Category Archives: Competition

Competition category

Gamo Compact vs IZH 46: Part 7

Posted on by ↓ 23 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6

This report covers:

  • Single Stroke Pneumatics
  • Velocity
  • RWS R10
  • H&N Finale Match Pistol
  • Sig Match Ballistic Alloy
  • Accuracy test
  • RWS R10
  • H&N Finale Match Pistol
  • Sig Match Ballistic Alloy
  • Chinese match wadcutters
  • Summary

Today is a mistake. Reader RidgeRunner asked me if I intended to finish this report from 2008. I looked at his link to Part 5 and, sure enough, it looked like I had intended to. I even promised a reader back then that I would. Well, WordPress software is at fault this time, because I did not find a later report when I entered it in the search box at the top of this page, but when I went to publish this report number 6 I found that one had already been published — on July 22, 2008. But that was after I did the complete test plus some extra things, so I’m going to finish it again. It’s actually a good report. And by the way, I just entered the title in the search box again and this time it came up. Of course it did! read more

Daisy Model 99 Target Special: Part 3

Posted on by ↓ 53 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

A history of airguns

Part 1
Part 2

Daisy 99
Daisy Model 99 Target Special.

This report covers:

  • The test
  • What is accuracy in a BB gun?
  • Air Venturi Steel BBs
  • Hornady Black Diamond BBs
  • Dust Devils
  • Daisy BBs
  • Daisy Avanti Precision Ground Shot
  • Discussion
  • 499
  • Summary

Today is accuracy day for the Daisy 99 Target Special BB gun. Up to this point I have told you the history of the gun and we have looked at its velocity. Daisy purposely made this BB gun as a target gun. That means target sights and a sling. It also means a good trigger. But what about the barrel? Unless they did something with that you aren’t going to see any more accuracy from this gun than you would from a Red Ryder. I owned a 99 many years ago but it’s been so long that I can’t remember what it was like. I’m learning about this gun right alongside you. read more

FWB 110 target rifle: Part 2

Posted on by ↓ 93 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1

A history of airguns

FWB 110
FWB 110 target rifle.

This report covers:

  • Sliding compression chamber
  • Velocity
  • RWS Hobby
  • Vogel Match Green
  • Accuracy
  • How good is it?
  • Summary

Today I will finish the report on the FWB 110 target rifle. Some readers thought I was testing the rifle myself. Jerry and Tommy Cupples offered to leave it with me, but given its rarity and value, I declined. I would hate for anything to happen to it in shipping! So, they did the testing for me. Let’s take a look.

Sliding compression chamber

When you pull the sidelever back you also pull the sliding compression chamber back, which in turn moves the piston. The piston compresses the mainspring, and when the sear catches the piston, the rifle is cocked. I showed you the compression chamber open in Part 1, so link back to that (above) if you have forgotten. read more

Daisy Model 99 Target Special: Part 1

Posted on by ↓ 32 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

A history of airguns

Daisy 99
Daisy Model 99 Target Special.

This report covers:

  • Not what I expected
  • Peep sight
  • Front sight
  • Sling
  • Action
  • Stock and forearm
  • Gravity-feed magazine
  • Forced-feed magazine
  • Three variations of the Model 99
  • 99 accuracy
  • Daisy 299
  • Comparison to the 499
  • Summary

Welcome to July! Today I thought I would start looking at the Daisy Model 99 Target Special that I acquired at the recent Texas airgun show. I know reader RidgeRunner is anticipating this report and perhaps others are, as well.

For the readers who are awaiting the next Diana model 23 rifle report, know that I am working on it in the background and hope to have something for you very soon.

And I learned something very important this weekend. Daisy also sold lead shot for the Targeteer. It was obviously number 6 birdshot, and it makes perfect sense, because it would have been far cheaper than heading steel wire to make steel shot. Just buy the shot and repackage it. We know it works, and it probably works better than the steel shot. The tubes of shot I bought from Ebay were all lead shot. I felt cheated until I did the research and discovered lead was also correct. The learning never ends. Now let’s look at the Daisy 99 Target Special. read more

Action targets throughout history

Posted on by ↓ 169 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

A history of airguns

This report covers:

  • Bleed, break or fall
  • History
  • Live animals
  • Ad Topperwein
  • Shooting was king!
  • End of the Civil War
  • Early mechanical target
  • Quackenbush bell and mechanical targets
  • Targets 2, 3 and 4
  • Target 3
  • Target 4
  • Quackenbush targets 5 and 6
  • Targets 7 and 8
  • One more galley target
  • Summary

Bleed, break or fall

“Airgun targets have to bleed, break or fall.” said Leigh Wilcox of the now-defunct Airgun Express, many years ago. Leigh was one of many who felt that punching paper was like watching paint dry. A lot of you readers feel the same, as we have seen in this blog recently. Today’s report was requested by reader GunFun1, but I know that a lot of you are looking forward to it.

History

I will get back to airgun targets in a bit, but first let’s travel back in time to see where action targets began. For that we need to go to Europe around the year 1300, when shooting events lasted for many days and took on a carnival atmosphere. read more

Sig Sauer P226 X-Five pellet pistol: Part 1

Posted on by ↓ 42 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Sig P226 X-Five
Sig’s P226 X-Five pellet pistol.

This report covers:

  • PELLET pistol?
  • The quiet reader
  • What’s an X-Five?
  • Back to pellets — features
  • Sights
  • Trigger
  • Blowback
  • Safety
  • Grip
  • Magazine
  • Slide and frame
  • Size and finish
  • Summary
  • Note to Sig

If it sounds like this blog has turned into one long commercial for Sig, don’t blame me! They are the ones who keep on bringing out significant new airgun products. Today we begin looking at the Sig Sauer P226 X-Five pellet pistol.

PELLET pistol?

That’s right, sports fans — this pistol shoots lead diabolo PELLETS! Don’t get it confused with the Sig Sauer P226 X-Five BB pistol that looks very similar. I have already gotten confused a couple times, so I know how easy it is.

The quiet reader

I’m starting this report today for the quiet reader. He’s the guy who has commented that he would sure like to see each BB pistol I have tested in a version that shot pellets. The belief is since pellet pistols have rifled barrels they will be more accurate at greater distances. I think that’s true, as long as we bear in mind that a repeating pistol with blowback will never be as accurate as a dedicated single shot pistol, when all other variables are the same. But in all probability a rifled bore should put the pellet pistol ahead of a smoothbore BB pistol at distances of 10 meters, or so. That’s the hope, and that’s what I will be testing. read more

Using peep sights: Part 2

Posted on by ↓ 214 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1

This report covers:

  • Adjustable-iris peeps — Merit
  • Gehmann adjustable peep
  • Tunnel sights
  • Front sight elements
  • Target post
  • Hunting inserts
  • Unusual front sight
  • Target aperture
  • Clear apertures
  • Last word on inserts
  • How do you hold over or under?
  • Peep sights on handguns
  • Summary

Normally I don’t do what I’m about to do, but the reader response to the first report on peep sights was overwhelming. We finished last Thursday with more than 150 comments, and as of this writing there are 248 comments. That propels it into the ranks of the all-time best reports! I had to put Part 1 in the title several days after publishing, because I knew there would be a Part 2.

Today I will address the discussion points and questions brought up by readers, and add a few point of my own. Sit back and enjoy!

Adjustable-iris peeps — Merit

There was some discussion about peeps that offer holes of different sizes. The most famous of these is the Merit Iris Shutter Click adjustable peep sight. This one has been around for at least 75 years and probably longer. I own one and it used to fascinate me. I will show you mine next to a dime, to illustrate the size. read more