Air Venturi Seneca Aspen precharged pneumatic air rifle: Part 4

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Seneca Aspen PCP
The Air Venturi Seneca Aspen precharged pneumatic air rifle.

This report covers:

  • Trigger adjustment
  • Scope mounting
  • Accuracy test
  • Air Arms domes on high power
  • H&N Baracudas with 5.53mm heads on high power
  • How is it going?
  • JSB Jumbo Monsters on high power
  • Low power
  • Air Arms domes on low power
  • Screamer!
  • JSB Monsters on low power
  • Impressions
  • Summary

Today we begin testing the accuracy of the new Air Venturi Seneca Aspen PCP with a built-in pump. I am so glad I did the extensive velocity test in Part 3, because it set me up for today’s test. There are almost limitless combinations I can test with a multi-pump that is also a PCP and has two power levels. By the time you factor in different pellets and distances, the possibilities are staggering. I need to test the rifle for accuracy but eliminate most of the peripheral possibilities. I need to find an accurate pellet, which power level it works best on and the distances at which the rifle will perform. read more

Johnson Indoor Target Gun: Part 2

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

  • Johnson Indoor Target Gun
    The Johnson Indoor Target Gun is a catapult BB gun that was made in the late 1940s for youth target practice.

Part 1

A history of airguns

This report covers:

  • Operation
  • Cocking
  • Trigger
  • Serendipity
  • Pat is not pending
  • Adjustable sights
  • Repeater
  • Summary

I was going to write about something else today, but the response to Friday’s report convinced me to stick with the Johnson. Several of you said that you enjoyed the detailed photos. Today I will tell you about how the gun is constructed and how it operates, plus some special features. Grab your coffee cup and let’s go!

Operation

The Johnson gun is a catapult gun, and in Part one I showed you the broken surgical tubing in my new gun. Now, take a look at a gun with tubing in working condition.

Johnson rubber working
This is how the rubber is supposed to look when it’s properly installed. The ends of this surgical tubing are held together with small cable ties. We are looking at the inside of the top cover of the gun. read more

Johnson Indoor Target Gun: Part 1

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Johnson Indoor Target Gun
The Johnson Indoor Target Gun is a catapult BB gun that was made in the late 1940s for youth target practice.

A history of airguns

This report covers:

  • Who was Johnson?
  • The M16
  • Airgun
  • The gun in hand
  • Discussion
  • Summary

Yes, I’m reviewing a Johnson again. For some reason I keep coming back to this one. I did a short piece on December 28 2015, and before that an article on December 22 2005. Finally I did an initial very short introductory piece on October 2, 2005. That’s a lot of articles. So, why am I writing about it again? Well, the gun we are looking at today is a nearly-new Johnson that I got in the box at the Texas Airgun Show this year. It has many thing that I can show you, plus I will do a complete report on this one. So grab your coffee, boys — this series should be good. read more

Hatsan 135 QE Vortex .30-caliber pellet rifle: Part 5

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Pyramyd Air Cup Part 2

Hatsan 135 30 caliber rifle
Hatsan’s .30 caliber 135 QE Vortex is a large breakbarrel — both in size and caliber.

This report covers:

  • Today
  • The range
  • The test
  • Pellet drop
  • Predator Polymags
  • Shooting form
  • JSB Exact 50.15-grain domes
  • Discussion
  • JSB 44.75-grain domes
  • Discussion 2
  • Summary

A lot of time has passed since I did the Part 4 report of the Hatsan 135 QE Vortex .30-caliber pellet rifle. I also linked to the Pyramyd Air Cup, Part 2, because that’s where I got to see and shoot Rich Shar’s highly modified Hatsan 135 that’s also a .30 caliber spring rifle. If you don’t read any of the other previous reports I linked to, read that one, because his rifle is the highest evolution of the one I am testing today. It could probably be made as a custom modification, but given what Rich had to do to build it, I think it would cost more than the original rifle by a significant margin. read more

Air Venturi V10 Match pistol: Part 1

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Air Venturi V10 pistol
Air Venturi’s V10 Match pistol.

This report covers:

  • Why test the V10?
  • Description
  • Effort
  • Accuracy
  • Grip
  • Trigger
  • Dry fire
  • Sights
  • Construction
  • Left hand grips available
  • Summary

I had planned to start the accuracy test of the Air Venturi Seneca Aspen today, but I ran into too many issues while attempting to mount the scope. II will tell you everything that happened when that report runs.

So today a new airgun that was on my list was moved up. It’s the Air Venturi Match pistol. It’s a single stroke pneumatic that’s based on the Gamo Compact that I have tested in the past. But why test a target pistol at all?

Why test the V10?

Glad you asked. A couple years ago the Russian IZH 46M stopped coming into the U.S. and many airgunners regarded that as a major loss. Ten meter target pistols are on very few airgunners’ short lists, but whenever something is no longer available people do take notice. Most shooters consider a target pistol to be an expensive plinker with a good trigger. read more

Benjamin Fortitude precharged rifle: Part 4

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Benjamin Fortitude
The Benjamin Fortitude precharged air rifle.

This report covers:

  • Setup
  • Pellets selected
  • The test
  • JSB Exact Heavy
  • Cocking and trigger
  • Discharge sound
  • Air Arms Falcons
  • Crosman Premier light
  • Discussion
  • Summary

We start accuracy testing the Benjamin Fortitude today. Sometimes I begin this test at 10 meters and other times at 25 yards. I’m starting at 10 meters today because the Fortitude is a significant precharged air rifle that I want to test very thoroughly.

Setup

I mounted a vintage UTG 8-32X56 SWAT scope on the rifle. The scope was so old it only parallax adjusted down to 25 yards, so I ran it at 8 power for this test. The bull was a little blurry but easy enough to see. When I get back to 25 yards the image should be crystal clear. read more

Tin can chronograph

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

A history of airguns

This report covers:

  • How powerful is it?
  • Tin cans are not tin!
  • SAFETY!
  • Aluminum cans
  • Hickory tree chronograph
  • Back-door-to-hickory-tree chronograph
  • Leaf chronograph
  • The house silencer
  • Out of BBs
  • We were soldiers once, and young
  • Out of matches

No, this isn’t a “how to” piece about making a chronograph from a can. It’s a story about the past. For some of you it’s a story about “the old days” when we were kids and life was still fun. For others it goes back before you were born. But for all of you it should be interesting. So grab your coffee and let’s reminisce!

How powerful is it?

When I was a kid in the 1950s we all coveted the BB gun. As with all things in life, there were the “haves” and the “have-nots.” I was a have not, but I lived next door to a kid who was a have. Duane had a Daisy BB gun. It was some sort of El Cheapo model that didn’t come with a forearm, and it also shot to the left, but he knew exactly how much to hold off and was pretty good with it. The ownership of that small gun made him the Alpha in the neighborhood. read more