Guest Blogger
Gino is a recent and satisfied owner of not one but two TX200 Mark III spring rifles. I’ve tested this rifle for you already, but this report comes from a new owner and a reader perspective. I thought it was an important viewpoint. Gino originally posted this as a comment, but it was so complete that I asked him if I could make it into a guest blog.
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A reader looks at the TX200 Mark III in .177 and .22
by Gino
It’s been awhile since I posted. I’ve been so busy practicing in my garage and cannot put the TX200s down. I still owe you a report on my rifles, so here you go.
Let me start with the .22 cal TX200 Mark III. It’s just as good as the .177. The only thing I see that’s different is that the .22 kills prey on the spot and the .177 needs better shot placement to execute the quick kill. The differences are very minimal, but I wind up picking up the .177 cal. 9 times out of 10 when I want to shoot farther, due to its greater velocity. But, the .22 cal. hits the mark with more accuracy on windy days.
Each caliber has unique traits. The .177 kicks a little harder than the .22, and I noticed that the .177 is a tad louder. Both will put pellets into the same hole as many times as you shoot, as long as you religiously keep the same stance/grip technique. I’m referring to the artillery hold–wink, wink.
The TX200 is so forgiving and simple to reload, and it’s never tiring like the breakbarrels. There are no seals that fall out, etc. [Matt61, are you listening?]
The trigger
The trigger on the TX200 Mark III is so adjustable that I’ve gone through all the adjustments and set it the way I wanted. The trigger can be as light and dangerous as you want, but everyone’s preference is different. My .177 is set at 1/4″ first-stage travel and 16 oz. of pull on the release. Basically the trigger is set where my entire technique allows me to shoot with the most accuracy.
The .22 trigger is set to the same first-stage travel of 1/4,” but has a little more tension than the .177 trigger. It just seems to shoot better/hit targets with a less sensitive trigger pull. Trigger adjustments are endless/infinite on the TX200 Mark III.
It gets better
New owners will be surprised when they shoot over 3,000 pellets and notice the rifle performs way better than when brand new out of the box. Everything gets better the more you shoot. The trigger smooths out, cocking gets even better and the overall feel just makes you smile each time you pull the trigger.
The overall weight is not bothering me, as it makes for a more stable rifle. By comparison, my friend’s Gamo CFX is a bit jumpy and springy against my cheekbones.
Scopes
I scoped both rifles with Leapers SWAT scopes, with the .177 having Leapers Accushot 8-32x56AO with illuminated reticle and the .22 mounting the 4-16x56AO (also illuminated). Both perform great and are dead accurate. The ease of zeroing at any distance is a breeze with no tools needed. Be sure to get a solid mount; it works well.
My conclusion on both calibers is that you need both if you have the extra money. The .177 will the do the job just as good as the .22 when hunting, as long as your shot placement is good. The .22 always kills the prey on the spot. I currently have both calibers and have no regrets. I sold all my PCP rifles as of last month, and I’m keeping these. Field target events were never so much fun before the TX200’s arrived. Just looking at these rifles is rewarding enough, to say nothing of shooting them.
Which caliber is my favorite? The .177 is an all-around rifle but I always hunt with the 22 cal. I take them both if I can.
Here is a TX200 anecdote I’ll never forget. The day was calm (70 deg. F.) with no wind at all, so I took the rifles to the firing range with my buddies. A few onlookers challenged me saying, “Who takes an airgun to a firing range?”
I said, “Let’s see who can group better on a 50-yard target.” That’s my TX200 MK3 rifles against their rifles. Guess who won? Yep, they couldn’t even group inside 2″ but blamed their lack of accuracy on the fact that I had Leapers SWAT scopes against their fixed scopes.
Then, they shot my rifles and everyone complained when their turns were over. They finally admitted defeat as they looked on their spotting scopes to see 10 rounds so close that even I was amazed.
Both my friends and these strangers now have a different perspective on the airguns of today. In the end, I mentioned the artillery hold and told them that you can shoot an airgun at home for free anytime in small areas that can’t accommodate a rimfire or centerfire gun. I gave them all the Pyramyd AIR URL, so they may comment if they see my comments.
My take on that experience is that to each his own and so be it if the toys/rifles/guns happen to be non-powder driven. They all shoot projectiles and give us joy and relaxation as hobbies.
Gino,
Well written, I enjoyed your review of these fine rifles. These will be in your collection for a long time, I’m sure. I am curious as to why you parted with your PCPs, was it financial? I know that Air Arms are one of the finest rifles on the market today and have a price tag to match, which has kept them temporarily out of reach for me right now.
Rich
Gino,That was about as complete and well written as they come.Bravo.I agree with all you said,but you did”nt mention which pellets you use.I have a .22TX and am looking for the perfect pellet.Which do you recommend?
It seems so nice from all the reports and pictures that I’d buy one right now but from the specs given it seems heavy at 9.30 lbs, I don’t use my Remington Summit often because of the 7.79 lbs, I find it a bit nose heavy for easy handling how is the wheight balance on the rifle?
J-F
Gino,
Well done. Makes me want to buy another .22.
j-f,
When I had a TX, I also thought the weight was tiring after carrying it in the woods all day. The TX gets even heavier with a big scope. In their defense, they are very easy rifles to shoot accurately. If I had enough room in the safe, I’d add another.
I find my Summit to be pretty handy. Did you remove the muzzle weight from yours to shift the balance point?
BB,
Way, way, way off topic, do you remember your pellet selection experience with Crosman 600s for reliability in feeding? So far, I’m of the strong opinion that the pellets must be die sized to fit the reciprocating toggle. I’ve settled on Crosman .22 wadcutters and Crosman Premiers for the time being.
Matt61,
I think he was referring to the OTHER Matt61. We still like you, buddy!
(I’ll tell you sometime about my Remington Summit and just how many times I’ve had to disassemble to fix all the design problems)
Derrick
J-F,
Nose-heavy is a desirable feature for most shooters. It slows the wobble of the barrel.
The TX200 has perfect weight and balance, but you may have to get used to it. The balance is about neutral.
B.B.
Derrick,
I found Eley Wasps shot very well and so did Crosman Premiers. Wadcutters tended to jam in my 600s.
B.B.
I’ve had similar experience between firearmers and an airgunner [myself.] Firearmers give you crap about shooting kids’ weapons or something that costs as much as firearms but with none of the power. I bought a Mendoza RM2000 so it’s a little more difficult to group in 2″ at 50 yards but I told them I can group 50 pellets about 1 to 2″ in my backyard range in the middle of suburban neighborhood. I’d like to see THEM try to group anything in their backyards for long before cops arrive in heavy gear.
Everytime I go to the range sombody has something nice to say about my guns or is at least curious. Especially when I show up with a “bicyle pump”.
I shoot at the state operated range. They only allow rimfire rifles, handguns and airguns. As a matter of fact airguns are expressly mentioned on all signage.
In the spirit of today’s post, I am selling my Gamo Shadow 1000 and would like a little easier to shoot springer to replace it. THE Shadow just never warmed my heart.
I am not ready to drop the cash for an AA but would like a nicer shooting option for plinking and the occasional squirrel at 10-15 yards.
Crosman Storm any good?
Bruce,Go for a Gamo CF-X.Incredable accuracy out to 25Yds.
BB and others, I could use your wise perspectives.
I sent my R7 into Beeman for some warranty work, and asked them to mount a Beeman aperture rear sight while they were at it. I had them do it because when I attempted the install, the barrel droop was too great to sight it in – the maximum adjustment wasn’t adequate.
The gun is done now, and they just called for payment. I won’t go into amounts, but part of the bill is for correcting the barrel droop. I see this as a warranty issue, but Beeman maintains that correcting barrel droop is a standard element of their procedure when mounting an aperture sight or scope, and is not seen as a manufacturing defect.
This history of this blog suggests that the degree of barrel droop in new guns varies greatly, but that its correction is not always, or even typically, required when mounting an aperture sight. It seems to me that a Beeman aperture sight should mount to a Beeman rifle without the aid of a gunsmith – correcting barrel droop is not even mentioned in the installation instructions (for the aperture sight).
Comments or suggestions? Thanks!
Brian
Brian,
I don’t believe I have ever said that barrel droop doesn’t affect an aperture sight, because it always does. The aperture sight is mounted on the spring tube, while the open sight is mounted on the rear of the barrel. So an aperture sight will always be affected by the amount of barrel droop – it has to be.
Barrel droop is a normal condition of a breakbarrel spring rifle. Beeman always used to charge more for guns that had the least amount of droop, so they could be scoped.
I really don’t think fixing the droop on your rifle comes under the warranty of the gun. After all, it was originally sold with open sights.
B.B.
BB,
I’ll try the Eley’s tonight. I cut down and fitted a 2250 barrel to my 600 a couple weeks ago to add some velocity.
Thanks.
Derrick
CF-X,
I was thinking of backing down from the high power gun. My Gamo just hops, thwaks and buzzes a bit too much for me. Is the CF-X less lively than the Shadow?
I am interested in and under lever or side lever but may go with a budget gun to fill this niche.
Thanks, BB. I wasn’t outraged by the charge, but I wanted to get a second perspective, so I very much appreciate your response.
Of course barrel droop will affect an aperture sight – the issue was whether or not it was extraordinary to have to correct the barrel droop before the aperture sight would even work.
Brian
Mr. Pelletier,Would having a gas spring installed in my .22 gamo black shadow help my guns preformance enough to be worth the cost or would I just end up with a jerry rigged Whisper? I practice your “artillary hold” which helps but the gun is all over the place.I’m very tempted to go with the mkIII as ya’ll make it sound great! THKS
Gino,
I have wanted a TX 200 for years, but could not justify it since I have an HW97K in .177 already. Now that I know they are available in .22 caliber, they have clicked up a few notches on my “buy” list. Do you have a Chrony? I would be curious to see what the .22 can do. I get about 930 from CPL’s in the .177 cal HW97.
Volvo
Gino,
Nice blog. As someone else asked, why did you sell your PCPs in preference to the TX 200? The wisdom is that PCPs are better because they lack recoil and competitive shooting has gone that route. I find I actually like the recoil on my spring guns, and it’s good training for firearms. Was that your reason?
And that’s a good anecdote about the firing range. At mine, I also find that people are quite interested in my airguns. For the tricked out assault-style Ruger 10/22 that someone was shooting, the range officer said, “That is one goofy-looking sumbitch.” But for my airguns he had only praise…. Your anecdote also makes me wonder about the reasons why airguns are more accurate than firearms at shorter distance. The workmanship must be comparable, so the reason must have to do with the reduced recoil of the lower power. Do you think?
Ha ha, yes, B.B. I took note of the lack of repair problems with the TX 200. I would always have conceded the superior quality of that gun to the B30. My reason for choosing the B30 was a sort of risk-benefit analysis in which I hoped to get roughly comparable accuracy–at least for my ability–and the ease of sidelever cocking. Besides, my super-tech, Stacey, at Pyramidair has gotten back to me with directions for sending the B30 for repair, so confidence is again riding high. I’ve decided not to go with a tune by the masters since I don’t need the gun tuned, just tightened up. And while I probably could get by with ignoring the screw, it’s not a risk I want to take. Besides, despite being a non-tinkerer, my notion of the precision that goes into an airgun does not quite sort with leaving parts out of place.
B.B., the Elmer Keith book is great; I can already tell after one chapter. His chapter on learning to shoot was terrific, and I was especially gratified with his notion of trying to break the shot as soon as your sights cross the target. I had sort of arrived at this by experimentation but had not seen anything in print to support it, and here it’s stated by one of the masters. Thanks.
Matt61
il bruce,
Your Shadow needs tuned. It’d be an entirely different gun with some internal polishing and key placement of moly and velocity tar. It would just go “Thunk!” and the vibration would be non-existant.
Even a quick tear down and lube would do wonders.
Derrick
Derrick,
Something about dumping an additional $200.00 on a $125.00 gun to make it work well seems wrong. I have heard about the Rich in Mich tunes and have no doubt that he does great work, it’s just a personal hangup.
I’d rather spend $325.00 on a gun that works the first time.
Gotta love Air Arms! I have AA S410 FAC in .22 and groups of 1/2″ at 50 yards are easy to acheive: so easy it becomes boring.
But I find myself shooting TX200MK3 more often due to a fun factor. These guns are superb in every possible way. TX in .22 will easily take down small game out to 80 yards.
ened,
I’ve shot Black Shadows that buzzed with every shot, so I know how you feel. I do think the gas spring will quiet your gun like a good tuneup will.
But if you can manage a Mark III TX 200, please try to do it. There is whole universe of difference between a TX and any Gamo, that I think you will be very pleased with your purchase.
B.B.
il bruce,
I completely understand the cost issue. It sure makes no sense to me to spend $200+ on a tune up, either. I’d rather put that $$$ towards another gun.
If you think you’re going to stick with spring piston guns and you are going to own several at a time, it makes a lot of sense to learn how to tune your own rifles. Consider building a spring compressor, read up–especially T. Gaylord’s book, “The Beeman R1” (An unsolicited and shameless plug for BB!) get some moly grease, and go to town.
It’s been worth the cost and learning curve to not have to send any of my guns anywhere when they eventually go down and needs service. If you’re somewhat mechaniclly inclined, have good reasoning ability and some judgement, spring guns are well within your ability to overhaul.
I have the ability and skill of a wild squirrel–so there you go!
Even $500+ guns usually need to be tuned to bring out their best behavior.
The only spring piston field guns I’ve shot that I didn’t have the immediate desire to gut were all from Air Arms.
Derrick
As to the question of spending more for your tune than your original gun, I’ve thought about this question a lot. Bob Werner gave a very attractive answer to this when he said Gamo airguns which are his favorite and some others (like the B30) could be tuned to give you the performance of a $500 gun. So my foolproof plan was to buy a $130 gun in hopes that it would work fine and then have Bob Werner as a back-up. Even with his tune added in, I would still come out $200 ahead.
But he unexpectedly retired and things started falling off of my gun. Well, I might be able to retrieve this in the end, and the theory still seems sound. I think the unintuitive part is that the tune which costs more than the original gun may be your bridge to an ultimate cost savings in final value. Anyway, such is the devious logic one can bring to airgunning.
My reasoning had pretty much shut me out from getting a TX200. However, Bob Werner’s untimely disappearance from the scene has reminded me that things are not permanent. B.B. mentioned in one of his posts that companies go up and down in their quality and what used to be good (like the pre-64 Winchester) may not always be so. If Air Arms went downhill all of a sudden, the opportunity to own a TX 200 might disappear which I wouldn’t like at all.
Matt61
Very nice review, I have always liked the TX200. I only have the .177 but I did get the Non FAC and FAC piston and spring for it. If you think its a great gun shooting 930 fps you should try 1 shooting 810 fps with the Non FAC piston. It has a longer piston and so a shorter compression stroke and very calm.
I think allot of people forget that a bolt action powder burner is just a nice tube in a piece of wood but an airgun is the entire power plant and the nice tube in a piece of wood. You either pay for the power up front or each time you pull the trigger.
Derrick,
Thanks for the tips. I have overhauled too many cheap hubs, bottom brackets, and headsets in my life. I have given up on grease and being handy. I just don’t enjoy it any more.
I think I’ll leave it too teh experts.
I would have no problem paying a few hundred to have a nice gun massaged but doubling the cost of the Gamo.
I suppose you are right though. It is only a matter of time before I disappear into the cellar and start making a mess of things.
Ta,
BRuce
ened,
Boy, amen to what B.B. said, I just sold two new in box CFXs with the Air venturi gas ram on the Gunbroker.com site..
Because, Two others I took back and traded for boats.. (great trade for me, gets my wife, me and the dogs out on the lake every morning).. shot great, but not up to what they should in fps.. and most of all the customer hated the trigger (you can upgrade the trigger for sure), but…it's not the same and no tune will make it 1/10th as good as a TX200..
SO…. LISTEN TO B.B. SAVE OR BORROW AND GET THE TX200… It's a totally different world…you must go there young man… or old man.. whatever the case..
By the way, great guest blog..
Wayne,
Ashland Air Rifle Range & Rentals
Bruce,It depends on your budget.I have never shot a Shadow,so I can’t comment on them.Ican tell you this for certain.Before I got my TX in .22cal,I had a Gamo CFX in .177.I’m no great shot ,but I was making head shots on tree rats at 15 to 20yds consistantly with Crosman prems.Replaced stock trigger with a GRT111.And what a gun it was until the mainspring broke after about 3000 shots.While Gamo was fixing it under warranty,I bought a TX 200Mk111.Same underlever design,Same neutral type hold ,The finished workmanship and trigger on the TX is just flawless.And no twang or vibration.I also tought about getting that CFX tuned ,but didnot,and spent the extra money on the TX.LIke everyone says.”You won”t be sorry.A mans decision is never easy.
Where’s Gino? We have some questions.Like heavy to carry in the field?,What type and weight of pellet?And would he like to sell them both .Only kidding!We’ll be waiting Gino.
Nice writeup Gino!
.22 multi-shot
What’s the general consensus on the length of time you can leave a springer cocked?
I don’t trust my ability to cock a spring-piston quietly and inconspicuously, so I ruled out springers for pest control long ago. But now Gino says he favors his TX200 over his PCPs. And he hunts. Gino, how long do you leave it cocked?
Kevin,
You asked on Monday night several good questions about my .177 54 that was tuned by Rich of Mich. The cost of the tune was $150 plus about $15 shipping, which was a complete tune with emphasis on the trigger. I think on his website he describes precisely what he does, so I will not repeat that here.
I had little use for the 54 pre-tune because 1.) it’s trigger was crummy compared to the PCP and CO2 air rifles to which i had grown accustomed; 2.) the rifle, with 24 power Leapers scope, weighed so much that it made my back hurt to stand and shoot it for more than a few shots {disc problems); 3.) the rifle was not as accurate as I wanted; 4.) it made an unpleasant buzzing upon firing. Considering that the entire kit was over $700 and it was gathering dust, I figured I had little to lose by throwing another $165 at it. I was also curious to experience firsthand what a tuning would do to a spring rifle, as I had read with interest what other bloggers and authors had written. – Dr. G.
il bruce,
I totally forgot you’re a bicycle guy, too. If you can build a good road wheel or overhaul one of the newer Campagnolo Ergopower shifters, you SHOULD be overhauling your spring piston guns.
BB,
So far the Eley Wasps are flawless for function in the old Crosman 600. Didn’t even have to resort to sizing them, either. Would you believe (you probably already know)that it’ll hold 13 Wasps in the in-line mag? This is the one pellet I never would have even considered due to it’s short length and slightly larger skirt diameter. Thanks for the recommendation.
Derrick
54 TUNE & PELLET EVALUATION
After the tune by Rich, there were a number of things that were improved. Interestingly, it took me over 300 shots to fully appreciate what Rich had done, which may reflect the depth of quality of his work.
1.) The trigger did not come down to 8-10 ounces like I had wanted, but it did become much more akin to breaking a glass rod at a little under a pound. It is now my second favorite trigger, behind a Zasadny tuned Rapid. 2.) I decided to shoot the rifle sitting only, which is very comfortable. Here, the heaviness is an asset, helping to keep the rifle free from small movements. 3.) The accuracy improved overall at 10 yards about 2/16ths of an inch, although the accuracy effects are much more complicated when comparing 17 different pellets before and after the tune. The same pellets that worked well before the tune were not necessarily the same ones that worked well after the tune. See Part II, below, for accuracy numbers. 4.) The unpleasant buzzing was completely eliminated and was replaced by a more solid sounding and feeling "thunk," or "ka-chunk" sound.
Interestingly, after the tune the rifle emitted a burning oil smell, one that immediately reminded me of my Lionel electric trains as a youth. The pellet velocities were reduced about 30 fps on average, which was something that I told Rich in advance would be fine, as I primarily use the rifle for target shooting and plinking. – Dr. G.
Derrick,
Where are you getting the Wasps now?
have you got a link?
Wayne,
Ashland Air Rifle Range & Rentals
B.B. & All,
Just a little more feedback on the Evanix AR6.. I tried the double-action trigger feature at the 18 lbs.. It was strange because for some reason it was easier for some shots than other, maybe 10 lbs instead of the 18 lb trigger to advance the magazine.. on some shots I had to help with the thumb cocking lever, but between them both it went quick and I could stay on target for 6 very quick shots on the 1-1/2" dot at 50 yards, after a little practice..
Boy, are those loud shots, it got my neighbor to get out something big and make more noise than me… might have been a .270 or something.. good thing he lives farther up the mountain..
Wayne
Wayne,
Ashland Air Rifle Range
Wayne,
Sorry no link. I got them a while (year?) at a local retailer.
Derrick
54 TUNE & PELLET EVALUATION II
Here are the pre-tune results of 5-shot groups of the best unweighted 3 types of pellets for this .177 54:
JSB Exact Diabolo (8.38-.66)= 3/16ths inch; JSB (10.2-.5)= 3-5/16th; H&N Barracuda Match (10.26-.44)=4/16th
Here are the post-tune accuracy results for the best 3 types of pellets:
Air Arms Diabolo Field (8.4-.56)=1-3/16ths inch; JSB Exact Diabolo (8.38-.66)=1-4/16th; JSB Exact Express (7.76-8.04)= 2-3/16th
Quite an improvement in accuracy! Also, as you can see, what formerly was the #1 pellet became the #2 pellet. And what formerly was the 3rd most accurate pellet (H&N Barracuda), shooting 1/4" groups unweighted, post-tune was only shooting 1/2" groups! Further, and perhaps most interesting, was the finding that the heavy pellets (viz., 10 grain), while accurate pre-tune, became very unpleasant to shoot post-tune because of a slight but noticeable vibration (not the buzzing sound).
Although I have not yet evaluated the accuracy of weighted pellets, given the general finding that spring guns are more sensitive to pellet weight than are PCP and CO2 guns, I expect that the post-tune 54 would more consistently produce pellet-on-pellet groups (especailly using the AA and JSB Exact Diabolo) than the unweighted results reported above. However, even unweighted, these results above are very accurate, especially when you consider that in .177 caliber 3/16" C-T-C is basically pellet touching pellet.
Another reason that I use this rifle often is that it has proven itself to be very effective in shooting small (1/8") plastic Lego pieces. Because of the high velocity of the pellet, around 870 fps at 10 yards, I am able to knock off precariously balanced Lego pieces without disturbing what the Lego piece is resting on (e.g., a block of plastic or wood, which can itself be somewhat precariously balanced and is itself another plinking target). When struck, the Lego piece goes flying off in a very decisive fashion, one which simply cannot be duplicated with an 850 firing a .22 pellet at 600 fps at 10 yards.
– Dr. G.
Derrick,
Me too… only 1/2 a tin left, There is a place on line but it takes a long time to get them, and I gave up…
Wayne
Spring time,
I have to jump in on this question because I wondered the same thing. When I wrote the R1 book, I did a comparative spring test of four different mainsprings that I left cocked for a month. I tested each of them at the same number of hours cocked and recorded the results.
I did a report on that here:
/blog/2006/5/how-long-does-a-mainspring-last-part-2/
This was posted before I revealed who I am, so I refer to myself in the third person.
B.B.
Derrick,
Yes, Wasps are indeed wonderful for certain things. I like them best in my pre-war Webley Senior, whose bore is larger than a .22 of today. So I stocked up years ago, buying 30 ttns when they were starting to leave the shelves. I bought mine in Canada and paid a lot for shipping, but it was worth it to have what I needed for those old guns and the 600.
B.B.
TX200 .22
Once I took a prairie dog down with ONE shot in the HEAD at 52 yards (confirmed by the rangefinder). My best kill ever. Wish I had it on video. My buddy dropped a crow at 64 yards with his .177 TX.
Put it on the credit card if you have to, but get this gun before the price goes up again.
Dr. G.,
Wow a 3 part answer to my questions. Thank you very much. Very interesting. You have heightened my desire to tune my RWS 54. My 54 is .22 caliber. Not sure if your .177 pellet experiment will translate into .22 but I appreciate knowing about the Air Arms Diablo Field pellet that performed so well in your gun. I haven’t tried that one. Did you try the crossman premiers in the cardboard box?? Out of approximately 2,000 rounds and trying 10-12 different pellets these perform best in my .22.
Dr. G., sorry to be so needy but if you don’t mind a several more stupid questions:
1-Did you try to adjust your trigger before sending it to rich in mich?
2-Did you talk with other tuners before deciding on rich in mich? ken reeves or ed krzynowek perhaps?
3-Did you talk with rich in mich about the carbon fiber shroud he’s doing on RWS 54’s? If so, what is your opinion about this modification?
4-Did I understand you correctly that even after 300 shots you’re still getting a “burning oil smell”?
Thanks again. Really respect your time spent and experience with your 54.
kevin
Agree, TX lasts forever, great investment, and good resale values.
I hear some shooters get reliable kills out to 70-80 yards with TX200
Dr. G.,
Coincidentially, I’m entertaining the idea of entering the pcp market. My hesitation is temperature. Weather at my place in the Colorado rockies can vary 30 degrees in one hour. Nonetheless, the theoben rapid mk II is at the top of my list. Assume this is the gun with the tuned trigger you’re referring to.
kevin
Kevin,
Regarding your temperature comment, PCPs are the Least affected by temperature changes of all airgun powerplants. Far less than steel spring guns.
B.B.
B.B.,
Thanks B.B. I need all the reasons I can amass to justify purchasing another air gun for my anticipated conversation with the wife (“she that must be obeyed”). Keep ’em coming.
kevin
B.B.,
Thanks for the link to the R1 mainspring experiment.
It’s nice to have some data, some numbers. Every Internet guide on spring-piston rifles I’ve read warns the shooter against leaving them cocked for “too long” or recommends he shoot a cocked gun “in a reasonable amount of time.” Reasonable.
Spring Time
Kevin,
I have most of my airguns sent to the local UPS store. That way I don’t need to worry about the adult signature – I’m a kid a heart, I might not qualify. The by-product of this is that the wife never knows about the new arrival.
Especially if I forget to get it out of the trunk until after midnight………..
: )
Volvo
Volvo,
Appreciate your suggestion but I’m a pro at getting into trouble all by myself.
Was sorry to hear about the fwb 124 troubles. Was happy to hear that you decided to send it off for repairs. A classic rifle that deserves the best attention. Hope it turns into one of your favorites.
kevin
I bought a 0.177 walnut TX200 MkIII this very evening. Needless to say, as soon as I got it home, I fitted and zeroed a scope at once and started flinging a few rounds downrange in my (long) garden.
Omigawd! This rifle is awesome! 1″ 5-groups at 30+ yards in before the rifle’s even shot in and before I’ve got used to it. I was using bog-standard pellets, and there was a briskish breeze. I love it.
I’ll be taking it to the range tomorrow night – then I’ll really be able to put it through its paces with some proper match ammo, and I’ll hopefully be able to give a more thorough review.
But already it puts my old 0.177 BSA Supersport (which I really liked for many years) utterly in the shade, and it’s a beautiful-looking piece with the walnut stock.
Big Al,
Breeding tells.
B.B.
First of all I would like to thank BB for giving me the opportunity to share my experiences on the Air Arms TX200 mk3 and this will not be possible without Pyramid Air, the best store for all your shooting needs period.
Folks my sincere apologies for missing all the replies. I have not read anything until this evening. Better late than never!
Let’s begin with what ammo I use the most (I have tried a lot of ammo brands and weights).
I buy these in bulk from Pyramid air to get the same die number stamped at the back of the box for consistency and same run.
My ammo choice is the Crossman Premier domed 7.9 gr. on my .177 and also the Crossman Premier domed 14.3 gr. for my .22.
I shoot at 10 meters indoors and try not to reach out past 50 yards outdoors due to reasons that anything further is always prone to a miss shot free standing and I hate missing the target.
I would rather bench shoot past 10 meters to be more consistent and try shooting free hand past 10 meters and your groups open up wide.
Note that I practice/enjoy/shoot with the same ammo but also use the RWS Hobby Sportline 11.9 gr.wad cutters at 10 meters from time to time to compare the accuracy when I doubt the pellet batch on a new box shooting at paper. Wad cutters give a clean cut circle on every shot that you can see clearly and then shoot at the same hole to see how many same hole shots you can muster. Fun fun !
Heavy rifle with huge swat scopes you asked?
The weight is never an issue even when hunting. The TX200 mk3 is well balanced and if you can imagine this, with your elbow locked on your chest/belly and face your palm up with the TX200 on it, you will notice the gun can float on your left hand as you look in to the scope and the buttstock touches your cheek all with ease. Simply wrap your other hand around the butt stock and slip your trigger finger and pause then pull to your trigger set up.
Buy a good shotgun sling that hooks around the barrel and butt stock and it carries just the same while hunting. The under lever latch actually acts like a stopper for the loop around shotgun sling.
The TX200 with the scope and all on the .22 and .177 cal is so stable due to the weight that you can do whatever stance the outdoors throw at you.
I hunt with friends using other rifles that are a lot lighter and 9 out of 10 they always borrow the tx200 when the kill is important to them further away than 50 yards. I asked them why and the answer is always the same. It is more stable in distance shooting than the light units because the lighter units jump but not so with tuned units. Now that is what they say and it does not represent my opinion on other units.
PCP rifles VS TX200 MK3?
Okay I know the PCP rifles are way more advanced/accurate and why did I choose the TX200 over. Simply because the baggage that the PCP comes with is no longer fun for me and the TX200 MK3 has made air rifle/gun shooting fun again. The attributes are similar but not the same on both designs but when it comes to trigger pull weight(TX200 trigger is up close with the PCP’s) and accuracy i always beg to differ on any rifle, but this is my take and opinion and please make your own assessment before you decide.
Imagine I have access to free C02 and I never bought air but like I said, the baggage/gadgets that comes with the refilling design is no longer fun for my intended purpose. The old school idea of bring the gun and ammo works for me PERIOD.
The secondary reason is the challenge you get shooting a springer is never ending. PCP’s are so accurate if you are consistent enough that it really makes you “master sniper” as it is really very forgiving. Did I mention the revenue saved and on the springer platform is way off the fun scale.
In the end you really have to ask yourself which route you want to go with, carry one rifle/cock/load/fire or carry tank/hose/manual back up pump/cock/load/fire/refill later. Lot’s of pros and cons like how many shots you go thru to need all that etc. but you simply cannot beat the free air on a good springer like the TX200 MK3.
I love them all period. If I missed anything please ask me.
Thank you everyone
Gino
I forgot to comment on how long do I keep the rifle in the cocked position when hunting.
I never leave it cocked because the TX200 enables you to de-cock the rifle by simply pulling the under lever down again and remove the safety then pull the trigger to release the piston and simply undo the ratchet latch and slowly return the lever back taking all the spring weight on the under lever and there you go. Loaded but not cocked.
You might ask why do this? Well the TX200 is so quite when you operate the mechanics while loading that the entire procedure while in motion during loading is almost to a whisper.
I assure you the prey will not get spooked if you hold the breech lever slightly while cocking the lever.
The guns mechanics when loading is very quite it is almost silent.
Thank you again
Gino
Okay folks I do have one thing to share on what you should keep in the tool box for spare parts just in case the TX200 has any issues later on when you get too rough on it.
It is the cocking shoe, yes that little piece of metal about an inch in size that actually holds the cocking lever as it slides the piston back to engage and back to home in place at the pellet seat etc.
I broke my .177 but my .22 caliber never broke so I went and investigated further. The reason it really broke is that the clearance from the resting position was off by an a hair over 1/8 of an inch so the pressure was sitting on the coking shoe as you return the cocking lever back in place.
I have not remedied this myself to keep the warranty intact and I have installed the replacement cocking shoe that Pyramid Air (free of charge) sent over (quick response by Stacey, thank you again)and the new part looks a lot more solid and no issues for now but the tolerance is still off on it.
I will post again if it breaks but it looks solid now.
🙂
gino
Just got my new Tx200,,it is THE most beautiful gun I own,,,, totally flawless in finish details of the stock and bluing.
And it all works so smoothly: no creep in the two stage trigger – crisp release; very smooth cocking and almost silent while cocking – and it is silent if you hold down the cocking release, no slop in the cocking arm motion at all, and I find it easy to cock; Safety release is very smooth; wonderful balance – it just feels good to hold it in any position while loading, cocking, aiming – never feel like I have to be careful to not drop it – the checkering gives a non-slippery but wonderful gripping friction, best balanced gun I've held;
And the firing: I find it to be smoother than my semi-recoiless 54 – it is just solid and tight, quiet single sound
Accuracy: I shot 5 rounds of seven different pellets (.177); rested on a homemade sandbag ( heavy duty punching balloon – it works wonderfully); 20 yards. I find it responds best to wadcutters – Beeman H&N was the best, with Gamo Match very close second. I had a couple of almost one-holers with both of these.
I also tested Crosman premier lights & hollow points & JSB Exact. These were all about the same groupings. Crosman waddcutters which came with my Challenger – and do very very well in that gun – do poorly in the Tx200. Daisy pointed hunter pellets were very bad.
I know one isn't supposed to rest a springer on a sand bag – but rather an open palm. But I just can't hold an almost 10 pound gun still. I also rest my 54 the same way – it's just as heavy.
My 54 shoots groupings much tighter than my Tx200. Perhaps I could find a pellet that would shoot equally as well in the Tx. And perhaps the comparison of these two guns isn't appropriate – my 54 is a .22,,my Tx is .177. My 54 likes Kodiaks the best – by far. I am going to try several other pellets in this Tx200, hoping I can find it to be just as accurate as my 54.
I like the Tx200 better than my 54. The 54 is noisier while cocking, harder to cock, not as well balanced, louder report and there is just a lot going on with the sliding chamber while shooting – took me quite a while to not blink my eyes when it shoots. The finish isn't as flawless – some finger prints in the bluing that won't rub out. But it is a HARD hitting machine that deforms my pellet trap at 20 yds even with plywood reinforcing. And the trigger is excellent also. Squirrels don't stand a chance in my yard – it blows thru them everytime.
I am still thinking about shooting some F & T matches, and at this point I believe I would shoot a 54 – it's accuracy for me is frightening – it gives me chills when I see the close groupings.
I love air guns. I love the forums
Eric,
Always great to hear from a satisfied airgunner. Think about recording your initial impressions of the new TX for a possible guest blog.
B.B.
Eric
You have chosen a good rifle with the TX200 MK3.177 cal.
Pellet choice is personal and I use the Crossman premiers that come in a cardboard box of 1250 at 7.9 gr and i shoot same holes consistent at 10 meters to 20 anytime any day against the 54 that my cousin owns with him shooting, but the artillery hold is the only way you can get same hole shots with any springer consistently.
The 54 has a recoil canceling device and that is why it works best on a sand bag for you and can out do the TX200 MK3.
Just hold it on top of your hand and grip lightly finding a balance as you set your hand on the sand bag and shoulder the rifle ever so lightly and with your trigger hand/finger just as light (float the rifle as you shoot) and you will be surprised on how accurate the TX200 MK3 is.
Take note that how you hold it is the same way you have to set the zero and if you change how you hold it the zero almost every time has to be adjusted for it.
Let us know okay.
🙂
gino
Gino,
First of all I want to thank you for your input,,,you write very well and describe all the salient details so I can understand and then go do it.
I have given up using a rest for my Tx200 and have committed to developing a steady stance with an open hand and very light shouldering. So far as of yesterday I have hit a one inch hanging target three times at 24 yds. I’m happy with that progress.
I find that it is an art of finding the balance point, rather than pure arm strength. The balance of me and the gun so I can be as relaxed as possible in the stance. I found I would get a ‘feeling’ of “I’m gonna hit it this time” and I did.
But it is a discipline also in that I am becoming ‘aware’ of my whole body (back, hips, legs, neck, eyes, trigger finger, my hand rest on the gun stock supporting the rifle, keeping eyes open during the shot, noticing what the gun does as it shoots). And it is practice of having that awareness and polishing the fine points of awareness toward greater accuracy.
If one was to say which part of the body needs to be strengthened for this sport, I would say it is the back muscles. Seems to me that my wavering was happening from my back. I’ve been doing back stretching and strengthening isometric muscle contractions of the areas that ached from my shooting,,and in just three days I have noticed some improvement. I’m happy with my progress.
This is definitely a challenge of mind and body, and I enjoy it. In my beginning of this sport I never believed I could hold these heavy springers steady enough. So I stayed with the lighter guns, and eventually got bored with them
But I owe my success to you all in this forum. I find wonderful inspiration, guidance, knowledge and camaraderie in this forum. Thanks for all your input and feed back. And thanks for being.
BB, Gino,,and everyone else who contributes, Thank you all.
I am posting this injury and you will realize why as you read along.
Today I was a sad day as I was told to rest my right hand (fingers)trigger finger to make way for healing recovery on my middle, index and thumb fingers.
I pulled it using a break barrel that I have been shooting the past week or two and I have sent it out to my tuner in Florida since my injury.
I shoot everyday and this will be devastating but I have realized that I have other rifles I can shoot with left handed.
The TX200 MK3 is a right hander so it was a bit difficult but I still managed to group some. LMAO
Now why is this relevant? Well one day you notice how simple it is to operate the TX200 ergonomicaly.
It is an underlever and a breeze to cock and not all break barrels are created equal when it comes to cocking and loading but the German rifle got me good lol. I never got injured with the TX’s PERIOD.
I will them both dearly.
I will miss them both dearly, 🙂
Wow,,,Gino,,,sorry to hear of your injury.
Yes,,I agree with you about the TX200 being a breeze to cock.
Still working on perfecting my hold,,,and still want to shoot FT matches someday.
I did shoot a squirrel the other day with the Tx (.177) and it seemed to be just as devastating of a killer as my 54 in .22 Shot him off hand with no rest – was proud of myself – first time I had done that. I always rest my 54.
I see you speedily recovering. I really enjoy shooting too.
Thanks for all your input
Well I am back shooting again but have to be careful now is all. There was a lot of talk on the TX blog regarding cleaning but I never saw the need to clean the TX as often as powder guns.
I was able to purchase a non metal rifle cleaning rod (to be safe and damage free) and just run patches on the barrel just coz I had time but it really does not need barrel cleaning often. I would wait till 5k or more rounds before scrubbing it but even at that there was no need at all.
be safe and talk to you all soon.
🙂
gino
Just ordered my TX200 MKIII in .22 and can hardly wait for it. I'm tired of the Chinese stuff and look forward to a rifle I don't have to tune and sacrifice family time to do it. I super tune all my own rifles because I was never impressed with the tunes from some of the popular chaps. They were always less quality than what I would expect being an aerospace engineer. I had a B28 that needed help everywhere but when completed it shot dime sized groups at 20 yards. I feel confident that the TX200 will out do my custom B28.