BSA Sportsman HV a Tried and True Oldie.

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Moorair

Member
May 18, 2015
70
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Canterbury, New Zealand
I am wondering if anyone has had the good fortune to own a BSA Sportsman HV in .22. I can recall a number of years ago there being some for sale new States side, and I can only hope some people snapped them up.
I live in New Zealand and we were on a trip to Kaikoura, a fishing, whale watch, holiday area that has a hunting and fishing store. At that time I was wondering/planning how to buy a PCP and get it here. They are sold here but the cost was high so there had to be a better way, In that store was this BSA $900 with a dive tank. It looked like new but I wasn't sure. Went home without it. Long story short I contacted the store and as they were selling this on behalf of someone without a firearms license, I made and offer of $750 and the rifle was mine. It loves 15.9 gr AA, Cometa 18.13gr, JSB 18.13gr, and will shoot H&N 21.14, but not as well.
Now I am asking you out there if any of you have experienced owning and enjoying this model of BSA? I'd be interested in the results you have had on paper and on game. Any tips that help you with accuracy? Any other pellets that preform well for you? Do you clean often or seldom? How does it shoot after a cleaning, as in does it need to be shot a while before accuracy is restored etc? I find it takes a while for accuracy to peak again.
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I passed on one at a giveaway price a few years back due to being 'economically challenged' at the the time. It would appear that the rifle likes what you're feeding it! I can't offer any personal experience, but I wonder what fill pressure you're using and how many shots per fill you're getting. I use dive tanks to fill as well and have shied away from the 3300 psi BSAs thinking they would not be practical to fill with a dive tank.
John
 
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Hello JohnL57. I believe from 3000 down, about 10 shot seems to be the, as they say, sweat spot. However I mostly fill using a Hills pump and because I don't like lots of pumping I only fire a group and then refill. I'd be struggling to get it to 3200 psi. The rifle came with a tin of crossman 14 ? grain pellets and they shoot fine at close range but lose it at distant. Too fast. Take care and good shooting. 
 
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At first they sold " okay", maybe the higher psi fill put some off? 
In factory form a pretty darn good rifle, not much of a sweet spot in the shot string tho.
Off the Mike T. for a tune up, WOW! Really outstanding rifle. Head shots on squirrel at 50 every time. 27-27fpe.
I personally did not care for the reach around cocking but.

It was BSA's first "Big Box Store" rifle and lasted as such,m they closed out right around $300.00 and were a great value.



 
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"Moorair" I wonder if it would be worth seeing about a regulator for it? I am happy with it as is, what's your thoughts on a reg, would I gain any thing? 
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I have one of the TechStar's that I put a Huma reg in it. I also made a Blast Tamer. The gun loves the JSB 18.1's. Here is the last shot string I ran when I was thinking of selling the gun (232 bar fill). I think my tube might be a bit smaller then yours.
856, 866, 863, 861, 857, 862, 856, 858, 857, 864
858, 860, 858, 860, 854, 861, 856, 864, 856, 860
862, 867, 860, 862, 857, 862, 860, 856, 862, 854
865, 865, 862, 850, 856, 854, 851, 843
37 shots ES-17 (2%) - 29.7 FPE

Right now HUMA appears to be on vacation but you can order now and get 10% off the price

https://www.huma-air.com/
 
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