HW-30S.
This report covers:
- What has happened
- What it takes
- Many points
- Two directions
- Not all
- Summary
Today’s report is more like a summary of where we have been in the past few months. Because knowing that we know where we are going.
In the 7-part report on the Crosman Fire I attempted to tell a new airgunner how to get comfortable in this hobby. I wanted him to know what really matters and what doesn’t. I used the inexpensive Crosman Fire breakbarrel air rifle as my foundation for that series, showing a hypothetical new shooter the ins and outs of setting up his new air rifle.
The new shooter discovered that his sights mattered a lot. When he learned to adjust them and to trust them, his el-cheapo Fire breakbarrel shot just fine. But Crosman cancelled the production of the Fire, and I ended the series for that reason. Then a lot of stuff happened that looked unrelated, but in the end it all was. And what happened was we got a series that is one only by definition, for I have placed the links to each report in no one place — until today.
What has happened
This may look confusing, but all of these past reports have led us to a single point that I will make known today.
Testing new pellets
Shooting offhand
Not the way it has to be
Using a bubble level to “level” your scope
Sig ASP20 rifle with Whiskey3 ASP 4-12X44 scope
The fool with 100 airguns
That one airgun
Should I?
When too little is just right
What BB did
Norica Omnia ZRS
Rifle stocks
RidgeRunner’s Diana 34 project
Please notice that several of those reports were series themselves. I have written a lot about this one subject over the past two months. And some may ask, “What is the subject?” The subject is the enjoyment of shooting an airgun accurately and why we are airgunners.
What it takes
Why are you an airgunner? I think the bottom line is you want to hit what you shoot at. Some may be hunters. Some may enjoy punching holes in paper. Some may be trying to learn to shoot. Some may enjoy a certain shooting sport like field target. The point is, we all shoot for different reasons, but all of us shoot to hit our targets — unless I missed a memo that people are now shooting to miss what they shoot at.
Many points
We have learned that there are many things of which we must be aware. I told you that I wanted to shoot better offhand, and that morphed into my needing an airgun for pests. Then we watched Kirsten Joy Weiss hit an egg at 300 yards while shooting offhand with a .22 rimfire and the last remaining drop of my masculinity drained away. It’s nice to know that someone can do it — even if it isn’t me. (I say that just to be altruistic!)
I was testing the Norica Omnia ZRS and about to proclaim that it has mediocre accuracy when the Integrix scope forced me to place my cheek on the stock in the same place every time. Suddenly an air rifle with “average” accuracy turned into a world beater. We all saw it and, once again, our eyes were opened to the importance of the cheek weld — a thing every one of us would have claimed to know. But for some reason I wasn’t doing it!
That started our discussion on buttstocks and what they should and shouldn’t do. At the same time I was looking into a dedicated air rifle for pests and had settled on the HW 30S. Then a reader asked me to heft my 30S to my shoulder and look at the open sights, and when I did I discovered that with the current stock on the rifle I couldn’t use them That stock assumes I will mount a scope. I usually do but for a pest rifle I want to shoot with open sights because it’s faster.
Two directions
The discovery that I needed a different stock for my HW 30S sent me in two different directions. First, I contacted Steve Corcoran and asked him to make me a custom stock for that rifle in what I will now call the classic shape. My research turned up hundreds of different custom stocks, but EVERYTHING was made for a scoped rifle. I wanted to use open sights and not even the current factory rifle that comes with open sights has a stock that supports that!
The other direction came when a reader directed me to a used HW 30 stock of the older classic style that was for sale. It was affordable, so I bought it. I hope it will fit me as is, but I know I can modify it if necessary. One way or the other I will get my HW 30S into a stock that allows shooting with open sights.
Not all
We have been discussing air rifles that shoot mildly, yet have what it takes to dispatch small pests. Reflect on that for a moment. What do most airgunners want these days? They want more power and bigger calibers. Forty foot-pounds are too little if 50 are possible. And why stop at 50?
Why shoot .25s when .30s are possible? And we know that pellets get even larger than that — not bullets — true diabolo pellets.
So, where does it all stop? Guess what? IT NEVER DOES. But the people who are caught up in the vortex of always wanting larger and faster — they do stop. By stop I mean they get bored and move on. And what is left is the remnant of real airgunners — folks who just like to shoot. They have a small number of favorite airguns, maybe even just one. And these guys and gals love the hobby.
This is why the Diana 27 is my favorite airgun. This is why I want to learn to shoot better standing up and using open sights. This is why a smooth-shooting air rifle is so important to me. And it’s why I was so pleased to get to tune RidgeRunner’s Diana 34. I want him to have an air rifle he really loves! I know he has several old ladies that he likes, but I want him to see that a modern breakbarrel can be just as nice when it does what an airgun is supposed to.
I could have talked about air pistols today and the conversation would have been similar. I haven’t done as much with air pistols over the past two months, but there have been some reports.
Summary
This blog is about airguns. Yes, there are powerful airguns. Yes there are accurate airguns. But you can also lose the scopes and the power and still have a wonderful time with airguns that were made for shooters.
The never ending pursuit of “perfection” and yet never achieving it or even coming close.
When shooting my 10M target rife, I sometimes just close my eyes and just enjoy the shot cycle. and hope I do not miss my backstop…lol.
-Y
Now, if there was just a close knockoff of the HW30S…
Since it looks like a Friday blog I hope some stray thoughts are allowed.
“This blog is about airguns”; obviously not for PA administration. All those bow etc related articles are not related.
Talking about the joy of the hobby, BB has a point saying “we want to hit what we shoot at”. But I think we are a little biased towards the mild shooting springer category. Maybe it has to do with most people here have been through the “vortex” and are now in the”mild” phase of shooting. But we shouldn’t be snobs against all those who are in the earlier stages. After all they may love this hobby more and be more proficient in it than us.
Bill,
You think!
”But I think we are a little biased towards the mild shooting springer category.” Yup!
Interestingly that has been my “relationship” with Tom Gaylord ever since the early 1990’s when he advised a springer over the PCP i was asking about in a telephone conversation. He said, “They wont let you shoot something that powerful at their field targets.” I believe i had caught him during his Field Target molting stage. We have never met face to face, to the best of my knowledge, always missing one another at various airgun events and just mostly a media based relationship with a few more personal communications on occasion.
In all these decades The Godfather of Airguns® has remained true to his LIKE of mild springers over all other. Sure he tests the other powerplants but he always returns to the mild springers. I respect him for that.
I also welcome your statement Bill:
“But we shouldn’t be snobs against all those who are in the earlier stages. After all they may love this hobby more and be more proficient in it than us.”
I do wish there was a better general understanding that there are others just as knowledgeable and skilled that walk different paths available in airguns and it is not necessarily a matter of being stuck in some earlier stage of development. I believe it has more to do with the places (especially how far) we have to shoot, what we use airguns for, degree of technical aptitude, as well as personal desires; last but certainly not least our airgun budget.
shootski
Shootski
Thanks a lot for your support. By the way I admit being enabled (once again), this time into buying a small compressor. The AR6 K is going to be a bit downtuned in order to provide more fun and maybe accuracy.
Do I need to tell the name of the Dark Side Enabler in this blog? Thank you.
Bill,
I think you must mean Hank; aka Vana2, Lol!
shootski
Always trying to stay under the radars; the zsu 23 were meant to deal with these situations, weren’t they?
Bill,
Never under the RADAR always outside of the detection envelope (2/3 rule) and always able to eliminate the threat, if needed, three different ways; soft, strong, and kinetic as last resort.
It was relatively well (for Hollywood) covered in Top Gun Maverick.
Sandyman (not the Hobbit) rule.
shootski
BB,
Don’t want to upset the cart here but weren’t Dot sights invented for faster acquisition of targets over open sights? At least in close quarters.
I know, I know, they just don’t look good on traditional styled airguns.
But they do on all those new and improved Tac-T-Cool airguns. 😉
Remember this?
“How many more would be alive if everyone drove at 55?” I continued it with, “But why stop there?
Let’s all contrive for everyone to drive at 25. How many more would be alive?”
It flies in the face of progress. Cars are safer. Airguns are improving. Now you already have admitted to being in the minority of air gunners who want more power but are you just referring to break barrels here?
I admit exaggerated Magnum break barrel airguns give up a lot of the enjoyment, comfort and possibly accuracy simply for the sake of FPS. New pellets may help there too?
Unfortunately, airgun companies do not mention anything about sacrificing accuracy for power. I had no Idea I may be purchasing an inaccurate airgun when I got my first ‘Powerful’ air rifle. Perhaps we need an accuracy scale? Say 1 to 10?
New PCP’s have it all over break barrels, but you certainly will pay for this progress.
Required supplemental accessories and a comparatively more complicated procedure to prepare for and continue shooting as well.
I don’t think you will find too many PCP shooters reverting back to ‘mild mannered’ break barrels for the sake of accuracy anymore. They will have the best of both power ‘and’ accuracy. Not to mention comfort and fun.
I believe there is a time and place for all types of airguns to make happy shooters. As long as they are not misled into thinking they are getting something they are not. A little airgun education would go a long way here for both companies and shooters.
I have different problems. Do I figure out how to mount a weaver rail to my M3 Grease Gun or get another one and keep one as a true replica? Peep sight is for youngsters. 🙁
Bob,
Good for you! I like it.
And dot sights use batteries which is why I won’t mount one. 🙂
BB
BB,
Whatcha got against batteries??
Bob,
Nothin,’ when they work.
BB
BB,
That’s why the Sig Sauer Romeo5 red dot sight is your friend.
It takes the commonly available CR2032 battery and has motion activated illumination.
It powers up when it senses motion and powers down when it does not, extending battery life to 40,000 hours, i.e. approx. 4.5 years!
You’ll never need to worry about forgetting to switch off the red dot and inadvertently draining the battery.
B.B.,
Not All of them.
Some of the Dot Sights (a poorly defined sighting system; sort of like saying Kleenex when you mean tissue!) have etched glass reticles.
shootski
*** New PCP’s have it all over break barrels ***
Bob,
I smile at your comment just as I did at the one I read recently that said the opposite 🙂
In the airgun ” type” verses “type” comments I think that the issue is with the word “verses”. IMHO, there is no competition between airgun types anymore that there’s a “verses” between a car or a van or a SUV or a truck – each has their own “best usage” and may be disadvantaged if they tried to compete out of their area.
My airsonal is complete, I have all the airguns that I need (and the safe is full 😉 ) for the disciplines that intrest me. My interests are broad and so are the types of airguns (3 to 60 fpe) that I shoot. I like them all equally, there’s no verses, it’s just that some types are more advantaged in some applications …sometimes a little commuter car is ideal, sometimes you need a truck.
Agreed, we all go through phases and have preferences. The airgun I pickup depends on my (fickle) mood more than anything, I try not to get stuck in any one mode 🙂
I don’t see the PCP support equipment as a problem, it’s required for that platform. It’s not like you have to buy a HPA tank and compressor for every PCP.
Just 2 cents from a happy shooter.
Cheers!
Hank
I see your smile, and raise you two!
Versus and verses sound alike but are different words. Versus means “against” and is often seen abbreviated as vs. and v. Verses is the plural of verse, meaning “a part of a poem, song, or chapter of the Bible.”
CBS,
Thank you for the correction!
We (my spell-corrector and I) appreciate it!
Cheers!
Maybe you were thinking of the Bible of Airguns.
FM,
When we think about airguns it’s like poetry or a song isn’t it? 🙂
Hank
“Peep sight is for youngsters.” Hmmm……
That must mean that I am getting younger! I have gone from seeking to mount scopes (usually a Leapers reinforced 3-9×40) to Williams Peeps on my break barrels. I have an accessory Plano box with a number of factory V rear sights and assorted odds and ends of scope attachments. Here is why, for a seasoned curmudgeonly airgunner it happened…
1.] Scopes add a significant amount of weight to a springer, particularly a well-made one from RWS/Diana or my Hatsan M-135 (that has been an annoying disappointment over time). Peep sights do not do that.
2.] The mass of the scopes on a traditional scope rail (I’m looking at you, Diana) contributes to its insistence on sliding down the rail due to the double-recoil of my heavier sprung rifles. This results in frustration or annoyance or creative engineering of the tinkering kind to both stop the “slide” and add even more weight. If the scope mounts don’t have a rail stop pin or if that pin doesn’t line up with the stop pin hole, annoyance will inevitably follow.
3.] My most powerful springers, like my RWS/Diana 350 Pro Compact have broken double-reinforced Leapers scopes and almost instantly obliterated the originally supplied standard RWS/Diana branded ones (Chinese Xisco scopes?). That does not happen with an aluminum Williams Peep – the mass is NOT there to play hobb with things.
4.] What makes my Williams Peep sights REALLY work is pitching the supplied apertures and adding a Merit Disc which is adjustable. This requires a bit of basement fiddling to fix the Merit Disc in the Williams chassis so it does not move when the iris adjustment is turned. It’s no big deal that a careful use of Blue Locktite or a high friction fiber washer won’t fix. BTW, the Merit Disc threads right into the Williams chassis. Of course, that raises the end combined price into the lower end Leapers scope cost, particularly if one purchases the Target Knob style of Williams peeps – provided they are the right height (be careful about THAT issue).
5.] For PRACTICAL air gun distances, the peep is all I need. Purely coincidentally, the distance from my house windows to my property line is almost precisely the distance from my shooting table to my ballistic closet in my basement range. Garden rabbits or soffit-trespassing critters are at extreme peril when happily moving across my lawn near any window. I do understand that your distance and mileage may vary…
6.] I do have long guns and pistols with scopes on them. Indeed, my pistol shooting has devolved into use of pistol scopes with little to no magnification because of presbyopia (literally, “old eyes”), and I have scopes on many of my long guns. But my most powerful air weapons are becoming peepers as the scopes disintegrate. Now, I’m sure I could install Dampa Mounts but that means a protracted struggle to get them back on point. A well-adjusted scope IS a thing of joy, but getting that accomplished can be a long, frustrating struggle on a springer (as well as KEEPING it that way!).
7.] I learned something about using peeps in combination with muzzle weights. Usually, the weights are used to balance a scope’s mass effect on a rifle and to, I guess, eliminate the useless front sight. For springers, they also make for a convenient cocking handle. But…the real advantage for use with a peep on my break barrels is an increase in polar inertia; the weight at the end of the long lever arm slows the nystagmus effect when shooting. (I have learned to modify the standard RWS/Diana muzzle weight to accommodate a tunnel front sight so I get that inertia, a cocking handle AND have the needed front tunnel with inserts). In other words, for me at least, adding that front end mass damps the shake of the sight picture somewhat, and I need all the help there that I can get.
8.] I did not put a peep on my newest long gun addition to the packed arms locker. It is a Diana 430L underlever that has a maxed out velocity of about 830 fps. It is a 12 ft. pd. rifle, and that made it possible to use a simpler 12 ft.pd. rated scope (lighter, too). It is a joy to shoot and accurate as the day is long. It’s only negative is loading pellets into the breech that seems to require a domed pellet as the rounded front is more forgiving in finding entry into the breech. The scope on the 430L makes 10 meter target shooting a wonderful thing, and the magnification makes seeing those tiny .177 holes possible with precise detail – something the peeps do not do.
9.] Finally, if peeps are for “youngsters” that must mean that the Olympic shooting competition is reserved for elementary school kids? Is that REALLY the case?
LFranke,
Good comments!
However, on point 9, the average age of Olympic airgun competitors is in the late 20s to early 30s. After that age things do start going south.
BB
Tom: I get it. I am somewhere around Port Sulphur, Louisiana, by now. Any further south and I’ll have to learn to like Gulf salt water. The only good news is that passing through Louisiana means a soiree in New Orleans – my favorite place in the world! I have even adjusted to “Dixie Beer” being “Fauborg Beer.”
I am in the mood for a Muffaletta. Some Beignets. An oyster boat (if I can find one), and a Po’Boy or two. I sure do miss my late in-laws, particularly when they lived in the Big Easy prior to Katrina…
I promised the better half a trip back to her one-time home town in the fall. I am ready to approach NOLA like an hurricane – and might just have to drink one, too!
LFranke, I agree and am taking notes. I have a Diana 350 Magnum with a scope, but I am a big fan of the peep sight. I am on the lookout for a Merit aperture.
Do you ever find that you would like the Williams sight closer to your eye, or do you simply compensate by opening up the aperture for a wider field of view?
Roamin Greco, Merit has a website. I ordered my target disc from the site. All one needs is a credit card to do it electronically.
I prefer, where possible, to mount the peep closer to the eye/head. That makes for a longer sight radius.
The adjustable iris/aperture of the Merit Discs means that one can “tune” it to the size necessary regardless, within a broad limit, of where the peep body is positioned. Keeping the tunnel front sight with the interchangeable inserts adds adaptability/versatility to the system.
I usually end up with the peep on the ramp/dove tail so that brings it to the trigger end of the rifle instead of the break barrel hinge point and well aft of the RWS/Diana placement of their iron rear sight on the breech block. With a solid and good lock up of the breech to the rest of the works, the slight errors are inconsequential from having the peep on a different part of the piece than the barrel itself (with its solidly connected breech block).
The thing to be aware of with the Williams Peeps is the sight line height. They come in high and low. I goofed up on one but had the high chassis from an unused sight. I “mixed and matched” parts and, as Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes said, I “transmorgified it” into something different. Fortunately, the dovetail system is interchangeable on the sights.
Thank you!
LFranke,
What prevents the Williams peep from creeping backwards on the rails of your magnum springers?
I use a piece of steel strapping material. I bore a hole in the centerline that will fit the screw on the butt end of the Diana/RWS scope rail. I then cut it “1/4 to 3/8″ LONGER that the distance between the screw hole and the chassis of the Williams Peep. I then make two cuts parallel to the length of the strapping leaving about 3/16 to 1/4 wide in from the outside edges. These become tabs that I bend up at a right angle to catch the chassis and keep if from moving rearwards. the center section goes UNDER the middle of the chassis so the strapping must stay in place. Works slick and adds no appreciable weight. I touch up any scratches with cold bluing. By varying how long one makes the strap piece one can chose where the sight is located and thus is personalized. The best thing is two fold-it works and is dirt cheap.
LFranke, you’re “preachin’ to the choir,” man! I love a good peep sight. 🙂
BB,
“And these guys and gals love the hobby”
Have you got any statistics on the demographics of the readership of this blog?
I suspect that gals make up a vanishingly small percentage of the regulars.
Bob,
I only know the numbers that get updated from time to time. No demographics.
BB
Bob R,
Unfortunately, women make up a very small portion of the shooting sports in general with the exception of ten-meter airgun shooting. I have not proof of this hypothesis, but likely the reason many do not carry this over is prejudicial behavior on the part of male shooters.
Another reason is most women think differently than men. Men are from Mars and women are from Venus.
RR,
Yes, while there are quite a few female competitors in 10m air rifle and air pistol, there are very few indeed who shoot powder-burners. I reckoned it was due to them not getting a kick out of the noise and recoil.
And yes, the male and female brains are wired differently, no matter how much the commissars of allowable opinion are offended by the mere suggestion.
I know a couple of international level female 10m air rifle competitors. They are of course excellent shots and very devoted to their sport, but they have zero interest in guns in general.
They would rather discuss the shoes and handbag of some nitwit Tinseltown celebrity than talk about the ins and outs of spring piston air rifle tuning.
“…no matter how much the commissars of allowable opinion are offended…” ROTFWL! This is a good way of saying it!
Actually, the female brain is double-wired as both hemispheres compute the same data simulateously. Probably due to natural selection allowing cross wired females to survive the strokes familiar to childbirth.
Male brains are not so cross/double-wired. There is differentiation between the hemispheres so that one side is adapted to the hunt and social organization necessary to take down critters far bigger than a man. Hence, we are very good at trajectories, ballistics and such but a stroke renders us drooling nursing home denizens. That bifurcation is also why our female partners are driven even more crazy by our thickness about things personal and social – we are not wired for soap operas, PTA Meeting debates, and the like. When she says, “You have half a brain!” she’s actually correct from a certain perspective! Of course, she can’t turn a wrench inside a fender well by feel. It evens out in the end – I guess.
Another explanation I have heard was from a preacher who has some videos online. I really liked his explanation concerning the differences of men and women thinking.
Men put thoughts in boxes. For us to think upon a particular subject, we must first find that particular box and then we can focus upon that thought, action, process, what have you.
Women think about everything, all of the time. All kinds of thoughts are racing through their minds in all kinds of directions. This gives them the ability to see and remember all of the small, and what we may think of as unimportant things, all the time. This is a very poor explanation of a woman’s mind and I do no mean to be derogatory in any way. My wife helps me to find the box that holds the general goals and focus on them when necessary.
BB,
I do not use the word love for inanimate objects. That word is reserved for people or critters such as our dog.
I do really like the FZL I got from you a while back. I also really like the 1906 BSA. I want to really like that 34. It has potential, but up until now it has not been fun for me to shoot.
There have been comments about shooting PCPs. I have several. Dragging them out and the tank and/or the compressor and the pellets and the targets, yadayadayada is more of a hassle than simply grabbing a sproinger and its favorite pellets.
I am a serious plinker. I am no longer a hunter. I have some very nice PCPs for when and if I need to hunt again or have an urge for some real long-range shooting.
RR,
Yada yada yada. Yada is the word for praise in Hebrew. I agree. I also agree that love isn’t for things. Love is for people.
Good for you!
I will labor to produce an air rifle you can like — a lot! 🙂
BB
I love calm, well reasoned discussion about controversial subjects among intelligent, rational people!
( Don’t be a love snob 😉
BB,
I am sure I will like it a lot when you get through with it. That is why I rushed to send it to you before you had the chance to change your mind. 😉
P.S. Learn something new every day.
Pardon my ignorance. What is a FZL?
Roamin,
Thank for asking. I wondered too. What an FZL airgun is, is an FLZ airgun transposed.
Still had to look it up, but I got it now.
BB,
My dyslexia is showing. Pooky.
But I really do like that air rifle. It is an awesome shooter. And no RG, I will not loan that one out.
:o(
Don’t cry. There are others you can get your hands on.
:o)
What are some ideas of attracting youngsters to the shooting sports, especially females? How do you compete against the instant gratification of social media, video games, and the like?
Roamin’-
How do you attract the young ones? Well, you just start. Don’t wait. Volunteer with any of the organizations that are already out there. I’ve been active with 4-H Shooting Sports at the local and state level for 20 years. Learn to teach. Always have the best interest of the youth upper most in your thoughts and actions. Make learning fun. They are on the path to adulthood. Help them. Just found out last night, that a past student (female) is going to be a project manager for L3 Harris. During her internship she had utilized her shooting experience with us to good effect (and impressed her male peers).
One way is called “parenting” (or grandparenting for y’all fortunate enough). Most parents are too busy with their own lives to invest in their kids. I remember standing by my step-dad watching him work on cars: he hardly acknowledged my existence. He had a single shot 22 in his dresser I used to go and take peeks at.. he never took us kids shooting. Ever. I have many fond memories of my daughters (3 of 4) helping me work on cars and fix things. Yes, it slowed me down, way down, but they have the rudimentary skills to do what they desire and aren’t afraid of tools or weapons. I wish I took them shooting more often, but I’m a late comer in this field. Yes, it can be hard to pry today’s kids away from their electronics, but it can be done, it just might take some effort and putting aside some of our “I wannas”.
Greasemonkey,
So true about parents.
My father was always too busy, my father-in-law always had time. Guess which one I called “Dad”.
They are both gone now, I really miss Dad.
Hank
Hank, Greesmonkey,
You brought back some memories here.
My Dad wasn’t into guns, but he did all of his own car maintenance, and he spent time teaching us kids.
For most of us, it was tune-ups and oil changes, which saves me a lot of money these days.
But one brother in NC considers re-build an engine over a weekend to be no big deal.
(He’s got about a dozen cars and trucks on his farm…I’ve lost count. =>)
Dad was concerned for safety, as we lived in the suburbs (quarter-acre lots).
Hence, no airguns as a kid, but he did get me a single-shot shotgun so I could hunt with my uncle.
Dad came along as well (my uncle had plenty of extra shotguns).
Those were good times, just being afield with my Dad and Uncle Bob are some great memories.
And finally, in my late teens, Dad did get me that first air rifle, a .20 caliber Sheridan Blue Streak.
Then, years later, I “paid him back” by getting him a Webley Tempest after he shot and liked mine.
My Tempest is gone now (sold off for God alone knows what reason…memory fails me. =>).
Yet I still have Dad’s Tempest, and the Sheridan he got me.
I just looked over my shoulder at both of them…ah, the good memories they evoke.
(And yes, B.B., I do very much enjoy shooting both of them!…and hitting stuff with them! =>)
Thanking you for dredging up good memories of the past,
dave
Little FM was blessed that his dad put in some good dad-son time when FM was a hatchling. This was mostly in the field of model trains and gas-powered, line-control model planes. He had decent carpentry/woodworking skills and do regret that is one thing he did not much share with the pesky little guy, probably because he saw there was a lack of patience hindering the learning process. Still, if only – who knows, FM might be making Tom a custom wood stock for his airgun!
FM,
Wanna make a stock? I did a 6-part guest blog “DIY Rifle Stock”. Don’t know if you have seen it.
Hank
Did read it – thoroughly. At this life-point, think the learning curve and time investment required are a bit out of reach for FM. But there is much respect from here to all who artfully craft wood. Mrs.’ father was one.
Greesmonky,
YES! I get to do both; my son just built a storage shed and both grandsons were put to work even though it required “Substantial skills training and worker management time effort on the part of the project manager which resulted in completion schedule slippage.” He also always adds to his reporting how each time he does this sort of thing he gives more credit to his dad (me) for the efforts with him and his sister to include them in projects, shooting, and all manner of other adventures. Speaking of his sister she too is an avid shooter.
I have shot at many Shooting Ranges and far too many of them are not welcoming to female (actually new shooters of any gender) shooters.
We need to clean up our house!
Women vote and the young will soon as well, as well as hold hold positions of power.
Shooters need as many of them to be or become shooters to help save our sport from the know nothings!
Leave your Ego out of it and things will progress nicely.
shootski
PS: God LOVES all of Creation.
AMEN.
With the ladies, maybe start getting them acquainted with history – Annie Oakley’s for one – even now Annie would be a real “influencer.” As for the instant gratification issue, that’s where parents have to bite the bullet, do “parenting” and learn to say NO when it comes to the truly anti-social temptations of this age. Not to be braggarts, but when daughter asked Mr. and Mrs. FM for a mobile phone at what we considered to be an inappropriate age, we said “NO and what part of NO don’t you understand?” She was not happy but she survived and still loves us.
Did take her to the pistol range a couple times when she showed interest in that social activity. 🙂
Getting the best accuracy out of each airgun is the motivating reason I never lose interest shooting them. Coming from a firearm background I began reloading everything except shotguns to avoid ammo shortages and obsolescence. It didn’t take long to discover that accuracy from a benchrest depended a great deal on the reloading components. This seemingly infinite number of variables applies to all airgun types but especially break barrels in figuring out the best way to hold it. Along comes popular priced PCP’s with exterior regulator and hammer spring adjustments (Venturi Avenger for example). Talk about variables!
Like Vana 2, I enjoy shooting all types of airguns and shoot them all in rotation to keep the seals happy. Sometimes I’ll spend a whole day trying to improve the accuracy of a gun (and me) whether it be trying to attain groups under an inch at 25 yards or 1/4 inch at 25 yards. Certainly there are other important attractions for me such as aesthetics, shooting cycle sound and feel, quality and the curiosities of differing designs. While I understand that some may want just a few, I’m not in that camp.
Deck
BB
Where is Gunfun1? I miss his comments and expertise. Hope his health is okay.
Deck
Decksniper,
As best i can remember a few weeks ago Gunfun1 posted that he has a new assignment at work which is taking up most of his time and attention.
shootski
Still have great fun with my Crosman 113 bulk CO2.
B.B. and Esteemed Readership,
Without discussing airgun powerplants directly…
As a Skier i don’t consider someone who only knows how to do one type: downhill (Alpine) or cross country (Nordic) or diagonal stride (Classic) freestyle ski (Skate) or tour/randonnee/telemark/freeheel/AT (Back Country Ski) to be a complete SKIER.
I also don’t consider folks that don’t also snowshoe, snowboard, snowmachine, and snowski to be snowsport masters.
Just saying…
shootski
shootski,
I have downhilled and I own two pairs of snowshoes. I hope to snowboard soon. No, I am not ready to take up the Decathlon.
RidgeRunner,
Now you just need to get a pair of Roller Skis for the “off” season on sale too: Cj0KCQjw4NujBhC5ARIsAF4Iv6fkj28gvFZcb3kGQ7PS6Dti04cRI4CvQS1Oz5e7QgAk3WDnHPWV67MaArwiEALw_wcB
I hope you have skins for at least one pair of your skis.
shootski
BB and all,
Apparently the HW30S here at RRHFWA has the old style stock which is open sight friendly. I closed my eyes, brought the air rifle to my shoulder, settled my cheek rest and opened my eyes. I was looking through the peep sights almost perfectly. I am so glad I do not have the latest and greatest.
BB,
Like RidgeRunner’s, my older-stocked HW30S is a perfect fit for my facial geometry when using open sights.
I need to find an old style stock for my HW77K. Mine has the special edition, green laminated stock which, while its colours are pleasing to the eye, is just too damn chunky for my liking and the comb is too high for the open sights. Also the rear sight is too far back on the receiver for keeping in focus when trying to line up the front sight.
I think a classic stock and a peep sight would transform the HW77 shooting experience.
I’m getting real tired of these Minelli stocks, with their fruity swirls and flourishes, interspersed with jarringly discordant straight lines and angles.
I was aghast at what they did to the R9/HW95 Luxus stock a few years ago, and could have cried when I saw what they have now done to the HW35E.
“Peep sight is for youngsters”.
Tried to be brief. Should have said those under 60 with good eyesight. They all look like they have fuzz in the opening to me.
I have never tried a Williams peep but I’m sure it is head and shoulders above a hole drilled into a crude chunk of metal that may not even be painted black.
I was going to suggest a lower cost knock off of an EOTech dot sight that used easy to replace AAA or AA batteries.
Searched ‘Dot Sight’, 6,463 Products, 20,335 Models. Surprisingly most are out of stock or discontinued?
They are outrageously overpriced items in my opinion. Airsoft usually has many, well under $100. but will they hold up on a springer. Who knows?