The Gauntlet 2 precharged rifle from Umarex.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Meopta MeoPro Optika5 2-10X42-PA: Part 1
This report covers:
- 11mm and Picatinny base
- P.O.I. rings
- Today’s report
- One minor problem
- Nope!
- The problem
- Found them!
- For you guys
- Wait a minute
- What?
- Sight in
- Meopta scope
- Summary
Boy, do I have one for you today! I started down the merry road to happiness but ended up in a junkyard and had to fight my way out! This will be fun.
On this day I was supposed to mount the Meopta MeoPro Optika5 2-10X42-PA on the Umarex Gauntlet 2 using UTG P.O.I. low mounts for one-inch rings. And therein lies the problem, as we shall see.
11mm and Picatinny base
The Gauntlet 2 has a Picatinny scope base with an 11mm dovetail scope base above it. That is a feature I didn’t cover yet. Great! Except for one small detail. No Picatinny or Weaver scope rings will fit this base! I should have read my report on the Gauntlet 1, but I wanted to be impartial, so I purposely didn’t read it. Oh, how I wish that I had!
P.O.I. rings
Unfortunately Pyramyd AIR doesn’t stock P.O.I. rings that are low and also for one-inch scope tubes. Most high quality airgun scopes have 30mm tubes these days, so that’s what they stock.
But Leapers sent me a gift package several months ago and it contained several P.O.I. rings, including these low ones for a one-inch tube. I really love that UTG has managed to make all the screw heads the same size so just a single Torx driver is needed, and of course they supply it with the rings.
Leapers’ UTG P.O.I. low rings come with a single screw head size. Hurrah!
Today’s report
Today’s report was SUPPOSED to let you look over my shoulder while I calmly and carefully mounted the Meopta scope. But that’s when the clown car drove into the ring, honking and squirting me with seltzer, and I knew today would be a circus.
Oh, look! The Gaultlet 2 has a clever Picatinny AND an 11mm base! Neat-o!
One minor problem
There is just one problem with the Gauntlet 2 scope base. IT ISN’T MIL-SPEC. AND NO PICATINNEY OR WEAVER SCOPE MOUNTS WILL FIT!!!!! At least none that I know of.
Whoops! Apparently the 11mm dovetail projection on top of the Gauntlet 2 scope base is too high for the bottom of the Mil Spec P.O.I. rings to clear. Yes, the cross key on the bottom of the ring base is down into the cross slots on the rifle base as far as it will go. What you are seeing is the top of the 11mm dovetail hindering the bottom of the P.O.I. ring base. This will never work!
Well, that can’t be too bad, can it? Old BB has more than 40 sets of 2-piece scope rings. A short one-piece ring set that would fit the scope would also work. But no Weaver or Picatinny scope ring that I tried would fit because of that tall 11mm dovetail.
Nope!
Old BB looked through two drawers of rings, then through a cabinet of scopes with rings already on them and finally on as many rifles as he had that were already scoped — maybe 20 airguns and firearms.
The problem
You see what I needed was something that is rare and hard to find. It had to be a low ring set with an 11mm bottom and one-inch rings. 20 years ago that would be easy to find. Today — not so much.
The problem is that 11mm extension on the top of the Gauntlet 2 receiver. If that wasn’t there and if the base was JUST a Picatinney base, then any Picatinny or Weaver ring would fit. With that extension on top, only 11mm rings can be used.
Found them!
And then I found them on a scope in my scope cabinet. Eleven millimeter low mounts! Quick like a bunny I removed them from the old scope and mounted them to the Gauntlet 2. Oh, happy day! I got them secured to the rifle and then mounted the scope. These would make the 20th set of 8 screws that I would tighten this day. Let’s see now, time to position the scope for the correct eye relief. Why won’t these rings snug down on the scope?
NOOOO! I have mounted 30mm rings on the rifle when I needed one-inch rings! Oh, the humanity!
And the hits just keep coming! In my haste I mounted 30mm rings!
Oh, I’m sure that Umarex has thought this through and that somewhere there is a set of rings that fit the Gauntlet 2 perfectly. But I didn’t have them, nor did I know what they were! To this point I had spent two hours trying different rings. Has mighty Casey struck out?
For you guys
BB Pelletier doesn’t write this blog for Pyramyd AIR. Yes, they do pay me, but the blog is not for them and they are fine with that. And this blog is also not for Umarex, Meopta, Leapers or any manufacturer. This blog is for you readers. Here I am, flipping around like a fresh-caught fish in an aluminum boat because I am in the same spot you could find yourself in with this air rifle.
Wait a minute
Don’t get me wrong and don’t put words into my mouth. I’m not saying that the Gauntlet 2 has a problem. I’m also not saying that Leapers and Meopta have problems. I am saying that BB Pelletier has a problem and you have just seen what it is!
In my vast collection of scope mounts I had difficulty finding a scope mount that would allow me to mount the Meopta MeoPro Optika5 2-10X42-PA riflescope with a one-inch scope tube on the Gauntlet 2 rifle. I also wanted very much to mount it in those P.O.I. low mounts, for the reasons I mentioned yesterday and also because those mounts are so precise. What to do?
What?
Time to read the report I wrote on the first Gauntlet several years ago — especially Part 7. Know why? Because that is where I found the solution last time. The Gauntlet 1 doesn’t have this same scope base, but it does have an 11mm scope dovetailed base that I had to find mounts for. And I did! I used P.O.I. 2-piece mounts (small world, eh!) and put the UTG 11mm to Weaver adaptor in their bases! Ta-da!
UTG adaptors to the rescue! Now I can use those low P.O.I. mounts that I wanted.
Once the adaptors were in the ring bases, the rings fit perfectly.
Sight-in
Reader RidgeRunner lectured me on the rings in response to what I said last time about shimming them. So I left the shims out and mounted the scope in the naked rings. The P.O.I. rings fit the scope tube so precisely that the scope didn’t even move with the caps off. And here is part of what he said.
“You would be foolish to shim this scope. Since you are going to buy this scope, buy a couple of sets of fully adjustable mounts like the Sportsmatch. I have a set of these on my HM1000X holding my UTG Bubble Leveler scope. With these rings you can center your optical adjustments on the scope and just about zero your rifle. Then do the fine tweaking with the scope adjustments.”
Well, thanks for spending my money, RidgeRunner, but I wanted to used these low P.O.I. rings — remember? I also wanted to do this accuracy test today. Those Sportsmatch rings cost $150 and although they are worth it I wanted to use these rings. And I wanted to do it today — not wait several weeks for a delivery.
I loaded a magazine for the rifle. This is a .25 so the mag holds 8, right? Then I dialed the scope down to 2 power and the parallax to 10 yards and sighted in at 12 feet. Shot one landed low and left, but it wasn’t that bad. RidgeRunner was right. Hey, a blind squirrel…
I adjusted the scope up and to the right. Shot two hit closer to the center and higher. A little more up and right on the scope. Shot three is about where I want it.
End of sight-in at 12 feet. I may still be a little left but with this I can back up to 25 yards, because the pellet will rise up to the bull.
The center of the bore is almost exactly 2 inches below the center of the scope and the last shot is pretty close to the same place — two inches below the aim point. Of course I aimed at the center of the bull, but at 12 feet this is where I want the shot to go because of how far below the center of the scope line the bore line is. Next time I can back up to 25 yards and be close to on target.
Meopta scope
So far the Meopta scope is as clear as a bell. I can’t wait to see it at 25 yards. The adjustments went exactly where they should with no stiction. That’s what a good scope should do.
I had to raise the cheekrest to see the exit pupil, but of course the Gauntlet 2 allows for that. Thank goodness I used a low scope mount. That 11mm scope base extension is quite high.
Summary
This is taking longer than I hoped but I’m ready to start shooting for accuracy next time. Yippie!
BB,
What a journey it is yet to true standardization.
Siraniko
The problem with the poi rings is that they are made for a picatinny, and the gauntlet is weaver.
Here’s a snippet from the product description:
Square-shaped Integral Recoil Stop Interfacing with a Picatinny Slot via Complete Surface Contact to Eliminate the Possibility of Forward and Aft Movement from Recoil Vibrations.
So those that’s why they didn’t fit.
Edw,
Dovetails were bad enough. It drove many people nuts to get one set among many to properly fit. I just hope the manufacturers eventually settle on a single standard sooner than later.
Siraniko
I saw this same problem with poi rings and the AV Avenger. Weaver rail and picatinny bipod rail. The POI rings won’t fit weaver and looked exactly as BB pictured. Real weaver rings fit.
B.B.
Why you didn’t use 30mm to 25mm ring adapters on those eleven millimeters low mounts. I am certain that you have a few of them in the drawer.
Bill,
Sorry, but I haven’t heard of those.
BB
I may be describing them incorrectly but these plastic split rings are common items along with many 30mm ring/base mounts. In any case you might find them very useful if you care to search.
Bill,
I will begin my search today.
BB
Bill,
I found them. Are they any good? We shall see.
BB
B.B.,
From what I am believing to see on some of your photographs is that it seems like Umarex’s pseudo-picatinny rail is fixed on top of what already looks like a dovetail milled into the receiver, using screws.
If so, then taking off the Umarex rail and mounting the scope rings directly on the receiver’s dovetail would gain you some mm in height (provided that the dovetail on the receiver is standard, that is…)
Alternatively, you could get a mil-spec rail adapted (holes in the right place) and mount on the receiver instead of the Umarex rail. Easy to make for PA I’d guess.
Papa
Papa,
You might have something, but if so there are no cross-slots in the lower dovetail. Oh, well, I have screwed this up a lot so far. Maybe I missed the boat altogether!
BB
While reading this, a song started running through my head.
A song from 1961 by the Shirelles called Mama said.
We all know it.
“ Mama said there’ll be days like this
There’ll be days like this, my mama said “
Ian.
Ian, I remember that song well; after the first hour of working on mounting the scope, B.B. was likely humming it to himself. 🙂
BB,
I think Papa Schultz is right. It looks as though Umarex just bolted that kloogy on top of a regular receiver block. Measure the lower slots. These UTG adapters may work on them.
With the present proliferation of Picitinney rings, you may want to pick up some more of those UTG adapters. Another product I would not mind knowing more about is these Hawke adapters.
/product/hawke-sport-optics-2-pc-adapter-3-8-to-weaver-rail?a=4162
These things may even stop the issue of scope creep on sproingers like BKL mounts.
Sight In
Well, thanks for spending my money, RidgeRunner, but I wanted to used (use) these low P.O.I. rings — remember?
Besides, I am not the one buying all of these Meopta products!
RR,
I have three or fouir sets of the adaptors already.
BB
RidgeRunner,
If you scan down to the pic of the Sheridan I posted, I gave you credit for the rings; if not for the rings I had gotten from you in that box you sent me, I’d not have been able to mount that scope.
Thank you!
Take care,
dave
B.B.
O’ my……well I guess any sort of peep sights are out too?
Maybe the Gauntlet should ship with rings already attached?
-Y
PS Isn’t this Muphy’s Law #2 per my Mom. “Madam, they worked great, that is why we do not make them anymore”…
Maybe there is a Murphy’s #3 Axiom, as a friend and FM have encountered in the running of his vending machine business: “If a product sells well, it shall be discontinued.”
Wow, first they make you dismantle the rifle to adjust the trigger and then you can’t fit a scope using standard rings. Don’t think this one was designed by a shooter!
Ade C,
I don’t want to complain, but that was my thought, as well. 😉
BB
Made in China.
But designed by Umarex. Left to their own devices the Chinese produce some decent airguns. CP1, PR900, PP700 etc…
Ade C,
After having stolen various designs over many years you would think they would get it right sooner or later.
BB,
I beg to differ with you when you say that the Gauntlet does not have a problem: having a Picatinney rail that won’t allow the use of any Picatinney mounts is a problem. The fact that there is an 11 mm dovetail on top of it that allows the use of other mounts does not negate that particular problem – in fact, the way they executed it seems to be the cause of the problem. It seems that the only mounts on the gun are actually for an 11mm dovetail, and it should be advertised and sold as such.
Alan
This is just one of the reasons I read this blog every day. Things are not all sunshine and daisies when BB gets something new and he lets us know it. I am sure most of us have the same type of difficulties. Now I know it’s not fun when it is happening, but figuring it out is the fun part.
rk,
Thanks. That’s what I wanted everyone to see. This isn’t the rifle’s problem — it is BB’s problem. Bad days happen.
BB
BB, Isn’t Umarex still in Fort Smith, Oklahoma? I suggest giving them a call and asking what rings work well with their gun. That would be a good way to let everyone here know and also to make sure Pyramyd carries mounts that will work with the rifle.
David Enoch
David,
That’s my plan.
BB
BB, I am reassured you didn’t opt for the left handed /dyslexic solution, take a mill fill to the reciever top. It’s not like it’s a Weirauch or something with dovetails that needs those rail slots for the magnum recoil in a pcp. Making everybody happy didn’t work so well in this case. I have those adapters because you warned us there would be days like that. I would get the big, high mag Meotika, but a Denon avr cut to the front of the line. .
Best, Rob
Hi B.B. the view over your shoulder is really appreciated.
Off topic, I want to give you an update on the Crosman Mark I you recommended I buy as an introduction to pistol shooting for my daughter and I. Well, last time I reported that the end cap seal had a visible tear in it, but that it held CO2. I think I got about 60 shots from it the first time around (most of which were on low power), then I left the cartridge in to see if it would hold the CO2. Well it has been a couple of days and it held. LAST NIGHT I shot another 40 or so shots. At one point the low powe shots stopped exiting the muzzle, so the rest were on high power until things fizzled out. About 5 dry fires emptied the cartridge. I am well pleased. I got over 100 shots from the first cartridge.
I was running out of ,22 pellets so I tried some of the old Accupels that the seller provided in a plastic baggie with the gun. They were very accurate! They are practically cylindrical, but have a deep skirt, so they are very easy to load compared to the Crosman Ultra Magnum Domes I was also using. I can’t send you a picture right now because my phone camera glass cover shattered and the camera won’t focus closer than 6 feet or so.
I observed 2 things that I wanted feedback on from you and my blog-mates.
First, I recovered some pellets out of the rubber mulch trap. The pellets barely have any rifling marks. Would larger diameter (tighter fitting) pellets generally improve accuracy (I know everything needs testing as a general rule)?
Second, then I close the action on a pellet, there is a bit of binding and I have to push on the back of the bolt knob to make it “click” closed before I can turn the bolt to the locked position. Is that normal?
Another question: can I coat the old Accupels with a little Ballistol? I don’t want them to oxidize any further. I know you have a special recipe for oiling pellets, but what I have on hand is Ballistol, RemOil, and olive oil :o)
Next for me is shooting from a rest for accuracy. I could not find many choices for target pellets in .22, but I ordered RWS Meisterkuglns, thinking they may work well on the target paper. I also ordered some H&N Excite Hammers because they also seem to have a sharp “shoulder” (and they are cheap). Will update further.
Thanks for any insights on the questions above. Have a great day!
Roamin,
“Barely” is a subjective term, so I can’t answer that. Just shoot different pellets looking for the ones that group.
Try closing the bolt with no pellet. There may still be a click. It’s no problem.
Sure, use Ballistol if you like. Just don’t shoot those pellets in a spring-piston rifle.
BB
Why not? I understand that Ballistol is non combustible. Or is it?
-Y
Yogi,
Directly from the Ballistol Safety Data Sheet (SDS) : Signal Word :
Danger
Hazard Statements : Flammable liquid and vapour. May be fatal if swallowed and enters airways.
Preautionary Statements : Keep away from heat/sparks/open flames/hot surfaces. – No smoking. Keep container tightly closed.
Ground/Bond container and receiving equipment. Use explosion-proof electrical/ventilating/lighting
equipment. Use only non-sparking tools. Take precautionary measures against static discharge. Wear
protective gloves and eye protection. If swallowed: Immediately call POISON CENTER. If on skin (or hair):
Take off immediately all contaminated clothing. Rinse skin with water/shower. Do NOT induce vomiting.
In case of fire: Use water, CO2, dry chemical, or universal aqueous film forming foam to extinguish. Store
in a well-ventilated place. Keep cool. Store locked up. Dispose of contents/container to applicable regulations.
What do you think?
shootski
Yummy!
Just kidding.
Thanks Shootski for the info. Is that for the aerosol version or the nonalcoholic version, or both?
Thanks, B.B.
Roamin Greco,
“The pellets barely have any rifling marks. Would larger diameter (tighter fitting) pellets generally improve accuracy (I know ”
everything needs testing as a general rule)?
Although B.B. thinks “Barely” is subjective…I’ll call it definitive! WHAT! Think on this: IF you have rifling marks on your pellet that means the pellet engaged the rifling at least at the muzzle end of the bore; if not sooner. If those marks are CLEAN and not smudged then the pellet was spun by the bore without slipping before exit. Will that ensure PRECISION no!
Soapbox time!
Precision is hitting (ok real close to it) the initial POI over and over again.
Accuracy — is total system; gun, sights, projectile, and shooter… hitting the POA (The 10 Ring X) over and over again.
PRECISION — leaves the shooter’s direct influence out of the equation — at least as far as hitting the POA.
shootski
You busted me using the word “accurate” imprecisey. :o)
So would pellets that show only faint or no rifling marks tend to be less precise than pellets with larger head sizes that engage the rifling.
Roamin Greco,
NO groove engraving would mean:
You shot the wrong caliber pellet…LOL!
Or, your barrel is a smooth bore…LOL!
The pellet spun through the rifling riding the Lands and/or never engaged the grooves.
None of those will tend to improve the chances for precision but are not the only or the most important factors in precision. WHAT! Smooth bores and micro bores can be very precise shooters B.B. and others have shown that.
As far as projectile choice you need to decide on style and Mass required/desired based on usage intended and powerplant capabilities. Then you need to either tune for best performance or start the never ending quest to find the best projectile. You might also do the combination effort of both tune and hunt.
Until you see some decent basic groups looking for more tweaks to make the groups smaller is a waste of time in my opinion.
I have never turned a sow’s ear projectile into a cat’s Meow.
Hope tht makes sense!
shootski
Shootski,
I used to think pretty much the same thing until I shot some of the Daisy wadcutters I had in my grandson’s HW30S. They did great! Go figure. They were given to me years ago. Sometimes you may not be able to turn that sow’s ear into a silk purse, but it might hold change anyway.
I use the weaver to dovetail adapters with weaver/picatiney rings instead of using dovetail rings. Much easier to switch scopes between rifles and air rifles.
Here is another option for adjustable weaver/picatiney rings that can correct up to 40 moa of cant and/or horizontal scope misalignment. Just ordered a pair. Look stronger and better than the FX and Sportsmatch adjustible rings to me. Reasonable price. Also, this very unique scope alignment tool seems better than any other. Ordered it, also. We will see.
https://www.burrisoptics.com/mounting-systems/rings/xtr-signature-rings
https://www.amazon.com/Real-Avid-Leveling-Precision-Gunsmithing/dp/B095VVWRBT
glenned,
I look forward to seeing your comments on using those Burris rings. – Don
Glenned,
I’m a fan of the XTR rings. Very beefy. I’ve used the older Burris signature and Burris zee rings with the pos align inserts but have graduated to the XTR rings. Hope you will like them too.
glenned,
Wow! That’s some rig!
It might just be me, but I have never used any kind of rig, levels, etc. when I mount a scope. I just line the bottom reticle with the center of the bolt, tube, etc. This is the way I have done it since I be a wee bairn. I still have most of my teeth, but I cannot say the same for my hair.
Every once in a great while I will play with one of them scope mounting thingamabobs, but just never get the hang of it.
B.B.,
It’s refreshing to see that things do not always go as planned even for the guru, the Godfather of Airguns. This type of report is insightful for us mere morals. 🙂
I had the opposite issue with my latest scope mounting project. Due to Crosman still not having their model 362 out yet (sad!), I took the money I had set aside for that, and bought a Leapers 4X AO scope for my vintage Sheridan. I found someone who had one of these, sadly discontinued, scopes; but when it arrived, I saw that it came with Weaver mounts! Thankfully, the box of stuff I “won” from RIdgeRunner had the exact set of rings I needed to mount the scope onto my new two-piece Sheridan intermount. Using all your tricks I have gleaned from this site, I was able to get the scope mounted; now I am back to where I was at age 17…except now I have a scope that is properly set up, and that does not move; it works, and allows me to shoot a ragged hole at 15 yards (with JSB pellets, not Sheridan originals). I’m back to my teenage years, only better. Yay!
Back to your scope issue; I’m glad it all worked out, and I look forward to the accuracy testing.
Take care & God bless,
dave
Dave,
Well, at least one of us is having a good time! 😉
BB
B.B.,
I’m only having a good time now due to all the wisdom you have been imparting over the years. When I tried mounting a scope on the Sheridan as a teen, I did not have the info I now possess. Hence, I bought a cheap variable scope that shifted its POI as the power was varied from 3X to 7X. Also, I did not know how to properly fix the mount for the scope, so that was constantly moving and changing the POI. And that is why I gave up on a scope for that gun, and my Dad got his machinist buddy to drill and tap the rifle for the peep sight that is currently on it.
I COULD have gotten one of those new mounts that go on the back of a Sheridan receiver, but that would have required the removal of the peep sight…something I was not ready to do (especially as it does work so well) even though I thought I might like the enhancement of a scope. So, I recalled one of your earlier reports where you mentioned there is no need to get hung up on a low-mounted scope; and with the help of the RidgeRunner medium-height rings, I was able to mount this scope just high enough to clear the rear peep sight. So now, should I somehow mess up this scope (like by dropping the gun), I can just pull out my Leatherman tool, pop off the scope, and I’ll be back in business with the peep sight. Hence, all your wisdom and insights are being put to good use…I just wish I’d know all these things 45 years ago, LOL! 🙂
Take care & God bless,
dave
Dave,
I am so glad you were able to use some of that. It is sounding like I need to clean out some more stuff soon.
RidgeRunner, those rings saved the day! Thank you. 🙂
Hey RidgeRunner,
No thread left to answer you above…
What is that old saw about The Exception Making (proving) the Rule.
In this case old Daisy Wadcutters did it.
I prefer a Money Clip…or just a rubber band.
shootski
What can I say, they worked.
RidgeRunner,
Speaking of working…how is your shoulder doing?
I hope it well on the way to you being able to comfortably shouldering a few of you rifles for some quality shooting!
shootski
Shootski,
No problem. I had surgery on the left shoulder. I shoot right handed. Cocking an uber magnum sproinger is still an issue though.
For what it’s worth, I’ve had problems mounting the UTG POI rings on a lot of guns.