Stoeger S4000E Black Synthetic Suppressed rifle combo

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USAFANG6799

USAFANG6799

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Jul 21, 2016
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Recently(within a week)I bought a Stoeger 22 caliber S4000E brake barrel air rifle(piston as apposed to spring).
BB did a review on this this model in a 5 part review (https://www.pyramydair.com/blog/2019/08/stoeger-s4000e-black-synthetic-suppressed-rifle-combo)
Been trying different pellets to compare my results with his. His finding are pretty much with mine.
I'm finding that it likes the H&N Field Target Trophies 14.66 and the H&N Baracuda Match .22 Cal, 21.14 Grains in the 5.53 head size in both flavors.
The H&N FTT is averaging 768 fps w/ SD 7.1 and the H&N Baracuda is averaging 656 w/ SD 2.2. I have less than 200 pellets through the Stoeger so
I'm sure these numbers will change. Possibly even which pellets it likes.
Accuracy at 15 yards (basement) is 1/2" grouping. Subject to change as I get reacquainted with brake barrel vs pcp and rifle breaking in.

Out of curiosity I tried the Predator GTO (no lead) 11.75 and it's in the high 900fps and just as accurate as the two H&N's. Just tried five shots because
I'm unsure about pushing a light pellet that fast is good for a springer/piston.
So my question is what are your thoughts on shooting light(lead free pellets) in springers/piston with regard to longevity of the rifle/seal in particular?

Many thanks for your thoughts!

Matt

1568853772_13979006055d82cf0ce76d10.77665428_Stoeger-S4000E.jpg

 
I shot mainly lead-free pellets in my Beeman R9 for 5 years or so. After about 6000 rounds my velocity fell off and when I tore down the gun the mainspring was in pieces. Luckily there was no damage to the compression tube or piston.I put a Vortek kit in and mostly shoot lead FTTs now,though PCPs have arrived and my springer skills are fading. I'd guess that in a magnum springer the light lead-free pellets will shorten your spring life, not sure about the seals. I do think a redesigned lead-free pellet in the 14-15 grain weight would be nice.
 
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springs and seals are consumable. I expect to replace them.

so shoot whats accurate and does the job. your gonna be into it at some point anyway........
Click to expand...


With a 5 Year Warranty it will probably outlive my useful time when I can still do break-barrels 😁

I have a good base line of it's FPS etc so I'll use that to keep an eye on how long it holds up.

Any problems that show up which are not self inflicted I'll send it to the experts.
 
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I shot a couple thousand GTO's through my Prowler NP and the gas ram is still fine and shooting around 18.5 FPE as it always has. I did notice it sounded a little dry so I replaced the piston seal with an ARH model. The old seal was probably still usable with fresh lube, but it had been slapping the end of the chamber hard for a while, so I replaced it. Wasn't worth it to "save money" on a $20 seal.


 
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My take on the Stoeger S4000E is it not much to write home about from my observations of using it for two weeks.

- sound moderator does no better than my Hatsan Striker that I compared it to. It’s been with me for + - two years now. Moderator is gimmicky. No advantage overt the Striker older technology

-Striker is easier to cock

-accuracy isn’t any better or worse than Striker 

-trigger on Striker is more adjustable and predictable. I’m no fan of Striker trigger.

-Stoeger is a long drawn out process of waiting for it to break which leaves you guessing 

-FPS of Stoeger vs Striker gives the edge to the Striker by 20 FPS using the same pellet of the H&N FTT

14.66

-Stoeger has a harsher shot cycle. You can feel the difference after say 10-15 shots.More fatiguing.

Bottom line is there isn’t any advantage save for the longer warranty of the Stoeger (5 years) vs Striker 1 year.




 
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Stoeger sent me a few guns to review; this is the first one. I'm not one of those guys who does this for his day job. I plan to send the gun back, so consider it unsponsored. I have no affiliation with Stoeger.

Just a low-budget, one-take video. (it's not my day job ;-) )



Here are my summary ratings:

Stock: 10/10. Excellent design. Stock screws are thread-locked from the factory, which is refreshing. Since I took them out to see, I put a bunch more on them. It has a nice shape, great finish, adjustable length of pull and a neat compartment under the adjustable cheekpiece. I might replace the Allen screw with a thumb screw in the cheekpiece at some point, so it's more usable as a compartment in the field. There is a slot in the shoulder of the stock for a sling, but nothing for the front. You'd have to use one of the Pic rails for that.

Trigger 5/10. Smooth-but-heavy pull. 1st stage is useless as the second stage just keeps going and going with no indication of when it'll break.

Moderator: 7/10. I haven't experienced many more effective than this. It's not as quiet as a really nice one on a PCP, but it brings it down to "backyard-friendly" level. It's definitely more than just eye candy. I like how they didn't mess around with sights on the end of it. The omission of the front sight gives the user more leverage when cocking it.

Included Scope and rings: 8/10. The Stoeger-branded 3-9x40 AO is functional, but has no mil dots or other hold-over hash marks. Optically it's good, but not excellent. It's clear from edge to edge, but not "HD-type" clear, if that makes sense. Recoil hasn't damaged it or knocked it out of alignment in a few hundred rounds. Fit & finish are excellent. No lock for the turrets, but they're firmly damped and click-stopped. I didn't try shooting the box with it. The rings are two piece, but they have stop pins and the receiver of the gun has a hole for it, and this has kept it in place. (I locked all the screws)

Accuracy: 6/10. With the OEM trigger, the best I could do was 1.2" @ 25 yards with H&N FTT (5.55 mm head size) and JSB 15.89. Superdome also got 1.2" @ 25, but I only shot that pellet with a 5-shot group, as the fit in the breech was not good. Some were tight, some were loose and that hijacks my confidence in them. I think with a more predictable trigger, this group size could be shrunk to 3/4 to 1", but I have to rate it as it comes. This 6 rating might seem a bit harsh, but I know how accurate airguns can be, and even in this price bracket, I don't think 1/2 to 3/4" @ 25 yards is unreasonable. If they fix the trigger, and it'd shoot under an inch, I'd give it an 8. I suspect the GRT III trigger would fit, but I have to find out if I'm keeping the gun or not before I try that.

Shot cycle: 9/10. The only way it could be better is if it's a PCP. Cocking action is butter smooth after break-in and not too heavy. (33 lbs. effort) Since it's a gas piston, it doesn't rebound or torque like a springer does, and doesn't need the powerplant tuned to give its best.

Power: 10/10. Admittedly, this is subjective, but this gun shoots at 15-16 FPE, which I find is a sweet spot for springers. It's not so much that the gun becomes heavy or too hold-sensitive, but it's plenty enough to double-lung a squirrel at 25+ yards. 7 FPE is also fun, but under-powered for squirrels past 10 yards. 20-25 FPE gets big, heavy and hold-sensitive so that it's hard to shoot them well. (I'd rather have a PCP at 20+ FPE) 12-16 FPE is just a nice middle ground, to me.

Best pellets: H&N FTT (5.55 mm head) and JSB Jumbo Exact 15.89

Plinking pellets: Crosman Premier HP, (1.8" @ 25) JSB RS 13.4 gr, (2" @ 25) and RWS Superdome (1.2" @ 25, but not a consistent fit in the breech)

Bad pellets: JSB Express (3.4"+ @ 25 yards) Some hollow point pellets showed some promise at 10 yards, but they all opened up to 2"+ @ 25 yards. H&N Terminator were the best of HP pellets. I didn't try the popular JSB hollow points; couldn't get them.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrr4NiGUZk8&t=71s

More info is in the video description.
 
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USAFANG - What did you decide with regards to pellets? I'm thinking a good middle ground for lead-free pellets are the Baracuda Green. They're the heavier Baracuda style, but still made of tin. They're just a BIT lighter than the light lead pellets. Since the gun is a gas ram gun, I don't think you risk damage to the piston itself, but I'm sure it'd flatten out the seals faster.

Are you still shooting the stock trigger in this gun? I think the GTR III trigger kit from gatewaytoairguns.org will probably fit, and I'm thinking of trying it soon in my S8000E-TAC. (same trigger as S4000)

It's been a couple years now; how is the rifle holding up? Are you still enjoying it or have you passed it on? I'm thinking they'd be crackin' good guns if they'd just fix the trigger...
 
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Fun gun, but i found it not very accurate beyond about 25Y. IMO, for $150, there are better choices.
Click to expand...

Frank, one thing I found with my S8000E-TAC is that at 10 yards, my groups are about the same whether standing offhand or rested. This tells me that it is hold-sensitive enough that the extra stability provided by a rest is canceled out by being rested. The firmer it's rested, the worse it gets. I was shooting off a front rest only, with a towel folded several times under the forestock.

I consider it about a 1.5" gun at 25 yards. I don't see a point in shooting it beyond 25 yards, but I might re-consider when/if I put the aftermarket trigger in it...
 
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Fun gun, but i found it not very accurate beyond about 25Y. IMO, for $150, there are better choices.
Click to expand...

Frank, one thing I found with my S8000E-TAC is that at 10 yards, my groups are about the same whether standing offhand or rested. This tells me that it is hold-sensitive enough that the extra stability provided by a rest is canceled out by being rested. The firmer it's rested, the worse it gets. I was shooting off a front rest only, with a towel folded several times under the forestock.

I consider it about a 1.5" gun at 25 yards. I don't see a point in shooting it beyond 25 yards, but I might re-consider when/if I put the aftermarket trigger in it...
Click to expand...

I suffered with the same trigger on my S8000E-TAC, then noticed the second stage adjustment screw looked identical to that on my Benjamin Trail NP Elite. When I received both guns the screw was tight to the trigger. I improved the Benjamin trigger by installing a longer screw, so I replaced the 6mm long screw on the Stoeger with an 8mm screw and significantly improved the trigger.

I have just installed a Charlie daTuna CBR trigger on the Benji and now have an acceptable trigger. I have yet to remove the Stoeger from its stock, but if it has the same trigger as the Benjamin I will seriously consider replacement,.
 
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