Airgun Depot's Airsenal News

Back in June of this year, I posted a brief entry about the up-and-coming Crosman NPSS break-barrel rifle that was due out very shortly. Since then I have procured my own sample, and would like to share a brief hunt and some observations of this new offering from Crosman.

As mentioned in the other post, the NPSS comes in two flavors....and being a hunter, I opted for the camo version since that suits my needs. The gun is handsome, handles well, and the synthetic stock feels different than just about any other synthetic stock I've sampled in the airgun world. It isn't hard plastic, but rather offers a subtler feel, one that is pleasing. I guess I would describe it as "softer" than the run-of-the-mill synthetic stock.

The NPSS comes in both .177 and .22, so I requested a .22 version. The claims of the manufacturer are valid in regards to the velocity it provides, and the accuracy is excellent. I've been quite pleased with the inexpensive Crosman Hollow Point pellets out of this gun, and they have proved accurate and deadly on small game like squirrel and rabbits.

Today's hunt was brief as I had just a few moments free in the afternoon. I headed out my door and didn't have to go far before I spied a fox squirrel going about his business in a large maple tree not too far from my house. I was able to get within 25 yards of him before he decided I was something to pay attention to and headed up higher before laying out on a branch to see what I was up to. My NPSS came with a Centerpoint scope that does an excellent job, and I settled the crosshairs on the squirrel's noggin before squeezing the trigger.

My shot was a little off, and I had to put another pellet into the squirrel before I had him in hand, but the performance of the NPSS was all I could ask for. An advantage it gives me is that I can cock it as I begin the hunt, and not worry about spring fatigue because it doesn't have one! The  power-plant  for this gun is a gas-filled (nitrogen) piston that compresses a column of gas when cocked. There is no spring to get kinked or to take a set over time, and the shot cycle is much more accomodating to the shooter than some of the buzz and twang that can come from a spring-piston gun that isn't worn in yet.

Here's a pic of the single squirrel I got today:

For half the price of a European-made gas ram equipped rifle, you will get performance that serves by far the majority of shooters these days. The gun is handsome, tactile in feel, and delivers in performance. Give this one a look as you select your plinking and small game rifle. You will be pleased with Crosman's newest, and first, gas piston rifle.

Posted by Randy Mitchell at 12:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The American Airgun Field Target Association recently held their National Match, and I wanted to share the results with you.

Field Target is a growing sport, and you will have a wonderful time if you ever get the chance to compete in a match, no matter the size. However, the Nationals represent one of the best times that this sport has to offer.

Tony Inocentes recently posted a very well-written review of the competition, which he attended and participated in, ranking very well in the pistol competition. Here are some of the results of the competition:

Here you have the PCP class results:

 Next are the results from the Piston Class:

The Pistol Class also had several entries:

And the WFTF scores:

For a complete review of the match, please visit the following link and read up on the match, some of the characters and individuals that attend, and voice your thanks to Tony Inocentes for the great write-up he gave to those of us who couldn't attend! Thanks Tony!

AAFTA National Results and Review

Posted by Randy Mitchell at 10:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Recently I've been doing some shooting with the RWS 350 Magnum, one of the more powerful spring-piston air rifles available today. It comes in a variety of setups, with the standard wood stock, a synthetic stock version that features fiber-optic sights, and a carbine version with a straight, truly ambidextrous stock (the Feuerkraft Pro version). For this blog entry, I'll focus on the brief hunt I did with the standard version.

The RWS 350 weighs just over 8 lbs. without a scope, but the length of the gun balances nicely. The bluing is rich and uniform, and the logo shows the Goddess of the Hunt, Diana, throwing her bow and arrow down to take up the airgun! The barrel is right at 19.5" long, giving you some leverage for cocking such a powerful spring-piston airgun.

The forearm and pistol grip area feature pressed checkering, and on the model I reviewed, the 350 Magnum logo was branded into the wood on the right side. The safety is re-settable, so if you don't shoot immediately, you can reset the safety. You can also uncock the gun by breaking the barrel like you are going to cock it once again and pulling the trigger while maintaining a firm grip on the barrel. Ease the barrel back to the firing position, and you've uncocked it!

The fit and finish of the buttpad is excellent, giving the entire package a quality feel. You have a sense of solidness when you heft this rifle, and it gives you confidence when aiming at your quarry. The standard model features all-metal sights, with a hood over the standard front sight blade. It's very easy to aim with this gun's open sights, but if you prefer a scope, an 11mm rail is provided on the gun, complete with double stop pin holes already installed.

In .22 caliber, I was able to easily take squirrels with no problems as the pellets were heading down range at over 840+ fps. The factory rating for velocity is 900+, and with certain lighter pellets, this is easily within the power range for this air gun. I was shooting mid-weight pellets of 14-16 grains, and accuracy proved excellent. with most velocities coming in from 815 fps up to 865 fps. This will vary from pellet to pellet, especially with the differences in the skirts of the pellets. I've noticed that lighter-skirted pellets that fit snugly actually give higher velocities, I think in part due to the "flaring" effect of the skirt when the pulse of air hits the rear of the pellet.In any event, you are generating over 20 fpe with standard pellets, and some of the heavier ones will raise that to the mid-to-high 20's.

Now, on to the hunt. I got out for a brief morning this past week, and was able to sneak up on a big Eastern fox squirrel. These squirrels are much larger than the Eastern grey squirrel, and they can soak up some pellets if you don't hit them correctly. So I was trying my best to get as close as possible, but the cover was sparse between my target and my shooting position. I had to quit trying to play super-sneak at nearly 40 yards, so when I did "drop the hammer" on this squirrel, I did so with a body-shot in mind. Aiming at the front left leg, I touched off my shot. A loud "whap" told me I had made contact, but with open sights I wasn't sure just where. The squirrel turned in place and tried a magnificent leap to a distant branch, but never made it.

I had apparently hit the boiler room with my one shot, and the pellet made its way through the vitals to lodge near the rear of the squirrel. The power of this RWS 350 made the difference on this squirrel, as I have lost squirrels before to better-placed shots such as the head. But when a .22 pellet hits with the force generated by this airgun,  unless you totally missed the vitals, the target is going down!

There are some very fine rifles available for today's air gun hunter, but the RWS 350 ranks near the top of the selection in my book. Reasonably priced for the quality of package you receive, this gun will give years of satisfaction in the field and woods, and the RWS warranty is second-to-none on their merchandise. You can feel certain of the quality rifle you will receive when choosing the Model 350, and the service that comes with it will keep you happy for years to come!

Check out the RWS Model 350 at Airgun Depot today!

Posted by Randy Mitchell at 07:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)