FWB 300S (top) and 600.
This report covers:
- Why?
- The test
- FWB 300S shooting H&N Finale Match Heavy
- FWB 600 shooting H&N Finale Match Heavy
- FWB 300S shooting RWS R10 Match 8.2-grain wadcutters
- FWB 600 shooting RWS R10 Match 8.2-grain wadcutters
- What have we learned?
- Summary
I said at the end of Part 3 of this series that I would re-run the 25-yard test of these two rifles shooting the same wadcutters that I shot in Part 2. Today is the day for that.
Why?
You may recall that when I put the rubber eye cup on the peep sight of the FWB 300S the groups seemed to improve noticeably. Read Part 3 of this series to see what I’m talking about. I wondered whether the 300S did not get a fair test in Part 2 because there was no eye cup on the sight when I shot it. I vowed to re-run that test.
The test
Today both rifles were shot off a sandbag rest. The targets were 10-meter air pistol targets and the distance was 25 yards. I shot five-shot groups with each pellet. I tried my hardest to run today’s test exactly as I ran the Part 2 test. Let’s get started
FWB 300S shooting H&N Finale Match Heavy
I first shot five H&N Finale Match Heavy wadcutters from the FWB 300S. In Part 2 this rifle put five of them into 0.311-inches, center-to-center. Today, with the rubber eye cup mounted, five of the same pellets went into 0.574-inches, center-to-center. Obviously that is a larger group, but no shots were called pulls. All of them looked as perfect as I could make them at the moment of firing.
The FWB 300S put five H&N Finale Match Heavy pellets into a 0.574-inch group at 25 yards.
FWB 600 shooting H&N Finale Match Heavy
I shot five H&N Finale Match Heavy wadcutters from the FWB 600 next. In Part 2 five went into 0.163-inches between centers. Today five made a 0.393-inch group at the same 25 yards.
The FWB 600 put five H&N Finale Match Heavy wadcutters into a 0.393-inch group at 25 yards.
FWB 300S shooting RWS R10 Match 8.2-grain wadcutters
Next I switched back to the FWB 300S and tried the RWS R10 Match 8.2-grain wadcutter pellet. In Part 2 five made a 0.39-inch group at 25 yards. Today the 300S put five of the same pellet into a group that measures 0.476-inches between centers. Once more the group is larger today than in Part 2.
The FWB 300S put five RWS R10 Match 8.2-grain wadcutters into a 0.476-inch group at 25 yards.
FWB 600 shooting RWS R10 Match 8.2-grain wadcutters
The last test was the FWB 600 shooting five of the same RWS R10 Match 8.2-grain pellets. In Part 2 the 600 put five of these pellets into 0.399-inches at 25 yards. Today five made a 0.372-inch group at the same 25 yards. It was the only group of the four shot today that was smaller than the same one in Part 2.
The FWB 600 put five 8.2-grain RWS R10 Match pellets intro 0.372-inches at 25 yards.
What have we learned?
First, we see that BB is not shooting as well today as he did in Part 2.
Second, we see that the rubber eye cup did not make a significant improvement in accuracy over shooting without it. I will say the rifle is more comfortable to shoot with the eye cup on, so I will have it on from this point forward.
Third, I have to say that the FWB 600 is more accurate in my hands than the 300S. That may be a personal preference, but I find the lighter trigger and total lack of movement more comfortable.
Summary
I’ll end this report series here. Now that the Crosman Challenger is holding air again I want to try it with the recent releases of premium target pellets. I also have several other target air rifles I want to try out with the new pellets. So — there is still a lot to do!
BB,
I have always thought that you had about the best job on the Internet and this hasn’t changed my opinion. To me, it looks like “I’ve had a lot of fun shooting these great old 10m rifles and now I’ve come up with a way to do it some more.”
Enjoy yourself, inform us about it and don’t stop doing it.
Thanks.
Bill
Tom,
It may not have proved anything but I’m sure you had fun doing this.
Siraniko
Siraniko,
It may not have proven anything, but I did learn something.
BB
BB, I too hope you do enjoy this. Your readers certainly do, even if 0.372 at 25 yards is far better than we’ll ever do, or likely even see clearly, and we note with target sights. The finest details of my eye floaters are bigger than that. And then to realize you perceive that you could do even better than that… blows my mind.
To me, and after viewing this year’s Olympics, humans are the most amazing animals on the planet.
But to enable… hmm, I have shot, but don’t have, a target rifle…
Mike
Mike,
You should get one.
Thanks for the interesting report. And nice shooting! I think that consistency is important. And by using an eye cup for both rifles, you eliminated one possible inconsistency (for comparing the two rifles). Is your 25-yard range indoors?
Elmer,
Yes, the 25-yard range is indoors.
BB
Just let me know if that AirForce Edge is tired of hanging around there and wants to come home.
RR,
Stifle, Ridge! 😉
BB
BB,
Yeah, right. Like that is going to happen. 😉
Just let me know if that AirForce Edge is tired of hanging around there and wants to come home.
BB,
Great report; overall, I’d say this is pretty good performance for target guns shooting at nearly twice the distance for which they were intended. 🙂
Blessings to you,
dave
BB
“I also have several other target air rifles I want to try out with the new pellets. So — there is still a lot to do!”
Oh boy! Bring ‘em on.
Deck
Deck,
I plan to. In rearranging things in my house I discovered several 10-meter rifles that haven’t been shot in years. It should be fun!
BB
Recently one of us who comment wondered what were the airguns the Chinese used to win so many Olympic medals. There were no responses that I am aware of to that question. Are there Olympic regulations that apply to airguns and to projectiles? One is they must be .177 caliber unless that has changed.
Does anyone know what they were using? We already know the Chinese can make accurate airguns and pellets when they choose to do so.
Deck
Hey Deck, as the original inquirer, I did get three responses, one from BB, one from the PA insider and one from this blog – I forget whom. To sum up, the Chinese do not make 10M air pistols or rifles that are “competitive” that experts are aware of (read BB). Someone else said to look at the manufacturers’ websites as they’ll brag about their products medaling, which FWB did. Finally, it is believed that only FWB, Anschultz, Steyr and Morelli products are used. And I was hoping Crosman’s Champion was competitive. Airforce has or had a 10M air rifle, the Edge but I couldn’t find anything about it on their website. Discontinued, I guess.
Fred formerly of the Demokratik Peeples Republik of NJ now happily in GA
Fred,
it does indeed seem that AirForce has dropped out of the 10-meter air rifle thing. Wang Po Industries used to make a copy of the FWB 300, but I am not familiar with how well it worked.
RR,
The BAM rifle that copied the FWB 300 was very good. Perhaps not quite as accurate and the trigger was not quite as good, but it was very close.
BB
Hmmmm. I have an FWB 300 with “Daisy” stamped on the receiver but was it made in China? Now I have to pull it out into the daylight and re-examine it.
Fred etc
Fred,
It probably was not.
Fred,
It absolutely was NOT made in China. FWB made the 300 for Daisy at one time.
BB
thank you for that. Saves me from pulling the Queen out of the safe.
Fred
Fred DPRoNJ
Thanks for this information. Now I’m wondering what pellet they use. I am not suggesting their winning wasn’t due to better skill than the competition.
Deck
Deck, I would think whatever pellet worked best in their particular weapon after exhaustive testing. I’m under the impression that two guns from the same manufacturer may favor different pellets from the same or different manufacturer due to differences in the barrels, torques of the fasteners when the weapons were assembled and perhaps the tune (speed, pressure behind the pellet) of the weapon. I’d like to hear from some competitive shooters, (was that the Appells?) about my theory.
Fred etc
The Chinese use the same FWB, Walther, and Anschutz rifles everyone else uses. There are no Chinese 10M rifles or pistols used in the Olympics. All are 177. Chinese pellets are used, amongst pellets made in other countries, by all competitors.
Bravos
Much obliged for answering. We now all know Olympic airgun competitors have access to the same high end target airguns and pellets. The Chinese shooters were the best.
Deck
B.B.,
Nice shooting you do us Geezers Proud!
Glad you found that Brace of 10 Meter airguns.
Now that the buttering up is accomplished:
“Just let me know if that AirForce Edge is tired of hanging around there and wants to come home.”
What’s to keep you from making a good deal for RidgeRunners Edge (and upgrade parts) that he is pining for!
Pining to: “suffer a mental and physical decline, especially because of a broken heart.”
shootski
shootski,
RidgeRunner pines for a great many airguns as we all know. BB pines for this Edge.
However, if he finds another one complete, he might consider it.
BB
Yeah, aren’t 10 meter airguns fun to shoot. Partially because they have excellent triggers.
-Yogi
If an airgunner has an HW75, don’t you folks think there has to be a Weihrauch just like the FWB600 standing next to it? Something like that could use some sort of similar sights on HW77K…
B.B. and Readership,
FYI: https://www.ssusa.org/content/classic-ssusa-the-baikal-izh-46m/
Interesting!
shootski