by Tom Gaylord, The Godfather of Airguns™
Writing as B.B. Pelletier
Umarex NXG APX multi-pump air rifle.
This report covers:
• Sight-in
• Pellets first: JSB Exact RS pellets
• RWS Superdome pellets
• Shooting behavior
• Crosman Premier 7.9-grain pellets
• RWS Hobby pellets
• Switch to BBs
• Evaluation so far
We’ll look at the accuracy of the Umrarex NXG APX Air Rifle today, and that means we have to test it with lead pellets and BBs. There’s a lot of work to do, so let’s get going.
Sight-in
I sighted-in the rifle for 10 meters using the open sights. The fiberoptic front sight was no problem, because I lit the target bright and the place from where I shot was dark. I got the elevation okay, but I couldn’t get the windage adjusted. It takes a Phillips screwdriver to loosen one screw and slide the rear sight notch left or right. The screw was too tight to move — it may be painted-in. So, I left it were it was, and the groups landed just to the right of the bull. If the APX is accurate I’ll probably mount some sort of optical sight that can be adjusted, so this isn’t a big problem.
I decided to pump the rifle 5 times per shot. For shooting at 10 meters, that seems right.
Pellets first: JSB Exact RS pellets
I’ll test the accuracy of lead pellets at 10 meters with the rifle rested on a sandbag. Let’s start with JSB Exact RS pellets. Ten made a 0.79-inch group, which I thought was pretty good.
The APX put 10 JSB Exact RS pellets went into 0.79 inches at 10 meters.
RWS Superdome pellets
Next up were RWS Superdomes. Ten of them gave a horizontal group that measures 0.672 inches between centers. It’s smaller than the RS group, but I wish it wasn’t so horizontal.
Ten RWS Superdome pellets made this 0.672-inch group that’s spread out horizontal.
Shooting behavior
I must comment on the APX shooting behavior at this point. The trigger is stiff and heavy, but it doesn’t seem to affect the accuracy. For such a lightweight rifle, it’s very steady on the sandbag.
Crosman Premier 7.9-grain pellets
Now it’s time to try the Crosman Premier 7.9-grain pellet. They gave a nicely rounded group that measures 0.679 inches between centers. One pellet strayed outside the main group, yet it’s still tight!
Ten Crosman Premier lite pellets made this 0.679-inch group, which is very round.
RWS Hobby pellets
The last lead pellet I tested was the 7-grain RWS Hobby. These made another round group that was the smallest of the session. Ten pellets went into 0.532 inches, center to center, at 10 meters. That is very impressive! Remember, there are 10 shots in each group in this test.
The smallest group of pellets measures 0.532 inches between centers. Ten RWS Hobbys made it.
Switch to BBs
It was time to switch over to BBs and see what they could do. For my BB gun range, I have 5 meters (16 feet 5 inches). Instead of a shooting bench, I used a chair and a new monopod that Leapers is developing. It isn’t on the market yet, so I won’t tease you with it — YET — but suffice to say that it’s a good piece of field equipment.
I decided to use the same Umarex Precision Steel BBs that were used in the velocity test. I used 4 pumps because of the shorter distance, and I still used the open sights with the same setting as for 10 meters.
I shot one 10-shot group that measures 0.569 inches between centers. Yes, it’s that small! My measurements may be off a little more than usual, because BBs don’t cut good clean holes, even when the target is backed by cardboard. Still, you can see it and judge for yourself.
Ten steel BBs went into this group that measures 0.569 inches between centers. For a BB gun, this is something!
Evaluation so far
So far, I like the APX. It’s different in several ways from the other low-cost multi-pumps. but of course, it also works like they do. It has to, because there’s only so much that can be different.
I want to back up to 25 yards and also mount an optical sight and see what that does. Umarex said this rifle would be hot this Christmas season. I think they’re right.
I know you were having issues with it drying out previously. Has that settled down or did you have to keep the oil can handy?
The thought of having a powerful BB gun handy is very appealing. Maybe re-barrel this with a sleeved 499 barrel. I have even considered taking a break barrel and boring it out to allow a 499 barrel to fit inside and trying that out. The main issue with that could be not having enough back pressure.
RR,
I decided to lay off oiling this time. When I’m away from the chronograph it is much easier to just shoot the gun.
B.B.
That is a little disconcerting that all the other groups, including the BBs, are round but the Superdomes are horizontal. Perhaps the trigger was having more of an influence during that group than you consciously realized?
RR,
When I shoot a 10-shot group, anything is possible. That is a lot of shots to maintain a perfect hold. I though the same thing, but since it happened eariy and not late in the session, I discounted it.
B.B.
I am certain you have mentioned this before, but what could be a possible cause for a horizontal spread like that?
RR,
I wish I knew. With all the other groups being so round, there isn’t a clue to what might have happened — other than as you suggested, I just shot that way for this group.
B.B.
I think with open sights, at least for me, I reach a point early on were at first I can focus, then it gets squirrely for a minute, then my eyes get used to it and O can focus again. In that time of difficulty its easy to keep the tops lined up but the spacing around the front sight is hard to see.
Nice shooting! Looks like a winner. Something I could use around the house for plinking and pest control.
Pete
Pete,
That is why I’m going to test it at 25 yards. It surprised me.
B.B.
Tom,
Wow! That BB group at 5 meters is really good for a non-499. Do you think you might consider including a brief test of it with BBs at 10 meters with five or six pumps?
Michael
Mike,
Apparently we think alike, because that thought (shooting like the 499) did cross my mind. I had not thought to test it at 10 meters because my home has too many pellets in the woodwork.
B.B.
BB
So far the NXG is shooting about the same as the 880S you tested last spring. The Hobbys shot a .48″ in the 880S @ 10m vs .532″ @ 10m for the NXG. When you shoot @ 25 yards hopefully the NXG won’t fall on its face like the 880S did. Also maybe the scope on the NXG is less of a nightmare to get mounted.
David
That gun is suddenly looking less ugly as I can see it can shoot!
I have it on good authority that a Star is being made with Tom Gaylord’s name engraved. It will be placed on Hollywood Boulevard on a date that will soon be announced.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11qMXgRP2S8&feature=youtu.be
kevin
I do believe there should be more discussion on AAFTA and national airgunning here, until buldawg just mentioned it it had been a very long time since Id heard and didn’t even remember since when I had heard it was in passing in a video. It seems to be more relevant to “real” airgunners then the Olympics, yet I’ve barely been acquainted. I am very enthusiastic at home about airgunning but until joining the blog had spent literally zero time online, and still don’t, being here is it. I think Im not alone in this anti-web lifestyle and , while every moment on the blog is informative and totally awesome, I have to put the unfair pressure on you of asking that you be the omnibenevolent airgunning resource you are so close to already.
RDNA
I am eagerly awaiting for tomorrow to get here so I can see for myself what it is all about.
I sent you ,GF1 and Reb a link to the home site with info and a video of the sight in range and target range over ion the FWEB part 2 report.
check it out
buldawg
RDNA
Meant to say the FWB part 2 report
Buldawg
buldawg
I checked it out. Nice place. Wish I could be there tomorrow.
Gunfun
Yea I wish all of us could be there so we all would have a great time. It is going to be a first for me and hope to learn a whole lot and help me be ready for the hunter class in November. it is still going to be muddy because a lot of the coarse is tree covered as you could see in the video and it take our red clay several days in the direct sun to dry out. It is some of the best glue you can find because when you get it on your close when wet it is almost impossible to wash out and just has to wear out of the clothes over time. Glad I have some old hunting boots that don’t come in the house because they will be covered in mud.
Will give you update and send some pics to your email and RDNA, REB and may try to get with Edith and see if I can send some to her so that she can post on the blog.
Buldawg
The gun looks like its turning out to be a nice shooter.
Looks like there will be some new competition for the 760 and 880 for Christmas this year. That is if the wally world crowd knows it exists.
Gunfun
Checked the tracking number and it shows delivery for Tuesday so I am anxious to get it and shoot it some for some chrony results just the way you have it tuned. I don’t remember if you said you went to 2600 psi with it and had no issues and if that is where you tuned it to shoot 900 fps. If it is and shoots good as it is I will leave it alone for now and just mount the hawke scope on it and sight it for 50 yards and see how it does. I really appreciate you giving me first dibs on it and such a good price.
Did you get a chance to contact your insurance or the DOT for info about getting the damage to your car covered. I am going to hate that you may have to use the money for fixing your car instead of more pellets.
Check out the link I sent you in the FWB part 2 report for the range and target field, there is also a video of the field target range and more info on it . I feel very fortunate to have so many avenues for shooting my air guns locally and in six months the CMP world class firearm range will be open behind the super speedway also sop I can go sight in my AR and other firearms on a 100, 200, 300, 500 and 600 yard range with hopefully electronic scoring similar to what they use at the air gun range. There will also be pistol and trap and skeet ranges to.
Hope my disability get approved without hearing after I send in this paperwork I just got from them, it looks promising as it stated that they needed more info to determine if I could be approved without the need for a hearing in front of a judge. Got a good doc that will write a very thorough letter for me with all my issues so I am hoping that will be it and get approved by years end. I will let you know when gun gets here and let me know when you get money.
Buldawg
buldawg
I sent you a note with it. 2400 psi is working out nice for 20 shots the way I like it to hold.
And of course couldn’t get through to DOT and insurance said it would fall under collision since the car was rolling when I hit the pot hole or crater or whatever the hole on the highway was. I wonder what the 3 other cars that hit the hole also insurance said. And I was getting ready to get new tires before winter sets in but I didn’t want to have to buy two new rims also. Well I guess it would of been a bummer if I bought the new tires then hit the pot holes and tore the new tires up.
And it sounds like you got a lot of nice shooting places in your area.
Did the rain come and go?
Gunfun
My understanding of comprehensive insurance is it covers anything that it not a collision with another vehicle which would be an accident. it may be different state to state, but my agent has told me that it will cover hitting an animal like a deer or running over a big rock or piece of lumber in the roadway. I don’t have collision on my vehicles because they are a 97 Nissan and a 2000 GMC and would be totaled with 2 to 3000 dollars damage in an accident so it is not worth the cost for the little bit I would get if they were totaled. I would read your policy closely because my understanding of comprehensive coverage is everything except contact with another vehicle.
If the car was not moving when you hit the pothole it would not have been damaged and that just don’t sound right. It sounds like they are talking about vandalism, does your state require your insurance to cover a chipped or broken windshield at 100% because if it does then that is considered comprehensive coverage. Read your policy closely.
Yeah by spring of next year there will be more places to shoot than anyone could ask for, got to love DIXIE
Buldawg
buldawg
It will be one of those deals that they say they won’t cover it and the other people will say it ain’t their responsibility.
And who knows what the law is today. That changes everyday in Illinois it seems like. Oh well. Life goes on. Its just another day.
Gunfun
Yea I have been there before also and some time it aint fair ,but we just got suck it up and keep going, I would still read your policy good to see what it says for comprehensive.
Got to get to bed so I can get up early to get to nationals so talk to you later tomorrow.
Buldawg
buldawg
I forgot. Tuesday will be when I get that Hatsan 95 nitro piston in .25 cal. with the wood stock. It may be a bit of a challenge to shoot but I think it will be a bit better than the steel spring version. But I know it will be a thumper.
I had a .25 cal. Benjamin NP XL and it was a bit of a challenge to get the group size down. But if I kept IG in under 40 it was pretty good to shoot.
So we will both be waiting for Tuesday to get here I suppose.
Gunfun
I finally got a chance to sight in my nitro guns in the back yard today and the 177 was sighted in with five shots with the hammers scope on it and is a tack driver at the 15 yards of my back yard. The 22 nitro with the cheap centerpoint 3x9x32mm scope that I adjusted the front lens for a clear picture in my yard took a little more and seems to be a little more hold sensitive but it was putting pellets in a dime size group easily and is a real thumper also, I am going to put the CV life 3.5 x10 x40mm illuminated range finding reticle side focus scope on it and sight it at 50 yards along with both 177 break barrels. Or at least try 50 and may have to back up to 40 like you said and that’s what I had to do with my 40 buck gun, but maybe with the 10.5s it will make it to 50 accurately.
I have gotten three very good spring/gas guns that all shoot just about the same in terms of hold and recoil characteristics and to be honest there is very little difference between the 40 buck spring gun and the 2 nitro guns. I never thought I would like spring break barrels so much, but they are so nice because all you need is the gun and pellets. I just need one more GRTIII trigger for the 22 gun.
Buldawg
buldawg
The 95 is supposed to have the quattro trigger. If it’s like the one on my Hatsan A44QE pcp I will be happy. Its got a very good trigger. It reminds me a lot of my 1720T trigger. The pull and the feel of the stages. But what I like the most is how the trigger stops and doesn’t move
any farther after the shot goes off.
So I hope the 95 trigger turns out like that.
Gunfun
It should most likely be the same trigger and that is one thing I have not touched on my hatsan yet. I have not changed it from stock at all now that is very unusual for me not to try to make it better.
‘
I have just been to wrapped up in my hipacs and break barrels to give any thought.
Buldawg
buldawg
Your Hatsan has the quattro trigger also right.
So far I’m impressed with the Hatsan’s. And I do like the trigger a lot.
And I checked out the pictures of the field target event you sent me. Looks like a good time. And I bet we could get 3 or more guns for the cost of one of theirs.
Gunfun
Yea mine has the Quattro trigger in it but I have not even played with it yet so I know I can get it better than it is.
heck we could buy 4 or five guns for what some of the shooter had in their guns. I tried to get a lot of pics of the guns because they had some real neat pads and block on them to allow them to rest on their knee or arm when sitting or sitting with a bipod to keep the gun steady.
Loren the friend that I met at the first time I went was who I followed thru the course and he was using an Air Arms S200 and let me shoot it after the match some and I just thought I new what a smooth light trigger was, his trigger was so light that the first shot I went to shoot it fired before I even got a good sight picture in the scope and I had only rested my finger on the trigger and did not squeeze at all. The next shots were much easier to hold my aim because there was no influence on the gun from the trigger tension when you pulled it. I would be surprised if it was even close to a 1 pound pull as it felt like about a 2 or 3 ounce pull.
he says he sights his guns in at 25 yards and then use the mil dots to hold over for anything past 35 yards so I guess it is just what each person like to do or is comfortable with in aiming.
Buldawg
buldawg
That’s how I like my triggers. I at first would surprise myself. Then found that if the shot did go off and I followed through and watched where my shot landed it would still be on target. I think it’s due to the gun going off at the precise time the poa was pictured as the trigger was pulled.
And I believe that the sighting can be done multiple ways. I use to sight for hold over but find it easier to sight the way I do. I don’t have to remember or right down multiple holdovers. My sighting is a half mildot under at 40 and under and a half over at 55. If I go over 55 its a progressively more hold over as distance increases because of pellet drop. And why it don’t bother me for the longer shots is because most of my shots are 55 yards pretty much and less.
The thing with sighting is if you want to pick a way to sight you need to shoot and document it. If you don’t document you are just guessing and probably missing.
I was thinking that this gun would be much easier to load than the 880 with a scope mounted.I also wonder and would like to know if it will pass .177 Round balls through the BB magazine without modification? That would be sweet!
Reb,
No, .177 round balls don’t feed through the magazine. .177 lead balls are much larger than .173 steel BBs, plus they don’t respond to the magnetic feed that’s built into the bolt of this and similar air rifles. If you shoot them you have to load them like pellets.
What is the attraction to .177 lead balls? Do you think they will be more accurate?
B.B.
I do believe they should be more accurate than steel BB’s.I don’t shoot steel BB’s in rifled barrels but I pulled the BB stop outta my Airmaster so it would feed .177’s and they do well except for the fact that I have to watch for double feeding.When I feel well enough to get into another gun it will be the Airmaster,so I can reinstall the stop, after grinding a couple thousandths off, to address the double feeding issue. It’s nice to not have to carry and load pellets and still get the benefits of the rifling!
could you please try them in this rifle for your next round of testing? It will be hard to beat the group you got with the steel ones but I think we’ll be pleasantly surprised. If they do do well there are many of us who would consider the modifications necessary for them to feed. On my Airmaster this only included the BB stop and I can’t wait to get some more.
Reb
My NPG is pretty easy to load, but I have a set of pretty high mount scope rings on it.
Kevin,
Thanks for the link. I am recommending that you all go watch it. See and hear Tom Gaylord in action.
Mr B
I watched and enjoyed it but heard no mention of a star on Hollywood Boulevard. I’ll watch it again after I sight in my Airmaster with it’s open sights. I generally sight them in before mounting a scope, just in case it takes a whack(happened on my first deer hunt and I hadn’t prepared to have to use the irons, won’t happen again.) so they should be close but the objective was touching the rear sight so I may have lowered the rear for clearance.
BB, I took your advice and ordered a new clip magazine for my malfunctioning 1077. It arrived today. I used it to shoot over 100 pellets. The timing, indexing of the cylinder clips is perfect. You were right, the old mag. was the problem. However, the trigger pull is rough and about 3x heavier ! The trigger return spring does not return the trigger after each shot. I have to push it forward. I plan to shoot a few hundred shots. If the trigger does not improve, I will have to take the mag apart and remove the rough spots. Thanks for the advice . Ed
Ed,
That was just how it goes. Those magazines do wear out.
The rough trigger is caused by the new parts being rough. The magazine is what advances the clip, so when it’s new it can be rough. I know how it feels, because I also have a very old 1077 with a smooth magazine. The trigger pull weights are the same, but it is much smoother.
Pull the trigger while you watch TV. A thousand dry-fires should smooth it out.
B.B.
Now that you have a replacement, it may be worthwhile to investigate the failure in the original. I know I would be opening it up to see what happened and who knows you may end up with both being functional?
Good luck!
Reb
Hey gang. Been a while since I’ve commented, but have been staying current with BB’s content, Have a couple questions I was hoping you guys could answer. I’m looking at a getting a gas-ram rifle. Initially I wanted the BSA lightning but it’s a little sketchy given the asinine laws in my state. Next in line is the BSA GRT supersport. Should this rifle perform similarly to the Lightning? Also, BB, I see you never got around to finishing your review of the springer SS in spring of this year (or I can’t find it), did you get to conduct accuracy testing? What’s the general consensus of the breakbarrel guns that “BSA” is pushing out these days-the GRTs?
Thanks and happy shooting!
John,
Welcome back.
When I see a BSA spring gun these days I feel I’m looking at a Gamo. They seem to have taken over the design if not the entire production of BSA spring guns.
That said, there are good Gamos. I do like the Whisper — and when it has the Vortek gas spring that Pyramyd AIR puts in, it is great. I don’t care for the IGT Gamos, not because of the gas springs, but they are too harsh ands I can’t seem to shoot them accurately. The same goes for the BSAs.
B.B.
B.B. & John,
Spring-piston BSA guns are made in Spain. A while ago, I asked BSA about their specs when I was writing up new products, and they said the BSA springers are made in Spain and referred me to Gamo tech support to answer all questions.
Edith
Edith
But the PCP guns made by BSA or made at a different place. Right?
GF1,
The BSA PCP guns are made in Birmingham, England.
Edith
Edith
OK thanks. I thought I remembered you or BB saying that in the past.
Buldawg,
It has been shown time and time again in this very blog that the quality and performance of Weihrauch, Diana, Walther, FWB, etc. exceeds what is being produced by others such as Crosman.
I am not saying that Crosman cannot produce such quality, it is that they choose not to. The market that they pursue is volume and the big box store buyers. To achieve these volume purchases they must produce a product that will be priced at or below $200.
Another factor is for the past 50 years, the most familiar rifle in the United States is the Mattelomatic and in recent years there has been a big push for “tactical” styling in everything. I for one never liked the Mattelomatic. It is made of mostly pot metal and plastic, is very finicky of how it is cared for and what you feed it and the round it fires is more suited to stopping groundhogs and men. Here in Virginia it is illegal to hunt anything bigger than a turkey with it.
Sorry, I digress.
If you look closely at the photos of the FWB you see a fit and finish of the steel that is just not there on less expensive air rifles. The fit of the action in the wood stock rivals that of a custom rifle. As for the fish scale checkering, it is no more expensive than the traditional style and actually grips better along with being a real class touch. My deepest regret is that the stock is not walnut.
I too prefer form to follow function. The Queen of my “collection” is a 1906 BSA. You cannot get an under lever sproinger much simpler than it. It is pure function. It does have a fiddleback walnut stock, a nice little accent. It is made of nothing but high quality steel. You cannot feel and can only barely see the joint between the compression tube and the breech block. The barrel and the breech block were made from one piece of steel. The fit of the tap loader is so precise that there are no seals.
Do not get me wrong, I would love to have the opportunity to play with all of these toys, even those I have absolutely no desire to own. However, to become a part of my “collection” requires it be made to a level of quality that most manufacturers do not strive to reach because of the cost to achieve such and the very limited market for such.
I own one sproinger, my BSA. I intend to add one more sproinger to my collection. I have two FWB300s I am rebuilding right now. There is a good chance one of these will stay. If not, you may rest assured what replaces it will be of a comparable quality.
I have absolutely no intention of sounding critical of you or anyone else in the toys that you play with. It is just that I do not have a lot of time and money to invest in these, so I want the best. If I bought a Crosman, the first thing I would have to do is throw away the plastic stock and have a custom stock made. I would also have to rework or replace the trigger. Then I would have to “tune” it. It is far cheaper for me to buy what I want in the first place than build one into what I want.
I have rambled on enough now, time to pour a concrete slab.
RR
You are talking about Crosman break barrels I suppose and probably the 2240 or 1377’s and of course all their other low end guns.
But I would have to say what I see with Crosman / Benjamin PCP guns is another story. The 1720T, the wood and synthetic stock guns are right up there in quality with the FX guns.
I have had pretty much all the guns I just covered and know what the good points and bad points are about the guns. I have not had the opportunity to have a FWB but I do have Diana’s and Weirauches. So the only gun I can’t make a judgment on is the FWB for the simple fact that I have not owned one.
So as far as Crosman / Benjamin go I believe that the Marauders are quality PCP guns especially for the price. I have been inside them and do know what they look like and how the pieces are made and how they function.
And again I haven’t been inside a FWB so I’m not going to comment on the quality of the pieces and how they work or fit. I can comment on the way its designed by looking at but to judge something without getting to try it is only a guess.
I could of went a bit deeper and picked a little harder but what does it matter its all just a opinion anyway.
And right now I think I’m going to go enjoy shooting my airguns. Even my little ole Marauder. 😉
RR
I will agree that FWB, RWS, Wiehrauch and Walther produce quality guns although RWS and Walther are under the Umarex house now so I don’t believe we can compare the new guns to the old one that were made by the founding companies. I will disagree that crosman does not produce any quality guns at all as they try to appeal to the market demographics as a whole rather than just to the wealthier more picky group of air gunners. They do make some as you put it Mattelomatic guns for the people not willing to spend big bucks on an air gun. they also make guns that in my opinion are just as high of quality as any FWEB, RWES, Wiehraudh or Walther,
My main point I have been trying to make here in this review of the FWB sporter is that for a 900 dollar gun it should not be as noisy as BB has stated it is and if I had bought one of those guns for 900 dollars and shot it with that noise it would be promptly sent back and a different gun would be bought in its place. just because the gun is made here or their does not mean it is of any better or worse quality than another one from another company.
If this was 20 or 30 years ago I would wager to say that the gun BB received to test would have never made it out of the factory before it got rebuilt to remove the noise. There is no company today that makes anything to the same quality standard that it did 30 years ago because if it did nobody would be willing to pay the extremely high price it would have just for the company to make a profit.
I can say from experience that the old FWB 124 is a very well built gun except for the plastic trigger and the RWS 54 is also very well built although way to heavy for my taste.
Three months ago you could not get me to buy a spring gun as I believed that there was no way that a gun that was cocked and shot with a barrel that pivoted could be accurate or repeatable in it operation and that is why my first springer I bought I paid only 40 bucks for and it is the smoothest shooting and accurate gun for what I paid for it and changed my mind about springer’s. I own pumpers PCPs and break barrels and underlevers.
While you prefer to buy a gun that all you have to do is shoot and enjoy it. I am the exact opposite in that I would rather buy a used or cheap gun and tear it down to rebuild and improve on it as I believe it should have been designed and built to begin with and that is where my enjoyment of accomplishing something while improving it and adding a little bit of myself into the guns I own.
I unlike you have no desire to collect guns strictly because they have a certain pedigree that may or may not still be intact within the standards that they are made today and to me the FWB that BB is testing is not anywhere near the standard of the 70 model 124 that I built for a friend. I do not care for the stippling or grooving or fish scaling on a gun stock at all and only think it make that gun look less attractive myself.
but that is why we have so many choices available so that we all can be happy with what we want and by.
I myself like plastic stocks if done right and do not like the stocks with all the cut out and angled funky patterns that they are marketing today. To me the only benefit to having a plastic stock is for making the gun lighter and more durable in the elements.
I have always marched to the beat of a different drummer and would much rather own something old that allows me to tailor it to my tastes and preferences than some new shiny toy that is meant to make the jones jealous.
I am sorry you live in a state that thinks its citizens do not have enough common sense to know what caliber of gun is required to kill a certain animal. Here in the Heart of Dixie we have the right to hunt deer with a 30 caliber or larger air gun and also hunt with silencers so I like that I am given the choice of what I choose to do without some uninformed law maker just using the stroke of a pen to decide what I can and cannot do.
I have rambled on enough myself also but we should both be glad that we can still have the right to agree to disagree because I don’t believe that we will even have that right much longer.
Buldawg
Gunfun, I have been looking at the Hawke scope you and Buldawg recomend. Is there any advantage of the 2.5X10 you like over the 4X16 other that price? Both are available with the 1/2 mil dots. I like the extra magnification for shooting targets at longer distances. Helps me see the .177 holes in the target. I know that higher magnification can create higher distortion too. It would help if I could hold the scopes in my hand and look through them for comparision.
Mark
How’s it going. I haven’t tried the scope your talking about. But if its like the Hawke scopes I have used it will work the way you are talking about.
But wait what longer distances are you shooting your .177 at?
And by the way. Did you ever get and try a single shot tray for your Marauder yet?
Gunfun,
I am doing well, hope you are too. Most of my shooting is in my yard, and the best fairly flat space i’ve got that won’t frighten the couple of neighbors that can see into my yard is 27 yards. I usually shoot with my utg scope set at about 10 power and i can see fine so the 2.5-10 is fine most of the time. I plan to shoot it out to 75, and even 100 yards just to see what it can do. You don’t really know til you try it.
I have the single shot tray in my shopping cart, waiting til i decide if a new scope is happening soon so I’ll have free shipping. My current shopping list will be over $150 if the scope is ordered.
Mark
Hopefully Pyramyd AIR will be having a 10% plus free shipping coming up. I got some pellets to order and I need one more Hawke scope and my guns will all be happy.
But I’m with you on the 75 an 100 yard shooting. My exact thoughts. You never know until you try. And 10 power is good for me even at the longer distances. What I don’t like about using the higher power is you start loosing field of view. But I guess its all about what you get use to.
Gunfun
Yea i’m with ya on that field of view. The only time i would use the higher power is on a paper target. Them paper targets don’t move very fast so target acquisition is not much of an issue.
I spent some time tonight shooting after dark with the Marauder. The UTG scope has an illuminated recticle and with the area light on in the yard I could easily see well enough to shoot at my falling disk target, very enjoyable.
I built that steel target a few months ago, it has ten falling disks, 5 – 1 1/4″ disks, and 5 – 2″. Pull on a length of twine to stand them back up. It is the second one I’ve made, the first was 20 years ago. I shot thousands of rounds at the first one with a Diana 45 and Beeman P1. A few years ago I set the pellet guns aside and shot other stuff, for a while, Archery, and powdered guns. During that time I seemed to loose that original target, probably loaned it to someone, I would have never thrown it away. I have been an anonymous air gunner all these decades. About a year ago I discovered u-tube videos from a high speed scope cam on a PCP. PCP? wow things have changed, I’d never heard of PCP air guns. Did a little more browsing and found this Blog. Earlier this year I bought that .177 Marauder and the air guns are back in a big way. Now I needed another steel target so I got to work.
Wow, How was that for a rabbit trail, you got a bit of history for the price of quick reply. Good night
Mark
I would like to see the targets you made. That’s mostly what I’m into is spinners and targets anymore and some targets and holders I made out of 2×4’s. And I save my lead and pellet tins and fill the tins with the old pellets and use them for targets also.
I have done some night shooting at targets and spinners at my brothers house. He has 30 acres which is land locked with two other 30 acre pieces of property with his neighbors. So he has permission to have 90 acres of use. The other people don’t live there any more and if they come out they enter through my brothers place. So I know that’s fun shooting in low light conditions.
Gunfun,
That sounds like a great place for shooting. I have always thought I’d like to build some action shooting targets if I had a place to do it without disturbing neighbors. I’d make a larger version of my falling disks, total of 12 plates. Two shooters would race knocking down their six with the last two disks falling in such a way that they overlap so that in a close race the person with the bottom plate is the obvious winner.
I am a pipeline welder for our local gas utility. The welding they taught me comes in handy in many ways.
I will be going on vacation this weekend for two weeks to Vancouver Island. When I get back I’ll see if I can manage a U-tube video of my disk target.
Have a great day.
Mark
Sounds like a nice vacation. And a video would be nice. I will be waiting for that.
And Just one addition I forgot. I melt the pellets in the tins so its a solid piece of lead in the tin. And then I make a hole in it and usually hang them from a tree branch with some string or lay them on the ground in different places. Kind of fun. But have fun on your vacation.
Hi BB, I am interested in a dot sight for my P1. 55 year old eyes and iron sights are getting more difficult. While vacationing in Tampa earlier this year I picked up a Weaver mini red dot sight on clearance. I love shooting with it, however it has not held up. Sadly the receipt did not make it home from that vacation so I’m kind of stuck with it. Are the dot sights in the $50 to $100 range adequate for spring guns. Maybe the recoil killed mine. I liked the size of the Weaver, and the BSA looks interesting too. What do you think?
Thanks, Mark
Mark,
The P1 doesn’t recoil that hard. If a sight is made well it should hold up.
I would say try it.
B,.B.
Thanks BB, that is what i thought too. Probably just bad luck with the weaver. I’ll get that BSA and i’ll let you know how it turns out.
Mark
Off topic question, I stumbled across a brick of .22lr unexpectedly today. They are MAGTECH .22lr 40 grain standard velocity. I’m currently in a casual rimfire plinking revival phase but I won’t have a free minute to try them until Wednesday. The store had so many bricks it made me wonder if this is just terrible ammo. Or should I send my kin down to each grab a cheap brick tomorrow? I’ve got to spend the next two days getting poked, prodded by doctors and I’ll be wincing with pangs of regret all small game season if I find out I like them and they are gone. And if I send a couple people to stock me up and They are un satisfactory, I’ll feel like somebody poured mud in my milkshake. Has anybody shot these blue box 22’s?
Bought this gun at walmart and returned it the next day. It really does lose a lot of power after just a few shots.
Pellgun oil or 30 weight Non-detergent oil would have restored the power without any problems. How did you like the gun otherwise?
I really liked the feel, was easy to pump, and was an improved daisy 880, the scope rail was a problem, scopes did not feel secure.
B.B., or I should say Umarex, (Justin) are they going to make one of these in a .22 cal! I so wished I would have bought a Daisy 22SG, 22X or what ever they last called it. I called it a old style 880 with a metal receiver and wood stocks. I’ve always like my Daisy’s better for plinking then my Benjamin or Crosmans due to being much easier to pump. When hunting, the “stiffness” of the pump doesn’t bother me much due to not near as many shots being fired. Thanks, Bradly
I am very “pumped” to check out this new rifle, I enjoy the heck out of my 2100, 2200 but never cared for the Daisy line. Personally I hope it is not as cheap feeling as the 880, and feels more adult like the 2100, or even the Fusion, another gun that I love.
I fully expect some break in time with a new multi pump, returning it after “a few shots” really does not sound like a good eval and test for a new rifle, it has been my experience that they like quite a bit of oil during their first few hundred rounds out of the box.
Can anyone that has one comment on how well it shoots out to 25yards and past, with pellets as well as BB’s.
For the price of these I would get one for pellet shooting and a second for BB’s…..I am also very worried about BB’s screwing up the barrel…..I am pretty new at airgunning in general, is that a valid concern? Will shooting BB’s really damage the barrel?…so far I have just not wanted to take the chance and only fire a few BB’s in the 2100’s….perhaps I will pickup an inexpensive 880 or an Avanti for BB use only.
Thanks.
Yesterday I returned an NXG APX to Umarex for repair. I purchased the air rifle i n September. It began to develop a leak early on, which I dealt with by oiling the pump. The leak was audible at the air intake port. Recently my NXG refused to hold any air. With every pump the air would shoot out the intake port, so off to Arkansas it went.
if any other owner of the NXG APX should experience similar problems be advised that the customer is responsible for all shipping costs for return to Umarex. In my case, this amounted to almost $14. Upon request, a Umarex representative wiii email the customer a product return form which must be fully and accurately completed and returned with the faulty rifle along with the original sales receipt. The form also lays out the possible costs which may be incurred for repairs on rifles even if covered by the 1 year warranty.
BB,
Do you think shooting steel bbs in this gun will cause the barrel to be less accurate with pellets?
I see where a lot of people say they will not shoot steel bbs in their pellet guns because they think it will make the gun less accurate with pellets.
Earl,
I don’t think shooting BBs has much affect on the accuracy with lead pellets. Granted, these guns are not made to shoot millions of times like FWBs are, but I think a first owner could shoot BBs for 30 years and never notice a degradation in the accuracy with lead.
B.B.
BB,
The scope rail on this gun is NEITHER a 11 mm dovetail NOR a picatinny rail.
The 11 mm scope rings will fit, but not good.
Umarex needs to change this.
Earl,
THANK YOU!!!!!
No wonder I have been having so much trouble mounting a sight on this thing! That’s why I haven’t done the 25-yard test yet.
B.B.
Earl,
That’s real interesting. When B.B. finally gets a mount sighted on it, I’ll mention something about that in the product description on Pyramyd Air’s site.
Thanks,
Edith