Crosman has teamed with AR accessories specialists Magpul to create the Benjamin Armada air rifle, the premier AR-compatible PCP Air Rifle featuring the official Magpul M-LOK modular accessory system.

“The Armada is the first commercially available PCP rifle that brings the same breadth of modularity and user configurability that is enjoyed by the AR community,” says Jennifer Lambert, VP Marketing for Crosman. “By designing the rifle to Mil-Spec dimensions for the grip and stock interfaces as well as implementing the M-LOK interface system, the Armada becomes a platform that gives shooters an infinite range of possibilities to customize their air rifle with the AR parts and accessories of their choice.”

The .22 caliber Benjamin Armada is built in America and delivers velocities of 1000 FPS with 32 foot pounds of energy, making it an ideal small game rifle and target shooter. It includes a 10-shot magazine, full sound suppression and gets over 30 shots per fill. The receiver features a machined picatinny rail and the bolt is reversible for left-handed shooters. An on-board gauge for monitoring air pressure and a crisp two-stage trigger make this a worthy addition to your airgun collection.

The Benjamin Armada Magpul Edition is available exclusively at Crosman.com and PyramydAir.com. It features Magpul MOE grip, stock and cheek riser for the ultimate modern sporting air rifle. It will be available November 10 at $999 MSRP.

The first unit will be auctioned on GunBroker.com, October 20-November 2 with the proceeds going to support the Navy SEAL Foundation. This auction of the Benjamin Armada Special Edition will result in 100% of the proceeds benefitting the Navy SEAL Foundation.

In partnership with Magpul, Surefire, Tarjac and Zeiss Sport Optics, this package includes:
– Magpul M-LOK Modular Locking System
– Magpul PRS (Precision Rifle / Sniper) adjustable stock
– Magpul MBUS Pro Sight front and rear
– Magpul MIAD GEN 1.1 Grip Type 1
– Magpul M-LOK Cantilever Rail / Light mount
– Surefire Scout weapon light
– Tarjac Multi-Cam finish
– Zeiss TERRA 3x 4-12×50 mm scope
– Benjamin 90 cu in charging system
– 2,000 rounds of .22 caliber airgun ammunition
– Telescoping bipod
– Removable / configurable direct connect handguard panels
– Custom embroidered Benjamin rifle case

This package retails for over $3,000 and the bidding runs on GunBroker.com from October 20 through November 2.

“There is no substitute for authentic parts matched to the performance of a Benjamin precharged air rifle,” says Jesse Caster, Product Manager for Hunting Airguns at Crosman. “The Navy SEAL Foundation Edition Benjamin Armada showcases what’s possible and we are proud to partner with Magpul, Zeiss Sport Optics, Tarjac and Surefire to raise money for the Navy Special Warfare community and their families.”

For additional information on the Benjamin Armada Navy SEAL Foundation Edition rifle, visit www.crosman.com/armada.

The post New Benjamin Armada Air Rifle
Announced. appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

HAM Test Rating	73%
Value For Money	Lots of power, lots of gun for the price.
Best For	Hunting pests, small game and varmints.
Best Pellet Tested	H&N Baracuda
Street Price at Time of Test	$240
Caliber Tested	.177
RateAGun Score	Experience Required

BUY FROM AMAZON

Beeman Mach 12.5 Air Rifle, RS3 Trigger air rifle

BUY FROM PYRAMYD

Beeman Mach 12.5 Air Rifle

VALUE FOR MONEY

At a Street Price of $240 – at the time of testing – the Beeman Mach 12.5 air rifle offers – literally – a huge bang for the buck. The muzzle velocity is as high – or higher – than any competitor in this price range, the bundled scope is good and has AO (Adjustable Objective). The accuracy as tested by HAM was excellent and the gun not pellet sensitive.

This is a great hunting airgun for the money, so long as you have the strength and ability to shoot it.

SPEED AND ACCURACY

There’s no question about it. The Beeman Mach 12.5 is the most powerful .177 caliber break barrel air rifle that has been reviewed by HAM to date. It achieves over 20 Ft/Lbs of muzzle energy with all but one of the HAM standard test pellets and actually shoots the H&N Baracuda heavies at over 1,000 FPS, peaking at just about 26 Ft/Lbs of muzzle energy. That’s a lot of power!

Maximum muzzle velocity achieved by the Beeman Mach 12.5 air rifle in HAM’s standardized test review procedure was 1,367 FPS with Gamo Platinum PBA 4.7 Grain pellets.

Accuracy was good to excellent with all the pellets tested. This is NOT a pellet-picky air rifle. The Beeman Mach 12.5 air rifle tested by HAM shot ultra-light weight alloy pellets, flat-fronted lead wadcutters and heavy domed lead pellets with almost equal accuracy in our tests. This is a great practical advantage for many airgunners.

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Haendler & Natermann Baracuda Match .177-Calibre, 10.65 Grains Round Nose Pellets (500 Count)

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H&N Barracuda Match pellets, .177 caliber

TRIGGER AND COCKING EFFORT

The Mach 12.5 is fitted with Beeman’s RS3 2-stage trigger, signifying the best trigger in the Beeman Sportsman Series range. It’s probably necessary to cope with the very high sear pressures associated a spring/piston air rifle of this power.

We anticipated a heavy trigger pull and we weren’t disappointed! When tested by HAM, trigger pull weight averaged 6 lbs 2oz. The RS3 trigger is adjustable by the user but, as usual, the operator’s instructions don’t describe how to do this. HAM tests all airguns with the trigger set “out of the box” by the factory, just as most users do.

Above. The RS3 trigger and safety of the mach 12.5.

HAM tester Paul Manktelow commented that the “trigger is a little long but breaks clean. This is OK for a hunting air rifle”. The RS3 does provide a very defined second stage, which is useful for the hunter waiting for just the right split-second to squeeze off the shot.

The safety is automatic and is located directly in front of the trigger blade. As always, the HAM reviewers prefer a manual safety…

Cocking effort is also – predictably – very high. There’s no way to achieve such high muzzle velocities without the shooter putting-in a lot of effort to compress the very strong spring.

HAM recorded a cocking effort of 52 Lbs.

What does 52 Lbs cocking effort mean? Paul Manktelow explains: “I had to place the butt on the floor between my feet and use both hands to cock this air rifle”. Yes, it’s that hard to cock. The spring feels as if it’s being compressed to its absolute limit when the sear finally latches at the end of cocking – in a way most guns don’t – in order to extract maximum power.

Such a high cocking effort is clearly worthwhile for a hunter to obtain the high power the Beeman Mach 12.5 air rifle generates. But don’t choose this gun unless you’re strong, fit and (probably) physically large. Don’t choose it for plinking and all day shooting unless you see this as an alternative to a workout at the Gym!

COMPARISON TO MAKERS CLAIMS

Relatively few marketing claims are made for Beeman air rifles. But one is very remarkable!

Unlike most airguns, the Beeman Mach 12.5 air rifle has a manufacturer’s specification for accuracy. Yes, really! Most manufacturers shy away from such a bold claim due to the massive number of variables involved in shooting any air rifle and the potential for customer complaints if they risk publishing a specification for accuracy. This is really “sticking your chin out” by Beeman!

The accuracy specification for the Beeman Mach 12.5 is given as “c-t-c .20-in. at 10 meters”. Although the number of shots for this group is not given, HAM staff do know that this accuracy specification is given in relation to a 5 shot group. (This is important because more shots always give larger groups).

The most accurate group produced in HAM testing was 1/4-in. x 3/8-in. (.375-in. x .25-in) for 10 shots at 10 yards with H&N Baracuda pellets, with most other groups not that far behind (1 Meter = 1.09 Yards). So it’s clear that the Mach 12.5 does meet this most remarkable claim, given the expected group enlargement between 5- and 10-shot strings. Take a look at the test targets…

The other claim is implicit in the name of the gun – Mach 12.5. This claim is that the muzzle velocity is 1,250 FPS. The claim is not made specific to pellet material (alloy or lead) which is unfortunate. The Beeman Mach 12.5 tested by HAM achieved a maximum muzzle velocity of 1367.69 FPS with Gamo Platinum PBA pellets, exceeding the 1,250 FPS claim by over 9%.

Even with light lead pellets – 7.0 Grain RWS Hobbys – the Mach 12.5 is still less than 7% slower than the 1,250 FPS claim at 1,167.30 FPS – and that would be good enough for many muzzle velocity claims made by other manufacturers.

The Mach 12.5 tested by HAM meets its manufacturer’s performance claims.

CONSISTENCY

As we’ve already remarked – and you can see from the test targets – the Beeman Mach 12.5 is very consistent in its treatment of pellets. It shoots all of the standard HAM test pellets with good accuracy or better.

Leaving out the Gamo Platinum pellets (these always show a very high Standard Deviation), muzzle velocity consistence is good, averaging less than 7 FPS. The lowest Standard Deviation recorded in the HAM tests was 4.0 FPS with the JSB Exacts. This is a good level of consistency for any spring/piston air rifle.

Trigger pull weight is less consistent. The HAM tests recorded a minimum trigger pull weight of 5lb 7 oz and a maximum of 6lb 12 oz. That’s a fairly wide swing around the average of 6lb 2oz. But this lack of consistency didn’t seem to upset HAM tester Paul Manktelow’s accurate shooting…

NOISE LEVEL

Although the Beeman Mach 12.5 is not fitted with a silencer, it didn’t seem unduly loud to the HAM testers. We’d say it is average for an air rifle of this power level.

There’s no “twang” from the spring when the Mach 12.5 fires, just a solid “thunk”.

Of course, any pellets traveling faster than the speed of sound (approximately 1,100 FPS) can themselves be very loud. This is a definite possibility with the Mach 12.5, given it’s capability for such high muzzle velocities. But shooting a medium or heavy weight lead pellet will still give you 1,000+ FPS, lots of muzzle energy – knock down power – and keep the noise level down to a reasonable level in this .177 caliber gun.

SIGHTS AND SCOPE

The Beeman Mach 12.5 is not fitted with iron sights. This may be a disappointment for some, but it reflects the reality that almost all airgun users – particularly hunters – will use a scope, especially if one is bundled with the gun.

The scope bundled with the Mach 12.5 is a Beeman-branded 3-9x40AO scope. Although not a high end optic (how could it ever be at this price?), this scope is as good as any bundled with other air rifles in this price range. Indeed, it’s better than many as it is fitted with Adjustable Objective (AO) that allows for focusing down to 10 yards.

The reticle is a standard Duplex type. As always, the HAM team considers a mil dot reticle to be superior for air rifle shooting, but the simple reticle fitted to this scope may be satisfactory for many airgun hunters. An illuminated reticle is not provided. This can be useful for some low light hunting situations, but this is an extra cost that is tolerated in only one bundled scope that the HAM team can recall – the 4 x 32 illuminated scope fitted to the Stoeger Suppressor air rifle. So its omission on the Mach 12.5’s scope can be excused.

This scope is supplied unmounted, so the user has to mount and sight-in the scope himself – a task that is more or less difficult depending on the shooter’s experience. It would be better pre-mounted, but would cost more, and purchase price is always important…

The Mach 12.5’s scope is mounted with a solid pair of rings. These are restrained from movement by a simple but robust external scope stop.

Overall, this scope will be just fine for most users and relatively few will see the need to upgrade this Beeman scope with something more expensive.

SHOOTABILITY

Here we have an air rifle that’s longer and heavier than the chunky World War 2 GI’s M1 Garand battle rifle. Yes, really!

The Mach 12.5 ‘s undoubted power is bought at the expense of shootability. Cocking is heavy, the trigger is heavy. The gun is big, long and difficult to hold correctly for accurate shooting. The recoil is quite harsh, as you’d expect: there’s a price to pay for all that power.

You need to be big, strong and experienced with air rifles to shoot the Beeman Mach 12.5 to its potential. That’s why it has the very high (difficult to shoot) RateAGun score of 10.4

This is not an airgun for fun shooting. But if you’re making a small number of shots during a hunt and need the power to make a humane, one shot kill, shootability is always going to be low with a break barrel air rifle.

And by the time you’ve spent a morning lugging the Mach 12.5 around the countryside, you’d wish it was fitted with sling swivels and a sling too…

APPEARANCE AND FINISH

The Mach 12.5 has a traditional look with a wooden stock to compliment the blued metal parts.

Design of the ambidextrous stock is conventional, with the comb swelled on both sides to make a good cheek weld for both left- and right-handed shooters. This stock is made of European hardwood and has some pressed checkering around the stock’s wrist and a ventilated rubber buttpad to absorb some of the recoil.

Please note that HAM’s test gun has been treated with a “camo dipped” pattern, this is not a normal finish for this air rifle.

Some minor machining marks are visible on the compression tube, for example, and the Beeman Mach 12.5 lacks the really deep bluing that’s often a hallmark of more expensive air rifles. But this is meant to be a hunting air rifle, not a work of art! Overall quality of finish and metal bluing is about average for the price and class of the Mach 12.5.

BUYING AND OWNING

The Mach 12.5 is not easy to find in “bricks and mortar” retail locations. But it’s readily available online from the usual suppliers.

Warranty is the traditional 12 months from date of purchase. If there’s a problem with the gun, you’ll need to send it to the US importers in California. There’s no pre-payment required for return shipping, this is good.

Parts availability is not widely advertised, but the US distributor* does have parts available if you telephone them.

One critical ownership step with the Beeman Mach 12.5 – as it is with any other high power break barrel air rifle – is that you should check the tightness of the stock screws and scope mounting screws frequently. The high recoil generated by these high power guns has a habit of shaking these screws loose. And loose screws are a common cause of inaccuracy that “just happened” with no apparent cause.

* Note that the Beeman brand is used – and has been for several years – for two distinctly different ranges of airguns. Each range is manufactured in different countries and has different US importers. Beeman Sportsman Series air rifles, such as the Mach 12.5 tested here, are manufactured in China and distributed in the USA by S/R Industries of Santa Fe Springs, CA. Higher end Beeman airguns are manufactured in Germany and distributed in the USA by Pyramyd Air of Solon, OH. It’s important to understand this in the unlikely event that warranty support is required for your Beeman airgun.

TEST TARGETS

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Beeman Mach 12.5 Air Rifle, RS3 Trigger air rifle

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Beeman Mach 12.5 Air Rifle

This entire article including scoring, test targets etc is Copyright Hard Air Magazine and may NOT in part or in whole be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the publisher.

The post Beeman Mach 12.5 Air Rifle
Test Review .177 Cal. appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Friday October 24, 2014 was Day One of the Pyramyd Air Cup, held at the Tusco Rifle Club, 2132 Midvale Mine Road SE, Dennison, OH. This is a spacious facility with many undercover shooting positions and was well chosen for the event. Pyramyd Air had obviously put a lot of time and effort into making this event a success.

As predicted, the weather was perfect, sunny and 64 degrees. It is just what was needed for a weekend of air gun competition!

In the morning, the Practice Range was open from 9:00AM for sighting in and trying out demo guns. There were plenty of targets and space to shoot them.

The Pyramyd Payday Challenge was held in the afternoon. Competitors in the Payday Challenge tested their skills by shooting targets at varying distances. Every one that participated shot the same three air rifles, that really made it a fair challenge!

Each shooter had a total of 10 shots.
– 2 Shots on the 50 yard target
– 3 Shots on the 75 yard target
– 5 Shots on the 100 yard target

All targets were 1.5-inch Kill zone field targets.  Each target knocked over counted as 1 point, with the most knock downs winning. And the winner won $200.00 from Pyramyd Air.

As you can see, there was a good turnout of shooters and a good time was had by all on Day One.

Day Two – Saturday – will see the Offhand Competition in the morning followed by the first half of the Field Target Competition and the Saturday evening banquet.

The post Pyramyd Air Cup – Day One Report appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Saturday October 25 was the second day of the 2014 Pyramyd Air Cup, held at the Tusco Rifle Club in Dennison, OH.

The day started cold and cloudy but warmed up to 70 in mid afternoon. As the day warmed up the wind really picked up also. It swirled around the field target ranges which made it very difficult for the shooters to compensate!

Saturday morning started with the Offhand Silhouette Challenge. Each competitor shot one time each at 4 silhouette in a row. they were set up in 4 banks. The PCP silhouettes ranged up to 55 yds. and the springer silhouettes went up to 45 yds.

The winners were: Pro PCP – 1st place G. Sauve, 2nd place – T.Patner
Sportsman PCP – 1st place – T. Himes, 2nd place – J. Yaddow
Pro Springer – tied with Ray Apelles and Veronica Ruff,
Sportsman Springer – 1st place Sam Ventura, 2nd place – M. Zimmerman

Below. Pyramyd Senior Repair Tech Gene Salvino is Range Officer for competitors in the Offhand competition.

Many companies were represented. They had tables set up with their products displayed. Each table was staffed so people could ask questions about their products. here we can see Crosman’s table.

In the picture below the young lady sitting down with the knit hat on is Sydney McDaniel. Sydney is 17 years old and she won the Payday Challenge on Friday. Great shooting Sydney!

The afternoon was the start of the field target competition. It was done on 2 ranges, each with 13 shooting lanes with 2 targets. Each squad had 2 shots at each target. They had five minutes per lane. The 2nd part of the competition will take place Sunday morning.

Day Two of the Pyramyd Air Cup ended with a banquet at the Elks Lodge in New Philadelphia, Ohio. It was a great way to unwind, discuss the days events and enjoy a delicious meal. The owner of Pryamid Air, Josh Ungier spoke before the meal. He was very entertaining. His philosophy is that he doesn’t sell guns he sells entertainment!

There were also had raffles for 1 scope and 4 guns to end the evening.

Earlier in the day I got the chance to speak with Paul Milkovich, Director of Sales for Pyramyd Air and one of the main organizers of the Pyramyd Air Cup. He said there are approximately 65 shooters registered. They were excited by this as this is the first time for an event of this type for Pyramid Air. They spent about 10 months planning this event. That’s an indication of how much work Pyramyd Air put into staging this competition!

Paul Milkovich continued that The Tusco Gun Club was chosen for several reasons. The closeness to their business and the large number of accommodations and restaurants  in the area. The main reason was the willingness of the gun club to work with them. They have been very accommodating and helpful.

Above, Paul Milkovich (right) is pictured with Jerry Garvey, the director of Safety and Security for the Tusco Gun Club. Jerry said they host a lot of events but this is the first time working with air gunners. he continued that there has been a learning curve for both sides but it is working well for everyone.

Pyramyd Air plans to make the Pyramyd Air Cup an annual event!

The post Pyramyd Air Cup – Day Two Report appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

The third and final day of the Pyramyd Air Cup 2014 dawned brisk and beautiful. There was not a cloud to be seen. Other than a little wind it just couldn’t have been more perfect.

The second part of the Field Target Competition started at 10am.

The winners were:

Pro PCP – 1st Place – Paul Cray, 2nd Place – Greg Sauve
Sportsman PCP – 1st Place – B. Rabbitt, 2nd Place – C. Smith
Pro Springer – 1st Place – Ray Apelles, 2nd Place – Hector Medina
Sportsman Springer – 1st Place – Eric Brewer, 2nd Place – Tom Gaylord

After another delicious lunch put on by the Tusco Gun Club the Gunslinger Competition was held.

The Gunslinger Competition was similar to the Offhand silhouette that was held Friday. The same banks of silhouettes were used. Two shooters were paired up from the same class. When the start was called each shooter shot all the silhouettes as fast as they could. When someone finished all of them time was called and all shooting stopped.

The winner from each set would go up against each other until it was finally narrowed down to the top 2 which then went head to head against each other. The PCP shooters shot from a bench rest while the springer’s had the option of shooting from the bench or field target style. What a lot of fun to watch all the action as each shooter tried to shoot accurately and fast!

The winners in the gunslinger competition were:

Pro PCP – Tyler Patner
Sportsman PCP – tied between brothers Tom and Dennis Himes
Pro Springer – Ray Apelles
Sportsman Springer – Eric Brewer

When every event was tallied we moved on to the awards ceremony. The Grand Prize winner of $1,000 plus a new gun was Ray Apelles. Ray had the highest combined score for all the events.

Above, Ray Apelles receives the Grand Prize at the Pyramyd Air Cup from Tyler Patner, the master of ceremonies for Pyramyd Air.

Pyramyd Air was very generous with their prizes. Each winner in 1st – 3rd place received a silver cup and a prize of a gun, scope or gift card.

When all is said and done Pyramyd Air did a great job of putting on the first annual Pyramyd Air Cup competition. Everyone had a great time on a beautiful fall weekend.

We all thank Pyramyd Air and the Tusco Gun Club for a job well done. What a great event to look forward to next year!

The post Pyramyd Air Cup – Day Three Report appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Swab-its, makers of the popular Bore-tips and Gun-tips firearms cleaning swabs, announces all new Bore-whips, the lint-free and reusable foam swabs designed specifically for cleaning .177 caliber air guns and firearms.

“As a long-time competitive shooter, I know the importance of maintaining your equipment for peak performance. Effectively cleaning air rifles has always been a challenge up until now. With new Bore-whips, shooters of all ages can easily and quickly clean their. 177 caliber air rifles and pistols regardless of design, ” said Michele Makucevich of Swab-its.

Bore-whips features:

-Tight bore-fitting 360-degree cleaning surface

– One piece pull-through design – Functions as an empty chamber indicator

– Lint-free

– Washable and reusable

– Available in packs of three – Part # 42-0017

– MSRP $9.99

Swab-its claims that Bore-whips, along with Bore-tips and Gun-tips, provide gun owners with superior firearms cleaning versatility giving hunters, sportsmen, and gunsmiths the ability to protect and preserve their firearms – and now airguns – like never before.

For more information on Bore-whips and the complete line of Swab-its lint free, reusable gun cleaning swabs, visit www.Bore-tips.com.

The post Bore-whips from Swab-its.
Cleaning airguns just got easier! appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

AirForce Airguns – the first company to domestically manufacture a production pre-charged pneumatic airgun – is proud to announce a strategic partnership with Outtech, Inc. to enhance domestic sales and marketing at all levels. AirForce Airguns has pioneered pre-charged technology as well as serious airgun design. In just 15 years, AirForce has risen to the top of the pre-charged market.

“AirForce and Outtech represent the best of their respective worlds,” commented AirForce CEO and Founder John McCaslin. “The synergy of our joining forces is exciting and unprecedented in the airgun market. We look forward to continued growth as well as continuing to pioneer pre-charged airgun technology.”

AirForce Airguns has maintained the strictest quality standards since the first Talon air rifle rolled off the production line 15 years ago. If anything, that standard keeps increasing as the company continues to innovate and create new products. As the AirForce engineering team develops better or newer technology, it is incorporated throughout the product line and not just in the new releases.

“We are really thrilled to be teamed up with AirForce,” said Jay Scholes, Outtech president. “I have known John for a number of years and look forward to helping AirForce grow into the industry leader it is destined to become.”

Established in 1989, Outtech Inc. is one of the outdoor industry’s leaders in sales and marketing and maintains a portfolio of brand leaders across the categories they represent. Headquartered just outside of Cleveland, Ohio, Outtech has more than 50 sales representatives covering all major players in the hunting and outdoor industry. Their customer base includes more than 2,000 independent dealers, major chain stores, outdoor and sporting goods distributors and national buying groups as well as web and catalog-based mail-order retailers.

AirForce Airguns has been innovating, designing and producing precision pre-charged air guns at their Fort Worth, Texas headquarters for over 15 years. AirForce is known for developing the most technologically advanced airgun shooting systems in the world and is the original and favorite black airgun. With a reputation for flexibility and legendary accuracy, AirForce Airguns offers a solution for just about any airgun shooting situation.

The post Outtech Named to Represent AirForce Airguns appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Why do people switch from firearms to airguns?

This week on American Airgunner TV the discussion at the Round Table is about switching from firearms to airguns. Host Rossi Morreale and guests Tom Gaylord, Jim Chapman, and Rick Eutsler explore the reasons why some choose to shoot airguns. Would you hunt with an airgun or supplement your range time with an air-powered handgun or rifle?

Hunting deer with an air rifle is legal in just a few states and as Steve Criner can tell you it’s a challenge to call one in close for a clean shot. This week in the hunting segment Criner puts meat in the freezer from just five yards away! Tune in for this exciting airgun hunt to get a little insight on what it takes to hunt deer with an air rifle.

This week also features a look inside the shooting and hunting industry’s largest trade show—SHOT Show. Rossi talks with Chip Hunnicutt from Crosman and gets a look at new 2014 products from Umarex USA, Air Venturi, and Blue Book Publications.

American Airgunner TV airs on the Pursuit Channel Wednesdays at 4:30 pm Eastern, Fridays at 1:30 am and during prime time Friday evening at 8:30 pm Eastern. This is the only televised show about airguns. Watch it on DirectTV Ch. 604 or DISH Network Ch. 393. Check your local listings for additional channel information.

Tune in for the weekly Get Clued In Contest from Pyramyd Air. Watch for the clue during the show’s airing on Pursuit Channel. For more information and to enter go to http://www.PyramydAir.com/win. Then follow American Airgunner on Facebook for information about weekly giveaways through the rest of this year.

Find American Airgunner on Facebook, YouTube, AmericanAirgunner.com, and Twitter.

The post This Week on American Airgunner TV appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

BUY FROM AMAZON

Remington Express Air Rifle air rifle

BUY FROM PYRAMYD

Remington Express Air Rifle

HAM Test Rating	56%
Value For Money	Best finish for the price. Well priced.
Best For	Shooting with open sights.
Best Pellet Tested	RWS Hobby
Street Price at Time of Test	$150
Caliber Tested	.177
RateAGun Score	Experience Required

VALUE FOR MONEY

Street Price for the Remington Express at the time of writing is $150 (although they have been sold at retail for as little as $100 in the past).

At $150, in theory, the Remington Express air rifle should be good value for money. But sadly the lack of accuracy highlighted in this HAM test report deeply discounts this expectation.

If you want to shoot with open sights only, it’s OK. But otherwise the need to spend serious money for suitable scope rings that overcome the lack of a scope stop really sinks the value proposition for this air rifle.

SPEED AND ACCURACY

The muzzle velocities obtained with the Remington Express air rifle tested by HAM were close to our expectations, even if somewhat below the manufacturer’s claims.

Maximum muzzle velocity achieved in this HAM test was 1093 fps with Gamo Platinum PBA pellets. With lead pellets, maximum tested muzzle velocity was 952 fps with 7.0 Grain RWS Hobbys.

That would be OK, but unfortunately accuracy of the Remington Express air rifle tested by HAM was poor.

It’s not that the gun itself is so terribly inaccurate as that the scope mounting system causes significant vertical “stringing”, resulting in overall poor accuracy. You can see this yourself in the test targets below. There’s more details in the “Sights and Scope” section of this test review.

Sadly, this degree of inaccuracy makes it very difficult to identify the best pellets for use with Remington Express air rifle. Based on HAM tests, the RWS Hobby pellets gave our best groups.

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RWS Hobby .177 Cal, 7.0 Grains, Wadcutter, 500ct

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RWS Hobby pellets, .177 caliber

TRIGGER AND COCKING EFFORT

Trigger pull weight for the Remington Express averaged 3 lb 7 oz. HAM tester Doug Wall commented that “The trigger is pretty good. Very little creep, but feels heavier than its measured weight.”

This trigger pull weight is good for a spring/piston air rifle of the Remington Express’s power, and is considerably lower than for some competing models.

Cocking effort measured 42lbs – quite high. This is around 25% higher than typically is found with other spring/piston air rifles with a nominal 1000 fps muzzle velocity.

COMPARISON TO MAKERS CLAIMS

The manufacturer’s claims for the Remington Express air rifle are based on muzzle velocity (of course!) and, more surprisingly, also muzzle energy.

Remington has joined Crosman in making more play of the muzzle energy – or “knock down” power of their air rifles, rather than stressing just the muzzle velocity. HAM agrees that this is sensible as it gives – or should give – a better idea of the real capability of the gun when used for hunting, as so many airgunners want to do.

The muzzle velocity claim for the Remington Express is the (obligatory) 1000 fps with lead pellets and 1200 fps with alloy pellets.

The highest muzzle velocity achieved in this HAM test was 1093 fps with Gamo Platinum PBA pellets. That’s 9% less than the claim.

Maximum tested muzzle velocity with lead pellets was 952 fps with 7.0 Grain RWS Hobby pellets. That’s about 5% below the claim.

Remington claims 16 Ft/Lbs of muzzle energy for the Express. The maximum achieved during the HAM tests was 14.28 Ft/Lbs with 8.64 Grain H&N Field Target Trophy lead pellets. That’s nearly 11% below the claim.

Soooo…….

Either the HAM test gun is a “slow” example, or Remington’s claims for the Express air rifle are somewhat optimistic.

CONSISTENCY

The best Standard Deviations (a measurement of variability in muzzle velocity within a 10-shot string) measured 4.84 fps with RWS Hobby pellets. However, the average Standard Deviation in the HAM tests was 12.7 fps, a fairly high figure for this type of air rifle in the HAM standardized test procedure.

Trigger pull weight was fairly consistent, with the average of 3lb 7oz varying between the extremes of 3lb 2oz and 3lb 10oz. This is good performance.

Unfortunately, tested accuracy of the Remington Express air rifle was consistently poor, due to issues with the scope, rings and lack of scope stop mentioned in several other parts of this test report.

NOISE LEVEL

The HAM test team assessed the noise level of the Remington Express air rifle as about average for an air rifle of this power. As always, this is our subjective assessment.

No silencer is fitted to the Express, but HAM tester Doug Wall noted some vibration and “buzzing” from the spring on firing.

SIGHTS AND SCOPE

The 4 x 32 scope is – like most others of this type fitted to low cost air rifles – somewhat marginal in optical quality, particularly at close ranges as there is no AO (Adjustable Objective). The image was quite fuzzy at 10 yards and this made shooting difficult at this common airgun range. It’s likely that the scope was focused at 35 or 50 yards at the factory during assembly.

However, for the knowledgeable and careful shooter, the scope supplied with the Remington Express scope can be focused to a more airgun-suitable range.

With care, it’s possible to unscrew the outer ring of the scope (in front of the silver ring) and then turn the front lens mount until the sharpness at your chosen range is improved. Then screw the outer ring back into place. It’s a sort of “one time AO”. Doug did this for the HAM test and found it made a big improvement to the sharpness at 10 yards.

NOTE. Not all scopes have this removable front ring capability. So if you try this it’s at your own risk! If the front ring of the scope doesn’t rotate easily, it’s probably glued in place and can’t be moved. HAM accepts no responsibility for damage caused to scopes by attempting this modification and you’ll undoubtedly void the manufacturer’s warranty also.

The open sights are very acceptable, with fiber optic dots on front and rear sights. The rear sight is adjustable for windage and elevation, as is expected. The front sight is set high and there’s a tendency for it to be visible as a blurry shadow when seen through the mounted scope.

Although the scope is of average quality for a bundled scope at this price point and, of course, it’s supplied unmounted, there’s a HUGE problem here not found with other spring/piston air rifles.

There’s no scope stop! See the photograph below.

Without a scope stop or stop screw hole on the air rifle, it’s almost impossible to stop the scope from moving backwards due to the recoil when fired. This effect is magnified by the flimsy scope rings bundled with the gun.

The result of this is seen in the vertical “stringing” present in the test targets, as observed above in the “Speed and Accuracy” section of this review.

We couldn’t tame this scope creep even with a solid, one piece scope mount. This means that the Remington Express is really only suitable for use as an “open sights” gun, or with a set of very specific – and that means expensive, like Thirty Bucks – scope rings such as the Sportsmatch rings available from Pyramyd Air.

SHOOTABILITY

There’s an automatic safety that, of course, requires to be actuated every time this airgun is fired. But there’s also an unusual safety reset feature that, in principal, could be very useful. Unfortunately the safety reset lever is blocked by the scope eyepiece bell – at least in the scope position we used for the HAM tests – and so it may not be operable when a scope is fitted.

You can see the safety reset lever in the photograph below.

The Remington Express has a RateAGun score of 9.5, meaning that skill and experience is required to shoot it well.

Let’s leave this section with HAM tester Doug Wall’s notes. He wrote: “The Remington Express is a very nice handling gun. With better scope mounts and better accuracy, this would be a real winner”.

APPEARANCE AND FINISH

The Remington Express is a great looking air rifle!

The fit and finish for an airgun of this price are outstanding. Bluing is deep and machine marks on metal parts are almost non-existent.

The wood of the buttstock is just beautiful and the checkering, although obviously machine made, is very sharp, deep and attractive. It’s well done and sets the standard for every other air rifle stock in this price range.

In HAM’s opinion, this has to be the best looking air rifle at this price – or anywhere near it – if you like a traditional wood and metal appearance. Remington claims that the design – or, um, at least the checkering – was inspired by that of their hugely-popular Model 700 (firearm) rifle. Hmmm, we’re not so sure about that, but it still looks great!

BUYING AND OWNING

The Remington Express is widely available, both online and at “big box” sporting goods stores. Remington obviously has great distribution channels and this makes it easy to buy.

The excellent Owner’s Manual supplied with this airgun includes a comprehensive spare parts diagram and parts list, although it’s not yet clear – at least to HAM – how such spare parts can be purchased. HAM would also like to see a clear explanation of how to operate the unusual safety reset lever fitted to the Express.

There’s the expected 12-month warranty and Remington does not ask for any prepayment of return shipping back to the owner after warranty repairs, although the owner has to pay to ship the gun to Remington. That’s good.

However, note that warranty coverage is dependent on the owner completing the Warranty Certificate (included in the Owner’s Manual) and sending this to Remington within 30 days of purchase. Don’t forget to do this.

And take care of that high, unprotected front sight. The plastic front sights fitted to many spring/piston air rifles are often damaged by rough handling and the front sight of the Express is higher than most.

TEST TARGETS

BUY FROM AMAZON

Remington Express Air Rifle air rifle

BUY FROM PYRAMYD

Remington Express Air Rifle

This entire article including scoring, test targets etc is Copyright Hard Air Magazine and may NOT in part or in whole be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the publisher.

The post Remington Express Air Rifle
Test Review .177 Cal. appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

The 6th Annual Dixie Double Airgun Competition will be fired November 21-23 at the world-class CMP South Range in Anniston, Ala. This air rifle and air pistol match is open to both men and women, as well as junior competitors. With regular participation from the Army Marksmanship Unit, the Dixie Double is an opportunity to stand on the firing line amongst some of the best marksmen in the country.

The match is a two-day event, where competitors compare 60-shot standing scores. A two-man aggregate team event is also held concurrently with the open shooting competition. During the Dixie Double Airgun Competition, a final is held each day to determine daily winners, while an award ceremony on the last day of competition recognizes the combined, two-day, overall score leaders. The team award is also presented to the two-man teams with the highest aggregate scores.

A new, fun addition to the match this year is the Target Sprint competition, to be held November 22. The Target Sprint is open to all competitors and non-competitors, ages 10 and up, who have completed a basic rifle safety class. During the competition, participants run along a path, occasionally stopping to fire air rifles at five 10-meter falling targets – knocking all over before continuing on. The first to cross the finish line wins!

The 20,000 sq. ft. South Range is located within the CMP Anniston Competition Center and consists of 80, 10-meter firing points. Each is equipped with state-of-the-art MEGAlink electronic targets, which allow instant shot displays to both competitors and spectators.

Sign up now for one of the south’s most popular air gun competitions! For more information about the Dixie Double and the new Target Sprint competition, visit http://thecmp.org.

For more information about the CMP and its programs, log onto http://thecmp.org for more information and program descriptions.

The post Register Now for CMP’s 2014 Dixie Double Airgun Competition appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Benelli USA is seeking candidates for Channel and Product Management Positions, including a Stoeger Airguns Product Manager job opening and has posted the following announcement…

Benelli USA, an industry leading firearms company, located in Accokeek, MD is seeking candidates that are interested in Channel Marketing and Product Management. The positions will work with international factories, key customers and the national sales team.

Positions Available:
– Independent Channel Marketing Manager
– Law Enforcement Channel Marketing Manager
- Product Manager – Airguns

Skills Required:
Candidates are required to have sporting goods and/or tactical industry knowledge about commercial execution, advertising, consumer behavior, marketing strategy, market research and commercial operations.
The role requires individuals with strong communication skills, the ability to lead projects within cross functional teams and develop and execute strategic plans.

Education and Experience:
A Bachelor’s degree with an emphasis in marketing or general business is preferred. Experienced Outdoor/ Consumer Products industry professionals with 5+ years experience in Direct Sales, Marketing or Product Management experience. Must be willing to obtain Hunters Safety certification and/or NRA range safety certification.

WHEN APPLYING FOR THIS POSITION, PLEASE INCLUDE A COVER LETTER AND YOUR SALARY REQUIREMENTS. RESUMES WITHOUT REQUIREMENTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. BENELLI USA IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER AND ENCOURAGES MINORITY, WOMEN AND VETERAN APPLICANTS TO APPLY.

Please contact:
Gabrielle McManus
Human Resources Manager
benellihr@benelliusa.com
FAX: 301-283-6813
No Walk-Ins Please
Close date: 11/15/2014

The post Stoeger Airguns Product Manager Job Opening appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

If you’ve always wanted to show everyone your allegiance to Crosman and their products, here’s the chance you’ve been waiting for!

Crosman Corporation has linked up with Sticker Mule to make official Crosman logos available as decals. Now you can have your own official Crosman stickers and display them as you want.

You can buy them direct from Sticker Mule at http://www.stickermule.com/user/1070637177/stickers

The post Now You Can Buy Official Crosman Stickers. appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

HAM Test Rating	90%
Value For Money	It's not cheap, but quality never is. And the R9 can compare with even more expensive air rifles.
Best For	Target shooting, plinking, Field Target competition (with a different scope), hunting small critters
Best Pellet Tested	H&N Field Target Trophy
Street Price at Time of Test	$570
Caliber Tested	.177
RateAGun Score	An Enjoyable Challenge

BUY FROM PYRAMYD
Beeman R9 Elite Series Combo

VALUE FOR MONEY

The Beeman R9 air rifle tested by Hard Air Magazine was an R9 Elite Series Combo. It arrived with the scope pre-mounted and sighted-in, together with a “10 for $10″ Test Certificate by Pyramyd Airguns. The Street Price for this configuration is $570.

For the accuracy and overall quality of this German-made air rifle,  HAM considers this a very fair price. Yes, it’s not cheap, but real quality never is and the Beeman R9 can stand comparison with other air rifles selling for hundreds of Dollars more.

SPEED AND ACCURACY

Spectacular! That’s the only word to describe the accuracy of the Beeman R9 Elite Series Combo tested by HAM.

Just about any of the HAM standard test pellets produced genuine one hole groups. Only the RWS Hobby pellets showed any kind of spread – and even this would qualify for a “best tested” rating with many other airguns.

Best of the best performance was achieved using H&N Field Target Trophy 8.64 Grain pellets.

HAM tester Paul Manktelow’s comment on the accuracy of the Beeman R9 was “I think this R9 could really give my TX200 a run for the money at any field target match.” High praise indeed.

Muzzle velocity peaked at just about 1,100 FPS with Gamo Platinum PBA (alloy) pellets. The highest muzzle velocity obtained with lead pellets was 906 FPS with RWS Hobby pellets.

With medium weight lead pellets in the approximately 8 to 8.5 Grain range, (Crosman Premier HP, JSB Exact Diabalo and H&N Field Target trophy) the muzzle velocity was between about 860 and 890 FPS. Muzzle energy for the Beeman R9 tested by HAM averaged 13.53 Ft/Lbs, with the peak of around 14 Ft/Lbs being achieved with the same three pellet types. The R9 is clearly optimized for pellets in this weight range.

This performance may not excite the “speed at all costs” brigade, but it’s just about perfect for serious, accurate target shooting. It’s also sufficient for hunting pests and small game at reasonable ranges.

BUY FROM PYRAMYD

H&N Field Target Trophy .177 Cal, 8.64 Grains, Domed, 500ct

TRIGGER AND COCKING EFFORT

Trigger pull weight for the Beeman R9 averaged 2lb 12oz as tested, out of the box. The two-stage Rekord trigger was incredibly smooth and the let off near perfect. Obviously we could have adjusted the trigger using that prominent, enticing gold screw just behind the trigger blade but – in accordance with HAM test protocols, we resisted temptation and left it “as issued”.

The R9’s Rekord trigger provided very predictable firing. There’s no creep and the second stage is short and direct. This is a very nice trigger!

Paul Manktelow’s testing notes read “the trigger and cocking is so smooth, I didn’t even notice or think about it!”

Cocking effort of the Beeman R9 air rifle tested by HAM measured 35 Lbs. Our subjective opinion is that it felt even easier than that due to the smoothness of the cocking action. And this is in spite of the relatively short barrel.

The substantial steel muzzle weight is easy to grasp for cocking (and undoubtedly enhances the accuracy by moderating barrel harmonics when the gun is fired). There’s none of the grinding sound that often accompanies cocking a break barrel air rifle and the barrel locks up satisfyingly “into battery” with the chisel-type locking system.

COMPARISON TO MAKERS CLAIMS

The US importers – Air Venturi – claim a maximum muzzle velocity for 935 FPS for the Beeman R9. The test target supplied with the gun (produced by Pyramyd Air Lead Tech Gene Salvino) showed that this gun averaged 939.67 FPS with 7.1 Grain Beeman Laser lead pellets.

That’s right on target for the claimed muzzle velocity!

Using the standard HAM test pellets, we couldn’t quite equal this performance. The RWS Hobby lead pellets achieved an average of 906.29 FPS.

However, HAM testes did produce a maximum average muzzle velocity of 1,099.35 FPS with Gamo Platinum PBA lead pellets. Of course, this comfortably exceeds the importer’s claim, although there are many shooters who would not be happy regularly firing such light weight pellets in their R9.

The Beeman R9 tested by HAM had a cocking effort of 35 Lbs. This compares well with the claimed cocking effort of 40 Lbs.

Pyramyd Air’s website also carries an accuracy claim of “0.15-in CTC” for the .177 caliber R9. This claim relates to a 5-shot group at 10 yards. CTC – that is Center To Centre – accuracy measurements always vary according to range and number of shots fired in the string. Obviously longer ranges and larger numbers of shots automatically increase the CTC measurement for the group.

The HAM accuracy tests are conducted with 10-shot strings at 10 yards. So, HAM groups would automatically be expected to be larger than the Pyramyd CTC specs. The best accuracy achieved in the HAM tests was 1/8-inch (0.125-inch) CTC for 10 shots. We’d say that the tested accuracy obtained by HAM matched Pyramyd’s claims for the Beeman R9.

CONSISTENCY

Consistency is a strong suit for the Beeman R9.

This is shown by it’s very pellet tolerant nature. It shoots all the standard HAM test pellets very well or better. And you will notice from HAM’s test targets that the point of impact on the target is remarkably uniform, with only the RWS Hobby pellets straying a little outside of the bull. Compare this to the test targets from other air rifles and you’ll see a significant difference, in many cases. (Note that HAM test targets are all shot with the scope set to the same point of aim and is not re-sighted for each different pellet type).

This outstanding pellet tolerance is a very significant aspect of consistency as it means that you can expect great accuracy from a Beeman R9 using almost any type of pellet.

Trigger pull weight consistency was fairly good, with the average pull weight of 2 lb 12 oz varying by up to about half a pound either way – a variation that was not perceptible to the shooter.

Standard Deviation (the measure of shot-to-shot muzzle velocity variation) is OK. The best was the outstanding 2.44 FPS achieved with the H&N Field Target Trophy pellets, although figures in the 5 – 10 FPS range were more typical. Most unusual was the high, 24.20 FPS Standard Deviation for the RWS Hobby pellets, whereas the Standard Deviation for the Gamo Platinum PBA pellets was much lower than we usually find in HAM tests at 10.39 FPS.

NOISE LEVEL

The Beeman R9 is not equipped with a silencer or shroud. However, the noise level produced when shooting is quiet for a spring/piston gun of this power level. There’s no piston twang, just a nice solid “thunk” when the gun is fired.

SIGHTS AND SCOPE

There are no iron sights. The Beeman R9 is designed to be shot with a scope only.

The Beeman R9 Elite Series Combo tested by HAM includes a bundled Bushnell 4-12 x40AO scope. This scope gives a clear and sharp image at all magnifications, with a high contrast that makes target acquisition easy. The duplex reticle is very sharp too.

This scope performs well and is a great fit for the R9, it’s not so big and heavy as to overbalance the gun. The only fault HAM can find is that the bundled Bushnell scope doesn’t have a mil-dot reticle. This means that it’s good for shooting at fixed ranges (targets, for example), but doesn’t have the immediate “hold over” capability that’s essential for use in Field Target shooting.

HAM has marked down the R9’s score in this section of the review due to the scope’s lack of mil dots, which we feel are essential for serious field shooting with any airgun.

If you agree with us about the need for a mil dot scope, there’s a simple solution, however. The Beeman R9 is also available with no scope in “non Combo” form and you can then select a suitable mil dot-equipped scope from Pyramyd’s vast range (a Hawke scope would be a great choice, hint, hint).

Equipped with an appropriate mil dot scope, the Beeman R9 air rifle would be a great choice for Field Target competition.

SHOOTABILITY

The Beeman R9 is light, feels compact and is easy to handle. It just feels natural to hold and target acquisition comes very easily.

Combining this with the sharp, clear scope, the likable trigger, outstanding accuracy and relatively easy cocking, the Beeman R9 scores highly for shootability.

The ambidextrous stock gives a comfortable cheek weld, a key attribute for consistent, accurate shooting.

Unlike some cheaper air rifles, it’s very easy to load pellets into the barrel. All the pellets tested by HAM seated easily, yet did not fall down into the barrel. Some air rifles leave a hole in your thumb from the amount of pressure required to seal a pellet in the barrel – this is NOT one of them!

In HAM testing, the Beeman R9 certainly benefits from being shot using the light “Artillery Hold”, as you would expect for any spring/piston air rifle of this power level. But this is not an absolute requirement for decent shooting.  The R9 is quite hold-tolerant and this makes it an easy springer to shoot well for newcomers to the gentle art of mastering a spring/piston air rifle.

As you could expect, the Beeman R9 Elite Scope Combo’s RateAGun score is 7.9. This is quite low for a break barrel air rifle of this power.

APPEARANCE AND FINISH

The Beeman R9 is a beautiful air rifle! It’s a simple, traditional design with a minimum of bells and whistles. The HAM team enjoyed just looking at its harmonious proportions…

Bluing of metal parts is deep and even. There are no finish machining marks on the metal. The ambidextrous beech stock is smooth and the checkering extremely well executed.

Complete perfection would have been achieved if the test gun just had a little more figuring and character in the wood – as we have seen on other examples of this marque. And the finish to the wood is so smooth that it’s almost slippery to handle. But now we’re being really picky!

HAM tester Paul Manktelow commented “I can see this air rifle becoming a family heirloom in many cases.” Yes, it looks that good to the HAM team!

BUYING AND OWNING

You won’t find the Beeman R9 available at your local “big box” sporting goods store. Online is the way to go – it’s available directly from Pyramyd Air. This means that most people will not have seen an R9 before they buy one, unless they have a friend who’s lucky enough to own one already, that is. But don’t let this stop you…

Air Venturi provides a 12 month warranty that covers any defect in materials or workmanship of the R9. There’s also a free lifetime repair warranty policy for the Beeman R9 to the original owner (so long as spare parts remain available and a copy of the original sales receipt is presented) with service, if required, by factory-trained repair staff. Pyramyd also maintains a supply of genuine factory spare parts for the Beeman R9 and other German-made Beeman air rifles.

This gives a very secure feeling of long-term reliability to any owner.

HAM did feel that the Owner’s Manual provided with the gun was very “thin”. There’s minimal real information but plenty of warnings, “dos” and “don’ts”. HAM agrees that the R9 is a simple, intuitive air rifle to shoot, but there are features such as the ability to safely decock the gun (break the barrel with the safety depressed and trigger pulled at the same time) that are missing entirely from this manual and that’s a little disappointing.

TEST TARGETS

BUY FROM PYRAMYD
Beeman R9 Elite Series Combo

This entire article including scoring, test targets etc is Copyright Hard Air Magazine and may NOT in part or in whole be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the publisher.

The post Beeman R9 Elite Combo Air Rifle
Test Review .177 Cal appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Hard Air Magazine provided “near real time” coverage of the Pyramyd Air Cup, with day by day summaries on 24 – 26 October.

Now Pyramyd Air has published a full overview of the event, together with full scoring and lots of photos.

As a reminder, Pyramyd Air hosted its first ever shooting competition, the Pyramyd Air Cup on October 24-26 at the Tusco Rifle Club in New Philadelphia, Ohio. This inaugural event drew 50+ competitors from 11 different states.

The event kicked off Friday with the Pyramyd Payday Challenge – a fun shoot where competitors got 10 attempts to hit 3 different targets with a 1.5″ kill zone. Targets were placed at 50, 75 and 100 yards, and all competitors used the same guns to compete with – leveling the playing field. Sydney McDaniel, a 17 year old from Rush, NY made the term “shoot like a girl” a good thing when she hit 7 of 10 targets and won the $200 prize.

Saturday morning started with the offhand portion of the silhouette competition. From a standing position, competitors took aim on 1/10th scale silhouettes with chickens at 15 yards (PCP and Springer), pigs at 25 yards (PCP and Springer), turkeys at 40 yards for PCP (Springer at 30 yards) and rams at 60 yards for PCP (Springer at 45 yards). This was considered by many to be the toughest of the competitions due to the small size of the targets (the chickens were slightly larger than the size of a quarter) combined with the intermittent gusts of wind downrange.

The Field Target competition, which took place both Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, featured the “who’s who” of field target. Reigning US National Champion and Pyramyd Air Field Target Team member, Greg Sauve, former World and US National Champion Paul Cray, four time US National Champion Roz Sumpter, former World and US National piston champion Jeff Paddock, and Former US National piston champion Hector Medina all were on hand to compete.

Sunday afternoon’s award ceremony handed out nearly $10,000 in cash and prizes to top place finishers of the competition. Winners by division were as follows:

Pro PCP Division: Tyler Patner* (1st), Greg Sauve* (2nd), Paul Cray (3rd) *Denotes tie decided by coin flip.

Pro Springer Division: Ray Apelles (1st), Veronika Ruf (2nd), Hector Medina (3rd)

Sportsman PCP Division: Bill Rabbitt (1st), Thomas Himes* (2nd), Dennis Himes* (3rd) *Denotes tie decided by coin flip.

Sportsman Springer Division: Eric Brewer (1st), Sam Ventura (2nd), Joe Roberts (3rd)

“Pyramyd Air was excited to put on our first ever Pyramyd Air Cup this October. Our goal was to provide a weekend of competition, camaraderie and fun for the airgunning community. We were pleased with the turnout, and we anticipate the event getting bigger and better next time.” Josh Ungier, Pyramyd Air CEO.

For a full match recap, pictures and top scores for the Pyramyd Air Cup visit PyramydAirCup.com or contact the Cup Manger by email: cupmanager@pyramydair.com, or phone: 888-262-4867 ext. 253.

The post Official Results of Pyramyd Air Cup appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

HARD AIR MAGAZINE CONCLUSIONS

The original Gamo Whisper has been a fantastically-successful air rifle that has sold in huge numbers with many happy users. It’s now being replaced by the new Whisper G2 and you may still be able to pick one up at a closeout prices of about $50 less than the G2 version.

The G2 shows how Gamo have developed the Whisper platform with a significantly better trigger and a more ergonomically-friendly buttstock. Both these bring significant practical benefits for most shooters and are likely to improve your shooting performance.

Both original and G2 Whisper air rifles are better than the scopes they are bundled with. Add a better, aftermarket scope for optimum performance.

HAM OVERALL TEST SCORES: Gamo Whisper G2 72%, Gamo Whisper original 69%.

WE LIKE

WE DON’T LIKE

See the original HAM test reviews here: Gamo Whisper G2, Gamo Whisper original model.

BUY FROM AMAZON

Gamo Whisper G2 .177 Caliber Air Rifle

BUY FROM PYRAMYD
Gamo Whisper G2 Air Rifle

VALUE FOR MONEY

The Whisper original is now being sold for around $150. At this price, it represents a great value for many airgun buyers.

The Whisper G2 is selling at $200 and we can see the justification for this in the improvements Gamo has made to its best selling predecessor.

HAM CONCLUSION: It’s a draw! Both models score 70% in the HAM value for money rating.

SPEED AND ACCURACY

The G2 tested by HAM gave an average muzzle velocity just 23 FPS above that of the original model, as you can see from the table below. That’s not a significant difference. Practically, the muzzle velocities are the same.

Best accuracy from both Whispers was achieved with heavy lead pellets. The first target shows the best obtained from the Whisper G2, the second from the original Whisper.  Both showed excellent accuracy.

BUY FROM AMAZON

Haendler & Natermann Baracuda Match .177-Calibre, 10.65 Grains Round Nose Pellets (500 Count)

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H&N Barracuda Match pellets, .177 caliber

BUY FROM AMAZON
JSB Diabolo EXACT .177 Caliber Air Gun Pellets

BUY FROM PYRAMYD
JSB Match Diablo Exact pellets, .177 caliber

HAM CONCLUSION: It’s too close to call. Another draw. Both models scored 90% in the HAM Speed and Accuracy tests.

TRIGGER AND COCKING EFFORT

This is where the Whisper G2 pulls ahead of the original model!

The Gamo Whisper G2 air rifle is fitted with Gamo’s SAT – Smooth Action Trigger. HAM likes this trigger and found an average trigger pull weight of 3lb 4oz: very creditable for a break barrel air rifle of this power. Cocking effort was also good at 35 lbs.

The original Whisper doesn’t deliver a bad performance either, but it’s clearly outranked by the new models’ performance. Trigger pull weight for the original Whisper in HAM testing averaged 5lb 2 oz and the cocking effort was 40 lbs.

HAM CONCLUSION: The Gamo Whisper G2 has a better trigger and is easier to cock than the original model.  HAM trigger and cocking effort rankings were 85% for the Whisper G2 and 80% for the original Whisper.

COMPARISON TO MAKERS CLAIMS

Gamo makes many claims for the Whisper G2 and the original Whisper. These marketing claims are undoubtedly a vital part of why Gamo is so successful in the airgun market!

In HAM testing, average muzzle velocities of both Whispers were almost identical – the G2 was just 23 FPS faster, on average. With Gamo Platinum PBA pellets, the G2 Whisper was actually slightly slower than the original model – at 1149 FPS compared to 1157 FPS.

Yet Gamo claims the new G2 is faster – as you can see – with a claim of 1275 FPS for PBA Platinum pellets (as used by HAM for our testing), compared to 1200 FPS for the older model. Duhhh….

The Whisper G2 did do better in trigger and cocking effort performance, beating Gamo’s claims in both cases.

And, in both cases, these air rifles are less quiet than we would expect – although it’s important to note that noise levels are one of the few areas in HAM tests that are entirely subjective.

HAM CONCLUSION: Overall, the Gamo Whisper G2 is closer to the manufacturer’s claims than the original model.  HAM scores for comparison to maker’s claims were 50% for the Whisper G2 and 40% for the original Whisper.

CONSISTENCY

Both Whisper G2 and Whisper original gave good consistency in HAM’s testing for accuracy and tolerance of pellet types. Again the G2’s SAT trigger gave better consistency in trigger pull. But overall, they’re very close.

HAM CONCLUSION: Same again. Both models score 80% in HAM consistency testing.

NOISE LEVEL

With the same Whisper noise reduction technology and almost the same muzzle velocity, it was a fair guess that noise level would be the same for both air rifles. They are. Although HAM testers felt that both the Whisper G2 and the original Whisper were somewhat noisier than we expected from Gamo’s marketing claims.

HAM CONCLUSION: Same again. Both models score 70% in HAM noise level assessment.

SIGHTS AND SCOPE

The G2’s scope – a 4 x 32 – model is slightly preferable in use to the 3-9 x 40 model bundled with the original Whisper, even though the specification sounds less attractive on paper.

But to match the quality of either the Whisper G2 or the original Whisper, HAM recommends that you buy a better scope. This is disappointing, but most other manufacturers also bundle sub-standard scopes with their air rifles. Gamo is far from the only culprit here.

HAM CONCLUSION: The Gamo Whisper G2 has a marginally better scope than the original model.  HAM scope and sights  rankings were 40% for the Whisper G2 and 30% for the original Whisper.

SHOOTABILITY

Both the Whisper G2 and Whisper original are relatively easy to shoot for spring/piston air rifles of this power.

The Whisper G2 benefits from a new buttstock design, with adjustable cheekpiece. Together with the improved trigger, this leads a slightly lower – that means better – RateAGun score of 8.9, compared to 9.2 for the original model. However, both scores are better than those of most air rifles of this power level.

Yet the original Whisper is very easy to point and – HAM feels – comes more naturally to the shoulder. Yes, we agree that this is a completely subjective view to balance against the quantifiable benefits of trigger and buttstock but – hey – we’re human too!

Like almost all high power (1000 fps and above) spring/piston air rifles – and gas ram guns for that matter too – both Whisper models require skill and experience from the shooter for accurate shooting. Use of the loose “Artilley Hold” is mandatory and a tight grasp on the gun will destroy the accuracy of which it is capable. Like most manufacturers, Gamo does not explain this well in the instructions that accompany either model.

HAM CONCLUSION: Too close to call again. Both models scored 80% in the HAM shootability tests.

BUYING AND OWNING

The Gamo Whisper G2 is very easy to buy. Gamo air rifles are available almost everywhere airguns are sold! You’ll require a little more persistence to find an original Whisper for sale new, but there still seem to be plenty available at retail – if you hurry!

The 12 month warranty is average for an air rifle but Gamo is one of those (fortunately few) companies that requires the user not only to pay for shipping back to Gamo for any warranty repair work, but also requires a prepayment of $10.00 as part payment for the return of the gun after warranty repairs. And repair time is quoted as 6 weeks.

Spare parts for Gamo air rifles are not generally available from Gamo, except as part of a repair undertaken by the company. Liability issues are probably behind Gamo’s approach to the non-provision of spare parts, but this does not help the knowledgeable owner who aims to keep his (or her) gun in use over many years.

Of course, if the gun works well and no warranty claims or spare parts are required, this may not matter to the purchaser!

A possible future issue in long term use of the Whisper G2 is that the front stock screws are covered by a pair of rubber side grips. These grips don’t appear to be easily removed without causing damage that might prevent them from being replaced correctly.

As the front stock screws in most spring/piston air rifles work loose over time, causing inaccuracy. This is easily corrected by the user simply re-tightening these screws. But Gamo’s design seems to imply that either the Whisper G2’s stock screws will never come loose, or – if they do – that they don’t want you to tighten them.

HAM CONCLUSION: Same again. Both models scored 40% for buying and owning in the full HAM test reviews.

BUY FROM AMAZON
Gamo Whisper air rifle

BUY FROM PYRAMYD
Gamo Whisper Air Rifle Combo

This entire article including scoring, test targets etc is Copyright Hard Air Magazine and may NOT in part or in whole be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the publisher.

The post Gamo Whisper and Whisper G2 Air Rifle Comparison Review appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Are you the best shot you can be with your air rifle? Tune in to American Airgunner for this week’s Round Table where Rossi Morreale, Jim Chapman, Tom Gaylord, and Rick Eutsler provide expert tips that help you improve your shooting skills.

Rossi also gives us an insider’s look at the largest online airgun retailer on the planet—Pyramyd Air. Airgun critic, Rick Eutsler and Rossi get together to evaluate the popular Umarex Surge. They show the kind of airgun performance tests that are often performed for airgun reviews.

American Airgunner airs on the Pursuit Channel Wednesdays at 4:30 pm Eastern, Fridays at 1:30 am and during primetime Friday evening at 8:30 pm Eastern. This is the only televised show about airguns. Watch it on DirectTV Ch. 604 or DISH Network Ch. 393. Check your local listings for additional channel information.

Follow American Airgunner on Facebook for information about weekly giveaways through the rest of this year and tune in for the weekly Get Clued In Contest from Pyramyd Air. Watch for the clue during the show’s airing on Pursuit Channel. For more information and to enter go to http://www.PyramydAir.com/win.

The post This Week on American Airgunner –
Mastering an Air Rifle appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Hard Air Magazine now has a FaceBook page!

Please feel free to check out the HAM FaceBook page, you’ll find some material that’s not included in the regular HAM site, such as competitions and giveaways by our friends – like the current one from Leapers.

Please Like the HAM FaceBook page and tell your friends about it. You can see it here http://www.facebook.com/hardairmagazine

The HAM FaceBook paage cover photo shows Hector Medina (right) and Jim Wilcox enjoy shooting Field Target in competition at the EFTCC (Eastern Field Target Competitors Club) at Wappingers Falls NY. This great photo was taken by Gerg Shirhall. Thanks gentlemen!

The post Hard Air Magazine now has a FaceBook Page appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Pyramyd Air, the world’s largest Internet airgun retailer, was awarded the 2014 BizRate Circle of Excellence award, the company’s 4th consecutive year in a row to win.

This Award, awarded by Bizrate Insights, a Connexity company and one of the largest sources of consumer-generated reviews of online retailers in the United States, recognizes retailers that received outstanding online customer satisfaction scores throughout a one-year period, as rated by millions of verified online buyers.

The 2014 Bizrate Circle of Excellence Award was earned by only 140 online retailers, representing the top 2.9% of retailers in North America utilizing the Bizrate survey. Of the 4,700 e-tailers that participated, Pyramyd Air scored in 38th place, securing it as one of the top 50 e-tailers in the country.

Pyramyd Air was also one of 80 retailers who received the highest distinction, the Platinum Award. The Bizrate Circle of Excellence Platinum Award is conferred to retailers that not only achieved winner status, but also earned a score of at least 9.0 out of 10.0 in all seven key satisfaction indicators reviewed for the Award.

Among the factors taken into consideration to be named a Bizrate Circle of Excellence winner are: Point of Sale metrics, Post Order Fulfillment metrics, Overall Satisfaction, Repurchase Intent, Product Selection, Product Met Expectations, On -Time Delivery, and Ease of Finding Customer Support.

“We are proud to recognize and honor retailers who not only strive for excellence in online shopping, but also demonstrate a dedication to the best customer service,” said Bill Glass, CEO of Connexity, Inc., parent company to both Bizrate and Bizrate Insights. “The foundation of good customer service is the instinct to ask ‘how are we doing?’ Caring translates into more loyal customers and increased sales.”

“For the last several years, score averages had increased – until this year. Customer expectations are rising faster than retailers’ ability to meet and out-perform them, ” said Hayley A. Silver, Vice President of Bizrate Insights. “Retailers are certainly interested in making quantum leaps in their online experiences to delight customers and shareholders alike. However the current required pace and breadth of innovation is often slowed by resource constraints. It will be interesting to see how innovative online retailers will be this year to increase satisfaction scores.”

Val Gamerman, President of Pyramyd Air commented: “At Pyramyd Air, we work hard to keep our customers happy and are incredibly proud of earning a Bizrate Circle of Excellence Award. As we have for the past 4 years, we plan to showcase this Award to bring confidence to new shoppers and show them that customer service is, and always will be, a high priority for Pyramyd Air.”

So who are those people in the photograph? They are the Pyramyd Air sales, support and technical support folk. These are the people you talk to when you telephone Pyramyd. They’re real people, they’re knowledgeable and there’s lots of them, as you can see!

The post Pyramyd Air Gains Top Online Retailer Award appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

HAM Test Rating	73%
Value For Money	Great value for money in a magnum hunting air rifle.
Best For	Hunting.
Best Pellet Tested	Crosman Premier HP
Street Price at Time of Test	$205
Caliber Tested	.22
RateAGun Score	Experience Required

VALUE FOR MONEY

At a Street Price in the $205.00 range, the Umarex Octane air rifle is a very strong contender in the value for money race.

It has all the latest “must haves” of a gas ram piston, silencer, high muzzle velocity, Picatinny/Weaver rail scope mounting and the “black look”. These are combined with traditional values of decent finish and good accuracy with lead pellets.

Best of all is the quality of the bundled scope. which is rarely matched in other airgun/scope bundles at this price and means that you don’t need to allow extra money to buy a better quality scope.

UmarexUSA is adding cream to this particular cake with an outstanding 3-year warranty coverage.

BUY FROM AMAZON

Umarex 2251304 Octane Air Rifle Combo with ReAxis Gas Piston, .22-Caliber, Black Finish

BUY FROM PYRAMYD

Umarex Octane Air Rifle Combo

SPEED AND ACCURACY

The Umarex Octane air rifle tested by HAM showed an ENORMOUS benefit in accuracy testing! HAM tests showed that this air rifle shot best with Crosman Premier HP pellets. And, these pellets also gave a very strong muzzle energy of 24.64 Ft/Lbs.

Why is this so important?

Well, in reality, most airgunners choose their pellets by walking into Walmart – or another big box sporting goods retailer – and buying whatever pellets they find there. And Crosman Premier Hollow point pellets are available everywhere. So, the combination of best performing pellets and these pellets being most readily found by “the average Joe” is a very important benefit for the Umarex Octane .22 cal air rifle.

As you can see from the following table, the Umarex Octane air rifle achieved a maximum muzzle velocity of almost exactly 1100 FPS with the lightest pellets tested, 9.7 Grain Gamo Platinum PBA pellets. Highest muzzle velocity with lead pellets was achieved by the 11.9 Grain RWS Hobby pellets at 959 FPS.

If you’re hunting – as you probably will be with this air rifle – it’s muzzle energy  (knock down power) that really counts, rather than actual muzzle velocity. The Gamo Platinum PBA pellets delivered the highest muzzle energy but with less accuracy than would be required for humane “one shot ” kills in most circumstances. Again, the Crosman Premier HP pellets give an excellent muzzle energy of 24.64 Ft/Lbs, combined with the accuracy you need for hunting.

BUY FROM AMAZON
Crosman LPH .22 Caliber Hollow Point Pellets, 500-Pack

BUY FROM PYRAMYD
Crosman Premier Hollow Point pellets, .22 caliber

TRIGGER AND COCKING EFFORT

We all know that nothing is for free in this world. And that’s reflected in the trigger pull for the Umarex Octane.

The average trigger pull weight recorded in HAM testing for the Umarex octane was 7lb 3oz. And this varied by as much as 13 ounces between the highest and lowest pull weights recorded.

This 7+ lbs trigger pull weight is higher than many other air rifles of this power. But it’s not unpleasant to the finger and may even be appropriate for a hunting air rifle where few shots are fired.

The trigger is claimed to be a 2-stage model, but as HAM tester Paul Manktelow commented in his testing notes “I can’t find a first stage on this trigger”. The other HAM testers also couldn’t find the missing first stage – the trigger certainly felt like a single stage trigger to us.

The automatic safety is unusual in that you pull it BACK toward the trigger blade to disengage it. Although this is counter-intuitive, it does become second nature after a period of shooting the Umarex Octane, so long as you don’t also shoot other air rifles that have the more normal “push away to disengage” type of safety.

HAM measured the cocking effort at 43 lbs. Yes, this is heavy, but it’s less than is required for some other high power break barrel air rifles. And for a hunting air rifle, this is not such a big issue as most hunters will be firing relatively few shots in a day. But it would get old very quickly if you were to use the Umarex Octane as an all day plinker!

HAM tester Paul Maktelow felt that the cocking cycle was smooth, but wasn’t too happy about the scraping noise generated by the test gun when the barrel was closed.

Lock up – the way the barrel snaps back into place after cocking – seemed a little soft, but no issues arose from this during the HAM test sessions.

COMPARISON TO MAKER’S CLAIMS

Let’s start with muzzle velocity, as this is what everyone wants to know!

The Umarex Octane tested by HAM was a strong airgun, but it didn’t meet the manufacturer’s claims for muzzle velocity.

UmarexUSA claims a maximum of 1,250 FPS with alloy pellets – yes, even in .22 caliber – but the best recorded in HAM testing was an average of 1,099.62 FPS with the lightest Gamo Platinum PBA pellets. That’s 12% slower than the claim.

For lead pellets, the manufacturer’s claim for the Umarex Octane is 1,050 FPS. The best achieved in HAM testing was 959.52 FPS with RWS Hobby wadcutters (the lightest lead pellets, of course). That’s 8.5% below the claim.

Umarex claims that the Octane is fitted with a 2-stage trigger. As a technical statement HAM is not disputing this, but our testers were unanimous that this FELT exactly like a single stage trigger. In use, there was no second stage to be found.

The Reaxis gas piston powerplant of the Umarex Octane is claimed to give “less vibration, higher accuracy, smoother and quieter recoil and higher, more consistent velocity”. That’s quite a list! To each of these claims, HAM asks “compared to what?” These are all relative claims without a point of comparison and so it’s not possible for HAM to say definitively if these claims are met or not.

But HAM testers did agree that vibration and recoil were less than we expected. We felt the gun to be fairly quiet. Accuracy in the HAM test targets was good with lead pellets, as you can see for yourself below and the muzzle velocity is high (although less than claimed) and can be consistent with many pellets.

So are the manufacturer’s RELATIVE claims for the Reaxis gas piston fitted to the Umarex Octane met in use? HAM feels that they probably are. But don’t push us too hard on this….

CONSISTENCY

The thumbhole design of the stock makes for an easy, natural hold and this – combined with the good cheek weld for scope use – encourages consistent positioning of the gun, an important contribution to consistent shooting.

Standard Deviation (the measure of shot-to-shot variability) was somewhat variable. It was held down to an excellent 3.16 FPS with both JSB Exact Express and H&N Baracuda Match pellets and also attained a very creditable Standard Deviation of 11.22 FPS with the Gamo Platinum alloy pellets that usually record much higher figures.

But here’s a conundrum! Crosman Premier Hollow Point pellets, the ones that gave the best accuracy, showed a really poor Standard Deviation of 25.57 FPS. If that figure had been paired with a poor group, we wouldn’t have been surprised. But obviously the poor Standard Deviation recorded with these pellets made no difference to the great consistency on target!

Another strong consistency benefit of the Umarex Octane tested by HAM was that it shot accurately with all the lead pellets in the standard HAM test suite.

Trigger pull was heavy – as recorded above – at an average of 7lbs 3oz, and it varied quite a lot around this figure with a minimum recorded pull weight of 6lb 6oz and a maximum of 7lb 11oz, although this variation was not very evident to the shooter.

NOISE LEVEL

Overall, HAM testers considered the Umarex Octane to be fairly quiet.

There’s a nice solid thunk when the gun is fired. And – due to the .22 caliber of the model tested – there’s no chance of lead pellets exceeding the speed of sound when fired, so that sharp crack due to 1,100+ FPS muzzle velocity will not be encountered.

The Silencair sound suppressor fitted to the barrel obviously also gives some benefit in sound moderation, too.

SIGHTS AND SCOPE

The Umarex Octane air rifle is fitted with the expected fiber optic “iron sights”, although few shooters are likely to use them given the bundled scope.

The rear sight is adjustable for elevation and windage. The front sight is set high on top of the silencer and is very exposed to possible damage, having no protection for the red fiber optic element. This front sight is almost certain to be damaged in the rough and tumble of everyday use!

Fortunately, most shooters will use the scope that’s bundled with the Umarex Octane. And it’s a good one…

This 3-9 x 40AO scope is actually very good for a bundled scope in this price range. It has close focusing down to 10 yards, the most useful magnification range for most users and it’s fitted to the gun by means of a pair of solid Weaver/Picatinny rings that are attached to the rail mounted on the compression tube of the air rifle.

This Umarex-branded scope has good sharpness and contrast for the price and – if it just had a mil dot reticle – would be a perfect combination with the Umarex Octane. Even with a standard Duplex reticle, it’s still waaaay ahead of many other scopes bundled with mas market air rifles, but just the addition of mil dots would have made it ideal.

The Octane includes a set of strong Weaver rings. These clamp to a substantial Weaver rail assembly that itself clamps to standard airgun dovetails machined in the compression tube of the airgun.

We didn’t expect the Weaver rings to move in their mounts but the HAM testers did wonder if the Weaver rail assembly itself would move under recoil when shooting. It didn’t!

The scope remained unmoved throughout the HAM testing and the point of aim didn’t move. The Umarex Octanne has a successful and strong scope mount system that’s not going to let you down in use.

SHOOTABILITY

Yes, at 48-inches overall length and 9 lb 13 oz weight (with scope) the Umarex Octane air rifle is big and heavy. It’s clearly in the magnum hunting airgun class for both size and power.

Recoil is less pronounced than we had been expecting and certainly felt less than for some other magnum hunting air rifles HAM has tested. Overall, the shooting experience is quite smooth for an airgun of this power.

HAM tester Paul Manktelow noted “I really like this air rifle. It cocks smoothly and balances nicely for shooting”.

Pellets lead easily into the breech end of the barrel. Yes, you might think this would obviously be the case, but it’s not always so. Some air rifles will cause a hole in your thumb from pressing the pellets into place over an extended shooting session! The Umarex Octane is not one of them: it’s easy to load with all the pellets HAM tested.

All the above, together with the relatively low cocking effort – for a break barrel airgun of this power – makes the Octane a relatively comfortable gun to shoot. But be aware, this is not an air rifle for a beginner and it does demand skill, strength and knowledge to shoot accurately, as is indicated by its high RateAGun score of 9.7.

As the Umarex Octane is fitted with a Reaxis gas piston powerplant, it can remain cocked for an extended period (obviously with the safety engaged!) if required before taking a shot. This, of course, is a very useful attribute for a hunting air rifle.

APPEARANCE AND FINISH

The black, synthetic stock is nicely molded, with smooth, clean seams, while metal parts show good finish with no tooling marks and uniform, deep bluing.

“Handsome is as handsome does” is our opinion of the Octane’s design. None of us found the looks of this gun to be especially attractive, due primarily to the stock design. The forend of the stock is wide and bulky, while the butt end is thin and narrow. It looks as if two different people designed the stock, starting from opposite ends and meeting just aft of the trigger!

But this is purely personal opinion. The stock feels good in use and is obviously practical for its intended purpose. And you may have a completely different opinion of the Octane’s looks…

BUYING AND OWNING

The Umarex Octane is widely available in both physical and online stores, so finding one is unlikely to be a problem.

Packaging is adequate, with the usual amount of white foam at this price point to protect the gun in shipping before it gets to you.

The written instructions supplied with the Octane are adequate and include information on trigger adjustment and long term maintenance.

The 36 month warranty – for the original owner – is outstanding for an air rifle. UmarexUSA deserve credit for showing their confidence in the Octane.

Note that you are required to register your new Octane with Umarex USA within 30 days of purchase in order to qualify for this warranty coverage. And be sure to keep your original sales receipt as this must be included with the air rifle in the event of warranty work being required.

Also, Umarex USA does have spare parts available via their Service Department in Fort Smith AR and knowledgeable airgunners will be pleased to know this for the long term servicability of their Octane.

One omission that will make itself felt (literally) for the hunter is the lack of sling swivels. This means that the Umarex Octane cannot be carried using a sling over the shoulder. This could be very tiring over the course of a long day in the field hunting, also the risk of dropping the gun is higher than if it is carried on a sling.

And back to that very exposed front iron sight. As it’s almost certain to be damaged in rough use over time, you need to accept that there’s no possibility of a replacement. The front sight is an integral part of the silencer molding and the silencer cannot be removed from the barrel. So, if you were really concerned over the appearance of a damaged front sight, it would be necessary to replace the entire barrel assembly and that would be very costly. You’ll just have to live with it…

TEST TARGETS

BUY FROM AMAZON

Umarex 2251304 Octane Air Rifle Combo with ReAxis Gas Piston, .22-Caliber, Black Finish

BUY FROM PYRAMYD

Umarex Octane Air Rifle Combo

This entire article including scoring, test targets etc is Copyright Hard Air Magazine and may NOT in part or in whole be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the publisher.

The post Umarex Octane Air Rifle
Test Review .22 Cal appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Pyramyd Air has started its Black Friday Preview Sale. There’s many great deals and more are being unveiled today. 

You can find out more at http://www.pyramydair.com/black-friday

The post Pyramyd Air Black Friday Preview
Sale Starts appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.