Pellet rifle "rediscovered", any air rifle folks ? caution, TMI

[1911cwp]

I bought a Daisy just a few weeks ago on a whim for pest control. Too much recoil for me to hit as well as I’d expect. Posts on other forums suggest the “ artillery hold”. I expect I will be getting something different.

 

[Rick in Oregon]

I've been into pellet guns as long as I've been into firearms....a very long time. Now at over 70, I find them to be a constant source of enjoyment, as not every day I feel like packing up and heading into the outback here.

For backyard pest control of starlings, packrats and ground squirrels, my Beeman R10 .20 cal (w/Beeman 2x7 scope) really gets the job done....quietly.



And at ten meters, it's one hole every time. Beeman Silver Bear HP's seem to drop even a large ground squirrel DRT. What's not to like?

 

[Brians356]

@divingin, does a Daisy lever BB gun count as an air rifle? No, but don't tell the hundreds of sparrows I killed with one. Seemed I couldn't miss, even lying on my back under a giant silver maple shooting straight up.
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[Tempest]

Yes all the time. Will shoot 1K F class match on Sat and shoot air rifles Sun.
Typically shoot 50 yards and yes you really have to watch the wind!

 

[qldreloader]

You may not be surprised to learn that here in Australia air rifles are treated as firearms. Purchasers need a firearms licence and a Permit to Aquire. In fact I had to go through the exact same process to obtain an air rifle as I did for each of my Centrefire rifles. Yes - hard to believe I know. Further, we can only use air rifles at approved ranges for target shooting or on rural property for hunting. Shooting them in your backyard in town is illegal and would result in loss of licence and all firearms.

The consequence of these laws is that the air rifle community here is tiny as most just opt for a powder burner instead. I believe it is a deliberate ploy to stop kids becoming interested in shooting.

 

[Brians356]

You may not be surprised to learn that here in Australia air rifles are treated as firearms. Purchasers need a firearms licence and a Permit to Aquire. In fact I had to go through the exact same process to obtain an air rifle as I did for each of my Centrefire rifles. Yes - hard to believe I know. Further, we can only use air rifles at approved ranges for target shooting or on rural property for hunting. Shooting them in your backyard in town is illegal and would result in loss of licence and all firearms.

Aren't such laws in your country enacted by legislators elected by citizens such as yourself?
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[bobm]

I have always had an airgun or two in my collection for the last 55 years. Had some better quality pumps like Benjamin and Sheridan, CO2 Crossman but mostly spring piston guns. My last airgun purchase in March 2020 was this HW80 in .22 Hands down for me the best I have ever owned. From the beginning I installed a Vortek spring and seal for increased velocity over the factory components.

Accuracy is astounding with HN FTT 14.66 gr. pellets. I shoot this gun just about every day. I just opened my 41st. tin of 500 ct. Yep, 20,000 shots since new. I can tell you that Vortek springs in this rifle break at about 7500 shots like clockwork. I keep two spares and seals on hand. Easy gun to work on.

Sadly it has broken a half dozen quality "spring gun" rated scopes. I have spent too much money returning broken scopes for warranty repair or replacement. A 6.5-20X Leupold went back two times and now resides in my gun safe. No more scopes for me on this gun. I can shoot this gun well with the open sights as seen on the playing card size plate. No BS....shot all these hits last evening in calm conditions standing offhand......45 yards. Don't need no stinking scope.

 

[divingin]

@divingin, does a Daisy lever BB gun count as an air rifle? No, but don't tell the hundreds of sparrows I killed with one. Seemed I couldn't miss, even lying on my back under a giant silver maple shooting straight up.
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Lever gun works the same, I think. It's still an airgun (spring piston.)

 

[Brians356]

Lever gun works the same, I think. It's still an airgun (spring piston.)

I thought the simple lever smooth-bores launched the BB by spring action alone.
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[divingin]

I thought the simple lever smooth-bores launched the BB by spring action alone.
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Not sure. I haven't had a lever type BB gun in about 50 years. You may be right.

 

[Jim Hankins]

PPC is the way to go-this is a .25 Benjamin Marauder,it will consistently shoot under 1/2" at 50 yards..

 

[Jim Hankins]

This is a 5 shot group at 27 yards,aiming at the spot on the wood-the 5 shots are in the little oval on top.Checking gun before going hunting. PCP guns don't change POI or damage scopes..

 

[Brians356]

Not sure. I haven't had a lever type BB gun in about 50 years. You may be right.

No, apparently the Red Ryder has a piston and rubber cup seal. I've never owned one, as a kid I had a different (cheaper) Daisy model w/ plastic furniture. But it's likely they all used the same basic design. I don't recall if there was an oil hole in the steel main housing, any rubber air seal would require occasional oiling.
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[SSL]

No, apparently the Red Ryder has a piston and rubber cup seal. I've never owned one, as a kid I had a different (cheaper) Daisy model w/ plastic furniture. But it's likely they all used the same basic design. I don't recall if there was an oil hole in the steel main housing, any rubber air seal would require occasional oiling.
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Yeah, I always had the plastic stocked ones too. Wore a couple out. We had a regular plague of sparrows in our town when I was a kid. All the neighbors for several blocks around would regularly call me up to go out at night with a flashlight to shoot roosting sparrows in their garage and outbuilding roof overhangs. Quarter a trip. Pretty good money for a nine year old just having fun! Neighborhood cats loved me. Of course today someone would call the SWAT team if they saw a kid wandering the yards at night with a gun.

 

[scope eye]

For what ever reason fixed power scopes seem to last longer on a spring powered pellet guns.

Dean

 

[CT10ring]

You may not be surprised to learn that here in Australia air rifles are treated as firearms. Purchasers need a firearms licence and a Permit to Aquire. In fact I had to go through the exact same process to obtain an air rifle as I did for each of my Centrefire rifles. Yes - hard to believe I know. Further, we can only use air rifles at approved ranges for target shooting or on rural property for hunting. Shooting them in your backyard in town is illegal and would result in loss of licence and all firearms.

The consequence of these laws is that the air rifle community here is tiny as most just opt for a powder burner instead. I believe it is a deliberate ploy to stop kids becoming interested in shooting.

Good to know; thanks for sharing this info.
We are blessed in the US with (so far) Constitutional protections.
Pellet rifles, etc. are not serialized, to my knowledge.
So, have one shipped to your front door.
Anyone, correct me if I'm wrong.
Greetings from the U.S.
What air rifle are you shooting?

 

[CT10ring]

I have always had an airgun or two in my collection for the last 55 years. Had some better quality pumps like Benjamin and Sheridan, CO2 Crossman but mostly spring piston guns. My last airgun purchase in March 2020 was this HW80 in .22 Hands down for me the best I have ever owned. From the beginning I installed a Vortek spring and seal for increased velocity over the factory components.

Accuracy is astounding with HN FTT 14.66 gr. pellets. I shoot this gun just about every day. I just opened my 41st. tin of 500 ct. Yep, 20,000 shots since new. I can tell you that Vortek springs in this rifle break at about 7500 shots like clockwork. I keep two spares and seals on hand. Easy gun to work on.

Sadly it has broken a half dozen quality "spring gun" rated scopes. I have spent too much money returning broken scopes for warranty repair or replacement. A 6.5-20X Leupold went back two times and now resides in my gun safe. No more scopes for me on this gun. I can shoot this gun well with the open sights as seen on the playing card size plate. No BS....shot all these hits last evening in calm conditions standing offhand......45 yards. Don't need no stinking scope.

Awesome! Accuracy is key, or why bother ?!
I put a 3-9X Leupold EFR on my Beeman last week. w / a stout base/ ring setup.
Horrible groups.
So I removed the scope ( a really fine piece of glass ) - before it was trashed by recoil. So it's open sights for me; only, also.

 

[CT10ring]

I've been into pellet guns as long as I've been into firearms....a very long time. Now at over 70, I find them to be a constant source of enjoyment, as not every day I feel like packing up and heading into the outback here.

For backyard pest control of starlings, packrats and ground squirrels, my Beeman R10 .20 cal (w/Beeman 2x7 scope) really gets the job done....quietly.



And at ten meters, it's one hole every time. Beeman Silver Bear HP's seem to drop even a large ground squirrel DRT. What's not to like?

Accurate, quiet and lethal. And lately, easy to find "ammo". Although my last tin of .20 cal came from the UK !

 

[divingin]

Pellet rifles, etc. are not serialized, to my knowledge.
So, have one shipped to your front door.

I don't know about consumer air guns (Crosman, Diana/Daisy/Gamo, etc), but all match airguns are certainly serialized. No shipping restrictions in the US aside from ensuring cylinders are not charged.

As an aside, I think my Morini air pistol is my 3rd most expensive gun (at the prices I paid.) Comes in behind my bench rifle and my Pardini Standard Pistol (.22 rimfire.)

Edited to correct typo

 

[MikeT49]

Like most of us I have been shooting air rifles since I was knee high to a grasshopper. Of course I had a Red Ryder but without the fore end stock. Then I got one of these:



My original "Spittin Image" got ripped off by my little brother when I was in Uncle Sam's Canoe Club (USN) 69-75. Never got it back. Scrounged this one up on Fleabay. I shot a bazzilion bbs, thru my original. Provided superb practice for my later deer hunting with my grandfathers model 94 32 WS. Shot a bunch of whitetails in the North country of Wisconsin. It was almost like instinctive shooting a recurve. For the most part, I never recalled actually aiming. As they say, practice makes perfect. Two times that I tried to "draw a bead" for a precise hit, I missed high. Shaved off some hair. Hair makes mighty thin soup.
Airguns are excellent tools for practicing for firearm shooting. You can build your own to closely simulate your firearm. Like these: