Category Archives: Competition

Competition category

Pellet calibers — why .177?: Part 1

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 89 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

diabolo pellet
The diabolo pellet exists in four smallbore calibers.

This report covers:

  • Smallbore calibers
  • Before diabolo pellets
  • Birth of the diabolo
  • Ideal for plinking
  • Highest velocity
  • Velocity wars
  • Target shooting
  • Field target
  • Summary

Sunday while I was walking through the hall in my church a man stopped me and said, “You know a lot about airsoft? You’re the grandfather of airsoft?” He had been talking to our youth pastor who works part-time at AirForce Airguns and he was trying to remember what he’d just heard.

Most readers can guess my response, but once we were on the subject of airGUNS, he said he needed a good air rifle — something to use on pests. He told me that he was aware such guns cost as much as $100 or even $125, and what would I recommend?

What I would recommend is an education, but of course I didn’t say that. We have all been where he is now and we had to learn from someone! That started me thinking about the basics. A couple weeks ago I completed the series on How to mount a scope. There were plenty of basics in that series, but we also went into some of the more advanced principals. I thought that would be a good approach to use for pellets, as well. Let’s see where this goes! read more

How to cheat when you really want an airgun!

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 67 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

This report covers:

  • Really want
  • Think as the world thinks
  • Do whatcha shouldn’t
  • For sale in shop
  • Scruples
  • Something else
  • Winchester 427
  • Too much money!
  • Two hours later
  • Summary

I’m going to cover a topic today that I never thought I would write. You can read the title, and that’s what it’s really about — how to cheat when you really want something! As I am writing this I am doing the very thing that I’m telling you.

Really want

Yesterday reader Ridgerunner posted a link to Gun Broker. I followed it and saw a beautiful Diana model 75 recoilless target rifle. The seller was scrupulously honest and had chronographed the rifle for his listing.

I have wanted to test a Diana 75 for you for many years, and this one looked ideal. Furthermore, it was offered by the original owner who said he had bought the rifle from Beeman Precision Airguns in July of 1982. He has the original receipt, a copy of which which he sent me! He knew for a fact that only 2,330 pellets have been shot through it. Guys — when somebody says things like that and has things like that, he is one of us! This was a rifle I wanted. Let me show you the listing. read more

What’s it gonna be today?

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 235 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

History of airguns

This report covers:

  • The beginning
  • Walther LGR
  • HOWEVER!
  • Diana model 10
  • What is a Diana 10?
  • The grips
  • The top spacer
  • Sights
  • Trigger
  • Power
  • Summary

Today is a special treat. We are going to go back into my distant past and see something that was pivotal in my life. It was, and yet this one wasn’t. This is something that made me the airgunner I have become, and I have been telling you about it on this blog for many years. I have and yet I haven’t. Read on, Grasshopper.

The beginning

The year was 1976 (I think), and I was walking with my first wife and son through Rothenburg ob der Tauber — a walled medieval town next to the Tauber river in northern Bavaria, Germany. Rothenburg is a tourist town today, because it is so well preserved and colorful. I enjoyed going there with my little family on my time off and just walking around seeing the sites! read more

CCI .22 long rifle Quiet test

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 93 Comments

Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

This report covers:

  • CCI Quiet
  • CCI Quiet Semi-Auto
  • CCI Subsonic Hollowpoint
  • Discussion
  • Remington model 37 Rangemaster
  • Ruger 10/22 rifle
  • CCI Quiet accuracy
  • CCI Subsonic Hollowpoint accuracy
  • Quiet Semi-Auto accuracy
  • Summary

When I started reporting the sounds airguns make, using my new smart phone app that is a sound meter, readers asked me how the sounds of a PCP compare to a .22 long rifle cartridge. The Ataman AP16 pistol that is part of the Godfather’s Gold Gun Giveaway registered 108 decibels on the meter, but a CCI .22 CB Short — a .22 short round with very little powder — registered 112 dB. 

Reader Dave said he thought the CCI .22 long rifle Quiet was quieter than his PCP, and he sent me a box to try for you. He actually sent three different low-noise long rifle cartridges and today I will tell you how they all performed. read more

How to mount a scope: Part 4

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 114 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

This report covers:

  • What optically centering DOES NOT mean
  • What optically centering really is
  • How to optically center a scope
  • Why do we do it?
  • Field target
  • Counting clicks — mechanical centering
  • Erector tube return spring
  • A better way
  • What about left and right?
  • Why so anal?
  • Pragmatic approach
  • Summary

Today we are going to discuss optically centering a scope. It’s going to be a difficult report for me to write, because the subject does not have much merit for airgunners. So I will compensate by adding some things that do have merit. Let’s go!

What optically centering DOES NOT mean

Let’s start with what optical centering DOESN’T mean. The optical center of the scope is not the place at which there are an equal number of clicks up and down and side to side. I say that and some of you already know it and yet the website “RifleOpticsWorld” has an online article written by “Rifle Optics Team” that says that setting a scope to the optical center is simply returning it to the factory setting. Excuse me?????  read more

Walther LP2 target pistol: Part 2

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 141 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Walther LP2 left
Walther LP2 single stroke pneumatic target pistol.

Part 1

History of airguns

This report covers:

  • LP2 valve weak?
  • Differences between the LP2 and LP3
  • Velocity
  • RWS Hobby
  • Gamo Match
  • H&N Finale Match Light
  • Trigger
  • Pumping effort
  • LP3 velocity
  • Accuracy
  • Summary

As you learned in Part 1, my new/old Walther LP2 target pistol did not work when I got it. So I sent it to Scott Pilkington for repairs. Scott had to disassemble it first to see what it needed and then order the parts. I received the pistol back this Wednesday and it is now working fine — thanks, Scott!

LP2 valve weak?

I have always heard that the LP2 has a weak valve that’s subject to failure. It was apparently corrected when the LP3 came out. Whether that is true or not I can’t say, because this is the first working LP2 I have seen and handled. I have owned two LP3s in the past. The first was the model that had the full target grips and the second one had the sporter grips that look like the grips on this LP2. I have seen several LP2s at airgun shows but they were always non-functional. read more

Walther LP2 target pistol: Part 1

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 88 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Walther LP2 left
Walther LP2 single stroke pneumatic target pistol.

History of airguns

This report covers:

History
LP3
Pumping an LP2
Lookalike
What the LP2 was
Next

Today we start looking at a Walther LP2 single-stroke pneumatic target pistol. I recently acquired one for a reasonable price, but when it arrived it did not pump. That is the bane of the LP2 — their valves were not robust and they tend not to work.

History

The LP2 was Walther’s first commercial success with a single stroke target pistol. It was produced from 1967 through 1972. Was there ever an LP1? There might have been, but if there was it didn’t last long enough to be officially recognized or to enter the market. read more