Newbie questions

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Lol, I just came in from scrooging around with the old Crosman 760...was attempting to demonstrate to the wife why that gun is NOT going to cut it. I may have shot myself in the foot, no pun intended. It won't shoot a sub 6-7" group at 10 yards with the old Copperhead red-dot sight on it, but she thinks "that's good enough." Sigh. I dragged out that old Chinesium lever cocker, sprayed a little WD-40 on it and although the seals at the breech are totally rotted away, the dang thing still shoots and is way more accurate than the 760...but still not good enough. I managed 3 inch-ish groups at about 50 feet with it and iron sights. 

Wife claims I'll be coming home tomnorow to a pile of dead birds. I am praying I come home to a wife asking questions about PCP rifles because I know after she keeps missing and having to pump that 760, she isn't going to like it anymore.

That Benjamin Maximus looks good and I like the idea of all the adjustability (I like to tinker). I also like that it is US made too. "IF" she comes around, then I think that is the rifle I'll go for.

Well, I certainly appreciate everyone's input and help. I'll be sure to let you know how things go :)
 
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I'm confused. You don't take a little out of each paycheck and put it in a toolbox in the basement for "emergencies" like this one? How long have you been married? I learned to do that when I came home from work one day and found a new $800 couch sitting in the living room. When I asked the wife how she paid for it, she said she had been saving up. I was the only one working at the time. So I started a little kitty of my own, and now have a very nice gun collection. Problem solved.


 
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Welcome to the family of addicts and you're in the right place. You did mention that you wanted to stay within the $200 range and I would consider Flying Dragon Airguns. Mike is a great person to do business with and he sells a few very nice Chinese airguns and for a little extra, he'll tune it for you to make sure that it's on point for your specific needs. One of my former co-workers (just recently) gave him a call and he's more than happy with his XS46U in .22 caliber. He's so happy with his Chinese springer that he's carrying his new toy out of state to visit his mother that lives near a cattle farm, he's also using open sights and very happy with the accuracy of his low end springer. 



Give Mike a call and I'm more than sure he's got what you need for what you're willing to spend. I own and have owned a few of his springers and I'm very happy with them for what they are and not for what they're not.
 
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I'm confused. You don't take a little out of each paycheck and put it in a toolbox in the basement for "emergencies" like this one? How long have you been married? I learned to do that when I came home from work one day and found a new $800 couch sitting in the living room. When I asked the wife how she paid for it, she said she had been saving up. I was the only one working at the time. So I started a little kitty of my own, and now have a very nice gun collection. Problem solved.

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Hahaaha, yeah, I tried that a number of years ago. That's a big no-go. Once wifey finds I have this money to "waste on toys" she finds more practical things to spend it on and then makes me feel guilty. Understand, we go through this "purchase dance" for everything over about $100. I usually get what I want in the end, it just takes a little time. Money is not an issue, heck, if it were totally up to me, I'd have no problems dropping a couple grand on a nice PCP rifle and all the extras to support it (i.e. I'd dive right into this rabbit hole head first without a second thought, I mean...they're guns! Come on!), but I have to go through this process to get her to "understand." In all fairness, the reverse has to happen when she wants something, so it's not like I come home to an $800 couch out of the blue.

But, I actually do have a kitty going, but it's for a new engine for the race boat. She agreed I could tuck some away for that so I don't go out and drop a few grand right off the bat. besides, I have a good engine now and I'm able to run a couple classes with it, so it's not like I am without an engine at all. If I didn't have the one I have, then yeah, the checkbook would be coming right out for a new one for sure.
 
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I had done some comparative pumping with a Hill Pump and an FX4 stage years ago, but this was before 2kpsi fill airguns. 

Dont get me wrong... pumping sucks, which is why most of us tend to get a compressor of some sort, or fill from a tank. But... pumping to 2kpsi isnt bad. I wish I could give you a more accurate number, but I rarely hand pump any more. 

I will say that I keep a cheap $40 ebay pump as a backup and I think it's more efficient and certainly has been more reliable than the 'big name' pumps I've had in the past.
 
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Save some $$$ get a tuned one from Mike. And a good scope. For $200 or so. You can't go wrong with one. He will not sell you a crappy gun

http://flyingdragonairrifles.org/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=67
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That's my point as well and that's why I suggested Mike Melick at Flying Dragon Airguns, he doesn't sell junk. I presently own the B40 which is the clone of my TX200 and the B28 which is another clone of the Diana 350, for what they are, they're worth the money sent.
 
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Well, I went and bought a pellet rifle. You guys are going to groan at me, but...

I got that Crosman F4 from Wallyworld for $83. So why, after all this did I go and do that?

1. Wife is being particularly stubborn concerning $200+ for a "BB gun".
2. After more video watching and reading, I decided I really liked the Air Venturi Avenger, once I learned about regulated vs unregulated and watched multiple reviews. Explaining that to the wife got the stank eye from her.

3. I found myself talking myself into more expensive guns and relatively more expensive equipment to support it...in other words, I was starting to open the rabbit hole I said I wasn't going to go down.

I watched many, many, many videos on the F4 and decided that it would most likely suit the purpose I needed it for. I don't think I was wrong.

Once I decided I was just going to go cheap and get a springer, I didn't want to futz around ordering one online, so I went with this one.

I only had enough time this evening to get the scope mounted and get it sighted in and shoot a few groups with one brand/make of pellet. Wallyworld didn't have the pellets I was really looking for, so I ended up with some Gamo redfires, Daisy Precision Max pointed, no weight given, and a tin of Crosman Gold Flight 8.5 gr. That's all they had, so I got a tin of each.

Initial impressions: as expected, wife struggles a little to cock the gun (she needs both hands, but I think she'll appreciate that once she realizes the accuracy is 100 times better than that stupid Crosman 760 pumper and she doesn't have to pump it 10 times). She was complaining today that she wasn't able to get any shots with the 760 because every time she pumps it up, it scares the birds away, and given it's horrible accuracy, she was trying to walk up close to the birds. I was hoping all this would persuade her to let me get a PCP, but no dice. 

With the Gamo redfires at about 22 yards, I am hitting 1/2" to 3/4" groups just resting on the side of a tree. Way better than I expected it would be.
The scope is functional, but far from what I'd call good. I think it will be fine for my purposes though. I don't think I'm going to invest into an expensive springer scope, unless this one causes issues.

Tomorrow I try the other pellets and then I will stretch it out to 30 yards, then 40 yards, all from a table and rest. If I can get 1" to 1.5" groups at 40 yards, I'll call it good as that will be plenty for plugging starlings.

From where I will be setting up the table on rest on the back porch is almost exactly 40 yards to the front face of my barn. My quarry sits on a wire that stretches from the garage (which is between the porch and the barn) to the barn, so "wire" shots will be between 25 and 40 yards. Birds on the very top of the barn will be pushing about 45 yards and elevated, so we'll see how things pan out there.

Perhaps I'll end up with a nice PCP rifle in the future (I would drop coin on one in a heartbeat if it were solely up to me), but for now I think this will do. 

 
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It's the cheapy 4x scope that came with the rifle. I think it's made by Center Point. I will assume it's made for a springer. If it isn't, I'll find out before too long when it falls apart from the forward impulses of the rifle. I have to admit, not having shot one in a long time, it feels weird with the gun wanting to jump forward instead of backward. 

Looking forward to trying the other pellets tomorrow and stretching it out to 40 yards. I'm pleasantly surprised at how quiet it is. It's a lot quieter than that old crappy Chinese under lever mechanical springer I have.

Need to also play with my "hold". I do intend to shoot it from a rest, but I watched a video just now of a guy demonstrating the group size changes when he held it tight to his shoulder (and using a bipod) vs just holding the butt up without it touching his shoulder at all. That second hold actually tightened up the group. I guess that makes sense as the gun vibrates and jumps from the piston slamming home and I imagine it hits home before the pellet has exited the barrel completely. Letting the gun "float" and not trying to forcibly hold it down equates to more consistent jumping. Then again, that could be all wrong, I'm certainly no pro when it comes to air rifles. I'm just a guy trying to bust pesky Starlings that have all but eradicated the native birds in my area. Well, Starlings and European House Sparrows (gonna have to learn to positively ID those as they look very similar to the other native species sparrows we have. Don't want to be shooting the wrong guys). Unfortunately, Grackles are on the protected list, even though they're nearly as bad as the Starlings.
 
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Well, the F4 got its baptism of blood this morning. Was sitting on the porch having my coffee before getting ready for work and a couple starlings landed on the wire up close to the barn. I figured what the heck. I didn't think it would hit at 40 yards since I've only fired a couple groups at 22 yards last night when I first got it set up.

Popped in a Gamo redfire, leaned against the door frame of the porch and POW, dead centered that sucker first shot. He dropped immediately behind the garage then flapped a bit and tried to fly and landed nearly at my feet dead as a door nail. I hope that's a good omen!
 
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OK, one last question. Assuming the Benjamin Maximus and a hand pump. How many pumps, or how long will it take, roughly, to pump it back up to 2,000 PSI from 1,000 PSI?

I realize there are some variables, but just trying to get an idea if this is going to be a grueling experience, or not that big of a deal.
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It takes me roughly 5-10 minutes to pump my Discovery to 2000PSI. The Discovery is basically the same as the Maximus but older.
 
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So got to spend a little time with the F4 this evening after work. I went straight to 40 yards (measured it with a tape measure) and tried all the pellets I bought. Shooting was from a table and the gun on a Caldwell rest, then also tried some ancient Crosman "Copperhead" pointed pellets that have been sitting around. 

Surprisingly, those old Copperhead pellets were the best of the bunch! The Gamo Redfires are a really close second, maybe tied. The Gold Flights were OK, but not great and they shot way low compared to everything else (possibly cork screwing?). Kind of glad the gold flights aren't that good as they are expensive ($10 for 125 count at Wallyworld). The Daisey pellets are pointed and look very similar in length to the old Copperheads but they were a tighter fit in the barrel and absolutely horrible. The gun flung them all over the place, many missing the 12" x12" target paper completely.

Here's a couple of the groups. The first picture is the Gamo Redfires. I shot two and they were a little to the right, the second two are after scope adjustment. I shoulda shot a third one, but it was getting dark and I wanted to try the Copperheads.

The second picture is a five shot group using the old Copperheads. Three shots touching and the other two touching just above and to the right. Groups are all inside an inch at 40 yards. I'm pleasantly surprised for an $80 gun and a crap scope. Need to order some different pellets and keep testing, but if I can find some more of those Copperheads I'm going to skarf some up, the gun really seems to like them.

I see a declining starling population coming in the very near future :)

Redfires.1600903039.jpg




Copperheads.1600903060.jpg

 
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https://www.amazon.com/Benjamin-Action-Variable-Rifle-Black/dp/B07R192GHP/ref=mp_s_a_1_10?dchild=1&keywords=Benjamin+397&qid=1601178360&sr=8-10

Hey buddy welcome to the forum. So I was in the same boat as you awhile ago. Springers have some added difficulty in them in the way that some need to be held with what is called an artillery hold in order to get good accuracy. I agree with the first guy that said to get a more mild manor springer to minimize this. I suggest just going to Walmart and buying the cheapest Crosman rifle if you just want a 70 dollar springer. If you want to spend more than 200 then you can get a way better rifle. Diana is great from 240 and up. Hw97 from krale is less than 400 and maybe the best springer in the world. Or you can go pcp this is the dark side. For 300 bucks you can get an umarex origin that comes with a hand pump and a rifle. Good deal. Or you can get a Beeman qb chief for 170 bucks and buy a hand pump from Ali express for 35 to 40 bucks. That is an awesome option to get into pcp right away and have low to medium power 177. It is accurate and you just shoot it like a powder burner. I can't tell you how much of a value the qb chief is. It's really a great rifle. Anyway there is a third option. The link above is a 177 multipump rifle that is very accurate and works like a pcp in the way that there is no huge spring in there causing vibration before the bullet leaves the barrel. It's going to shoot a heavy 177 pellet around 700 fps. I think it will shoot around 800 fps with a light pellet. This is my recommendation for you if you are healthy and strong. Pumping it can be difficult for women children and med with shoulder pain or surgery. For most 13 year old boys it's completely possible. Also you can pump it 3 times to plink and have fun or 10 times for a very capable pesting gun. With 177 accuracy is key. If you want to mount a scope go to baker airguns and get a mount for it. I prefer using the irons tho. Goodluck buddy those 3 options are my favorite. I think with springers you should go dirt cheap Crosman or German made. For me there is no in between but your not me! Get whatever you want! 
 
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