Alternatives (Airguns) w/updates

[MikeT49]

Well, we got a problem here. Just finished screwing together my new to me 257 Roy. Got an email from my range, Closed. I'd say poop, but only have 4 rolls of TP left. I live about 35 miles from ground zero. What to do instead of whine? My trigger finger was itching badly. Not anymore. Slid the coffee and couch forward about 7' and set up my portable shooting bench. I already have a pellet trap setup at the end of the hall at 10.833 yards (10 meters). Bingo!
I shoot a slightly modified 22 cal Benjamin Disco off a bipod and rear bag. Took a few shots to get the feel and a little scope tweaking (parallax). Can now put 5 in one ragged hole. Granted it's about a 30 cal hole. With an accurate adult airgun, you can exercise your trigger finger/brain interface at home. Try it, you'll like it. Mike

 

[markT]

Airguns are great! No recoil, very little report and extremely accurate. Put up a feeder and live targets will soon appear.

 

[Mark W]

I keep a tuned up Benjamin Nitro Trail beside my basement door. I do offhand practice shooting at several steel targets that I keep set up at various ranges. Grackles, Starlings, and Cowbirds that show up at my bird feeders make great interactive targets.

 

[Adam in WI]

Airsoft pistol, in the house. Reusable ammo. See if you can shoot empty shotshells off the railing from across the room.

 

[338 dude]

Well, we got a problem here. Just finished screwing together my new to me 257 Roy. Got an email from my range, Closed. I'd say poop, but only have 4 rolls of TP left. I live about 35 miles from ground zero. What to do instead of whine? My trigger finger was itching badly. Not anymore. Slid the coffee and couch forward about 7' and set up my portable shooting bench. I already have a pellet trap setup at the end of the hall at 10.833 yards (10 meters). Bingo!
I shoot a slightly modified 22 cal Benjamin Disco off a bipod and rear bag. Took a few shots to get the feel and a little scope tweaking (parallax). Can now put 5 in one ragged hole. Granted it's about a 30 cal hole. With an accurate adult airgun, you can exercise your trigger finger/brain interface at home. Try it, you'll like it. Mike

I’m slowly working my way up went from a cheap $90 pellet rifle couldn’t put anything in one hole from 10 feet much less 10 yards then I went to a more expensive $160 pellet rifle a little better 4 inch groups at 20 yards I am looking to get an even better pellet rifle later any suggestions not looking to go crazy 4 hundred or less would be nice but an absolute limit of 500

 

[Adam in WI]

Once you go PCP, you never go back

 

[dantiff2]

My two older sons and I are getting in a lot of trigger time with our Gamo's since schools have all been closed. This is far cheaper than going to the range all the time. Of course they love the range more but I'm not finically prepared to shoot every day!! : ) the pellet guns are getting a workout that's for sure! We enjoy long range shooting. I have watched my 11 year old get 5 out of 5 hits on a 12" square at 125 in our back yard! it's a fun challenge for sure! We can both hold 6" groups at 80 yards if the wind is calm. The 10.5 gr 177 cal pellets still flatten out at that distance. both guns push these at 790ish fps.

 

[338 dude]

Once you go PCP, you never go back

That’s what I’ve been looking at but would be expensive for me no dive shop anywhere near to recharge my cylinder I would have to buy the whole compressor set up very familiar with that been a certified diver since I was 15 ,40 years now although I have not been diving in the last 15 you are certified for life How hard are they to recharge with the hand pump available with some models?

 

[dantiff2]

I’m slowly working my way up went from a cheap $90 pellet rifle couldn’t put anything in one hole from 10 feet much less 10 yards then I went to a more expensive $160 pellet rifle a little better 4 inch groups at 20 yards I am looking to get an even better pellet rifle later any suggestions not looking to go crazy 4 hundred or less would be nice but an absolute limit of 500

I have Gamo's with the underlever cocking (CFX models) instead of the break barrel. 30 yard groups are always under half an inch. Mine love the heavy 10.5 gr Crosman Premier dome points. No other pellet that I've tried every shot anywhere near as well. You can pick these up fairly cheap compared to some models.

Dan

 

[338 dude]

I have Gamo's with the underlever cocking (CFX models) instead of the break barrel. 30 yard groups are always under half an inch. Mine love the heavy 10.5 gr Crosman Premier dome points. No other pellet that I've tried every shot anywhere near as well. You can pick these up fairly cheap compared to some models. Mine is a Benjamin nitro piston break barrel style gun

Dan

Of the three I have tried the Stoeger X hunt are way more accurate than the other two

 

[338 dude]

Mine is a Benjamin break barrel nitro piston gun but of course I had to put my borescope down the barrel wow I know it’s a pellet gun but come on

 

[dantiff2]

View attachment 1165443
Of the three I have tried the Stoeger X hunt are way more accurate than the other two

I had no luck at all with any brand in the pointed versions. The accuracy was okay at 10yds but fell off extremely fast to something like 2-3" at 30 yds where I find the dome points start to fall off at 50yds. This is just my finding and mine are 17 cal. not sure how they compare to 22 cals. I think I've tried every single brand that was made! It's amazing to see the difference in brands too!

 

[Gary in MD]

Well, we got a problem here. Just finished screwing together my new to me 257 Roy. Got an email from my range, Closed. I'd say poop, but only have 4 rolls of TP left. I live about 35 miles from ground zero. What to do instead of whine? My trigger finger was itching badly. Not anymore. Slid the coffee and couch forward about 7' and set up my portable shooting bench. I already have a pellet trap setup at the end of the hall at 10.833 yards (10 meters). Bingo!
I shoot a slightly modified 22 cal Benjamin Disco off a bipod and rear bag. Took a few shots to get the feel and a little scope tweaking (parallax). Can now put 5 in one ragged hole. Granted it's about a 30 cal hole. With an accurate adult airgun, you can exercise your trigger finger/brain interface at home. Try it, you'll like it. Mike

That 257 ROY is going to be a little loud in the living room!
Might want to beef up that pellet trap a little too....

 

[Adam in WI]

How hard are they to recharge with the hand pump available with some models?

Typically your fill pressure is going to be about 3000 PSI. You've then got approximately 30-40 shots until you drop to 2000 PSI (that's my 22 cal shooting 15.89 gr @ 900 fps). To refill from 2-3000 PSI is about 100 pumps. Yeah it's a workout, but you don't have to do it fast or all at once. The first fill from zero is a killer, that's about 300 pumps. We got lucky with dads though. Bought him the same one I have for Christmas and his came out of the box with the cylinder charged.

The extra effort is worth it though, extremely accurate and silly quiet. I've killed pigeons out to 70 yards and woodchucks past 40. Get a 177 if you just want to shoot. Get a 22 or 25 if you want to kill stuff.

 

[MikeT49]

For under $500 I would recommend a Benjamin Discovery or Maximus in 22 cal. Both are 2000 psi max fill, so not too bad to hand pump. Also with a 2000 max fill, when you do decide to use a SCUBA tank for refill you won't need a expensive high pressure (5000 psi) carbon fiber tank. They shoot a 14 gr ,22 cal pellet at 800 fps, plenty to kill house thumping birds & small varmints up to raccoon size. Fleabay has Discos right now for as low as $342.99 with pump.
I see them once in a while without pump for about $270. I would recommend getting one without the Benjamin pump and instead get a Hill pump. The Benjamin pumps are prone to failure if you pump too fast or long. Mine has been in for repairs twice and I have since repaired it twice myself. I now use a SCUBA tank.

For either rifle you can do a few simple mods to make them tack drivers. Most important of the mods is to the barrel band. The band is drilled and tapped to add two additional grub screws 120 degrees from the top screw for the barrel and two 120 degrees from the bottom screw for the air tank. This stops POI shift. Then do the three screw trigger mod (Google it) and replace the plastic trigger with a metal trigger. Install a moderator/muzzle brake/LDC. This dampens muzzle flip and quiets the report.

PCP air gun recoil is like a center fire, back only. You can shoot off bags, rests, bipods etc. very accurately. Springers (break barrels, side cock, lever cock etc) do not shoot well off a rest. They have a double recoil, back first and then when the piston slams into the front of the action a forward recoil. They can shoot very accurately offhand using the "artillery hold" with the forearm hand. Get a PCP if you want to practice with the same method you use for your center fire.

I have shot every pellet known to man. I have settled on JSB Exact Jumbo RS 13.43 gr.

 

[dantiff2]

Springers (break barrels, side cock, lever cock etc) do not shoot well off a rest. They have a double recoil, back first and then when the piston slams into the front of the action a forward recoil. They can shoot very accurately offhand using the "artillery hold" with the forearm hand. Get a PCP if you want to practice with the same method you use for your center fire.

False information.. I shoot off of a benchrest front tripod and zircon filled rear shooting bag with no ill effect. My springgers shoot extremely well when shot just like any other rifle.

 

[338 dude]

False information.. I shoot off of a benchrest front tripod and zircon filled rear shooting bag with no ill effect. My springgers shoot extremely well when shot just like any other rifle.

Good to know that’s how I like to shoot unless I’m out in the woods of course

 

[MikeT49]

False information.. I shoot off of a benchrest front tripod and zircon filled rear shooting bag with no ill effect. My springgers shoot extremely well when shot just like any other rifle.

I should not have made such a blanket statement about springers. My information and experience with springers is dated. Have not messed with springers for about 10 years. Back then none of us could get them to shoot with bench techniques. They must have improved them in the meantime. Will your springers put 5 in one hole at 10 meters using bench techniques on demand? Mike

 

[dantiff2]

Good to know that’s how I like to shoot unless I’m out in the woods of course

My boys and I shoot our springers a lot. One pump(action) per shot and very consistent fps without the fear of pressure loss

I should not have made such a blanket statement about springers. My information and experience with springers is dated. Have not messed with springers for about 10 years. Back then none of us could get them to shoot with bench techniques. They must have improved them in the meantime. Will your springers put 5 in one hole at 10 meters using bench techniques on demand? Mike

i understand Mike. Yes, If I segregate the pellets with deformities, I can shoot ragged holes at that distance. My boys and I prefer a bit of a challenge and start at 30m and beyond. I have fixed barrel spring guns that shoot under a dime at 30 meters including flyers and my one son has a Swiss arms Walmart model that is only slightly bigger. Spring guns are far better these days with the correct weight and type of ammo. I shoot my rifle with a 8-32 bsa model scope.

 

[MikeT49]

That 257 ROY is going to be a little loud in the living room!
Might want to beef up that pellet trap a little too....

My neighbor probably would not like the ventilation holes in his garage and house. But, I got some actual good news. My range is only closed to the public. Members with after hours cards can still use the range. After hours is now all day not just after 5pm. Yaaay!