Winter..... Air Guns

[longbow]

Its that time...Shooting my FWB 300S tyro in the basement. I try to shoot 10-20 shots a day. A back operation coming up, so will be slow for awhile in shooting.
The 300s and HW80...both classics !

Just sold my old P70 Field rifle...thanks Ed. Will be building an offhand stock for my Thomas,install the 10 meter screw and play with that in the future. ......

 

[JEFFPPC]

Why not year round. I shot over 20,000 pellets each of the last 2 years. Most off the bench at 20m or at 25 yds depending on the target. I do shoot a bit offhand yet just because I have done it most of my life. Lots of fun in airguns. If you want to learn bench manners a Springer airgun will show you just how poor your bench manners might be.No reloading and extremely minimal cleaning. Its not easy, most run from the challenge, but very rewarding when you learn the skill.The OP as 2 nice rifles. The wife and I both shoot Dianna 75s. I just found a FWB 300S like the OPs and waiting for it to arrive. When it comes to tuning these rifles all the same principles apply as they do in centerfires. Velocity, pellet quality, barrel harmonics etc.

 

[longbow]

With you there Jeff. Been shooting air rifles for 50+ years. I finally started selling off my Springer collection afew years back. Just kept a couple that I shoot,felt like I was hoarding.Put on air rifle matches for four years here in Montana. Springer 25 meter. LV-HV 25 meter and Open @ 50 yds. A few offhand silo and 100 yd. We did it all. Look up the 2014 Air Rifle Nationals Phoenix Arizona. Some old guy from Montana shooting a 40 year old 1974 pistol grip flared 300S, totally cleaned house against 42 shooters.... In the chrony test the three pellets were 496-497-496 shooting 10 grainers. A couple young guys were cracking up at the speed. I did comment the consistancy of the speed. AND not to laugh till the match was over. HMMMMM.......

 

[tmwinds]

I have a few air rifles. I can shoot 15 yards in the basement and 40 yards in the backyard. I probably fire 500 pellets per month.
Tip: For a pellet trap, use a cardboard box filled with rubberized mulch from your garden center. The mulch will last forever. Just dump it in a new box occasionally.

 

[longbow]

Heres what I came up with. This must be 10 years old ! 1/2" plywood back board then 1/2" hard rubber mat...they come in 4x6' sheets at Ranch stores to put in a pickup for transporting sheep ,etc. I used 4x4 ' in front of my wood lathe,cut two 2x2 pieces for air rifle backers. Just change the cardboard and dump out the pellets that collect in the bottom. If they start coming back at you,a piece of carpet helps buffer . Pete

Am thinking maybe angle the back board and rubber sheet 6" to deflect pellets downward...HMMM another project !

 

[longbow]

Is that a shotgun Air rifle TMwinds? LOL

 

[JEFFPPC]

With you there Jeff. Been shooting air rifles for 50+ years. I finally started selling off my Springer collection afew years back. Just kept a couple that I shoot,felt like I was hoarding.Put on air rifle matches for four years here in Montana. Springer 25 meter. LV-HV 25 meter and Open @ 50 yds. A few offhand silo and 100 yd. We did it all. Look up the 2014 Air Rifle Nationals Phoenix Arizona. Some old guy from Montana shooting a 40 year old 1974 pistol grip flared 300S, totally cleaned house against 42 shooters.... In the chrony test the three pellets were 496-497-496 shooting 10 grainers. A couple young guys were cracking up at the speed. I did comment the consistancy of the speed. AND not to laugh till the match was over. HMMMMM.......

Good job, I will look that up. Thoamas PCPS are truly amazing, but they sure aren't springers, lol. Never pays too laugh at us old guys. You just migjt end up looking up.

 

[JEFFPPC]

We shoot into comercial BLOCKS. The foam archery targets. Its going to take a BIG front end loader to move them someday.

 

[tmwinds]

Is that a shotgun Air rifle TMwinds? LOL

You’re probably looking at AGT 25 caliber PCP. It has about the same ballistics as a .22 rimfire. It’s the only one I’m afraid to shoot in my backyard. On rare occasions I been able to shoot a 1 inch 5 shot groups with slugs at 100 yards. Mostly luck but 2-3 inches are more common.

 

[justinp61]

I too shoot air rifles, a couple FWB 300S’s, a FWB 601 and a TX200, all in LH stocks. My shop is set up to shoot 10m. I built a bullet trap out of 14 gauge sheet metal, the pellets are recycled into muzzleloader balls or crappie jigs.

 

[diyj98]

I've been an air gun fan for a long time. I used to have a couple Finewerkbau match pistols but sold them. Now days it's spring rifles. I still have the Finewerkbau 124 D that my father bought me as a child, but I've added several Beman and RWS rifles to the collection over the years. Back in my single days I'd shoot air guns inside my house, now I'm outside only.

 

[Allen Corneau]

Our club (Bayou Rifles) holds monthly air rifle silhouette matches as well as Wednesday night practice during Daylight Saving Time. Between Texas and Louisiana we have a pretty strong air rifle silhouette tradition. Two big air rifle silhouette regional matches kick off the year; the Coop Shoot in late February and the Shamrock Silhouette Shootout in March.

I shoot a TX200 in Sporter rifle class, an Air Arms HFT-500 (slightly modified) in Open rifle, and a now-retired Anschutz 2002 SSP in Target rifle. As much as I love shooting my HFT-500, it's not uncommon for my TX200 scores to be just as good if not better. Case in point... last monthly match I shot a 46/60 with the HFT and a 50/60 with the TX200!

 

[GotRDid]

I have a few air rifles. I can shoot 15 yards in the basement and 40 yards in the backyard. I probably fire 500 pellets per month.
Tip: For a pellet trap, use a cardboard box filled with rubberized mulch from your garden center. The mulch will last forever. Just dump it in a new box occasionally.

Careful with that one on the far right……

 

[ISS]

With you there. Back permitting, I can shoot six days a week at the indoor air rifle range that is eight minutes from my driveway.

 

[longbow]

Rub it in Rich...LOL wish I could make it there with you, so quiet shooting a Match with air rifles and hearing the "Oh Shit " shot from someone mumbling ! Been shooting benchrest now with the Tyro . No lifing over A milk gallon jug for 6 weeks with this back brace on ,back doing good. The Tyro weighs over 12# with irons..... So just testing 7 different pellets over and over to really wring it out. the JSB 7.8 seem to be thee pellet for this gun.....with scope

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

I found rats at a farmer friends compost site, put a night vision scope on my Gamo swarm. Sit in the truck about 30-40 feet away. Head/eye shots, great practice. Rats however don't come out as much when temps drop below 20F.

 

[JEFFPPC]

Our club (Bayou Rifles) holds monthly air rifle silhouette matches as well as Wednesday night practice during Daylight Saving Time. Between Texas and Louisiana we have a pretty strong air rifle silhouette tradition. Two big air rifle silhouette regional matches kick off the year; the Coop Shoot in late February and the Shamrock Silhouette Shootout in March.

I shoot a TX200 in Sporter rifle class, an Air Arms HFT-500 (slightly modified) in Open rifle, and a now-retired Anschutz 2002 SSP in Target rifle. As much as I love shooting my HFT-500, it's not uncommon for my TX200 scores to be just as good if not better. Case in point... last monthly match I shot a 46/60 with the HFT and a 50/60 with the TX200!

Some of the local guys cry when I shoot my D75. They haven't even met up yet with Mr FWB 300S, they will come Tuesday, lol. But I agree with Allen above, my TX200 is just as accurate, perhaps more so, it just requites more discipline on my part. I have shot some 20 meter groups I just thow away because they look like 1 pellet. Like ISS I am blessed with a 25 yard heated and air conditioned indoor range 5 min from my home. I just had to educate the owners that it was really an airgun ranged disguised as an archery range. I had a very educating and enjoyable conversation with longbow the other night. Seems as though our shooting careers are very similar. I enjoyed it. Invest in a TX200 or HW97 guys and open a whole new world of shooting.

 

[ISS]

I have an FX Panthera in 22 caliber. Shoots better than I can hold it these days with my back. Still fun...

 

[longbow]

Heres a real compact 100 shot target. I went ahead and bought the heavier paper to copy on ..20 weight ? Sure shows the holes nice and sharp, the wad cutter really looks good.
And heres a 120 shot target .....

 

[glide]

Do you guys shoot .17 or .22 in matches?