Another "Magnum" Air Rifle - Page 3

vash · vash's Garage

I put 100% blame on this thread. Haha.

"Higgens"

vash · vash's Garage

whoa!! pellets are NOT cheap!! i got a few types..

Jeff Higgins · 03-25-2013, 04:35 PM

Wow, good looking rifle, vash. Nice wood.

As far as pellets, I've always had the best luck with the Sheridan, now Benjamin, cylindrical pellets. They are about the heaviest .20 caliber pellet available, and these guns like heavy pellets. Especially once Steroid modified.

vash · vash's Garage

yea. those were backordered. found one elsewhere for alot of money.

i opted for some JSB diablos and some Beeman copper coated kodiaks.. i hope this is a good jumping off point for my rifle accuracy.

i want to shoot this thing alittle while before i send it to Tim. maybe this summer.

thanks for everything Jeff. hey do you have the owners manual from a vintage gun?

Jeff Higgins · 03-27-2013, 05:10 PM

Well, I've now tried just about every sighting option available for the mighty Steroid Benjamin. I've settled on the tried and true Williams 5D-SH peep sight. I really wanted to make a scope work on this rifle, even going as far as having Timmy Mac machine dovetail grooves into the receiver and alter the bolt handle to clear. For me, however, it just does not work. Too awkward to pump and carry. So, here she is, in what I think may be her final incarnation:

I don't think I'm giving up much, especially at typical air rifle ranges. Here are a couple of groups shot from prone across the back yard from this afternoon, with her new favorite pellet:

This new pellet is the JSB Exact Jumbo Monster, weighing 25.39 grains (standard for .22 air rifle pellets is about 14.5 grains). These clock right at 650 fps 10 feet from the muzzle, or about what it would do with standard weight pellets in "stock" trim.

Here is the current line-up of pellets for my whole airgun battery. Left to right they are: Crossman 7.5g .177, Benjamin/Sheridan 14.3g .20, Crossman 14.5g .22, H&N 14.6g .22, and JSB 25.39g .22:

This heavy JSB pellet packs a noticeable wallop compared to the others. Timmy Mac advised the use of heavy pellets in this rifle, and it's looking like that was darn good advice. I hang my targets on a piece of 1" plywood and, at 30 yards, that has proven adequate to stop all airgun pellets. Not these - they blew right through. Good thing there are nothing but woods behind my target stand...

Anyhoo, it looks like these pellets may very well elevate this Steroid rifle into the possum/raccoon class of pest, up from the rat/squirrel/crow class. Pretty impressive stuff from a pump-up air rifle.