New Member Introduction with lots of questions

[bandg]

I suppose most of us have to go through the springer learning curve, lol. Now looking back just think if you had applied all that money you spent on low quality and inaccurate springers into a decent PCP and gear to use it. Man I'm telling you there is a lot of suck in springers! And I had nice ones when I was a boy in the early 70's with higher quality Diana's. I only own one springer anymore.

If you have to get a springer for plinking out to 40Y or so just buy an old FWB 300S! Originally designed for the Olympics, also using a recoilless system, it sends light match grade pellets at 600fps and puts down groups that are one hole at 10 meters. A joy to shoot and built to last. Absolutely worth every penny!

For the rest of your shooting just break down and buy a decent PCP, you'll end up here eventually anyway now that you've got the bug. This time spend the time to research which ones are reliable because even some expensive ones can be a hassle to deal with.

I'll never give up my good springers. Mine are just as accurate as the PCP's at shorter ranges-the ranges that most air gun shooters probably utilize. One just needs to buy good ones and practice a bit.

 

[steve123]

I suppose most of us have to go through the springer learning curve, lol. Now looking back just think if you had applied all that money you spent on low quality and inaccurate springers into a decent PCP and gear to use it. Man I'm telling you there is a lot of suck in springers! And I had nice ones when I was a boy in the early 70's with higher quality Diana's. I only own one springer anymore.

If you have to get a springer for plinking out to 40Y or so just buy an old FWB 300S! Originally designed for the Olympics, also using a recoilless system, it sends light match grade pellets at 600fps and puts down groups that are one hole at 10 meters. A joy to shoot and built to last. Absolutely worth every penny!

For the rest of your shooting just break down and buy a decent PCP, you'll end up here eventually anyway now that you've got the bug. This time spend the time to research which ones are reliable because even some expensive ones can be a hassle to deal with.

I'll never give up my good springers. Mine are just as accurate as the PCP's at shorter ranges-the ranges that most air gun shooters probably utilize. One just needs to buy good ones and practice a bit.

I hear yuh, to each their own. 

Once I tried my first PCP that was the end of my previous enthusiasm for sproiiiiinnnngers. I didn't even like the Wiscomb I shot, well it was pretty for sure! AA TX200 was my last one and confirmed my notion that they aren't for me, especially when the spring broke. 

A friends highly upgraded 54 recoilless, that's won the nationals, is cool but still doesn't do it for me. It's probably got $1500 in upgrades??? 

I don't know if "just as accurate" is an accurate statement. There's a reason we don't see springers winning in the Olympics anymore. Very rare, and super uncommon, that a springer shooter will win a match in FT, or a benchrest match, going against PCP's.

"at shorter ranges-the ranges that most air gun shooters probably utilize". For hunting accuracy, sure they'll get the job done. 

Just for sentimental reasons I would like a mint Diana 27 .177 which I got new for Christmas in 1970, but that's low on the list of wants.

 

[whyzee]

I hear yuh, to each their own. 

Once I tried my first PCP that was the end of my previous enthusiasm for sproiiiiinnnngers. I didn't even like the Wiscomb I shot, well it was pretty for sure! AA TX200 was my last one and confirmed my notion that they aren't for me, especially when the spring broke. 

Haha. You say that like pcp airguns do not break. 

Also, not all spring powered airguns go Sproiiiiiinnng!!

to the original poster, purchase yourself an HW97k from Krale in the Netherlands. It is accurate and the best value in spring powered airguns. 

Avoid airguns that begin with the letter G or U from local stores that begin with the letter W.

 

[steve123]

I hear yuh, to each their own. 

Once I tried my first PCP that was the end of my previous enthusiasm for sproiiiiinnnngers. I didn't even like the Wiscomb I shot, well it was pretty for sure! AA TX200 was my last one and confirmed my notion that they aren't for me, especially when the spring broke. 

Haha. You say that like pcp airguns do not break. 

Also, not all spring powered airguns go Sproiiiiiinnng!!

to the original poster, purchase yourself an HW97k from Krale in the Netherlands. It is accurate and the best value in spring powered airguns. 

Avoid airguns that begin with the letter G or U from local stores that begin with the letter W.

"""Haha. You say that like pcp airguns do not break""""

True but only FX and Hatsan do, lol, just kidding. 

You're right, they go thwank, plonk, thoink, and wap, sometimes all at the same time, lol. But that's not all, they tend to break scopes, cause scope slippage, that word to is a bit close to shrinkage, lol. Let's see what else, oh and screws everywhere tend to loosen from vibration. I'm sure I'm missing more but can't think of em.

But I totally and absolutely agree with your bottom sentence! 

 

[EdCaffreyMS]

Sorry I've not responded for a couple of days..... been experiencing one of my Lupus "flairs", and can hardly get off the couch. We've also had our first cases of the virus hit town, and as per Doctor's orders, I'm now on "lock down" (I have Lupus and interstitial Lung Disease, so that put me at very high risk/is potentially deadly for me).

OK, all you folks who are telling me to go the PCP route...... I just stumbled on something that COULD pull me in that direction. I just read this.....

https://hardairmagazine.com/news/exclusive-first-in-depth-look-at-the-benjamin-marauder-semi-auto-air-rifle/

IF the accuracy is there, and this thing works as advertised, it would be the biggest incitement yet for me to save/spent the money on a PCP and a plug in compressor (with the lung issues, I can't physically do the manual pump thing anymore) I still have this aversion to spending more money on "support gear" than a gun.....but it just means sell a couple more knives and rat hole the money.

The Sig ASP 20 hasn't even shown up yet....and I'm already looking ahead to the next gun. Just one rabbit hole after another.....but it's a fun ride.

OK, since I was on here last, and I know it's being a bottom feeder to some, but I have accuracy hope for the springer/gas piston guns! I've done a few minor mods to the Gamo Swarm Whisper I have..... changing the trigger adjustment screw, so I can actually adjust the trigger, took it ALL apart, did a good cleaning inside and out, deburred/honed some rough areas, and then once the barrel was well cleaned, I finish it out by running a cleaning mop slathered in Mothers Carnauba Cleaner Wax up/down the barrel, allowing a few minutes, then ran about 1/2 dozen clean/dry patches through it.

Now, I have no way of knowing just what waxing the barrel did or didn't do, BUT..... once the gun was back together, it took just a few shots to sight it in..... and now, even after a couple hundred rounds, I can cover 10 shot groups at 15yrds with a dime.... 8 out of 10 times...... the other couple of times there is a flyer, and that is no doubt me. I'm also still amazed and how much better the accuracy of these guns get with the more round put through them. When I got the Gamo, I was lucky to be able to keep 10 shots on a piece of paper at 15yrds...... and now..... Wow! Just hard for this lifelong "powder" guy to wrap his head around.

I think what the experiences of the past few guns has given me a few "must haves" in any pellet rifle I intend to keep/use.

1: .22 cal, 2: ACCURACY, 3: Repeater/magazine fed (that will narrow down my choices considerably), and finally 4: Overall dependability. 

Anyway, once again I'd like to say a big THANKS to those who have taken the time to weight in and advise me along this journey..... it's very much appreciated.

More to come!!

 

[steve123]

Ed, I'd wait until the new C semi has been out a while and all the bugs are worked out, early adopters tend to become the test bed and suffer the consequences thereof. Semiauto pellet guns have been my greatest frustration! Well except for a Steyr LP5 which was a $1500 pistol back when I bought it.

I'd start another thread asking what the most known reliable pcp's have been. An oldy but goody for me has been a FX Royale 400 which is probably the most reliable rifle they ever put out. Friends have Daystate Regals that have been mostly trouble free.

 

[EdCaffreyMS]

The SIG ASP 20 (.22) showed up today. Color me IMPRESSED!

First, let me say that SIG know hows to package a gun for transport/shipping. Cut out foam that seriously holds the gun secure..... and not the white Styrofoam that turns to dust during shipping.

After a good once over, and finding everything tight and secure, and a good cleaning, I mounted a scope and figured I'd have to fire a couple hundred rounds to get the gun to "settle in"..... shooting inside my hot/blacksmith shop, where I can eeek out 15 yards.

Now, everyone is gona think I'm nuts, but after cleaning the bore with goo-gone, and finding it fairly clean from the factory, I used a bore mop slathered in Mothers Caranuba cleaner wax and waxed the bore. Let it sit for a few minutes, then ran a couple of clean patches through the bore. I did this to another brand new gun, and got/am getting far better accuracy then expected.... so after that, there are the fist 6 shots out of the box......no sighting in. just holding the cross hairs on center of the target.....

After running 150 pellets through the gun, I sighted the scope in...... and here's what I got ....

Again.....Color me impressed!!

I doubt I'll stop checking out other guns, but for a magnum piston gun, I'm liking this gun, and as of now, it's a keeper!

It's large, beefy, and the stock is designed in such a manner that I can actually rest my cheek on the stock without having "reach" to look through the scope.

I'm also impressed at the break action/lock up of the gun. You literally have to "pop" the end of the barrel to break it open.....but once open and cocked, it is "free swinging"..... literally no resistance from the pivots. The "wedge" system that SIG created/built into this gun is an simple concept, executed in an outstanding manner. The barrel locks up EXACTLY THE SAME EVERY TIME, which I can't help but believe aids to the accuracy I'm getting. It is a bit louder than I'd like...... I had the shop door open, and my neighbor yelled across the backyard....asking "what are you doin!?" "Shooting my new pellet gun!" "Oh! Have fun then!" Gotta love neighbors like that.

My only negative is the safety. Its just plain awkward.

The safety aside, the only thing I could think I'd like better than this gun..... is this gun in a repeating/magazine fed version.