Spring air rifle shooting.

[secretagentmole 1,701]

This is always one of the three posts I refer people to when they stat "I have just bought my first air gun", the second is Simon's masterpiece on Prone Position Shooting (http://www.thehuntinglife.com/forums/topic/187884-prone-position-stability/), the third is the Artillery hold video by Pyramid in the USA!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLed_nD5ixA

 

These three nuggets of information have served me well and helped many others!

[sweet pea 2]

Thanks for the link to youtube on the artillery hold secretagentmole I will try that out in the morning

[twymanc 135]

agree very intersting thread i got my first air rifle when i was 12 a webley vulcan open sights followed by a webley excel, until my nan and grandad for my 16th bought me a weirauch 85k what a game changer, great fun used to hop my back garden wall onto the marsh then through the seven fields all the way to shorne fort walking back the road way as it was pitch black with a few rabbits over my shoulder no gun slip, no probs. just the barrell quarter broke when stopped by the police on the road on many occasions was offered a lift home by them i would return the favour with sharing my bag with them goddd i miss them days so much point is any ways after all my rambling you would of never had that much fun with a pcp

[Coypu Hunter 486]

Lewis,

 

There's a simple modification you can make to a lot of Gamo triggers. I did it on a 440 Hunter DX (18 fpe springer) and a Gamo 640, as well as a Crosman Nitro Venom, and it transformed each rifle.

 

Make sure the rifle is unloaded and not cocked. Take the action out of the stock and see if there's a plastic roller behind the trigger that holds in place an L-shaped spring. If there is, you'll see that when you pull the trigger, this spring provides the 'first stage" (which isn't a true first stage).

 

The first part of the fix is to remove this spring. Drop the trigger from its housing by drifting out the pin at the front of the trigger housing. Drift out the pin that holds the L-shaped spring in place and remove the spring. Replace the pin and circlip.

 

The second fix reduces the pull weight of the trigger. To do this, put a washer over the rocker pin at the back of the trigger which engages the sear.

 

Refit, and you will have a trigger that breaks like glass, for next to nothing. The mod means that the trigger is engaged with the sear rather than the L-shaped spring, and the washer pre-tensions the sear to reduce the pull weight.

 

Watch Charlie DaTuna's trigger replacement video and you'll see which pins I mean. Also watch this irritating teenager's video and you'll see what I mean about the washer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bBlS8adRTM Hope this helps.

[Darkie69 76]

Never a truer word said, using the principles above (except I USED to hold my breath) i was a slightly better than average shot, now I'm more than comfortable at standing supported covering a 5 shot group with a 5 pence piece at 25m with my TX 200 HC .22 using RWS super H point pellets. Still got to get to find somewhere to get to 50 or 60m to try to see how small the group is.

 

Brilliant post Simon, it will undoubtedly help people to become better.

[pianoman 3,587]

Thank you Darkie69 for this kind response. I hope it helps you get the best out of your spring rifle shooting. A 5-shot, 5p-size group at 25 metres standing is nowt to sneer at!

 

Well shot mate!

 

Simon

[Darkie69 76]

agree very intersting thread i got my first air rifle when i was 12 a webley vulcan open sights followed by a webley excel, until my nan and grandad for my 16th bought me a weirauch 85k what a game changer, great fun used to hop my back garden wall onto the marsh then through the seven fields all the way to shorne fort walking back the road way as it was pitch black with a few rabbits over my shoulder no gun slip, no probs. just the barrell quarter broke when stopped by the police on the road on many occasions was offered a lift home by them i would return the favour with sharing my bag with them goddd i miss them days so much point is any ways after all my rambling you would of never had that much fun with a pcp

Sounds similar to the memories I have when shooting with my Webley Omega when staying at my Grandparents at Higham, I remember Shorne fort and the marshes with a smile on my face and the good times (rabbit and apple casserole for evening tea with apples from the local orchards) unfortunately i can't remember the local village bobby who just used to clip you round the ear before taking you home.

[Rez 4,961]

Fabulous post pianoman. I myself, having been shooting PCP's for a while, have got myself back on the 'road' and purchased a new HW98 on the nod of Mr Pittaway.

 

I thought I was a good shot. How wrong I was. Back to the drawing board, but in a peculiar way, Im rather happy about that.

 

Best wishes.

[pianoman 3,587]

There really isn't a mystique to shooting a spring rifle with all the superb accuracy of a PCP costing many times more Rez. The HW98 is a genuinely fine rifle in whatever calibre you like to shoot with so, a big part of your battle for precision accuracy with it, is already won. The rest is in the techniques I've tried to describe here and they don't take long to come to grips with. Once you can pick up and shoulder your HW98 in a gentle, unrestrictive hold that allows the rifle to recoil with as little restriction as possible, you'll be capable of hitting your target precisely without even having to think about it.

 

It will become a second-nature reflex action with practice and experience but the enjoyment that comes from pulling-off a really great shot with a spring rifle is one of the most rewarding experiences in shooting I know of, and that's why I love these guns over and above any other I've shot with. It is a real art, spring air rifle shooting but, one that to some extent, can be mastered with patient practice and an understanding of these simple marksmanship principles.

 

All the best for your shooting with your HW98 Rez and thanks for the kind compliments about my thread.

 

Simon

[gadjet 0]

This is always one of the three posts I refer people to when they stat "I have just bought my first air gun", the second is Simon's masterpiece on Prone Position Shooting (http://www.thehuntinglife.com/forums/topic/187884-prone-position-stability/), the third is the Artillery hold video by Pyramid in the USA!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLed_nD5ixA

 

These three nuggets of information have served me well and helped many others!

Well, it's true, you learn something new every day and today was an every day day, thanks for the links to the Artillery hold video, used loads of springers in my teens but now i use a CO2 SMK.

I do have an old Diana 78 in the Garage and I'm tempted to get it out for a play.

[Elmerfudd 5]

My wife came to the range this weekend. After trying a pcp she decided she wanted one. (She's had two before) I agreed and we've been looking for an hw100k, but yesterday she changed her mnd and now she wants a springer. She said it just wasn't a challenge and would get boring pretty quickly.

[Dave_ITR 3]

Excellent thread, good to see there's still a lot of love for a decent spinger.

[Noodles 4]

I did not have an air rifle for 40 years so when I did decide to buy one I read all about the various types and prices. Most of the reviews insisted you needed a PCP for accuracy and I remembered my old BSA Meteor with iron sights and thought if I could shoot that surely modern springers with a scope must be easier. In the end it was a coin toss between the Tx & 97 I then watched two videos on youtube one by vermin hunters TV the other by airgun gear both about the Walther LGU which I bought in .177. I only shoot paper at 20m and this rifle with air arms fields is superb

[jonathanmsoloman 6]

Hi …., This is great guide on how to select the best Spring air rifle. I really loved your comparison chart and look of the site. You seem to be expert in this.

Thanks

[kenj 131]

A brilliant thread. I still own the CZ Relum .177, that I bought new for £7 in 1962. Over the years it was brought out to deal with the occasional rat, or squirrel. About ten years ago I fitted a new spring and PTFE washer, which pushed the power up to 11 lb. The rifle is light weight and ideal for ratting and barn pigeons over open iron sights. I lent it out to my neighbour recently, who shot several rats in his garden. No training needed for 10 yard shots.

 

I have a Webley Viper .22 PCP, Career 707 .22 FAC, Magtech .22 semi auto and a CZ 452 .17 HMR, but still enjoy the satisfaction of knocking over a rat with my little Relum.