Spring air rifle shooting.

[pianoman 3,587]

Ladies and Gentlemen.

 

This is a case for the oldest, noblest and, in my humble opinion, the finest sporting air rifle type of all. The spring-piston powered air rifle.

Yes, PCPs are accurate; some are indeed astonishingly accurate and..well, that's all they are really. They can surely hit what they are pointed at but, they do it with an air of self-possession. It's as if they have been designed to keep as much involvement from the you the shooter, and your natural imperfections and errors in handling and aiming, out of the shooting solution, as far as possible. With a pcp and a scope in zero, you can just hold it like a rifle, aim it like a rifle onto the target and it'll sort out the poor handling skills and reward you with a clean hit. Most of the time.

 

Marksmanship for those who don't have any? Well, that's a bit unkind to say. Truly, you can set up a 50-metre zero on a 2p disc with a PCP on a bipod and your Mum, your sister and granny will have no problem hitting the target every time, as long as they can steady the crosshairs on to the target. But what did they actually learn to achieve such marksmanship so quickly...other than simply setting the cross hairs right on the target? It is perhaps a truth to say, you will learn little of the principles that govern marksmanship from a rifle that over-writes your errors and mistakes and will not allow you to learn from them.

 

There is however, one over-ruling truth in the PCPs favour. If large numbers of vermin shot are the order of the day, if a fast reloading capability is a necessary requirement for controlling large volumes of rabbits etc, if FAC levels of performance approaching that of rimfire rifles is needed, without the risks of sending a missed bullet over huge distances, the multi shot PCP rifle is a professional's tool and is unbeatable in this instance, with their advantages in terms of quicker shot delivery. If you shoot with large numbers of vermin as your objective, it makes perfect sense to use a PCP. But Let me make one fact absolutely clear on the question of air rifle accuracy:

 

THE SPRING PISTON AIR RIFLE IS EVERY BIT AS ACCURATE AS THE MOST SOPHISTICATED PCP RIFLE.

 

Accuracy is everything here. It is the real make-or-break power test of any air rifle. This is a law governing all air rifles. Sheer power and brute, grunt force alone means absolutely nothing if you can't hit a barn door with it.

 

No question, if you shoot with a top-quality springer rated at between 10.5 to 11.5 ft/lbs of consistent power, a good scope and the right pellet; and, if you do your part in the shooting solution right, you can put any number of pellets, .22, .20, .177 - whatever calibre, all day through a £1 coin size target at anything from 10 to 50 metres and over as well as the most sophisticated PCP can.

 

It is a complete and utter myth that the PCP is superior to the springer for accuracy alone. One-hole, single-pellet accuracy at this distance is seriously accurate shooting by any standard. You cannot demand more than this level of accuracy realistically from any air rifle, regardless of the action type. And a quality spring rifle will perform to this standard of accuracy without problems..or bottles or scuba tanks of air, hoses, regulators, limited numbers of shots and God knows what expense! All you need to know, is how the rifle shoots and how a correct hold technique will help you to manage its recoil.

 

A NOTE ABOUT QUALITY.

In the sport of shooting, like everything else in this life, you only get back what you pay for, and the quality of the spring rifle and a good scope you choose is a vital factor of your enjoyment of spring rifle ownership and a rewarding shooting life with it. The very best spring rifles are made by Weihrauch, Diana and Walther LGV from Germany. Air Arms from Great Britain. The quality of guns made by these names are the finest there is and their barrels and adjustable triggers are the real deal. There are always cheaper guns of course. But their quality and performance are no real alternative and most do not measure up to the level of accurate shooting we are discussing here. It will invariably happen that the limitations of a cheap gun will soon result in another visit to the shops to buy what you should have bought in the first place. A point to remember when choosing a spring rifle on a tight budget. A second hand rifle from the above stable names will still produce amazing results for the price of brand new tat or even cheaper! Consider that my newest rifle, an HW97K .177 is now about 8 months old and my oldest, an HW80 .22 is now 16 years old and one is just as accurate, just as delightful to shoot with as the other. Scopes are a matter of individual tastes and budgets. But always; Buy cheap and you buy twice is a true maxim here.!

 

WEIGHT.

Spring powered air rifles are designed with three types of cocking action. Break-barrel, Underlever and Sidelever. and all them are heavier than the average PCP, but, at around 7.5 to 10lbs or so with a scope on board; about the weight of most military rifles, this is really not as heavy as some would have you believe. The weight helps absorb recoil and assists with stability in the aim, particularly from prone, kneeling and seated shooting positions and frankly, if you cannot manage this sort of weight and on a rifle sling at that, you need some serious exercise! Underlevers and sidelevers are a little heavier than break barrel rifles as there are more parts in their make up. But the fixed barrel accuracy they possess is utterly precise. But that's not to say break barrel rifles are in any way a poor relation! Walther LGV series and Weihrauch's HW80s and HW95s are break-barrel rifles with a world renown for their precision accuracy and utter reliability in all conditions.

 

 

THE ART OF SPRING RIFLE SHOOTING EXPLAINED.

 

1. LET'S GET COMFORTABLE. BASIC SHOOTING SET-UP.

Comfort and Finesse are the operational words in spring rifle shooting accuracy. Nothing should be allowed to be stressed or hurried or cramped. But a certain elegant, finesse is desired on your part to effect a COMFORTABLE SUPPORT OF THE WEIGHT AND RESPONSIVE MANAGEMENT OF THE RIFLE'S RECOIL WITH CORRECT HOLD. TRIGGER CONTROL and FOLLOW-THROUGH is everything we need to get right first and last (We'll take it as a given regarding the right pellet and scope for the rifle).

SPRING RECOIL.

Shooting any rifle from a comfortable, supportive position where the weight of the weapon is properly managed and wobbles reduced to nought is the foundation of all rifle-shooting accuracy. The next is an understanding of how the spring piston air rifle recoils and how we manage that recoil without imparting restrictions on it. The rifle recoils in two directions; forth and back in this sequence. 1. The spring piston slamming forward creating shock-vibration. And 2. The resulting air charge compressing and surging forward into the narrowing air chamber and transfer port rebounding back slightly as it compresses into the skirt of the pellet in the breech, creating recoil back. All of which happens in a micro-second and has to be managed in the hold of the rifle in your hands and shoulder, by you alone, without restricting any of it in any way whatsoever.

 

THIS IS WHY SHOOTING FROM SOLID RESTS LIKE BIPODS ARE A COMPLETE AND UTTER WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY FITTING ONE TO A SPRING POWERED AIR RIFLE.

 

Because this 2-way recoil effect will throw the shot wide when the rifle bounces about on solid, unyielding surfaces under recoil on firing. Whatever the action you prefer to use, you have to manage the two-way felt-recoil that all spring rifles produce. And that brings us back to comfort.

 

The best, most comfortable shooting position of all is to lie prone. This is the most stable field shooting position of all and very effective for all hunting sports with a rifle. It is the optimum shooting position of armed forces snipers as it allows the shooter to maximise "ground level-down" concealment while observing the target and build a stable-aiming gun-platform with his body and arms forming a firm tripod support of the weapon. Bipods and solid rests are useless with spring rifles but, I use a cushioned shooting seat to rest and support my leading forearm which comfortably supports the weight of the rifle on my forehand. You can, of course shoot from any position that suits you best. What is important in whatever your preferred position however, is allowing the rifle to rest, supported in a comfortable, unrestricted hold and a finesseful control of the rifle at your shoulder and in your hands.

 

Scope. The position of the scope on the rifle imposes an amount of weight onto the cylinder which has an effect on the rifle's balance and its handling, and thereby its accuracy performance. Getting the scope perfectly aligned for both eye relief and weight-balance is easier to achieve and can make the rifle feel almost weightless if you use two-piece mounts to spread the load over the cylinder. I find single or one-piece mounts very limiting in scope position and inefficient for weight-imposition of the scope on the rifle and thus, never use them. When zeroing your rifle, any rifle, the winds will make a significant effect on your accuracy. Test your scope and pellet's performance whenever a calm, windless day presents an opportunity to get out and shoot.

 

2.HOLD and TRIGGER.

At the risk of repetition, when you shoot a spring rifle, you feel it's recoil "talk" to you through your controlling hand's wrist and gently back into your shoulder. It may not feel much but, unlike the one-way recoil back from a larger calibre cartridge rifle, a spring rifle's two-way recoil is enough to adversely work against the shooter and throw the shot completely off target. It is a snap of sharp vibration-shock and slight push-back on firing but, it can be sharp enough to wreck a scope. Tuning and "fettling" can help reduce the recoil effect but not remove it completely from the firing sensation. Also a pull or snap of the trigger will direct the recoil and pull the rifle off-target in the direction determined by which hand, left or right you shoot from.
Because the recoil vibration will bounce the barrel about on any solid rest, a gentle, supportive yet unrestrictive hold and a calm and gentle trigger is needed by the shooter to control it and that's where a correct hold and trigger technique comes in.

From a well supported position your focus is on allowing the rifle to recoil on firing as naturally as possible with just a little input from you. You neither grip anything tightly, nor so lightly that the thing jumps in your hands. You should have the rifle forend or forestock resting and supported on the palm of your leading hand in a cushioning cradle of your fingers. The butt just nestling at your shoulder NOT TIGHT OR JAMMED UP. Just gently resting there. Enough to butt gently on the curve of your shoulder; that's why it's called the butt!

 

TRIGGER CONTROL.

A well-set trigger is vital to all shooting accuracy. It should be set 'soft' on 2nd stage to operate with no pulling or snapping on the blade from your finger. You must learn to gently 'press' the shot off with a sweetly-positive finesse (that word again!) without pulling or jerking your finger on it and causing the rifle to deviate in your hand and shoulder. As you settle the rifle into aim, your control of the trigger begins to build from your controlling hand around the grip. LIGHTLY place your hand around the grip with your thumb up the back or spine, your middle, fourth and little fingers just curled around the grip. The main point of controlling contact here is your palm abutting the grip with a little resistant pressure. Now if you are ready to fire GENTLY place your index trigger finger with the crook or knucklebend resting on the blade and gently take up first stage pressure with everything sighted on the target. You will notice a rise and fall in the scope. That's your breathing telling you you have true alignment from rifle barrel to target. Now, exhale and hold your breath, slow your pulse and heartbeat. Gently press through and release the shot, keeping everything as smooth and movement-free as possible. Pull the trigger and you'll pull the barrel off target and miss..simples. NOW STAY on aim with the trigger pressed as the shot releases and stay in firing pose. Do not flinch, even though this is natural reaction to sudden movement. Train yourself to keep your head still and your aiming eye on the target as the rifle fires. Nothing is going to come back and hit you! Watch your shot hit all the way home to the target through your scope and, for a moment or so, keep your concentration focused on where your shot has just hit . This is called FOLLOW THROUGH and it's important to understand what it is and what it's for.

3.FOLLOW THROUGH.
This is in fact, a discipline you must adopt whether you shoot a cartridge rifle, spring rifle or PCP with precision. You may think that once a pellet or bullet has left the muzzle into free flight there's nothing more to do. The round has left the rifle into flight and is now beyond your physical ability to influence it further; so what does follow-through actually do?. What follow-through disciplines you to do, is keep the rifle perfectly, motionlessly aimed as you release the trigger and the process of ignition, the round starting it's journey onto the rifling and spinning it's way down the barrel to exit the muzzle (the process of Lock Time) begins it's firing phase. And then, speeding on downrange to impact the target.

It may all happen in a millisecond but, if you put a moment of movement in on firing, you will throw the shot off-target and miss. Remember, the shot isn't finished until it's hit its target...or not. Follow Through is the finishing-off of every shot you take.

This is why you should always buy the best quality you can afford when choosing your next spring rifle. Cheap guns have cheap parts and the worst, Stiff-As-Hell triggers of all and are virtually unshootable as far as long range precision accuracy goes and the finesseful skilled approach needed.

A FINAL WORD ABOUT BREATHING. NEVER hold your breath.

This will cause your heart and pulses to increase their rate to keep you alive! Learn to inhale then, gently exhale slowly as you set up to shoot. This will slow down your heart and pulses and reduce the effect on rifle stability in the aim. The pause between the last amount of air in your lungs and the last effort to empty them is the point at which you press the trigger and fire the shot.

It has the added benefit that it will reduce the risk of coughing and giving your presence away! A military sniper's technique that is just as useful when hunting wary quarry listening for approaching enemies and danger all the time.

 

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER.

1. With the rifle loaded. Bring the rifle to your shoulder and gently let the butt rest at your shoulder with no pressure or force, or your shot will fly high. 2. Inhale and steady your breathing. 3. Cradle the forestock in the palm of your leading hand with you fingers lightly placed around the forend so as to gently aim the rifle supportively without restricting it in any way. 4. With your controlling hand, take the grip with your palm as the main contact and your trigger finger safely out of the guard as you set the rifle up to aim it. 5. Your thumb should be running up the spine or 'wrist' of the grip. 6. Now carefully place your trigger finger on the trigger blade. If you are clear on target in your scope, 7. slowly take first pressure to the point where the sear will dis-engage and release the spring. 8. Keep you aim focused in the reticle and press the trigger and release the shot and DO NOT FLINCH!. Your thumb position and relaxed, gentle trigger control will allow you to release the shot without pulling the shot to left or right. 9. Keep on Follow Through as the shot hits the target and 10. make fullest attention to where the shot has struck the face of the target.

 

If you've put it all together right, your shot has just gone through the last hole of your previous pellet! And you'll do it again and again as far as you can control your aim. With practice, all this will become second nature instinct and you will develope a level of marksmanship far in excess of your expectations!

All the best for your spring gun shooting

Simon

Edited October 4, 2013 by pianoman

[Manco 16]

Excellent post. I share your fondness for springers and have recently added a Weihrauch HW95K and an Kw50S to my collection. Chris

[mikeyblue 28]

Great Post Simon,

 

Got to be worth a SP!

 

I have gone accross to the darkside for the moment, but there will always be place for a springer in my cabinet!

 

Kind Regards,

 

Mikey

[pianoman 3,587]

Thanks Chris and Mikey.

I wrote it with the younger novices and general beginner in mind. I'm not at war against the darkside PCP but, I think a lot of shooters miss out on a very rewarding shooting experience that spring rifles deliver. And I wonder if the Spring Rifle has lost out in further improving developement to the R&D that has been lavished on PCP rifle technology???

 

Thanks again for taking the time to read it fellas

 

Simon

[medic1281 5]

Thanks Chris and Mikey.

I wrote it with the younger novices and general beginner in mind. I'm not at war against the darkside PCP but, I think a lot of shooters miss out on a very rewarding shooting experience that spring rifles deliver. And I wonder if the Spring Rifle has lost out in further improving developement to the R&D that has been lavished on PCP rifle technology???

 

Thanks again for taking the time to read it fellas

 

Simon

 

Great post!!

 

I've been shooting for a couple of years now, completely self taught, and its great to hear advice like this! Its all very basic but absolutely spot on. With out the basics your skill level will top out at a certain level, with the basics mastered then your skill level will continue to improve!

I love to read posts like this, and find them extremely helpful reminders of what I should be doing!

Thanks for putting in the time to write such advice, i'm sure its appreciated by novice and experienced riflemen.

ATB

Phil

[pianoman 3,587]

Thanks very much indeed Phil.

 

As you will appreciate, spring rifles differ slightly in their handling characteristics from one makers type and design to the next so, the techniques I use to shoot my HW77 and HW80 are a little different in their observations to my TX200 for example. But being able to note a rifles handling and adapt a proven basic technique is what I use to get the maximum accuracy out of the rifle and myself. What I wrote was the very least you should know first -hand for correct handling. Keeping your contact with the rifle light and unrestrictive but not so much that it's allowed to randomely move in your hands as consistently as possible. That's where practice and a top quality 2-stage adjustable trigger like the Weihrauch Rekord or Air Arms CD so well proves time and money well spent.

 

When you can lighten the trigger pull to a crisp, predictable let-off without upsetting the fine ballance and control you set up with the rifle at your shoulder, AND set up each shot as consistently close as the last one, you'll group 10 pellets into a penny at 50 metres just as surely as a PCP costing 3 times the price.

 

All the very best for your spring rifle shooting Phil

 

Simon

[davyt63 1,845]

hi simon

great post

a lot of .22 cal you have and one .177 cal which do you prefer to shoot????

i use to own a tx200hc .22 and regret selling it so if you ever get rid of yours let me know

 

 

have to disagree with pcp's jamming or grit getting in to em though,if you look after you rifle and give it the respect it deserves then you should have no problems with it,apart from a service once a year,and it getting low on air

 

but will not take away how good it is to still use a springer rifle,that's why I am still looking for a decent replacement, I have a BSA meteor .22 which I tuned up and now use it on rats,but like you say cheap air guns cheap parts.so I don't take this past 25yds

 

very good read

 

SPA

 

regards

 

davy

[pianoman 3,587]

Hi Davy.

Thanks so much for your post and comments here mate. You know how first impressions last the longest? I have several mates who shoot their pcps over the same land and every time I see them out, seems there's one of them going home early with a rifle that's failed in some way. Of course it's possibly down to less than proper care and maintainance but, the fields are very dry and the soils are very dusty and it seems to give the pcp guns a bit of a hard time. There are seemingly no end of these guns in for repairs at my gunsmiths but, that is likely down to the fact that there are more of these sold than spring rifles. I doubt I'll be selling one of my guns yet mate, as I love what I have and they all have a purpose to my way of shooting. The .22s are just great. I really love them for the way they can accurately take any corvid, pidgeon squirrel, rat or Rabbit with an accurate headshot and that's the end of them! As you well know, it's just a matter of learning the loop of their trajectories at set ranges.

 

I got the TX200HC in .177 as I heard it was blisteringly accurate in this calibre and I was buying the TX200 standard rifle in .22 anyway. And as with everything in life, "not to try is not to know". It took me quite a while before I could hit anything with it but, once I sussed out the right hold-on-aim technique for it, what a supremely accurate hunter! No wonder it's winning the HFT spring rifle events. It's been tuned to higher power on my FAC and I use it expressly for rabbit and Mink. Your a highly experienced shooter Davy mate and frankly, you rate a better rifle than the old BSA meteor, so you'll know what you should be looking for as far as your ideal springer should be

 

This new year I'm going back into competition shooting, possibly with Pontefract Air Rifle club. I've been out of the circuit for years and I'd like to get back in the .22 Spring Rifle Class with the new HW77; with a .177 TXHC or HW77 for the nationals and internationals. It would be wonderful to be able to hold a spring rifle title or two before I've got to hang up my shooting gloves

 

ATB

 

Simon

[gurtwurz 792]

excellent thread simon, nice work mate!

spa for tellin 'em!!

cheers, wurz

 

 

edited to say- would it not be a good idea to pin this? its good advice for all airgunners

Edited December 26, 2010 by gurtwurz

[mikeyblue 28]

Hi Simon,

 

Might just see you on the circuit then pal! Im shooting as many of the national UKAHFT events as I can this year. If you are attending any PM me and we can have a good old chinwag and a pint!

 

Mikey.

[Treganin 2]

Great Post, Thanks very much.

 

Any chance of one covering setting an air rifle up for shooting - ie. Scope, windage etc.

 

perhaps you could you a HW77?? (mostly 'cause that what I've got)

[Sexy_Shot 5]

not more a word of truth said very nice write-up and very true

 

Except the part "bla bla bla (they are)" are the only decent rifle's I'd vouch for my SMK BS19 anyday, and prefer it over shooting with my brothers HW35 although i do like a good weirauch

 

 

Very very very nice

 

Trev

[rossi_j 99]

Enjoyable read nice info and detail I could almost feel the rifle, this and a few other posts and a couple of dvd's I have seen recently have re-kindled something inside me and I have a feeling a nice springer maybe joining my pcp, hopefull get my supersport back of my grandad aswel, sometime next year, fixed and serviced, the gun was my dads and is a joy to shoot, the years have been kind to it, it looks good and shoots great, I can't wait to get it back.

.atb. .ste.

[pianoman 3,587]

Mikey, Wurz, Ste, Treganin and Trev.

Thanks for taking the time and trouble to read my thread lads. My previous encounter with SMK Trev, was a few chinese B2 type air rifles which were bloody horrible. They have improved things dramatically since they began copying the Weihrauch HW99 and HW95K as far as looks and handling go. I found the metalwork and blueing to be better quality but, a bit second division still. But, I'm told the accuracy of their barrels is excellent nowadays. If this rifle fits you better than your brother's HW35 you can shoot more accurately and effectively with one, then you probably have good gun-fit with this rifle and thus, you will perform well with it. Maybe I'll answer Treganin's request and post a note about gun-fit, which covers the all-important scope-fit of the rifle to the shooter.

 

I'm dying to write a review of my new HW77 but that's going to wait until I get a second crack at getting it to Tony Wall at Sandwell Field Sports for his tuning magic to be worked on it. I'm shooting it in, while the weather is poor so I can better judge the level of improvement his work should bring to the rifle. For now, it has my faithfull old Bushnell Scopechief 4-14X50 scope fitted and, my God; it's so good on target accuracy I'm going to have to force myself to take out my other spring rifles to keep them running sweet this coming year!

 

Mikey, it would be great to meet up over a pint at a shooting match! Sure I'll let you know where mate.

 

Ste get that BSA Supersport crackin buddy, and get your skills back with it too. It'll really tell you how much you've changed your instincts when you return to shooting a spring rifle, if you've been shooting exclusively with a PCP for some considerable time. You'll soon get your hold technique sorted and, it'll improve your pcp shooting too.

 

 

All the very best to you all Gentlemen.

 

Simon

Edited December 27, 2010 by pianoman

[gaz 284]

Ive had air rifles for around 30 years or so cuttin my teath on BSA mecury's,airsporter,s and Webley omega's and the like.

During these 30 odd years apart from a few years break from them ive had many rifles through my hands including a good few quality pre-charged rifles,last one being HW100K...as fine a allround air rifle you will find imo.

 

But the funny thing is ive came full circle and have sold off all my rifles and find myself with one rifle that being a brummie Webley Stingray tuned by Tony Wall at SFS...a good wee solid springer which is nothing special but a good tool for vermin in my hands which i enjoy using anytime i lift it with a pocketfull of pellets and go just as i did many years ago with a similar type of rifle i used back in the day.

 

The draw to air rifles thats kept me using and enjoying them for many years now is without doubt the challenge of mastering and shooting spring guns well as ive always found the all singin and dancing pc guns very sterile and actually quite boring to tell you the truth and nowhere near as satisfying when you pull off a nice clean head shot at 40 yards or so