Surprising power of my Hammerli 850 AirMagnum .22 rifle

Find an old phone book and test your various rounds, and rifles with it. Easy to see how many pages a given projectile makes it through. My method is to note the last page with an actual tear in it not just some indentation.

I used to have a that 850 in .22 some years back. That was my leap into pre PCP addiction. I remember reading these guns were the closet to PCP performance you could get. I bought one and was amazed at how quickly I was able to dispatch multiple squirrels at one time at various distances from 15 to 45 yrds cleanly. We know it doesn't take a whole lot of fpe to kill ,but accuracy is everything and that Hammerli was awesome once I learned the hold over points. I shot 14gr Jsb's and RWS domes with great success, 18's would be a little loopy depending on your ranges. That gun was and is a lot of fun to shoot. 

I loved my Hammerli 850 so much that I did not get into PCP because of it. I just bought a second one just to get it tuned by the 850 Store. This way my son shoots the stock 850 with open sights because that's how he likes it, and then I shoot the scoped and tuned one which has a much stiffer spring.

One thing I would advise to those hoping to find greater power during warm weather using their Hammerli 850 is that as temps climb power drops due to valve lock. Because the 850 is a Swiss and German design it never gets that hot over there so the valve is not really designed to hold temps much over 60-70 degrees so shooting it where the OP has yields about peak power. This is another reason some people like to tune theirs because a stiffer spring will avoid valve lock when the CO2 pressures rise in warmer temperatures.

Stock it gets about 590-600fps with 15.9 grain pellets and 650 with 14.3 grain pellets, tuned at least from Roald of the 850 store it gains another 100fps or so going from a 12 ftlb rifle to a 16-17ft lb approaching break barrel energy levels.

I really love these guns and with the new 3000psi Ninja HPA tank that down regulates the HPA to the safe for CO2 1100psi which works really well it becomes a 4 season gun. I can get 3000psi of HPA or for that matter, CO@ refills from bulk tanks from a paintball store no problem and the tanks hold so many shots that it really gives me pause to go PCP now. CO2 and 3000psi is cheap but go 4500psi and you need some serious tanks, generators or continual trips to the dive shop. I think combining the Hammerli 850 with some break barrels and lower power rimfire using CCI 22 Quiet (50 ft lb or so), 22 CB shorts (30ft lb or so) or Aguila Super Colibri (~14 ft lb) ammo is about all I need right now. We'll talk in a year or two.....

 It’s my understanding that as temperature rises so does gas pressure, giving rise to the warning not to leave an air rifle in a car in summer, etc. Would the stock 850 really experience a malfunction at normal summer temperatures (max. 90’s)? 

Hello Jaybo;

I would not call it a malfunction but what happens is that as the temperature warms up, the CO2 pressure rises. As the pressure rises eventually it goes beyond what the air gun's gas regulator, springs and valves were designed to handle so the mechanism, rather than acting more powerful, actually closes prematurely letting in *LESS* gas.

The other issue with the Hammerli 850 in .22 is that the barrel is too long for the 12 ftlb power level. I am not saying that the rifle is too weak, but rather that it was designed to be a .177 in CO2 from an original design that was fed from High Pressure Air (HPA). What this means is that the volume of the barrel is too large for the amount of gas dispersed so the pellet actually loses velocity the last few inches as there's not enough gas to push it. It's the same reason why in firearms you don't have 30 inch barrels on every single gun. Some guns need longer barrels, others are just fine with shorter ones depending on the charge, load, bullet type etc.

Neither of these issues is a bad thing, I've enjoyed my stock Hammerli 850 in the summer just fine but the 22 adaptation was an after the fact creation to meet a given demand. It's not like the Hammerli 850 *NEEDS* a tune, it just works better with one but you hardly miss it without one.

I had my Hammerli tuned at the "850 store" which you can look up. Roald does great work and he can explain every step of the way.

Warmest regards

"jaybo"Thanks for the detailed information. It really helps me and, I'm sure, other serious airgunners. I will probably leave my 850 stock for now, but may have it tuned at a later date. As an interesting side note, I live at 7000 ft. and often hunt at a higher altitude, so air density at altitude might also factor into the equation.

Warm wishes to you too.

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I own a factory original Hammerli 850 which was my first, then I got an Archer QB79 that was factory tuned to the ragged edge, then I bought another Hammerli 850 for the express purpose of Roald of the 850 store tuning it. I am very happy with all three.

If you want a really powerful CO2 rifle the Archer QB79 will shoot 14.3 grain pellets at 770fps for an honest 19 FPE approaching break barrel power and you can order one today arriving on your doorstep in less than a week. Just ask for all the power related options and the extra power tune, it's almost like you can get the Dinan tunes on a BMW from the dealer directly while still enjoying the factory warranty. The Archer has an amazing trigger but the downside is the rifle's balance is not as nice, it's not as refined as the Hammerli 850 and it's somewhat less accurate. The bolt is smoother on the Archer but it does use Marauder magazines that are spring fed so you don't want to leave them loaded a long time. For the Hammerli I have a ton of magazines I just keep loaded and then unleash a storm of lead when I feel like it.

The tuned Hammerli requires you to contact Roald at the 850 store who is a joy to talk to and will walk you through the whole process but it takes a month or two for turn around because Roald is busy. Mr. Steven Archer is more commercial and sells his QB's as a day job while Roald does it more for hobby purposes because Roald has another day job. Steven wants to make you happy to make the sale and does so in an honest, straightforward, no frills but excellent customer service kind of way. Roald wants to spend an hour talking to you on the phone and emails you tons of updates if you're up for it because he knows everything there is to know about the 850, loves the gun and is receptive if you enjoy it just as much. The tuned Hammerli has a stiffer cocking and will net about 690fps with 15.9 grain pellets (which is what it ends to shoot best, better than the 14ish grain) and 730fps with 14ish grain pellets. It is more accurate though thanks to its Walther barrel so you give up a little power for some more accuracy.

They are fun in different ways, I cannot say which I like better but for a novice I would recommend the stock Hammerli and keeping it as such maybe for a year as you get a feel for the gun, the next step being the QB 79 and as your skills progress buy a second 850 to tune, it's nice to have both configurations. MAybe the money might be better spent on PCP's but they are much more expensive and in my situation PCP level air is not easy to find as paintball level air or CO2. As far as the Archer and tuned Hammerli when (not if) you will get the higher power versions do buy a scope with mil dots as it will really help you get the most out of the gun. Also download Chairgunpro to calculate the ballistic trajectory so you know exactly how much to hold over or under at what distance. This is even more important if you plan to hunt with these guns which are definitely powerful enough for the job.

For now I suggest you keep shooting and enjoying the Hammerli 850 in its factory original form. There is a learning curve; it's fun to shoot at things with the stock Hammerli 850 and make close to 1 hole groups at 10-20 yards. You can successfully hit objects from further out or group but shot drop becomes a factor. I've been at airguns for nearly 2 years now and I am able to hit small duplo blocks or empty shotgun shell husks from 40+ yards. When you're ready to start reaching out is when you'll be ready for the tuned versions which eventually IMHO are very worth it as your skills grow but let yourself enjoy every step of the way so you know what the upgrades involve so as to appreciate and enjoy them better.

The difference in airguns vs powder burners is about 100x muzzle energy at this power level and 10x the distance equivalent. In other words the holdover required at 50 yards on a gun like the Hammerli 850 would be equivalent to the holdover required on a high power rifle. This way it's a lot less expensive and also easier to work on the same skill set.

I've always been interested in an 850, but didn't like the 88g disposalible cartridge. I did bulk air a 2250 and a QB 78 shooting off of a refillable 12 oz. CO2 paintball tank that I was going to use on the 850. The problem for me was refilling the CO2 tank which was a 70 mile round trip.

It's easier for me to shoot HPA because of my Omega Super Charger. This is in and of itself an interesting modern airgun phenomenon, because more affordable HPA compressors ( Shoebox,Air Venturi, Omegas) that plug into a 110 outlet can now in my case displace bulk CO2.

Given that Air Venturi has just come out with a regulated HPA tank that fits the 850, the Hammerlli became a lot easier to accommodate HPA. After reading your comments on the 850, I might go for the .177 since that was the designed caliber. Thanks again for all the 850 information.

I was sad to learn today Roald is not too far away from closing up shop. Nice guy who does very good work. Maybe some one with pick up tune/repair on the 850.
As far as CO2 I bought a 20 pound tank and fill assembly for around $60 used. In Tn it cost me $25 for a 20 pound fill. It last me for 8 months of filling 9 oz bottles. Love it. Brian