high power air rifles

[aczlan]

i know the one i was looking at was dual caliper like 22/177 serious killing power for varmints.

A friend has a spring powered break action (ie: tilt the barrel down to load and cock the spring) .177/.22 gun and very much likes it. Sounds like a conventional .22 when you shoot it.

Aaron Z

 

[SPIKER]

I wanted to say, I have a .177 Spring Action Break BBL Rugar Blackhawk? (forget the specific model.) it is Accurate IF you can get over the funky SPRING for/aft recoil. Also any pressure on the bbl when shooting will throw off it's accuracy. Laying on a rest on the stock with bbl free to set naturally you can keep a quarter dia pattern, lay stock on a tree for bracing and the accuracy is OK but no longer hitting same spot. Just TOUCH the bbl after cocking & loading and the accuracy is done off to 6" all at 25yards... It is a 1000FPS gun with very good knockdown power and use of hunting quality pellets are needed to maintain any semblance of accuracy. I've put about 500 +/- rounds thru it of 3 or 4 brands of pellets and yes brand is a concern. the 3 bucks a box pellets are ok to plink but don't expect to nail a black bird at 40 yards. Use a hunting or match grade pellet at 5buck to 15 bucks for 50 then (follow above resting instructions) I can drop black birds/starlings at 40~50 yards.

Mark

 

[Dr_Zinj]

I'm sure that most of you have seen this, but large bore, high powered air rifles have been around a long time.

Girandoni air rifle as used by Lewis and Clark. A National Firearms Museum Treasure Gun. - YouTube

Glad you mentioned that one Lane. I remember reading an article on them in the American Rifleman. They were powerful enough to take down buffalo with one. And they impressed the heck out of the Indians when they saw it didn't take any powder. (apparently Lewis and Clark made sure they never saw how long it took to pump one of the guns up to firing pressure.)

 

[Renze]

.IT: 177 will have higher velocity, longer range and flatter trajectory than .22 but .22 will have more knock down power. .177 for feathers and .22 for fur.

What about these PBA alloy pellets ? they are lighter but harder, so the start velocity is higher (flatter trajectory, less gravity pull) but i guess a .22 PBA is slowed down quicker than a .177 lead pellet due to the bigger frontal area ? (air resistance)

To be more precise to what im interested in, you say .177 for feathers and .22 for fur: What about .22 lead for fur, and .22 PBA for feathers ? any differences in performance ?

 

[Depmandog]

I'm sure that most of you have seen this, but large bore, high powered air rifles have been around a long time. Girandoni air rifle as used by Lewis and Clark. A National Firearms Museum Treasure Gun. - YouTube

Thanks for posting this Dennis. I had never heard of this. Interesting!

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girandoni_Air_Rifle

 

[Renze]

OK after watching several reviews on youtube i narrowed my choice down a bit: Benjamin Trial NP is cheaper but accuracy seems horrible. Diana is a brand ive never heard off, but its more expensive than a Weihrauch which is the most popular brand name for accuracy. Then there is the Gamo hunter 1250 extreme, again a brand name known for kid rifles, cant find any reviews on accuracy. And its a wee bit more expensive than a Weihrauch with comparable punch..

That means i'm narrowed down to either the HW97KT blackline (plastic handle) for about 350 euro, a HW77 which is basically the same rifle (with a very good reputation for durability and precision) but with a wooden handlebar, about 375 euro, and the gas ram HW90 which packs a slightly harder punch and costs about 400 euro here.

Does anyone have experience with gas ram air rifles ? (theoben system) and is it really a benefit over the time proven HW77/HW97 (AKA Beeman R9 ) springer design ?

 

[corl]

The PBA pellets in .177 are lots lighter, may be supersonic and give you more noise than the lead ones. The PBA pellets are just more expensive. The feathers vs fur analogy is just to show more knockdown with the heavier caliber .22. Gamo has a video on U tube killing feral hogs with .177, so anything is possible. I have the Gamo Whisper in .22 and the noise factor helps. It is 750 fps with lead and 950 with PBA which I don't use. The .177 is 1200 fps with PBA (supersonic at over 800 mph) and 1000fps with lead.
Since F=MA the two different calibers are close to each other. I like the slower heavier pellet since I am only using it out to about 50 yards and mostly15 to 20 yards. Safer in the neighborhood.

 

[foggy1111]

Back a few years ago…..when I searched the topic……ended up with a 20 Caliber Beeman, break barrel. Long ranges AND some punch. Not too many of this caliber sold….but hunters like them allot. I've got a 18x variable scope on mine……and it is awesome accurate. I like crow magnum pellets (but in truth have only tried a few pellet styles).

 

[JRobyn]

..... Diana is a brand ive never heard off .....

If you substitute "RWS" is it more familiar? I believe that the two are synonymous or just different divisions/names for the same company. RWS has been making top-of-line high-powered air rifles for a very long time. In my opinion, you will not go wrong with any RWS/Diana model. Mine is a Model 45, stamped with both RWS and Diana. It is .177 cal, about 1100 or 1200 fps if I recall correctly, and is an absolute tack-driver. I bought it in about 1983. It is deadly on tree rats. I can easily do head shots out to about 25yds with the scope that came with it. Of course, it is also relatively large and heavy.

- Jay

 

[Renze]

Since F=MA the two different calibers are close to each other. I like the slower heavier pellet since I am only using it out to about 50 yards and mostly15 to 20 yards. Safer in the neighborhood.

I looked it up on Wikipedia and did some calculations about muzzle energy: As a rule a .22 does have more energy (1/2 x mass x velocity squared) because the lighter pellet would have to travel at much higher speed to get the same energy, but it gets allmost the same barrel friction as the heavier .22 pellet...

Just another question, the HW97 and HW77 K versions have a shorter barrel. Does that make a difference in accuracy over the standard version ? Do you guys have a model T with a thumbhole in the handle, and how do you like it ?
And about plastic handles, they are cheaper than wooded versions but is wood worth the money ?