Airgun Depot's Airsenal News

The shooting sports are one of the easiest forms of entertainment that the entire family can enjoy. There is nothing like watching the sense of accomplishment that a child gets from successfully hitting the target. With my own kids, a successful hit is often accompanied by a high five, a "whoo-hoo!", and sometimes a little victory dance that they saw on some football game!

Recently, I invited the youth group at my church over to my house for an evening of shooting fun. Not knowing the level of familiarity that each child had with guns in general, I elected to approach the event as an instructional time, with target shooting at the end. With a selection of pistols and rifles, I sat down with the kids as a group to instruct them on safe gun-handling. A few moments invested in safety measures can provide a lifetime of safe gun-handling that will allow them to enjoy our great sport and hobby.

After showing the kids how each gun worked, I charged each of the CO2 guns with a powerlet (or two if the model called for it) and had each child show me that they could safely handle the gun, with an emphasis on which direction the muzzle was pointing at all times, as well as where their trigger finger was located (outside the trigger guard until ready to shoot). Each child was intent on showing me that they were responsible enough to shoot, and in short order we began shooting at targets.

Targets for kids need to be the reactive kind, especially if they have little experience with shooting. Putting a tiny hole in a bullseye, or anywhere on a target for that matter, isn't as satisfying as watching a shatterblast target disintegrate, or a tin can roll over from being hit. And swinging targets are great as well. The reactive movement of the successful shot can really seal the deal for a kid who is deciding if shooting is fun or not. But to really have a child grinning from ear to ear, you need to shake up a full soda can and let them watch it explode when they hit it. The kids from my church were making cans spin through the air, showering the contents all about. A well-hit can will almost always leave the ground if you shake it up good before shooting it.

Some of the air guns we used were:

Walther Nighthawk

QB-78

Desert Eagle

Colt 1911 A1 

Beeman P3 

If you want proof of how much kids enjoy the shooting sports, just look at the incredible number of video games that have some theme of shooting in them, not all of it good. But there is nothing like the real thing, and when you take the time to show a kid the real thing, even if it is just an air gun, then you've accomplished a couple of things. First, you got the kid away from the TV or video console for a good time outdoors. Second, you've started them on the path of responsibility by carefully showing them the correct way to handle a gun. Third, you've introduced that child to a sport that needs new participants to keep the history and traditions going in an ever increasing, complicated world. 

AirgunDepot has just what you need to enjoy a great time with family, friends, and neighbors who enjoy the shooting sports.  As you browse through the website, don't forget to use the handy search function in the top left-hand corner of the home page.

Posted by Randy Mitchell at 06:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

For the majority of air gun shooters, when you shoot at the target, if it falls over, or bounces, or shatters with a satisfying result, then you are happy! Hurray! I hit the target!

Now transfer the satisfaction of that accomplishment into either a hunting situation or a contest situation, and you have a new definition to happiness. Because bagging your game can be a matter of a 1/2" on small game, you need a better idea of where your pellet is going to hit. And winning a contest that is often decided by tenths of an inch or even smaller measurements.....well, just hitting the target no longer brings the same level of happiness it once did in the past when you were just plinking!

Zeroing your scope so that it shoots at the optimum point blank zero gives you peace of mind when shooting through a range of yardage possibilities. It is possible to set your scope so that you can hit a target of a predetermined size with no hold-over or under if you have the correct information. Take a look at this link below:

http://www.airgunexpo.com/calc/calc_opbz.cfm

This link brings up a calculator provided by Steve in NC (as he is known on one of the airgunforums) which calculates for the shooter the range of distances at which you can aim straight at the target each time and expect to hit a pre-determined bullseye. Let's say you are shooting at a squirrel that has a killzone of 1" in the chest area. Fill in the information concerning your gun at the link provided, and it will give you a short-and-long range at which you can expect to hit your target by aiming straight at it....no hold-over, no hold-under.

An example:

Let's say you are shooting a QB-78 in .177 caliber that is pushing a pellet at 630 fps. The heighth of your scope above the barrel is 1.5", and the ammo weights 7.9 grains ( a Crosman Premier). You get the following information to use.

Optimum Point Blank Zero -  36.14 yards

Trajectory Apogee - 22.14 yards

Secondary Zero - 8.14 yards

Point Blank Range - 41.93 yards 

Near Point Blank Range - 2.34 yards

Based on the above information, you would set your scope's zero at 36.14 yards. If you are satisfied with a hit within a 1" circle, then every range between 2.34 yards and 41.93 yards would be hit based on what you find acceptable. Every shot, if you do your part, from the nearest to the furthest measurement, would find its way into the "killzone". That gives you a bullseye range of nearly 40 yards that you don't have to adjust your aimpoint at all. Neat, huh?

To refine your acceptable killzone, just change the variable in the calculator. Do this for each of your guns, and you will find your airgunning pleasure soaring as you hit the target, whatever it is, more and more often. 

Posted by Randy Mitchell at 11:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Crosman has been making airguns for a long time. They are one of the most historic airgun manufacturers around and are still providing us with enjoyable products that shooting enthusiasts can treasure for years.

One of the best contributions to airgunners that Crosman brought to the forefront was the use of CO2 as a propellant in their air guns. And to keep those air guns working well, Crosman has provided, for many years, Pellgun Oil.

If you've owned a Crosman CO2 gun before, you are probably aware of Pellgun Oil and its uses. It is packaged with many, if not all, of Crosman's CO2 guns, and there is a good reason for that. It will, with proper use, lengthen the life and usefulness of your airgun. But as in many walks of life, too much of a good thing turns out NOT to be a good thing. You can overdo it when using Pellgun Oil, so lets look at what the manufacturer suggests.

CO2 guns, by their very nature, must use seals of some sort to keep the gas from leaking out of the gun. Those seals need their lubrication, and since they are on the inside of the gun, you have to get the oil to the correct location.  You will find in the instruction manuals of Crosman CO2 airguns the correct way to apply Pellgun Oil to the seals. A single drop, no more, on the tip of the CO2 powerlet is sufficient to keep the gun in good working order. Put too much in there, and the oil leaks into the valve, taking up the room that is supposed to be filled with CO2 gas. Not putting oil on the end of the powerlet for a lengthy period of time will allow the seals to dry out, robbing them of their capacity to perform their function. When that happens, you will have a leaky gun that won't work to your satisfaction.

Another benefit of Pellgun Oil is that is helps keep debris from getting stuck to the head of the valve. It doesn't take a very big piece of debris to cause a leak in a gas-powered gun. Tiny slivers of metal, or a healthy piece of dust can block the valve head from closing and sealing properly. The lubrication provided by Pellgun Oil helps float such debris out of the way. If you have a gun that has started leaking for some unknown reason, it is pretty much going to be a seal problem somewhere in the gun. That's just the nature of the beast. I have personally had a leaking gun return to normal firing behavior by simply applying the Pellgun Oil to the seals, and working a cartridge or two of CO2 through the gun, dry-firing as well as shooting pellets rapidly in order to spread the lubricant to all the desired places.

There has been some debate in the past about Pellgun Oil's makeup.  Some have thought is was silicon-based, others have reported that it is petroleum-based. Today I did a quick test.....I set a cleaning patch with no oil on fire to watch it burn. I then soaked a cleaning patch with Pellgun Oil and lit it up....and it burned quite nicely. Notice the difference in the two patches burning. The oil-soaked patch burned much more fiercely, so I give creedence to those who say it is petroleum-based and liken it to non-detergent 30-weight motor oil.

 However, the packaging makes it easy to apply, and one little tube will last quite a while. Remember, you don't need much of this stuff at one time. I suppose you could buy a bottle of oil from the auto parts store.....but you've got enough there to last your lifetime, the lifetime of your kids, and perhaps your grandkids as well! So to steal a phrase from a commercial a long time ago, "a little dab will do ya!"

Posted by Randy Mitchell at 07:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In today's market, there are 4 main pellet sizes for the consumer to consider when purchasing their next airgun. They are the .177, .20, .22, and .25 caliber pellet. But how do they affect my decision as a shooter?

The .177 is by far the most common of pellet sizes in existence. It has ruled the target shooting scene for decades, and with good reason. It is the only pellet caliber allowed for competition in international circles, and gives a significant advantage in Field Trial applications, where the shooter must thread their projectile through a small hole in the target to make the target fall over. One interesting fact about the .177 pellet is that it is not the same size as the BB, though you see youth-market guns made to accomodate both rounds in the same gun. This is accomplished by using a barrel that compromises between the two sizes, shooting both of them adequately, if not superbly. Additional advantages to using this caliber are that it is cheaper, and you get more in each package that you purchase.

The next caliber up in size is the .20 caliber, also designated the 5mm. The .20 came about due to the Sheridan Airgun Company whose founder, Ed Wackerhagen,  designed a proprietary caliber for use in his new airgun. It was a marketing ploy to cause buyers of his rifle to get their ammo from him since none other existed. It worked, but for years the Sheridan was the only gun to use that caliber. However, as time progressed, others picked it up, and you can find many more air rifles available today in this "middle" caliber. There still isn't as wide a variety of pellets in this caliber compared to the .177 and the .22, but it certainly has its following in the air gun world. And it does have an advantage over the .177 in hunting applications in my opinion, due to the larger wound channel it causes.

The .22 caliber pellet has been around for a long time, and actually owes some of its history to the .22 rimfire. Today, it isn't the same size, with the .22 rimfire projectile being larger than the pellet of the same designation. In America, the .22 pellet was more common than the .177, due I assume to the hunting applications it lended itself to. The .22 caliber makes a much larger wound channel as mentioned previously, and if you shoot a .177 and a .22 from the same type powerplant of a given model, the .22 will deliver more power due to the weight of the projectile. In America, I've noticed that it is easier to find the older model Crosman pellet guns in .22 than in .177. I've read that the .22 pellet gun was more popular than the .177 in this country until well into the latter half of the 20th century. The pellet selection from various makers is very good in this caliber, and for younger shooters, the .22 pellet is easier to handle and load when learning the basics of shooting and safety. They are more expensive, and you don't get as many, but they certainly have their advantages. This is one reason that the majority of my hunting airguns are in .22 caliber.

The "king of the hill" size-wise for the smallbore pellet gun is the .25 caliber. Shooting a 1/4" lead projectile certainly makes for excellent knock-down power in hunting applications if you can find a gun that will send the big pellet downrange with decent velocity. In modern times, this isn't a problem. There are several pneumatic guns on the market that will do a fine job with the .25, and there are a couple of spring-piston choices as well with the Beeman Kodiak/Webley Patriot,  and Theoben offers the Crow Magnum as well. The trajectory of the .25 will be more range sensitive, requiring the shooter to learn how the bigger pellet drops as opposed to the flatter- shooting smaller calibers. But when you get it dialed in, you will certainly appreciate the terminal affect it has on small game, as well as medium game such as raccoons and possums.

What caliber you choose to buy is determined largely on the use you have in mind. Consider the advantages of each caliber, as well as availability. Then browse through the pellet selection here at Airgun Depot and grab the pellet of your choice for your application. 

Posted by Randy Mitchell at 01:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Every once in awhile I hear of an airgun being used in a most unusual way. I admit that from time to time I do odd things with an airgun. For instance:

Shooting spiders! You don't even need a pellet! Just blast them with air! (This one earns me bonus points with my wife since she has a pronounced dislike of the little critters.)

Swatting flies! Even more challenging than spiders, these guys, on the wing, are much harder to hit. Now, forewarned is forearmed, and you need to have an understanding spouse or significant other before you engage in supplying the anti-aircraft battery for your living room.

(The above two activities are not for spring-piston airguns.....never fire them without a pellet in place. Reserve the above antics for CO2 or PCP airguns only).
 

Now, if you want to add an element of danger to your anti-aircraft activities, you can take on a wasp nest if you really have a death wish. I must admit that I have engaged in such an activity, since I happily don't suffer from any allergies to wasp stings. In the event that I am unsuccessful, all I have to worry about is a painful welt wherever the little bugger manages to get his revenge. But I also go for the overkill in some circumstances. Once, when a colony of wasps decided that my trusty ladder was their domain and that I wasn't allowed near it, I took out a .50 caliber PCP airgun, and wiped all eleven of them, along with their nest, with a single shot!  

There are some practitioners of the art of fly-sniping who bait their prey in. Adding a drop of syrup or honey to a target at a known distance allows the shooter to actually shoot a sitting fly. You will find pictures floating around the internet of a target with insect legs around the perimeter of a hole where the body of the insect used to be.

But this week's award for the most unusual use of an airgun that I could find would be at the following link:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,299560,00.html

Officer James Kellet of the Carrollton Township in Michigan used an airgun to remove a salad dressing jar from the head of a skunk. I'm not kidding, read the story! 

If you get the chance, respond to this blog entry with your own story of how you used an airgun in an unusual way. We'd all like the chance to hear about your exploits.

Posted by Randy Mitchell at 06:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Another one of the great resources that Airgun Depot provides are videos of selected airguns being reviewed. This is a great advantage over simply reading about an airgun....you can see it in use, complete with commentary from the reviewer!

In AirgunDepot's video reviews you will find the following airguns reviewed:

Crosman Quest Storm XT

EAA Baikal Drozd

Gamo's Varmint Hunter

Gamo Viper Express Shotgun

RWS/Hammerli 850 Magnum

In addition to the above airguns reviewed on video, Gamo's Moving Target is also reviewed. 

Now you have the benefit of seeing the guns actually being used in order to give you a better idea of their functioning, firing habits, accuracy potential, and loudness of report. Seeing a potential purchase in use is just one more way of assisting you in your buying decisions, and AirgunDepot goes the extra step in trying to show you the many features of the airguns in their line-up.

Your feedback would be great in deciding which reviews make it into the video area, so if there is a particular airgun you would like to see reviewed, don't hesitate to drop a line to the great folks at AirgunDepot with your choice.  And before you leave the website today, take a stroll through the bargain basement and featured items links.  

Posted by Randy Mitchell at 06:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)