Tag Archives: accuracy test

Diana 27S: Part 7

Posted on by ↓ 122 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Diana 27S
Diana 27S.

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

A history of airguns

This report covers:

  • Diana peep
  • Sight base
  • Remove the rear sight
  • The test
  • Sight in
  • First group
  • Using the peep
  • JSB Exact RS
  • Discussion
  • Summary

I must love you guys to go through what I did this morning. Either that or I’m just as interested in this as you all are. Today I mount a Diana peep sight on the Diana 27S and test it for accuracy — at 25 yards!

Diana peep

Yesterday I wrote about peep sights. Well, getting ready for this article was what inspired that report — which has turned into a series! Chris USA asked me if I was ever going to discuss the high-end peep sights. That is what I’m doing today. Diana has had peeps of all grades. I showed you two of the lower grades yesterday. But today I’m mounting the top grade Diana peep to the 27S because this rifle was made for it! read more

What effect do heavier airsoft BBs have on accuracy?

Posted on by ↓ 29 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

ASG CZ Shadow 2 Part 1
ASG CZ Shadow 2 Part 2
ASG CZ Shadow 2 Part 3
ASG CZ Shadow 2 Part 4
Sig Air M17 ProForce Part 1
Sig Air M17 ProForce Part 2
Sig Air M17 ProForce Part 3
Sig Air M17 ProForce Part 4
Sig Air M17 ProForce Part 5

This report covers:

  • ASG CZ 75 Shadow 2 first
  • The test
  • Game Face Maximum Precision 0.25-gram BBs
  • Trigger!
  • ASG 0.30-gram Blaster Devil
  • Umarex Elite Force Milsim Max 0.32-gram
  • Wearsoft Sniper Grade 0.36-gram
  • Swiss Arms ProGrade 0.36-gram
  • Discussion 1
  • On to the Sig Air M17 ProForce
  • Game Face Maximum Precision 0.25-gram BBs
  • ASG 0.30-gram Blaster Devil
  • Umarex Elite Force Milsim Max 0.32-gram
  • Wearsoft Sniper Grade 0.36-gram
  • Swiss Arms ProGrade 0.36-gram
  • Discussion 2
  • Summary

Today is a special report, done at the request of reader Michael. He wondered whether heavier airsoft BBs than I used in the final test of the Sig Air M17 ProForce airsoft pistol would be more accurate. Read what he said.

“I have always read that heavier Airsoft “BBs” are more accurate than lighter ones. One theory is that in order to be heavier, they are manufactured to have fewer and smaller gaps inside them. Theoretically, that would reduce imbalances in the sphere and make them spin and fly more true.

“Because this is a CO2 pistol, it should be able to launch .30g, .32g and .36g ammo without breaking a sweat. It would be very interesting to see how it shoots with, say, WE or Swiss Arms .36g “BBs.”

It was a good question and I thought I would give it a go. And then I remembered that I had tested two accurate airsoft pistols in 2019 — both the Sig ProForce M17 airsoft pistol and the ASG CZ 75 Shadow 2. If I was going to test Michael’s theory I should probably test both pistols. So I did, and today is the report. I have labeled all the links above so you can read the full report for each pistol.

ASG CZ 75 Shadow 2 first

The Shadow 2 was tested earlier in 2019 — May to July. I tested it with BBs weighing up to 0.26 grams. In today’s test I have five new BBs to test. They range from 0.25 grams to 0.36 grams. There are even heavier BBs but they will slow a gun down a lot, so I stopped at 0.36 grams.

The Shadow 2 is powered by CO2, so it’s fairly powerful. Its tactical rear sight adjusts for both windage and elevation, but I didn’t adjust it in this test. I also did not touch the adjustable Hop Up. This is just a test of the ammunition with the gun set at one single setting.

The test

I shot both pistols off a sandbag rest at 10 meters. My hands were resting on the bag — the gun never touched it. I found that to be the most accurate way to hold both pistols. And I am only shooting 5-shot groups today because of all the shooting there is to be done.

Game Face Maximum Precision 0.25-gram BBs

These BBs are from Crosman. They have a dark finish, are double polished and apparently not biodegradable. They are lighter than the 0.26-gram TSD Bio 180 BBs I tested earlier with the Shadow 2, which were also the most accurate. The Shadow 2 put 5 of those into 1.194-inches at 10 meters.

The Shadow didn’t like these BBs and put 5 into 3.808-inches at 10 meters. I didn’t use the dime for groups like this for obvious reasons.

Trigger!

I had forgotten just how sweet the Shadow 2 trigger is! All my pistol triggers should be as nice. It has a long first stage and a crisp stage two that’s incredibly light. It made the pistol a joy to shoot.

Shadow Gameface group
The Shadow 2 put five Game Face BBs into 3.808-inches at 10 meters.

ASG 0.30-gram Blaster Devil

The next BB tested was the ASG 0.30-gram Blaster Devil. They are white BBs that are also not biodegradable. The Shadow 2 liked them good enough to put 5 into 1.899-inches at 10 meters. That is better than the best target the pistol shot last year (1.954-inches).

Shadow Blaster Devil group
Now we’re talkin’! Five ASG 0.30-gram Blaster Devils went into 1.899-inches at 10 meters.

Umarex Elite Force Milsim Max 0.32-gram

Next to be tested were five Umarex Elite Force Milsim Max 0.32-gram BBs. They are white and they are biodegradable. But the Shadow 2 didn’t like them. I shot 5 but only got 4 holes on the target. It’s possible that two BBs went through the same hole but I cannot see that they did. The centers of the 4 holes are 4.34-inches apart.

Shadow Elite Force Milsim group
Only 4 BBs seem to have hit the target. Their centers are 4.34-inches apart.

Wearsoft Sniper Grade 0.36-gram

This is the one for the Shadow 2! Of the 5 BBs tested, this one was the most accurate. Five Wearsoft Sniper Grade 0.36-gram BBs landed in a group measuring 1.245-inches between centers. This is a BB I would spend time with, adjusting both the sights and the Hop Up. It’s a black BB that’s not biodegradeable. It comes in a 2000-round resealable bag rather than a bottle.

Shadow Wearsoft Sniper Grade group
The Shadow 2 put 5 Wearsoft Sniper Grade 0.36-gram BBs into 1.245-inches at 10 meters.

Swiss Arms ProGrade 0.36-gram

The last BB I tested was the Swiss Arms ProGrade 0.36-gram. It’s a black BB that’s not biodegradable. The Shadow 2 put 5 of them in 3.866-inches at 10 meters. Three of them are grouped nicely in the black, but the other two went high for some reason.

Shadow Swiss Arms group
Five Swiss Arms 0.36-gram BBs went into 3.866-inches at 10 meters.

Discussion 1

So, what’s the verdict. Well, Michael was right about heavier BBs being more accurate. But what I haven’t told you is how much drop there is. When you go heavier than 0.30-grams the BBs slow way down and I wouldn’t want to shoot many of them in a skirmish. As accurate as the Wearsoft 0.36-gram BB is, I think the ASG 0.30-gram Blaster Devil is the more suitable of the heavies because of the increased velocity over the Wearsoft.

Before I continue, have you noticed how many titles these airsoft BBs have in their names? Apparently the airsoft world is motivated by impressive names. Well, I have one for them — the Ubiquitous and Devastating Terminal Mega Blaster! I’ll take a quarter for that, please.

On to the Sig Air M17 ProForce

Now I moved to the Sig Air M17 ProForce pistol. I tested it in October and November, 2019. You may remember that this pistol is sold as a CO2 pistol but there is also a green gas magazine available separately. Sig Air made that magazine available to me to test, so that is the mag I used for today’s test. It was the more accurate of the two mags when I tested the pistol with lighter BBs last year, but after seeing today’s results I see that need to switch to the CO2 mag for a final test.

Game Face Maximum Precision 0.25-gram BBs

Where Game Face Maximum Precision 0.25-gram BBs weren’t so hot in the Shadow 2, they were actually the best in the M17 with the green gas mag. Five went into a group measuring 1.807-inches at 10 meters. In the last test of the M17 the most accurate BB grouped five in 0.80-inches. I was so impressed at the time that I shot a second five and got a 1.21-inch group. So today’s best isn’t up to what we saw before.

M17 Gameface group
The Sig M17 did best with the 0.25-gram Game Face 0.25 gram biodegradable BBs. I will put that down to the lighter weight of the BB because I’m running on green gas, though that wasn’t apparent until the end of the test. Five went into 1.807-inches at 10 meters. read more

Diana Bandit PCP air pistol: Part 3

Posted on by ↓ 41 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Diana Bandit
Diana Bandit precharged pneumatic air pistol.

Part 1
Part 2

This report covers:

    • Filled to 200 bar
    • Not able to adjust the rear sight
    • The test
    • Superdomes first
    • UTG Micro Reflex dot sight
    • Take rear sight off
    • Hades pellets at 200 bar
    • 180-bar Hades target
    • 170-bar Hades target
    • Is the sight mounted tightly?
    • How is the gun rested?
    • Ah HA!
    • Oh, well
    • Final target — Meisterkugeln
    • Discussion
    • Summary

    Today we look at the accuracy of the Diana Bandit PCP air pistol, and I have to tell you that it’s just a first look. This gun took a LOT of work to get it to shoot!

    Filled to 200 bar

    I re-read Part 2 and saw that the .22-caliber Bandit that I’m testing, as it comes from the factory, only gets 7 or 8 good shots per fill. I also saw that a 200-bar fill is probably too high but I didn’t have much to go on, other than the customer comments that seem to agree. Many who gave the pistol a high rating say they had to back off on the fill pressure to get any accuracy.

    The small reservoir fills quickly so you have to be quick on the valve when filling. I learned how to do it so I could nail the fill within an indicated 5 bar every time.

    Not able to adjust the rear sight

    I started the test shooting at 10 meters with the open sights that come on the gun. The first shot landed way to the left of the bull so I added some right adjustment and the adjustment screw fell out! The rear sight notch is still to the left of center and there is no way I can get it close to where it needs to be. So the open sights are out. I’ll tell you what I did in a moment.

    The test

    I shot from 10 meters with the pistol rested on a sandbag. I shot 5-shot groups and refilled the pistol after each 5 shots except for the first target which was for sight-in.

    Superdomes first

    I shot RWS Superdomes first with the open sights. I will show the target but there is no group to show because I was trying to adjust the sights. I shot 9 shots on a 200-bar fill.

    Diana Bandit Superdome target
    There’s not much to see. I was all over the paper trying to sight the Bandit in with the open sights which proved impossible. The shots in the center of the bull were three of the final five that I shot. The two under the bull were the last two shots. These final five shots were shots 5 though 9 on the first fill.

    I later learned things that may have also pertained to Superdomes, but this was the first and only target I shot with them.

    UTG Micro Reflex dot sight

    Fortunately I had plans to mount the UTG Micro Reflex dot sight on the pistol before the test began, so I did at this time and then continued with the test. Pyramyd Air only carries the red dot version, but I have the green one that I can see a little better.

    Take rear sight off

    To fit the dot sight to the Bandit the rear sight needs to come off. Even though the Micro Reflex sight is very small you will have loading clearance problems unless the rear sight comes off. Then it’s fine.

    Hades pellets at 200 bar

    Several owners report good things about JSB pellets in their Bandits, so I switched to Hades pellets with the dot sight. I refilled the reservoir to 200 bar and shot another 8 shots. This time I thought I nailed it!

    Diana Bandit Hades target 1
    I numbered the shots as they were fired so you could see how they went. When I saw shots 4 though 8 I thought I understood what the Bandit wanted. The final 4 shots measure 0.31-inches between centers. This is one of the few times you will see the dime in this report. read more

Gamo Swarm Fusion 10X Gen II air rifle: Part 3

Posted on by ↓ 40 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Gamo Swarm Fusion
Gamo Swarm Fusion 10X repeating rifle.

Part 1
Part 2

This report covers:

  • Today’s test
  • The test
  • Trigger adjustment
  • Sight-in
  • Air Arms Falcon
  • H&N Match Green
  • Gamo Master Point
  • RWS R10 Pistol
  • Firing behavior
  • JSB Exact 8.44-grain domes
  • H&N Baracuda Green
  • JSB Exact Heavy
  • JSB Exact RS
  • Firing behavior
  • Whew!
  • 10-shot group with Match Green
  • Conclusion?
  • Summary

Today we start looking at the accuracy of the Gamo Swarm Fusion 10X Gen II repeating breakbarrel spring-piston air rifle. I’m hoping for a great result!

Today’s test

The Swarm Fusion has open sights, and I’m testing them today. It also comes bundled with a scope that I will test in another report. Since this is the first accuracy test, I decided to just shoot 5-shot groups so I could test lots of different pellets. Let’s get started.

The test

I shot off a sandbag rest at 10 meters. I used a modified artillery hold, because the thumbhole stock on this rifle doesn’t permit a classic hold. The only difference is I did grasp the pistol grip.

I rested the rifle on the flat of my open palm with the heel of my hand back by the triggerguard. A rifle that recoils like this cannot rest directly on a bag or anything else!

I made no attempt to adjust the sights throughout the test until the very end. So, after sight-in the pellets went where they wanted to.

Trigger adjustment

I told you in Part 2 that I would buy a long-bladed small Phillips screwdriver to adjust the stage two trigger pull. After I had placed the order, reader New To Old Guns told me the second stage is already adjusted as short as it can be. Nevertheless, when the screwdriver arrived I tried adjusting it.

Gamo Swarm Fusion trigger
Don’t bother trying to adjust the second stage of the trigger. I did and there was no change.

NTOG was right, there isn’t anything you can do to the second stage. I adjusted it several times and found no difference. Well, at least I now own a nice set of long-bladed screwdrivers!

Sight-in

Since I was shooting with the installed open sights I started shooting at 10 meters. The first shot went high and I discovered the rear sight was adjusted up quite far. That was something I’m sure I did when examining the rifle. I adjusted it down and was on target in three shots.

Air Arms Falcon

The first pellet was the Air Arms Falcon. Four went into a tight 0.245-inches, but the fifth pellet opened it to 0.656-inches between centers at 10 meters. Maybe this pellet is worth further exploration.

Swarm Fusion Falcon group
Air Arms Falcons were tantalizing. Four are in 0.245-inches, but the fifth shot opened it to 0.656-inches at 10 meters.

H&N Match Green

Next up were H&N Match Green pellets. Every one of the five shots broke the sound barrier with a loud crack. But they were accurate! Five made a group that measures 0.341-inches between centers.

Swarm Fusion Match Green group
The Swarm Fusion sent 5 H&N Match Green pellets into a 0.341-inch group at 10 meters. read more

Gamo 126 single stroke pneumatic 10-meter target rifle: Part 3

Posted on by ↓ 104 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Gamo 126
Gamo 126 single stroke pneumatic 10-meter target rifle.

Part 1
Part 2

A history of airguns

This report covers:

  • The test
  • R10 Match Pistol
  • Air Arms Falcons
  • RWS Hobby
  • Sig Match Ballistic Alloy
  • Gamo Match pellets
  • Vogel Match pellet with 4.50mm head
  • Discussion
  • Summary

Today is a day I have waited for for many years. This is the day I discover how accurate the Gamo 126 10-meter target rifle is. Let’s get right to it.

The test

I shot off a sandbag rest from 10 meters. I shot 5 pellets at each target.

R10 Match Pistol

First to be tested and also used for sighting-in was the 7-grain RWS R10 Match Pistol wadcutter. Sight-in took three shots and then came the group. The 126 put five R10 Pistol pellets into 0.314-inches at 10 meters. That’s not a very auspicious start. I expected better from this pellet.

R10 Match Pistol group
Five R10 Match Pistol pellets went into 0.314-inches at 10 meters.

Air Arms Falcons

I often test one or two domed pellets in a target rifle because many readers ask for it. At 7.33 grains the Air Arms Falcon seems like a good choice for my 126 that’s shooting more like a pistol than a rifle. Five of them went into 0.155-inches at 10 meters. Now, the holes left by domed pellets moving at slow speed are hard to measure with accuracy, so this could be off quite a bit, but I was still impressed. It brought out the trime!

Falcon group
The 126 put five Air Arms Falcon pellets in 0.155-inches at 10 meters. That’s not bad!

RWS Hobby

Next up was the venerable RWS Hobby. Hobbys are sometimes quite accurate in lower-powered air rifles, but not in this one. Five made a 0.281-inch group at 10 meters.

Hobby group
Five RWS Hobbys went into 0.281-inches at 10 meters. Another not-so-spectacular pellet!

Sig Match Ballistic Alloy

Next I tried five Sig Match Ballistic Alloy pellets. These were the fastest in the 126 in the velocity test, and today five of them went into 0.218-inches at 10 meters. That’s pretty good.

Sig Match Alloy group
Five Sig Match Ballistic Alloy pellets went into 0.218-inches at 10 meters.

Gamo Match pellets

I searched though my supply of .177 pellets for

Gamo Match pellets read more