An Air Gunners dilemma

[shawnlyndy]

Okay. I bought a nice used Crosman Challenger air rifle to convert to 12 foot pounds. The problem is it is so stinking accurate and so much fun to shoot that I'm worried about converting it to 12 foot pounds. Has anyone done this and regretted it afterwards. I would love to shoot this gun in Hunter field Target but I'm afraid I'm going to lose what is so incredible about this gun. Shot three paintballs in a row at 25 yards and then put five shots under a dime at 30 yards without a single flyer. Are these just as accurate at 12 foot pounds as they are at 540 feet per second? Need advice. Am I going to ruin a good thing?

Please advise.

 

[John "spysir" Blount]

I've never done the conversion but have fired several "12fpe" Challengers. Shot just fine. Rather than take a DNF Doug Miller finished a Nationals match doubling up with another shooter using one, shot just fine and created hours of interest after the match.

John

 

[Saltlake58]

Buy a second, sacrificial gun, don't shoot it, don't fall in love with the sacrificial gun, just convert it and be done with it. Keep your current Challenger intact, just don't shoot the second gun until you've done the conversion 

 

[Skillet]

Wouldn’t touch it. It ain’t broke!

 

[Imold]

I agree, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it..buy a 2nd one and don’t shoot it just convert it.

 

[shawnlyndy]

Sounds like a great excuse to own two of them........Why not!

 

[Coldair]

Good news is that if you convert it to 12fpe it can be easily converted back to original if you don't like it.

The Challenger uses a .051 TP. You can start by buying and installing a .080 P-Rod factory transfer port and

I think you will appreciate the higher power to shoot at 50 yards and beyond.

You should get just under 50 shots at the higher power level.

Its bark will get louder as well so be prepared.


CA

 

[JCD]

12FPE guns are my goal with many of the .177 PCP's that have passed through my hands. Joy to shoot, generally quieter and higher shot count and just more fun for me on the relatively short range I do most of my shooting at (10-55y). Many just don't want to shoot at lower speeds, FX with smooth twist (including X) barrels make up much of the 'no go' list of attempts. While I've never had a Challenger, I do recall reading about many being set to shoot 12fpe or even less with success.

What prompted me to post is your FT mention. When you say Hunter FT.... do you mean the Hunter FT shot in UK/EU? Or what's shot in the US? Only reason I ask is that the US game allows up to 20FPE so there may be no reason to convert your rifle to 12FPE for that purpose. There definitely are a growing number of Hunter matches under the international rules, but they are certainly not the norm.

 

[shawnlyndy]

Two things. I thought that increasing the power over 12 foot pounds in a 2000 PSI rifle would reduce shot count to drastically. Also I am very familiar with the trajectory of 12 foot pond pound airguns so sightingg would not be a problem how to 45-50 yards.