Tag Archives: precharged pneumatic

Smell the roses!

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

This report covers:

  • Price-Point PCP
  • Silencers
  • Lookalikes
  • More lookalikes
  • $100 PCP
  • More than just guns
  • Hand pumps
  • Compressors
  • Airgun technology
  • Big bores
  • There’s more

Today’s report came to me as I was planning to test the accuracy of the Umarex Legends Ace in the Hole revolver. I have so many tests waiting for my time, but today’s report had to come first.

Gentlemen — we are living in airgunning’s Golden Age. I know I have written that many times, but today I would like to reflect on all the good things that are happening in our world. Let me start with the Price-Point PCP.

Price-Point PCP

When I got into precharged pneumatics in 1995, I was dragged into it kicking and screaming. No PCP rifle cost less than $600 in that day (think $900 today) and the high-pressure hand pump had just been invented. I had to use a 3000 psi aluminum scuba tank that cost an additional $120 and I had to beg the local dive shop to fill it for me. I actually created a release form that I signed and left on file with them to absolve them from all risk of selling air to a non dive-certificated person! That might sound extreme in 2018, but in 1995 that was the way it was done, and plenty of dive shops refused to sell us air. read more

The world’s best airgun doesn’t exist…

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

A history of airguns

This report covers:

  • The start
  • The deal
  • The challenge
  • It is achievable
  • The Marauder
  • Good points
  • Bad points
  • Bronco
  • The world’s best air rifle
  • Synthetic stock
  • The deal
  • History?

…but it has in the past. Or parts of it have existed. They are very rare today, but at one time there were many airguns that were 80 percent of the way to being great.

The start

This report started this past Wednesday in an archery store. Next week I will mention why I was in the store, but here’s what happened. The older man behind the counter, after learning what I did for a living, asked me what would be a good airgun for him to get. I stood there like a deer in the headlights, running through a half-century of experience and trying to boil it down to one sentence, when he added, “…and be able to take out a squirrel once in awhile.” read more

Umarex Gauntlet: Part 6

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Gauntlet
Umarex Gauntlet.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

This report covers:

  • All tests
  • Does the POI shift with the reservoir pressure?
  • Fill the rifle
  • Bolt probe in the way
  • Second group
  • Second experiment
  • Experiment three
  • Bumped the barrel
  • Don’t bump!
  • Next

I told you I was going to test the heck out of the Umarex Gauntlet and I’m doing it! Today I’m shooting at 25 yards to test three things readers wanted to know about the rifle. Well, maybe I wanted to know them, too.

All tests

I’m shooting from 25 yards off a bench with a sandbag rest in front and a padded rest under the butt. The rifle is as still as I can hold it. All shooting is done single shot.

Does the POI shift with the reservoir pressure?

First I will test to see if a change in reservoir pressure changes the point of impact (POI). This is fairly common in PCPs, so we shouldn’t be surprised if it does shift. read more

Gamo’s Urban precharged air rifle: Part 2

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1

Gamo Urban
Gamo Urban.

This report covers:

  • Fill probe
  • Pellets
  • Shot count
  • Air Arms Diabolo Field
  • H&N Baracuda Match with 5.51mm heads
  • Evaluation
  • Trigger pull
  • Summary

Today we look at the velocity of the .22 caliber Gamo Urban. And the first string will be an interesting test, because I know the Urban is a BSA design. BSA PCPs do not use their air the same as other precharged air rifles. The Urban fills to 232 bar, which is 3365 psi. Normally that would present a challenge to anyone wanting to use a hand pump, because pumping to that pressure level is difficult for most adults. But testing done by Tyler Patner (watch his video on the Urban webpage) confirmed what I suspected from the start — the BSA-based powerplant in the Urban doesn’t use the pressure above 3000 psi efficiently. It only becomes smooth when the pressure drops below 3,000 psi — the same as the BSA Hornet I used to own. Tyler found the best string of shots was between 2900 psi and 1500 psi. If I find the test rifle performs similarly I will constrain all my tests to that lower maximum pressure. It won’t make much difference at 25 yards, but it will at 50. read more

Gamo’s Urban precharged air rifle: Part 1

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Gamo Urban
Gamo Urban.

This report covers:

  • The Urban
  • Magazine
  • Trigger
  • Silencer
  • Overall description
  • Magazine removal
  • Loading
  • Evaluation

Today I begin looking at another price-point PCP (PPPCP) that hit the market this year. Like the Umarex Gauntlet, the Gamo Urban is packed with features and set to sell at just under $300. It does have some differences from the Gauntlet, though, and we will look at them in today’s report.

The Urban

The Gamo Urban I’m testing is a bolt-action .22-caliber 10-shot repeating air rifle. It fills to 232 bar, which is 3,365 psi. That’s important to know because the Urban will be difficult to fill all the way with a hand pump. However, you may not have to fill it that full. I will address that when I test velocity. If you watch the video on the Pyramyd website, you will see why I say that. read more

Umarex Gauntlet: Part 5

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Gauntlet
Umarex Gauntlet.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

This report covers:

  • JSB Exact Heavy
  • H&N Baracuda Match with 4.50mm heads
  • Decision time
  • Crosman Premier 10.5-grain heavies
  • Another decision
  • JSB Exact Heavies
  • H&N Baracuda Match
  • Summary of this test
  • Bug Buster scope and P.O.I. mounts

Today we start looking at the accuracy of the new .177 caliber Umarex Gauntlet. I think this report will be interesting to many of you. Let’s get started.

JSB Exact Heavy

The rifle was already sighted-in from the last report, so I loaded 10 JSB Exact Heavy pellets into the magazine and started shooting from 25 yards. Yes — I said 10 pellets. I forgot about skipping pellet number 2 and loaded the entire magazine. Shot one went fine but the mag jammed on shot 2. I didn’t force it. I just pushed it out and resumed shooting. This target has 9 pellets instead of 10, and they made a very vertical group at 25 yards that measures 0.704 inches between centers. read more

The TexanSS: Part 4

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

TexanSS
TexanSS big bore air rifle from AirForce.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

This report covers:

  • Sight-in
  • The test
  • Tin Starr 210-grain semiwadcutter
  • Tin Starr 310 grain flat point
  • Hunter’s Supply 250-grain hollowpoint
  • Something different
  • Hollow base first
  • Hollowpoint first
  • Last bullet — the flying dumbbell
  • What’s next?
  • Summary

Today I will shoot the AirForce TexanSS at 50 yards for accuracy. In Part 3 we learned about the bullet tuner on the left side of the rifle. We saw that the .45 caliber Texan SS has a narrower range of adjustment than the .45 Texan I tested for you several years ago. The results of that test set us up for today’s accuracy test.

Sight-in

I scoped the rifle with the 4-16X56 UTG Bubble Leveler scope. The scope sits high above the bore line of the rifle, but the bubble level inside guarantees the rifle will not be canted when it fires. read more