177 Cricket Rifile just Back From a AZ Tune

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Sam63

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Feb 11, 2016
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2016 Field Target season I used a Cricket bullpup for every event except one. The Cricket bullpup I used was very accurate but I found the bullpup to be the wrong gun for FT at least in the hunter class. At this years nationals I was the only shooter with a bullpup in any class. A few reasons I feel a pup is the wrong gun for FTH , the main reason is when shooting off sticks any movement is exaggerated. Its was almost like shooting a pistol off sticks but not quite as exaggerated.

This year Im using a 177 Cricket rifle for FTH. November I sent the rifle to AZ to lighten the trigger and install a barrel with a better LDC. Today I installed a Sightron S-TAC 4 - 20 x 50 and shot it for the first time(indoors at 10 yards). The trigger has no creep and is set at around a pound. The LDC makes the Cricket crazy quite. Im excited for Field Target 2017.

A few photos below. The group was shot by Allen at 50 yards. Its a 13 shot group with JSB 13.4

 




 
"Sam63"2016 Field Target season I used a Cricket bullpup for every event except one. The Cricket bullpup I used was very accurate but I found the bullpup to be the wrong gun for FT at least in the hunter class. At this years nationals I was the only shooter with a bullpup in any class. A few reasons I feel a pup is the wrong gun for FTH , the main reason is when shooting off sticks any movement is exaggerated. Its was almost like shooting a pistol off sticks but not quite as exaggerated.

This year Im using a 177 Cricket rifle for FTH. November I sent the rifle to AZ to lighten the trigger and install a barrel with a better LDC. Today I installed a Sightron S-TAC 4 - 20 x 50 and shot it for the first time(indoors at 10 yards). The trigger has no creep and is set at around a pound. The LDC makes the Cricket crazy quite. Im excited for Field Target 2017.

A few photos below. The group was shot by Allen at 50 yards. Its a 13 shot group with JSB 13.4

 




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I have been dying to get some user reviews on that scope. It's on my short list but I can't find anything on the 4-20x50. Please can you tell how it is and how it compares to other scopes you've owned / used?
 
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Wow, Sam.......that is a sweet shooter. I assume you have one of those Polygon barrels since you are shooting the 13.4 grain? I have one in .177 also but have the standard CZ barrel on mine. It shoots the 10.3 grain JSB's at 900 fps and can hang with my Thomas FT rifle. I use it for back up?



I love it. Has a threaded barrel too. Can't really see any benefit in a tune at the moment ;-)

 
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Thanks Jimmy. The original CZ barrel shot 1/2 groups at 50 all day long with the 10.3 JSB's. AZ recently tuned an Air Wolf for me, I bought 2 polygon barrels in case the 1st wasnt good. The 1st one AZ machined loved the 16.2 beasts and thats what I was looking for. So I had an extra barrel and wanted to shoot the heavier 13.4's this season in FT. The 2 main reasons I wanted the 13.4's were they buck the wind better and shoot 19 - 19.5 fpe at 815 fps. Where the10.3's need an exceptional barrel to get 19.5 fpe. 920 fps with the 10.3's is pretty hot for most barrels. 


Zebra its awesome glass for the money, it was an Xmas gift. $400 shipped black Fri. Compared to my Sightron SIII 10 - 50 x 60 FT the clarity is close. The eye relief is about 4 1/2 - 5 inches with the SIII and about 3 1/2 with the TAC-S. Build quality is about the same. Adding a 5 inch SW to both is the same(very easy). Pretty sure the TAC is built in Korea and the SIII is made in Japan. The TAC comes with the same lifetime warranty. Sightron customer service is first rate, I used it twice and the 1st time was 100% my fault. All I paid was shipping they covered everything else. Pretty much stress free.

Compared to the Hawke Sidewinder 6.5 - 20 x 42 the TAC is clearer, I like the 1/2 mil dot reticle layout better on the Hawke. Installing a SW on a Hawke is a pain. If you click the Sightron has much more positive clicks. One is made in china the other Korea. Ive used Sidewinders for 3 years and have been very happy but if I were choosing between the 2 it would definitely be the TAC-S.

EDIT: Correction Sightron S-tac are made in the Philippines NOT Korea.


 
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"iride"What? or who is a AZ tune,
Is that a type of tune, Or is that a person that tunes it.
Oh, That's one good looking rifle Cricket,
Mike
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Allen Zasadny have been a tuner and high level FT competitor for a long time. He specializes in tuning rebuilding high end guns. He tunes everything from Crickets to Thomas guns. He is kind of eclectic in that he don't do internet, email or cell phones. You have to call him and discuss what you want. He is a very nice and knowledgeable person when it comes to airguns.
 
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"iride"What? or who is a AZ tune,
Is that a type of tune, Or is that a person that tunes it.
Oh, That's one good looking rifle Cricket,
Mike
Click to expand...
Thanks Mike. As BD said Allen Zasadny is a gunsmith and thats how he makes a living. He usually has many guns he is working so it takes time if you send him a gun. Before he started on any of the guns I sent him he called and asked in detail what I was looking to accomplish.

The 4 guns he has tuned or built for me came out better than I imagined. That said if you send him a gun with an inaccurate barrel he will need to machine a barrel maybe 2, he doesn't work magic. He just built this 177 Air Wolf from the ground up.

 
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"Sam63"Thanks Jimmy. The original CZ barrel shot 1/2 groups at 50 all day long with the 10.3 JSB's. AZ recently tuned an Air Wolf for me, I bought 2 polygon barrels in case the 1st wasnt good. The 1st one AZ machined loved the 16.2 beasts and thats what I was looking for. So I had an extra barrel and wanted to shoot the heavier 13.4's this season in FT. The 2 main reasons I wanted the 13.4's were they buck the wind better and shoot 19 - 19.5 fpe at 815 fps. Where the10.3's need an exceptional barrel to get 19.5 fpe. 920 fps with the 10.3's is pretty hot for most barrels. 


Zebra its awesome glass for the money, it was an Xmas gift. $400 shipped black Fri. Compared to my Sightron SIII 10 - 50 x 60 FT the clarity is close. The eye relief is about 4 1/2 - 5 inches with the SIII and about 3 1/2 with the TAC-S. Build quality is about the same. Adding a 5 inch SW to both is the same(very easy). Pretty sure the TAC is built in Korea and the SIII is made in Japan. The TAC comes with the same lifetime warranty. Sightron customer service is first rate, I used it twice and the 1st time was 100% my fault. All I paid was shipping they covered everything else. Pretty much stress free.

Compared to the Hawke Sidewinder 6.5 - 20 x 42 the TAC is clearer, I like the 1/2 mil dot reticle layout better on the Hawke. Installing a SW on a Hawke is a pain. If you click the Sightron has much more positive clicks. One is made in china the other Korea. Ive used Sidewinders for 3 years and have been very happy but if I were choosing between the 2 it would definitely be the TAC-S.

EDIT: Correction Sightron S-tac are made in the Philippines NOT Korea.


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Thank you for that. Good info on the Sightron. I've decided that 4-20 is the perfect magnification range for a multi-purpose air gun. 

I just wish I could see all of my options side by side. Only Opitics Planet sells all three I am choosing between and they are nowhere near where I live.
 
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"Sam63"
"iride"What? or who is a AZ tune,
Is that a type of tune, Or is that a person that tunes it.
Oh, That's one good looking rifle Cricket,
Mike
Click to expand...
Thanks Mike. As BD said Allen Zasadny is a gunsmith and thats how he makes a living. He usually has many guns he is working so it takes time if you send him a gun. Before he started on any of the guns I sent him he called and asked in detail what I was looking to accomplish.

The 4 guns he has tuned or built for me came out better than I imagined. That said if you send him a gun with an inaccurate barrel he will need to machine a barrel maybe 2, he doesn't work magic. He just built this 177 Air Wolf from the ground up.

Click to expand...

Do you mind if ai ask what you mean by "the ground up" with the Airwolf? I mean, I know what building something from the ground up means, but that usually means starting from scratch (at least to me). Can you talk us through what is different to a regular Airwolf on your one?

High level is fine. Just interested. I love hearing about custom stuff (probably even more than hearing about new air guns). 
 
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