Walther’s PPQ M2 pellet pistol.
This report covers:
- The test
- The trigger
- H&N Finale Match High Speed
- Adjusted the rear sight
- RWS R10 Match Pistol
- JSB Exact RS
- RWS Hobby
- Summary
Before we begin today’s report, I want you all to know that I am out on the ranges in Las Vegas for Media Day. When I get back I will write a short blog for tomorrow. Please keep your “BB how many threads per inch” kinda questions to a minimum, so I can get some sleep tonight before the show starts. And remember, when it’s midnight on the east coast it’s 9 p.m where I am. That means I have to work faster to get a blog up, once I return from the range.
Today we look at the accuracy of the Walther PPQ M2 pellet pistol.
The test
After seeing reader cstoehr’s target in the comments to Part One where he shot from 18 feet I decided not to shoot this pistol from 10 meters. I figured 25 feet would be more appropriate.
I shot 10-shot groups from 25 feet with my hands resting on a sandbag. I used a 6 o’clock hold. I found the sights to be very easy to see, but the trigger did give me some surprises.
The trigger
The PPQ M2 trigger has lightened up considerably from when it was new. However it now sometimes goes off before I’m ready. I take careful aim and then squeeze to get the pellet belt rotated. The trigger usually stops at that point, but not always. Sometimes it pulls through the release of the striker and the pistol fires. I’m on target when that happens, but I’m unprepared for the gun to fire, and that means some slop in the aim point. Groups could grow by a half-inch or so. We shall see.
H&N Finale Match High Speed
First up were H&N Finale Match High Speed pellets. These are 7 grains and not made anymore, but they are a good target wadcutter. The first shot hit the target low and left and I knew a sight adjustment was in order. I didn’t adjust the sight until after this group was complete. You may remember that the PPQ has a windage adjustment on the rear sight, but no elevation. The front sight has a white dot, and I think the makers want you to center that dot on your target. I find that a bit sloppy so I use a conventional 6 o’clock hold.
Nine of the 10 shots are in two inches even, but one stray opened the group to 2.718-inches between centers. The stray could have been caused when the gun fired before I expected. If that is the case then this pellet could be the most accurate of those tested.
Ten H&N Finale Match High Speed pellets made a 2.718-inch group at 25 feet. Nine of them are in two inches.
Adjusted the rear sight
After this group I adjusted the rear sight to the right. There are no click detents, so you have to watch the notch move over.
RWS R10 Match Pistol
Next to be tested were 7-grain RWS R10 Match Pistol pellets went into 2.919-inches in a very horizontal group. It appears the rear sight was adjusted okay. I will say that on this string the pistol fired several times before I was ready.
RWS R10 Match Pistol pellets spread out into a wide 2.913-inch group at 25 feet.
JSB Exact RS
I thought I should test a domed pellet, so I chose the JSB Exact RS. The PPQ put ten of them into a 2.399-inch group at 25 feet. I paid a lot of attention to the trigger in this group and I don’t remember any shot going off too soon. I will also add that these pellets entered the pellet belt quite easily.
Ten JSB Exact RS pellets went into 2.399-inches at 25 feet.
RWS Hobby
The last pellet I tested was the RWS Hobby. They entered the chambers in the pellet belt noticeably harder, with a pop. These pellets hit the target lower and one pellet landed just below the target paper, so I added 0.125-inches to the 9-shot group size. With that the 10-shot group measures 2.374-inches between centers. One shot buried the target paper deep into the cardboard backer, and the paper tore when I removed it from the backer.
Ten Hobby pellets made a 2.374-inch group at 25 feet. One shot hit just below the paper and you can see a small divot below the dime where it nicked the edge. The group size is an estimate because of this. If anything, it’s smaller. The lower right hole is the one where the pellet buried the target paper into the cardboard backer.
Summary
I think reader cstoehr was right to shoot the PPQ M2 at 18 feet. The Walther PPQ M2 is not a long-range pellet pistol.
The trigger continues to improve. Just remember the improvement relates to one specific magazine. With practice I believe a shooter could get to know his magazines and do better with the pistol.
BB,
So this pistol once broken in is for indoor practice in regards to target acquisition and aiming? Seems the way you describe how the trigger goes off it is better for fast shooting rather than deliberate small targets
.
I hope the SHOT Show had more than a few items of interest to airgunners.
Siraniko
Siraniko,
Yes, that would be my assessment of the PPQ M2 as well. I sure hope to see some exciting new things this year. Who knows?
BB
BB,
Glad you made it there OK. I hope you have a real good time!
B.B.
With respect to the RWS Hobby pellet, I don’t think it’s a good choice for the PPQ M2 at either 18 or 25 feet. I didn’t do very well with it either. My 10 shot group for Hobby at 18 feet bench rested was 2.313 inches. However, at 18 feet I got some smaller groups with these pellets:
H&N Finale Match Light: 1.063″
H&N Match Pistol: 1.125″
H&N Match Rifle: 1.313″
RWS R10 Match: 1.313″
RWS Supermag: 0.750″ These hit below POA, but produced a single hole 0.75″ in diameter.
Enjoy the show. I’m looking forward to your reports on the new airguns that are forthcoming.
Pellet: RWS Supermag, 9.3 grain
Distance: 18 feet
Bench Rested
Open Sights
Aim: 6 o’clock on shot spot
10 shots
Group Size: 0.750 inch
B.B.
Gee you can throw pellets at the target more accurately. It has a lousy trigger.
Sounds like winner….
-Y
Yogi,
Yup, you can do much better with a homemade slingshot and not need to buy C02.
Seems to be two levels for these airguns. Replicas that shoot something (sorta) and reasonably accurate airguns that resemble firearms. This one is in the first category.
H
I would really like to see a report on the top three BB pistols and top three pellet pistols in terms of how well they last and how well they shoot.
There are probably categories for each of the above too—spring, CO2, PCP, etc. but since lately we’ve been talking CO2, that seems like the best first round, maybe followed by PCP (I like “semiautomatic”—don’t want to recock after each shot).
MisterAP,
I like comparison charts as well but I think that that would be a pretty tall order.
To be useful the chart would have to reflect the parameters that interested you and weight them in the your order of importance. For example, to me accuracy takes precedence over power …not everyone would agree.
It is also difficult to do direct comparisons. My Beeman P17 is a great little pistol but it would not be fair to compare it against my old Feinwerkbau Model 100 – in spite of the fact they are both are .177 SSPs.
Yeah, comparison charts are nice but I think you will have to make your own. I know as I am right in the middle of making a chart of fly lines for the special purpose new rod & reel that Santa brought.
Cheers!
H
Hank,
Yes, very good point! It made me reflect further. I think what I’m missing in these reports is getting a really good feel for a wider variety of product. I also feel looking at the CO2 pistols that they also all seem pretty good and I can’t really tell which one is truly better.
Also (and probably not solvable here) not a good feel for longer term reliability.
I still enjoy reading most of the posts though—I typically gloss over the not-available-new products.
AP
Hank, you likely didn’t see my comment (“There are no guns, not even airguns, on Canadian farms.” etc., etc) on Motorman’s report JAN 14th report (/blog/2022/01/diana-model-two-forty-review/ ) as I didn’t make it till late yesterday; but if you have a second to look back at that, I’d be curious for your take on it; thank you.
Cheers!
dave
BB,
So 2 3/8 inch to 3 inch patterns at 25 feet ….hmmm, nice looking pistol anyway.
When considering the accuracy for replicas would it not be better to determine the distance it could (consistency) hit a 1 inch target and use that for reference? Knowing pellet “X” could group in 1 inch at range “YYY” would give a better understanding of how close you had to be to hit something than the group size at 15 or 18 or 25 feet.
I say that “every gun is a tack driver” and qualify that statement by adding “at some range” …the question always is: at what range? Could be inches, feet or yards 😉
Hank
B.B.,
Hope you can find time to visit the Skout Airguns booth (Booth 44054 on Venetian Expo Level 1). They’re the makers of the EPOCH Airgun. They tout it as “The worlds most advanced competition air rifle.” Would be interested in your opinion of them and their airgun.
Kevin,
With a tagline like that, they’re on my list.
BB
B.B.,
BLESS YOU
BB, This semiauto may be a good replica, but for a close quarter weapon, why would you want a double action? I have learned a holstered 1911 on full cock, you cannot have the trigger finger in the well, or I will light a round off before I am ready. Its too easy to hit the trigger, so I practice keeping my trigger finger on the frame, a getting a good draw. From the hip, there is no time for sights.
Range is across the card table to the bar. I only load 8 rounds, but Para Ordinance makes a double stack 1911. I dont know if this Walther is a good replica, but BB range is perfect for this kind of airgun, Co2. I just wish they made a mag warmer, the magazines are too nice to release without foam padding on the ground. Single actions rule!
OK shooting?
R
Stop. Repeat. Hitting the trigger is the easy part, even the side of the trigger is all that is needed
B.B.,
I must be a-gettin’ old. This report set me to thinking back in my early days of working on radar antennas. After we did the design work, we would make one prototype, and then tweak that. However, before we cranked out hundreds of antennas, we would always have a “pre-production” phase, where we would let the production guys make a half dozen units per our prints. To me, that was always the most important phase; that’s where we engineers would test the heck out of those 6 units and say stuff like, “Aw, geez Louise, how did we not catch this?” Then we would make some enhancements before we went on to the full production phase. Perhaps today’s airgun manufacturers are pressed for time, just don’t care, or (even worse) think their buyers just don’t care. But I would think that if they had made a half dozen of these pistols and given two or three engineers (who, hopefully, are also shooters!) a couple of days to wring them out, they could have then gone into production with a more accurate pistol. And it might not have cost them any more than paying those guys for a couple of days of extra work; often the “enhancements” we found in the pre-production phase were simple, seemingly trivial, things that we’d overlooked.
I did work on some projects where upper-upper management said, “Skip the Pre-Pro phase! Get that stuff into production now!” And, predictably, we got burned; we had to shut down the production line to re-engineer things…which is always way more costly than doing a good pre-prodcution phase in the first place. 🙂
Anyway, safe travels to you.
Take care & God bless,
dave
thedavemyster,
Lol! I think I did test flights on a few of those Microwave Ovens that got built all in a hurry!
shootski
LOL! 🙂