by B.B. Pelletier
Beeman’s RX-2 is a handsome air rifle. The brown laminated stock looks perfect.
Man does not live by bread alone — so today we’re having cake! Taking some time away from the BB guns, today we’ll begin looking at a Beeman RX-2 Elite Series combo air rifle. This rifle is built by Weihrauch and has a Theoben gas spring instead of a coiled steel mainspring. It’s still a spring-piston gun, but the gas spring changes some of the characteristics that I’ll address as this report unfolds.
I decided this time to treat all of us to a combo package instead of a basic rifle that I would then have to scope. Pyramyd AIR mounted the scope for me and performed their 10-for-$10 test, which means they chronographed the rifle with 10 shots (actually 13) and included the chrono ticket inside the package. That way both Pyramyd AIR and the customer know what the rifle can do at the moment of delivery. This service is included in the price of the combo package, so all you have to do is order what I did.
The RX-2 comes in all four smallbore calibers, but if ever there was a case for ordering the larger calibers, this is it. The power this rifle generates is lost on a .177 gun, because the bore is too narrow for all the air to flow freely. I went all the way and ordered a .25 caliber. I now know from testing the TalonP air pistol that there are at least two superlative .25-caliber pellets on the market, and I’ll test this rifle with several of the other premium brands just to make sure I’ve tested the right ones.
A long time coming
I’ve owned three Theoben gas spring rifles — four if you count the fact that I converted a .25 to .20 to get more accuracy. And I’ve tested many more Theobens besides those. So, you would think that the RX-2 and I were old friends, but we’re not. This will be the first time that I’ve ever shot this model. Back when it first came out as the Beeman RX in 1990, it was viewed by many U.S. airgunners as a “poor man’s Theoben.” It was priced at about half what a Beeman Crow Magnum (Theoben Eliminator) was selling for, and in my mind it didn’t hold the attraction of the pricier airgun.
But over the years, it evolved through the RX-1 (1992) model and finally into the RX-2 (2001)…and I still didn’t test it. I got questions all the time about the trigger, which is not Weihrauch’s fabled Rekord. Because the trigger must grab the gas piston at a different place, a Rekord will not work in this gun. So, Weihrauch replaced it with a trigger especially designed to work with the gas spring. I never knew how good it was and will only discover as this report unfolds. My test rifle is serial number 1817631.
There have been several stocks to choose from over the years, and the one on this rifle is a laminate. That adds weight to the gun, which the lighter gas piston counteracts to some degree, but in the end the rifle I am testing is slightly heavy — at 10 lbs., 15 oz. with the scope. I say “slightly heavy” because I’m used to the weight of magnum spring rifles; but if the heaviest rifle you’ve ever held is a Winchester model 70, this one will feel like an elephant rifle in comparison. At first, the weight seems oppressive, but wait until you’ve shot the gun a thousand times before wishing it was lighter. That weight adds stability that modern rifles don’t have. Sporting (hunting) rifles of a century ago weighed 10-12 lbs. as a rule, rather than as the exception.
Trigger
The trigger is entirely different than the Rekord. It is two-stage, and the triggerguard houses the release button of the automatic safety. The Rekord trigger has the safety release button at the back of the receiver. While the safety comes on automatically, you can take it off any time and put it back on without recocking the barrel, as must be done on all rifles having the Rekord trigger. Simply depress the lever in front of the triggerguard (so THAT’S what that lever is!) until you hear the safety click back on. If the click bothers you, such as while hunting, simply depress the safety button until you have pulled the safety release lever all the way, then slowly release the safety button and the gun will be back on safe without making a sound.
The RX-2 trigger is not a Rekord. However, it has an automatic safety that can be reapplied without recocking the rifle: simply pull back on the lever in front of the triggerguard.
I tried the trigger only a few times for today’s report, but that’s enough to tell me this is no Rekord. It is creepy in stage two. Whether or not I can adjust that out remains to be seen. The pull is set at several pounds of effort, so we’ll see if I can change that, as well.
Lock time
Everybody makes a big deal out of the quick “lock time” of this rifle, but all the reports I’ve read prove that the authors who say that don’t actually know what lock time is. The term lock time comes to us from the days of the flintlock, which has a definite time delay from the moment the powder in the pan explodes until the main charge explodes and sends the bullet out the barrel. If the delay is a long one, the shooter would develop a flinch — anticipating the force of the main charge and wincing in response before the gun fires. The result is a movement of the muzzle before the bullet exits, which throws the shot wide. If the gun was a musket that wasn’t expected to hit a man beyond 35 yards, it didn’t matter that much; but with the advent of the Kentucky-style rifle that was capable of very precise shooting out to much longer ranges, lock time became important. And the best gun makers soon learned how to make flintlocks that fired almost instantaneously. Hence, the real importance of lock time.
Today, many airgun authors are saying that this rifle has a fast lock time and is therefore more accurate. Hogwash! In a spring-piston rifle, the term lock time refers to how long it takes from the instant the piston is released by the sear until the piston comes to a dead stop. In that sense, the RX-2 does have a very fast lock time because a gas spring drives a piston faster than a coiled-steel counterpart. But it makes no difference to accuracy.
What they fail to appreciate is the fact that the pellet is still in the barrel when the piston comes to a stop. It takes the pellet several more milliseconds to traverse the barrel and leave the muzzle, and that happens after the lock is finished working. So lock time in a spring-piston airgun is meaningless. But follow-through, which is holding the gun on the target after it has fired, is all-important. If you can do that, you can forget about the supposed advantage of lock time. And the artillery hold is what helps you follow through.
Scope
There are no sights on this version of the rifle. The Elite series combo I’m testing comes with a Bushnell Trophy XLT 4-12×40 AO scope mounted in two-piece rings. I’ll report more on the scope when we get to the accuracy test.
A Bushnell Trophy XLT 4-12x40AO scope comes mounted as part of the combo package.
10-for-$10 certificate
As I mentioned, the test rifle was tested in the 10-for-$10 offer, and it was included in the package. So, I got a certificate telling me the velocity the Pyramyd AIR technicians got from this rifle using H&N Field Target Trophy pellets weighing 20.06 grains apiece. The test gun ranged from a low of 618.07 f.p.s. on shot 7 to a high of 634.13 f.p.s. on shot 11. There were 13 shots recorded in all. So, the rifle I have generates about 17.4 foot-pounds as it comes from the box. That’ll change with each different pellet I shoot, but it gives you an idea of where we are.
The stock
The laminated stock is stained brown, setting off the black metal parts in an attractive contrast. Though the stock is made for right-handed shooters by virtue of the cheekpiece that’s only on the left side of the butt, the rest of the stock is uniform enough that the gun can also be shot by lefties. The pistol grip is cut-checkered on both sides, and the forearm is smooth.
The finish on the wood is transparent, allowing the laminated grain to show. It’s most attractive, and the brown color adds to the masculine look of the rifle.
The metal
The rifle is a Weihrauch, and that means that the metal parts are finished smooth with an even black finish. The polish isn’t high — just enough to promote pride of ownership, and there’s a contrast between the spring tube that’s polished higher than the barrel. A solid metal muzzlebrake provides a handy place to grab when cocking. The trigger appears to be gold-plated.
The benefits of a gas spring
Gas springs never take a set. They can continue to work at full power even when compressed most of the time. You know that from your experience with cheaper versions of them in the automotive world. So, this is a spring gun that you can leave cocked for many hours at a time without worrying about any degradation of power.
Gas springs also work well in very cold weather because they do not require the level of lubrication that a steel spring would need. Therefore, there isn’t as much grease to stiffen as the temperature drops — leaving the powerplant free to operate at its full potential.
Gas springs do not vibrate nearly as much as steel springs, so having one in a gun is tantamount to having a good tune. They do recoil quite quickly, but that can be offset by holding the rifle as lightly as possible, which is part of the artillery hold anyhow.
The small downside
The greatest fear with a gas spring is that it will develop a leak, leaving the owner high and dry. Where steel springs can be obtained through many commercial channels, gas springs are unitized with the piston and specific to the gun. If one does go bad, it must be repaired or replaced. Theoben gas springs have an enviable track record for reliability in this area, but nothing is perfect. The owner will find gas spring replacement easier than steel spring replacement in most cases; but as I said, he will need to find the right set of parts.
That’s all I’m going to look at for today, but I’ll return to this rifle soon for the velocity test.
B.B.
I was just looking at this rifle a few days ago and wondered who made it. RX2 sounds too much like RS2. That had me spooked. However, the price tag did not indicate “Asian” origins. So now I know that it is an HW.
On the gloomy side of things…
FEDEX tracking seems to have gone down the tubes. My last pellet order was shown to still be in Richfield while I already had them in my hands. This time, PA shipped two scopes yesterday and FEDEX still has no record. They should be here this morning if nothing went wrong. Don’t know if I will have to sign for them or not, so will have to watch for the truck.
Weather is seriously sucking too.
twotalon
Hmmm…I have (had) a package coming from Amazon via UPS.
Same thing…their website stated yesterday afternoon that a ticket had been generated. That was it, no further info.
I called them to ask if they actually had it in their possession and was told that there new system doesn’t require input at any point other than when it is picked up and when it was delivered.
So according to their website a ticket had been generated but they didn’t seem to have it yet (even the agent on the phone couldn’t confirm that)…2 hours later it was delivered to my house.
If this is their ‘new system’…it’s a pretty crappy system.
Figured out how to get the information. When clicking the link supplied by PA, the FEDEX screen shows no record, but if I click the “resubmit” block the info comes up.
twotalon
CSD
You mean that as computer tracking systems evolve and become ever more sophisticated and affordable, that UPS has seen fit to go backward and document only origination and destination? How efficient! This is another reason, upon scores of others why I will NEVER use UPS if I have a choice. They are pathetic to put it mildly. I once paid for shipping a mountain bike by air, so that I would have it for my vacation. Of course they shipped it ground, so by the time it arrived I had already returned home. Did I receive a refund due to their ineptitude? No.
A week later, when my bicycle arrived back at my home, the suspension fork was destroyed, and the frame which was TIG welded with aerospace grade steel tubing, was dented in several places. It was shipped in a foam lined case designed for bicycles. The Sampsonite gorilla could not have done more damage. The bicycle was expensive, so I had it insured. Guess what? You guessed it, they tried to deny the claim. If it weren’t for the fact that my bike shop (Atlanta Pro Bicycles) intervened on my behalf, I would have been screwed. Due to their perseverance and diligence, they were able to get me a brand new frame and front suspension fork. I would rather ship things via pigeon than by UPS. They suck.
I don’t use UPS generally but have heard that they are very expensive. Stories like this make me extremely nervous about sending my surplus rifles to a gunsmith to have them checked and certain things done. However, the only one within driving distance is a complete incompetent and would probably do more damage than any mailing service could.
Matt61
In my experience, it takes about 24 hrs. to get a tracking status from either UPS or FedEx; if you live close to the vendor and/or the distribution points, the package may get there about the same time as the tracking status becomes available. Sometimes what happens is that the vendor notifies the shipper of a pickup immediately and the shipper will send you a tracking number, but the actual pickup does not happen for hours, which holds up the status some also until it is scanned, possibly until the next day. Signature required adds a whole other layer of complications, but that is usually more of big brother’s doing than the shipper; it would be nice if the vendor was careful not to require a signature if not needed; some are better than others at that.
Rather than curse the system, I tend to think on my youth when you sent a check or money order to some place and waited “3-6 weeks” for delivery, if you were lucky and did not see the place you just sent your money become the subject of an investigative report on 60 minutes or 20/20 :)! Where I live, we depend on UPS and Fed-Ex for a lot of stuff, and they are both very reliable and considerate, but that depends on the driver more than the company.
Working in a warehouse, I use UPS and FedEx almost daily without too many problems. The problem I see with most carriers, is that unless your item was wrapped to survive at least a 25′ fall onto a concrete floor, it will get damaged. I have no idea what they do to them, but shot-put, free throws, discus, football and field goals must be the favorite pastimes of the guys who work there….
/Dave
Twotalon,
You might also watch you neighbors houses too. That’s where FedEx put the “sorry we missed you” notice for my father in law’s new Nitro Venom. They were going to ship it back to PA because no one was able to receive package. Never mind the fact that the house they tried to deliver to has been abandoned for years, and looks it too. I blame that on the driver with his head in rectal cavity.
ka
Not much chance of wrong delivery address. Our county has street number signs out by the road at every residence. I guess it is to help get police and emergency response to the right address easier. Also lessens the chance of the cops kicking in the door and shooting the residents on a drug raid in the middle of the night…..at the WRONG residence.
twotalon
Most neighborhoods have lousy house-numbering, and people wonder why they miss packages.
On my street, the numbers increase going North, but for some reason the neighbor 2 houses south of us has a higher number than we do! Not too long ago, I took down the old number-sign on the gate (on the one of the gates we put our address on anyway) and replaced it with a nice black and white painted sign, with the numbers BIGGER. It’s pretty easy to see.
We have a nutzo guy living next door, actually the family is OK it’s just this one nutzo guy, and we’re afraid one day the SWAT guys might take on the wrong house. I’ve literally considered painting the address on one of the larger roofs around here so the helicopter boys know which place isn’t the one with the nutzo.
for the most part, I have had horrible results with Fed -Ex with my orders from PA. So much so that I had almost gone to another vendor for my airgun stuff. I had one who actually just threw my pellet order from the drivers side window ,onto my driveway, then backed out and away. I watched him do it.The last order from PA was the only one they got right. Also,I have to be home, which isn’t always possible. In my estimation it falls on their employees work ethic and attitude. The Fed-Ex guy who deleivered that last package said that during the holiday season the temps they hire really screw up. He seemed to be a good guy and apparently the usual regular delievery person for my area. He knew his route, but said that they pulled people off their regular routes for holiday time. Our UPS guy is the best. He’s had the same route for several years and knows it and the people on it. All I do is leave a note with my signature and any package is placed in the shop, nice and safe.
WRONG! The mailbox in front of his house has big numbers that even glow in the dark, the house the notice was delivered to has no address on the street side they share. It’s on a corner and addressed clearly from that street. The driver is a boob, working on assumptions and providing inferior service. I doubt he will hear feedback on his error and will most likely continue in status oblivious. The same is true with most employees of large stores, like Home Depot for example. Many that work there try hard and do well to provide the service they are supposed to, but many also are just hiding from responsibility and collecting the friday paycheck. These are the one’s that master the art of making it look like they’re helping, but in reality are busy dodging the real task at hand or finding a way to get others to do their job. It’s an epidemic that has spread even to the highest level of government in the US. So… I guess the FedEx driver is no big deal in comparison! 😮
ka
KA: I actually had a package from PA that was not delievered. They left a “We missed you note”. Twice! I called the terminal and asked dispatch why they didn’t leave my package ,as I signed the tickets? The individual on the other end said that they couldn’t find my residence, so I asked her how could they have left their note? She hung up on me after I asked that…. I finally got it ,damaged , from DSL which they handed it off to.
Ha! Exactly! Had you the foresight to know this would happen you would probably have gotten the name of the employee prior to being hung up on, but since you didn’t (I assume) that employee will get away with the finest example of dis-service that the founders of the company strive against. Though with an airgun, there has to be an adult present to sign and recieve. I don’t think they will drop it just on a signed “missed you” notice. The ironic thing about my father in law’s case is that he was home waiting for the guy when he saw him drive by the house at 40mph!
ka
Actually , to my suprise, Fed-Ex did drop off the Bronco I just bought for my son with just me leaving a note and signing the missed you ticket. Maybe I was just lucky .
The gas spring in this rifle is easy to repair – all that is needed are the appropriate o-rings and possibly a piston seal. This is different from most of the retrofit gas pistons in other guns that are not repariable. No spring compressor is needed, either. Getting the spring repressurized will require a Theoben pump or an adaptor to use a PCP handpump.
I prefer the metal finish on this gun as apposed to the high polish on Theobens – those really show finger prints and just look messier unless the gun is thoroughly wiped down.
Paul
I have the HW90, which is the same gun, same trigger as this one, only mine has a nice hardwood stock instead of the laminated. It was originally .177, but I bought a new barrel in .22 to take advantage of the power it has to offer. Had a hard time getting it to group at first, until I put on PA’s muzzle brake. This changed the harmonics to where it’s much easier to shoot. I get about 18-19 ft/lbs from mine depending on the pellet used. It’s a bear to cock, but the gas ram’s pressure can be reduced if desired. My trigger is also a bit creepy, but very light and by far NOT the worst case of creep I’ve ever seen. The one weak spot on mine seems to be the cocking plate/shoe, which broke after close to thousand shots. These are cheap and easy to replace. All in all, I really like mine!
/Dave
BB
Don’t hurt yourself cocking this gun. Lord knows I would.
It speaks to the quality of Theoben’s gas springs that Weihrauch would outsource them. I must complain about the trigger area however. Not a trace of elegance to be had. It might not be a Rekord, but I would think they could make it look as such. There is just too much going on.
I also am not a huge fan of laminated stocks. Some of them look very cool to be sure. But I think it won’t be long before all stocks consist of scrap wood, glued together under the guise of fashion. When I saw photos of the stock on Kevin’s S200 it made me want to burn the laminated stock on my 200S. Envy is an ugly thing.
You celebrities always get all the perks. 13 shots instead of 10?
SL,
The thing I don’t like about the laminates is the extra weight. In all other ways they are very nice. Of course solid wood with a beautiful grain is better.
And I agree that the trigger is ugly to look at, but I do like how the safety works. I wish a Rekord worked that way.
As far as cocking goes, I have to two-hand this rifle for every shot. Although I lift free weights three times a week and have recovered about 50 percent of my strength, I’m still not where I was before I got sick, and I don’t know if I ever will be again.
I’m glad for the 13 shots because they show how stable this powerplant is. My own testing will be against what they sent me. I wish I had that more often.
B.B.
I have no doubt you will emerge stronger than before. Edith will see to it!
I obviously don’t know the particulars of your current condition, but it is widely known that extra weight is a killer amongst those past middle age. For you I would estimate middle age to be about 50 or so. You look to be at your fighting weight right now. All in all, you seem to have emerged from your health crisis better than ever. Just remember…some people could never cock a break-barrel that needed 50 pounds of force.
One thing about a laminate stock is that it is much more rigid than a stock made from a single piece of wood. I think that’s why 10 meter guns went to laminated stocks a long time ago. Of course the present generation of 10 meter guns uses aluminum, or some times a mix of aluminum and laminated wood.
I guess I don’t see an 11 pound gun as too heavy for most (it is, of course, too heavy for me because I also suffer from illness-induced loss of strength) because most competition rifles strive to come as close as possible to the 5 kilo/11 pound limit to gain stability.
Anyway, this looks like a beautiful gun.
Slinging Lead,
This one?
http://www.network54.com/Forum/79537/thread/1322682365/Well…..I+bought+into+all+the+hype
kevin
You’re killing me Kevin. Go ahead and twist the knife while its in there.
There’s just something to be said about a simple, wood stocked rifle in the old school vein.
Beautiful!!
“I have been thinking about going for coyotes in semi urban places.
Would a hunting grade air rifle do the trick? Need a .22 cal? Inside a 50 yards at night would be the application I think.”
An internet friend asked the above question, if someone can help, please do.
Thanks,
Gene
Personally, I would not entertain the idea of using any air rifle for coyote dispatch unless you own a 9mm or bigger PCP, and I’ve skinned a couple of coyotes in my time. I would recommend a .22 mag RF as minimum , but not the .17HRM (absolutely a crap game cartridge ,except for maybe inedible small pests), or any regular .22 RF, except at very short range and with perfect shot placement. The .22 Hornet, .218 Bee, and carbines in pistol cartridges like the .357 mag, .44 mag, and others work good. Also , for shooting at night with a light, don’t overlook the use of a shotgun in 12 gauge with heavy loads, with shells loaded with heavy shot . In a pinch, I have used a 20 gauge with turkey loads with #4 copper plated shot with positive effect at ranges under 30 yards. The brand was Federal and the choke was modified. Aim for neck . Coyotes aren’t hard to kill ,but it’s a big step up from shooting rabbits or bird feeder squirrels .
Robert from Arcade, I’ve had you in mind as the perfect person to answer an airgun question that popped up. In a recent episode of the Lizard Lick Repossession Business, the agents were attempting to repossess deer!? Their tool was a rifle that shot tranquilizer darts, and as I watched them, I realized that it must be powered by air. It obviously was not a spring gun from the operation. It was snowing so obviously they weren’t using CO2. So are tranquilizer guns pcps?
Yes, they did repo the deer and pack them away into trailers. As usual, the problem wasn’t the goods (deer in this case). It was the very PO’d owner who showed up right in the middle of the operation. Naturally he starts fighting and as he engages with one of the agents, the other one decides to subdue the owner with the tranquilizer gun. But he ends up shooting his own agent (“Not my best idea” he says later.) who shouts bloody murder until he passes out. But then a useful tip appears that we can take with us. As the angry owner is preparing to launch another assault, the remaining agent who is still awake says, “Stay back there, ya pork-chop eatin’ rascal”….
Matt61
Matt; Never used one, as any thing I tranquilize is a permanent affair ,like in really dead. I do remember that some of those guns are CO2 powered however, and I suppose that there are some that are PCP’s. I saw one based on a Crosman 150 CO2 pistol one time. Local farmer had it for putting roudy dairy bulls down for a nap. There also were Sheridan and Benjamin rifles . I think that some of them may even have been the MSP’s models with a larger smooth bored barrel. BB would probably know better than me. Also, at the Buffalo Zoo , I remember seeing a H&R break open SS shotgun, that used some kind of blank cartridge and a dart to tranquilize animals. It was in a display case there.
Matt,
Tranq. guns have been air-powered much longer than they have been CO2. Daystate was founded on building tranq. guns for Africa and they got the idea to install a pellet barrel in .22 caliber. The Huntsman was born in 1980 — the first modern PCP.
B.B.
I agree completely about the shotgun — very handy at reasonable range and in low-light conditions, and plenty of punch with heavier shot, e.g. #4 (at minimum as you say) #2 or BB. The way I look at it, if it is close enough to be a problem you are aware of in the dark, a shotgun is the first choice and others are not even practical in “impromptu” situations many times.
I don’t think he can use a firearm in his ‘hood. Like Robert said, I don’t think a springer would do it. But by the time you go up to a .357 or more, he couldn’t shoot it because of the noise, in his urban home.
That is one nice looking rifle. This is no end of interesting. I had thought of lock time in terms of modern rifles as the time from when the trigger releases until the firing pin falls. The word is that the secret to the Remington 788 was an exceptionally fast lock time. And as a point of interest, the Mauser lock time is supposed to be fairly slow although that doesn’t prevent it from impressive accuracy.
How interesting that hunting rifles used to be 10-12 pounds. Now that seems to be the recommended weight for target rifles but about twice what people look for with hunting rifles and even assault rifles. I expect that at least for hunting, people are walking much less than they used to with the heavier rifles. Are we getting wimpier? Is this what lies at the bottom of “ergonomics”?
Thanks for the info about the sound-activated stopwatch for IPSC shooters. But that raises another question. Isn’t the course based on how many targets you hit rather than how many shots you fire? It seems like I have seen people fire second and third shots at targets that they miss. If that’s so, I don’t see how you could program a sound-activated stopwatch.
Kevin, that is hilarious about your mother-in-law although perhaps it comes out of a certain amount of pain. I’ll say no more, but that is truly worth the price of admission for the reloading info. Unfortunately, I’m limited by the testing equipment used for the Lyman manual which may not include a 1 in 14 twist barrel. Your parameters actually raise my interest. My .223 rifle has a 1 in 9 twist. So for a hotter caliber would you expect the twist rate to go down? That seems reasonable. As for the bullet weight, my .223 likes a 69 grain bullet. So with a hotter caliber wouldn’t you expect the bullet weight to go up in proportion instead of down to 50 grains? I would expect a heavier bullet for the kind of accuracy you can get from a 22-250 (especially if you plan to shoot groundhogs at 1200 yards). However, maybe the bullet weight is limited by the 1 in 14 twist rate which would indeed call for a lighter weight than a faster twist.
More breaking news from UC Davis. One of the campus cops came up to the reference desk and told me that he is looking for audio books to listen to in order to improve himself while he is driving. Unfortunately, we don’t have a big selection of those at the library, so I was reading through the limited selection with him. The last one was a book that had to do with women discussing their sexuality. In response he said, “No, but thanks.” and flashed a big cheshire cat grin. I’ll throw all this into the mix as part of the assessment of character that the campus police are undergoing now….
It’s time for holiday hunting and I could use a bit of advice. As I stalk the page of Cabelas, I see that they sell a very nice collection of wild game sausages and steaks including buffalo, antelope, venison, and boar. Any recommendations? I think definitely venison just because it is such an important animal for hunting and because I just watched the Russell Crowe Robin Hood film. Boar I imagine to be a bit gamey, but perhaps not in sausage form, and I do like pork. I’ve had buffalo burgers in Bloomington, Indiana and they were tasty and lean. I have no idea what antelope tastes like although based on a safari novel I read called Gilligan’s Last Elephant, they are pretty good–although the guy eating them was at the point of starvation and that must have made a difference.
Matt61
Matt,
IPSC is based on both time and hits.
B.B.
I ocassionally have used a Ruger m-77 in .220 Swift to hunt coyotes and fox. The load I used was 35.0 grs of IMR 3031 with 45 gr. Hornady semi-point bullets. Worked for me. Like to play with the Swift better than the .22-250 as it can tolerate a heavier bullet. Load it down a bit and the barrel will last like a .22-250 but the down side is that ammo is harder to come by in the Swift.
BTW, when handloading high intensity cartridges like the Swift ,.22-250, and .243 Winchester , it is important to watch your case neck thickness closely . That is one thing that can bit you back if you aren’t careful and load hot.
Matt,
I’m still learning about the .22-250. One thing I know is that you need a faster twist rate to shoot heavier bullets. My 1:14 won’t shoot anything well over 55 gr.
kevin
Really? Most .22 centerfires are 1in 14″ twist and many shoot most heavy 60- 70 gr .22 caliber bullets quite well. The black rifles may well have problems with the .223 cartridge and heavier bullets and fast twists ,but don’t assume that is the case with all .22 centerfire sporting rifles.
Robert from Arcade,
I have a lotta respect for you and appreciate all the information you share. As I’ve admitted, I’m a newbie when it comes to these hot rods.
I’m sticking to my statement based on my own experiences and those of and old time varmit and long range shooter that has been tutoring me. Jack used to shoot long range matches. His cabin is filled with trophies. Metal and fur. I’ve been fortunate to shoot many of his custom long range guns many in exotic wildcat cartridges. He has a stunning 338-06 built from a model 70 with a custom barrel. One of his .22-250’s is a howa action with a custom barrel (shilen? don’t remember) in a fast twist for shooting heavier bullets. I’ve shot his guns out to 500 yards (end of our range) and mine. This first hand experience and his sharing of first hand experience with twist rate in these hot rods have convinced me that heavier bullets need a faster twist.
kevin
Kevin ; Pick up a copy of the book “Varmit and Small Game Rifles and Cartridges” Wolfe publishing Company ,copyright 1993( there is a revised edition I believe) ISBN 1-879-356-33-3. Great info in this one for hunters.
Today, most .223 centerfire rifles will have a twist faster than 1 in 14. Most will be at least 1 in 12 with many faster.
Mike
You are quite correct and I meant to type that the .223 needs the faster 1 in 9″twist for the best accuracy with the heavier bullets. That being said, most of the slower 1 in 14″ twist .22 centerfire rifle barrels will give accuracy acceptable for coyote shooting out to reasonable range in average conditions, which for most is probably around 250 yards .
Robert,
Thanks for the suggestion.
kevin
Kevin,
Are you loading the heavy ones the same way as the light ones or using a soft load to hold down recoil? You may just need to put more/hotter powder behind them if practical. They should stabilize (get adequate spin from rifling) if you get them going fast enough — kind of like Devestators :)! If I remember correctly .22-250 doesn’t suffer from a lack of powder capacity.
We used to utilize IMR -4831, IMR-4350, and H-4895 ,and Speer 70gr and Sierra 63 gr bullets in a .22-250. Velocity was around the 3200-3350 fps range. Not super fast loads. The rifle (Ruger) had the slower 1-14″ twist and gave accuracy comparable to the 55gr bullets.
BTW, you can’t get enough of a couple of those powders into a .22-250 case to get any more velocity with the heavier bullets. There’s not enough capacity in there…
That sounds promising. I didn’t mean super fast, either, just fast enough. It occurred to me because Kevin mentioned manageable recoil when he first requested loads. Also, possibly some lighter loads specified for heavy bullets but without too much detail might work for a faster twist but not for 1:14? Either way, it sounds like you had it working fine, so he should be able to get acceptable results with some possible combination, also, as we know his barrel is good (the other loads shot well).
BG_Farmer,
I’ve not loaded anything for the 22-250 yet. Just shot factory stuff that is hotter than I need. Recoil isn’t a problem. 22-250 is a pussycat. I’m more concerned about unnecessary barrel heat and wear.
kevin
Kevin , hope you get to read that book, and I hope you enjoy it. In it, there is much info that suggests that like our air rifles ,many guns don’t conform to traditional wisdom regarding bullets and performance. Guess what I ‘m trying to say is that you sometimes got to go with what you brought and despite my voracious appetite for information ,I take it all with a grain of salt,sometimes a shaker full. BTW, the very best varmit gun that my Dad, my brother,and I ever used, was a Savage 99 lever in .243. It was a well used Sears or Wards gun with a plain birch stock, and has worn either a 4X or an old10X AO Weaver ,depending on what we were shooting at the time. You needed small base dies to reload for it , as we soon found out after trying to load cases with regular .243 dies. We used 75 gr Sierras in it mostly pushed by medium burning IMR 3031. I once saw my brother take a chuck at a little over 400 yards with it with the 10X scope on. That is a VERY long shot here in upstate NY, for what was essentally a deer rifle with a short med wt barrel. If it was inside 200yards it was dead ,and if you needed a second shot it was way faster than the Ruger bolt. The 6mms buck the wind better too. The ratio of chucks killed with it was like 10 to one in favor of the Savage. Better stop now because I’m getting way off-topic for an air gun blog.Maybe BB should start a firearms wing of this blog. There’s alot of experience on here .
Robert from Arcade,
The ’99 you mentioned… does the .243 barrel have a ‘hump’ after the breech? I have a ’99 in .243 and it has the ‘hump’. I have never seen another like it. I thought it was an after market / custom barrel at first look, but the Savage mfg stamps are present. I have not yet fired it either. Need small based dies and a butt cover / pad.
ka
Ka : I ‘m not sure what you mean? I really don’t think the barrel profile at the breech was any different than the one on my 99 .250-3000. Unfortunately, I don’t have the gun here to look at as my brother inherited it, when my Dad passed on a few years ago.
R from A,
Does the bbl look like this one? http://www.gunsamerica.com/984611607/Guns/Rifles/Savage-Rifles/Model-95-99-Family/Savage_Model_99.htm#
The hump has a dovetail machined into it for the rear site mount. This one is the only one I have seen like mine and it’s .243. My 300savage is not like that.
ka
Ka: Now I know what you are talking about. No, ours did not have the raised area you refer to. The one in the link you posted also has the removeable magazine and a pressed checkered stock. Ours had the rotary mag with the window to show how many rounds were left like my .250 /99, and it had a plain birch stock, and at one time a open rear sight dovetailed into the barrel like most. No boss. You know what would have been cooler than that long actioned 99 in .30-06? I think it would have been the .32-20 cal minature actioned 99 the Arthur Savage also built as a proto-type. It was pictured in the “American Rifleman ” a several years ago on an article about him, by I believe C.E. Harris.
Robert,
I was just thinking about .243 after mulling over Kevin’s situation, and was going to post about it. I always liked the .22-250 since I was a kid in school (a rich friend had one), but the .243 is a real (commonly available and way underrated) sweetheart also. Looking at the ballistics tables, I don’t think it is that big a difference, but you get an optionally much bigger bullet to buck the wind, as you say. Easier on chamber throats too, in general I think, although I would assume that varies with the load and wouldn’t be an issue with most coyote hunting scenarios anyway. I think for coyotes in Colorado, I would go with .243.
That model 99 must have been sweet; the only thing better would have been the .30-06 prototype :)! Maybe Kevin should have us out there to help clean up; he’d probably be wishing for the coyotes back :)!
BG,
The 30-06 model 99 sold for something like $100,000.00+ and if I remember right, it’s in the Savage museum. The second one is still unaccounted for. Be nice to find in some old widow’s garage sale selling hubby’s “old junk”, huh?
ka
BG: I’d like to do that! In Colarado trapping for coyotes with foothold traps was outlawed by their liberal armchair fish, and game dept and the left wing populus of the urban areas of that state several years ago. Ought to be a good population of them out there and the pelts are way better than the ones we get here. Always struck me as such a paradox that ,that would occur in the rugged west where one would suppose that folks to be more in tune with their frontier roots. On the wind, and bigger bullets being good for bucking it, I agree with you. A few years ago the writer Major Boddiker who lives in Colarado wrote a series of articles in the NTA’s(Natonal Trappers Association ) organizations publication on using military surplus rifles to shoot coyotes. I think his favorite out of the bunch was the 96 Swede. Found that the bigger bullets and the old relics did as well in practical situations as the dedicated commercial stuff. I know he influenced me with those articles as I bought several of those then cheap surplus guns, and still have some. Shot a deer with one of mine just last Monday. I used my scout scoped Iserali 98 in .308, and Russian 140 gr Brown Bear ammo. Just the same as when I shoot squirrel with my home tuned China B-3. It’s in how you use what you got, and your own experience.
B.B.,
Personally I would have sent the RX-2 to Mac for testing and kept the Smith & Wesson M & P R8. That’s just me.
kevin
B.B.
A very nice rifle indeed. Woodwork looks very interesting, however I bet walnut would look very nice. I don’t know the exact criteria, but there are definitely “yellow wood” airguns, “red wood airguns” and “brown wood” ones by their design and overal shape. This looks like “brown” to me. HW-97 looks like red wood to me, RWS sidelevers look brown and so on.
Locktime… People are similar, both sides of the globe, there’s the same myth here. It raises its ugly and empty head every 2 years or so 🙂 Sometimes it’s useless to try to explain to them why something is meaningless so I say that proper holding of the airgun helps to decrease locktime due to making moving masses more stable thus increasing accuracy. They tend to believe 🙂
I wish I could see and touch its trigger mechanism. I believe it’s something very close to Weichrauch Elite trigger, but I wonder how it’s been modified this time. Well, gas springs rule – as usual.
duskwight
BB, how did your deer hunting go? Did you use the 30-30?
Mike
Mike,
Thanks for asking, but I didn’t go. I had too many deadlines, and I haven’t finished all of them yet.
The 30-30 doesn’t like Leverevolution ammo, so I have started looking for a good hunting load. I did install a Timney trigger, though.
B.B.
Hello B.B.,
I tried to post a comment before, but it disappeared. Not sure what I’m doing wrong.
I really like the Air Arms Pro-Sport and I’d love to get one in .177.
The problem is that I am left-handed.
Is it possible to get a left-handed model anywhere? If not, do you think a right-handed stock could be shot left-handed?
Thanks in advance.
GrayFinger,
On November 18, you posted a comment about wanting a left-hand Pro-Sport. It’s here:
/blog/2011/11/haenel-311-target-rifle-part-3/#comments
Scroll to the bottom of the above page, and you’ll see that BB answered you the same day:-)
Edith
Thank you. That’s some mighty fast searchin’.