Airgun Depot's Airsenal News

This particular entry's title may come as a bit of a surprise. It is probably an unusual title, but is certainly appropriate considering my current physical condition.

This weekend I broke my back in two places. I had a lawnmower turn over on me and do a number on my spine, but I am home and wishing I could go out shooting. Here are some things I am confident of right off the bat:

1. I will NOT be shooting any hard to cock springers. I have a weight limit of 5 lbs. that I can lift with the doctor's permission. Nothing more! So trying to cock even a spring pistol, much less a rifle is out of bounds.

2. Bending over to get a good sight plane is out of bounds for several weeks. I have a brace covering my entire torso keeping my injured spine in place while it heals.

3.  Moving heavy air tanks from place to place in order to air up a PCP is going to be a problem.

4. Hand pumping doesn't even exist in my current universe!

5. CO2 air guns are going to save the day for me!

Once I took stock of my physical condition, I began to see some of the challenges that my physically-handicapped shooting brethren are trying to overcome on a daily basis. What I take for granted as easy to do and achieve has suddenly become almost impossible without some help.

The CO2-powered pistols such as the Crosman 2240 and the EB series of pistols from Benjamin will be the easiest air guns for me to enjoy for the next little while. Airgun Depot has quite a selection of other CO2 air pistols that would also fit the bill for shooting enjoyment. Here is a link to the entire category of CO2 pistols:

CO2 Pistols

These are some of the air guns that I can physically handle at this time, considering the weight limits the doctor has imposed on me, my own ability to aim and shoot, and enough accuracy for me to enjoy shooting at animate or inanimate targets.  There is also the added enjoyment of being able to shoot these guns inside with an adequate backstop in place.

Another range of air pistols would be the AirSoft line of air guns that Airgun Depot carries, too. Here is a link to those items which may be of interest to a shooter in my condition:

AirSoft Guns

Being physically challenged as a shooter doesn't have to mean you must give up shooting. You simply have to work around whatever obstacles are in your way to continue your enjoyment of a great sport. Let Airgun Depot help you out with their great selection of equipment for your shooting needs!

Posted by Randy Mitchell at 03:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I have always found it helpful to know as much as possible about any given subject that interests me.....and knowing about the gear we use as air gunners falls in that category.

Here is a brief 7 minute video on how the high pressure scuba tanks are made. Many airgunners use this kind of setup to fill their PCP airguns, and understanding how they are made just adds to the enjoyment of our hobby.

Direct link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPJpufCj89I

Different tanks from different makers and made in similar fashion. The latest development in high pressure vessels involves the carbon fiber wrapped aluminum tanks that greatly reduce the weight of the gear. And there is a new development for firefighters that puts a flat pack tank, consisting of 5 different chambers, in a harness that is worn in place of the more traditional cylindrical tank on the back. It is slimmer and lighter, and is being tested according to the reports I have read.

Having a good relationship with your local fire department pays big dividends for the air gun shooter. I get my air for free, and as a thank you I will drop a turkey or ham by every so often, or several pounds of venison during deer season. The fire fighters appreciate it, and it goes a long way towards recognizing their contribution to your hobby/sport, not to say the least for the way they lay their life on the line when doing their jobs on our behalf.

Enjoy the video!

Posted by Randy Mitchell at 09:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I wanted to take a few minutes today to share with you some of the pictures of the Arkansas Airgun Show held last month in Malvern, AR. Seth Rowland was in charge this year, with some help from Tim Johnston, and the show was well received and well attended. When you get the chance, go to a show near you and enjoy the selection of guns you'll see, as well as the company of fellow hobbyists and shooters.

Some nice rifles and pellet cases for use in the field.

Eric Henderson of Bigbore Airguns.

Nice row of airguns!

Dennis Quackenbush and an interested customer.

Leroy Roduner who designed the Gargoyle .452.

Larry Hannusch (r) and his display.

Mike Reames' table.....he makes neat stuff!

My display with all the hats!

Jack Haley's Southern Airgun Conversion table.

Tom Strayhorn's Walther display.

 Middle gun is a prototype Theoben underlever. Great shooter, too.

Come on out and enjoy an airgun show sometime. You'll be glad you did!

Posted by Randy Mitchell at 06:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When you purchase an airgun, it is likely that you will be picking up a scope, especially if the airgun is a modern one. Airguns have reached new pinnacles in what they are capable of, and a scope helps in realizing some of the extreme accuracy feats that many airguns are capable of.

That said, it shouldn't come as a surprise to seasoned shooters that many of their new-to-airgun brethren often pick a scope that is simply not compatible with the gun they have chosen to use. Though many forum members grow tired of the constant "what scope should I use" question, it is comforting to see quite a bit of good advice being given to the novice shooter by veterans of the "scope wars" that crop up from time to time.

Consider the following:

1. If you are hunting, depending on the game you are pursuing, you are more likely to need a wide field of view because animals rarely tend to stay still very long. Their day to day activities call for them to move while grazing or hunting prey, and a wide field of view helps in keeping up with them. Having high-magnification scopes on hunting airguns may not make the best sense for the majority of prey.

2. Variable power? Do you really need it? The answer is "not always". More than one famous outdoor writer has made the comment that a fixed power is the better option for heavy recoiling firearms, and the same consideration carries over to airguns. Most shooters could do very well with a simple 4x power scope. Fixed power scopes have less internal moving parts, and are less prone to being thrown off their settings since there is less to go wrong on the inside. 

3. Here's a hint for you....don't adjust your scope all the way left or right, up or down. Stay in the mid-range of adjustment possibilities, and use an adjustable mount to get "close enough" in order to fine tune with the scope knobs. If you go too far in any one direction, you'll find the other adjustment possibilities limited because the reticle mounts lose their ability to have any effect on their parameter because the room remaining for adjustment is so limited. Move too far to the side or top or bottom of the barrel of the scope, then you have no way for the scope to move any further on the remaining adjustment axis. (Hope that makes sense.....I probably didn't say that very clear)

4. You can hit a lot of targets with an inexpensive scope. Most of my hunting is done with sub-$100 scopes, and to be blunt, I've killed more animals than most with airguns. You can accomplish quite a bit with budget-level scopes, but it calls for the shooter to do some testing and work on repeatable performance before trusting the hunt of a lifetime, or a once-in-a-blue-moon competition opportunity to an un-tested and untried scope. Just because your scope is expensive doesn't mean that it will perform as expected. The current crop of scopes at Airgun Depot are ALL under $200 at the time of this entry. Don't be afraid to try some of the budget scopes....you may be surprised!

5. Got your scope set? Leave it alone! Sure, it's okay to experiment and learn as much as you can about the scope, but once you have it set, leave the darn thing alone! Do a few test shots to determine whether it is still on the proper setting after you travel with it, but otherwise, continuous fiddling with it will lead to frustration that isn't the scopes fault!

Browse through Airgun Depot's scope category and pick a great scope at a great price after you've mulled over the comments in this blog entry. And have a great time shooting!

Posted by Randy Mitchell at 06:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)