Guess I need to practice more! I thought 250 pellets would take me a while, but after last night's session I can see I'd be wrong!! Better buy some more quick!

I know, right? Surprising. On the plus side, I've finally found the perfect use for like 3 years worth of Cycle World mags that I'd been hoarding.

Hey thanks!!
I have been into air rifles for many years. Primarily rifles. Springers and Pre-charge... Target and hunting...

A good place to get info is any of the air gun forums...

I am not an authority on the 2240, but there are a lot of guys who are nuts about that rig.

Thanks!
Cris

Hey Lucifermutt,

You are headed down the right track in your shooting technique.

Air rifles tend to take quite some time to break in as well. I have found that any of mine were usually starting to group in nicely after about 2,000 rounds.

For a new springer, I would sit with a few tins of pellets in front of the TV and load, cock, and fire, into a taped up Yellow Pages (point blank) until the pellets were gone.

I don't say that to frighten folks, but it simply takes a lot of rounds. The barrels like a little bit of leading but (at the same time) not too much.

While it's new, check the stock screws frequently as well, as this is the primary cause for accuracy issues.

Don't be afraid to try different pellet manufacturers as some guns are very particular. I say this after many many thousands of rounds sent down range in all of my rigs.

Do not use pellets that are too light in a springer as it causes undue stress on the internals. PCP's like as heavy a pellet as possible for max FPE and accuracy.

Matter of fact, when I shoot competitively, I clean and weigh each match pellet to get as consistent as possible. :eek1

Once a gun is shooting well, don't do anything to it until something in the shooting pattern changes. Leave it alone.

Anyhoo, lemme know if I can be of assistance with nay other info!

Thanks!
Cris

Thanks for the tips. After this last weekend, I've now put about 80 rounds through it and actually saw some good improvements in the groups and the rifle is smoothing out and calming down. It's gotten quieter and easier to cock, and the recoil is more predictable. I've also figured out the trigger, and a hold technique that I can repeat and seems to be giving decent results.

I moved my target in to 12 yards so I could see it better through the open sights.

After I figured out I had been turning the windage adjustment the wrong way (the instructions are not correct! it said turn clockwise if the rifle shoots to the right -- it should be counterclockwise!) I suddenly started hitting on and around the bullseye The group I ended my last session with was four shots all within 1" of the bullseye. Not great, but definitely a huge improvement for me.

Excellent! Sounds like you got a good one that is behaving in ideal fashion and cooperating nicely.

These things are addicting so be careful! You will end up with a closet full of air rifles!

If you ever decide to add an optic, lemme know and we can discuss optically centering the scope, proper eye relief, starting out with a decent zero, and more...

Here's another one of my Girls...

Rapid Mk II (She's been tweaked for extra goodness...)
Pre-charge. 22 cal. Projectile passes through critters at 70 yards...

Congrats on the 34, they are great plinkers.

The stock screws need the threads cleaned with solvent and a dab of blue loctite, then torqued evenly.

Gorgeous.

My 34 did come with an RWS (made in china ) scope. I'm not going to mount it until I get acceptably good with the open sights to hit my targets at 15-20 yards repeatably. The game I will be hunting with the 34 are prairie dogs (think ground squirrels, only about 10-20 percent larger) and they have pretty small kill zones.

Thanks, I did read that several places. I tightened them before I starting using the gun, but I haven't removed and loctited them yet. How long should I let the loctite set?

Pages back when I was looking for an air rifle to play with while my shoulder was in bad shape suggested the QB air rifles....I just wanted to chime in here and say that this rifle is still fantastic. I was actually cutting down weeds with the rifle...shooting the stalks till the fell...the most accurate thing I have found....just all in all a fantastic rifle. I get about 100 shots out of a set of co2 cartridges. I shoot the cherries off the trees...anything I aim at I hit...great little rifle.

Over night should do it.

Hey Cris,
Do you think that this break-in period is due to the barrel leading up or to the action/powerplant smoothing out? In other words, do you think the 1000-round period applies to gas piston as well as springers? I ask because I still feel like my new gun (150-200 rounds, maybe; nitro piston) is not grouping all that well. Wondering if it'll get better, or if it's just me.

That grouping deficiency is what frustrates me the most about my HW190, although I am working toward mastering the Artillery Hold.

Time will tell, I guess.

Seems like a lot of the time I pull the trigger and look at the paper and say to the gun 'you sure about that?'

sorry, haven't read all the foregoing so this may have been discussed, but...

can someone recommend a reasonably priced air gun for possums and rats around the yard?

Thanks gents

I was at the point where I would think as I squeezed one off: "this oughta be interesting..."

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I also own an old school Beeman/Theoben RX1 (gas ram) that I purchased new and it still took over 1,000 rounds to settle in...<o></o>
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The majority of the break-in is leading the barrel, but there is also settling that takes place in the action. AND the shooter as well, when it comes to the particular nunaces of the rifle in your hands at the time. They all shoot differently.<o></o>
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I hate to say this but I have been in this game a long time and I have set up a lot of rigs (air and centerfire) for competition, hunting, and plinking, and there are 'shooters' (what I call a good example of a particular gun,) and guns that don't ever wanna sort themselves out. You only find out through trial and error sometimes. Keep at it, and if does not perform to your liking within the 1,000-2,000 round spectrum you will have to determine for yourself whether it’s worth chasing your tail with a rig that won’t group.<o></o>
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There is a lot going on in a precision air rifle, and when it is all working harmoniously, she will group perfectly for thousands and thousands of rounds with little drama. Wish I could say that about most of the ladies I know or have known!<o></o>
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Stick with it and I hope she turns out to be a ‘shooter’ for you!! You need to pile up a bunch more rounds before you get too frustrated.

Keep checking stock screws and your sights/optics. Keep your shooting at 15-20 yards until you feel she is performing well.
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Thanks!
Cris<o></o>
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This can be a conundrum…<o></o>
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First let me say this. I have put a bunch of folks into ‘higher end’ air rifles and not one person has come back to me with regrets. AND BTW, this is a hobby for me and I do not profit in any way, shape, or form other than seeing people learn to love a new hobby!
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The fact that someone can appreciate, and is intrested, in the merits of a high quality instrument of any kind is a great start to a life long hobby.<o></o>
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I often use the phrase, “A poor man can only afford the best,” which moves right into the “cry once” philosophy.<o></o>
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I have spent far too much time trying to set up low end air rifles for friends, and friends of friends, who weren’t sure they wanted to spend the extra money upfront for a rifle that could be handed down to their great-grand kids.<o></o>
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Ultimately what happens with these rifles is that the shooter becomes frustrated and the instrument gathers dust for lack of executing properly.<o></o>
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Please understand that I completely understand that economics comes into play for budgeting an air rifle. I get that. And if someone is only interested in ‘minute-of-beer-can’ at 10 paces, the big-box store air rifles might be fine for someones particular expectations. At the same time, please also expect that kill ratios on vermin will be quite poor, and it’s no fun having to retrieve a wounded/dead tree rat (squirrel) that did the John Wayne dying-cowboy-drag into the neighbor’s yard from the result of a poor shooting rig.<o></o>
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Also know that a precision airgun can easily turn aspirin tablets into dust at 30 yards with great repeatability if the shooter does his or her part. And for many many years with simple maintenance.<o></o>
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Please don’t take this the wrong way, but ‘good’ and ‘inexpensive’ cannot be used to describe an air rifle.<o></o>
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Most every online-retailer of higher end air rifles are stand up folks and will NOT steer you wrong. I have dealt with most of them for many years. It is a small community and it only takes pissing off a small number of people before their business would go away through word of mouth alone.<o></o>
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I love this hobby and I am telling you what I learned, and have seen people learn, the hard way so please do not take offense to my candor.<o></o>
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Thanks!
Cris

LOL, totally.