targets | Air gun blog - Pyramyd Air Report

Stuff I cannot live without

Posted on August 2, 2017 by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 48 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

This report covers:

Not the big stuff…
Let there be light!
Tools
A magnifier
Electronic dial caliper
BB trap
More light on the subject
Are there other things?

Yesterday I used my Benbo 2 tripod for an extreme overhead shot and it brought to mind just how important that piece of equipment is to me. It’s a major part of my work, yet I seldom give it a second thought unless I’m using it. How many things are like that in an airgunner’s life?

Not the big stuff…
I’m not talking about the big obvious stuff today — stuff like chronographs and spotting scopes. Every airgunner needs them and you will too, once you see how well good ones work. The things I will talk about today are the little things — not necessarily cheap things, but things that are probably insignificant on the radar of your life.

Umarex Embark breakbarrel spring rifle: Part 3

Posted on May 30, 2017 by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 34 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Umarex Embark air rifle.

Part 1
Part 2

This report covers:

The first shot
My test methodology
SAR Journey pellets
Sig Ballistic Match Alloy pellets
Switch to lead pellets
Air Arms Falcons
Evaluation so far
Last target
Summary

Today is accuracy day and I’m looking forward to it. Not only do I get to test the Embark air rifle that Pyramyd Air now sells, by the way, I also get to test the lead-free Journey pellet that was developed especially for the Student Air Rifle program (SAR).

While talking to Jake Hindman, the president of SAR, I discovered that they developed their own official target, rather than using a 10-meter rifle or pistol target. He told me they made the scoring rings large, which made me think of the 10-meter pistol target, but when I looked at the targets in their instructor’s guide, I saw the bulls are similar in size to 10-meter air rifle targets. The width of the scoring rings just needs to be enlarged for SAR.

Long-range handgun shooting

Posted on April 6, 2017 by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 66 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

This report covers:

Sixguns
Artillery
A snubnosed .38
It’s easy!

I was asked to write this report, and I’m glad to do it. I made the statement that I shot Colt Single Action revolvers at 300 yards and apparently some readers were intrigued. Actually, that wasn’t the whole story, so today you’re getting the rest of it.

Sixguns

I acquired the book Sixguns by Elmer Keith when I was a stunt gunfighter at Frontier Village amusement park in San Jose California in the late 1960s. I was young and impressionable at the time, so I didn’t know that Elmer Keith was widely held to be a liar. He reported taking several long-range handgun shots that got him game and the couch reporters of the day didn’t believe him. But I did, so I tried what he wrote and discovered that it does work. I guess I’m a liar, too!

DIY spinner targets

Posted on March 8, 2017 by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 46 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

This is a guest blog from reader Vana-2, who goes by the name Hank. He tells us how to make spinner targets.

If you’d like to write a guest post for this blog, please email me. Now over to you, Hank.

DIY Spinner Targets
Hank Vana2

This report covers:

Spinners for plinking
Construction
Form the spinner arm
Form the pivot coil
Assembly
The target base
Spinner mounting
Cautions
Spinner target use
Summary

I like to make my own spinner targets.

Spinners for plinking

Plinking small reactive targets at random ranges is my favorite airgun passtime and spinners are my preferred targets. Today I will share how I make them.

I like spinners because they are an all-or-nothing kind of target. Hit them and they spin. Miss and they just sit there, waiting for you to try again. The instant feedback of a hit confirms that the sight picture was correct for that range. The way they move when hit allows you to discern whether you just clipped the spinner or smacked it dead center. Excellent training for hunting!

Firearm pellet adaptor: Part 3

Posted on February 7, 2017 by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 42 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2

This report covers:

Must load from the front of the cartridge
Sizing pellets to fit into the mouth of the case
How deep is the pellet seated?
A lot of “stuff” to support the adaptor
The stuff
The test
Benchrest
Surprise!
Shot 4
Discussion

Today we look at the accuracy of the firearm pellet adaptor. This is what we have been interested in all along. In Part 2 we saw that the velocity was stable when the pellets were loaded deep inside the neck of the adaptor, but not when they sat proud. That generated several questions that I will address before I get to the test. Everything I do today was done with the .22-caliber JSB Exact Jumbo pellet.

Must load from the front of the cartridge

Several readers wondered what might happen if the pellet was pushed in from the rear of the cartridge, rather than loaded from the front. The dents at the base of the cartridge case shoulders prevent that from happening, though I expect you could push a pellet through if you used a lot of force.

Christmas gifts for the airgunner: Part 1

Posted on November 24, 2016 by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 43 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

This report covers:

Gifts for $25 and under
Gifts for $100 and under
Gifts for $250 and under
Gifts with no price limit

First of all, to my American readers — Happy Thanksgiving! I have a lot to be thankful for this year, and I hope you do, too.

With the holidays fast approaching we sometimes need help finding those perfect gifts. This blog offers some of my personal picks this year.

Gifts for $25 and under

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my book, BB Guns Remembered. It’s the perfect short story collection bathroom reader for someone who enjoys nostalgia. And this book makes the B.B. gun the star. At $10 it’s the perfect stocking-stuffer. If your airgunner likes to read, this is a good one!

Your airgunner may like a tin of Smart Shot Lead BBs. These BBs are on the large side and tend to be more accurate than steel BBs in many guns, plus they are much safer. Before ordering these, be sure to ask your airgunner if he has guns that can use them.

The cobbler’s children have no shoes!

Posted on October 13, 2016 by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 53 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

This report covers:

B.B. needs help!
What about my Diana 27?
Ten yards
We have lost 95 percent of shooters!
Blue Streak
Spoiled?

B.B. needs help!

Before we begin today’s report, I need to ask for some help. In fact, today’s report drove this request. I was going to write about the Rockin’ Rat target, Part 2, and I wanted to show you a short video of how it works. The main thing about this target is the way it works, and trying to tell you about it is like trying to describe the taste of salt.

I can film the video, but I’m not yet familiar enough with the editing software to edit it efficiently. Pyramyd Air can’t help because they are working full time on their projects.

What I need is someone who can edit short videos for me. If I could find someone to do that there could be a lot more videos on this blog. The person should be familiar with the requirements of You Tube, because that’s where the videos are hosted.