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NRL AirGun?

I have been shooting the NRL22 matches for the last couple of months and it is a blast

airgunners are in their own division, but you still shoot with the rim fire guys. Some of them have shot my Impact, and they sure smile when they hand it back. I have been getting a few others Airgunner’s to come out and shoot. Hoping to have our own little squad in the next month or two

the NRL22 club has been GREAT in welcoming air guns. It is a learning experience for them, as our guns are very quiet when shot, they just have to watch the targets a little more.

I have been shooting my Impact X in 30 cal

my $.02


 
Been competing in NRL22 since shortly after it began, not with an air rifle yet though, maybe next month but if not then it won't be long till I do. I was fortunate enough to win the southwest regional high desert 2 day match last year with my Anschutz 1827F biathlon 22rf, man that was fun!!! So I'm very curious to see what an air rifle can do in comparison.

My small band of AG friends are ramping up to try the AG division of NRL22. We have at least 3 different locations we can attend in AZ north of Tucson. 

I'll either be using a American Air Arms EVOL in 30 or my Impact in 25. 

Personally I wouldn't want to be competing with my 22 cal 31ftlb Royale in this type of match, or with my 17 cal 19.8 ftlb FT rig, especially if there is much wind involved, but if just experimenting it would be interesting to say the least. 
 
I’ve been shooting my Impact .25 the last several months at my local NRL22 matches. Been whipping up on them powder burners. I like it when those guys say “an airgun kicked my butt”!!! It’s fun and keeps me tuned up. Make sure you get you a good bag like an udder bag or game changer for the different shooting positions. After my first match I quickly ordered a good bag. I’ve been the only airgun shooter. 

John T
 
Long ranges and wind are not favorable for air rifles. I used my Bantam Sniper HP in an event, and became aggravated with the amount of drift my pellets were experiencing as opposed to the 22 rimfires. The BC of an air rifle pellet is a significant disadvantage.

People who shoot off a benchrest think hitting a target at 100 is easy. And when you're not running around with an increased heartrate, or working to get off 10 shots in 2 minutes, AND engaging alternating targets, it is...

But a good shooter with a rimfire will run off and leave an air rifle in a typical NRL event - ESPECIALLY if it is windy. There are too many advantages for a 22 lr rimfire. Speed, trajectory, BC, etc.

And, don't forget that most clubs will have bonus shots for the rimfire shooters. Shots of 300+ yards. And it sucks standing around watching the rimfires hit steel at 350-360 yards and I can do nothing but sit my rifle down and watch. Anyone who says they can hit a 12x12 target at 350 yards with an air rifle, either got insanely lucky, or is lying. My rifle drops over 675 inches at that distance.



With that that said though... There is a significant advantage to having a high power 30 caliber for this event.



But... the airguns don't compete head-to-head with the rimfires. So... if you walk out there keeping your expectations in check - you'll have fun.
 
A lot of the time I am the only AG shooting the NRL22 match. I like to see how I stack up to the 22’s. Most of the time I am in the top five in over all points. I am 50 or 60 points behind the winner and that’s with all the stupid mistakes I make ( wrong hold over, ect) . I scored 410 in September that was good for 4th place if I remember correctly. Yes you have to work in reading the wind a lot, but I still think you can compete against the 22’s and do well. Imho