Had an interesting experience tonight. After supper my Treasure says, "Why don't you go shooting?" Actually I didn't catch her last word clearly as I bolted out the door, two gun cases in hand, but assume that's what she said.
I arrived at my informal plinking spot with a couple dozen empty Diet Dew cans, my shooting stool and Bog Pod shooting sticks, two airguns and ammo for both. Set up a plinking gallery at 25 yards, unzipped my first gun - a .22 Walther Terrus - and loaded up for some shot treatment. I've got the Terrus cycling smooth with a sub one pound trigger so I actually enjoy it. Getting good results, shooting pop tabs off the tops of the cans and generally causing mayhem at about 14 fpe at the muzzle so, not a magnum springer by any measure.
After 45 minutes with the Terrus I switch over to gun #2... my Crosman Challenger 2009 set up for 25 yards shooting 8.64 H&N FTTs. My very first shot out of the Challenger is a mystical experience wrapped in robe of just 6 fpe at the muzzle. No recoil, trigger break so light and smooth it felt like I was knocking down a tiny domino with my finger. I watched through my scope as the pellet, launched as if by magic from where I sat, impacts dead on my POI almost without any volition on my part.
It was then I had an epiphany: to maximize the joy of shooting ( apologies to Kirsten Joy Weiss) shoot the Springer FIRST, then bring out the PCP. It is an amazing tactile experience. If you can manage to make the PCP shoot at literally half the energy of the Springer all the better. Just remember that every mountaintop moment has its Valley of Shadow where the dishes pile up, the trash awaits collecting, and the outside garage man-door has to be checked in case you forgot AGAIN to lock it.
I arrived at my informal plinking spot with a couple dozen empty Diet Dew cans, my shooting stool and Bog Pod shooting sticks, two airguns and ammo for both. Set up a plinking gallery at 25 yards, unzipped my first gun - a .22 Walther Terrus - and loaded up for some shot treatment. I've got the Terrus cycling smooth with a sub one pound trigger so I actually enjoy it. Getting good results, shooting pop tabs off the tops of the cans and generally causing mayhem at about 14 fpe at the muzzle so, not a magnum springer by any measure.
After 45 minutes with the Terrus I switch over to gun #2... my Crosman Challenger 2009 set up for 25 yards shooting 8.64 H&N FTTs. My very first shot out of the Challenger is a mystical experience wrapped in robe of just 6 fpe at the muzzle. No recoil, trigger break so light and smooth it felt like I was knocking down a tiny domino with my finger. I watched through my scope as the pellet, launched as if by magic from where I sat, impacts dead on my POI almost without any volition on my part.
It was then I had an epiphany: to maximize the joy of shooting ( apologies to Kirsten Joy Weiss) shoot the Springer FIRST, then bring out the PCP. It is an amazing tactile experience. If you can manage to make the PCP shoot at literally half the energy of the Springer all the better. Just remember that every mountaintop moment has its Valley of Shadow where the dishes pile up, the trash awaits collecting, and the outside garage man-door has to be checked in case you forgot AGAIN to lock it.