by B.B. Pelletier
Before we start on today’s blog, here’s a link to the latest email promotion from Pyramyd AIR.
A reader who calls himself Farmer commented that his son’s Mendoza RM-65 BB gun wore out in a year. This is his comment:
I bought one of them for my kid about a year ago. The spring in the Mendoza wear out quickly and velocity drops to under 200 ft/s. It took about 2000 BB’s to wear the gun completely down to apoint wher you can’t even cock the rifle, because the trigger won’t engage anymore. My advise, get a Daisy. The Red Ryder is a lot more accurate and lasts a lifetime.
I told him that based on his report, I would shoot my test RM-65 5,000 times and report to you how it does. I think I have to also test a Red Ryder for 5,000 shots just to be fair. I’ll also test both guns for accuracy – just so we know. That’s in the works.
I’m also conducting a 5,000-shot test of the BAM B40 as we speak. Some readers were concerned about longevity, so I felt we really should test the gun that way. But here’s the deal. I’m not a testing laboratory. These things take time, so don’t ask me for more of these “just to see.” I’m doing this because there is a concern about new brands, and I think we all want to know.
Now, on to today’s post!
A second new bipod?
There is a lot of similarity between this bipod and the one I showed you back in February. That one is called the Dragon Claw. Today’s bipod is the Multi-Functional Universal Bipod, and it’s different in that it has two different types of mounts.
Why two bipods?
If you haven’t tried to fit a bipod to your gun, you aren’t aware of the problem. Bipods are difficult to fit to specific guns! In the firearms world, they go through quite a lot to get bipods on guns, and they have it easier than airgunners. Firearms don’t have underlevers to cock the action or long splits in their stocks to clear the barrel and cocking linkage. It’s easier to attach a sling swivel stud to a firearm than to an air rifle.
So, this is an interface issue. The Dragon Claw solved many problems by being so adjustable, but I had to tell a reader who wanted to put one on the underlever of his B3-1 rifle that the underlever is too thin. There is adequate clearance between the underlever and the barrel, but the mount will never get tight on the underlever.
The Multi-Functional Universal bipod I’m reviewing today won’t solve that problem, either, and here’s the point – there will always be airguns that have difficulty mounting a bipod. But, today’s bipod does clear up a lot of problems you readers have been having with some airguns.
For example, let’s say you want a bipod for your RWS Diana 48/52/54. Those rifles have solid wood stocks that can accept sling swivels such as the special Beeman swivel 1/2 set thats tailor-made for this installation. This bipod preserves your sling swivel mounting point so you can retain a sling as well as a bipod.
This is the setup for attaching to sling swivel studs. That doohickey at the bottom has a long screw that passes through your sling stud, then the thing passes through the padded mount and the knurled ring tightens it. Note that this mount leaves you with an unused sling swivel stud after the bipod is mounted!
Another example – you want a bipod for your Marui M4 System. It has a Picatinny rail under the forearm, so just remove the sling stud mount and this universal mount is now a Picatinny! It doesn’t get any better than that.
Loosen the big screw on the side, and the mount becomes a Picatinny mount, too!
The universal bipod is just as rugged as the Dragon Claw and shares the same adjustability, so for less than $30 you’re getting a great bipod. If you have taken the time to price good bipods, you know this is less than half what they usually cost.
The market is flooded with cheap flimsy bipods from China that will not do the job you want. A bipod has to be steady or it isn’t worth fooling with. This one is very steady! If any reader owns this or the Dragon Claw, I’d like to hear your comments on either bipod.
BB,
I’ve tried a Harris bipod on several break barrel springers, and a couple of multi pump pneumatics. In all cases I had to use a barrel clamp that provided the sling swivel for the bipod to attach. The clamp must be placed forward enough to allow clearance for cocking. Based on what you’ve taught us about springer hold sensitivity and my own experience, I’ve found absolutely no advantage to shooting a springer from a bipod. It’s nearly the same as resting the forearm on a hard surface. The groups open up markedly. On the other hand, the only problem I found with the multi-pumps was a change in point of impact. It didn’t seem to affect the grouping as it did with the springers. Also in both cases, shooting from other positions (prone, standing, sitting) with the bipod attached, moves the center of gravity forward and the rifle will feel nose heavy, and the break barrels may droop slightly, again changing the point of impact.
Although you’ve advised us against resting a springer forearm directly on a sandbag, I have found that leather bags filled with ground walnut shells seem to be very forgiving when shooting from the bench. It is necessary however to fluff them up occasionally, or they pack down from repeated shots. I’d like to hear from some of your other readers regarding their personal experiences.
Michael in Italy
You can make a great bi-pod out of wooden sticks. Go to http://www.varmintal.com for instructions and inspiration. These shooting sticks are inexpensive to make and there are all sorts of variations to experiment with. I am able to hit plastic golf balls at 20 yards with my Crosman 1377 (shoulder stock and cheap daisy scope are only mods). The airgun rests on the sticks, there is nothing to clamp. Although I do not yet own a springer, I imagine that this arrangement will let the springer move freely to be accurate.
Marc in Elizabeth, CO
B.B. you are a trooper. Two 5000 shot tests. I will be really suprised if the Mendoza fails. You are one dedicated shooter.
Michael,
Great tip. I use a walniut shell bag but I don’;t fluff it. I have learned that the gel pad the Pyramyd AIR sells does work for springers when placed on top of my bag.
B.B.
Hi BB
Just curious where the RWS 460 is on your ever increasing list.
MCA
B.B. Off subject. Can the Condor Hi-Flo air tank be used on the Talon SS?
BB,
Do you know of any helpful guides for adjustable scope mounts? I’ve read many recommendations for B-Square’s finest, but have yet to see any type of guide on how to properly install or zero the scope with them. All I’ve got to go on are my 17101’s basic instructions, and I’m not too satisfied (or confident) with my results so far. I would love to finally hear your method of installing and zeroing with them!
Much appreciated,
Tom
hello i was wondering in your opinion which of these rifles would be better hw50s, diana 36 or bsa supersport all in .22 cal thxs.
it is o.k. to rest the springer on the forearm, you should not rest it on the barrel.
MCA,
RWS USA just started shipping the 460s, so I shoyuld have one in a month orr so.
B.B.
Don,
The Talon SS powerplant can’t open the Hi Flo valve, so the power is drastically reduced.
It’s way less than a standard SS tank.
B.B.
Tom,
Unfortunately B-Square took an article Tom Gaylord wrote describing how to adjust those mounts and they condensed it severely.
I’ll ask Pyramyd AIR to ask Tom Gaylord if he will write that up again for their website as an article. I believe it was in the October, 1998 issue of The Airgun Letter.
B.B.
Airgun buyer,
What does “better” mean? Cheaper? More accurate? More powerful? Or just the rifle that YOU would like best (PLEASE don’t answer that last question!)?
B.B.
i quess thats hard to answer i just thought over all quality and longevity. accurate now that i think of it would be of high importance. as for power i’m blogging from canada and i’m a non-pal shooter so the power will be 500fps max and price are within $50 of each other.
BB,
That would help immensely. I was expecting much more from B-Square’s instructions, even their website is lacking. After all, there’s probably more than a few ways to mount them wrong! Many thanks.
the n00b,
Tom
Ok so the bipod I am getting might not work perfect on my B3-1 what about my IZH-61? (I added a scope, muzzle break and extended the stock to the last hole!)
Well I have a hard time shooting it accurately anyway, its to light for me! (I shoot Daisy 853s and S200, with the beeman peep sight in NJROTC competition.)
I know it is a 10-meter rifle but would it work at 15-20 meters?
Off topic comment.
I just purchased a Crosman 0290 red dot sight, and decided to test carefully to see where its parallax is set. The result surprised me.
Here’s what I did: I set the sight on a stable surface, and looked through it at a variety of objects, starting with distant mountains and then progressing to shorter and shorter distances. Each time, I moved my head around to see how much the red dot would move. I continued this experiment until I found the critical distance where the red dot does not move. It turns out that my sight has its parallax zeroed at 5 feet (yes, five feet). Because of this, the red dot will move by up to about 4 inches on the target (depending on where I put my head) at 33 feet (10 m). I was not too happy… though maybe I shouldn’t expect much for $17.95.
Has anybody else measured parallax with other red dots? I’d be curious how the brands and models compare.
What gun would you recommend for practicing 10m shooting? I want to mount some cheap peep sights on it so i can practice when I’m at home(because my anshutz is at school). I trust izh (i have a izh 46m) though the daisy 953 looks good. I want cheap.
Bryan,
I’m sorry, but putting a bipod on an IZH 61 seems to me like putting trailor hitch on a Corvette. Sure, it can be done, but why?
If you have difficulty shooting the 61 accurately, train with it until you get better. The rifle is capable of wonderful accuracy that most shooters could not surpass. What I’m saying is that this is a rifle to train with. I would get rid of the scope and just use iron sights.
How will it work at 20 meters? Why not find out? Shoot it at 20 and see. Your 853 isn’t made for 20 meter shooting, but it will certainly do it. The pellet doesn’t know what kind of gun it was shot from. It doesn’t fall to earth after 10 meters.
B.B.
Cheapskate,
Wow! That’s an eye-opener!
I’ll bet you no one “set” the parallax. They just assembled the sight and left it at that. Any chanch of adjusting the parallax on that model?
B.B.
Believe it or not, I would go with the 953 in your case. The IZH 61 is more accurate, but the stock is so different from your target rifle that I’m not sure there would be as much transfer from the 61.
Better, still, would be the 499. Yes, the BB gun. It’s more accurate at 5 meters than the 953 is at 10 and once you own it the shooting is far cheaper. Get an 850 trap and you can even reuse the BBs.
B.B.
Hi BB,
I just received this bipod with my S-16Xs. It took awhile to figure out how to mount it since there was a distinct lack of instructions from both Logun and the bipod manufacturer. But I now have a bipod that I can take on and off really quickly. I can also use the weaver mount for a flashlight when I don’t have the bipod attached. The only problem with mine is that, when in the fully-retracted position, one of the legs is a little less than a centimeter longer. The quick fix, though, is just to extend the shorter leg.
Also, I also got the new Air Venturi pump. Actually I’m on my second one. I had to RMA the first because the threads stripped out of it when I was tightening a fitting because it was leaking air (hardly took any torque either). The second one also leaked, but this time I’m using teflon tape around the threads to make it air tight. I thought everything was fine until I got up to 2500-2750 psi on my new one and air started leaking around the threads of the pressure gauge! Looks like I need to unscrew it too and put some threadlock on it as well… People shouldn’t have to do this.
The instructions that come with the Air Venturi say to let it cool down every 5 minutes by the way. Pyramyd AIR says this isn’t necessary, but usually the manufacturer knows best, right?
-Alan D.
Hi pelletier:
I have a D48 airgun, and i want to know if The Dragon Claw bipod is perfect for my airgun.
Thanks you so much!!
hey BB,
Just wondering if the dragon claw bipod would fit on the underlever of my cf-x. I have a makeshift one that I use now, but a nice solidly machined one would be great.
thanks
Alan,
Your pump story sounds like you removed the brass fitting at the base of the pump. That’s never supposed to be removed, because the threads underneath are not 1/8 BSPP! There is nothing in this country that will screw into the base of that pump. You have to use a 1/4 inch BSPP fitting to attach to the brass fitting that’s permanently bonded to the base of the pump, and of course all fittings have to have Teflon tape around them. That’s standard procedure.
As for the pump gauge, it was tested to 3,600 psi at the factory. That’s EVERY pump. So if you loosened that gauge to connect the hose there you might have gotten a leak, otherwise, it should have been tight.
I’m glad to hear Pyramyd AIR supported you well in this.
B.B.
Alan,
I forgot to address the cool-down time. This pump does NOT need to be cooled down like the instructions indicate. It has been rigorously tested and it WILL NOT overheat the way other pumps do.
B.B.
BB,
Interesting to know about the pump. The first pump that came had the brass fitting detached from the base. There were no instructions regarding the fittings so I assumed it was a fitting to attach the hose to a tank (it’s the same size as the tank adapter that comes with the S-16). The hose came with the pump and seemed to screw in just fine, so that’s what I did, and it was fine until about 2000 – 2250 PSI.
The second pump came with the brass fitting pre-installed. I did not take this out, only connected my S-16 fitting to it (which also leaked at around 2300 PSI until I put tape on it). As for the pressure gauge – I didn’t even touch it. I didn’t realize it was screwed into the base until I heard it leaking and inspected it more closely. I have not unscrewed the gauge yet. What should I do? I’m prepared to put Teflon tape on it as well. I’d hate to RMA it again.
Thanks for your help
Alan D.
D48,
If you have a Diana 48 then yes, a Dragon Claw will fit. I’ve tried it.
B.B.
Dave,
I can’t tell whether the clearance between the underlever and barrel is large enough to permit mounting the Dragon Claw and unfortunately I no longer have a CF-X to check. I suggest that you call Pyramyd AIR and ask for Gabe, who can check this for you.
B.B.
Alan,
That first pump must have had its base brass part removed at some point between manufacture and you. Being a new pump, I guess they don’t have all their literature sorted out yet, but a warning about not removing the brass piece is in order, because some shooters will be inclined to do the same thing. Logic would dictate that that hole is 1/8-inch BSPP.
Regarding the pressure gauge, A wrap of Teflon tape (three times around) would be the traditional fix. Though the threads are different, the gauge threads are correct for that hole so there should be no problem doing that. When you screw the gauge back in it will tighten before reaching the same position as before, so be prepared to accept a partial rotation of the gauge from what it is now.
B.B.
B.B. Thanks for all You do I love reading your postings everyday. This if off subject. But do you have any opinions the winchester 1000b air rifle. I am thinking about a getting a new one. Thanks in advance for your answer
BB,
Regarding parallax adjustment on the Crosman red dot: The pinhole light source (dot) appears to be epoxied in place, so adjustment would be difficult. One could place a second pinhole aperture in front of the source to move it forward, but unfortunately mine needs to be moved in the opposite direction.
So… Can you suggest a good value in a red dot?
Cheapskate,
For very little money the Leapers has to be the best value.
B.B.
BB,
Your last comment to cheapskate regarding red dots I think is on target. Do you have any recommendations? There is the Leapers Quick Aim Electronic Dot Sight on the web site at $10 and the 30mm Red Dot at $30 (which doesn’t seem to different from the BSA). BSA, BTW offers a multi dot sight, going down to 3 MOA. It is $80, but seems like it would be a good option. Unfortunately, even on the Leapers web site, I cannot find the *weight* of any of these sights, and unfortunately, Wal-Mart does not carry Leapers. Most of the BSA red dot sights have their weights mentioned on the BSAoptics.com website. Of course, I am still looking for a red dot for my S&W 686 .177 CO2 gun. Do you know of anywhere where the weights are given? Seems to me with less weight, it is going to be less durable.
Michael in Georgia
I’m a little hesitant about hte Leapers Quick Aim — looks exactly like the Crosman 0290, down to the finest details I can see in the picture. Wonder if they’re both made in the same factory.
Michael,
I don’t know where the weights are given, either. But it’s a sure thing that the $10 sight will be made more cheaply than a $30 sight.
B.B.