This summer, I attended the Pyramid Cup event, for the sole purpose of picking out a new springer. I own four Air Arms S-510 PCP rifles and have been thrilled with their performance in every regard.
Noting the popularity of the TX200 at the competition, I ordered a new .177 TX200 from Pyramid Air and promptly received it within a few days after the event.
I worked with it for several hundred rounds, both indoors and outdoors, and found the experience to be exasperating. I could not get a decent group, after being used to shooting consistent "1 hole" groups for years with my AA pcps. Additionally, the groups seemed to move around. About the time you would think you were making headway, the groups would shift. The recoil and harmonic vibration were significant.
I called PA and they were very courteous and responsive, sending me a call tag and having Glen give it immediate attention. He cleaned the rifle, removed some grease from some component, shot a very good test target at 20 yards, and sent it back to me. Unfortunately, though the rifle was better, it still was sub par to what I expected and very hard to be consistent with.
I then purchased a Vortek 12 FPE kit, expecting the rifle to shoot somewhere near 12 FPE once installed. The rifle has really settled down after installing the complete kit including the new rubber seal, and is shooting much more consistently and much tighter groups. However, I am really disappointed in the amount of power drop-off, as I am getting no where close to 12 FPE. If I had to do it over again, I would have purchased the alternative kit that Vortek offers, promoted to give +/-14 FPE.
The attached chart has been included for those pondering which kit to buy. For now, the rifle will make a good indoor range rifle, but I don't believe it has enough power to be a good field competition or hunting rifle. This is not at all what I expected when I purchased it or the tuning kit. Quite a learning curve when compared to my pcps.
Noting the popularity of the TX200 at the competition, I ordered a new .177 TX200 from Pyramid Air and promptly received it within a few days after the event.
I worked with it for several hundred rounds, both indoors and outdoors, and found the experience to be exasperating. I could not get a decent group, after being used to shooting consistent "1 hole" groups for years with my AA pcps. Additionally, the groups seemed to move around. About the time you would think you were making headway, the groups would shift. The recoil and harmonic vibration were significant.
I called PA and they were very courteous and responsive, sending me a call tag and having Glen give it immediate attention. He cleaned the rifle, removed some grease from some component, shot a very good test target at 20 yards, and sent it back to me. Unfortunately, though the rifle was better, it still was sub par to what I expected and very hard to be consistent with.
I then purchased a Vortek 12 FPE kit, expecting the rifle to shoot somewhere near 12 FPE once installed. The rifle has really settled down after installing the complete kit including the new rubber seal, and is shooting much more consistently and much tighter groups. However, I am really disappointed in the amount of power drop-off, as I am getting no where close to 12 FPE. If I had to do it over again, I would have purchased the alternative kit that Vortek offers, promoted to give +/-14 FPE.
The attached chart has been included for those pondering which kit to buy. For now, the rifle will make a good indoor range rifle, but I don't believe it has enough power to be a good field competition or hunting rifle. This is not at all what I expected when I purchased it or the tuning kit. Quite a learning curve when compared to my pcps.
