Does Anyone use Airguns on this Forum?

[wildcatter]

Don’t shorten the barrel. It has a choke near the muzzle. Removing it will ruin the accuracy.

Thanks for the heads up! I was going to talk to Tom @ Vortec before making this move, but knowing they have a choke means I simply grin and stick with the longer barrel.

This rifle has matured vastly since them first shots above with the new Vortec PG4HO kit and seal installed. It now is shooting fantastic @ 25 yards with about 200 shots on it the last couple days. Amazing how new seals and springs seat in after a hundred shots. What's even more amazing is how my shoulders wear in after a couple hundred shots. At 70 they just don't react the same as they did @ 30 or even 60.

But right now I am happier with this break barrel than I was before, and I was pretty happy to start with. No it will never shoot with the 54 Air King in 22, and it is one pellet picky rifle. Maybe all 177 are? but it sure is consistent with any pellet now with this new Vortec Seal and PG4HO spring assembly. Extreme Spreads with 7 different pellets are all single digit and as long as I feed it the AA Diablo Field 8.4 grain pellets its shooting 5 shots under 1/4" @ 25 yards, and still dead on at 35 yards, with ES speeds under 5.0 fps.



You can see the outline of 4 shots, but trust me all five are there. Not as good as the fixed barrel 54, but not bad for an entry level break barrel springer. With 867 fps and 14.0 fpe it will work for my break barrel and only 177 in my collection. Grackles, and Starlings are no match with it off hand resting against anything out to 50 yards. I might even hunt squirrels with it this year. Its a lot handier to maneuver off the bench than the 54 is. So I'll take your advice and leave the barrel just as it is. Even if it does look like an unfinished outboard motor drive shaft with only half the sprockets cut on the end!

I might look into having my gunsmith turn a step down on the end like the 54 has and put a barrel weight on it?? But now I want one under lever to add to my air gun collection, lookin hard at the HW97K just have to decide on cal. but probably wont have another 177, I like them 22's.

 

[wildcatter]

I no longer feel naked without a an underlever springer.


I got lucky and found a special HW77K SD in 22 cal. I just got it Friday, came with bedded washer's and stainless screw cups in the forend mounting screw pockets. It has been tuned to 17# by John Thomas, and is smooth as butter to cock with a sweet snappy, but quiet shot cycle. I have now filled my itch for a complete air gun collection.

The 54 Diana will shoot with most PCP's out 35 to 50 yards in 22 @ 21.8 fpe. This rifle won't quite shoot with the 54 of the bench, but this 77K is a super sweet rifle to shoot off hand. It balances so well and shoulders perfect with the cheek piece that brings the 4-16x50 airmax perfectly to my eye. It easily outshoots the 54 off hand for field hunting conditions with five shot 20 yard groups like tis being repeatable, nearly dime sized.


I got under 5 fps extreme spreads with the 14.6 FTT pellets the rifle came with, @720 fps I think it will put a lot of tree rats and bunnies in the pot! But the final kicker for me is it not only meets all my needs, for me its it's a great looker. I can't express how good thing feels and shoots off hand.

So my final words,,,, this is it, I'm done buying or upgrading anymore air guns, I mean, them TX200's cant be that sweet,,,,,, can they?

I'll do some serious shooting and testing with it in a few weeks, but right now I got rain, and Tuesday morning heading to my gun smiths with the new Krieger straight 1.250 1-8 twist to chamber and fit to my 600 yard gun in 6x47 Lapua. Loads for it will come first!