by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier
Umarex Legends Cowboy Lever Action BB gun.
This report covers:
- The test
- Umarex Precision Steel BBs
- Loading
- Hornady Black Diamond
- Avanti Precision Ground Shot
- Smart Shot
- Dust Devils
- Discussion
- Summary
Wow, wow wowey, wow, wow, wow! Have I got something for you today! I saw all those fantastic targets posted to Part 2 of this report by our readers, but I still didn’t believe it. But, it’s all true! The Umarex Legends Cowboy Lever Action BB gun is super accurate. And it cycles perfectly every time.
The test
Being a doubting Thomas, I decided to test at the standard BB-gun distance of 5 meters, even after seeing all those superb targets. Besides, if it’s really that accurate, might it even come close to the Daisy Avanti Champion 499? If it tested out I could always run another test at a greater distance. Well — I guess I will, because this one is not going back to Pyramyd AIR. I only shot BBs today because I want to give pellets a thorough workout of their own.
I shot from a seated position using a UTG Monopod as a rest. The groups were 10 shots each, which gave me the opportunity to load and fire 10 cartridges from the gun. Since I think the shot count is around 35-40 shots, I shot only 30 and then changed CO2 cartridges. Let’s get started.
Umarex Precision Steel BBs
The first BB I tried was the Umarex Precision Steel BB. A reader had commented they were the most accurate for him and. by golly, they were the same for me! Ten BBs went into one hole that measures 0.212-inches between centers of the two holes farthest apart at 5 meters. The last time I saw 10 BBs in a group this small they were shot from my 499!
Ten Umarex BBs went into 0.212-inches at 5 meters. This is the best group of the test and can challenge a 499!
Loading
I mentioned in Part 2 that a lever action loads hard, and this one is no exception. But loading doesn’t get harder as more shells are loaded. Cartridge number 10 loads no harder than cartridge one.
Hornady Black Diamond
The second BB tested was the Hornady Black Diamond. I expected this one to be the best, but as a reader said, it wasn’t. It’s very good, with 10 BBs going into 0.383-inches at 5 meters, but not as good as the Umarex BB.
Ten Hornady Black Diamond BBs went into 0.383-inches at 5 meters.
Avanti Precision Ground Shot
Since this BB gun is so accurate I thought it might do best with Avanti Precision Ground Shot that the Daisy 499 uses. So I shot a group with them. Ten BBs made a 0.575-inch group at 5 meters. That’s still a very small group for a BB gun, but it’s already been beaten by two premium BBs.
Ten Daisy Avanti Precision Ground Shot went into 0.575-inches at 5 meters.
Smart Shot
Next up were Air Venturi Smart Shot lead BBs. This gun is so powerful that these BBs make good sense, of they are accurate. And, they are! Ten of them made a 5-meter group that measures 0.499-inches between centers.
Ten lead Smart Shot BBs made this 0.499-inch group at 5 meters. This is another great group.
Dust Devils
The last BB I tested was the frangible Dust Devil from Air Venturi. They didn’t do as well as all the rest. Ten went into 1.064-inches at 5 meters. That’s not a bad group for most BB guns, but for this Cowboy Lever Action gun it’s about 3-4 times larger than the rest.
Ten Dust Devil BBs made a group that measures 1.064-inches at 5 meters.
Discussion
This BB gun is the most accurate one I have shot, other than a Daisy 499. And this one could actually offer that BB gun some competition! Umarex is to be commended for bringing out a super-realistic lever action BB gun lookalike that has no competition. This one is a hammer and every target is a nail!
I know I’m called The Great Enabler because I cause many of you to spend more money than you ought to on airguns, but when something is this good, I gotta be me! You should know by now that I’m going to tell you the truth either way it turns out. But don’tcha love it when it turns out like this? I do!
Summary
Next I’m going to back up and shoot pellets. After that I’m going to shoot BBs from a greater distance. Like I said — this gun is not going back to Pyramyd Air!
B.B.,
Hold it right there! Before you break out your pompoms I think I’ll wait for the pellet accuracy test. 🙂
BB guns are not my cup of tea but this one is really tugging hard for attention.
Siraniko
BB, for comparison’s sake what were your results when shooting the 499B at 5 meters rested? All I found were results for 5 meters offhand and 10 meters rested.
cobalt327,
Here is one:
/blog/2009/11/the-daisy-499b-versus-the-haenel-310-a-shoot-off/
B.B.
Thank you, BB. I actually had found that very blog then I went back and (I thought) deleted my post, even had a pop up confirmation it was deleted. This was within 5 minutes of originally posting it so don’t know why it stayed posted…
Cobalt327,
I found your comment in the trash and thought it hadn’t been posted.So I researched it and found the answer.
B.B.
BB,
Ahh, that would explain it. Thanks!
B.B.,
Glad it is testing so well. Comparing it to a 499 is really something! Looking forwards to more testing.
Good Day to you and to all,…….. Chris
BB
Well looks like they got the tolerances right with this one.
Curious to see what it does with the bb’s at a longer distance. And of course how the pellets do also.
BB,
Well, it looks like all the junior Hopalongs out there will be trading in there Red Ryders.
Wow, B.B., that’s great! It will be interesting to see how it performs with pellets, and BBs at a distance; yet you have already shown that Umarex is to be commended for making a good-looking replica that can actually shoot…cool. =>
Good day to all! As Tom knows, I mostly spend my $$ on powder burners, Colt snake guns in particular, but this time I just may have to sidestep and bit and get me one of these. My very fist air rifle was the good ‘ol Daisy 1984 Spittin’ Image and I sure did love it. Umarex has gone several steps further by making this side loader that ejects the shells, wow is all I can say!!
Kevin,
Yeah, wow! I don’t understand why everybody isn’t outside, dancing in the street. This BB gun is the most accurate one I have ever tested besides the single shot Daisy 499.
Tell you what I’m going to do. I’m going to pit this against the 499 in a shoot off. I’ll probably do that at the end of this series.
B.B.
BB,
That is not going to make me go out in the street and dance, or even rush out and buy one, but I sure would like to see the results of that shoot off. I have my 1959 Model 99. I’m good.
BB
Ok here’s blog material.
No offense but some of us grew up in a little different time period than you. What you see as great we see as ok. We’ll maybe some of us. Reality.
I mean the gun your testing is a shooter compared to probably most bb guns. And here goes the discussion. Maybe there is thought that they should be this good.
But really it’s only 5 yards. I can probably shoot a pea shooter as well as most bb guns at 5yards. We’ll maybe a exaggeration but you get what I mean. At the least I would like to see is 10 yards. But really at the least 15 yards if I’m a fast action plinker.
And yes this gun did really good compared to most in it’s category. I would buy it but maybe not. 5 yards is useless to me. Sorry trying to dance but it’s just not happening.
Not putting the gun down. It’s really nice for the price. But just not quite there so far. Need some longer distance shooting for me to see the truth I need. And no I’m definitely not buying untill I see more reviews about the gun.
What is on my radar next is the Sig MPX and I will convert it over to a Air Venturi regulated bottle. But still need to check out more reviews to see if it will go the distance I’m looking for with pellets. And it even has a 30 round mag not just 10 shots.
GF
Plink bigger barn doors.
tt
TT
Don’t know if they make them that big. I’ll have to get a custom oversize one made I suppose.
The things we have to do to shoot.
GF
Get one made with fold out sections so you can change the size as needed.
tt
TT
To much for me.
I know what I want and what I don’t.Some get so close but yet so far away.
I know that some people have limited room to shoot. But still yet a person should know how much them groups grow with thier particular gun at different distances. Even at 5 yards I guess that could be a safety concern. And maybe a bb would even be a concern shooting at a big barn door. Watch out them barn doors will shoot back at you with bb’s. Maybe it would be better to be at a farther distance just incase of bb rebound.
Keep on being The Great Enabler, B.B.; it helps those of us who have not delved deeply into the world of airguns before winnow the good from the bad and the ugly. We just have to stay grounded in reality, as in the reality of how much of a hit our wallets can take when deciding what to buy and when. Along those lines, still waiting for that SIG ASP20 and Whiskey-3 scope bundle to be announced, but seems “the powers that be” may have decided that is too much of a good thing.
Basil,
I really do not know what is delaying the synthetic stocked ASP20. Sig hasn’t told me anything. I do know that the molds for things like synthetic stocks cost a lot to create and I know Sig wanted to keep their options open for things like a adjustable comb in the future, but beyond that I know nothing.
B.B.
BB—-I will tell you why I am not dancing. This gun uses shells. I have two 10 meter ranges . One is in my backyard and the other is in my basement. It will be easy to lose them in the grass and in my basement workshop and clutter. This gun cannot be adjusted for windage. I cant buy every gun that I want, and there is that M1 carbine and the co2 Lee enfield that will be on the market in the near future. Ditto for the co2 mauser 98 and the Keystone mini Mosin Nagant. So I will have to pick one or two out of five. Unless these guns get bad reviews, the Umerex 94 is my last choice. ——–Ed——-PS– Unlike the revolvers, the 94 eject shells ,and that might result in damage that would degrade their accuracy. I would like to see how accurate a shell is after it has landed on a hard surface, 50 +times.
My Legends Cowboy is great. I’m thinking about getting a spare one just because.
Thanks for the write-up BB.
I love my Legends Cowboy Rifle. It really brings out the Lucas McCain in me. BB, when you test the pellets, would you also check to see if the BB shells will work with pellets, or if we need designated pellet shells?
Thanks for a great blog. I have learned so much.
Willy,
I guess I will because those are the only shells I have. Are pellet shells even made for this airgun?
B.B.
BB, I use my Colt SAA pellet shells in the Cowboy. They function perfectly.
B.B.
I guess I was thinking that since the Colt shells and Legends Cowboy shells are the same at least for BBs, Colt pellet shells might be what works for the Cowboy. I only have BB shells and have never tried pellets in the Umarex Cowboy or the Umarex Colt.
Willy
Willy,
I’ll look into it.
B.B.
If there’s a downside for me, it’s the shells. I would order one today if it just had a spring loaded magazine like the Daisy 1894. Everything else about it seems to have hit the mark. But what’s a downside to me is a big selling point to others- and I totally get that. It’s why there’s chocolate and vanilla ice cream.
Hey guys,
Here’s a new entry into the PCP 10M market, the Daisy 599, also known as a BSA Silver Star.
I’m sure this will be of interest to some of the folks here in the blog.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khI_V2EE110&feature=em-uploademail
Geo
Well gang, it seems that the Umarex will have to wait a bit. My local dealer just called and is holding one of these for me. I have the 870 version of this but the recoil is just too fierce with anything but the Aguila Mini Shels. This should be a good deal more comfortable to play around with.
That looks like a hand cannon, and I would think that it acts like one. Let us know about patterns and recoil.
Henry
Kevin,
I am curious,….. it is illegal to take (say) a double barrel and modify it to look like that (shortened and a pistol grip),… but this is a legal alternative? Largely ignorant to firearms facts,… so the question is genuine.
And,… there is the 410 ga. revolvers that you see for sale all the time. Talk about a “short” shotgun!
Chris
Hi Chris, my understanding of this is that because the weapon comes from the FACTORY in this configuration then the NFA rules don’t apply.
Kevin,
Thank you. I suppose that a side by side “sawed off” replica will hit the market before long? Maybe already? If factory made,…. it sounds all good. Interesting. I do support by the way in the hands of responsible firearms owners. A bit of a novelty I think, but it would look pretty “mean” in a leg holster! 2,.. in fact! A couple on the back in an X holster,… maybe? 😉
🙂 Chris
Chris, how about the short barreled double on one leg and the “Mare’s Leg” gun from Wanted Dead Or Alive on the other leg? If memory serves, Ithaca used to make something for LE use called The Auto Burglar. It was a very short barreled 20gauge. Here’ a picture of one.
Kevin,
(Very) interesting pistol grip, to say the least. Something to toss the thumb over to increase a firm grip no doubt? I would be inclined to have a hand on top of the barrels none the less,…. briefly. 😉
Chris
BB, I do not like BB guns too much in general, although I’d admit that I have an R1 1911 that is really good. However, this gun looks amazing and I, for one, like the realism that the cartridges add to the package. More so if they are compatible with the SSA.
Now, if it shoots similarly nice with pellets, I will just have to get one. Looking forward to the next installment.
Best,
Henry
After some thought today,… I agree on the shells being a hassle. Said that before. I would prefer the spring feed of the original bb gun.
Now,… for a pellet replica,… a disc clip (well concealed), PCP, regulated. Not really sure how that would happen,.. but I am sure it could be done. I just added a cool 200-300 no doubt.
For a bb replica, this one does hit it out the park. I think more people will like the ejecting shells VS those that do not. I think it was a mistake not to go with the octagon barrel and brass receiver look though.
At any rate,… looking forwards to more testing.
Chris
B.B.,
At the end of this Pt 3 review, in the Summary, you said you were going to test pellets next, then back of farther away with bbs (Next I’m going to back up and shoot pellets. After that I’m going to shoot BBs from a greater distance. Like I said — this gun is not going back to Pyramyd Air!) . I did see a Pt 4 on pellets, but never anything about shooting bbs are great distance. Did I miss it?
Doc
Doc,
I guess you did.
/blog/2019/06/umarex-legends-cowboy-lever-action-bb-gun-part-4/
Remember to use the Search box with the title of the report.
B.B.
Bob,
I am sorry! I missed your comment about shooting BBs at great distance. I didn’t do that. I will look at it and decide whether it should be done, but, as you are the only person who has asked, I think not. Will it make a difference to you for a purchase decision? Not that I’m selling anything, but at this point I think that subject is closed — unless I need to open it again.
You tell me.
B.B.
B.B.
Not a problem. I just didn’t want to miss it. Oh and would it make a difference on a purchase? Hmm. I think it would. I have several bb shooters, but none with any distance (I’m not talking 50 yards, but you know that). Either way, Thanks again.
Doc
Doc,
It is an accurate BB gun. I will give it a lot of consideration.
B.B.