by B.B. Pelletier
Here’s a link to Pyramyd Air’s official Gift Guide.
Sorry to rush things, but tempus fugit. Today’s post will include some airguns.
For those who are not familiar with these guns, here are a few pointers.
1. For target practice, the velocity can be very low–350 f.p.s. is all that’s needed.
2. None of these airguns are recommended for hunting, but a few that get up to 750 f.p.s. have limited use in pest elimination.
3. BB guns such as the Red Ryder and the Crosman 760 shoot steel BBs that bounce back from hard targets. Be sure to get safety glasses for everyone who will be in the vicinity of the shooter. Get a good BB trap that will stop the BBs without letting them bounce back. Lead pellets do not bounce back, but they still require a good pellet trap for safe shooting.
4. In this price range, the CO2 guns will not last as long as more expensive CO2 guns. The most reliable guns are the spring-piston BB guns like the Red Ryder.
Air rifles and BB guns
Crosman 760
Pink 760–just a dollar more
Daisy Red Ryder
Pink Red Ryder–50 cents cheaper!
Daisy 880
Daisy 840
Air pistols and BB pistols
Beeman P17 pistol
Crosman 357 revolver
Crosman C11 pistol BB gun
Daisy Powerline 15XT BB gun
Daisy Powerline 693 BB gun
Tanfoglio BB pistol
Airsoft guns
Tactical 1911 CO2 pistol
Tactical M92 CO2 version
UHC 132 revolver 6-inch
Crosman Pulse P70
Walther P99 Special Operations
M14 Sniper Spring airsoft rifle combo
Crosman R71
Other stuff
Beeman swinging silhouettes
Gamo 50″ padded rifle case Fits a longer scoped air rifle up to 49″.
Plano rifle case, single scoped Fits a single scope rifle up to 52″ long. Hard case.
Blue Book of Airguns 7th Edition Every airgunner needs this book.
Daisy pellet trap Perfect for low-velocity pellet guns that don’t shoot faster than 650 f.p.s. Not for steel BBs.
Next week, I will do a guide for gifts of $100 and under and the last guide will be for gifts of all prices.
Wayne,
You have been trading/buying used air guns so much recently that I now declare you an Expert.
If you think that you ever might want to do a favor for the both of us then read on…
The way I see it Wayne, you and I both need FX semi-automatic air rifles. I think that when you shoot one of their 2 semi-autos then you will agree that they are the cat’s meow. Further, your clientele will become very excited and want more gun action, and we all want you to succeed.
If you happen to buy/trade for two or more that work for more than a couple weeks then I will be more then happy to buy one from you at whatever you think is a fair price, and I will give you a really fun surprise X-mas box full of air gun stuff to play with which you can also then write about on the blog.
– Dr. G.
Wayne,
The good Dr. is correct. The ravenous pace you have acquired air rifles at has certainly expedited your evolution.
I can remember wincing and say nooo to some of your early selections in the Springer field, and now I sit wishing to be Wayne for a day.
The FX Monsoon is a 16 or 12 shot semi-auto that I would guess would be a hit with some. Being a “pumper” instead of a “tanker’, it would be a conflict of interest for me at this point. Oh yeah, it also sells for over $1600.
Volvo
Volvo,
You talk of $1600 and Wayne on the same page? Surely, you are jesting in the Spirit of the Hollidays.
Wayne can easily handle that kind of money from the comfort of his Special Chair. It is the cost of doing business, he will explain, similar to the idea of using a ” loss leader” such as using CO2 guns to spur business (losing some small amount of $ to lure in repeat customers who spend much more in the long run on ohter things).
Anyway, more importantly, let’s not forget who actually bought a genuine USFT.
– Dr. G.
Dr. G,
I meant for me. : (
Volvo
Next Week!?!?!? Aren’t you cutting it too close to Christmas? My wife will have to spend more on shipping. Get er done!
By the above comment I mean get the other installments posted ASAP. Preferably before the end of this week. That doesn’t leave much time to ship if your out on the left coast.
Hello B.B. and everyone:
Man I am so pissed off at welders here in Puerto Rico… Nobody knows what a siphon tube is… I wanted to install one for my 20lbs. CO2 tank… But i guess I will just have to invert the bottle every time to refill 12oz. tanks…. By the way, on the long run, that’s not harmful right??? Is there any precaution I should be aware of???
Cheers,
Jony
BB – as for the Daisy Pellet Trap, a little while ago I bought a .22LR bullet trap that cost about what this Daisy trap costs – and there’s effectively no limit on airgun power. Perhaps a big-bore PCP would eventually give it a problem, but it will handle any ‘normal’ airgun with ease and at any range.
It’s a shame that Pyramyd doesn’t carry it. I won’t say where I got mine for obvious reasons, but I’d think that something like that would be a lot more versatile, and have a wider market appeal.
Oh by the way, B.B., have you tried the Plano Vertical Case??? For only $35 you get a great rifle case… I even managed to accommodate inside the Gamo Squirrel Target next to my Gamo Whisper… Lots of pellet tins, Paper targets, oil, towel, pen (to take annotations)… In summary, it’s very long, but Excellent!! Oh, and for $2 you can get a plate with your name on it to identify the case…
Cheers,
Jony
Jony,
Welders have no idea what a siphon tube is. The people who know are the ones at the industrial gas company that fills the CO2 tanks. They also do the hydrostatic and wave testing and they install siphon tubes.
B.B.
Vince,
If you only paid that little for a rimfire trap you got a real deal.
B.B.
…bb so if my math is correct, you would only get 5 full fills using an 80 cu ft scuba tank? doesn’t seem worth it? i would imagine then the reason the benjamin tank can fill the discovery numerous times despite its small size is because it accepts 3000 psi but output is regulated to 2000 psi, correct? about how many full power and half power shots can a ss do on one tank? also, at what pressure do the shots start dropping, and how many pumps to get it back to full?
thank you,
john
On the subject of target shooting, one of my big revelations at the shooting range last weekend was how well airgun shooting transfers to firearms. I decided not to try to develop a new benchrest technique and try exactly what I do shooting airguns standing at 20 feet, and the bullets were landing on target. Elmer Keith said as much when he said practicing with .22LR will get you the same results as a .45 LC sixgun.
Wayne, you live the dream. If $1600 is a mere nothing to the cost of the USFT, just what price range are we talking?
Matt61
JKohn,
No, you won’t get 5 full fills with an 80 cubic-foot tank. You MAY get two. Then you’ll get one to 2975 psi and so on down for the next 15-18 partials.
Compressed gas is not the same as a solid. More capacity doesn’t react in the same way.
But with an 88 cubic foot tank you’ll get at least 9 full fills and 45 partials. That’s because it’s pressurized higher.
B.B.
John,
After you digest what I just said, you will have more questions.
I think I will do a podcast segment for you in December. Do you listen to the podcasts?
B.B.
I listen to the POdcasts and would love to hear details about filling the Condor and Talon rifles!
John and UW Hunter,
I really want John to listen, because his questions are both basic and fundamental to understanding how PCPs work. I have already answered the number of full-powered shots questions several times in this blog, but the math John did (dividing 15 into 80 to determine how many more full fills an 80-cubic-foot scuba tank would give over a 15-cubic-foot-tank) is something that will take some time to explain.
John — I’m waiting to hear from you. Do you listen to the podcasts?
B.B.
BB,
I notice you’ve never blogged the 760 or Red Ryder. Seems like a nice Christmas-time blog, although I don’t know how many people would be interested. Last year I rescued my 1977(?) Red Ryder and compared it to a new one (they’re inexpensive even to me!), and its pretty interesting to see what’s changed, as well as what remains constant. I wonder how the newer 760’s compare to the older ones, also. One of my brothers and I have argued since childhood about which one is better: maybe you could settle that question forever:).
BB
Do you know when the next Little Rock airgun expo will be held???
Volvo,
Congratulations on the FX. I was thinking about making you an offer on the Discovery, but you got rid of it even quicker than I thought you would. Did you consider a custom stock or were there other things you didn’t care for as well? Oh well, for now, I’m using reduced recoil loads in an ’06 and pretending its a PCP:).
Wayne,
Do you have an S200 in your extensive inventory? I would love to hear your take on it.
BB,
I can’t find and AA S200 review by you. Strange, because it seems like something you might like. I did find one comment from you to the effect that it was OK, but there were better alternatives. Also, I thought there was an S200 Target on PA last time I looked, but its gone now, if it was ever there:). If I got your comment right, what are the alternatives?
B.B.
Can a 20lb. Scott Air-Pak tank be used as a CO2 tank to refill my 20oz CO2 bottles?? At home I have a CO2 fill station, and my neighbor wants to sell me the tank, but I am not sure if it is appropriate for CO2 containment… By the way, can 40-60 cubic feet Scuba tanks be used for CO2 storage if the appropriate fill station is installed??? Thanks
Roger
Pellets won’t bounce back? I built a pellet stop to use in my garage. I wanted to practice double action with it on a daily basis in lieu of a 9mm. The backstop is a cover plate from an old computer case attached to a 3/4in. plywood backing at about 15 degrees from vertical. I thought this would deflect the pellets down. Nope. They came straight back at me. Now I shoot through foam from a sleeping bag ground cover with a piece of carpet covering the steel plate. Some pellets still come back at me.
I have one of these backstops in my yard at 10 or so yards distance. Some 440 Gamo’s pellets do recochet down, flattened to a disc and are burried in a 4×4 block holding a target. Other pellets bounce back, but only a few inches.
My next backstop will be at a 45 degree angle from vertical.
Bg-farmer,
I did consider keeping it, but I fund 99% of my purchases from selling off existing inventory. And the FX Whisper was just too tempting. I have been wanting one for a long time.
Other than fit and finish the Discovery was not a bad rifle. I got lucky and had no issues that others write about. She seemed a little hotter than normal too, up to 26 ft lbs with heavy pellets. I think you’ll find as they get closer to the launch of the new rifle prices should go down. I pd only $288 shipped.
I wish I had known you were interested. I had no more than the equivalent of a tin of pellets through it, and in true guy fashion had never even opened the directions. Still had the sample pack of pellets in it. It was LN. I sold it and the pump for $250 shipped.
If you can get a deal on one, I think you would enjoy it.
If your interested in something just let me know, I’d be happy to give you first shot.
Volvo
Bg-farmer,
Forgot, I have no experience with them, but when I asked Rich in Mich to recommend a PCP he told me he liked the AA S200.
I would guess Wayne would want to add another 210 to that. : )
Volvo
BG_Farmer,
Don’t worry, you haven’t missed a blog on the S200 because there isn’t one. I have lobbied for one for awhile. Now, with yourself interested and an endorsement from Rich in Mich let the drumbeat begin.
Matt61
Volvo,
Not trying to put a guilt trip on you:). It takes me forever to make up my mind, and I’m not totally sure it’s time for a PCP. A stock Discovery is too hot and has the wrong kind of stock and sights for me, but those are things I can probably “fix” with minimal outlay for professinal help. I’m also intrigued by the AR2078A (target/aperture version of QB78), but I need HPA conversion, because it would be several thousand a month to heat the barn, even to 60 degrees (wife says no on shooting in living room). The AA s200 target (or even the sporter) looks like the closest out-of-the-box solution, but its getting up there by the time I add a pump (not many SCUBA places on my lane). I may be able to build a high-pressure double acting pump, though.
Matt,
Here’s hoping; I fear AA has eliminated the s200T as overlapping with the s400 target version, although s200 velocity is nice compromise between pure 10M and general purpose.
By the way, your centerfire shooting is looking good. My neighbor/friend and I sighted in our deer rifles a few weeks ago (mostly for fun in my case — even the coyotes are busy with wounded deer) and were happy with 1.5-2 MOA, both of us being from the “dinner plate school”:).
BG_Farmer,
Yes, I regret the loss of the S200 with the cool aperture sights, but I expect that the sporter version is essentially the same gun, and the .22 caliber even has the magazine conversion. On the other hand the Discovery is good enough at a much cheaper price that the S200 price is hard to justify.
Thanks regarding the centerfire shooting. With the Beeman benchrest bags, Leapers scope and 69 grain Sierra Match King bullets, everything came together. Mostly, I was pleased at how the airgun shooting was vindicated, and it now takes on extra significance. Now, I’m eager to try all of the cool shooting positions with slings described by Jeff Cooper.
Matt61
BG_Farmer,
I have blogged the 760 — at least I mentioned the 40-year commemorative model. But you’re right, I haven’t really blogged either model.
Oh well…
B.B.
Little Rock is always the final Friday and Saturday in April.
B.B.
BG_Farmer,
Ah, the S200! Did you know that was the rifle that inspired the Benjamin Discovery? It’s true.
I tested the S200 back when it was the Tau 200 CO2 10-meter rifle, back in the 1990s. Then I shot (but didn’t do a full-blown test on) the rifle that was first converted to air by an American field target shooter. That was what started the craze of that rifle running on air.
Shooters assumed that because it was a target rifle and had a target trigger it would make a great PCP for field target. It did, too, until Air Arms took it over and raised the price another hundred dollars.
That was what inspired me to go to Crosman with the idea that we ultimately turned into the Discovery.
So I’m not very curious about the rifle. But if enough of you are, I guess I could have a look.
B.B.
Roger,
It is a false economy to convert an air cylinder to use CO2. And I doubt any credible industrial gas supply house would fill it.
Air and CO2 have different regulations governing their use, testing and so on. The fittings are intentionally different, so one will not be used for the other. A machinist can make an adaptor to get around that, but that’s when the troubles begin.
I would forget it. A 20-pound CO2 tank is cheap enough.
B.B.
BG_Farmer,
You might be interested in the AR2079A instead of the AR2078A if you want to convert it to HPA. The 2079 has a standard paintball connection. Because of this, the conversion would be very easy. All you need is a small air tank with a screw-in style regulator (http://www.jdsairman.com/) and voila, you have HPA!
.22 multi-shot
Hi Guys,
I'm back from a journey to Portland.
On the AAS200, I think it's fine, but for just a little more money, I'd get the AA s400.. it's built a lot stronger, and you get more and more powerful shots.. and you can add the 10 shot mag to it later, just like the 200, as you want..
Wayne
AARR&R
BB,
On your Christmas list for under $100, you listed: Crosman 2240 The best CO2 pistol on the market.
I wanted a few more details on that. I have the 2300S on my list, mostly for indoor shooting in the winter. My outdoor range goes from 20 to 50 meters and is mostly field targets or field target sized spinners (that we shoot with scoped TX200, rws 46, and Talons). I bring out the my customized 1377’s to show off and shoot the tin cans at 30 meters, but I’m really bluffing as everything else is too small or too far away for me to hit regularly like I do the tin cans. So anyhow, I thought I might like to try something more accurate at the 10 meter distance indoors. But I am torn between that and the custom shop. I can get an equivalent 10.1 inch long barreled .22 with my “spare” Mim sights and RB Walnut grips for under $100(Which is pretty much a customized 2240). What about the 2240 gives you that best CO2 pistol on the market feeling?
Thanks,
JC
JC,
That’s the trouble with making a single-sentence comment like that. What I meant was for the money, I didn’t think you could do better than the 2240. Obviously your 2300S is a more refined version of the gun.
The Custom Shop optional are what put the cherry on the frosting, but the basic 2240 is already a wonderful gun as it is.
Crosman barrels are wonderful – don’t think twice about getting a longer one.
B.B.