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Education / Training Walther .25 caliber Falcon Hunter – Part 3

Walther .25 caliber Falcon Hunter – Part 3

by B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2

Last time I said I would first try shooting the .25 caliber Walther Falcon Hunter with open sights, so that’s what I did. As I sighted-in, I was able to record some more impressions of the rifle.

It now opens with ease instead of the stiffness I reported earlier, so it did break-in as predicted. Cocking is now running 42-43 lbs., so there’s been a slight reduction there, as well. The rifle still requires a real effort to close the barrel. I believe the angle on the detent is a bit too shallow. I learned to snap it closed with authority.

05-23-08-detent

The shallow angle on the closing side of the spring-loaded barrel detent (right side of chisel detent) causes the closing force to increase. Compare that angle to the opening angle on the other side.

Recoil
Shooting off a bench all morning has left the impression of real recoil with this rifle. Some of that’s due to the light weight of the gun compared to the power it generates. This rifle is second in recoil only to the Webley Patriot, and it’s a very close second at that. A proper hold does help the situation a lot, however.

Best hold
I experimented all morning to find the best hold, and when I found it, it turned out to be the old classic artillery hold with no modifications. No tops-of-the-fingers stuff for this rifle. Simply lay it on the flat of your open palm a little behind the balance point of the forearm so it’s a little muzzle-heavy.

I’m not trying to tease you
This rifle deserves a longer break-in, and I’m going to do it. As I shot through the morning, things kept getting better and better, but I could see there’s a way to go before we see the best the rifle has to offer. In that respect, it’s not too different from the Patriot/Kodiak, which also needed time to wear in. So, this isn’t the final report. Let me bring you up to speed regarding where things are right now. I put this statement in the middle of the report because some readers switch off once they see the first target.

Trigger
The trigger is holding steady with a crisp but deliberate pull. I doubt there will be any advance in that area.

Sights
I tried shooting groups with the fiberoptic open sights, but they lack the precision needed for small bullseye targets. You may remember in Part 1 that I observed that the front post is wider than the rear notch. That bit me when I was shooting for precision, so I had to give it up and mount the Walther 3-9x44AO illuminated scope.

Wow! You certainly shouldn’t expect to find a great scope packaged with a magnum air rifle for under $270 – but here it is. This scope is great! It comes with the rings installed, so all you have to do is slide it onto the scope rail. The rings are thin one-screw models, but they seem to be holding up well thus far.

The scope was very quick and easy to sight-in at 21 yards, the distance I used because of very strong wind gusts. Then I went to work. Turned out that Beeman Kodiaks did best, as expected, but Beeman Ram Jets did well, too. The other pellets I tried were Beeman Crow Magnums and Diana Magnums. They didn’t do so well this time, but I will try them again the next time I go out, because the rifle is starting to settle into its groove.

05-23-08-tgt1

Five Kodiak pellets spread out in a straight line. The wind was blowing the target off the backstop some of the time.

05-23-08-tgt2

Beeman Ram Jets. Three on the right and two on the left. This was caused by me not getting in the same hold repeatedly. It does indicate that the rifle wants to shoot.

Firing over 100 shots this morning, I’m beginning to see what shooters like about the Falcon Hunter. As it wears in, it assumes a familiar feel that tells me better things are in store in the days ahead. Also, the light weight of such a powerful spring rifle is refreshing. It doesn’t wear you out like a lot of other magnum blasters.

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.

47 thoughts on “Walther .25 caliber Falcon Hunter – Part 3”

  1. Hi B.B. A friend of mine told me that he recently saw an older Sheridan Blue Streak (about 20yrs old)with what looked like a factory scope and mount.I know that Crosmans new mountswill not fit the older Blue Streaks.MY questions are have you heard of this scope mounting system and were the triggers of that era better than the ones of newer Streaks.

  2. Old Blue Streak,

    People have been mounting scopes on Blue Streak for at least 30 years, if not more. Crosman’s Intermount that clamps on the barrel was how they did it. That mount sometimes popped the barrel apart from the compression tube when its claws were too long and it put too much upward pressure on the barrel.

    Yes, the older triggers were easier to pull than those of today. But they were never what you could call good. Sometimes people used files on them and ruined the mating surfaces. Then they became so light they would slip off by accident. That problem is where the trigger of today came from.

    B.B.

  3. B.B.,
    Interesting about the detent. It almost looks like it would work better if it were removed and reinstalled flipped 180 degrees. Slap it to open, instead of to close.
    Pestbgone

  4. Thanks B.B.I might have a chance to buy that rifle, so I’ll look for that barrel problem.I haven’t seen it yet but I”m hoping that the stock is made of walnut as opposed to Amercan Hardwood”.Do you know about when they switched?Have a safe holiday weekend.

  5. Ok, I’m sold. Have been for awhile. Question: Your find on the best pellets in the rifle; If I bought a rifle, do you think the same pellets you used would give the same results, or would an individual rifle have it’s individual firing characteristics, and therefore, it’s individual pelet preference? I’ll probably purchase a few different pellets to try anyway. JP

  6. All,
    Had an interesting first day with new Discovery 22. First few shots using the included pellets were not real accurate. After about 10 shots it settled down enough to sight it in.

    I then shot the remaining included pellets and was getting better and better results and getting more and more happy. When the included CP round nose pellets were depleted I grabbed my new box of CP round nose and refilled the little rubber pouch that came with the Disco and went back out to shoot some more.

    Problem was the fist shot with the new CP pellet was several inches low and the second shot was so far off it didn’t even hit the shooting trap. So I got closer and shot more… still not hitting the box. So I got closer now just about 10 feet way from the trap and still could not hit the trap and the gun report was sounding strange. I sounded like a dry fire.

    So I put in another pellet and watched if fall through the barrel and drop to the ground. I grabbed the 177 pellets instead of the 22.

    Took me about 6 shots to figure it out. Of course accuracy returned once the correct pellets were used.

    Hope you enjoyed the humor… it sure made me laugh.
    DB

  7. BB, thanks for the fine work you do. Your writing and analysis is always on target. A suggestion; next time you review a big magnum like the Falcon can you have the manufacturer send you two rifle. One you test and the second you have someone do a lube tune. Have someone (maybe a fellow blogger) do a little tune, smooth out the rough edges etc. We know a lot of us would do that. Its no insult to the manufacturer, we know they would have to add additional consumer costs to the retail cost. But it would expedite the review and provide what i think is a real value to those of us that tweak our guns.
    Keep up the excellent work.

  8. Art,

    On rare occasions I have tuned a gun I am testing. I don’t like to do it because it teases the average guy who doesn’t want to tear into his spring guns, but once in a while I guess it isn’t bad. I just don’t want to make a practice out of it.

    I suppose you want me to do this one?

    Remember, we have a gas spring coming for this soon.

    B.B.

  9. B.B. Thanks again for your candid review and the fine job you do of testing the airguns. No one should ever accuse you of any bias. Until the web and this blog, ordering a new brand of airgun was like buying a pig in a poke. I hope people appreciate what you do. Based on your reviews of the Falcon, I will pass on it and leave it to the younger guys.
    (Not that I’ll be buying less airguns, just ones that better suit my needs, and wont need sold or returned)

  10. B.B.

    I know that an airgun needs to be tested for the best pellet. But will a particular model tend to like a few types of pellets or is everything up for grabs with each gun that you buy?

    Also, can you give me your evaluation of the B-square mount company? I know that you have recommended their products before, but the PA techs told me that they’ve had some problems with recent models. In my ongoing quest to mount a scope to the Savage rifle, B-square gave me a price that is all of $6. This seems on the low side even for me.

    Here’s more background. Sure enough, someone gave me a quote of $240 for a mount and rings–shipping included(!) I called up B-square for an alternative and they had to transfer me from their site in Jacksonville, FL out to Fort Worth, TX where they recommended the wrong models then transferred me back to Jacksonville for pricing. To quote Mr. Hand from that classic film Fast Times at Ridgemont High: “Are you all on drugs out there?” Without a blog to fall back on, a newcomer to shooting may as well just quit.

    Matt61

  11. Matt61,

    Several years ago, B-Square was the most respected maker of scope mounts in the world. Then the company was sold to Armor Holdings, a maker of ballistic armor plate for vehicles, and they went south. Literally. First they moved the operation from Ft. Worth to Florida, then the management sort of fell apart.

    We still use their mounts because they are still the best in the business, but don’t look for anything good to ever come from them again.

    B.B.

  12. B.B.
    Could you please check out the .25 Webley Mosquito pellets with the Falcon? I have a Falcon .25 on the way with a whole bunch of Mosquitos, and later I’ll get some Kodiaks. I figured the Mosqites might do well because I have heard nothing but good things about them. Folks say that when you find the Mosqito pellets you should buy as many as you can, because they are of excellent quality and never are in one place for very long.
    –davee1

  13. BB,
    Yes I know you were talking about tuning the Falcon. I was just promting you for future blog.

    BTW… today was a perfect pellet day lots of sun and very slight breeze. So I pushed the trap out to 35 yards. Disco performed poorly and the iron sights needed to be pushed why to right to make it shoot straight. Got to looking at it and found the barrel was mounted crooked. So I adjusted the barrel band and got it shooting straight with a centered rear sight.

    Unfortunately that caused the barrel tip to tightly touch the air tube on one side and suddenly every 3rd shot or so was a flier. That was frustrating.

    Then after shooting quite a bit to try and work that out I started feeling a puff of air hit my face. Did the tissue test and then held my finger over the bolt and sure enough the seal is leaking.

    Could the breech seal leak be causing the fliers?

    Still liking the Disco. Just need to work through the startup issues.

    DB

  14. B.B.

    Well, that’s very revealing. Thanks. Their price is so good that they’re worth a try, but I’ll keep my eyes open. And maybe it explains a few things that a maker of armor plates for vehicles doesn’t know what they’re doing.

    Matt61

  15. B.B.

    Different topic–Back to 10 meter pistol

    In answer to my question about using the two handed grip for the 747 you said that it may be a good idea for my kind of shooting (backyard type).

    I have been doing some research and would like your opinion on which of the various two handed stance you would recommend:
    1. Isosceles
    2. Weaver
    3. Modified Weaver (Paris Theodore)

    Thank you for the great info in your blogs. It has improved my shooting.

    Cheers,
    Stingray

  16. Dear BB,

    I’m interested in getting a gas Airsoft pistol but know very little about them. Would you recommend a blowback or non blowback for a nice realistic feel vs gas economy? (I’m more concerned with having to fill it often than the cost of the little propane tanks I’d find here on Maui.) If you wanted a dream gun or guns for Airsoft competition, which one(s) would you purchase?

    Thank you,

    Joe B.

  17. Joe B. I wanted to try this myself, mostly for some fun indoors. I bought two that took my eye. One a KSC USP, metal slide version. The other a Western Arms S&W 1911 replica. The Western Arms is very nice, and surprisingly accurate. But it must run on 134a gas. The USP can take propane, and sounds and feels more satisfying. Not bad across the office into a paper target either. In the USA they’re sold as KWA not KSC I think.

    Gazza

  18. B.B.

    I have a few scope questions…

    My scope broke the other day and a lense was ratling in the eye bell. The POI moved all over the place with every shot. Today the ratling stopped and I can’t say with certainty that the POI is shifting or not. My scope is definately broken right?

    I have to ship it from Cyprus all the way to the UK to get it checked and get a refund/new scope. Is there a chance that they will say that it’s not broken because there is no ratling of a lense anymore? I have no idea why the ratling stopped. Is there a more specialised way of checking the scope other than shaking it?

    and the other question: For a 44mm objective bell, will I need the high b-square adjustables or the low ones? I will be mounting on a Discovery.

  19. Joe B.,

    The Marui Hi Capa 5.1 is an excellent gun that I believe you would really like. But vPA seems to not carry them.

    So many people have recommended the Western Electric that I also have to recommend it:

    /product/we-hi-capa-5-1-dragon-co2?m=886

    B.B.

  20. Andreas,

    The standard B-Square mounts will work. A PCP like the Discovery has a receiver that’s already raised over the barrel.

    As for the scope, take it off the gun and rotate it in a full circle while looking through it. That should tell you whether the ocular package is still aligned or not.

    B.B.

  21. BB,

    More on the Discovery. I managed to get about an hour to test this gun at longer ranges. The longest I could get was 40 yds so I went with that. It was a very windy day and I had a makeshift wobbly rest as I was at a friends in the country and he had only a wobbly table to use. Once I found that the Crossman PHP seemed to want to shoot best at this range I managed to keep two 10 shot strings in a 1″ square on a BC 3″ target. A third string had 8 shots on the square and two just barely off for a 1.25″ group.

    I have located a range closer which has firing points all the way to 100 yds and more substantial benches so when I get a nice calm day I will try it and report the results.

    But for now I think I can say with confidence large birds, squirrels and larger game would be in serious danger up to 40 yards with this gun!

  22. Hi Stingray,

    I am a 2 handed pistol shooter, and BB is right. Try all 3 stances and everything in between. Everyone is built a little different, and your neutral stance (relaxed, sights on target, close eyes for a second or 2, then eyes open with sights staying on target) will be different than the classic stance, and different from everyone else. The classic stances are a good starting point, but don’t force yourself into their exact position or your consistency from shot to shot will suffer. Find your neutral stance, then practice, practice, practice until it becomes second nature. I’d bet that when BB shoots one handed, he doesn’t even think about his stance until he has an off day. Hope that helps.

    /Dave

  23. I have to disagree with you on 1 issue with the falcon, I shoot mine all day long (after a long break in period the cocking effort reduced a lot) but the recoil stays pretty rough, but still not so bad that you get to sore to use the rifle. But you will go through a lot of scope stops.

  24. PCP4ME,

    A one-inch 10-shot group is pretty good for 40 yards. Though I do think you will do better of a better rest.

    I found 15.8-grain JSBs to shoot best in the .22 and 10.5-grain Crosman Premiers do do best in the ,177. A PCP usually likes a heavier pellet.

    B.B.

  25. Joe B, the WE 1911 series is nice. Blowback is definitely more realistic, and many of the blowback guns actually field strip in a manner similar to the real thing.

    By and large, I think you’ll find that most of your non-blowback guns have a gas reservoir built into the gun, while blowback models have them built into the magazine. In my experience reloading the mag with BB’s takes longer than reloading it with gas. With blowback guns you can get extra mags (the WE 1911 Government model comes with an extra), load and gas them up and shoot until you run out of mags.

  26. PCP4ME,
    Thanks for the Disco info. Hope to get Crosman to help me get mine shooting right. Before the seal went bad it was shooting well enough for a brand new air gun.

    BB,
    PCP4ME reminded me. You recommended CP hollow points for my 1377 some time back. I picked some up and only just got a chance to test them about a week ago. WOW… they are a whole lot better than most any other pellet test so far. Even better than the CP WC. I was able to get 10 shot groups in a nickle size hole at 10-yards. Thanks for the tip.

    In fact it was so good I thought the pellets were missing the target completely because it kept punching the same hole.

    Sweet… especially since I purchased a few thousand of them.

    DB

  27. B.B.,
    Did Webley ever sort out the quality issues with their Turkish made rifles?

    **How’s the quality now? Take the Tomahawk for example?

    **Also, for quality, accuracy and hold sensitivity, would you choose the RWS 350 Magnum or the new Webley Tomahawk?

    Regards,
    Bill S.

  28. Bill S.,

    Webley has not yet sorted the quality problem.

    I have zero experience with the Tomahawk, but if it’s Turkish, I’d be careful. The 350 Magnum is of known good quality.

    Both are hold sensitive, being breakbarrels.

    B.B.

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