Weihrauch | Air gun blog - Pyramyd Air Report

Beeman R8: Part 3

Posted on April 24, 2017 by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 40 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Rail Lock Compressor R8

The Beeman R8 looks like a baby R1.

Part 1
Part 2

A history of airguns

This report covers:

RWS Hobby
Adjusted the sights
JSB Exact RS
RWS Superdome
The big surprise!
Summary

Today we look at the accuracy of the Beeman R8 that I acquired at the Findlay airgun show earlier this month. I’m shooting off a rest at 10 meters, using the open sights. I rested the rifle directly on the sandbag, because it is shooting so smooth.

RWS Hobby

I tried RWS Hobby pellets first. I felt they might do well, given the rifle’s power, though the velocity test revealed they are substandard in this rifle. I should have remembered that, because they didn’t group that well. Ten pellets went into 0.551-inches at 10 meters. I know that’s better than a lot of rifles I’ve tested recently, but I expect more from the R8.

Beeman R8: Part 1

Posted on April 17, 2017 by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 37 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

A history of airguns

This report covers:

The beginning
What is a lube tune?
The rifle
Initial impressions
The plan
History
Summary

When talking about guns that become favorites, they say the airgun picks the shooter. Actually they say that about a lot of hobbies. This R8 certainly picked me — and then steamrolled me into submission!

The beginning

I was at the dinner/reception the evening before the 2017 Findlay airgun show last weekend when Tyler Patner and Kristen Coss from Pyramyd Air walked in. I went over to say hello and Tyler asked me a question about an old airgun they had brought to sell. Actually they brought about 50 old guns and a lot of vintage Beeman pellets that they received in the purchase of a dealership. I asked to see the list and noticed a Beeman R8. That is an airgun I have never directly tested, though my Tyrolean breakbarrel that’s one of my all-time favorites started out as an R8. That one was tuned, and I always wondered what a standard R8 would be like, so I cut a deal for this rifle, sight unseen.

Air Venturi Rail Lock spring compressor: Part 2

Posted on April 13, 2017 by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 43 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

The Air Venturil Rail Lock spring compressor is compact.

Part 1

This report covers:

Attaches to scope rail
Enter the R8!
R8 out of the stock
Remove the Rekord trigger
Unscrew the end cap
Install the mainspring compressor
Removing the end cap
One last photo
Assembly
Evaluation so far

Today I start testing the new Air Venturi Rail Lock spring compressor. Many of you have expressed an interest in this tool, and I want to test it as broadly as possible, because all airguns are not made the same.

Attaches to scope rail

This compressor attaches to the scope rail on your airgun. It will work on both pistols and rifles — as long as there is a scope rail to attach to. It attaches to both 11mm dovetails and Weaver/Picatinney dovetails. The rails have to be close enough to the rear of the spring tube to allow the compressor to work, but that will become clear when you see the pictures.

BSF S70 air rifle: Part 3

Posted on April 3, 2017 by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 58 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

BSF S70
BSF S70 rifle is the father of several famous Weirauch models.

Part 1
Part 2

A history of airguns

This report covers:

The test
Shoots low
Hobbys
Premier lites
The sights and my new eye
RWS Superdomes
JSB Exact RS
Conclusion

In Part 2 we learned that this BSF S70 breakbarrel springer is more powerful than German law allows, despite the presence of the Freimark. Today we discover if it is accurate.

The test

I shot the rifle off a rest at 10 meters. I used the artillery hold. And I used the sights that came with the rifle, because that was part of why I conducted this test. My other BSF S70 is more powerful and has an aftermarket peep sight. And I had to bend its barrel down to get it on target, because somebody in the past had fired the rifle with the barrel open.

Pellet shapes and performance: Part 2

Posted on November 30, 2016 by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 66 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

My Beeman R8 Tyrolean is an accurate pellet rifle that I enjoy shooting

Part 1

This report covers:

RWS Superpoints
Vogel pellets
Air Arms Falcon pellets
Discussion
Conclusion

Today I move back to 25 yards and we see how these three pellet shapes do. I shot 10-shot groups from my Beeman R8 Tyrolean off a sandbag rest at 25 yards. The scope setting was not changed for today’s shooting from where it was for the 10-meter test.

RWS Superpoints

You may recall that RWS Superpoints were the pellets that surprised me the most in the first test. They gave the tightest group. Today 10 Superpoints went into 0.464-inches at 25 yards. That’s larger than their 10-meter group, but it’s still impressive. I am changing my opinion of pointed pellets — at least in this rifle.

Beeman R1 supertune: Part 4

Posted on November 19, 2015 by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 84 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Beeman R1 Supermagnum air rifle.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

This report covers:

Twitchy
The tune helped!
Important changes
Sight-in
No luck
One last group
Conclusions
New R1 book next year

Today will be interesting, because today we will see the Beeman R1 in a new light. At least I now do.

Twitchy

In Part 3 I told you that my R1 has always been a twitchy rifle to shoot accurately. Even when I wrote the R1 book, I had problems getting this rifle to shoot at any distance. Ten meters was easy, but beyond 20 yards the rifle just didn’t like to put them all together. But in every group of 10, 4 or 5 would be in a single hole — indicating the airgun wants to shoot. When I encounter an air rifle like that I call it twitchy, because it really needs the right hold to do its best. The problem is — I hadn’t found that hold for this rifle yet.

Beeman R1 supertune: Part 2

Posted on October 7, 2015 by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 104 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Beeman R1 Supermagnum air rifle.

Part1

This report covers:

Cocking effort
Really bronze?
Don’tcha wanna know how it works?
Crosman Premiers
JSB Exact Jumbo
RWS Hobby
Custom muzzle brake
Trigger pull
New safety easier to operate
Summary

I was pleased to see so many readers got something from the first part of this report on the tuneup of my Beeman R1 rifle. Several of you commented on how much work Bryan Enoch had put into the gun, and I think that is an important thing to take away. You have seen guest bloggers and even me tune spring guns over the years, but never to the degree that Bryan devoted to this rifle. That just illustrates that there are all levels of things that can be done to a spring piston air rifle, and you can pick and choose what you want to do and what you want to spend doing it. What you see in this report is a top tune.