by Tom Gaylord, a.k.a. B.B. Pelletier
The Cometas Lynx V10 is an exciting precharged repeater.
Before I start, here’s a reminder that the Roanoke Airgun Expo will be held on Friday and Saturday, October 19 and 20. If you can come, try to arrive on Friday (noon to 7 p.m.), because that’s when the best deals are found — though there can be some good local walk-ins on Saturday. They say the show goes 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, but don’t believe it. By 1:30 the place starts clearing out fast.
The location is in the Roanoke Moose Lodge #284 at 3233 Catawba Valley Drive in Salem, VA, but don’t expect to find it with Map Quest. Just drive up Catawba Valley Drive (which is on Map Quest) several miles until you see the Moose Lodge on a hill on your right.
Mac and I will have a couple tables there. Mac’s bringing a couple 10-meter guns, and I’m bringing that cased FWB 124 I wrote about. Other dealers like Larry Hannusch will be there, and you never know what you will find at this show. Several of our regular blog readers such Fred from the PRoNJ and RidgeRunner will also be there. If you’re a blog reader, please stop by my table and say hi. Okay, let’s get to today’s report.
Today, I’ll show you the results of shooting the Cometa Lynx precharged air rifle at 50 yards. This is the real acid test for any air rifle — precharged or otherwise. They may hold together well out to 35 and even to 40 yards, but I’ve found from long experience that 50 yards separates the good ones from the great ones. And it exposes the ones that can’t keep up.
And here’s an important reminder for newer readers. I shoot 10-shot groups unless there’s a good reason not to. I always tell you if I’m shooting less than 10 shots. Five-shot groups simply do not test a rifle’s accuracy. What they test are the laws of chance, a shooter’s hopes and a bunch of other things that aren’t important, but 10-shot groups prove the real accuracy of the airgun.
My groups will always be larger than those you see elsewhere. Ten shots will group larger than 5 shots in so many cases that it isn’t worth thinking about. Whenever I go back and read these reports to find out the accuracy of an airgun I’ve tested, I’m so glad when I tested it with 10 shots and disappointed if I tested it with less. I hate the additional work it entails, because every one of those shots has to be perfect, but the result is well worth the effort.
News from AirForce
The day before I went to the range last week to test this rifle, I got a call from John McCaslin of AirForce. He told me they’ve been testing all the Lynx rifles and they found that dialing the power back to 20 foot-pounds produced better results for them. You’ll recall from Part 2 that our Lynx is putting out pellets at close to or just over 30 foot-pounds. So, based on that information, I went to the range with the power dialed back to about 20 foot-pounds.
I did that over the chronograph the day before going to the range. There were two pellets that John told me were giving him good results — the 15.9-grain JSB Exact pellet that had not done so well for me at 25 yards and the 18.1-grain JSB Exact Jumbo Heavy that was the best pellet in my 25-yard test.
John told me to adjust the velocity until the 15.9-grain JSB was going about 750 f.p.s., so that’s what I did. It took 2 complete turns of the power adjustment screw to get it to that velocity, where it produces 19.86 foot-pounds, and I nailed that average.
The Allen screw atop the rear of the receiver (in the upper right corner of the photo) is loosened so the power adjustment screw can be turned. I had to remove the scope to loosen the top screw, so I left it loose for adjustments at the range. The position of the Allen wrench leg tells you where the adjustment has been moved relative to where you began.
To adjust the power, loosen the locking screw atop the rear of the receiver, so the power adjustment screw will turn. I had to remove the scope to get at this screw; but if I owned this Lynx, I’d cut the short leg off an Allen wrench for this job. Then the scope could remain in place.
Since I was going to the 50-yard range and the 4.5-14×42 Hawke Tactical Sidewinder scope was available, I installed it at this time. It’s the clearest scope I have, and I wanted to give the Lynx every opportunity to shine.
Beautiful day!
I get to the range very early to avoid the wind that always picks up in this part of the country. Unfortunately, on this perfectly calm day, there was another shooter already there and he was one of those super-gregarious types who likes to tell you his life’s story in 30 minutes or more (per anecdote!), so I had to be a little rude. If I’m not done shooting by 9 a.m., I’m out of time because the breeze almost always kicks up. I also had the Rogue to test on this day, but I tested the Lynx first because the Rogue’s bullets are heavy enough to buck a little breeze.
The first pellet I tested was the 15.9-grain JSB. Unfortunately, the test rifle still did not like it, even at 20 foot pounds, so I stopped the group after just 6 shots. The group was already at 1.871 inches, and I didn’t see any future in it. As I said, I was burning sunlight fast and trying to pull away from Gabby the Gunman on the next bench, so I shifted to the 18.1-grain pellets next. We were the only two shooters at the entire range complex and, with a dozen benches on the 50/100-yard line, he had to sit right next to me and shoot his short-barreled Remington 600 in .308! The blast reminded me of tank gunnery!
Even at 20 foot-pounds, the test Lynx still does not like JSB 15.9-grain pellet. I shot only 6 times at 50 yards.
While it sounds like I’m rushing, I’m actually taking a lot of time with each shot. I’m just moving as fast as possible for everything besides shooting. But with 10-shot groups, it’s vital that no shot can be called a flyer. Because if it can, you have to shoot the group over again.
The 18.1-grain pellet was much better at 50 yards, though the final shot did open the group quite a bit. But it was a perfect shot on my end — that was just where the pellet went. Ten shots went into a group measuring 1.756 inches, but 9 of them went into 1.005 inches. And this was on low power, with this pellet going about 710 f.p.s. The breeze was just beginning to kick up, so I adjusted back to high power and shot another group.
Ten 18.1-grain JSB Exacts made this 1.756-inch group at 50 yards. Nine went into just more than one inch.
You might wonder how I adjusted power at the range. I didn’t have to use a chronograph, because the day before I’d discovered that the Lynx will return to a certain power level based on how far the screw is turned. All you have to do is watch the short end of the Allen wrench and use it as an indicator. I knew that two complete turns of the screw would put me back where I wanted to be, so it was that simple.
On high power, 10 shots went into 1.47 inches, but 9 of them went into 1.108 inches and 8 made a group that measures just 0.928 inches between centers. See what I mean about 10-shot groups? I shot only a couple of them, and yet I got data as good as a handful of 5-shots groups. Because with a 5-shot group, you never know….
The high-power setting was better. Ten 18.1-grain JSB Exacts made this 1.47-inch group at 50 yards. Nine went into 1.108 inches and 8 made a 0.928-inch group.
The breeze was starting to pick up, and I needed to get on with the Rogue test, so there was time for just one more pellet — the big 25.4-grain JSB Exact Jumbo Monster. It had shown promise at 25 yards, so I wondered how it would translate to 50 yards. The gun was still at 30 foot-pounds, so the power should be fine. Even at this level, this heavy pellet only goes 741 f.p.s. But this one did not want to group at 50 yards! The pellets were shooting such a large open group that I didn’t even bother completing it. And I can’t show it to you because several shots were off the target paper (but still visible on the paper backer I always use).
So my test shows that the Lynx seems to group 10 good pellets into just over one inch at 50 yards. That’s good, but it has a lot of competition at the same price or better.
Final observation
The Lynx has a regulator, so it gets more shots than unregulated guns shooting at the same power. When it’s on the reg, those shots are very consistent. It has both a magazine and a single-shot adapter, so you can be satisfied either way.
Although several readers did not like the appearance of the wood stock, I like it. The work seems on par with any other high-end PCP stock. I also liked the standard Foster quick-disconnect fill fitting. And the shroud certainly works well, as the rifle never hints at the power it produces — it sounds like a .22-caliber Diana 27 springer running at 475 f.p.s.
I expect the accuracy will be the biggest sticking point for most people. With the Talon SS, Condor and Marauder on the market — all of which can produce smaller groups at 50 yards under perfect conditions — a fellow would really have to love the Lynx. He might like it because, unlike the AirForce rifles, it has a wood stock, or unlike the Marauder, the stock is slim and trim. Either way, now you know the whole story.
In my test I got less shots in factory settings in green area. Also the stock finish is OK, but very fond to scratches. Even little impact with allen wrench did leave some marks on finish. Trigger in my unit wasn’t very good. Long stages and a bit on heavy side. Shroud worked really well.
Yeah, if they knock about five hundred off of that, it would likely be in the proper price range. Certainly not with the ones it is presently priced with.
Tom,
Do you know if the guys from Pyramyd AIR will be at the Roanoke show this year?
Neil
Neil,
No, they’re not going to be there. They didn’t attend last year, either.
Edith
This might be a good rifle for me. Being in Canada we have a detuned version and if it has a regulator like your full powered one it would mean a LOT of shots which would equal less pumping (that’s always nice).
Sadly the shrouded version isn’t available here (also the reason why I don’t have a Marauder).
J-F
I wonder if the Lynx’s price reflects consistency in build quality. You mentioned the Marauder as a good alternative but from what I’ve read getting a good one is apparently a hit-or-miss proposition. (The Air Force guns seem to have a universally positive reputation)
Btw, were you shooting bench-rested or off hand?
Looking forward to seeing you and Mac at the show, BB. Good thing Gene from PA won’t be there. I might of had to buy something from him and then I would have been out of money!
I’ll also be trying to sell my RWS 350, Diana Model 5V with the Circle D branding (pre WW II and very rare) and perhaps my Crosman model 99 but I’m starting to grow fond of the little lever action CO2 rifle even though it’s accuracy is not up to what I like.
Fred DPRoNJ
BB,
For such a nice looking rifle it’s a pity the accuracy is not up to par. Do you think a barrel upgrade would improve accuracy? Or does it already have a LW barrel?
Ton,
No, the Lynx does not have a Lothar Walther barrel.
B.B.
Tom,
Sounds like you didn’t put on your ear plugs soon enough to protect yourself from Gabby the Gregarious Gunner. Although you probably own a high end set of ear protectors you can pretend they’re the cheapies that don’t even allow you to hear conversation! LOL!
That one shot that consistently ruined groups is interesting. Did you shoot these groups with the magazine or with the single shot adapter?
kevin
Kevin,
I used the single-shot adapter.
B.B.
BB,
Some days it’s just best to accept the fact that for whatever reason, you’re supposed to either talk to the annoying individual and don’t shoot much, or pack up and go pleading doctors appointment. I don’t think I could concentrate with that distraction.
As for this Cometa, I think that personally, I’d be better served by an AA S410/510 for the same money from the used market. But that’s just me…
/Dave
BB,
I rarely (if ever) initiate conversation at the regular range, but I usually have time to yak if someone is talkative and not a bore, but I can see if you are doing it as a job that it could really cut into your productivity!
I think I’d like to see a little better at 50 yards, certainly, but it looks like 5 shots would have likely gone into 1″. That is probably adequate from the purely practical standpoint, but I think the target demographic for this type of PCP at that price level is the guy that does nothing but shoot groups off the bench, and it probably would not satisfy them. I had high hopes for the regulator, but it looks like a subtle benefit in this case. Only thing I can think to ask is did you JB the bore (looked at previous reports, but might have missed it)? Even though that will likely help, I bet that is more difficult with this setup, which might be an important point to note, also.
Tom,
I think I solved your accuracy problem. Have you ever tried to play golf with Gabby the Golfer? This guy will add 10 strokes to your score.
-Chuckj
And he doesn’t even have to talking. You will be subconsciously waiting for him to intrude on your concentration. You’ll actually be listening for him and expecting him to talk again and this will destroy your concentration for the whole game.
-Chuckj
Edith,
The Pyramyd AIR website seems to have a conflict on the price of the Air Arms S510 Xtra FAC PCP in a POPLAR stock.
On the opening page it shows a price of $961.99. When you click on the gun and open the page for a larger picture, specifications, etc. it shows a price of $999.99 BUT if you scroll down to the bottom of that page it shows not one but 3 Air Arms S510 Xtra FAC PCP in Poplar all priced at $961.99.
Thought these might be “opened box guns at a lesser price” so I went to the page on Remans, Refurbs and did not find a Air Arms S510 Xtra FAC PCP in Poplar.
Here’s a link to the page on the Air Arms rifles. The S510 in Poplar is the 7th one down:
/air-guns/rifles/pcp-rifles
kevin (the pain in the neck in colorado)
Kevin,
The lowest regular price available is shown on the page you listed:
/air-guns/rifles/pcp-rifles
When you go to the gun’s page:
/product/air-arms-s510-xtra-fac-pcp-air-rifle-poplar?m=2279
it shows the price of $999.99, which is for the the .22-caliber model. Notice to the left of the column with the price that there are 3 boxes, each with a different caliber of gun. Notice that .22 is listed first, then .25 and last .177. The .177 is out of stock, so the coding automatically brings up the caliber & price of the next caliber in stock. That would be the .22. Both the .22 and the .25 happened to sell for $999.99, while the .177 sells for $961.99. I’m finding more & more mfrs these day are charging extra for calibers that don’t sell as well. Since they’re not made in the same quantities as more popular calibers, the cost per gun runs higher.
When I scroll down on this page:
/product/air-arms-s510-xtra-fac-pcp-air-rifle-poplar?m=2279
I see this section:
Model Assistant Air Arms S510 Xtra FAC PCP Air Rifle, Poplar
See also:
In that box, is a list of other rifles to consider, and I see guns listed from $849.99 (Air Arms S500 Xtra FAC Sidelever PCP Air Rifle) to $1,139.99 (Air Arms S510 Xtra FAC Sidelever PCP Air Rifle). There’s an arrow in that box that lets you scroll to see other guns not shown immediately.
Edith
Edith,
Thanks for all that work.
I didn’t realize that there were different prices for different calibers. Never even occurred to me to click on the other calibers for price difference. Your explanation makes sense but that’s news to me. Sounds like we’re going to see more of that pricing differentiation.
kevin
Kevin,
While the essence of what I told you is correct (different prices for different calibers), it turns out that the price for the .177-caliber S510 was actually incorrect. It’s just gotten a price hike & is now $999.99. Sorry.
Edith
We need an adventurous manufacturer to price the less popular calibers lower than the popular one — maybe that would stir up business…
Big price and pcp powerplant without the accuracy is quite a hurdle to overcome. It doesn’t look like the Marauder is being seriously challenged.
Victor is so right about the importance of walking away from a problem and living again to fight another day. Case in point was a final exam in organic chemistry in college. The deal was that you had to choose something like 7 out of 10 problems to solve in three hours. I had studied fanatically and was determined that I would not need to make choices because I would be able to answer every problem. So, what does that get me but sitting in the exam halfway through without having answered a single question and staring at problem number one from pure obstinacy. My medical career was flashing away in front of my eyes. I’m not exactly sure what happened but I somehow managed to get going and finished the test in time in a state of transcendent adrenaline. I did okay. But I ended up dropping out of medical school later, so maybe it didn’t matter. Even after that it took me awhile to figure out how to be clever and come at a problem from a different angle. Now, I’m all too happy to evade, back off and try again. But for sheer problem-solving idiocy that one instance stands out.
Matt61
Matt61,
I know the experience intimately. While working 60+ hours a week at JPL and attending graduate school, I got so burned out that one week I simply couldn’t remember ANYTHING from the past several week. I’m talking stuff that I knew like the back of my hand. It was scary, but showed me my limitations. I know that it was all stress related, but WOW!
Clint Eastwood said it best, “A mans gotta know his limitations.”.
Victor
Hi I m wiling to buy this product, please sugest..
Alok,
Suggest what?
B.B.
See , I m living in India, and how can I buy this product .. please suggest if it is feasible to buy in India..
Alok,
If this rifle is legal in India, you can order it. But you wind up as the importer, and that can be difficult, I understand.
So — is this rifle legal in India?
B.B.
Alok,
Please contact Pyramyd AIR (they own this site) to see if you can import the guns you want: sales@pyramydair.com.
Thanks,
Edith
will we all be sharing life stories or talk about Cometa’s lynx??
It’s weird that there isn’t more information about these rifles online, not in english nor in any other language…info on these is very limited from a user POV…seeing how they’ve been around for quite some time that makes me think they’re not all that great and we should steer away from Lynx’s….???
From what i’ve read, their barrels are made inhouse but they’ve been around quite some time so that shouldn’t pose any problems. They seem to like really heavy pellets from what i saw here…I can get these new for about 650 dollars (incl shipping from spain to my doorstep but without magazine)
I’m torn in two if i should or shouldn’t…i like the looks but i want my first PCP to be spot on…not just a nice looking piece of equipment but a nice piece of equipment…
(btw; the techstar dude didn’t like my offer 😉 )
Jay,
Do you live in the U.S.? If so, why not look at a Marauder or an AirForce Talon or Talon SS? These are both well-supported and not at all quirky.
If you like outside the U.S. then I understand your quandry.
B.B./
indeed, i live in europe so it’s the other way around here..I’d like a condor SS myself but they come quite expensive over here…
That’s how i can get my hands on a Lynx for only 650 dollars…
The Marauder is in the same price range actually but i don’t like the look and have read it’s a hit or miss rifle…with my luck, it’ll be a miss.
Hey Tom,
Just some info:
Comet a brought out something new, the Orion. It’s on their site.
Also, I’ve bought a lynx mkII in .177 and also a magazine. After using the magazine with different types of pellets I noticed that sometimes I’d get flyers when I had a hard time closing the bolt. Upon further inspection I noticed that diabolo shaped pellets had a tendency to flip sideways a bit when being pushed through the magazine and that they’d get caught on the housing. When this happened and you pushed to close the bolt the pellet would be damaged so much that it was actually bent and the flat head would have a nick in them! Obviously , this pellet would fly anywhere except for hitting it’s mark.
What amazed me most about this problem was the fact that it took 1 week after contacting Cometa about this problem that they’ve tested my findings AND reworked the magazines, I’m getting a new one in the post next week!
My hat of too Cometa for their fast reaction and solution!
Jay,
Thanks for this. I am aware of the new Cometa Orion.
Please tell us the results when you get your magazine.
B.B.