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Education / Training Hammerli Pneuma – Part 2

Hammerli Pneuma – Part 2

by B.B. Pelletier

05-13-09-01

Hammerli’s Pneuma is an exciting new PCP rifle at a great price!

Part 1

Today I test velocity on this .177 Hammerli Pneuma. As I mentioned in Part 1, Hammerli advertises a velocity of 1,200 f.p.s. for this rifle, so I tested it with heavy pellets to start with, because velocities above 1,000 f.p.s. aren’t usually accurate. With power like that, the Pneuma will be a good hunting rifle.

Although I tested a .177, I would recommend getting the Pneuma in .22 because of the power potential. However there are those who favor .177 even in a hunting rifle and if that is the case, this might be the rifle for them. I’ve read a lot of good reports about the gun and nothing bad so far.

The Pneuma is a single-shot bolt action rifle, but the bolt is operated by a sidelever. This sidelever is quite smooth and easy to cock. I think everyone will like its behavior. The pellets simple drop into the loading trough and align perfectly with the breech. No screw holes get in the way of easy loading.

Adjustments
The trigger is two-stage and adjustable for both the length of the first stage pull and the letoff weight. To adjust the letoff weight, the triggerguard has to be removed. I adjusted the trigger and got the first stage pull where I wanted it, but no amount of turning that pull-weight screw did anything. The letoff remained around 4.5 pounds. The safety is automatic and must be pushed in before firing every time. The buttpad is also adjustable, which is an extra nice touch on what is essentially a budget PCP.

First fill
For the first fill I went up to 3,000 psi, which is an overfill, according to the manual. Hammerli says to stop at 200 bar, which is 2900 psi and I found that advice to be correct. The onboard manometer, however, reads 170 bar when a more reliable gauge says there is 200 bar inside. So go by your vetted and trusted fill gauge.

Beeman Kodiaks
Beeman Kodiaks were the first pellet I tried. Since I went to 3,000 psiu (206 bar) I will list all the velocities recorded from that fill.

Shot Velocity
1 954
2 961
3 965
4 970
5 975
6 976
7 981
8 987
9 986
10 984
11 997
12 995
13 996
14 —
15 992
16 988
17 988
18 1007
19 996
20 997
21 994
22 997
23 1001
24 997
25 986
26 991
27 1000
28 988
29 989
30 984
31 994
32 979
33 974
34 972
35 971
36 969
37 959

Analyzing the shot string
If you have been a reader for a few months, I expect you can analyze this shot string and determine what is happening. Clearly the gun was valve-locked for the first few shots. That’s attributed to the overfill I mentioned. So on the second fill I stopped at exactly 200 bar.

The useful shots in this string are debatable, as always, but I would select the first shot at 987, which is the 8th in the string. The last useful shot for me would be shot number 31, which went 994 f.p.s. So my useful shot string would have 24 shots in it (shot 8 to shot 32). That is a LOT of shots when you consider how powerful this rifle is.

My selected string ranges from a low of 984 f.p.s. to a high of 1007 f.p.s.–for a total spread of 23 f.p.s. The average velocity in my selected string is 993 f.p.s., which works out to a muzzle energy of 23.21 foot-pounds. I would expect 26 foot-pounds and more in .22.

Only 46 pump strokes were required to bring the rifle back to 200 bar after this shooting. That works out to about two strokes per shot. give or take.

RWS Superdomes
RWSSuperdomes were another surprise, in that they gave far fewer useful shots on a fill Once again, I will show you the numbers.

Shot Velocity
1 1051
2 1060
3 1066
4 1061
5 1053
6 1073
7 1057
8 1060
9 1060
10 1067
11 1063
12 1055
13 1044
14 1040
15 1044
16 1032
17 1029

Surprising, no? I was just as surprised, so I ran a second test, again filling to 200 bar. This time it only took 29 pump strokes to fill because the reservoir had only dropped to 150 bar. That indicates the lighter Superdome pellet is not working as efficiently as the heavy Kodiaks with the Pneuma valve.

Second string:

Shot Velocity
1 1037
2 1060
3 1057
4 1063
5 1062
6 ——
7 1060
8 1060
9 1051
10 1056
11 1055
12 1051
13 ——
14 1045
15 1027
16 1021
17 1023

The second string is even slower but close enough that we can tell the first strong wasn’t a fluke. Just to see how close the advertised velocity is, I then refilled to 200 bar and fired 10 Gamo Raptors. The high was 1195, the low 1138 and the average 1174 f.p.s. So the velocity claim stands firm.

Conclusions?
The Pneuma is set up for power, so use the heavier pellets for maximum performance and accuracy. 

From what I hear, the rifle is very accurate, so the next test will tell. If it is, this is another good entry-level PCP in a growing number that offer choices to shooters for the first time.

author avatar
Tom Gaylord (B.B. Pelletier)
Tom Gaylord, also known as B.B. Pelletier, provides expert insights to airgunners all over the world on behalf of Pyramyd AIR. He has earned the title The Godfather of Airguns™ for his contributions to the industry, spending many years with AirForce Airguns and starting magazines dedicated to the sport such as Airgun Illustrated.

149 thoughts on “Hammerli Pneuma – Part 2”

  1. B.B.,

    I have a 30+ ft./lb. Kodiak .25 air rifle that I find impossible to remain on target after the shot. The rifle kicks so much that after the shot I lose sight of the game that I am targeting, and thus do not know exactly where the pellet landed (or even if the animal was struck).

    This is very different from all my other rifles, some of which I can even follow the pellet to the POI, as well as see the POI.

    This state of affairs is fine for target shooting, where the kick is an added challenge, as obviously the target tells me where the pellet landed after which I can adjust.

    Rather than simply having a gas strut installed (or a weaker spring?) do you think that I could experiment and simply leave this monster cocked for a month and then try it again? Then, if that does not produce enough kick reduction (which I suspect would be the case), I could leave it cocked for another month and try it again.

    I have the time and am curious if this would work. I am guessing that the power probably needs to be reduced at least 20% for this rifle to be able to better be kept on target.

    Your thoughts? Thank you.

    – Dr. G.

  2. B.B. and all………

    Off topic but VERY IMPORTANT.

    For those who use FP-10 for pellet lube…..

    I found that I am hyper sensitive to it. It is very toxic to me…..and probably to some others.

    Problems were exterme sensitivity to light, dialated pupils, rapid onset of cataracts, and finally a cancer on the side of my neck.

    The vision problems are definitely related to the FP-10. The cancer is most probably related also.

    I have never had any problems because of contact with any other substance, so it was not expected.

    If you use FP-10, I suggest you stop right now.

    twotalon

  3. twotalon,

    I'm sorry to hear about your health issues!

    I did a Google search and discovered that there are some people who have mentioned a sensitivity to FP-10, other lubricants & also gun cleaners. Wearing protective latex or nitrile gloves while handling FP-10 may be a good idea if you wish to avoid skin contact.

    Edith (Mrs. B.B.)

  4. Twotalon,

    Bummer!
    It seems a little crazy that a product can come to market without testing to find out that stuff!!

    Blessing on your healing quickly!!

    Thanks for sharing the warning!

    Wayne

  5. Another Off-Topic query for the group – last night I was shooting my RWS 350 that I had taken apart, re-lubed and finally ended up replacing the leaking breech seal (and shimming it, thank you very much Vince). last night, everything seemed to go well until one detonation occurred. I then found that my poi had lowered about 1/2 inch over 22' distance. About 20 pellets later, another detonation and the same thing.

    I haven't re-chrony'ed the rifle, hopefully this evening, but was wondering if anyone else has had this type of experience in POI changing after a detonation?

    What's peculiar is that I had no detonation after re-assembling the rifle and shooting at least 200 pellets through it. Any thoughts? Vince? BB?

    Twotalon, that is some real severe reaction. If it was me, I wouldn't even consider using gloves or masks. I'd throw the crap out!

  6. Dr G,

    Leaving the gun cocked for a month probably won't drop the power more than a few percent. BB tested four different mainsprings to failure point in his Beeman R1 book and none of the springs gave up the ghost. Even the stock factory spring was still doing about 94% of it's starting velocity after 735 hours of continuous compression.

    At worst, you may induce some cant in the spring from the continuous compression and add some vibration to the kick, too.

    There's certainly a less powerful spring that could be fitted to the gun, but the kick might also be partly related to the mass of the piston.

    Maybe a lower power scope and a scope with a larger exit pupil could potentially help? Do you shoot with both eyes open?

  7. Dr G.,

    I'm with Derrick and would vote against leaving the gun cocked. Canting the spring is a real possibility.

    The kodiak is a powerful gun but have you considered a detune (lighter spring) to smooth it out a bit?

    You've still got the Whiscombe for a powerful springer without the recoil.

    kevin

  8. Fred,

    Specifically, what did you lube the mainspring with? The only thing that immediately comes to mind is the lube on the mainspring is working it's way past the piston seal and into the compression chamber then detonating.

    If you lubed the mainspring with something like a white lithium, that could be the problem.

  9. FRED,

    Re: Detonation in your 350

    Your poi changed after detonation for one shot? two? more?

    Are you lubing your pellets?

    Have you checked your stock screws and scope mount screws?

    kevin

  10. B.B. or (Edith, Mrs B.B.),

    There must be a very large market for PCPs in the $500 price point.. with three major players going for it..

    I think it's the volume of potential customers that make the lower price point possible… I wonder how large of production run each are planning to launch their products.. any idea?

    The Evanix Blizzard s10 and the Crosman Marauder have a competitor it looks like..

    At first glance, they all look pretty good for the money

    Wayne,

    Ashland Air Rifle Range

  11. Wayne,

    I've no idea what the potential sales numbers are, but we're definitely seeing a jump in PCP shooters with these lower-priced guns on the market. When I first started shooting PCPs (for benchrest), these guns were expensive. Now, just about anyone can own one.

    Edith (Mrs. B.B.)

  12. Wayne et. al.,

    Not sure the single shot pnuema is competition for the multi-shots. I'm amazed at the drop in value of used single shot pcp's. Seems that most people prefer multi-shots now and they're dumping single shots. The prices have become very reasonable for single shot pcp's.

    kevin

  13. Fred – yes, let us know what you lubed with. As I read your post, it seems that you are saying that it dropped 1/2" the first time, 1/2" the second time… for a total of 1". Are you shooting scoped or with open sights?

    One last thing – what type and weight of pellet were you shooting?

  14. Kevin,

    Good point, not many people are using these low price PCPs for Field Target (but they could use the Marauder from my first tests!.. then they have to have a single shot tray!! Will there be one Edith/B.B.?)

    The largest market will be for hunting and plinking, and we both know how nice a smooth 10 shot mag is for shots per session or follow up shots if hunting.

    And your right, I have noticed more and more AAs400 (single shot s410) on the yellow at pretty good prices.. and they will have to compete with these new guns on the market too!

    Wayne

  15. More information on the question of the dropping POI with the RWS 350 – first I used Macari's black tar very sparingly on the spring, the spring external guide received a very spare coat of moly, also from Macari as well as the rear part of the seal. This was done upon re-assembling the rifle after cleaning out the compression chamber with swab and alcohol per BB recommendation in his R1 book and this blog.

    Second, I don't lube my pellets and the pellets used last night were JSB Exacts – .177. I can't remember the weight – I want to say the lighter 5.8 gr but I'm not sure.

    The rifle is scoped with one of the Leapers 3x 15 scopes (mil dot reticle and illuminated – again, I can't remember exact model)mounted on the Leapers base using Weaver brand rings. I did check the screws on the rings – both scope and base and the Weaver base screws for tightness (all tight) but didn't check the stock screws (I forgot).

    I can think of two possibilties for the drop – scope shift or power plant damage (reduced power). I'll confirm with a chrony session tonight. It's just very curious why after 200 or more rounds, this started. You folks may have experienced this type of phenomenon in the past so was hoping you might steer me in a direction I'm not thinking about and perhaps save me some time in my investigation.

    I got to tell you, those detonations were almost as loud as my Discovery! Scared the hell out of the cockatiel, Spike, and raised a complaint from the wife. Poor Spike. 🙂

  16. Fred,

    I'm not a brain trust when it comes to this, but I think 5.8 grains is too light for the 350 Magnum. I looked at the Pyramyd AIR website & the .177 JSB Exacts they have listed weigh 8.4 grains. Again, I don't know for sure, but I'm wondering if even that's too light for a gun that's reputed to deliver 1250 fps.

    Edith (Mrs. B.B.)

  17. twotalon,

    Our prayers are with you. Thank you for your warning. It's been passed all over the world by now thanks to you.

    derrick38,

    I saw a semi-auto that looked pretty good, but way out of my price range.

    DR.G.,

    Treat your rifle like a powder burner. You don't see the POI when you fire most centerfire rifle cartridges because of the gun's recoil. Consider the fact that the Kodiack's recoil puts its firing characteristics more into a powder burner type gun and enjoy it for what it can do.

    Mr B.

  18. twotalon,

    Sorry to hear about the health problems. I would get rid of that substance as fast as possible without even risking gloves or a mask. Even if that lube was the only one to do what you want, it wouldn't be worth it.

    B.B., the Pneuma looks like a great contender except for that tiny unshrouded barrel. With such high power, I bet it is pretty loud.

    Wayne, thanks for your reports on the Marauder. Wretched as I am, fickle, indecisive, a true Benedict Arnold unable to keep faith with such a fine gun as the S410…gimme that Marauder! I was not put off by the less attractive features of the magazine and trigger although that business of prying up the magazine cover to load pellets seems like a pretty poor design. I hope B.B. can use his pull with Crosman to get them to design something better as well as make available extra magazines.

    All attention now is focused on the power adjustment which seems to be getting murkier. My original assumption was that the adjustment was external. Then, it sounded like it was internal and required disassembly. Now, it sounds like it's external after all. Is it really as simple as a few turns of an Allen wrench? That doesn't sound too bad.

    Then, there's the whole business of adjusting the fill pressure which sounds like a unique feature of the Marauder. Perhaps this is what requires removal of the action. How does this work? This feature seems to involve additional hassle while offering new benefits. If adjusting all of this can be reduced to a routine once power settings are determined, the power adjustment may not be such an obstacle after all.

    Matt61

  19. Matt61, & MR. B,

    I haven't looked into it yet..

    I've got a budget meeting for an hour or so.. and I was going to do the full 90 shot crony test.. which do you want next this afternoon..

    Wayne

  20. To all who responded…….

    FP-10 is insideous…..it sneaks up slowly.

    At first, the symptoms of vision problems are so slight that you hardly notice them. Continued use for pellet lube gradually makes it worse. You have no idea what is going wrong.

    Problems show up the next day after you shoot and persist much longer with increased exposure. Can last for weeks.

    The more you are exposed, the more sensitized you become to it.

    twotalon

  21. Fred,
    Could the crack have been an underweight pellet going supersonic? Unless your piston seal is torn, it doesn't sound like there's much fuel available for detonation.

    200 pellets is still short of a good break-in, in my opinion.

  22. Fred,

    Where did the pellets hit when the gun detonated? I was shooting my Diana 350 Magnum yesterday evening and after 4 or 5 shots, CP's, I had a detonation myself whose cause remains a mystery–no POI change, gun was lubed a year ago under warranty by Umarex.

    Mr B.

  23. ..Re. Kodiak .25 recoil…

    Thank you to everyone above for your suggetions/ideas/input. I think that the best thing to do at present and for the forseeable future is to follow Mr. B's suggestion, and treat the Beast like a powder burner. This air rifle was modified for the purpose of getting the most power possible from this model using springs while still retaining shootability, a goal which has clearly been achieved.

    The air rifle in question has been specially prepared/tuned with a Maccari spring kit with an added lubed de-torquing washer at the end of the front guide. The JM piston seal was also sized and contoured for high velocity with minimum recoil. The spring ends were polished before installation, and the trigger has been lubed and adjusted. When the pellet skirts are flared using a pell sizer, it produces about 33 ft. lbs. at muzzle (20.5 grain over 850 fps) and 30 ft./lbs. at 10 meters.

    Of course there is no buzz, nor is there a forward jolt. It feels as "tight" as the JW80 or the FT Dominator TX200. Most importantly, for a .25 spring gun it is extremely accurate. At 10 meters, "out of the box" I easily get 5-shot 3/16" ctc groups using 21 grain domed pellets, and I have only shot it about 200 shots…I will improve the accuracy with time.

    As long as I use my shoulder rather than my biceps muscle I am able to cock it without issues for as many shots as I desire.

    What limits me to about 30 shots per session is that my body gets worn out from the recoil. I am guessing that the recoil is similar to a .30-.30, but perhaps somebody with more firearm experience can tell me if that sounds right. After 30-45 minutes of shooting targets, I am tired and rested in a mostly good way.

    This feeling of mental/emotional/physical accomplishment that we all feel from shooting can be reached at different speeds depending on what I am shooting. Thus, using a TX200 would take almost 2 hours to reproduce the same feeling that 35 minutes of Kodiak shooting produces. It takes the JW80 about 45 minutes to get me there.

    By the way, this gun is far more lethal than the Whiscombe, as it is a .25 and my JW80 is a .22 and .177. I would have more confidence with this gun going against a racoon, but equal confidence with both versus crows. The JW80, because it takes 3 cockings to work, is not as useful for actual hunting as is this gun. Plus I usually strongly prefer using .25 over other calibers for hunting at distances under 45 yards.

    – Dr. G.

  24. BG Farmer – supersonic? Perhaps? Hadn't thought of that. I'll test tonight with chrony. I thought there was minimal fuel available also, especially after not having any detonations after assembly and those first 200 pellets. I can't argue with your thought that the rifle still hasn't had a good break-in, either.

    Mr. B – far as I can tell, the pellet hit dead center and I was on my way to a GREAT one hole group. The next pellet was low,just at edge of 10M air rifle target bull (black part) which is why I'm so annoyed :), even if I was only 22 ft away. The fact that you had a detonation and no POI shift is really interesting to me. I'd really like to know what's going on here.

  25. Fred,

    I've been thinking about the lack of fuel for a detonation as well. Unless you added a chamber oil, there's nothing in the gun with a low enough flash point to burn.

    The POI change: Was it JUST for the loud single shot? You didn't have to re-zero to move the group back to center, did you?

    You could see a POI change if the gun detonated, as the vibration would be different allowing the pellet to leave the muzzle when it's in a slightly different part of the harmonic node.

    If it went supersonic, you could see a POI change as the pellet either tumbled or part of the skirt was damaged from the air blast.

    ???

  26. Dr.G,
    Ditto on the scope suggestion from derric38. My Leapers 1.5×6-50 has a huge field of view. But… I'd suggest a better scope than that one unless you really do hunt at close range.

    My 1.5×6-50 had a real paralax issue. Replaced it with a 4×12-40 AO. Not as bright and smaller field of view… but much easier to hit the target.

    DB

  27. …Re. Scope for Kodiak…

    I have been using the same scope on this air rifle as on the others (Leapers 6-24X, usually cranked to 24X), and typically shoot 20 – 50 yards when outside. On occasion I can shoot to as far as 120 yards (viz., the maximum allowed by natural small bore air gun law).

    I will try adjusting down in power.

    – Dr. G.

  28. Fred,
    It was just an idea. I had it happen with my 36-2 while using Hobby pellets (I normally use heavier pellets in it), and I could see a peewee (although they're rare with JSB) doing something similar.

    TwoTalon,
    Don't mess with FP-10, and please take care of yourself. Let us know how you are doing, also. Cancer scares us all, but treatments have advanced considerably over the last few years.

    Matt,
    Another BV outing today, and the groupings just get tighter. I had wind, so some fliers, but it looks like CCI RN's are going to group significantly less than .5" c-t-c at 50 yards, which gives me a lot of hope for the "good stuff".

    Dr.G.
    The rifle sounds pretty nice to me. I'm skeptical about it kicking as hard as even a .30-30, but its obviously producing quite a bit more recoil than most air rifles. Is it possibly the cocking effort and rifle's weight that are tiring you out?

    Sounds like it has a function, just not as a target rifle:).

  29. To All,

    rws 350 Detonation?

    I believe I solved the problem. It was neither a detonation or a supersonic pellet. It was a fire with no pellet! I put the rifle on my chrony just now and was averaging about 870 fps which is 35 fps faster than when I last tested it. The pellets were the heavy JSB Exacts – 10.35 gr. – same as last night. However, the JSB's are on the loose side in the rifle and as I snapped the barrel back into firing position, the pellet fell out. I discovered this when something hit my leg tonight and I realized what it was. So that explains the two loud detonations. Fortunately, it seems the seal is still in good shape. The bad news is I killed my Chrony.

    Thanks for all your thoughts and help. I guess I have to order a new Chrony now. I didn't like the color of my old one anyway… (I know, they only come in red for the "A" model).

  30. BG,

    The cocking effort and weight are not a problem..once I learned how to cock it using the shoulder muscles (like pitching a baseball) rather than the arm muscles. It is the recoil that truly fatigues me.

    – Dr. G.

  31. Dr. G.,

    I don't recommend leaving the gun cocked for a month. Your problem is not with the mainspring, but with the weight of the piston, which is causing all that movement.

    A gas spring won't cure the problem, either, though it will mitigate the movement a lot.

    The solution is to shoot a different gun–preferably a PCP.

    B.B.

  32. Two Talon,

    I'm very sorry to learn about your medical problems. Edith has started looking for a natural alternative to replace FP-10 as a pellet lube. Please know that Pyramyd AIR takes your report seriously and will look into this product.

    B.B.

  33. JT,
    I almost missed the 2nd Amendment church. While I agree that America was founded on (among other principles) freedom of religion and an individual's right to bear arms, it still seems a little strange to mix guns and church. As kids, we weren't even allowed to discharge firearms on Sunday.

  34. Fred,

    I'll bet you that my detonation was caused the same way. I've got an excuse, in that 2 out of my 3 working brain cells were on a coffee break. Who would have thought that both of us would do the same thing.

    Tell me, please, what happened to your chrony–cause I just got one and to be fore warned is to be fore armed. Thank you. That is unless the story is just too painful, you know like you were practicing your quick draw and testing some new hand loads.:)

    Mr B.

  35. Mr. B, the Chrony suffered a fatal shot to the LCD. This was after shrugging off a shot to the top of the metal case when I first purchased it. IT will get a proper burial tomorrow and PA is now short one Chrony A. As others on this blog had suggested, a halogen work light aimed at the ceiling, even without the diffuser shades, worked just fine even with florescent lighting still on. The brilliance of the halogen masked the flicking of the florescents.

    I guess I just had the Chrony too close to my line of fire. The next one will be placed well below the muzzle and sight line and hopefully will work with no problems.

    However, I'm still not sure why the POI would drop unless the dry fire did weaken the seal and reduce the velocity of the pellet?

  36. Marauder Report,

    Crony test with JSB 10.4 Exact heavy.. my other tanks are at the scuba shop, so I'm using one tank that has been going down with the testing..
    So.. a 2,670 fill was all I could get today.. I'll give you the full shot string of all 80 shots:
    Shot one.. 843fps, 872, 877, 881, 894, 869, 877, 878, 882, 884, err,
    err, 896, 891, 896, 889, 888, 909, 901, 912, 906, 927,922, 921, 924, 922, 920, 917, 920, 920, (2,150 lbs) 922, 922, 916, 913, 916, 911, 912, 909, 906, 907, 902, 900, 900, 894, 900, 890, (2,000 lbs) 891, 884, 882, 879, 877, 875, 869,874,863,854,854,851, 848, 844, (even with first shot 1,800 lbs) 841, 831, 819, 819, 815, 811, 804, 804, (1,500 lbs) hammer misfire, 645, 792, 786, 781, 776, 763, 760, 753, 751fps (1050 lbs.. stop shooting)

    The hammer didn't hit hard enough on shot number 70 to fire for some reason.. maybe it's set to stop at 1,600 lbs.. the 645 was probably two pellets.. It's done this 4 times now.. only one shot, then back to the string pattern.. the other times it happened at higher pressure..

    Josh just brought in fresh tanks so before it got too dark, I filled up (3,000 lbs) the Evanix Blizzard S10 .22 cal and got 20 shots over the crony…

    JSB .22 cal 16gr. shot one: 1139fps, 1133, 1118, err, 1126, 1122, 1104, 1086, 1090, 1078, 1080, 1073, 1069, 1055, 1042, 1036, 1022, 1028, 1024, 1019fps .. After shot 20 the gauge read 150 bar or about 2,100 lbs

    Too late to write more tonight.. but there is some raw data to sleep on..

    Wayne,
    Ashland Air Rifle Range

    word verification: "dabird"

  37. Mr. B.

    If you want your crony to last.. use a bench rest to hold the gun or at least something to keep you from shooting to low.. it seem dumb to shoot low, but it's surprisingly easy to do when just holding it.. or angle and hit the back one.. I've hit mine 4 times (once today!).. now.. and it still works for some reason!

    And you get err (like I did today) if you don't have it perfectly lined up.. so you save shots and get better info with a steady well lined up gun.

    So…. do as I say, not as I do, use a bench rest!! (I'm gonna start too!)

    Wacky Wayne

  38. Hi all

    I wanted to know if there is a foot pump as all the pumps I have come across are hand operated. I have used foot pumps to fill car tires, that are way too easy and u can just put all your weight by stand on them when it gets tough.

    Thanks
    Indra

  39. TwoTalon
    Very sorry to hear about your situation.
    Best wishes for a speedy and painless
    recovery.Hope your message gets out so others can be warned.

    BGFarmer
    At least BYOG to church was on a saturday.
    I thought it was interesting and
    unusual,but not really unheard of.The real problem is that the message will be
    missed because someone in the media is
    bound to label them.I can hear it now
    conservative religious wackos!oh well
    that's the way it works I guess.

    BB and Edith
    Your little troll is back!Guess he
    thought he'd sneak in while yall were busy,still can't understand those types
    or maybe I just don't want to:)

    JTinAL

  40. Indra
    I haven't heard of a foot pump for PCP's
    (doesn't mean there aren't any:))
    Sounds like a neat idea but I would think
    the stroke is way too long and the
    pressures too high to put your weight into it while balancing on one foot.
    Seems like the cost to benefit ratio would
    be too high for all the linkages and
    levers to make it workable.I still like the idea of it though,maybe some of these
    engineers and metal workers could make it work.VINCE,KEVIN,MATT,BG?any takers?

    JTinAL

  41. twotalon,

    When I spoke with Tom last night about some possible substitutes, I wanted to find natural oil substitutes. The two I came up with are emu oil (which is the same oil you'd ingest if you were eating emu meat) and food-grade coconut oil. The latter is not liquid at room temperatures. I thought about putting a bit in a pellet tin & setting it in the sun so it would become liquid. Then you could roll the pellets in it. After that, the pellets would have a solid coating on them at normal room temps.

    Emu oil is the easiest solution but most people won't find straight emu oil locally & would have to order it online. Food-grade coconut oil is available at just about any good health food store or a store that sells vitamins/supplements.

    Edith (Mrs. B.B.)

  42. Edith & B.B.

    Great idea! I love coconut oil.. our household (which is large with Chris's Parents living here too.) buys Coconut oil in 5 gal pails direct from a manufacture on the island.. It's also the base for a lot of lotions and works great direct on your skin as a facial oil or for dry hands… good stuff for your body!! and of course it's really good to cook with..

    I think it's a great idea for pellets too since it gets solid under about 75 degrees..

    I'm gonna try it soon!

    Wayne,
    Ashland Air Rifle Range

  43. twotalon,

    The stuff you use for tanning is not food-grade coconut oil, which is very soft & mushy at room temps. It has the consistency of whipped cream cheese…or very soft peanut butter.

    Edith (Mrs. B.B.)

  44. Edith….

    Why not plain old mineral oil that you can buy at a drug store?

    Normal use…wipe down wood cutting boards in the kitchen, and is sold as a laxitive.

    No strange synthetic additives that are all known to cause cancer in California.

    twotalon

  45. twotalon,

    I'm not sure about the additives in the suntan lotion.. it might be fine.. but.. a quart jar of coconut oil at the natural foods store or section of major chains, is about $7.00

    We get two grades from the island, one is much more waxy and stays solid longer in higher temps.. that might be the one that would work best..

    Edith, how would one go about a test? What other oils to try.. Olive oil, Corn oil, just other cooking oils?

    What would we look for in the test?..
    ..I know I would like to find a natural way to stop the CPH from getting my fingers black!.. and getting the barrel dirty…

    Do you think accuracy would be affected? Feet per Second? Ease of loading into a 10 shot magazine? How much it gumms up the magazine? (I don't know if I want to experiment with my mags with that one!!, maybe the old factory mags from Air Arms, since I've replaced them with high quality ones from RCMachine)..
    ..could make them better!

    Anyway, give me feedback and I might do it..

    Wayne,
    Ashland Air Rifle Range

  46. twotalon,

    I wouldn't use mineral oil. When buying cosmetics or anything I apply topically, I avoid those with mineral oil. It can be absorbed through the skin. It is also a petroleum-based product, just like FP-10.

    Wayne,

    The purpose of trying various natural oils is to see if accuracy & velocity are affected. I would stay away from corn oil as it will build up a gummy residue, which is the last thing you want in your gun. If you have a container of corn oil that you've used for a while, look at the rim below the cap. You'll see a gummy residue. I stopped cooking with it decades ago.

    You won't see a gummy residue from peanut oil, safflower oil, grapeseed oil, olive oil, emu oil (which I use only as a topical pain-reliever & to heal minor burns), almond oil, walnut oil, macadamia nut oil or sunflower oil. Those are the only ones I've used to-date. Some of these oils are kind of pricey (I've used only the organic products & some of these are available only as organic), but you don't have to use much for oiling pellets.

    Edith (Mrs. B.B.)

  47. Edith…

    I can think of one thing that I will not try as a pellet lube….Breakfree. That's some strange stuff too. Makes a good bore cleaner, but have a feeling that it may have a lot of bad things in it like the FP-10.

    Think I will just use the Dupont teflon /wax dry lube.

    twotalon

  48. Edith,

    Thanks for that list, and that sounds like a doable test.. I'm not sure I'd do all those natural oils.. that would be a large test.. maybe I could do your best guess on the 3 top choices.. plus the two grades of coconut oil..

    twotalon,

    Do you really know about the Dupont teflon /wax dry lube? It's not a natural product..

    Let me start with some of the waxy coconut oil on the CPH and report back later today on that..

    I could send you some of that grade coconut oil right away and we could both test it..

    Wayne,
    Ashland Air Rifle Range

  49. Wayne
    Might not be a good time to test anything for a while. I see the oncologist next week and things will start getting hectic pretty fast from there.

    twotalon

  50. twotalon,

    In most cases, cancer is not meant to kill, but to scare us into doing what we really want to do with our lives. It's a wake-up call.

    Have a dead-end job? An unsupportive relationship? Think you're "happy enough" but you constantly daydream about doing something else with your life? Now's the time to radically change that life.

    Cancer may well be the excuse you need to stop playing by Society's and other people's rules and play by your own.

    If none of the above applies, please accept my apologies for assuming I know more about your life than you do.

    I wish you all the best, and sincere good luck.

    ps. You might want to rent a copy of THE GUITAR, with Saffron Burrows.

  51. Anon….
    I appreciate your comments.
    At 60 my life has gone to a standstill. It has been time for a change for a long time. Time for a new life.

    Live or die, it will be a new life.

    What really bites is the thought of all of the fine airguns that I could have bought with the money that is going out the window right now, and if I could have recognized what the source of the problem was sooner.

    twotalon

  52. twotalon,

    All the more reason to stop using anything that is not organic.. try one of the natural oils Edith mentioned instead of the Dupont teflon /wax dry lube… while recovering at least..

    Wayne

  53. Wayne..
    Maybe I will just shoot them dry and dirty. It's the crosman pellets that I have the leading problem with.
    At this point, it's not an issue with the Talon as I can't shoot crosmans anyway ….has a Condor power plant. Can stick with the Exacts with the SS and put up the crosmans for some time later. Exacts and cp both shoot about the same with the .22 barrel in the SS.

    twotalon.

  54. twotalon,

    That was great advice about this being a wake up call to live life to YOUR rules. 3 months ago I was told to "get my affairs in order" after a heart test and "nothing could be done". They gave me 2 years. I am 47 and have a wonderful family that depends on me. My youngest son is only 8 years old.

    I immediately went on that heart healthy diet I'd been postponing and started walking more. I lost 27 uneeded pounds in a month without missing a single meal. Now the doctors say I don't have a serious problem at all and it must be a "miracle".

    Either I was misdiagnosed and scared into doing something positive, or by doing something positive I caused a "miracle". Either is good.

    One of my dearest friends was diagnosed with Mesothelioma and told he had 6 weeks to live. He was 43 and never smoked. Five years later he is still kicking and just won that autocross championship he never thought he had time for. The chances of living 1 year with Mesothelioma is approximately 800 to 1 and it cubes every year afterwards according to my friend. He still has the disease, but he has done more living in 5 years than he ever dreamed possible. His doctors have decided to quit making predictions.

    Not all bad news brings bad things in our lives and doctors can't always predict the future. I say they most often er on the side of disaster to spurn us into helping ourselves overcome.

    Peace!

  55. Ralph,

    Wow, Thanks for sharing that one!!

    Great wake up call for us all!!

    The doctors have another issue with liability insurance, they have to give the worst possible news to protect from getting sued for missing a problem..

    Real catch 22 as it were..

    Anyway, just take what they say with a grain of salt so to speak.. also because natural remedies (as simple as diet change).. are squashed as much as possible by the medical industry..

    ..your and your friends stories are proof positive!!

    Wayne

  56. Ok, this is not a blog.. but..

    Coconut oil on CHP report..

    I took a box of Crosman Premier Heavy 10.5 domed .177 that I had soaked in the "kryTech" Finish Line Wax lube, that Derrick sent me (for free, thanks again!).. They still got my fingers dirty, probably because I didn't wash them first..

    So I took some of those and soaked them in coconut oil in the sun, then poured them onto paper towels and rolled them around.. Most of the lead dust was left on the paper towels.. I didn't dry them, just stuck them in the freezer for 10 min.. They fed in the mag much nicer.. AND NO BLACK ON MY FINGERS!!!

    I also just took a fresh unlubed box and washed them in rubbing alcohol and then soaked them in the coconut oil.. I'll freeze them and test them later..

    Then I filled the Maruader to 2,800 lbs again and here is the shot string:

    869fps, 855, 864, 850, 859, 863, 877, 865, 878, 864, 868, 880, 874, 871, 885, 892, 893, 872, 875, 890, 889, 889, 889, 888, 895, 902, 899, 904, 904, 906, 906, 905, 908, 911, 912, 926, 926, 924, 924, 920, 918, 913, 913, 888, 878, 878, 869, 868, 867, 861, 860, 860, 855, 855, 855, 852, 849, 847, 847, 845, 845, 841, 836, 835, (1,900 lbs) 832, 830, 825, 821, 819, 815, 806, 806, 804, 804, 799, 799, 797, 780, 787, 784, 781, 780, 777, 770, 767, 762, 759, 750. (1,100 lbs)

    Didn't count yet, you guys figure your shot string..
    If your pumping you could pick some short sections and refill often.. I prefer to deal with hold over and under and fill less often with the scuba tanks..

    I'll take her to the range next..

    Wayne,
    Ashland Air Rifle Range

  57. Wayne

    Have noticed that a pellet tin with a couple layers of paper towels cut to fit will pick up a lot of dirt from oiled pellets. They become much cleaner while the paper towel applies a small amount of oil to the pellets…as long as you don't put in too much oil in in the first place.

    twotalon

  58. Well, since money is not an issue in my search for repeaters, it came down to the AAS410 or the Mendoza2800, which is a hoot because money is always an issue. But since i am worried about the world coming to an end, i thought, hmmm, the only thing i need is pellets for the Mendoza; no external air source needed. But the Mendoza is on backorder due to extraordinary demand, apparently cleaning an air rifle that comes dirty direct from the factory is not an issue for many folks. Having said all that, and since i cant get Big Bore Addict to offer his expertise, i have some questions. #1)can i get an extra mag or 2 somewhere, preferably RCMag? 2)can i make the doggone thing quieter somehow? 3)will a gas spring help functionality and 4)is there a tuner who can help such a low-end tool with both tuning and gassing? Thanks.

  59. Evening folks,

    I've been sitting here reading all of the weekend posts. What a wonderful caring group of peope you've brought and kept together B.B.. The love and compassion that I see being directed towards twotalon says nothing but good things about all of you. I'm proud to be a member and know you all.

    Mr B.

  60. JT,
    I was hot to get a PCP for a while because I had a great idea to build a pump like they used for the old diver suits, but I'm really lazy at heart — load, cock, aim, shoot (something like it says on the sticker on my Red Ryder):). Since the law doesn't prevent me from using a .22 as I see fit and most PCP's in my tolerable price range are just as loud to the uneducated observer, not much point. I also just love the idea of springer independence.

    I missed that the church was doing the gun thing on Saturday. I think you point out a fact about the media: anyone with a gun or traditional Christian beliefs is usually portrayed as a nutter; this is a double whammy.

  61. B.B.

    Just like my last night fixing airplanes before I started outprocessing to retire. RF4-c with a wiring problem. #397 if I remember right.

    I will be here in an attempt to help.

    twotalon

  62. Twotalon,
    I hope the future finds you in fine health.

    Mr. B,
    You are good people. Thanks for the kind post.

    Dr. G,
    One of my few peep sighted rifles was my .25 cal Patriot. I found the Beeman sight a better choice over glass on that .25 caliber beast.
    However most of my enjoyment in air rifles came from the journey, not the final destination. So I say experiment all you want. When I finally amassed my “perfect” collection – it was a tad boring.

    Wayne,
    Thanks for your continuing Marauder observations.

    Bg farmer,
    If you try a PCP, I will write one of those short stories you like: )

    Volvo

  63. Derrick38,

    the interesting thing about the resulting groupings after dry firing the RWS350 is that other than having to re-zero my scope, the pellets were still grouping very tight. It didn't open up. The Chrony showed the rifle was still healthy before taking the fatal shot.

    Twotalon, I will be thinking about you and wishing for a speedy and complete recovery, partner.

    Wos – if you fail to understand the warning Twotalon was announcing to all of us, that chemicals can affect some of us detrimentally to the point of life threatening illnesses and to beware, then you really should seek professional help.

  64. Hi All,
    I'm back from camp and trying to catch up on IZH-61 comments. Thanks everyone for the interesting comments and kind words.

    twotalon, holy cow man!! I am so sorry to hear about your medical situation. I hope you have someone to share your situation with. If not, and things get out of hand, please ask your health care providers for the name of a support group. Sharing works miracles, also.

    Josh, the taller front blade and larger hood would definitely work.

    Edith, good idea on the IZH-61 combos. The way I did it I didn't get the free shipping bonus the combo has.

    Cowboystardad, somewhere I read you put your eye right up to the cup to cut out light and distractions but I'll be darned if I can find where I read that.

    Matt61, All I did to install the sights was slide them on and tighten the set screws. The Beeman has not budged a bit since I installed it before last February in spite of those very thin set screws. The Daisy Avanti, which has one big, beefy set screw you can turn with a quarter, has creeped about 1/8" since then. I agree with you the BugBuster is a good way to go. At 10m the 6X power is great. What I didn't notice before is that the Daisy Avanti does have a lens in it, however it does not provide any magnification that I can see so I think it would qualify for 10m comp…anybody?

    Anonymous compare 61/953/853, There have been several comments recently about this comparison. My take is to get the 953. I like the 61 but it is a springer and hold sensitive. The 953 is not, with no recoil, and can be used either single shot or with a 5 shot clip. On my 10m range they are accurate and equally accurate. If you get the 61 try the RWS Supermag 9.3gr pellets. If you get the 953 try the JSB Exact 8.2 pellets.

    I think that catches me up. If I left anybody out let me know. I would be glad to respond.

    -C

  65. Volvo,

    Your welcome… testing the guns is fun, fun, fun!!

    The Marauder is really shaping up.. I would not take two of them for my special Air Arms S410 .177 that is giving me 130 shots starting at 820 and slowly moving to 750fps.. or

    .. cranked up (in 1/2 a second).. to 1041fps with 10.4 JSB and get 90 good shots ending at 875fps..

    That's not a whole lot better than the Marauder, (especially since I haven't tried to tweak the power adjuster yet on the Marauder.. gotta get out the allen wrench!) ..
    ..
    and some of the AAs410s I've shot might be real close to this one .177 Marauder I just tested, as far as number of accurate shots and feet per second..

    ..but the fit and finish is not of the Air Arms quality.. the side lever is a lot better than the straight pull bolt.. The quality of the 10 shot magazine is almost equal to the AA factory 10 shot mag.. but with the RC Machine aftermarket mags easy to get, that makes the Air Arms side lever 2 lb. effort, smooth as silk and very dependable.. A REAL BIG DIFFERENCE FOR ME!

    Although the Marauder mag worked twice as smooth with the coconut oil on the pellets!! and also the 90 shot string didn't have any of the hammer spring non-fire issues I had before!

    The Marauder is well worth the $500 price tag.. and for the average Air Arms new S410.. I WOULD take two of the Marauders for sure.. just not this special one!

    Wacky Wayne
    Ashland Air Rifle Range

  66. Volvo,
    You know my weaknesses, but honestly, its more a matter of not wanting to learn anything new:), not to mention the fact that when/if I do go to a PCP, I'm sure to spend several man-months researching and obsessing about all the kit and don't have time right now. Anyway, its not as if I'm suffering: I really do enjoy my springers and feel comfortable with the technology:).

    Fred,
    My theory is that the dry-fire moved the scope mount or scope in rings…sorry if somebody already mentioned that possibility.

  67. Mr B
    Thanx for the great link,I book marked it.
    Even though those things were a decade
    or more before my time,I still have memories of most of it.
    It did make me check the utility room for
    my glass PET milk bottles,then I just had to dig through the junk closet for my
    Duncan Butterfly:)
    Can you be nostalgic for a time when you weren't around ?:)

    That housekeeping article is a dangerous time bomb!Don't let the Ladies see you dreaming over that one,at least not if you enjoy your peace and quiet:))

    JTinAL

  68. twotalon,

    I had thought that cancer on the neck was something that could be removed quickly. My Dad has had numbers of routine procedures like this. I hope yours doesn't prove to be more serious. Don't delay in getting treatment and by all means live life to the full. I would say in part by getting airguns although it sounds like that will have to wait. I too have started valuing things in terms of currency of airguns.

    Oilers, to one who doesn't like the inconvenience of hand pumps, oiling pellets is a step even beyond that. Wouldn't coconut or other natural oils mess up your guns or attract bugs to them?

    BG_Farmer, terrific news about the Savage BV–sub MOA without even using the really good stuff. But on the subject of rimfires while dozing and dreaming of guns in the morning which is my custom, I had a new inspiration–the Clark Custom Ruger 10/22 modified for the Chevy Sportsman's Team Challenge. A bit pricey to be sure although fairly cheap for a custom gun, but what a piece of equipment with that Lothar Walther fluted barrel. One really has to give the 10/22 it's due for semiauto rimfires, and I was quite concerned about the idea of a protruding clip in the Savage rifles interfering with the offhand position. This is not a problem with the 10/22's rotary clip. I think an important ability to cultivate is to enjoy all these guns in your fantasies without being consumed by a desire to own them.

    Since the issue was raised, here is a tabulation of the virtues of springers:

    1) The Daniel Boone factor – one man and one gun who can vanish into the forest without being tied to equipment. Of course one wouldn't really vanish into a forest with a springer, but the image is important.

    2) Engineering marvel – in a documentary on the Apollo 13 (or was it 11?) near disaster, the scientists talked about how they had to jury rig devices out of available things in the spacecraft that were fairly crude such as hoses and boxes. Thus the high-level engineering that pulled off the rescue was not technology but the intelligent and economical application of resources. By this criteria, the springer with its quietness and simple, cheap mechanism has to stand tall.

    3) Resistance training – You want big muscles, you need to lift big weights. If you want to develop shooting skill, it makes sense to shoot something challenging. Of course it should reward effort if done correctly without giving random fliers. But anything requiring more concentration on shooting technique (like hold sensitivity) could actually be good.

    Foot pump, nice idea. I agree that required pressure per stroke could make balance difficult. But surely there's a way to lower this pressure. Then the foot pump could give you the benefit of working while you're doing something else which you couldn't with a hand pump–except perhaps with a 2000 lb. fill.

    Anonymous, yes it looks like Wos is ready to feed. The atomic bomb imagery is very funny and probably true. But there may be another way of looking at it. The novel, The Scarlet Letter, has a character who is a vindictive maniac. But Hawthorne suggests at the end that what seems to be obsessive anger driving this person is very close to "golden love"…????

    Matt61

  69. Thanks for the care and encouragement.

    I needed to get the word out. If you are one of the people that this stuff will go after, it will not warn you with skin irritation or a rash. It will do the unexpected in strange ways.

    If you experience any problems no matter how slight you need to look hard at anything you are doing that has changed in the fairly recent past…..with any product….and stop.

    twotalon

  70. John R,

    On the Mendoza 2800, that's an on board magazine.. and the design is such that air leaks at that loading point..
    The one we had only got about 600fps (not the 850 advertised) with .22 cal 14.3 CPH..

    Also, it's very picky about pellets, both in feeding and fit in the barrel for accuracy..

    It's also very large and heavy..

    At first glance.. I'm really liking the .22cal Evanix Blizzard s10 too.. more on it today I hope..

    Wayne,
    Ashland Air Rifle Range

  71. Please do not respond to Wos/Woz or acknowledge his comments. Everything he posts will be deleted regardless of the nature of his comments.

    Thanks,
    Edith (Mrs. B.B.)

  72. Matt,
    I think you've got it. Also, while the pros use lots of exotic equipment, materials, and lubricants for springers, one can be maintained and possibly even built using hand tools (rifled barrel excepted:)). If I ever needed to live on small game, I think a springer would be my choice. I could even retrieve the pellets and re-smelt them, just to carry your long-hunter analogy a bit farther:).

  73. BG_Farmer & Matt61,

    Well heck.. nothing is simpler than the bow and arrow.. if were going back in time and sustainable lifestyles!

    They can easily be made from organic materials on hand in the forest..

    Wayne

  74. Wayne,

    I have already told Tom that we have to buy a crossbow "just because…." (My brother & I shot archery as teens.) I don't know what the future holds, so I try to prepare for some likely scenarios. Because of my parents' experience during/after WWII, I don't ever want to be in a situation where I can't defend myself or feed myself if things go from bad to worse.

    Edith (Mrs. B.B.)

  75. Mr B,
    Nice trip down memory lane. How did you get hold of my family photos? Oh, wait, they're still in the box, here. How did you get copies of my photos?

    Compare that to 50 years from now: "How were you able to view my family picture CDs? I haven't been able to view them since my CD player became obsolete 40 years ago."

    -C

  76. Wayne,
    Good point, but its much easier to hit small game at 25 yards with a rifle than a bow, in my opinion. Trapping is also an option for subsistence, and my favorite, fishing. I would pick a springer for small game, a black powder rifle for bigger stuff (or "barking" squirrels), and have knife, bow, etc., as backup. Unfortunately, I don't see the collapse of civilization in my lifetime, but we can hope:). I wonder how many bench-resters would starve to death waiting for boxes of Eley Tenex to come up river:).

  77. Matt61,
    I came across these two comments made by you last week that I haven't answered yet:

    "I thought "diopter" meant there was magnification built in."

    "Let us know your favorite sighting arrangement."

    I looked up diopter and all the definitions I found include lenses. It is a measurement of curvature of a lens. I wondered how the Daisy Avanti Diopter could be called such and, as I mentioned in a comment yesterday, there is actually a glass lens in the sight. Apparently these are still legal in 10m shooting. Start here and work your way back:

    /blog/2008/2/10-meter-rifle-part-3-the-olympic-rifles/

    Even the new AirForce Edge looks like it has a diopter sight. The Feinwerkbau 700 specs show: Rear Sight: Diopter/micrometer adjustable. Apparently a lens is ok and varying diopters are ok as long as it doesn't magnify and diopter doesn't necessarily mean magnification.

    As far as my favorite sighting option is concerned, I prefer the 6X BugBuster. After that I would say the Daisy Avanti, however, if I could afford those expensive multi-aperture sights I might like them even better. I have yet to experiment putting a pinhole insert into the Beeman to see if that improves my sight picture. I just remembered that. It was a suggestion from someone on this blog that slipped my feeble mind and I didn't pursue. I must do that. It could open new doors.

    -C

  78. I did a little more reading on diopter and noticed that varying diopter changes the focal length of a lens and not the magnification. In my contact I have a -2 diopter lens that changes the focal length so that the image falls ON my retina rather than in front or behind it. It does not magnify the image. However, that would be cool to have a contact lens that would be able to magnify on demand. Shades of bionic man!
    -C

  79. twotalon,

    I would use a cocking aid, which significantly reduces the cocking effort.

    I'll be the first to admit that a crossbow isn't an ideal weapon for self-defense or even regular hunting (although plenty of people do the latter), but it's just one more alternative. While other people have a plan B, I often have plans C, D, E, F, G, H, etc. My penchant for over-planning & coming up with alternatives has been a great source of humor & jokes in our household.

    Tom always has a plan B and usually a plan C. That's his Army mindset. My mindset is based on what happens when world events change everything so substantially that plans B & C aren't in the realm of possibility.

    Edith (Mrs. B.B.)

  80. Edith(Mrs.BB)
    I really like crossbows,with a good set of sighting pins or purpose built scope
    holdover is almost a non-issue up to
    ~40 yds.and they can be effective on all
    types of game from squirrels to deer.You can even fish with the right setup:)I
    know that bows are faster to fire and
    I like a good recurve but I'm not as accurate as with a crossbow.

    On the subject of foot pumps (sort of)
    Haven't people built contraptions to
    use an electric motor to work a regular
    hand pump?Couldn't this idea be used
    as a bicycle style foot pump instead of
    an electric motor?It wouldn't be very portable but it would give a good cardio workout while reading or
    watching t.v:)Possibly I think too much about this kind of stuff?:)Oh well!
    Happy weekend all

    JTinAL

  81. Edith and Mr. BB –
    I for one, would not mind at all reading a report on how the B Squared family is readying for TEOWAWKI. Perspective, philosophy, strategy, how tos, wheres, defense tool choices and why, that sort of thing. That is, if such a thing is allowed in this format. Just wondering in case TSHTF.

  82. John R.,
    I referenced a book a while back that addresses your question very well. However, it doesn't involve the B-Square people you're referring to. It is a good read and fun. Don't let the title scare you off or the premise of this book. It sounds loopy but addresses weapon choices and defensive structures and survival in a fun sort of way. The info can be applied to almost any survival situation. Ok, that being said here goes:

    "The ZOMBIE Survival Guide" by Max Brooks. It was or is a New York Times best seller written in 2003.

    You can replace the word ZOMBIE with almost any foe you choose and the book will work for you.

    -C

  83. Wayne,

    Okay, I'm not much of a survivalist I admit, but bows are fun. And I have the very one for you. The Sequoia longbow from Cabela's–outstanding value for $135! I got one with a 60 pound draw weight with the idea I would work up to it. I'm actually on a quest to figure out the lost mystery of the English longbow of the Robin Hood days. Medieval longbows were recovered from a shipwreck fairly recently and calculated to have a draw weight of 180 lbs.! How in the world did they draw those much less shoot them all afternoon? If you think of an analogy of bench-pressing 180 or 200 lbs. it doesn't make any sense. Even the notions of a lifetime of practice and steel hard arms and shoulders as these guys are supposed to have had doesn't do it. There is some lost technique that I am at work recovering with a mix of martial arts techniques and clips of YouTube reenactors… 🙂 Here is a profound if low-tech engineering problem.

    The only written source from the times talks about the English throwing their bodies into the bow whatever that means. I have come up with some methods that make drawing a 60 pound bow much easier but have not tried anything more. Whatever these techniques are they would make cocking Dr. G's rifle a snap. For the time being, I would just suggest engaging not just the arm and shoulder but the body weight as well by sagging the body and exhaling during the cocking stroke. The movement of internal body structures generates a surprising amount of inertia that can get routed into the cocking stroke. This particular technique is partly how the Russian martial artists can seem to barely move and send you flying across the room as was done to me.

    Otherwise, for cocking a crossbow, even the medievals had a winch and a foot stirrup so surely there is a cocking aid now, and there is always the compound bow.

    Edith, do you have a story like Josh Ungar's? It would be interesting to hear.

    Chuck, thanks for pursuing the diopter business. I think we are in deep waters here. My reading suggests that high level competitors, at least in high power can have diopters attached to the front and back of the front sight (although not both at the same time) as well as the rear sight. Prevailing opinion seems to be to attach it to the rear of the front sight.

    Also, there are further words of wisdom from David Tubb on vision. Regarding closure of the non-shooting eye, he claims that you do want light coming into that eye, but you do not want its image interfering with your sight picture. The solution is pasties over the middle of the lens of shooting glasses for that eye. That allows light in but does not allow a focus on the target. He also claims that if you cup your hands around your eyes or the upper part of your face, you will see better. How to do this? A special Anschutz hat with a brim that has shields hanging off of it. Tubb also has an endless array of lenses for his shooting glasses of all colors and brightnesses which he uses to tune his vision for particular conditions. I can't believe this guy.

    Matt61

  84. Wow, that's alot of news to catch up on! Very active blog, that's great and why this forum is so much fun.

    Sorry to hear the health concerns, two talon. We also just found out some of our own, my wife has a hyper inflated cholesterol level that runs in her family. She's just now 40 and her bad cholesterol level was over 600! Yikes, she's not happy about spending the rest of her life on medication and eating bland chicken and brussels sprouts. But considering, she's lucky because she's not having any serious side effects like high blood pressure or anything.

    I've also got good news! Finally got paid by the slow payers and now am ready to buy my first air rifle in 30 years! I thought I'd open my final thoughts up to the forum and see what you guys had to say.

    First, I have decided finally on a 392 with a williams peep. The pluses are that it seems like It will be the least hold sensitive rifle for the purpose (hunting.) It seems like a very well made and accurate rifle that will last a very long time. I can also vary the pumps so that I can use it for a variety of purposes (bees.) I have found that may hunt with it just the way it is, and if I find I need more power, I can always send it to Mac1 for a pretty reasonable fee. Finally, and this may seem trivial to some, it's not made in China. Nothing against the Chinese, but anyway…

    The bad points are that I have to pump the darn thing! I've actually borrowed a friends and while it does get my heart rate up, it's really not that bad. The other bad point is that it's a little loud, but not really that loud.

    Wayne, you have convinced me that PCP's are the way to go and I believe that a Marauder is in my future, but I simply cannot justify the cost right now.

    I just can't get a comfort factor with the hold sensitivity of springers. I may be overexaggerating the effect, but I'd hate to be enlessly frustrated because I can't find the right hold, or the situation is such that I can't hold it just so. If I'm blowing the effect of hold sensitivity up too much, please let me know. It seems like every review I read of a springer end with the sentiment – 'sure it's hold sensitive, but so is everything else.'

    Any thoughts?

  85. Matt61,

    Yes, I have a story like Josh's. My brother and I wrote a 40-page booklet about our family's ordeal so his children & grandchildren have the basic story & can appreciate the freedoms they take for granted. As you might expect, they're not that interested because it was long ago, & they're not impacted by anything in the story. Only lovers of history would be interested. Maybe I'll convert the booklet into something that can be viewed on the internet (although that takes time, too).

    I have long wanted to write a complete book about our family but haven't had the time. Actually, it deserves to be a movie, but I don't know anyone in the industry who could make it happen.

    Everyone who's heard the story shakes their head in disbelief & horror. Much of what happened 70+ years ago is happening again today, but it's so well concealed and candy-coated by the press that only a few recognize it for what it truly is.

    Edith (Mrs. B.B.)

  86. John R.,

    I don't know that Edith and I are survivalists as much as we just don't like others planning our future for us.

    But here in Tornado Alley it's prudent to have a "bug-out bag" or two prepared for rapid evacuations.

    Maybe I could report on that some day?

    Part of what I want to talk about is some of the ancillary equipment that Pyramyd AIR carries, so it would even fit within the framework of describing the products.

    How about it, guys?

    B.B.

  87. B.B.
    That sounds like an interesting plan as well. You two seem like an interesting couple. I'm sure anything you'd like to share with us would be worth the read.

  88. Edith(Mrs.B.B.)

    It seems like the value system that made us the greatest nation on earth is being deliberatly perverted into something that history says never worked no matter how badly the system mistreated its citizens to make it work. (Pol Pot, The Long March, The Jewish Solution, etc.)

    Mr B.

  89. Edith,
    I believe his children will become very interested in the family history, over time. I don't know how old they are, but around 30-40 everyone of my siblings became very interested in family history where before there was none or not much interest. Save the books! Re-gift them for their 30th birthday or their 40th or 50th depending on how old they are now.

    -C

  90. twotalon,

    We LOVE Tremors! We have the Tremors Attack Pack, which has all 4 movies. I believe I will watch the original Tremors tonight!

    Edith (Mrs. B.B.)

  91. Edith(Mrs.B.B.),

    I forgot to mention grabbing its citizens by their economic throats, using judges to write laws, etc.

    B.B.,

    Yes we'd be interested in your bug out bag.

    Mr B.

  92. BB and MrsBB
    YES PLEASE Gardening,Hunting and food prep
    and storage are skills I think everyone
    needs but there is so much more.
    Any Ideas and plans would be great reading

    Fused
    Since you like the 392 why not check out
    the ACP392(Air Conserving Pumper)Same or
    better power fewer pump strokes etc…

    JTinAL

  93. Everyone,

    Actually Edith can't watch Tremors, because I have the Attack Pack of all 4 movies here in the Catskills with me. I watch them at night, after the work is done.

    Maybe that was the influence that made me sound like Bert Gummer, who is our personal hero, by the way.

    B.B.

  94. JT 392ACP, I looked it up. Pretty cool. I wonder if you can do both that and have it tuned by Mac1? Thanks for the tip, but maybe that's for next time because it's still a little high.

    Thanks for the tip.

  95. Right on Tom!!!

    Right wing survivalist who believes that you never can have too much fire power.
    My kind of man.

    And it has nothing to do with my Squirrel hunting. Used to use a .50 Knight with Lyman devastators in sabots. Kills them dead.

    Modified devastators and 100 grains of 777 blows the guts out of groundhogs at 165 yds.

    Love overkill.

    twotalon

  96. Fused,

    I got into airguns due to a pesky woodpecker. The rifle I bought was a 392 in .22. Somehow the pecker found out and never came back but the 392 hooked me on air rifles. Pumping it up 3 or 4 times in my basement to practice on targets was fun but when I went outdoors and pumped 6 times to shoot at targets 30 yards away, it got to be pretty tiring after 8 or 10 pellets.

    If noise is a major concern, only the Talon SS PCP will be quiet. The Discovery is almost like shooting a .22 rimfire – it's loud.

    I wouldn't sell a spring piston rifle short – they're ton's of fun and lot's easier to shoot than that 392 if you going to shoot more than 10 or 20 pellets, from a physical point of view. Consider the RWS 34 and, if funds are an issue, consider used. If PA doesn't have a used or returned one and no one on the blog has one they want to sell, consider the Yellow Forum:

    http://www.network54.com/Forum/79537/search

    Someone just sold a RWS 34 with scope for $135 shipped on the forum so there are deals to be had.

    Good luck no matter what you decide and welcome to the world of air rifles.

  97. I know it is late in the blog, but this is an unresolved question from a day or 2 ago…

    Does anyone know a thing about the new, soon to be released .22 Cal Beeman Mach 12.5 rifle PA emailed me about? I was considering a Falcon Hunter with gas spring, but I am partial to the Beeman name and REALLY like the wood stock over the FH's synthetic one. If the specs are true it has Magnum power too. It would also be less money even after fitting it with a decent scope. If it originates from a reputable manufacturer I figure this email may have arrived at this moment for a reason.

    Any comment/advice from a more knowlegeable airgunner would be appreciated.

    Ralph

  98. Fused,

    A Benjamin Discovery with its included pump and a good LDC will be less than the Talon SS and a way to fill it with HPA.

    I am 6'2", 150lbs, 65 years old and have no trouble pumping my
    Benjamin 392 for hunting.

    B.B.

    If you have the time, I've had my 3rd Crosman HPA pump crap out. Any suggestions as to cause(s). The handle is at the top of it's stroke. I can hardly push it down. No air comes out of it. No I don't wipe the grease off the outside of the tube. I pump maybe 40 strokes before stopping for a bit. I pause ar both the top and bottom of each stroke for a second or two. Help and thanks.

  99. Mr. B.
    Chinese pump I think.
    You might do better with anything else.

    I have a FX and a Axsor that have taken a beating and still work great.
    I have a Chinese that died in less than 6 months.

    A Hill would be a better choice. You can get rebuild kits if you need them.

    twotalon

  100. B.B., Twotalon, or anyone else:
    I've had a Talon SS for almost 3years, and since June 13th is my birthday, I wanted to "self-reward" myself by tuning my rifle…. I went to the Talon$@#$@.com (w/out saying any name) site and checked all the different mods available for the rifle… What do you people recommend???? By the way, it is working perfectly fine and I still love this rifle more than anything else……… But, I just want to somehow increase its performance with a limited budget… I will definitely change the grips… but what else?? Suggestions are welcomed…
    Thanks,
    Ryan

  101. Ryan,

    We can sure spend your money. Do you have a WOk butt? I like mine. I have the valve that lets me use CO2 in place of HPA. Great for plinking. I have done nothing to the stock innards of my gun. However, I do have the 24" barrel which really increases the power. If noise is a concern Air Hog has a great shroud. A CP hitting a grackle at 20 yards makes more noise than the gun that fired it.
    Please let us know what you do!

  102. Mr .B
    Don't know the best dealer. You can expect to pay about the same price anywhere.

    Not too many outlets. I think Pomona has them. Check a bunch of dealers.
    Hill is generally rated the best.

    twotalon

  103. Ryan
    I take it you want a power boost.

    A valve mod will boost a little. A longer barrel will boost power without running velocity too high for accuracy.

    A condor tank and hammer weight will boost.
    You can go to 18 or 24" barrel.
    Any time you take the barrel length up to 18 or 24 it is going to get very noisy.

    I find that my SS and Talon (when it was stock) both shot within a good velocity range for accuracy.

    I have done a lot of modifications to both rifles. No power mods until I installed the condor tank and weight in the Talon. Too fast with anything lighter than Kodiaks. Worked out just right for me.

    You have to decide if you want to throw heavy pellets or not. You also have to decide on how much noise you want.
    You don't want too fast for accuracy.

    twotalon

  104. Story about Bows and Arrows..

    When I was about 10 years old.. my Mom was complaining about the dog that lived 100 yards down the hill below us.. (our dog was in heat and he kept coming around of course).. My mom said something like " I'm gonna kill that dog if he doesn't stay out of our yard.." She didn't mean it of course.. but I didn't know that..

    So I made a bow from a branch and some arrows from the palm tree.. (very long and sharp points).. I hid in the bushes and the next time my Mom chased him off I took a shot as he ran down the hill..

    Unfortunately, I hit the poor dog.. Got in all sorts of trouble and felt so bad when I saw the dog suffering.. (My Mom helped the neighbor take him to the vet, and he was ok, cause it hit his hip)

    Anyway.. watch what you say to the kids… they don't know when your serious!!

    Wacky Wayne

  105. Fused,

    I have an idea.. save your money for the Marauder..

    I'll send you a RWS 92 (650fps) or RWS 94 (1,000fps) that I got a great close out deal on… and Vince has just been through..
    You can just borrow one of them until you can get the Marauder..

    That way you can see if you like a springer.. The 92 is just about the nicest low cost (less than a $100) springer you can buy..

    You can try the 392, but like so many have said, it's fine for a few emergency shots or hunting (except for the noise of cocking & firing).. but not great for hours of plinking or target practice..

    just an idea..

    Wacky Wayne

  106. Wayne,
    That is the nicest offer I've had in a long time. Thank you so much. I'd love to try one, I guess the 94 because I do intend to take care of some problem squirrels. How can I organize paying for shipping?

  107. Ryan

    I need you to understand something.

    Unless you get a significant boost, then you would be better off without spending the time or money.

    Let's say you pick up an extra 50-60 fps with a particular pellet. That's chicken feed for fpe or trajectory. Not worth the trouble. It will not make any noticeable difference.

    Let's say you pick up an extra 100 fps or more with a heavy. Now it starts to make a difference.

    Run some numbers through a ballistics program and see if there is going to be a signifficant gain that is worthwhile.

    I know that some value every fps or fpe they can get, but does it really matter when the gain is really insignificant??

    You can work it up to the point that you hurt acuracy and get away with it as long as you can accept the accuracy that you are getting.

    twotalon

  108. Wayne,
    Great story. Regarding telling kids stuff, my dad never had to worry about crows after he told us we could use the 20G anytime if we kept the crows out of the corn.

    Fused,
    Try the springer. In my experience hold sensitivity on a good springer should not be an issue for hunting at responsible ranges. It gets such a bad name because people want to post pictures/stories of tiny groups. Regardless of what you read on the internet, test yourself and the rifle at various ranges. If you are like me, you'll find the ballistics and residual energy alone limit how far a shot is viable and respectful of the prey.

  109. Any hand pump can be adapted to any precharged gun. What it takes is finding or making the right adaptor.

    Read this long article that addresses your concern:

    /blog/2010/02/some-precharged-pneumatic-basics-explained/

    And also read this one:

    /article/Using_a_hand_pump_May_2006/30

    If you want,
    I will write a special blog about finding or making the right adaptors.

    B.B.

  110. Fred,

    I'm glad you didn't have the chance to shoot the woodpecker…they're protected by federal law. If you have a pest bird, it's a good idea to look up the Migratory Bird Act to see if the bird you want to shoot is considered a pest by the gov't.

    Edith

  111. Mr. B.,

    I don't know about the pump. One can go bad, but three is unlikely. But you seem to be doing everything right.

    When you bleed the air you don't do it on the ground, do you? My 11-yerar-old Axsor pump was killed by just one bleed in the dirt.

    These pumps are extrememly sensitive to dirt.

    B.B.

  112. BG_Farmer,

    That reminds me of why I probably thought it was the right thing to do at 10 years old..
    Two years earlier, Dad had bought me a Hyscore pellet gun to help him kill the rabbits that were eating the bark off the new citrus trees we had planted.. pests are pests… not easy to tell the difference at 10 years old..
    anyway true confessions today..

    Fused,

    BG is right about the accuracy of most springers.. It's the really tight groups that you miss out on, not the ability to kill prey at a reasonable distance..

    Anyway, you can try it now!!

    Wacky Wayne
    Ashland Air Rifle Range

  113. Edith,

    Re: The woodpecker

    I am, too. But at 5 AM with someone right outside the bedroom window working a jack hammer against the house, I was ready to take him on! I still wonder how that pesky bird found out I was out "gunning" for him :). He can put some large holes in cedar shakes, I'll tell you.

    Fred

  114. Ryan,

    B.B. gave me the same advice about a year ago. I followed it and am still a happy camper. Thanks again B.B. However CJr and I both like and use the CO2 option.

    Mr B.

  115. In your accuracy test of the Pneuma will you please include a comparison with the accuracy, and quality of PA's HaleStorm rifle? I am requesting this because the HaleStorm is the Pneuma with a walnut stock and a 10 shot clip and it sells for less at PA. Both guns are made by the same company in Turkey.

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