Yep got a gamo whisperer 22 cal for shooting unwanted birds sparrows & starlings also coon .
Does Anyone use Airguns on this Forum?
- Thread starter Sanctify7
- Start date
wildcatter
Silver $$ Contributor
I myself would avoid magazine fed rifles. I take the ejectors out of every varmint and target gun I own. Not saying you would ever have a feeding issue, but with pump, pcp, and springer I have never had an issue!
I am not sure, but I believe the suppressor law only pertains to firearms. Another nice thing about air power, they are not firearms.
I have many pellet guns over the years, and for over 20 years a tuned Sheridan by Mach 1 has been my most used. Downfall is it's a 22 and pumped to the power level my springer shoots, IT'S LOUD!
I bought a pcp about 10 or 12 years ago to replace it. It shot as good, more power, quieter, and went down the road quicker than any air gun I ever owned! There is way to much baggage goes with a pcp to shoot it. Clean air ain't cheap, dryers filters, bottles, pumps, and more maintenance for both, gun and air supply.
As Jeff said when you've had them all, the freedom of nothing but a tin of pellets and your good to go, range or woods a springer or pump rules for all round. The Sheridan is just more work, noise pumping and shooting, and two hard on me going on 70 for anything but hunting, forget a day plinking.
So not happy with the old Umerex Springer, long and not as accurate as the pcp or the Sheridan, and not near as accurate as the old Beaman R10 20 cal I so stupidly sold back when I bought my pcp, I needed a rifle that shot just as good.
It's a Springer, it's in 22 and puts out right at 22 fpe, enough for game up to coon and ground hogs, and is as accurate as any type you can buy under $1500.00. I just got this new one, and the Sheridan is gone. Soon so will the Umerex.
I thought long and hard between 3 Springers, all capable of Shooting with pcps that cost twice as much as they cost. The AA TX200, the Wierach 97, and the RWS 54 Airking Pro. I finally settled on the 54 and decided to go with the slightly more expensive Red & Black Laminated stock, i thought it was pretty. But mainly because I've read so much about its recoiless action, that take a whole lot of attention away from holding it so critically.
I will say, in two days, it has put a smile on my face like no other air gun I've owned. It runs 18.3 grain pellets at 740 fps, 16 grain at 785 fps. Both right at 22 fpe give or take a couple tenths. But my first day testing proved two of the 18ish grain domed pellets shoot same poi, and under .2" 5 shot groups at 20 yards, the one shoots under .2" and near .1" more than once.
The isolation sled does work pretty good, much easier to shoot accurately than any other springer I've shot. I have not checked yet, and don't know if it can be done, or done without costing accuracy. But I would like to find out if it can be converted to a hydraulic spring, they are much quieter, at least my Umerex is.
I also have found the side lever cocking easier for me. I've shot break barrel and underlevers that are as powerful as the 54 Airking, and they were harder for me to cock. But with a bad left shoulder, maybe it's just me.
But all in all after all this, I have to say, they all have advantages, but for a rifle that can double as a competitive target and hunting gun or daily plinker, the three rifles that keep getting mentioned the XT200, Wierach 97, and this RWS 54, are as good as it gets for anywhere near their price. Because pellets is all you need for a whole day, week, month of hunting plinking, and competing the Springer still rules.
The pcp only has the ability to shoot easier and compete on the bench (sometimes). But it needs a boat load of accessories to do it, and for hunting, I just wouldn't go to deep without a backup air source. But we have options for everyone, that's the good thing.
Day one.
Day two. Without any adjusting or tweeking yet, it will get better. But these were right outa the box after cleaning the barrel.
Even one 10 shot group when I called a third shot on me not ready it dropped low, so finished with 7 more going where the first two were.
This is from a guy who don't shoot pellets often, mainly rodent control in town, and a little small game hunting. But to pickup any new Springer, and shoot like this right out of the gate is a pipe dream with any other Springer! This platform works, and other than an added pound or two, i would highly suggest this over a pcp to any new shooter wanting to get into pellets. Plus it has a lifetime warranty, and no one beats that. I'll gladly dance with this girl, my new lady Diana!
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JEFFPPC
Gold $$ Contributor
Wildcater....contact Hector Medaz and buy his tuner for the 54, it will shoot tighter yet. Also, if you put a picatinny rail on it and use Burris Z rings with inserts you will help keep your scope optically centered but more importantly the plastic inserts help absorb the vibration that over time may effect the scope more than the recoil.
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wildcatter
Silver $$ Contributor
I just got this Wednesday and threw the old 10 year old Hawke I paid less than 150 bucks for over a decade ago when I bought the Umerex. Monday the new Hawke Airmax 4-14x50 WA SF will be here, I found it on sale in Texas, so a little slower shipping than Pyramid Air.
But I agree with Jeff, I already have the Burris Signature rings waiting. I also have a Bullseye Zero Recoil mount setting here. Don't know if they are any good, but I have already spent the time to tune any play out of it with shims to take any play I can detect out of it.
I will mount with the UTG droop compensating mount and the Burris Signature rings to start out. Don't know if I'll change later, but I will confirm with the fixed setup first.
I also am only 30 minutes from Hawke USA, I had an issue once with a crossbow scope, one call, bring it in, well either fix it while you wait, or issue a new one. I confirmed they will do the same with this scope if I have a problem and they assured me nothing has changed. But doubt even on the magnum springer I'll have no issue.
I will take your advice Jeff, I already had my groups suddenly start going haywire, though the old cheap scope took a crap about 50 rounds in. Then pointed the barrel down to go to the garage and the barrel wieght fell off. Tightened it back up, and right back to the same poi and stacking them again.
I got about 150 shots on it now, starlings out to 35 are sure enough easy off hand, resting my forearm on my deck post.
My problem is the JSB Diablo Heavy and the AA Diablo Heavy Field that I bought when I ordered the gun that shoot the best. I ordered 2500 of each yesterday when I proved the over and over, are not coming from the Ohio store the ones I got came from. Today I got the tracking and they are coming frome UT. I will be very unhappy if they are not the same lot number!
I've had a big diffeance in lot to lot JSB pellets over the years. Never shot the Air Arms pellets before. But been told they own their own molds, but JSB makes them? If Pyramid don't stand behind supplying the same lots. They will never see another order from me. Time will tell.
I just wanted to be mated up and done with this setup. I don't compete with Air guns, but like my varmint rifles, I expect the same accuracy I get from my target rifles! Then the misses are no doubt on me!
JEFFPPC
Gold $$ Contributor
Another ring if you want to shoot the smallest groups is sort your pellets by head size. What we have found the point of aim changes with head size. Shoots given head size better like a tin of 177 pellest is labled 4.52mm. They may be 45%4.50 and 50 %4.52 and 5% 4.50. Gun might shoot all together pretty good but groups will tighten by keeping 1 size at a time separate. POI will have a tiny change when sorted we have found. I only do that for matches.
That is 11.83 fpe to 29.07 fpe. And I like “very accurately” as a descriptor. S7
JSH
Gold $$ Contributor
Asking those that run a PCP, tank or compressor.
I have an FX Impact that I want to play with more.
Copy.
I use a compressor. As this thread features, and for the price, the Air Venturi RovAir looks nice, as does the GX line: cs2, cs3, and cs4. I have the cs2 but would get the cs3 if I were purchasing again. The design is superior. My compressor is easy to run. So far, in relatively light use over almost one and one-half years, all that has been necessary is addressing the moisture filters, a simple maintenance procedure. (I did get assistance on how to address the moisture filters; the manual for the GX is very poor, and I am not mister Handy.) The reviews on it were good, and they proved accurate in my situation to date.
On the other hand, tanks have their own attraction. But they require out-of-residence fills, which, thus far, has been a deal breaker for me. Maybe I will reconsider one day? Now, if someone were contemplating the longer dollar, and could supply their own air source, tanks become a nice avenue. I do not shoot enough to go this route. S7
Edit: I just checked out the Air Venturi RovAir again on Pyramyd Air. At least on this site, the unit got almost five stars, a feat that is hard to achieve if you look at compressor ratings.
dgeesaman
Gold $$ Contributor
If you do your shooting at home, running the compressor to directly fill your PCP saves some fuss. But if you're like me and go to the club for a few hours to shoot, you'll want a bulk tank so that you can shoot for a few fills. (Although that seriously depends on the gun - a 12 ft-lb .177 gun with 580cc CF bottle will go through part of a tin of pellets before needing a refill). And a match gun as mentioned above goes even longer. If you shoot anything with serious power though you'll be visiting that fill tank often.
MikeT49
Gold $$ Contributor
I use both a compressor and tanks. The compressor I use is a Yong Heng water cooled 4500 PSI compressor I got from Amazon for under $250. I've had it for over 5 years and have filled my tanks hundreds of times. It gets the oil changed regularly and always operated with the cooling water running with a couple of 2l ice bottles in the cooling water supply bucket. Most of my tanks are used Scott 4500 PSI CF SCBA 45 min or 60 min tanks I get from eBay for ~ $100. You can fill a 60 min SCBA tank from empty to 4500 PSI in about 25 minutes. Topping off a tank from ~2500 PSI to 4500 PSI takes about 15 minutes. Filling a gun directly takes a minute or so. If you don't want to use pre-owned tanks, you can get new tanks from Amazon with fill adapter for under $300. They can be certified and filled by a dive shop or fire station.
EDIT to add. You could run a PCP with a 2000# max fill pressure such as the Benjamin Discovery/ Maximus etc or the new Crosman 3622. The various bicycle style HP hand pumps would be the economical ($49 to ~$99) ) way to go. 100 pumps to fill from zero, then about thirty to get it back up to pressure after shooting it 'til velocity drops off. This is the cheapest way to go and as a bonus, you will have arms like legs.
EDIT to add. You could run a PCP with a 2000# max fill pressure such as the Benjamin Discovery/ Maximus etc or the new Crosman 3622. The various bicycle style HP hand pumps would be the economical ($49 to ~$99) ) way to go. 100 pumps to fill from zero, then about thirty to get it back up to pressure after shooting it 'til velocity drops off. This is the cheapest way to go and as a bonus, you will have arms like legs.
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Here is another reply to you. First, I am not that knowledgeable about compressors, so there are others that can help more, I am sure.
But there are compressors I just looked at (such as the GX-cs4) that can fill tanks. I am now thinking about buying a new compressor. My GX-cs2 is working without flaw, as I said, but I am quickly growing more aware of moisture. I need a compressor that has a proven optimal moisture capturing record when used in conjunction with a given desiccant system. S7
It's not that bad Jeff
I can charge my rifle and get 70 shots on it in one setting. I agree that springers are far simpler in use, but you have to break your shot cycle to load the spring guns and that's one reason that I prefer the PCP's. Even with a side lever gun, the cocking effort is enough to lose your position in the front bags causing a readjustment between shots. I like to stay in the scope, watch impact at 100 yards and keep the wind flags in my peripheral while deciding on wind hold for the follow up shot.JEFFPPC
Gold $$ Contributor
Yes picking the bag out of the bags every shot is a big deal. Which makes the accuracy of the spring guns even more amazing. I have nothing against Pcps, I just think they are not an advantage over a .22 in most aspects. I had a long time rimfie bench shooter shoot my Diana75 .last week at 22 yards. First time he ever he shoot a good Springer. 2 hours later, shaking his head with a big smile on his face he finally let me have a turn. I could see the wheels turning. One of the multiple .22 custom action .22 bench guns he has is going to get replace. Whole time he was shooting he was complaining about hos big a problem trying to source. 22 match ammo by lot number is. Lot of relatively inexpensive fun to be had and a new skill to learn for those so inclined along with no reloading and very minimal cleaning. Who knows, maybe someday there will be a Tackdrive style match between springers and pcps at 50 yards.It's not that bad Jeff
JSH
Gold $$ Contributor
If you saw what I pack to the range let alone a match, you would think differently I think.
Not that I won’t have a bag of parts for my PCP at some point.
A few tins of pellets, an air tank and some orings.
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