Airgun Interest

Back in the early days when I started out I had a Salavia 177 which was a pretty good gun to start with then the need for more power came along and I got a 177 BSA Meteor then later on a BSA Meteor in 22 cal. Back then we hounded the bird and rats relentlessly using upwards of a 1000 pellets a weekend. Guns needed regular maintanace and we got pretty good at changing springs etc.Back then we also shot a few rabbits and possums when we could.
The Crossman I now have is 177 and scoped and shoots well and has taken a few rabbits , possums, wallabies, magpies etc . I also have a BSA Meteor which we bought for our son when he was starting out shooting and a Telly which belonged to a mate who was killed in a shooting accident , both these are 177 also. Both the old ones run velocities around 500 fps depending on pellet weight.
The Crossman with heavy 8.95 gr pellets average 714 fps and with light Gamo pellets at 4.9 grs average 870 fps.

After a trying day at work it was good to unwind with a bit of concentrated thought-control.
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I used air guns before I got my FAL and had a few. The best one i had in my opinion was a cometa fusion .22. I brought it off Mintie. (one of the fellows on here)
Used to demolish rabbits , sold it to put money towards a 308.
I think one day i will go back to the ol air rifle maybe in pcp , i still keep an eye out on trade me to see whats going.

Took another therapy session this evening. Kneeling this time:
As you can see from what I wrote the other day, my mind wasn't sufficiently cleared then.
Not sure its much better today but its all in the journey - eh ?
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Mimms the standing target has the inside of the red ring 48mm.
This kneeling one is slightly smaller 45 mm.
The idea was that the smaller one at 20m would be equivalent to the larger one at 25 yd, gauged on the central red dot 10 ring and allowing for the .22" bullet diameter so its not quite the same for all the rings.
See why I need the therapy ...

Hi, you guys all do group work by candle light don't you ?

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Had a play with a FX Impact mark 2 in 22cal the other day - what a revelation!
Starlings at 80mt measured out of a tree - was too easy.
thank god the mark 3 arent in the country yet!

I was doing some grouping tests on a variety of different pellets through my 35ish year old Weihrauch back in Jan.
Grouping is at 25m, velocity tables are at muzzle.

The outside of the orange diamond is 1". Grid is 1/2".

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Surprised I missed this thread! I'm airgunning pretty much every day, sometimes its modifying, repairing, target practise, hunting or buying and selling. My collection varies from old pistols from the 1920s up to a range of modern PCP's - including big bores.

Airgunning is a great way of safely getting youngsters interested in shooting as a hobby, and later on in life there is a huge range of them to try and collect.

My favorite collectable piece at the moment is a super rare (even by international standards) Haenel 28r German repeating spring powered pistol.

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My favorite everyday airgun at the moment would have to be my Edgun Leshiy, it is an incredibly versatile pest control tool that can change the calibre and power levels within a few minutes, from low powered shots 8fpe on birds inside barns to smashing possums and rabbits with 30fpe.

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@Mintie LRF?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by madjon_

@Mintie LRF?

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Yes, SA45 LRF

Springer airguns are notorious for crazy recoil that could make stuff come loose.

Breakbarrels also have some extra structural screws that a powder rifle doesn't.

How tight do people do them up ?
How often do you check them ? ( I asked one guy and he retightens every night he shoots.)
Does anyone use a torque wrench ?
What are they even called ? Do those cross screws have standard names ?
Which ones would you use loctite on and which colour ? Or do people just use a film of oil so you can feel the torque smoothly by hand ?

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Recently, I found one had come a bit loose, but it goes across thin wood that could split, so I wondered ...
I think professionals tighten screws by hand but in the interests of standardisation I thought I'd try using the FAT wrench. Not sure if its a good idea or not. Most of the screws were already way tighter than the numbers below but this is what I've started with. My first trial settings are quite a bit less than people use on powder burner stocks.

1. Barrel pivot screw 20 in.lb
2. Cross bedding screw 15 in.lb This is the one that had come loose but I thought needed a gentle touch.
3. Front trigger guard screw 20 in.lb
4. Rear trigger guard screw 20 in.lb
5. Scope base screws 20 in.lb (Mount manufacturer Leapers UTG recommend more like 40 in.lb)
6. Scope ring screws 20 in.lb (Manufacturer: 25 in.lb)

I'd be interested to hear what other people are using and of course what they call them.
I haven't ever taken the stock off. Are there other screws inside that need regular checking ?

Brings back memories. Had my air rifle 2nd hand from an older cousin when I turned 12. It was a Falk 60 and very accurate to 25 yards open v sights. Ended up replacing the main spring and modified later by inserting an extra smaller diameter spring inside the mainspring. Shot plenty mynas and bunnies with it before graduating to a single shot savage .22 when I turned 16. Shortly after that I was selected for the school shooting team and issued with No 4 .303 and limitless ammo by NZ Army. Our team won the inaugural Masefield team shoot at Trentham at 3 5 600 yards.
So yes, i definitely agree that air rifle is a great way to introduce and train young shooters and obviously now has a useful place in formal competative and small game shooting.

What are the requirements to have a 10-25 metre airgun range at home section?

Hi Woody and Forum Members,
Have a look in the Arms Code and the requirements are that you don't "Annoy, Endanger or Frighten" anyone.

First you need a bullet trap (I used sandbags, with solid wood behind which I checked from time to time. Have a plan for disposal once the bag is shredded.) I used corflute to attach the target flat in front. Give some thought to your firing zone and safety of misplaced shots and ricochets.

Second you need to be discreet and have the understanding of people you live with. Spend half an hour or so planning and discussing things to anticipate any objections eg no shooting after bed time or while young kids are around; let people know when you're going to be shooting.

Third, there are guidelines for setting up shooting ranges (link to NZ Police range manual 2005) which will give you some good ideas. You could go whole "Risk Management" on this and write your own range standing orders and standard operating procedures if you like.

@Mintie Do you have any thoughts on torque settings for springer air rifles ?