I just picked up a Umarex 850 M2 and since I could find no reviews with the search engine here, thought I would share my thoughts. Am new to this site so please bear with me.
First of all, I am not completely new to air gunning, but am not exactly an expert either. I had a couple of Gamo springers and some kind of Crossman semi-auto when I lived in Michigan, but I left those to my son when me and the wife moved to Florida so she could escape the cold and I could learn to surf. Nuff said. Anywho, I recently bought a compound crossbow for which to entertain myself on those days when there is no surf, and then decided I'd like another airgun, too. So, after a couple hours on the internets I decided on the Umarex 850 M2 in .22 configuration. Why? Because the crossbow reminded me how hard cocking them springers used to be. I watched a couple YouTubes and then pulled the trigger on the 850, as it were, while my wife was still in a good mood. I paid $349 for it and maybe could have got it cheaper, but I was giddy and just went for it. There was a reason but that reason escapes me now.
The rifle came with two magazines, two 88 gram Sig Sauer CO2 tubes, and a tin of Excite Flathead pellets. I ordered up a UTG 4x32 scope for only $46 bucks. After two days of shooting at the range I decided I could use a couple more mags, but they is $25 apiece. And, they are made of plastic! I hope they don't wear out too quick as I plan on doing a bunch of shooting. Wish they were steel or at least composite, but what you gonna do?
Firstly, the rifle has some heft to it but I don't mind because I will only be target shooting and not lugging it over the river and through the woods. I am lucky enough to have a nice shooting range near me and after my second shoot plunked down for a year's membership--that's how much fun I had with the gun.
I have about 200 pellets through it now and am still on the first CO2 tube--and it is still shooting flat and straight. Yay! After sighting in that cheap scope I was very please with the groupings I was getting at 25 yards. Lots of nickel sized groups with very few flyers. Nickel sized groups from a penny shooter ain't too shabby in my book. Tomorrow I will crank that dude out to 50 yards and see what I can see. Am hopeful. Oh, and I did use my knapsack as a rest.
The trigger is adjustable and I monkeyed with it a little at the crib before going out with it for the first time. It is crisp and just a bit surprising which I believe is a good thing. Anywho, I am happy with it.
The scope sits on an 11mm dovetail rail, and it went on without a hitch. You'll want tall scope rings to clear the iron sights, which of course aren't iron (some kind of fiber optic stuff). I get a slight ghost image in my scope of the rear sight, but not enough to bother me. A better shooter might be irked by this a tad, and yank off them sights. There are three picatinny (sp???) rails on the forend so you can put lasers, bipods, flashlights or a mp3 player on it if you are the bling loving type.
There is a cap on the muzzle you can unscrew to put a "moderator" (uh huh) if you want, but the rifle seemed quiet enough for me. Of course, I was shooting alongside dudes who were blasting away with AR's shooting canon balls so maybe the theory of relativity applies a little here.
The bolt works smoothly when you pay attention, which I didn't every time and therefore had to fiddle with it once in a while. The safety is engaged every time you run the bolt which might irk some dudes, but doesn't bother me. It helped me slow down and be more disciplined. Its a thumb configuration right at the back of the receiver and just a slight nudge pushes if off.
It comes with a plastic cheek rest that snaps on the stock, to which I added a piece of an old wet suit I had just to soften it up a tad. No complaints here. It does what it does. Probably could get away with out it, but what the heck.
I went to Walmarts and picked up a tin of Crossman Premier 14.3 gr domed hollow points to take to the range along with them aforementioned Excite Flatheads. They both shot pretty much the same though the Flatheads did appear to tumble now and again. I mentioned the accuracy thing above, so I won't dwell on it here. However, in one of them YouTube videos I watched they said the magic pellet was the JSB Exact 14.3 domers so I have ordered up a mess of those--but they are taking forever to get here. Probably should have ordered more of them pellets, too, which BTW are not EXACTly cheap! Walmart or Bass Pro Shops don't stock them apparently. I also ordered up 4 tubes of the Umarex CO2 because I have read good things about that, and those came quick,fast and in a hurry.
My first urge to buy was a Hammerlin, but they was out of stock so I did happen on this one--and I am not sure there is a whole heck of a lot of difference, but what do I know? (Not much is the correct answer) But, so far so good and if this gun don't break any time soon (knock on wood) I'll be very happy with it. I'll post up again once I get a thousand or so down range.
Love to hear anyone's thoughts on this gun, or my poor composition skills.
First of all, I am not completely new to air gunning, but am not exactly an expert either. I had a couple of Gamo springers and some kind of Crossman semi-auto when I lived in Michigan, but I left those to my son when me and the wife moved to Florida so she could escape the cold and I could learn to surf. Nuff said. Anywho, I recently bought a compound crossbow for which to entertain myself on those days when there is no surf, and then decided I'd like another airgun, too. So, after a couple hours on the internets I decided on the Umarex 850 M2 in .22 configuration. Why? Because the crossbow reminded me how hard cocking them springers used to be. I watched a couple YouTubes and then pulled the trigger on the 850, as it were, while my wife was still in a good mood. I paid $349 for it and maybe could have got it cheaper, but I was giddy and just went for it. There was a reason but that reason escapes me now.
The rifle came with two magazines, two 88 gram Sig Sauer CO2 tubes, and a tin of Excite Flathead pellets. I ordered up a UTG 4x32 scope for only $46 bucks. After two days of shooting at the range I decided I could use a couple more mags, but they is $25 apiece. And, they are made of plastic! I hope they don't wear out too quick as I plan on doing a bunch of shooting. Wish they were steel or at least composite, but what you gonna do?
Firstly, the rifle has some heft to it but I don't mind because I will only be target shooting and not lugging it over the river and through the woods. I am lucky enough to have a nice shooting range near me and after my second shoot plunked down for a year's membership--that's how much fun I had with the gun.
I have about 200 pellets through it now and am still on the first CO2 tube--and it is still shooting flat and straight. Yay! After sighting in that cheap scope I was very please with the groupings I was getting at 25 yards. Lots of nickel sized groups with very few flyers. Nickel sized groups from a penny shooter ain't too shabby in my book. Tomorrow I will crank that dude out to 50 yards and see what I can see. Am hopeful. Oh, and I did use my knapsack as a rest.
The trigger is adjustable and I monkeyed with it a little at the crib before going out with it for the first time. It is crisp and just a bit surprising which I believe is a good thing. Anywho, I am happy with it.
The scope sits on an 11mm dovetail rail, and it went on without a hitch. You'll want tall scope rings to clear the iron sights, which of course aren't iron (some kind of fiber optic stuff). I get a slight ghost image in my scope of the rear sight, but not enough to bother me. A better shooter might be irked by this a tad, and yank off them sights. There are three picatinny (sp???) rails on the forend so you can put lasers, bipods, flashlights or a mp3 player on it if you are the bling loving type.
There is a cap on the muzzle you can unscrew to put a "moderator" (uh huh) if you want, but the rifle seemed quiet enough for me. Of course, I was shooting alongside dudes who were blasting away with AR's shooting canon balls so maybe the theory of relativity applies a little here.
The bolt works smoothly when you pay attention, which I didn't every time and therefore had to fiddle with it once in a while. The safety is engaged every time you run the bolt which might irk some dudes, but doesn't bother me. It helped me slow down and be more disciplined. Its a thumb configuration right at the back of the receiver and just a slight nudge pushes if off.
It comes with a plastic cheek rest that snaps on the stock, to which I added a piece of an old wet suit I had just to soften it up a tad. No complaints here. It does what it does. Probably could get away with out it, but what the heck.
I went to Walmarts and picked up a tin of Crossman Premier 14.3 gr domed hollow points to take to the range along with them aforementioned Excite Flatheads. They both shot pretty much the same though the Flatheads did appear to tumble now and again. I mentioned the accuracy thing above, so I won't dwell on it here. However, in one of them YouTube videos I watched they said the magic pellet was the JSB Exact 14.3 domers so I have ordered up a mess of those--but they are taking forever to get here. Probably should have ordered more of them pellets, too, which BTW are not EXACTly cheap! Walmart or Bass Pro Shops don't stock them apparently. I also ordered up 4 tubes of the Umarex CO2 because I have read good things about that, and those came quick,fast and in a hurry.
My first urge to buy was a Hammerlin, but they was out of stock so I did happen on this one--and I am not sure there is a whole heck of a lot of difference, but what do I know? (Not much is the correct answer) But, so far so good and if this gun don't break any time soon (knock on wood) I'll be very happy with it. I'll post up again once I get a thousand or so down range.
Love to hear anyone's thoughts on this gun, or my poor composition skills.
