Anyone shot a 22 Nova Freedom or Seneca Aspen? Feedback wanted please...

I own the Nova Freedom. I received it just a week before the Aspen cam out. I haven't had any issues with mine and shoots sub inch at 50 yards out of a bag with JSB .22 18.13 gr. Now for me to achieve that, I need to keep my pressure at 2500-2000. That gives me 5 shots. I haven't plaid with the hammer spring yet as we just received our chrono. But just did a power curb throughout 3500 to 1000 psi on paper targets. Pumping the pressure in the 2500 range is a breeze and even my 14 years old son can handle it.

My son love his and hunting with that baby is no problem. You do not have to worry about air and you can shoot anything in the 50 yards with a precise killer hit.

I hesitated to buy it first, but I would buy it again without a doubt now that I have used it

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I also love the gun. I am using JSB 18.13 gr., JSB 25.4 Ultra Shocks, and H&N 21.14 gr.. Pellet on pellet at 35 yards, you can shoot the cherry out of a whipped cream container at 50 yards. Too much fun. I am looking to add a Donnyfl Tanto suppressor to bring the sound down to the hammer spring. The variables on this rifle are too much! I also keep the gun at 2500, shoot 5 shots, pump it 10 times, back in action. I do most shooting on low power. High power does not give me the dramatic difference to justify the extra pumping required. But, if needed, it is but a turn of the knob away!

If I could do it again, I'd buy the Nova LIBERTY. It shares the shooting components of my Seneca Aspen, but deletes the pump in favor of a larger reservoir. Lighter, too. My pump failed after about 1500 rounds - most at 2200 psi (purchased at AD when they got their new stock in January, 2019). I fixed it myself rather than return the gun for warranty. Instead of investing a lot of money to perhaps ship the gun repeatedly for warranty work (and then have the warranty expire anyway), I invested a lot of time on the forums figuring out how to fix it. I'm a very handy guy, and I've gathered tons of pro tools over my lifetime, but still had to carefully modify a sturdy side-pin spanner purchased at Harbor Freight (no full-service tool store here in Yuma). Most folks will not want to tackle this job! Now, after 2000 more rounds, the pump binds badly some days, and I expect to have to repeat the repair at some time.

Yes, I will do a pictorial instruction post when next I have to fix the pump!

If you do buy the Aspen/Nova, add 2-3 drops of oil each 100 rounds if you are using the built-in pump exclusively. Pump slowly and deliberately both opening and closing. It is much better to pump 3 to 5 times between shots than to shoot the gun down too low.

I do have a shiny new Hill MK4 pump. I had to purchase that because I need to be able to shoot the gun when the pump starts to bind (a frequent but random occurrence), and to save wear on the built-in pump. If I had gotten the Nova Liberty, the savings on the gun would have paid half the cost of the Hill pump. The reservoir on the Liberty is much bigger than the Aspen/Nova, and is certain to get more than the 10-15 shots of the Aspen/Nova without filling.

Look at the Nova Liberty. It retails for $100 less than the Nova/Aspen, but has no scope. The included scope on the Aspen/Freedom is surprisingly good for an inexpensive, no-name (unmarked) piece, but you'll soon replace it with something better. The rings included with the cheap scope do not fit the dovetail well. I had tried several different scope rings on the gun: They all worked, but fit was poor. The BKL brand rings are perfect for this particular 11mm dovetail. I use their BKL-257 rings (described as "tall", but not their tallest) with my Nikon Prostaff P3 Target 3-9 x 40 Adjustable Objective scope.

I bought mine here at a very good price with free shipping: 1800gear.com

Here's the link to the BKL Technologies webpage showing the tall rings I bought. They make various styles that mount the same way:

http://www.bkltech.com/BKL-6-Long-Dovetail-Rings-p/bkl-257.htm

NOTE: I have no relationships with any of the vendors or manufacturers I mention above. I'm just a guy that likes to source the best stuff, at the best prices, for my hobby.

Have you determined why the pump is binding? 

Is your pump still holding air? Mine binds sometimes after sitting, but with use, seems to loosen up. It still holds air, no leaking at all. I also use silicone oil liberally. I put a drop every time I go through two magazines. Keep the gun between 2500 and 2000, and that is my sweet spot.. I shoot five shots, pump ten times, slowly, methodically, and with purpose. For hunting, this gun is perfect. If you are target shooting, use a tank. I put the Donnyfl Tanto suppressor on the gun, and I like it even more. Talk about quiet. Excellent mod if anyone is interested. The Tanto excels at fps 800 or less. My Go to pellets are JSB 18 grain, H&N 21 grain, and JSB Ultra Shock 25 grain. It keeps my fps down and my fpe up. When any of these pellets reach their objective, controlled chaos ensues. 

Have you determined why the pump is binding? 

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The part that binds is the small, pencil size piston in the final chamber tube. This is where the highest psi air is pushed into the reservoir. Compressing air creates its own heat, made worse by o-ring friction. From the factory, the piston is sealed by a single, wide o-ring. You can't oil that chamber tube and piston directly: Oil must work its way there from the oiling hole and through the other chambers. So, rather than slide smoothly, the o-ring(s) wants to jam between the tube and piston. Per instructions and help from poster Butch (search my posts), I replaced the (wide) worn o-ring with two (2) 006 Buna Rubber rings, side by side in the slot. Next time, I'm going to try 006 polyurethane rings, 70 Duro.

Why does it bind on some occasions? Hard to say. My most recent binding episode was on a 85 degree day with sun shining on the black gun while I was shooting. It's random, and later in that session it worked fine. Perhaps oil is working its way through even as I was shooting.

Is your pump still holding air? Mine binds sometimes after sitting, but with use, seems to loosen up. It still holds air, no leaking at all. I also use silicone oil liberally. I put a drop every time I go through two magazines. Keep the gun between 2500 and 2000, and that is my sweet spot.. I shoot five shots, pump ten times, slowly, methodically, and with purpose. For hunting, this gun is perfect. If you are target shooting, use a tank. I put the Donnyfl Tanto suppressor on the gun, and I like it even more. Talk about quiet. Excellent mod if anyone is interested. The Tanto excels at fps 800 or less. My Go to pellets are JSB 18 grain, H&N 21 grain, and JSB Ultra Shock 25 grain. It keeps my fps down and my fpe up. When any of these pellets reach their objective, controlled chaos ensues.

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My reservoir doesn't leak. The pump moves air properly: I've not noticed having to pump more frequently. As to filling with a tank or pump, if not using the built-in pump, it's frustrating to have to fill after just 10-15 shots due to a tiny reservoir, tiny by design 'cause there's a built-in pump. My chronograph tells me the limits of the reservoir in giving consistent FPS shots. I pump two or three times between shots to extend the sweet spot, then use the MK4 to top up when pressure gets near the bottom of the range.

I have the Nova Freedom .22. Between e30_s50 and myself if you ever have a problem with the gun just ask and I’m sure one of use will be able to help you out. I have many Airgun’s much more expensive and still grab this gun every time I open the gun cabinet. If I every lost this one I would buy another. The gun is very accurate and is fun to shoot.

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Butch, when your o-rings were failing, did your accuracy suffer? My accuracy has gone downhill but the o-rings are still not leaking as of now. They are sticky when I first go to pump it up, on the up stroke. Just cleaned it and that wasn't it unfortunately. Thanks, Andrew

Check your probe orings and replace with the extra ones that came with the gun. Also make sure your barrel shroud it tight. Last but not least check your scope and clean your barrel. 

Your pump seal does not effect accuracy. 

Thanks for getting back to me. I will replace the o-rings on the bolt. Is this where they go? The manual says breech 0-ring will cause accuracy issues. Same thing? Already cleaned the barrel. The shroud seems tight I will check it.

Yes pellet probe/bolt/breech orings all the same just different names. You can test it by laying a tissue over the breech, fire it and see if the tissue moves. But breech orings sounds like the culprit. 

Thanks for helping me with diagnostics. I have researched the best way to take the bolt o-rings off, and it looks like I should buy some dental tools and be careful not to scratch the seats. I will need 006 polyurethane rings, 70 Duro as per your earlier post for the pump, when it goes. Did you have luck with the teflon 0-rings?

I have the piston seal made looks very promising but developed a air leak at the gauge. So untill my new gauge gets here on the slow boat from China, I’m dead in the water. Just for future reference if any one has their gauge break as mine did, the thread size is M8x1. Sounds easy to just retap the port size untill you realize the gauge also holds the keeper tab for the pin that secures the pressure tube. If the new seal works after testing I will let you know. 

Ouch! I have a lot of air rifles, but since buying the Nova Freedom, that is the only one I have shot. There are so many variables, adjustments, and ammo that I find myself shooting through tins of ammo, where before, a couple of shots and I would be done. Good luck on the gauge, and I am very interested in your success with the teflon seal. Fixing the weak link would be a beautiful thing. Thanks again for your help. Andrew

I've been wanting to love my Aspen aka Nova Freedom but up until last night the pump has been a real deal breaker. I finally over lubed the pump last night and it's finally not taking 20 to 30 pumps per shot to get back up to 3K psi. I'm figuring from what I've read that the inner Oring was probably dry and was making it heck to pump and wasn't actually compressing the air like it should. Will try it some more today to see if the pump keeps working. Anybody found a way to get the barrel clamp (?) to hold the barrel firmer? I tried to zero the rifle a couple of days ago and couldn't get the windage and a little of the elevation to zero. Barrel had to be moving because of how hard it was to pump. I had to set the butt of the stock on the seat of my truck and hold the rifle up near where the pump pivots. Needless to say I'm very sore from the workout I got from just shooting around 20 rounds.

I took my barrel off and took a C clamp and crimped my barrel band a little at a time until my shroud fit tight. I was still getting a poi change so I pulled my shroud off my barrel and found that the barrel support the one that’s closest to the end of the barrel was loose inside the shroud it’s to small. So I loosened the set screw pulled it off took the 2 O-rings off Then I took my Teflon tape wrapped it around one time on the seat where the O-rings sit, it raised the O-rings up just enough to be tight inside the shroud and I haven’t had a problem since eventually I’ll get two new O-rings that are a little bigger. 

I already had the tape laying around so I used it. When my pump seal does go bad I’ll replace it with a Viton O-ring.

How does the Viton o-ring compare to using two 006 polyurethane rings, 70 Duro ? Does it have a higher heat signature? I am replacing my breech o-rings today. I was not aware they should be replaced every two thousand rounds. I should have known since they are included with the rifle purchase package. I am now going to make sure my shroud is tight. I want poi where my cross hairs are. Should I be replacing the breech o-rings with Viton o-rings? Thanks, Andrew

These are your breech orings you need to buy. You can order them from the oring store online. 

I've been wanting to love my Aspen aka Nova Freedom but up until last night the pump has been a real deal breaker. I finally over lubed the pump last night and it's finally not taking 20 to 30 pumps per shot to get back up to 3K psi. I'm figuring from what I've read that the inner Oring was probably dry and was making it heck to pump and wasn't actually compressing the air like it should. Will try it some more today to see if the pump keeps working. Anybody found a way to get the barrel clamp (?) to hold the barrel firmer? I tried to zero the rifle a couple of days ago and couldn't get the windage and a little of the elevation to zero. Barrel had to be moving because of how hard it was to pump. I had to set the butt of the stock on the seat of my truck and hold the rifle up near where the pump pivots. Needless to say I'm very sore from the workout I got from just shooting around 20 rounds.

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Lol, what do you consider "over lubed"?

These are your breech orings you need to buy. You can order them from the oring store online. 

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Thanks Butch! Andrew