Sold my Sheridan C Series 5mm pumper here many years ago, and have been out of the air gun business since then.
I've been looking again lately. Looked over the springer/gas piston offerings from Diana, Benjamin, Hatsan, and maybe a few others.
Just want something fun/cheap to shoot around the house, capable of small game out to 40 yards or so.
I'm liking everything about the Diana RWS 460 Magnum.
The Benjamin Trail NP, and the Hatsan 125 Sniper Vortex QE drew some interest, but they both seem awfully heavy, and the Hatsan is not easy to look at.
I went with the Sig Sauer ASP20 synthetic in 22 cal (pre-order). It checked all the boxes for me, except it's not in stock yet. Estimated in stock date is 11/9, so we'll see if Sig can produce enough to keep up.
I went with the Sig Sauer ASP20 synthetic in 22 cal (pre-order). It checked all the boxes for me, except it's not in stock yet. Estimated in stock date is 11/9, so we'll see if Sig can produce enough to keep up.
I went with the Sig Sauer ASP20 synthetic in 22 cal (pre-order). It checked all the boxes for me, except it's not in stock yet. Estimated in stock date is 11/9, so we'll see if Sig can produce enough to keep up.
I went with the Sig Sauer ASP20 synthetic in 22 cal (pre-order). It checked all the boxes for me, except it's not in stock yet. Estimated in stock date is 11/9, so we'll see if Sig can produce enough to keep up.
If it ever ships, I'm going to slap a SWFA 6x42 on it and see what happens.
Hope you get yours sooner than later.
I spoke to Airgun Depot today. Asked about accuracy of pre-order estimated arrival dates. I asked if they were close, or could extend by weeks or months. They would only tell me that they are running behind, and supply cannot meet demand.
Yeah, they handle like a Garand, but - last year before Christmas, Crosman was shipping these things for under $100 each total. I played with the 22 and .177 versions. both were powerful and accurate.
I went with the Sig Sauer ASP20 synthetic in 22 cal (pre-order). It checked all the boxes for me, except it's not in stock yet. Estimated in stock date is 11/9, so we'll see if Sig can produce enough to keep up.
If it ever ships, I'm going to slap a SWFA 6x42 on it and see what happens.
Hope you get yours sooner than later.
I spoke to Airgun Depot today. Asked about accuracy of pre-order estimated arrival dates. I asked if they were close, or could extend by weeks or months. They would only tell me that they are running behind, and supply cannot meet demand.
I figured and that’s why I ordered from a store with a bigger presence like Pyramid. I’m not in a hurry.
Spend a little extra the first time and get a Beeman R9. Trigger is better, smoothness of the actions is better, smoothness of the shot is better, quality of workmanship is outstanding. All adds up to a rifle that you will be proud to own and enjoy shooting. Well worth saving a little longer for.
Plenty of power for bigger vermin.
One other thing I might add is to be careful about getting caught up in 'Magnum' spring air rifles. What it really means is that your rifle will very likely be big, heavy, twangy and difficult to shoot well.
Last edited by centershot; 10/28/20.
A true sportsman counts his achievements in proportion to the effort involved and fairness of the sport. - S. Pope
I'm looking for a .22, but kind of torn between something with a little class (RWS, Diana, Beeman), and a nasty pellet bitch (Hatsan 125) that is fun to blast things with.
Everything. Seriously. They are in every way a better rifle. Fit, Finish, Trigger, Spring Mechanism, Lock Mechanism, Accuracy, Noise, Vibration after the shot. All of which also reflects in the cost. I have owned an RWS 46, and couple 34's. While they are decent and a big step above any of the Chinese spring air rifles they are still not up to the level of the Beemans. Now I am talking about the R series Beemans here as they have some Chinese imports also. Stay away from those. The R7 and R9 are Classics and not by accident. They have been around for years and years and are built to last a lifetime. There are other fine spring air rifles but these are the ones that the others are judged by.
A true sportsman counts his achievements in proportion to the effort involved and fairness of the sport. - S. Pope
Magnum Air Rifles are like super fast bows. Difficult to shoot consistently, noisy and just not as fun to shoot. I own an R7 and an R9. The R9 goes when hunting is involved, the R7 everything else. It's not a heavy duty killer but so dang accurate that shooting grasshoppers and hornets are ridiculously fun. I also have a Benjamin pump rifle that I have had for 40 years. Great rifle but I can shoot the springers 5-6X more with less effort and less game spooking pumping.
I would say that if a pellet rifle that shoots like a .22lr is what you are after then you should be looking at PCP's.
A true sportsman counts his achievements in proportion to the effort involved and fairness of the sport. - S. Pope
I've looked into the PCP side of the house, but not interested. Too much logistics for my taste.
I liked the simplicity of my old Sheridan 5mm, and if I getting another air rifle I want it to be simple also. But one stroke of the barrel beats 8-10 pumps with the Sheridan, so I'm looking for something break-barrel, or underlever. I like the looks of the Diana 460, but the regular break barrel looks easier to load, especially with cold hands.
RWS 3500 doesn't look bad to me either. More of a classic look, with a nice comb for optics.
Centershot is 100% - I’ve had....HAD RWS. Not bad. Powerful accurate. Trigger inferior. Heavy vibration. Shoot ability greatly inhibits realized accuracy. An R9 like the old 124’s made by the same German company Weihrauch.
Basically like a Chevy vs Mercedes. You can’t put a price on the difference in quality. It’s worth it and resale is solid IF you ever wanted to sell.
Weihrauch / Beeman - R series are the gold standard and one heck of a value.
Exactly what Centershot has been saying. Beeman R9 or HW 95. Pretty much the same gun. Your Great, Great Grandkids will thank you. Anything else, your kids may be thanking you.
I appreciate all the great info guys. I might have to look into a Beeman down the road. Availability looks pretty thin just now.
Anyhoo, I ordered an RWS 3500 .22 cal, gas piston, along with a Hawke 3-12x44, a one-piece Hawke mount for the 11mm base, and some JSB Diabolo 18.13 gr pellets.
I have no experience with a springer type gun, so looking forward to going through that learning curve. Been checking out YT vids to get a grasp on the technique, so I have a starting point.
I expect you'll have a ton of fun with the new rifle. My latest is an RWS .22 gas ram as well. A 350 N-tec which is likely very close mechanically to yours. It's my third with a gas ram in a row and I do like them, a lot. The lifetime warranty is a comfort but I doubt I'll need it. I ordered pellet samplers of JSB and H&N pellets and several tins of JSB Hades and just like a rimfire, It shoots them all but it likes what it likes. Have fun running a tin or two through it and then you can get serious about finding exactly what it likes.
We'll need a report of course!
"Camping places fix themselves in your mind as if you had spent long periods of your life in them. You will remember a curve of your wagon track in the grass of the plain like the features of a friend." Isak Dinesen
Oh yeah, I'll share. I'll get some pellets through it to break it in, and get myself 'learned up'.
The rifle I ordered (RWS 3500) is supposedly very similar to the RWS 350. German parts, Italian designed stock, USA assembly, limited lifetime warranty.
The new air rifle arrived today. Got it set up, swabbed the bore dry, and put maybe 80-100 pellets through it.
Looks and feels like a quality gun. A couple negatives though.
- The high comb is perfect for the scope, but too high for the irons. I did shoot a couple dozen with the irons, but it was awkward. Not a big deal, I plan on using a scope anyways, and that high comb was one reason I chose this one.
- The trigger. It's pretty heavy. Maybe it will ease up after some use. Take-up is adjustable, but not the break.
So I'm a novice at springers, but I got a reasonable group at 12 yards. Went out to 20 yards and it really fell apart, 2+ inches. I don't know if it's my technique, or too heavy a pellet. I chrono'd the 18.1gr JSB at 690 fps. Chrono'd five, they were all between 688, and 692 fps. Maybe I need to try something it the 14gr range.
It can take up to 500 pellets to break in. The Pros say that too light and too heavy of a pellet puts undo stress on the mechanics. 14-15 gr. is the norm. unless things have changed in the last couple of years.
Try shooting off of a rolled up blanket or sleeping bag. Hold the rifle as lightly as possible and let it move freely when fired. Concentrate on a good trigger pull and follow through watching for the hole to appear in the target. Shooting with a firm grip and rest is not conducive to accuracy. Quarter sized groups at 25 yards should be pretty easy........as long as the wind is not blowing.
A true sportsman counts his achievements in proportion to the effort involved and fairness of the sport. - S. Pope
Appreciate the advice guys. I figure I'll burn through 500 pellets letting it break in, and learning to use the artillery hold. Went out this AM and put some downrange just shooting offhand at 15 yards, focusing on a light hold. Not bad for offhand. It's something new to learn.
Shane, I'm sure you know this - but a drop of oil (e.g. left over factory oil or olive) behind the pellet raises pressure enough to make the rifle go supersonic(diesel). Of course this affects accuracy - Some people people think that "dieseling" is unsafe/bad for the rifle. A Sheridan won't have that problem.
35 Yards with the Crosman 14.3 gr. Shooting off my knee on a patio chair, in a 15 mph wind (winter is rolling in here). Hitting right of aim, but a good group for me.
The 14.3 gr Chrono's at 790 fps.
Got 200 or so shots through this now, starting to get the hang of shooting a piston gun. Trigger is getting broke in a bit, not so hard now.
Shane, I'm sure you know this - but a drop of oil (e.g. left over factory oil or olive) behind the pellet raises pressure enough to make the rifle go supersonic(diesel). Of course this affects accuracy - Some people people think that "dieseling" is unsafe/bad for the rifle.
Google the HW-35 Barakuda. There were Spring guns designed with an ether injection system to purposely harness combustion to kick a pellet out much faster. "Harness" apparently is a generous term because it was hell on standard pellets and seals.
Enjoying reading the journey Montana Marine! I'd hung up the Springers for a while in favor of PCP's and now old skool multi-pumpers (Sheridan). I'm inspired to drag out the ole FWB-124's and R-7. The R-7 was an incredible vermin machine!
I noticed up front that the o-ring seemed flush with the breech. I wondered if it was getting a good seal.
A little google-fu revealed it is not an uncommon situation, and shimming via a washer, dental floss, plumbers tape, were all ways around it.
I have plumbers tape and floss on hand, so went with the floss. Removed the o-ring with a straight pin pry up from the outside edge. To get the floss down into the channel, I took about 10 inches of floss, and loosely wrapped it around a 44Mag case. Put the mouth of the case into the channel and pushed the floss off, and into place. Then put some silicone grease on the floss, and o-ring, and replaced the o-ring.
That left the o-ring a bit proud of the breech face, and I can feel it seal up on closing.
I chrono'd after, and gained about 30 fps with both the 14.3gr and 18.1 gr pellets. (820/720 fps fps respectively after). Chrony was being a little difficult (15F here today), but results seem good.
Not good to make a pellet gun diesel by using something flammable/explosive. The guns aren't made for mini explosion's. When pellets go supersonic, they can float way of course.
American Rifleman did a story in the 70s, dieseling can destroy a Spring Piston gun. Pictures of all sorts of damaged parts, quite one where the barrel and cocking lever were separated. I would always avoid it where possible.
Yeah, I'm not doing any deliberate dieseling ( already have .22 rimfires....grin). I swabbed the bore dry to start. There was enough residual oil to give a little puff at the muzzle for a few shots, and the smell. Didn't sound supersonic though.
Thank you and enjoy. They don't necessarily produce velocities as stated and you may not want that. I think its a big marketing ploy. A 15 gr. .22 at 800 fps is a lot of smack. A lot of pros actually detune their guns for accuracy. Accuracy is the standard. To me big guns ain't where it's at. Check out the website GTA. You'll learn a lot.
Hey guys, forum member colodog sent me a couple sampler packs to run through this gun with.
Total of 10 different pellets from JSB and H&N.
So I figured I would get some chrono data and target results to share here.
As for the target results, I can shoot in the garage to about 13 yards, with no wind. Or I can go outdoors and stretch it out. I'm leaning toward the 13 yard indoors for testing, just to eliminate wind from the variables. What do you guys think? Would 13 yard target results be worthwhile? Then I could try the better pellets outdoors on a calmer day.
If the parallax is workable at the 13 yards distance, sure, I'm curious how they compare and it'll give you some more trigger time! Are you going to shoot the Crosman pellets as a baseline to compare to? It's fun to see what folks are doing when not hunting. The report on your new rifle and learning to get the most from it might get someone else to catch the bug too!
"Camping places fix themselves in your mind as if you had spent long periods of your life in them. You will remember a curve of your wagon track in the grass of the plain like the features of a friend." Isak Dinesen
Parallax should work. I've got a Hawke 3-12x44 SF. The parallax goes down below 10 yards, looks like 7 or so.
Yes I'll shoot the Crosman 14.3 as a baseline.
So I'll set up an indoor range at 13 yards. I had to order a lithium 9V battery for the chrono, so there might be a delay on that info, that will be an outdoors thing anyways, for the light..
Also, I pulled the iron sights off the gun. The rear sight was loose after every session, so I just pulled it, and the front sight. Then, I ordered a Air Venturi Crow Mag brake to put on the barrel. Looks like it is about 5 ounces that might help dampen harmonics a tad, and make a decent handle for cocking. It should be here Friday or Saturday, and then I'll get started.
I gather that advertised velocities are very optimistic, and/or using very light alloy pellets that are not known for great accuracy.
I'm happy anywhere in the 750-850 range, give or take. That should make a fairly flat trajectory out to 40-50 yards.
Yes regarding specs using lighter pellets. Marketing...
T11 makes a great point about weight. Had a friend who was big into air guns and he had a few larger heavier guns ie Beeman and Air Arms that were very heavy - gun weight and cocking force.later he got heavy into pre-charged. That said I’ve had good results using 177s anywhere from 675-900. 20 and 22 at 670-750 all with standard pellets. 8gr and 14.3
My R9 with 4x reached way further than many might imagine with 14.3 around 670. So your speeds will definitely give you plenty distance.
Those speeds are in a good range for any caliber spring air rifle for a balance of performance. Weight. And cocking force. The lighter the cocking the more practice - and fun you have.
I shoot quite a bit at 10 yards in my basement. With my R7 after putting 10 shots into a hole about the size of a .22 pellet I shot a ring around the target until it plopped out like a donut. Spring air rifles can be remarkably accurate when shot indoors (no wind). I have Nikon 3-9x40EFR scopes on both of my springgers. Wonderful scopes that have held up well. Nice spring air rifles are the fountain of youth.
A true sportsman counts his achievements in proportion to the effort involved and fairness of the sport. - S. Pope
Nicely done, you're shooting just fine. It's a relief to figure out what shoots well in YOUR rifle so when you miss a shot, it's just a miss and you're not wondering if the gear let you down. My 22s like the Hades, the Crosman and one loves the JSB lightweight non lead but I'm trying to simplify a bit. The H&N didn't shoot well in my rifles but you'll never know till you try!
"Camping places fix themselves in your mind as if you had spent long periods of your life in them. You will remember a curve of your wagon track in the grass of the plain like the features of a friend." Isak Dinesen
Not good to make a pellet gun diesel by using something flammable/explosive. The guns aren't made for mini explosion's. When pellets go supersonic, they can float way of course.
I remember reading, some 30 or so years ago one of the German makers actually made a diesel gun, a spring air model that had a tiny injector that injected some ether in the cylinder to ignite and create more pressure and felocity. If I remember correctly it created enough pressure that it actually re cocked the piston upon firing.
When you find a pellet it likes, you can settle in with it........I did with Premiers - the lite 7.9 in a R7, the standard weight in R9 and FWB124, the 14.3 in the R9 .20.
JSB's are often very accurate for many, testing is key. After a few hundred shots, it should be more consistent and broken in You are getting some good results.
Don't ya just love it when your rifle shoots the easy to find pellets the best!
I put a sticker on the scope or stock, to remind me of holdover/under at distance.
A couple pop cans full of water or an old potato or two make fun practice on life size targets!
How are you liking the setup so far?
"Camping places fix themselves in your mind as if you had spent long periods of your life in them. You will remember a curve of your wagon track in the grass of the plain like the features of a friend." Isak Dinesen
R7 is a GREAT rifle for short ranges..........light, easy to cock, very accurate. So you are using yours with the Nikon? What model? Monarch or ?
Thanks.
I believe it is the Nikon Prostaff 3-9x40EFR. Now discontinued as Nikon has quit making scopes. Bummer because they have very nice glass and solid click adjustments.
A true sportsman counts his achievements in proportion to the effort involved and fairness of the sport. - S. Pope
Thanks for the info. MM - you are doing good work at the 40 yd line. Learning what the gun likes - ammo, and how to hold....as noted they can be 'hold sensitive' - enjoy.
Yes. A Hatsan 125 Sniper Vortex QE 22 caliber. The brown truck dropped this off this afternoon. I had to see if it was going to like the JSB 18.13 gr, since I have 2000 of them on hand.....grin.
Well the heavies seem to work great on first blush. I just swabbed the bore, and did some 15 yard shots while adjusting the irons. Sitting on a patio chair, shooting off my knee. They are going over the chrono averaging 830 fps +/- 10 fps. Seems promising for a new barrel.
I gotta say, I LIKE this gun a lot. The trigger feels fantastic right out of the box. It's the quattro trigger. The rifled barrel is only 10.5", the rest is the muffler. The shorter barrel/barrel time might help accuracy in getting the pellet out sooner. Speed seems great. 18.13gr at 830 fps, 28 FPE ,with accuracy.
It came with a 3-9x32 scope and rings (cheapy, but I'll probably mount it with a better mount), and a sling.
I did a lot of reading up on this airgun, and it felt like a bit of a gamble, but I'm so glad I pulled the trigger. I bought it from Midway, for their good return policy.
Saweeet! I've been wondering about Hatsan and you can give us all a glimpse of their rifles.
When the aigun bug bites, it can bite hard! Ha! Off season research!!
"Camping places fix themselves in your mind as if you had spent long periods of your life in them. You will remember a curve of your wagon track in the grass of the plain like the features of a friend." Isak Dinesen
This Hatsan 125 is quite a contrast to the RWS 3500.
Where the RWS is stylish, refined, and well machined and finished, the Hatsan is a bit rough around the edges, but it really delivers, and seems far less sensitive to hold on my first time shooting it. The Hatsan is one you wouldn't think twice about dragging over rocks.....grin
I have some work to do with it, and I'll run the sampler packs through it and see how it does.
I did a little online research before cutting the barrel. What I gleaned is that springers reach max velocity around 10" of barrel. The extra length serves sight radius, and cocking leverage.
Now it makes sense to me that the Hatsan 125 QE only has 10.5" of rifled barrel, but gets great speed and accuracy.
I figured shortening the barrel would shorten barrel-time for sure, and that might help free the pellet before I muff the shot. A little extra velocity is just some icing on the cake.
Cocking is a little harder, but no big deal. After I break it, I generally use both hands anyway.
Probably a little louder, but not enough for my ringing ears (tinnitus) to really notice.
I appreciate your sharing the journey. The RWS does look handier with the shorter barrel but I like the cocking leverage of the longer barrel too much to cut mine.
Are you going to leave the Hatsan naked for a while or put the scope back on?
For plinking on the farm sights are ok but I like the scope for distance!
"Camping places fix themselves in your mind as if you had spent long periods of your life in them. You will remember a curve of your wagon track in the grass of the plain like the features of a friend." Isak Dinesen
I appreciate your sharing the journey. The RWS does look handier with the shorter barrel but I like the cocking leverage of the longer barrel too much to cut mine.
Are you going to leave the Hatsan naked for a while or put the scope back on?
For plinking on the farm sights are ok but I like the scope for distance!
I got the inspiration to cut the barrel off a bit from looking at the RWS 34P Pro Compact, with it's 15.75" barrel.
I ended up putting the Hawke 3-12x44 on the Hatsan.
The RWS is getting a Hawke 3-9x40 AO. Should be here in a few days.
Hey MM, I've really enjoyed following you on your airgun journey. I've been "rediscovering" my springers the last month in an effort to save my rimfire ammo, and it's like I have to re-learn everything all over again. I'll get super stoked about a couple of really good groups one day, and go back the next day and totally screw it up. But, it's shooting, and shooting is fun.
So, what's your take on that Hawke 3-12x44? Is it the one with the half mil-dot reticle? I'm kinda in the market for something with more hold points than the duplex I'm currently using on my 22 caliber R9. When those 22 pellets start dropping, they drop fast!
Hey MM, I've really enjoyed following you on your airgun journey. I've been "rediscovering" my springers the last month in an effort to save my rimfire ammo, and it's like I have to re-learn everything all over again. I'll get super stoked about a couple of really good groups one day, and go back the next day and totally screw it up. But, it's shooting, and shooting is fun.
So, what's your take on that Hawke 3-12x44? Is it the one with the half mil-dot reticle? I'm kinda in the market for something with more hold points than the duplex I'm currently using on my 22 caliber R9. When those 22 pellets start dropping, they drop fast!
Yes that's the one. Well, I haven't found anything to not like about it so far. The reticle is nice, kind of similar to the MQuad reticle on my SWFA scopes on the 308/30-06.
I suppose the real test will be how it lasts over time, on a springer magnum.
I dove into the air rifles for kind of the same reason. To enjoy some shooting without burning through the regular ammo and loading supplies. It seems to be working...grin.
I still haven't mastered shooting these off a rest. I do some of my most consistent shooting sitting in a patio chair, leg crossed over, and forward hand resting on knee. Not exactly still, but it seems to give the gun enough 'wiggle room' to be consistent.
I took the Hatsan 125 back to 81 yards hoping to hit a clay bird. JSB 18.13gr pellet. Held over 3 mils. I could hear the pellet hitting, but couldn't get any visual feedback from the dirt. Holding the gun loosely, the scope bounces off target during the cycle. Who would have thought...
Anyhoo, I moved up to 40 yards on the clay. One shot, one kill.
I need to set up a bigger target board and see what's happening out there at 80 or so yards.
I'm curious if hitting pop cans or clay birds would be possible (repeatable) at 100 yards? I'm going to explore that.
Sounds lke you have been doing your research, many Air rifle loonies shortent their barrels. I never have.....but did have a full stock underlever cocking BSA Stutzen once in .22 cal. They had 14" barrels. It was not particular fast, it was a demo model, took me a year to get it after seeing it at a SHOT Show. Not many made, kick myself for selling it. Mainspring was broke in two likely from dry firing as a Demo. It was like new in box, but I was lucky to get a new Mainspring and the velocity went up.
It was harsh firing, Accuracy with Eley Wasps was fantastic, that and RWS Domes and Super Points were it's mainstay.......British bores tend to run on the large size and my former BSA Meteor .177 liked Benjamin roundnose, but I settled on RWS Superpoint in the mild powered springer.
A bit of trivia for folks who might not have heard of these rarities.
Sounds lke you have been doing your research, many Air rifle loonies shortent their barrels. I never have.....but did have a full stock underlever cocking BSA Stutzen once in .22 cal. They had 14" barrels. It was not particular fast, it was a demo model, took me a year to get it after seeing it at a SHOT Show. Not many made, kick myself for selling it. Mainspring was broke in two likely from dry firing as a Demo. It was like new in box, but I was lucky to get a new Mainspring and the velocity went up.
It was harsh firing, Accuracy with Eley Wasps was fantastic, that and RWS Domes and Super Points were it's mainstay.......British bores tend to run on the large size and my former BSA Meteor .177 liked Benjamin roundnose, but I settled on RWS Superpoint in the mild powered springer.
A bit of trivia for folks who might not have heard of these rarities.
Yes it was quite unique, I enjoyed it, being in my college days, I often had to sell something to fund my next toy........not sure I have ever seen another. I was always a fan of Mannlicher stocks..........That rifle was around a 600 fps rifle, I like about 650-675 on the low side for 20 and 22 cal with 14.3's..........
This is what I refer to as the 'patio chair position'. I took a tip from kragman1, supporting the forend under the screws, with just the index finger.
From a 20 yard zero, I went out to 64 yards, holding 2 mils elevation. Managed a 4" 5-shot group....I'm sure there is room for improvement there. There was a light breeze blowing full value. Was shooting the Crosman 14.3gr HP.
New scope and mount arrived today. Hawke 3-9x40 AO Mildot, and RWS Lockdown base. Seems nice and solid.
Very nice, I think you are reaching the outer limit for killing performance. Nice looking rig. More likely you will do more killing stuff under 40 yds with this air rifle, is my guess. Beyond 50 you get more drop and drift, not that you cannot account for it, but 60-65 yds is a fair piece for a set up like this, IMHO.
Nice to have no ear plugs/muffs, no reloading...of cartridges....quite economical like the 22 LR. Oh, no blast and recoil so they are fun to shoot and you will learn a lot over time with that rifle.
Thanks to Timbo. For his comment on another thread, I tried setting up this Hatsan like I would any other rifle for accurate bench shooting.
So I used the BR front rest, and beanbag aft.
Held it and shot it like any other rifle. At 40 yards, 10 shots. 9 well below 1". The flyer at 12 o'clock was the last round, and I pulled it, so I'll take credit for that.
Johnw you are on the right track thinking R7 or R9 if you need a little more power.
MM you seem to be getting the hang of it! That bench groups is about what I expect from my R series Beemans. FWIW: more than one rock chuck has gone to the great rock pile in the sky at 60+ yards. Even though the muzzle velocity of my R9 is only 665fps it still more often than not will send a 14.3 Premier hollow point right through their head. Doesn't take much wind to screw up those longer shots though. I feel like anything under 40 yards is in big trouble.
A true sportsman counts his achievements in proportion to the effort involved and fairness of the sport. - S. Pope
When I called Hawke months ago, they told me that the Vantage line was not springer rated, and pointed me to their AirMax line. Guess they weren't just upselling me.
I know that a lot of people have good luck with Vantage on airguns, but magnum springers are a real test for a scope.
Work is what you do to finance your real life.....
Thanks, does that replace the alleged Weaver rail that it comes with? And, do you like the height, as it relates to the adjustable cheek rest?
Appreciate you guinea-pigging this!
This base mounts to the provided rail. The provided rail appears to be riveted and/or welded in place, pretty solid. it's not something you would easily remove.
The High mount is 1.4" from base to centerline. The Medium is 1.0" from base to centerline. I believe my scope would fit with the Medium, but probably not with the lens covers.
Although I typically like a low scope mount, the higher mount in this case (low velocity air rifle, rainbow trajectory) creates a bit further zero with a max +/- of say 1" from LOS. So it's OK with me.
I keep some 15.9s around because none of my rifles will get the 18.13's into the 850-900 fps range. Thats my goal - to buy or put together a "normal" weight rifle (9 pounds or so) that launches the 18.13's in that 850 range, accurately. Think of it as a "light heavyweight".
There are plenty of reports of the Hatsan 125 & 135 exceeding 30 fpe, so even 900 (32 fpe) with an 18.13 should be doable. The 9 lbs goal might not be though....
My "best" .22 is a gas ram RWS 350. I haven't chrony'd it but it should produce 725 fps or so with those. Not quite what I'm looking for. Magnum complex....? Check!
The sound of pellets hitting the trap tells me that the 350 does well with the 15.9's, and that makes sense. It certainly has more pop than my Hatsan 95 which is 800 fps with a 14.3. I'm guessing 800 with the 15.9's for the 350. That puts it in the 22-23 fpe range and in a good velocity window to hold on to that energy.
As an aside, you don't read much about the NTEC guns but I like mine very much. It is very well made, has a fine trigger, shoots strong but isn't ridiculous to cock, and so far has been impressively accurate (at only 9 yards, but we will soon see what it can do at longer range) I dont remember if your 3500 is a gas or coil spring gun, but either way it should be nearly identical to a 350. You might want to try some 15.9 JSBs in that rifle too.
Last edited by kragman1; 01/14/21.
Work is what you do to finance your real life.....
Upgraded scope mounts on the Hatsan 125 22cal. Went with Medium SWFA SS rings with the 1" inserts. Seemed like the most solid mount up to utilize the weaver slots in the mounting rail. Height is good for access to safety, but not so high as to need to raise the adjustable comb.
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