New plinking gun

ogberi

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Hi All,

Yep, I did fall off the face of the planet for a bit. Been a whole lot happen in the last year-ish. Been super busy at work, busy at home with the chickens, quail and turkeys. Also got married, refinanced the house, and blew out my right knee this time around. Waiting on an MRI later this month to determine if i need surgery.

For those that think of a pellet gun as a toy, here's a link to me shooting the latest plinking pellet gun I purchased.

It's a Benjamin Armada. .22 caliber, pre-charged pneumatic (PCP) powered, 1000+ FPS, ~30 ft/lbs of muzzle energy, bolt action with a 10 round magazine, and gets 30-35 consistent shots from a 3000 PSI fill. It'll crank out 40+ shots, but you can tell the power begins to drop a little after 40 rounds.

armada.jpg

Cheap to feed (about $8 for a tin of 500 pellets), so quiet you can carry on a conversation within a few feet of whomever is shooting, has enough power to drop everything up to coon/possum size, up to coyote size plus if you're a good headshot and can get 'em right in the brain pan. A little heavy, but the bipod negates that. The 4-16x56 scope brings everything right up to you, and the mil dot crosshairs make it easy to compensate for drop and wind. It will reach out to 100 yards without much trouble, as well. Factory installed silencer in the barrel shroud does a great job.

It's an awesome plinking, pest, and varmint gun. Plenty of rails to mount stuff on, MIL spec pistol grip and butt, any AR type MIL spec grip and butt fit. It isn't cheap, but fate smiled upon me and I found one for $300 off in a sporting goods store in Michigan. It replaces my Benjamin Trail XL 1500, which was another .22 caliber pellet gun with similar performance, but not as accurate or quiet.

Anybody else out there an avid air gunner?
 
I have a pellet gun range out to 50yds with metal targets everywhere. We mostly shoot springer airguns .177 to 25 caliber. The whole family shoots there when they're home. It's very enjoyable and great practice. I've yet to purchase a pcp rifle.
 
For those that think of a pellet gun as a toy, here's a link to me shooting the latest plinking pellet gun I purchased.

It's a Benjamin Armada. .22 caliber, pre-charged pneumatic (PCP) powered, 1000+ FPS, ~30 ft/lbs of muzzle energy, bolt action with a 10 round magazine, and gets 30-35 consistent shots from a 3000 PSI fill. It'll crank out 40+ shots, but you can tell the power begins to drop a little after 40 rounds.


Cheap to feed (about $8 for a tin of 500 pellets), so quiet you can carry on a conversation within a few feet of whomever is shooting, has enough power to drop everything up to coon/possum size, up to coyote size plus if you're a good headshot and can get 'em right in the brain pan. A little heavy, but the bipod negates that. The 4-16x56 scope brings everything right up to you, and the mil dot crosshairs make it easy to compensate for drop and wind. It will reach out to 100 yards without much trouble, as well. Factory installed silencer in the barrel shroud does a great job.

It's an awesome plinking, pest, and varmint gun. Plenty of rails to mount stuff on, MIL spec pistol grip and butt, any AR type MIL spec grip and butt fit. It isn't cheap, but fate smiled upon me and I found one for $300 off in a sporting goods store in Michigan. It replaces my Benjamin Trail XL 1500, which was another .22 caliber pellet gun with similar performance, but not as accurate or quiet.

Anybody else out there an avid air gunner?

A few questions, please:
1. Every shot will decrease the pressure reservoir pressure slightly. Is the some sort of regulator to provide a constant pressure for each shot? If not have you noticed any change in down range ballistics from first to 40th shot?
2. What is your pellet weight? From your stated 30 ft. lbs. of energy at 1000 fps. it looks like about 14 gr.
3. What is the estimated pressure reservoir pressure after 40 shots? Based on the 3000 psi charge, the 215 cc pressure reservoir volume, I would guess somewhere around 2000 psi?

Thanks
 
Haven't been able to afford the pcp air guns but have small arsenal of pellet guns even a shotgun. Yes an air shotgun. I have a .25 cal that I wouldn't be afraid hunting almost everything legal in NJ. Even deer close up. With the right pellets it will group ten shots in a quarter at 50 yds. Mine if a flyer happens I just need to clean the bore. I've shot humble bees at thirty ft with open sites off hand , have witnesses YUPP.
These aren't the red ryders we had as kids. You could watch the bb flying to the target.
 
A few questions, please:
1. Every shot will decrease the pressure reservoir pressure slightly. Is the some sort of regulator to provide a constant pressure for each shot? If not have you noticed any change in down range ballistics from first to 40th shot?
2. What is your pellet weight? From your stated 30 ft. lbs. of energy at 1000 fps. it looks like about 14 gr.
3. What is the estimated pressure reservoir pressure after 40 shots? Based on the 3000 psi charge, the 215 cc pressure reservoir volume, I would guess somewhere around 2000 psi?

Thanks

Hi RJ,

There's no regulator installed from the factory, but third party regulators are available for the gun. However, the physical action of the bolt and valve keep the shots pretty consistent until the tank gets down to around 1800 psi or so. Then you can tell it's dropping more (less velocity). The first 30 shots do slowly drop, but I tend to make up for it without thinking about it.

Yup, I'm shooting 14.3 grain Crosman domed hollow points. The gun isn't broken in yet, but it does seem to love the Crosmans. I also like the Benjamin Destroyer pellets, Reuger superpoints, and PolyMag shorts. I can get lighter pellets, but those tend to go supersonic and get loud. Sorta defeats the purpose of having a whisper quiet rifle. The jumbo heavy pellets sure do pack a whallop, but tend to start dropping noticeably at a higher pressure than the 14.3's.

I've put about 35 rounds through the gun, and from a 2900PSI charge it's now sitting just below 2000 PSI. I can probably get another magazine through it before the pellets start dropping too fast, but I generally refill it when it gets below 2000. Very good estimation!

Silverbullet, you're definitely correct that these aren't your old childhood guns. I used to shoot an old Daisy 499B in competitions, which is where I got my OCD for accuracy. My dad always loved when his friends would laugh at me practicing with it, then he'd bring me to regulation distance and have me stack the rounds in the bullseye until I goofed. They'd stop laughing real quick once they tried to do the same themselves. Never shot bumblebees, but I was hell on acorns, on or off the tree.

Getting started in PCP airguns... well, it isn't exactly cheap. But, remember that with the proper adapter, you can use any high pressure tank (3000+ PSI). As for the gun, I'm a bit biased. I like Benjamin guns, although Hatsan makes quality stuff. You should pick a gun that suits what you want to do with it. A carbine or bullpup is more suitable for mobile varmint elimination or hunting, whereas a long barreled rifle is good for shooting varmints or game at a distance or over bait. You do get what you pay for, just like with anything else. Me, I'm lazy and prefer to sit in the shade with a smoke and a beer and pick squirrels and crows off at a distance. Or sit outside at night and pick off rats as I can. Need to get a night-vision setup going now that I have a gun that won't beat the camcorder to death.

And if you get the chance, Benjamin makes a break action, nitrogen piston spring pistol in .177 that's darn fun to shoot. Looks like Han Solo's blaster. :)

Let me know if you have any other questions. I'm not a specialist in them, but I am an enthusiast.
 
Hey Shad,Glad to see you back,was wondering where you went to now I know,again glad to here about your nuptials. Rick
 
Both of my daughters shot 4H bb competitively with the Daisy 499... the gun is pretty cheaply made... but it is very accurate!

They have both competed in the Daisy National Championship... my oldest went once, my youngest has been twice. My youngest placed 49th out of over 500 shooters last month.

My oldest daughter graduated to 4H sporter rifle last year, shooting the Crosman PCP rifle, but just never really got comfortable with it.

They both can absolutely put me to shame with the 499, though...

-Bear
 
I have had a lot of fun shooting 'face spiders' out of their webs with the Crosman PCP... I call them face spiders because they always seem to hang right at face level when you are flying through the woods on a 4-wheeler...

-Bear
 
I have the hatsan sniper with the power piston from pyramid air guns. The stock snapped in half at the back of the barrel channel. I was cocking it and it just plan snapped . Took about a week for free replacement . I'm a big man and this bugger will give you a real workout if you shoot it fifty times even with a rest it hurts muscles. But with open sights I can really get good hits. It came with a scope but don't need it for my island in Marlton . YUPP I said island , I get squirrels by the ten count , ground hogs , skunks. Even Fox in the winter besides the black birds and humble bees . Have chipmonks but I love them and no damage I've found , possums a couple times a year. One year I had five coons up a tree in my back half. Started to build an Airbus range till my gran daughter took over the spot. Ill make a rolling model some time.
 
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