Spring air rifle shooting.

[davyt63 1,845]

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

 

hi simon

good luck in the target shooting buddy

was hoping to do some my self next year,just to see how it goes

 

regards

 

davy

[andyfr1968 772]

Cracking post, this should be pinned

[fazerman 3]

hi simon as a novice myself your thread has a wealth of help and tips that im going to use and practise ive only owned 2 airguns in my life one was the tx200 i had about 10 years ago but had to sell (lack of funds) i loved that rifle,any way the one i have now is the smk xs 19 tuned and fitted with a quality lite 2 stage trigger that i very much enjoy using and with all your help in your thread i would love to become a pretty good shot one day im lucky to have a garden thats 25yrds long ive set up a concrete block backstop for my paper punching i was getting a bit frustrated at times with my shooting as i didnt know for sure that all i was doing was correct and i seemed to level out but after reading your thread i now no what i need to change to move on and get better with tons of practice of course,so please accept my sincere thanks for taking the time to help us rookys,im going to read your post again now till it sinks in.

atvb

tony.

[pianoman 3,587]

Andy, that's so kind of you to say mate. Thanks buddy .

 

Hey Tony mate, that's so kind of you to take the trouble to write your generous responses. Thanks for this.

My mate Nigel at Wighill Park Guns really rates these SMK rifles and he's got a shop full of mega-money Daystates, Air Arms and God knows what. So I tried one off the shelf, a .177 break-barrel rifle that looked a lot like a Weihrauch 95 with a 3-9X40 Hawke scope bolted on. After a while warming-up and zeroing, I hit a near one-hole group on the 10+ metre range Nigel has at the shop. Smashing little rifle I thought. If it shoots well at 10 metres, it will shoot well at 20 and further. The day WILL come when hard work and practice will mean you'll need a better rifle. And you'll know exactly how to wring out a great performance with one. It's a lovely feeling to own a rifle that can meet your best shooting skills, anytime you want to take it out for some hunting or practice. That's your reward for putting in the work!

 

All the best for your shooting new year Tony

 

Simon

Edited January 2, 2011 by pianoman

[mattharris 1]

Hi there

I read this advice for beginners with great interest, I found it very helpful.

 

I'm fairly new to air rifle shooting, and I'm only using a cheap rifle. (Crossman Phantom .22)

 

I've been doing a lot of target shooting to make sure my groupings are ok at various distances, and I've bagged about 8 rabbits and 10 pigeons so far. (So I must be doing something right.)

 

I was wondering if you might have any extra advise though, as I seem to be struggling to get my rifle zero'd in, and despite a decent streak of kill shots, sometimes I seem to miss for reasons I can't quite understand.

 

I always try to shoot from a prone position (unless aiming at a pigeon in a tree), and I always work on my breathing before taking any shot. (I usually close my eyes and breath twice before opening them again to see if I'm still lined up on target, or if I need to adjust my body position; I have no idea if this is good practice or not, but it seems to work a lot for me).

 

My problem is I'm not really sure if it's something that I'm doing wrong, or if it's largely just because my rifle is cheap and I can't get much more accuracy out of it! I'm reluctant to buy any more expensive gear, when it seems likely that I wouldn't actually fair any better with it if my technique or setup is flawed.

 

Any advise, greatly appreciated.

[bigmac 97kt 13,787]

an ex write up simon i to love the springers even thow i have a pcp olso what a lot of new shooters seem to forget is that once there was no pcp,s and springers where king,s of the hunting world and they all shud try one at least once iv had to meny to list over my 40 odd years but my heart will allways be with the hw97kt in my opinion the best one you can buy but may be not for begginers as the weight may put some off but once you,v masterd it what a rifle to fire . one of the rifles i had meny moons ago was a bsa buccaneer 22 and it was well before its time thumb hole synthetic stock dont no if you can remember this one simon but it was a ex,spring rifle got that one for xmas when i was 15 how the years go by top class simon keep up the good work mate and thanks atb mac.

[secretagentmole 1,701]

Bigmac, try a TX200, woo hoo, just try one, I did today, we bought it...

[bigmac 97kt 13,787]

hi mole have you layed down in a dark room yet mate it may work it mite go a way lol atb mac

[bigmac 97kt 13,787]

joking apart mole tx200 and hw are allways in the same par mate you,v got a good one there

[secretagentmole 1,701]

It was too good to let go, if only it was in a left handed stock, oh well, never mind, just have to be mine...

[bigmac 97kt 13,787]

whats the betting she finds a lefty before you mate atb mac

[secretagentmole 1,701]

She has decided it is too heavy for her, so the gas ram has to go, never mind, not up to the level of the TX200...

[bigmac 97kt 13,787]

some of us have got it and some have not get her a set of dum bells to help build her arms up lol looks like you,v got a new toy mole alb to both of you .mac

[terrierman74 6]

Really great post. I've been shooting air rifles from the time I was 10 years old and my fav has always been a springer. I've owned many different types but the springer is the only one I'll own now. There are definately some beautiful looking and shooting PCP's though.

 

I was always a Diana guy. I had and sold many, but after my first Weihrauch the Diana rifles just seem kinda junky to me now. If I had to pick a fav Diana now, it would probably be the good old 34 in .22 and wooden stock (older version).

 

I now own a HW80K and an HW90 and I'll never part with either of them. I would like to ad a HW77 in .177 to the collection some day.

[secretagentmole 1,701]

Bigmac she can handle an HW100T with no problems (I have called it the German anti aircraft gun), the TX will have to be called the Churchill to compliment it. I think I did well out of her new gun!