Air Guns

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by stevej37

I've only owned 7 or 8 rifles in my life...all have been single stage.
You know how it is with old dogs?

Woof! Same here....didn't have a clue what 2-stage was...

Buy it

[stevej37]

I hope the op doesn't mind sidetracking his thread.
Here's a video I just watched about them.

[Paul T]

Originally Posted by stevej37

I hope the op doesn't mind sidetracking his thread.
Here's a video I just watched about them.

very informative vid, thanks.

[KFC911]

One thing I learned (from video) was to not grip with your forward hand as that can effect accuracy on air rifles. Just flatten your palm and rest the bbl on it.

Think I'll go grab mine and shoot a few of my deck... just because

[stevej37]

^^^ Are the snappers out this early in the season?

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by stevej37

^^^ Are the snappers out this early in the season?

You bet...it was 88 a few days ago. Need your address

I didn't even set my trap last year as I transplanted at least 50 sliders over the prior two summers. I also dispatched 4 HUGE snappers....they're in hell now

[71T Targa]

Originally Posted by stevej37

I hope the op doesn't mind sidetracking his thread.
Here's a video I just watched about them.

Just like a Glock?

[stevej37]

^^^ lol..@KC911
That's one of the reasons I'm looking for a good air-gun. The racoons are trying to eat the fish and turtles in my pond. Foot prints every night..don't want to wake the neighbors with gun-shots.

[kolo]

I have a .22 airforce Condor that was tuned by talontunes.com (Tony)
it's great fun and accurate

also have a milsurp 3 stage compressor
it'll do 3200 psi w a 3.5 hp gas engine

[stevej37]

^^^ One of the questions I asked AOA today was...can I use my garage air compressor for a PCP air-gun? If I could..that would be the type of air-gun I would buy. I didn't realize the pressures that those take.

[Paul T]

Originally Posted by stevej37

^^^ One of the questions I asked AOA today was...can I use my garage air compressor for a PCP air-gun? If I could..that would be the type of air-gun I would buy. I didn't realize the pressures that those take.

I was wondering the same thing, but I don't think so. These new guns are running crazy pressure (3000+ psi). Looks like most guys either refill from a scuba tank or similar, or buy a special compressor. Those aren't cheap but make sense if you do a lot of shooting. The cost savings over regular ammo will pay for itself over time.

[stevej37]

^^^
For what I would use the gun...it wouldn't be worth it. I'd have $2-3K in it.
But I see why it would be great to own.

[Cooper911SC]

Definitely been enjoying some “stuck at home” range time with my 7YO son.

We have quite an assortment of Red Ryders and other springers.

I just finished building the rifle rack... fun project.

The PCP guns are awesome too. Much more power. I have a Benjamin Marauder in .25 and the Marauder “pistol” with brace in .22. Those are both great squirrel guns.
Taken a couple of raccoons that were stalking our hens with the .25 too.

The big bore Texan and FX stuff I wouldn’t even consider shooting at my home.
Awesome guns but definitely lethal!

Envious of you guys with acreage that can shoot the powder burners.

[Jeff Higgins]

I like the idea of self-supporting guns, which has kind of kept me away from the PCPs with all of the necessary - and expensive - support gear. You can spend as much, or more, on the tank, regulator, and lines as you do on the rifle. Granted, it would be nice to have a "repeater", but I guess I'm never really in that much of a hurry when I'm shooting air guns. I do shoot muzzle loaders quite a bit as well, so the prep time between shots just seems like a part of it to me.

[Rusty Heap]

As someone mentioned, it's suggested with the spring/pneumatic air guns to not have a death grip with your forward hand.......let the barrel float on your palm.

It's called the Artillery grip. With the spring air guns, the barrel is starting to move backward in the recoil before the pellet starts to start moving from the spring/air charge. A rigid grip will impact accuracy.

Higgins can 'splain it better than me. But it works.

[vash]

i run a PCP gun and i pump it up with a HILL floor pump. it doesnt suck now, but i can see how that can get old (when i get old).

i have a secret budget put away for a FX Impact PCP airgun that has a huge volume. the floor pump will be no go. i will have to invest in a tank to refill. i checked and the local Dive shop can fill it periodically for me. i didnt ask how much.

[Paul T]

Originally Posted by vash

i run a PCP gun and i pump it up with a HILL floor pump. it doesnt suck now, but i can see how that can get old (when i get old).

i have a secret budget put away for a FX Impact PCP airgun that has a huge volume. the floor pump will be no go. i will have to invest in a tank to refill. i checked and the local Dive shop can fill it periodically for me. i didnt ask how much.

How long does it take to fill with the hand pump? I know it's hard to describe effort, but is it insanely hard or just relatively so?

[vash]

Originally Posted by Paul T

How long does it take to fill with the hand pump? I know it's hard to describe effort, but is it insanely hard or just relatively so?

good question.

i would rate it a 4 out of 10 in effort.

my gun is maxed at 200 bar, i shoot about 20 pellets and i refill the air chamber. it goes easy for a bit, like zero effort until the pump catches up with the bar in the canister. then the effort starts. i developed a goofy looking method that has me bending the knees and plunging my body weight down. it takes, ( should count it out) maybe 25-30 pumps in this more difficult zone to get it back up to 200 bar. maybe 3-4 minutes. you cannot hurry it.

it does suck when you are hunting fast game, like barn rats. running back the the truck to pump sucks. i end up hunting a big circle around the pump, whereas the .22 rimfire guys get to go out much further. turkey hunting where you hopefully need 1 or two shots..it's perfect!

i dont remember the pump being that cheap tho. $250? i wish the hose was just a bit longer.

[Paul T]

Originally Posted by vash

good question.

i would rate it a 4 out of 10 in effort.

my gun is maxed at 200 bar, i shoot about 20 pellets and i refill the air chamber. it goes easy for a bit, like zero effort until the pump catches up with the bar in the canister. then the effort starts. i developed a goofy looking method that has me bending the knees and plunging my body weight down. it takes, ( should count it out) maybe 25-30 pumps in this more difficult zone to get it back up to 200 bar. maybe 3-4 minutes. you cannot hurry it.

it does suck when you are hunting fast game, like barn rats. running back the the truck to pump sucks. i end up hunting a big circle around the pump, whereas the .22 rimfire guys get to go out much further. turkey hunting where you hopefully need 1 or two shots..it's perfect!

i dont remember the pump being that cheap tho. $250? i wish the hose was just a bit longer.

Got it, appreciate the explanation. Doesn't sounds like it's too bad, especially considering the price for a good compressor.

[Jeff Higgins]

It just occurred to me that we haven't discussed what might be an important factor for many of us - the amount of noise generated by the various air gun platforms. Some are decidedly more noisy than others, which, if you are planning on using one for pest control or backyard plinking may be a very important consideration, especially if there are neighbors close by.

Pneumatic guns are by far the noisiest of the various platforms. Not being any kind of an acoustics or noise expert, I really have no idea why. It doesn't matter if it a PCP or a pump-up, they both fire with the release of air compressed in a high pressure chamber. The most powerful of the genre sound, to me at least, every bit as loud as a .22 short or CB cap from a long barreled .22 rifle.

My most powerful air rifle is my Benjamin 392 pneumatic that I had modified by Tim McMurray of Mac1 Airguns. His "steroid" modifications allow it to achieve an honest 26 ft lbs of energy, better than double that of an off the shelf 392. I had this built as my "big game" - possum, raccoon, etc. air rifle. I keep it zeroed with the JSB Exact Monster .22 pellet, a real heavyweight at 25.39 grains. It shoots right through an adult possum on broadside shots. The problem is, it is pretty much too loud to shoot in the quiet still of the night, when these critters are out and about. Thankfully, my neighbors are all well familiar with my many idiosyncrasies, and even fully support my pest control efforts. If any one of them did not, it would be a whole different story.



I think a better solution, where noise is a factor, is a powerful spring piston gun. Even at the same power level as my "steroid" 392, my most powerful "springer", an RWS Model 48 side-cocker (also in .22 caliber), is whisper quiet in comparison. It has become my "go-to" rat rifle, even though it is decidedly on the "overkill" end of the spectrum for that duty. I don't shoot as heavy of a pellet out of it (it really likes the JSB Exact Heavy, at 18.13 grains), but I could, which would make it suitable for air rifle "big game" as well.



About its only downsides are its weight and awkward carrying ergonomics, which are driven by that side cocking handle. It's really wide and bulky, and it weighs over nine pounds with a scope. The Benjamin, with scope, only weighs six, and is a very handy little carbine sized gun. The big RWS is, then, at least for me, a "fixed position" kind of a rifle, shot from the back deck or something like that. The Benjamin would be superior for actually walking around and hunting in the woods.

A great compromise, albeit with somewhat less power, would be something like my RWS Model 34. It has about half the power of those other two, but has still proven to be more than enough for rats and the like, at least the .22 caliber version. It really is kind of the best of both worlds. It's even quieter than the Model 48, and it's even slimmer and easier to carry than the 392.



Anyway, those are my thoughts for the day. And yes, I obviously have too much time on my hands, cowering in place like everyone else. At least I have some air guns to shoot...