Airgun Depot's Airsenal News

Not everyone has access to an area to hunt. And from time to time, those of us who do have access find ourselves wondering what to do during the off season when the hunting season is closed.

Gamo has produced a series of animal silhouettes to liven up the down time some of us experience when we can't get out into the field. Also, these silhouettes will make your Field Trial practice more enjoyable as you can change what animal you wish to shoot at. (Note: This set is not interchangeable with the old squirrel target, but will interchange with the newer squirrel target that is available since March of 2008).

The advantage that this set of silhouettes has over other versions is that you can change the size of the kill zone. Once you've mastered hitting the largest killzone available, you can then reduce the size to sharpen your ability by using the bullseye reducer to go to the next smaller size. There are 4 reducers, so you can work on your marksmanship at 4 different levels of difficulty. These silhouettes are made to be used at the 25-yard mark or further out, and remember that lead pellets are the only suitable ammo for shooting at these targets. BB's are steel, and they will ricochet with undesired results, so keep safety in mind and use the appropriate ammo for this discipline.

If you've already bought one of the new squirrel targets, you can vary the animal shape by using one of the six others included in this item:  pigeon, pig, turkey, rooster, rabbit, or ram. These targets are made of a solid metal alloy, and should provide hours of fun for young and old alike.

So if you have aspirations of competing in Field Trial Events, this set will allow you lots of practice time on different-sized targets. It will help you gauge range to the target, and keep you from getting in a rut by shooting at only one shape. The varying difficulty levels will keep you in shooting shape for your next pursuit. So click on the links above and check out this new offering from Gamo. 

Posted by Randy Mitchell at 07:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Chronographs are a very useful tool that the airgunner can use for research and for honing one's ability to replicate a good shot. Let me explain:

PCP airguns use a reservoir of pressure for their power source. And if you are shooting an unregulated PCP, then your  gun will have what is called a "sweet spot" in the bell curve of the fill pressure. For instance, I have a PCP gun that fills to 3000 psi. The first 5 or 6 shots of the fill are slower because the pressure in the tube is slightly greater than what the ideal pressure is for the valve to close the same speed each time, thus allowing the same amount of air through for each shot. As the fill pressure nears the "sweet spot", the velocity goes up and is constant for a series of shots. And eventually, the velocity begins to slow down as the pressure is less than is optimum for repeatable performance from the valve.

How do I know this? I tested the gun over a chronograph. It shows me where in the shot count I should be able to expect repeatable performance for a known pellet weight, for a known number of shots. This is especially crucial to the competitor, and it also has a use for the hunter as well. Competitors need to know that their shots will go exactly where they want it to in order to score well. Hunters need to know the limits of their gun, how many shots they have to bag the game, and how powerful the gun is to begin with.

With a chronograph, you can measure the speed of the pellet, plug it in to a ballistic calculator and find the footpounds of energy your gun delivers. And the level of energy is different with each kind of pellet due to the different weights they are offered in by the manufacturers. Knowing that your airgun puts out 30 fpe, you can feel confident in taking that shot at a groundhog. If your airgun is putting out 6 fpe, you need to pass on the groundhog and get a more powerful airgun.

I often cringe when I hear politicians and gun control proponents claiming that an airgun shooting an 8 grain pellet approaches the power of a .45 caliber centerfire cartridge because it shoots as fast. All they looked at was the velocity. If velocity killed, then we'd all be dead because we are bombarded each day with rays of light that are going at almost inconceivable speeds. It is a combination of the weight of a projectile, coupled with the velocity, that gives it the power to harm. And there is a world of difference between an 8 grain pellet and a 200+ grain bullet!

Chronographs work by measuring the shadow of a projectile as it passes over the sensors. The best way to get a good measurement is to make sure you have an adequate light source (don't use fluorescent bulbs....the flicker they give off makes it impossible to use them with a chronograph) and that you shoot your gun from a common distance each time. This can be done inside if you have room and an adequate backstop, or outside. I've found cloudy days to be especially useful when shooting outside. The clouds diffuse the direct sunlight, and you get some very good readings. If shooting inside, you need to position lights over the sensors, and often need to place diffuser panels between the light and the sensor itself. Take a look at the chronograph selection and you will see some examples of different chronographs, the diffusers, and some light sources.

So use a chronograph for research, honing your skill, and determining the power level of your gun. But be careful....you can get addicted to your chronograph, and you will become a slave to it. I use my chronograph to check my gun's performance if I haven't shot it for some time, to remind myself of a particular pellet's performance from that particular gun, and to test new equipment. But I don't live behind one, and neither should you. So go enjoy your air gun shooting! 

Posted by Randy Mitchell at 07:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If you hunt with an airgun, I'd like to make you aware of a hunting forum that you may find useful. Here is the link to the forum:

http://www.network54.com/Forum/414006/

In the interest of full disclosure, this is a forum that I own and run. The reason I make reference to it here is that Airgun Depot is one of the sponsors, indirectly, of this forum, providing me assistance and air guns to use and comment on. This help is invaluable to the members and visitors of this forum, as we can actually test a gun rather than rely on the manufacturer's claims about the performance a gun puts out.

The forum is heavily moderated, and the rules help keep things polite, while leaving room for honest opinions to differ. But the main appeal to this forum is the dissemination of information to the hunting public about what can be accomplished with an airgun. You'll find advice on ammo, guns, places to hunt, how to approach land owners about using their property.....just lots of useful information.

You'll also find that there are several younger hunters just starting out in the world of airgun hunting, and many of the members take time to give sage advice, as well as encouragement to our younger members. Several members have taken big game with airguns, and we all have a great time competing against each other in trying to see who can eradicate the most starlings from our respective areas!

A big thank you goes out to Airgun Depot for their support of this forum, and for their contribution to the airgun world. They offer great service, a great selection of quality airguns, and one of the best retail websites that is both interesting to visit and purchase from. So take some time, drop by the hunting forum at the above URL, and then drop by Airgun Depot for the items you need to join the airgun hunting forum as a contributing member. We look forward to hearing from you. 

Posted by Randy Mitchell at 06:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Aside from the competition aspect of formal gatherings such as Field Trial events, and 10-meter shooting, air guns can provide a welcome respite from the TV and video sets that our kids own. Here are a couple of ideas to get your kids, and yourself, outside....ideas that are fun and suitable for family times.

There is of course, the hunting discipline that so many enjoy. However, not everyone is inclined to shoot animals, but that doesn't mean that you can't hunt anyway. Here's an example:

Next to my property is a large drainage ditch. It serves to funnel water away from the higher ground and fields behind my property (which are rapidly turning into subdivisions). An activity I enjoy doing with my kids is to take our pellet guns and "stalk" the cans and debris that litter the ditch after every rain. Once a can or piece of trash is suitably ventilated with pellet holes, we pick it up and put it in our trash bag. Sometimes we have slowly moving targets, if the wind is blowing, of a piece of paper or plastic sack caught on a bush. Needless to say, opportunities for shooting abound.

This idea can be transferred to the lake when you pick up debris along the shore, in ditches alongside country roads, any place that needs a little litter control. The kids love it, and getting to pop a can or bottle, then picking it up and properly disposing of it, is a great combination of shooting skills and environmental awareness.

Another game that you can play with your kids is to enjoy a game of tic-tac-toe. I make targets with the tic-tac-toe frame printed on the paper. I also include a large bullseye, and a smaller bullseye. My kids have to hit the larger target to claim the square, and I have to hit the smaller bullseye to claim my square. It is challenging, fun, and the kids get a big kick out of beating old Dad at a game that is older than dirt! You can make the targets yourself using several different kinds of computer programs, and a handy box stuffed with rags or a dirt bank serves as a handy backdrop. This game can even be played inside with lower-power air guns.

Balloons are popular targets, especially for younger kids. A good reactive target is always a winner with the younger crowd. Blow them up, attach them to a good backstop, and let those little ones enjoy themselves. And for the grownups.....set them out about 75 to 100 yards and test your skills with a little more challenging distance involved. You'll find yourself jumping and giving high fives just like a kid again when you hit a 100 yards target with an airgun!

So use your imagination, come up with a game or activity that allows you to shoot and shoot often, involve the kids and the rest of the family, and you'll have a wonderful time that builds memories and hones skills, all at the same time.  

Posted by Randy Mitchell at 06:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

One of the best sources available to the airgunner are the many forums that are on the internet. You can find an enourmous amount of information dealing with your airguns, ways to use them, reports on their effectiveness.....even who has the best pricing!

There are several kinds of forums out there. Some are general info, others are personal in nature and are little more than blogs of an individual's air gun usage. But you can learn something from all of them in you take the time to peruse through the contents. You'll need to take some of the commetns by forum members with a grain of salt, but you'll still learn quickly enough who knows what they are talking about.

Some of the things I've learned over the years just reading on the net are:

 1. Speed isn't everything! Accuracy is!

 2. Yes, there are air guns bigger than .177 and .22

 3. So that's what parallax really means! Now I understand!

 4. Starlings really are hated by just about everybody who shoots an airgun.

 5. English sparrows run a close second to starlings on the hate meter!

 6. Pigeons are rats with wings.

 7. CO2 may have been around for awhile as a propellant, but it still does amazing things in the right gun!

 8. Spring-piston airguns CAN be accurate.....you just need to learn how to shoot them.

 9. You really can hunt big game with an airgun. You just need enough air gun.

10. I can outshoot some of my rimfire friends with my airguns! It really bugs them!

11. I can, with enough time, take my airgun apart and put it back together....and it will still work.

12. There are magicians out there....we call them tuners....who can make my airgun shoot totally different than it does in stock form.

And the list goes on.....you just have to read and experiment.

Another great benefit of hanging out on the forums is that you learn who to trust, and who is blowing smoke out their ear. And the deals you can find by buying used airguns can allow one to build up a collection that simply can't be done any more economically.  

So take some time and hang out on a forum or two. There are specific forums for hunting, target shooting, competition, and general information on how to build your own air gun as well. So take advantage of what is out there and learn more about airguns. It's great fun, and you'll meet some wonderful folks. 

Posted by Randy Mitchell at 05:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)