by B.B. Pelletier
Crosman’s Challenger 2000 is a 10-meter target rifle that’s also perfect for indoor shooting when the weather turns cold. Adult size and adjustability make it a favorite.
As the season turns to autumn and outdoor temperatures start dropping, U.S. airgunners start moving indoors (everyone in Hawaii say, “Huh?”). When this happens, our shooting tastes turn more toward paper-punching and the 10-meter sports, so today I’d like to look at a rifle that may be ideal for such activity. If it isn’t ideal, then it’s pretty darn close. I’m talking about Crosman’s Challenger 2000 10-meter rifle.
Pyramyd Air’s special Challenger sale
To kick things off for the fall shooting season, Pyramyd AIR has put together a special package of the rifle, Crosman Competition Wadcutter pellets and a Pyramyd AIR Gel Shooting Support. The rifle and pellets are obvious, but they threw in the gel pad because it is such a pleasure to rest a rifle on when shooting.
The basics about the rifle
The Challenger 2000 is a single-shot, .177-caliber CO2 pellet rifle set up for target work. It uses standard 12-gram CO2 cartridges, and when I tested it, I got up to 75 shots per cartridge. I say “up to” because a lot depends on whether you are shooting a formal match or just shooting for fun. If the latter, you don’t really care if the velocity drops a bit, as long as you can still hit a dime-sized target at 10 meters. If the former, you want every shot to hit the period at the end of this sentence. I would stop shooting at shot 50 and change cartridges in that case.
The competition is stiff, but not unbeatable
While you can compare this rifle to any and all others, there is one that sticks out as its major competitor – Daisy’s Avanti 853. When the Challenger 2000 first hit the market in the year 2000, the 853 had already been in production for almost two decades. It was firmly entrenched in the market as the rifle of choice for NRA Sporter-class competition (a class of 10-meter competition for juniors that mandates a lower-cost target rifle. The Challenger went head-to-head with the Daisy and didn’t succeed in dislodging it. Today, you’ll see very few Challenger 2000s on the line at events higher than the local level.
Coaches conducted tests and found that the Crosman wasn’t as inherently accurate as the Daisy, with its Lothar Walther barrel. The difference was slight, but in competition, every little bit counts. The difference isn’t as great as four-hundredths of an inch, but in the crowd that shoots targets, that matters. So the Challenger wasn’t as popular as the 853, even though it does have some very real advantages.
The Challenger has several real benefits over the Daisy!
When the Challenger 2000 first came out, I tested it and found some features that Daisy would do well to emulate. The first is cocking. The Challenger 2000 cocks like a dream. Just pull straight back on the ambidextrous T-bar bolt handle, and the gun cocks with about 2.5 lbs. of effort. The 853 cocks on the right side of the gun and can take over 10 lbs. of stiff, jerky movement to cock. Once cocked, the Crosman is ready to be loaded and fired, while the single-stroke Daisy still has to be pumped. The pump requires at least 20 lbs. of effort and is too hard for younger kids. And, this ease of cocking also means the Crosman is a delight to cock when in the prone position – the bane of Daisy 853 shooters. If pumping is difficult when you’re standing, it’s almost impossible when you’re lying on the floor.
Another great benefit the Crosman has is its trigger. It breaks cleanly at 2.5 lbs., while the Daisy has a rough, gritty 4+ lb. release. It’s possible to gunsmith the 853 trigger down lighter and smoother, but never to the level the Crosman achieves right out of the box.
Finally, the Challenger 2000 stock is very adjustable, both for pull length and for cheek height. It can easily be adjusted to fit a large adult, which is why adults are among the largest segment of buyers. It seems to fill a need for a basement plinker/target gun. The loaded and charged weight of nearly 7 lbs. is also pleasing to adults.
An accessory rail you won’t find on the Daisy
Under the forearm is a standard accessory rail – something the Daisy 853 must do without because of the presence of its pump lever. The rail makes it easy to install accessories like target slings (they only attach at the front of the rifle) and hand stops.
The right sights are already on the Crosman
Crosman wisely decided to install a precision diopter rear sight, while Daisy put on a lesser plastic sight, believing that shooters would probably upgrade. They do, and that narrows the true cost of the Daisy to within a few dollars of the Challenger 2000. The front globe accepts inserts and comes with a 4.1mm ring front insert installed. No additional inserts come with the rifle. The rear sight can be removed and a short dot sight or even a very short scope can be mounted to the 11mm rail.
Velocity is driven by the pellet you select
I tested the rifle with 7.9-grain Crosman Competition Wadcutter pellets and with 7.6-grain Chinese wadcutters. With Crosman pellets, it averaged 495 f.p.s., with a spread from 485 to 503 f.p.s. With Chinese pellets, the average was 513 f.p.s. with a low of 504 and a high of 520 f.p.s. With this lighter pellet, the gun shot over 500 f.p.s. for 58 consecutive shots.
Accuracy – the most important factor
The rifle I tested came with a test target showing good accuracy. The group measures 0.121″ for five shots, and you know they used Crosman Competition Wadcutters. An Olympic-grade target gun would shoot a group around 0.040″-0.060″ and a Daisy 853 would group around 0.080″-0.10″, so the difference isn’t very much.
Test target demonstrates the rifle’s capability.
The Crosman Challenger 2000 is a delightful 10-meter target rifle that crosses over to become a great little plinker. Let the sale at Pyramyd AIR be your incentive if you already have this rifle on your list. If it’s not on your short list, maybe this would be a good time to add it.
BB,
Another great, mouthwatering post. So many guns, so little money.
If wishes were horses . . .
Al Pellet
BB,
Any chance you will be doing a review on the Diasy 887?
Joe
Joe,
I don’t have it scheduled. A quick check on the intertnet shows that Daisy is not doing a good job of promoting the 887. I have tested the 888, which is a similar rifle running on air. Would that do, or is there another issue here?
B.B.
Is it just my imagination, or does that rifle look like a Streak that’s been restocked and set up for CO2?
Would it be possible to schedule a review or two of genuine target airguns? Something like one of those mentioned here as an affordable choice, and also something at the exotic end of the market, out of reach of most of us? – Gazza
Gazza,
Yes, it might be possible. I have certainly shot many of them. But I( need to think about it. These airguns cost between $1,400 and $3,000 and are not as easy to come by as a $1,000 sporter.
B.B.
Hey bb.
i did some 100 yard shooting with the mk2. Using the last mill-dot, Not serios shooting. just informal target shooting. Never above a 2 inch 5 shot group and 1 inch was the low. I think it can do under an inch at 100 but we will see. I did not have the airwolf with me. I was at my house in upsate new york and 1 airgun was all i had time for. That and the fact that the airwolf has an o ring prob in the breach. I can slip a new one on for 10c… when the o ring shows up. I was shooting on full then it went mia and i got a blast of air to the face (ok fine, just a poof). What if that happen with your dq outlaw or any of his guns! You would nead a hearing aid from then or for sure!
-sumo
B.B. Has the gun (2000) changed since your July ’05 blog? It appears to be the same.
Thanks, Don.
sumo,
Your groups are superb! Hang onto that rifle.
As for what the Quackenbush would do if a breech bolt seal broke, that used to be a real problem for Gary Barnes. For several guns, he didn’t seem to be able to make a breechloader that didn’t outgas at the breech. It was pretty violent. I described it as a glaucoma test with every shot.
That was back in 2000, and I’m sure he has a handle on it now.
B.B.
Do0n,
I believe the Challenger 2000 is the same gun I reported back in 2005.
The reason I reported it again is because of the sale and because Pyramyd AIR (and I) have been receiving inquiries about the rifle, asking if it is suitable for NRA Sporter-class competition. I wanted to explain why it is suited for this competition, but not many competitors are using it. It’s real use seems to be with adults who plink at home indoors.
B.B.
bb,
why doesent Quackenbush make the same outlaw gun but with a .223 bore so it could shoot 60grn bullets like my ar-15? I bet it has the power to spin one of them. I guess they have the 308 but still. I would not buy one of his guns, no need for one.
-sumo
sumo,
To stabilize the bullets, a .22 air rifle would have to shoot 40-grainers at about 1,200 f.p.s. I think 60-grainers are out of the question.
B.B.
BB,
ok, but if it shoots a 500grn bullet at 900fps why cant it push a 60 at 1200 if not 1800.
When do you think the dragon slayer review will be out? Or any other shinsung gun blog?
thank you!
-sumo
The Dragon Slayer article by Tom Gaylord (with video) will be out in a few days.
B.B.
bb,
will it be a blog or one of the articles? I guess its an article if it has a video. I saw the first review on it but it was the old version of the gun and the 200grn bullet was not tested.
What about the other shinsung guns?
thanks bb!
-sumo
sumo,
It will be an article. It will be on the new Dragon Slayer.
I have a Career Infinity in the que.
I’ve done the Fire 201, and the .25 cal. Career Carbine.
Is there something specific you are interested in?
B.B.
BB,
i am looking at the dragon slayor, infinity, and the single tank 707. I have my hands full now with other projects but i am wondering where shinsung has gone with their guns. I have an old rws/shinsung career 707.
I also wonder about mac1 mods for the 707. 8-80 foot pound adjusting sounds great. Other than that, can they put on a HW barrel on a gun where the tank and barrel are not one peice(infinity or single tank 707)?
The conflict that i am having is about power. I like to shoot a 900fps no matter the PELLET but i can do that with the airwolf with any PELLET BUT the eun jin (shoots them at 810). 80fp with a 28gr eun jin is about 1150fps. a bit to fast! Should i look at .25 for that gun?
I think i will order 50rds of dragon slayer ammo to see if i want the gun, after the article/airgun-video are out. Both together should be very informative, the ammo would give me a feel of what the guns about.
-sumo
bb,
In the article will there be a accuracy test with round balls? Hornady makes some good on in .494 and .497 cal that i think would be good match for the other ammo.
-sumo
oops
.454
.457
-sumo
sumo,
Those are too small. To fit right, lead ammo needs to be larger than the bore, not smaller. I’d need a .500 or .501 ball.
No plans to test.
B.B.
bb.
silly me. But i have heard good things about some round balls in these dragon slayors.
do you know much about mac1s shinsung guns?
-sumo
sumo,
No, I don’t, but I know that his work is excellent. I would trust his work, and what he says about it.
I do know he has been working with Careers for almost as long as they’ve been in the U.S.
B.B.
Looking at the crosman website, it looks like they changed the cocking mechanism on the challenger to the side. Is this all they changed? Has the quality of the rifle improved? When did they do this? Why would they change the ambidex T-bar mechanism?
To the poster above: you’ll be very happy to know Crosman still makes the Challenger 2000 with the ambidexterous bolt as B.B. describes. I imagine the photos on the Crosman website are of a prototype or early model. I received my Challenger a little over 2 weeks ago from Pyramyd AIR and I’m loving the rifle. Definitely the easiest one in my collection (of 8 airguns now) to settle in with and group very, very well. After testing through about 3 Powerlets and 6 different makes and manufacturers of wadcutters, I’ve found my rifle really likes the RWS R-10 in the 8.2 grain wadcutter. I strongly, strongly recommend this rifle simply for the dumb grin it puts on my face after shooting. Cheers!