HARD AIR MAGAZINE CONCLUSIONS

Yes, we understand. You can say that we’re not exactly comparing like for like in this test. Two of the airguns are in .177 caliber, the other in .22. Two have gas piston powerplants, the other is a traditional spring/piston air rifle. Two have silencers, the third not. But many customers make similar comparisons when selecting the best hunting air rifle…

Is the higher muzzle velocity of a .177 caliber pellet better than the higher knockdown power of .22 cal? Is a gas ram better than a springer?

What makes this a fair comparison is that we have three “out and out” hunting air rifles, all of which sell for somewhere between $200 and $250. All are big, heavy break barrel, single shot air rifles. All are bundled with a 3-9 scope. All require a lot of strength and skill to shoot accurately and consistently. They all scored very similar ratings in their individual HAM test reports. The Beenjamin Trail NP2 scored 68%, the Beeman Mach 12.5 and Umarex Octane tied at 73%.

So, all three are powerful, proven performers. All will do the job for hunting small game and varmints. But which one is just that little bit better?

SUMMARY – BEEMAN MACH 12.5. The Beeman Mach 12.5 is one of the ultimate examples of a spring/piston “muscle gun”. It shoots well and is good value, but it’s just edged out by the Octane’s combination of features and price.

SUMMARY – BENJAMIN TRAIL NP2. The Trail NP2 has some unique benefits. It’s the quietest and it has sling swivels for easy carrying (a huge benefit for a day hunting). And either of these two features may be enough for you to decide it’s the best hunting air rifle for you. If it just had a better scope and a smoother firing cycle, it could be the winner.

SUMMARY – UMAREX OCTANE. The Octane has a good scope with adjustable objective, a gas ram so that the gun can remain cocked for a long period without problems, acceptable cocking effort (at least in this company), good accuracy and the highest muzzle energy (knockdown power). It has a silencer. And finally, it’s also the cheapest airgun in this test, selling for $30 to $40 less than its two competitors.

HAM CONCLUSION: It’s a very close run thing! Each gun has its own particular strengths. Hmmm… Lowest price, most power, loads of features. Everything works OK. That sounds like a winning combination for the Umarex Octane in .22 caliber. This is the best hunting air rifle in this HAM comparison test. But if you feel the Mach 12.5 or Trail NP are disadvantaged by being tested in .177 caliber – they’re both available in .22 cal also.

Full HAM airgun test reviews for these guns can be found at:

Beeman Mach 12.5 http://hardairmagazine.com/reviews/airgun-test-reviews/beeman-mach-12-5-air-rifle-test-review-177-cal

Benjamin Trail NP2 http://hardairmagazine.com/reviews/airgun-test-reviews/benjamin-trail-np2-air-rifle-test-review

Umarex Octane http://hardairmagazine.com/reviews/airgun-test-reviews/umarex-octane-air-rifle-test-review-22-cal

BUY FROM PYRAMYD

Umarex Octane Air Rifle Combo

Beeman Mach 12.5 Air Rifle

Benjamin Trail NP2 Air Rifle, Synthetic Stock

Below (from top to bottom), the Beeman Mach 12.5 (with aftermarket camo job – an extra cost), The Benjamin Trail NP2 and the Umarex Octane.

WE LIKE

WE DON’T LIKE

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 as 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.

The Trail NP2 is the most expensive air rifle in this comparison test. At a Street Price of $250, the Benjamin Trail NP2 air rifle carries a premium of $30 above the equivalent “first generation” Trail NP models. Also users may find that they would prefer to buy an additional, better, scope to maximize the potential of this airgun. That would add significantly to the price of the Trail NP2 compared to the competition considered in this HAM test review.

At a Street Price in the $205 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 only matched by the Beeman Mach 12.5 bundle in this test and means that you don’t need to allow extra money to buy a better quality scope. And UmarexUSA is adding cream to this particular cake with an outstanding 3-year warranty coverage.

HAM CONCLUSION: The Umarex Octane air rifle is clearly the best value in this hunting air rifle group. It’s the cheapest, has equal best scope, Weaver/Picatinny rails, a gas ram and a silencer.

SPEED AND ACCURACY

Interestingly, two of the three air rifles in this HAM comparison test showed their best accuracy in HAM tests with Crosman Premier Hollow Point pellets. This is extremely important as, 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.

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 in selecting the winner of this hunting air rifle comparison test.

Accuracy of these three guns when shooting their best pellets was very similar, as you can see from the HAM test targets. The Benjamin Trail NP just edged ahead with the best accuracy.

For the Beeman Mach 12.5 air rifle in .177 caliber, the most accurate pellet was the JSB Exact.

The Benjamin Trail NP in .177 caliber gave best accuracy with – unsurprisingly – Crosman Premier Hollow Point pellets.

The Umarex Octane in .22 cal also preferred a diet of Crosman Premier Hollow Point pellets.

For knowledgeable hunters, the major interest is knock down power – rather than pure muzzle velocity. This means that, although .177 caliber air rifles will have the highest muzzle velocities, the greater muzzle energy of a .22 caliber pellet is more important in achieving a humane one shot kill.

As you can see from the table below, the .22 caliber Umarex Octane air rifle gives the highest muzzle energy of the three guns tested. But note that the Beeman Mach 12.5 is fairly close behind, in spite of being in the smaller caliber.

HAM CONCLUSION: The Trail NP is the most accurate with Crosman Premier HP pellets. The Beeman Mach 12.5 showed the best accuracy over a wide range of pellets. The Umarex Octane is most powerful. We’ll take power over muzzle velocity for a hunting air rifle, but you may disagree!

TRIGGER AND COCKING EFFORT

There’s no escaping it. The triggers on all these air rifles are very heavy. This is because the sears are holding back some serious pressure when these guns are cocked – it’s inevitable with a high power break barrel air rifle of any type.

The Beeman Mach 12.5 records the lowest trigger pull weight with an average of 6 lb 2 oz. The Benjamin NP Trail comes in just a little heavier at 6 lb 5 oz, while the Umarex Octane trails the pack at 7lb 3 oz. Ouch! None of these are “target grade” triggers, but HAM testers found them all acceptable for use in a magnum hunting air rifle.

Cocking effort changes the picture somewhat.

The Benjamin NP2 has by far the lowest cocking effort of “just” 35 lbs in the HAM tests. But that only sounds low compared to the 43 lbs required by the Umarex Octane and the heroic 52 lbs cocking effort demanded by the Beeman Mach 12.5. You need to be strong to cock any of these air rifles.

HAM CONCLUSION: The Benjamin Trail NP2 air rifle has the best combination of trigger pull weight and cocking effort.

COMPARISON TO MAKERS CLAIMS

For the Beeman Mach 12.5, it’s simple. This air rifle matches or exceeds the claims made for it.

For example, 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%.

Overall the Benjamin Trail NP2 air rifle matches some of the manufacturer’s claims. It’s clearly a powerful air rifle, but not quite as powerful as Crosman claims for the example tested by HAM. Crosman claims a maximum muzzle velocity of 1400 fps with alloy pellets for the Benjamin Trail NP2 air rifle. In our HAM tests, the maximum muzzle velocity achieved was 1289 fps with Gamo Raptor Platinum pellets. That’s about 8% below the claim.

Crosman also claims a maximum muzzle energy of 21 ft/lbs for the Trail NP2. The maximum achieved by the gun HAM tested was 19.5 ft/lbs. That’s around 7% below the claim.

As with the Trail NP, the claims made for the Umarex Octane tested by HAM were not completely met. Yes, the Octane is 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.

HAM CONCLUSION: The Beeman Mach 12.5 best meets – and exceeds – it’s makers claims.

CONSISTENCY

All these three air rifles gave very similar levels of consistency. All shot well with the standard HAM test pellets – particularly the lead pellets – and so had the great benefit of not being pellet picky. That’s a HUGE benefit as the shooter is not tied to one specific pellet for accurate hunting.

HAM CONCLUSION: All these air rifles show very similar consistency.

NOISE LEVEL

Although the Beeman Mach 12.5 air rifle is not fitted with a silencer (that’s a muzzle weight on the end of the barrel), it didn’t seem unduly loud to the HAM testers. We’d say it is average for an air rifle of this power level. But it’s still louder than its competitors that are fitted with silencers.

Very light lead free pellets traveling at over 1100 fps have the potential to produce a sonic boom that will make the Mach 12.5 VERY loud – almost to .22 LR firearms level – in spite of the silencer. This would be the case with any other air rifle also, of course, and is caused by the pellets themselves, NOT the gun.

The Trail NP2 is quiet. Well, at least so long as you’re not shooting pellets that break the sound barrier. The built-in silencer does a good job of keeping noise levels low the shooting sound is just “a very solid thunk” from the shooter’s perspective.

Overall, HAM testers considered the Umarex Octane to be fairly quiet, but less so than the Trail NP2.

HAM CONCLUSION: The Benjamin Trail NP2 is the quietest air rifle in this comparison. If noise level is your most important buying criterion, this may overcome any other factor and lead you to choose the Trail NP2 for airgun hunting.

SIGHTS AND SCOPE

The Beeman Mach 12.5 air rifle is fitted with no iron sights, but it is bundled with a surprisingly good scope. The 3-9 x 40 AO scope included with this gun has decent image quality for the price and that all-important Adjustable Objective (AO) capability for sharp focusing at close ranges. It would be better with a mil dot reticle, however.

Good strong rings are included in this package to hold the scope in place under the heavy recoil generated by this gun, in spite of the standard airgun rails fitted to this gun which are generally not preferred to the Weaver/Picatinny rails fitted to the other guns in this test.

The scope bundled with the Benjamin Trail NP2 does have mil dots – but they’re very small and indistinct in use. And there’s only 3 dots on each side of the reticle. Given the widespread use by airgunners of mil dots for “aiming off”, 3 dots is really not enough to allow for wide changes of range or side wind.

More importantly, the scope bundled with the Trail NP2 is not fitted with AO (Adjustable Objective) capability. This means that it can’t be focused to different distances. Although sharpness is good at close ranges of 10 to 20 yards, HAM found that image quality became distinctly fuzzy at ranges beyond that. As Crosman claims that the Trail NP2 has the power for successful hunting at greater ranges than “simple” gas ram models, it’s disappointing that you’ll need to buy another scope to get a sharp image at longer ranges.

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.

This 3-9 x 40AO scope bundled with the Umarex Octane 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 the scope bundled with the Benjamin Trail NP2. Just the addition of mil dots would have made it ideal. It’s a very close match to the scope fitted to the Beeman Mach 12.5.

HAM CONCLUSION: The Beeman Mach 12.5 and Umarex Octane are equal in scope capability. We’ll give the edge to the Octane as it also has iron sights and – while HAM doesn’t see the value in these – there are many air rifle buyers who insist on iron sights as a backup to the standard scope.

SHOOTABILITY

All these guns’ undoubted power is bought at the expense of shootability. Cocking is heavy, the triggers are heavy. These guns are all big, long and can be tough to hold correctly for accurate shooting. The recoil can be quite harsh. There’s a price to pay for all that power!

You need to be big, strong and experienced with air rifles to shoot these guns well. 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.

By the time you’ve spent the day lugging the Mach 12.5 or the Umarex Octane around the countryside, you’d wish it was fitted with sling swivels like the Benjamin Trail NP2 so that you could add a sling and so carry the gun over your shoulder.

HAM CONCLUSION: Shootability is not a strong suit for any of these magnum hunting air rifles. We’ll give the Trail NP2 the edge, with it’s sling capability outweighing the harsh recoil.

APPEARANCE AND FINISH

These are working guns. Appearance is a secondary consideration. While all three air rifles are well finished for the price, we’ll give the nod to the flawless finish of the Benjamin Trail NP2.

HAM CONCLUSION: Again, it’s close, with the Trail NP2 just ahead.

BUYING AND OWNING

The Beeman 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.

Thanks to Crosman’s wide distribution network, you can find the Trail NP2 almost everywhere that airguns are sold, both online and in physical stores. So, it’s easy to buy. You can also be happy buying a product that’s made in the USA. And for many of us that’s a big deal!

Crosman Customer Service and backup has a great reputation.There’s a 12-month warranty that does not require you to pay for return shipment in the event of a warranty issue. Crosman normally has spare parts available for most recent models, together with downloadable parts diagrams. These are not available at the time of writing for the Benjamin Trail NP2 air rifle. HAM expects that this will change with time.

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

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

HAM CONCLUSION: Crosman has the best customer service in the industry and that’s a big benefit for the Trail NP2. The Umarex Octane has a 3 year warranty, that’s the best there is for a mass market airgun. You’ll have to choose which is better as we can’t!

BUY FROM PYRAMYD

Umarex Octane Air Rifle Combo

Beeman Mach 12.5 Air Rifle

Benjamin Trail NP2 Air Rifle, Synthetic Stock

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 The Best Hunting Air Rifle for $200 – $250? appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

What do hollow point pellets do when they impacts their target? This week the experts of the American Airgunner Round Table take several of the most popular hollow point pellets and shoot them into Clear Ballistics gel blocks. You might decide to change pellets after this experiment!

In this episode you’ll also see an easy way to sight in your scoped air rifle. Plus, Rick Eutsler gives Rossi Morreale a look at one of his favorite PCP rifles—the Hatsan AT44 Quiet Energy.

Have you been getting the Pyramyd Air Clues during show times on Pursuit Channel? Tune in for the Get Clued In Contest from Pyramyd Air for your chance to win a $500 eGift card. 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.

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. Don’t get Pursuit Channel? Stream American Airgunner during air times at http://www.vidillion.tv/pursuitchannel. Check your local listings for additional channel information.

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

The post Hollow Point Pellets – an Experiment this Week
on American Airgunner appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Crosman is offering you the opportunity to own one of the first 50 Benjamin Armada Magpul Edition air rifles to come off of their Bloomfield, NY productions line.

The new Benjamin Armada air rifle is the first commercially available PCP air rifle that allows shooters the same breadth of modularity and user configurability as enjoyed by the AR community. By implementing the Magpul M-LOK interface system and designing the rifle to mil-spec dimensions for the grip and stock interfaces, the Armada ensures shooters will be able to use the same AR parts and accessories they know and love.

The Benjamin Armada Magpul Edition is built in America and is offered in .22 caliber. Claimed muzzle velocity is 1000 FPS, giving 32 Ft/Lbs of energy. Crosman claims this makes the Armada an ideal small game air rifle. It includes a 10-shot magazine, full suppression and gets over 30 shots per fill.

The receiver features a machined picatinny rail and the bolt is reversible for left-handed shooters.

At the time of writing, 33 of the first 50 were still available, but you’ll probably need to act soon to get yours!

The post New Benjamin Armada Air Rifle
Available For Pre-Order appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Way back in 1838, the Crosman Seed Corporation was founded in Fairport NY.

By 1923, the Crosman Rifle Company had been created as an off-shoot (that was NOT intended to be a joke!) of the Seed Corporation. This was eventually to become the Crosman Corporation that we know today.

Since 1971, Crosman has been based in Bloomfield NY. But here are photographs of some Crosman historic buildings that can be seen today in the suburbs of Rochester, NY – where Crosman has always been based. This is real living Crosman history!

Perhaps unknown to many airgunners, the Crosman Seed Corporation is alive and well and based in Crosman Terrace (or possibly Crossman Terrace?), East Rochester NY!

Crosman history. Crosman Seed Corporation Building

Crosman history. Crosman Seed Corporation Sign

Crosman history. Crosman Terrace East Rochester

Between 1953 and 1971, Crosman Corporation was based in Fairport NY. Amazingly, there are still just a few current employees who worked at the Fairport location. Many Crosman staffers have very long service!

Crosman’s Fairport location still stands, now converted into a small industrial park. I believe that the building on the right was the old Crosman Reception and Cafeteria. Behind, and attached to it, are the former Development Shop (single story), then the one-time pellet manufacturing and woodwork shops (the white building).

Crosman history. Crosman Fairport Reception and Cafeteria

Here are the same buildings, seen from the uphill (right) side.

These are also the same buildings, seen from across the Erie Canal, which runs right past the Fairport NY location.

Below. Viewed from the opposite direction, the building on the left – behind the modern square block – was Crosman’s one-time screw machine shop. (Many airgun parts were – and still are – manufactured using screw machines). I believe the first Powerlet manufacturing line was located on the First Floor and that the Service Department was located on the Second Floor. The Service Department was the last department to leave Fairport for the new Bloomfield location in the early 1970s.

It was a beautiful, crisp – and cold – day in Up-State NY today. That made it an ideal opportunity to photograph some of this Crosman history that still stands! Leaves on the trees makes some of these photographs impossible to make during warmer weather.

The post Some Crosman History Seen Today
Around Rochester NY appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

The 2014 Winter Airgun Championships – one of airgun target shooting’s major events took place on December 5, 6 and 7 in Colorado Springs, CO.

The intrigue of performance under pressure, combined with youthful energy and success summarizes all that was special about the 2014 Winter Airgun Championships. Record numbers competed while 12 athletes got their 2015 shooting season jump started with their best performances last weekend.

The disciplines shot included Men’s Air Rifle, Men’s Air Pistol, Women’s Air Rifle, Women’s Air Pistol and Paralympic.

More than 350 collegiate rifle athletes, Paralympic shooters, National and National Junior Team members and Junior Olympic participants competed in three separate matches for top honors and a guaranteed spot in the 2015 World Cup season opener that takes place in early April 2015 in Changwon, South Korea.

Additionally, Winter Airgun was serving as Part I of a two-part selection process to determine World Cup competitors for events two and three on the schedule. The top-10 ranked athletes following Winter Airgun will be invited to participate in the Final Selection Match slated for April with World Cup spots up for grabs for Munich (Germany) and Ft. Benning, Georgia.

Here’s a look at the weekend highlights that stood out the most:

– 12 athletes earn World Cup Changwon (Korea) Nominations
– Men’s Pistol athlete Will Brown nearly breaks Finals World Record
– 18-year-old Lydia Paterson Wins 5 of 6 Women’s Pistol Events
– Bryant Wallizer, Courtney Anthony and Sarah Beard Achieve Performance Standard Score
– 15-year-old Sarah Osborn finishes second twice to earn World Cup status in Women’s Air Rifle

To read more about the Winter Airgun Championships, full results etc, check out the USAshooting.org website.

The post 2014 Winter Airgun Championships
Results appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

UmarexUSA is running a promotion on their Facebook site to give away a Ruger Targis air rifle in .22 caliber.

For full details, see the Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/UmarexUSA and look for the “Amazing Airgun Giveaway” post.

You need to be quick, this promotion ends at 11:59PM on 15 December, 2014!

The post UmarexUSA is giving away a
Ruger Targis Air Rifle for Free! appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Remington airguns has produced a series of humorous short videos to promote the Remington Airguns War on Squirrels.

Of course, the poor squirrel is top on the list of targets for many air rifle owners and Remington is using this fact in a marketing campaign to promote the use of their Remington Express air rifles.

HAM believes that no animals – squirrels or otherwise – were harmed in the making of these videos!

Click here to see the Remington Airguns War on Squirrels videos.

The post Remington Airguns War on Squirrels
Videos appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Now there’s more airgun hunting on Persuit Channel TV!

In this week’s episode of The High Road with Keith Warren, Keith takes to the woods of East Texas armed only with a GAMO air rifle. You won’t want to miss it as you’ll see how incredibly deadly these guns can be in the right hands. Keith takes multiple wild hogs and finishes out with a pile of pigeons.

“These adult precision air rifles add another dimension and challenge to hunts and I can’t get over how lethal they are” says Warren, who more regularly hunts with firearms in his TV shows.

Keith Warren productions are designed to encourage others to become actively involved in the outdoors as the ultimate conservationists and stewards of the land.

The High Road with Keith Warren airs three times a week on Mondays at 2:00 pm, Wednesdays at 11:00 pm, and Sundays at 7:30 pm (all times are CDT). You can watch it on the Pursuit Channel (DirecTV 604 and Dish 393). Full episodes are also available free of charge at http://highroadhunting.com.

The post More Airgun Hunting on Persuit Channel TV appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Whenever anyone telephones Crosman at 1-800-7AIRGUN they often receive a surprise. This is because the telephone is answered by a real person, not an automated machine!

For the last 21 years, Sarah Cascini has been company Receptionist and the Voice of Crosman, answering the telephone well over 2 Million times – yes over 2 million times! Many of us have spoken to her without knowing her name or face.

Unlike many other companies (not only in the airgun business), when someone calls Crosman with a question – what ever it is – Sarah personally manages the call. She handles some questions herself, or directs the caller to the correct person or department with her huge knowledge of everyone and everything in the company that results from her 37 years of service.

Sarah Cascini began her career at Crosman in 1977. At first she worked in the Assembly Department. In 1979 she transferred to Customer Service repairing airguns – this was back in the days of the old Crosman factory on Turk Hill Road, Fairport NY. In 1980, Sarah accepted a position in the Accounts Receivable Department and later became a Credit Analyst.

In 1993 Sarah became Receptionist and “the Voice of Crosman”. She’s retiring from Crosman at the end of 2014 and is warmly thanked by the company for her many years of devoted service.

You’ll be pleased to hear that Sarah will not be replaced by a machine as Crosman Receptionist. Kathy Button, another long-serving employee is already in training and will take over as the Voice of Crosman in 2015. Crosman sees this personal approach as a key part of their unmatched customer service and I, for one, agree.

As Crosman visitors, callers and customers, I’m sure we all join in wishing Sarah a long and happy retirement!

The post Sarah Cascini The Voice of Crosman
To Retire at Year End 2014. appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

VALUE FOR MONEY

The Ruger Yukon sells for $200 at the time of this test. At this price it offers many good features, but also faces strong competition from many air rifles with similar muzzle velocity and specifications. This is an ultra-competitive sector of the market!

If you value stylish design with a real wood stock, low noise level and a strong Weaver/Picatinny scope rail, the Ruger Yukon will appeal. But it’s let down by the scope – you may well need to budget for a replacement.

HAM Test Rating	64%
Value For Money	Stylish but priced a little high.
Best For	Plinking and hunting small critters.
Best Pellet Tested	Crosman Premier
Street Price at Time of Test	$200
Caliber Tested	.177
RateAGun Score	Experience Required

BUY FROM PYRAMYD

Ruger Yukon Air Rifle Combo

BUY FROM AMAZON

Umarex 2244221 Ruger Yukon Combo

SPEED AND ACCURACY

The Ruger Yukon matches the typical standard of muzzle velocity for a .177 caliber air rifle of this size and weight – around 1,000 fps with lead pellets and approximately 1,200 fps with alloy pellets. Details of the gun tested by HAM are shown in the table below.

It’s interesting to observe that the Ruger Yukon has a similar patter of performance to two other comparable air rifles tested by HAM that are manufactured at the same factory in China – the Ruger Air Hawk and the Remington Express. In every case, we found that Gamo Raptor Platinum and JSB Exact Diabalo pellets gave lower muzzle velocities than would be expected from their weight.

Why?

It’s because theses pellets are a slightly loose fit in the barrel of these air rifles, so allowing some air to blow by the pellet when it travels down the barrel. In the Ruger Yukon tested by HAM, this caused the 4.7 grain Gamo Raptor Platinum pellets to shoot slower than the 5.56 grain H&N Field Target Green pellets, even though you would expect the opposite to be the case.

As with the Ruger Air Hawk, HAM found that the Ruger Yukon gave best accuracy – just – with Crosman Premier Hollow Point pellets. As we’ve remarked before, this is a great benefit because these Crosman Premier pellets are found at almost all “big box” stores selling airguns. This makes them a very popular choice with many shooters.

Some tendency to vertical stringing was found with the Ruger Yukon tested by HAM. This may be caused by the scope – rather than the gun itself. The bundled scope moved back in the rings by nearly 1/8-inch over the course of the HAM test and this could definitely explain some stringing.

BUY FROM PYRAMYD
Crosman Premier Hollow Point pellets, .177 caliber

BUY FROM AMAZON
Crosman Hollow Point Pellets, 0.177-Calibre

TRIGGER AND COCKING EFFORT

The Ruger Yukon tested by HAM gave two very distinct stages. The first stage is long and very light. There’s no missing the second stage, it’s short and heavy. In HAM testing, the trigger pull weight of the Yukon averaged 5 lb 3 oz, that’s at the higher end of the range commonly found on comparable break barrel air rifles. First stage travel length (but not pull weight) can be adjusted using the setscrew visible in the underside of the trigger blade.

Cocking effort is fairly low for an air rifle of this power – the Ruger Yukon tested by HAM required 33 lbs of effort to cock the gun. But somehow it felt harder than a spring/piston action with a similar cocking weight, probably due to the gas ram piston used in the Yukon.

Cocking action on the tested Yukon was quite smooth and the barrel lockup is good and distinct.

Overall, cocking effort is good but the trigger is heavier than we’d like.

The automatic safety operates in the counter-intuitive “pull back for safe” manner, but this becomes natural with use. What’s less acceptable is the pronounced side-to-side wobble of the trigger of the Yukon tested by HAM. Maybe we got unlucky there?

COMPARISON TO MAKERS CLAIMS

Starting with muzzle velocity, UmarexUSA headlines a 1,250 fps muzzle velocity for the Ruger Yukon with alloy pellets. The highest muzzle velocity recorded in HAM testing was 1,168 fps, that’s 6.5% slow. But, as explained above, it’s clear that higher muzzle velocity would be possible with a larger diameter alloy pellet of the lightest weight and that 1,250 fps may actually be reached with a different ultra-light pellet.

The muzzle velocity claim for lead pellets is 1,050 fps. At 1,022 fps with RWS Hobby pellets, the Yukon tested by HAM was less than 3% slower. That’s pretty close!

The manufacturer’s claim for cocking effort of the Ruger Yukon is 30 lbs. The gun tested by HAM cocked with 33 lbs of effort. Again, fairly close to the claim.

Unfortunately the average trigger pull weight of 5 lbs 3 oz recorded by HAM’s testing was hugely above the manufacturer’s claim of 3 lbs 3 oz for the Ruger Yukon. That’s disappointing…

CONSISTENCY

Standard Deviation – the measure of shot-to-shot variability – was around or below 5 fps for 4 of the 7 standard HAM test pellets fired in the Ruger Yukon air rifle. That’s good performance for a break barrel air rifle, particularly one that’s new.

Unfortunately, the Yukon tested by HAM was somewhat pellet-picky. It tended to give better accuracy with heavier pellets and produced some quite pronounced vertical stringing on several of the test targets.

Trigger pull weight varied considerably in HAM tests. The lightest recorded pull weight was 4 lb 9 oz and the highest 5 lb 14 oz. That’s a large swing of 21 oz around the average of 5 lb 3 oz over 7 pulls.

NOISE LEVEL

The HAM team found that the Ruger Yukon’s combination of Reaxis gas ram piston and Silencair sound suppressor made the gun quite quiet. It certainly seemed quieter than a Gamo Whisper, for example.

Of course – as with any other silenced air rifle – you’ll still be plagued with very loud shooting if you use pellets that exceed the speed of sound – about 1,100 fps. That – together with improved accuracy – is a good reason to shoot the Yukon with medium weight lead pellets, such as the Crosman Premier HPs, as they will keep the noise level down to a backyard friendly level.

SIGHTS AND SCOPE

Fiber optic open sights are fitted to the Ruger Yukon. These are much as expected, with click-adjustable windage and elevation on the rear sight. But the Yukon’s front sight has no protective hood and the red fiber optic is very exposed, easily damaged and not easily repaired. In fact the HAM team snapped the front sight element of the test gun accidentally, in spite of considerable care.

Oops! Sorry about that Ruger…

Of course a 3-9 x 32 scope is bundled with the Yukon and most shooters will use that, together with the bundled Weaver/Picatinny rings.

The Picatinny/Weaver rail is a great feature of the Yukon. It provides very solid, easy scope mounting. Unfortunately, in the gun tested by HAM the scope did not stay in place in the 2-screw rings supplied on the test gun. Illustrations on the packaging show 4-screw rings and – if fitted – this would certainly do a better job of restraining the bundled scope.

Sadly, the scope bundled with the Ruger Yukon is really up to the job. It has no AO (Adjustable Objective) for close range focusing and a duplex reticle with no mildots. Both AO and a mildot reticle are pretty much essential for practical air rifle shooting.

The HAM team recommend replacing the Yukon’s bundled scope with a superior replacement scope and rings – this would almost certainly improve the practical accuracy of this air rifle in “real life” shooting.

SHOOTABILITY

HAM tester Paul Manktelow noted that the “Ruger Yukon fits me nicely and balances well”. The heavy trigger pull weight and unsuitable scope were downsides to this. As always, the HAM team prefers a manual safety to the automatic safety of the Yukon, but this auto safety is a good practical feature for many of the inexperienced shooters who my buy the Ruger Yukon air rifle.

As with the vast majority of 1,000+ fps break barrel air rifles, the Yukon requires 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, Umarex USA does not explain this in the instructions that accompany the Ruger.

This need for experience to achieve the best from the Yukon is reflected in its high RateAGun scope of 9.8

APPEARANCE AND FINISH

Fit and finish of the Ruger Yukon is very good for an air rifle at this price. Wood-to-metal fit is excellent and there’s no machining marks visible on metal parts.

The wood is pleasing and the checkering very well defined. The rubber heel of the stock with red Ruger logo is a stylish design and gives the Yukon a distinctive appearance.

BUYING AND OWNING

The Ruger Yukon is widely available in retail and online airgun stores, so finding one to buy is no problem.

Packaging is OK, with enough white foam to protect the gun in shipping before it gets to you.

The written instructions supplied with the Yukon are adequate.

The 12 month warranty is average for an air rifle. Details of what to do in the unlikely event of a warranty claim on the Yukon are covered clearly in the operator’s manual.

Of course, Umarex USA requires the user to pay for shipping back to them for any warranty repair work. But they also require a prepayment to cover shipping and handling for the return of the gun to you. You’ll be advised of this charge when contacting the Umarex USA Service Department.

However, 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 Yukon.

Just make sure that you don’t break that fiber optic front sight!

TEST TARGETS

BUY FROM PYRAMYD

Ruger Yukon Air Rifle Combo

BUY FROM AMAZON

Umarex 2244221 Ruger Yukon 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 Ruger Yukon Air Rifle Test Review
.177 Cal appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Gamo Outdoor USA has announced that it will be attending the 2015 SHOT Show industry event in Las Vegas, Nevada, January 20-23, 2015. Gamo says they will officially launch a number of new products and new technologies at its booth located in the main exhibition hall, including Gamo, BSA Optics, Laser Genetics, BSA Guns, Joker Knives, and will premiere Gamo Youth Action Airguns brand.

The SHOT Show is the annual shooting industry trade event. Over 60,000 people are expected to attend from around the World. Note that this is a TRADE SHOW only: sadly regular customers cannot get in. So HAM will be providing full coverage of the show, with lots of photographs and information on the latest product announcements from all the airgun manufacturers..

HAM will be attending the Gamo Press Event that will be held on Thursday, January 22th at 11 am, in which Gamo Outdoor USA will present the new lines.

Also present will be Gamo’s numerous Pro Staff, including Shawn Michaels and Keith Mark (MRA Hunting), Brian Quaca (Pigman), Jackie Bushman (Buckmasters), Michael Waddell, Travis “T-Bone” Turner, Nick Mundt (Bone Collector), Keith Warren (The High Road). Newcomers to the Pro Staff lineup, Theresa Vail (Limitless) and Kevin Mecham, Keith Burgess, Chris Ashley and Cody Kelley (Hardcore) will be attending, too.

HAM will provide a full summary of the Gamo Press Event after it has taken place.

The post The 2015 SHOT Show
- Gamo Gives Us a Teaser. appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Although there’s been no formal announcement yet, Spanish airgun manufacturer Cometa has begun advertising a new PCP air rifle – the Cometa Orion – in the trade press. It’s likely that this will be unveiled officially at the 2015 SHOT Show, which will start on 20 January in Las Vegas.

The Cometa Orion air rifle seems to be available with and without a built-in sound suppressor. It will have a bolt action with single shot or clip feeding. Apparently, it will be available in the three most common calibers .177cal, .22 and .25 cal. Operating pressure is the typical 3,000 PSI.

The claimed maximum power level in .25 caliber is 29.5 Ft/Lbs. That would be about 710 FPS with a 26 Grain pellet in .25 Cal.

If the Cometa Orion air rifle is launched at the SHOT Show, HAM will bring you full details and photographs.

We’ll bring you a couple of “sneak peeks” of other possible new products in the next few days before the show opens. Watch this space!

The post Will The Cometa Orion Air Rifle
Debut at the 2015 SHOT Show? appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Another possible new PCP air rifle that could be unveiled at the 2015 SHOT Show is from Gamo.

The Gamo Coyote air rifle is not yet publicly announced, but it has – like the Cometa Orion – been advertised in the airgun trade press, as shown here.

The Gamo Coyote is listed for availability in .177, .22 and .25 calibers. Gamo’s ad also mentions that it has a rotary clip with bolt action. The photograph also shows what is obviously a full length shroud.

The Gamo Coyote has a claimed maximum power level in .22 caliber is 29.5 Ft/Lbs. That would be about 950 FPS with a 14 Grain pellet in .22 Cal.

HAM will be attending the Gamo Press Event that will be held on Thursday, January 22th and we’ll find out everything we can about this possible new introduction for you!

The high level specs for the Gamo Coyote and Cometa Orion are both quite similar. Both come from Spanish manufacturers.

Hmmm…. It will be interesting to discover how much else they share in common!

The post The Gamo Coyote Air Rifle:
Also for 2015 SHOT Show Launch? appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

2015 SHOT Show Attendees looking for AirForce Airguns will be visiting AIrForce’s new SHOT home upstairs in Booth 16355.  In previous years, AirForce has exhibited on the lower level of the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas.

The move upstairs is a result of AirForce Airguns longevity as an exhibitor, membership in NSSF (National Shooting Sports Federation) and their increasing leadership in US produced pre-charged pneumatic airguns.  Along with BKL Technologies, AirForce International and GunPower, Ltd., AirForce will be exhibiting in the new location.

“We are as excited as we have ever been coming into a SHOT Show,” commented AirForce founder and CEO John McCaslin. “The downstairs location was great, but we are really looking forward even better shows in the new location.”

As is an AirForce Airguns SHOT Show tradition, McCaslin will be introducing a groundbreaking new product at the opening of the 2015 Shot Show.  Without revealing anything, this is the one SHOT Show product release that people will still be talking about when the NRA gathers in Nashville in April, says McCaslin.

HAM will bring you full coverage of this new AirForce introduction as soon as we know about it!

The post AirForce Airguns Moves Upstairs
for 2015 SHOT Show appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Crosman Corporation invites attendees of the 2015 SHOT Show to meet professional hunters Jim and Eva Shockey, Fred Eichler and Ian Harford in Crosman booth #13940.

“We are excited to have Jim, Eva, Fred and Ian in the booth and welcome everyone to stop by to visit and learn more about the new Crosman and Benjamin hunting products they’ll be using in 2015″, says Crosman Marketing Manager, Chip Hunnicutt.

Jim Shockey holds 88 current SCI world records and is host of the award-winning “Jim Shockey’s Hunting Adventures” and “Jim Shockey’s UNCHARTED” on the Outdoor Channel. Eva Shockey, co-host of “Jim Shockey’s Hunting Adventures”, shot her very first turkey in 2014 and did it with a Benjamin Trail Nitro Piston 2 air rifle.

Fred Eichler is host of “Predator Nation” and “Easton Bowhunting” on Sportsman Channel. A prolific sportsman, Fred is the first to take all 29 North American big game animals with a recurve bow. He gets just as excited when hunting with Benjamin air rifles and has been successful with them on hogs and coyotes.

Ian Harford is an international hunter, competitive marksman, outdoor writer and one of the UK’s leading hunting personalities. As a member of Team Wild, his exploits are featured online for the group’s huge social media following. Ian has hunted in South Africa, the United Kingdom and in the U.S. with Benjamin air rifles.

Please remember that the SHOT Show is for the trade only and is not open to consumers.

The post Crosman Leads With a Hunting Theme
at 2015 SHOT Show appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Air Venturi – the distribution arm of PyramydAir – will be attending Shot Show 2015 for its 7th consecutive year.

A highlight will be the formal lauch introduction of the new Air Arms HFT 500 air rifle into the US market.  Air Venturi will be featuring the HFT 500 in the SHOT Show New Product Center – a prestige location with high show traffic.

The Air Arms HFT 500 air rifle is a specialized air rifle worthy of winning trophy after trophy in hunter field target competitions.

Hunter Field Target (HFT) shooting requires versatility from both competitor and rifle alike, and the HFT-500ís fully-adjustable laminate stock provides optimum stability, balance, fit and control in every shooting stance possible. The Air Arms HFT 500 features a precision, position-variable, match trigger that fine-tunes the HFT-500’s ergonomics. The multi adjustable rubber butt plate is there to provide optimum contact between shooter and rifle.

The Air Venturi booth will feature well-known brands such as Air Arms, AirForce, Beeman, BSA, Eun Jin, Evanix, Feinwerkbau, H&N Sport, Sam Yang, Crosman, Gamo, Benjamin, Remington, Hawke and so many more.

Air Venturi aims to bring airguns and real airgun knowledge to more firearm and sporting good dealers. “We can help you make the right purchases based on your individual needs and give you the tools to help your customers.” stated Scott Stevens, Air Venturi’s National Sales Manager. “Airguns are all we do, so let our extensive category knowledge guide you.”

The post Air Venturi to Feature New
Air Arms HFT 500 Air Rifle
at 2015 SHOT Show. appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Another new air rifle from Gamo that is very likely to be launched at the 2015 SHOT Show is the G-Force 15.

The Gamo G-Force 15 has been advertised in the trade press and is Gamo’s first tactical-looking air rifle.

Although obviously not an M16 clone it’s obvious that the “black rifle” look is Gamo’s intention here. There’s Weaver/Picatinny rails, a simulated flash suppressor, “magazine” and a military-style buttstock (non collapsing). The “flat top” look is followed with no carrying handle and no fixed iron sights – a Green Dot reflex sight is fitted instead for rapid target acquisition.

The Gamo G-Force 15 is a break barrel, single-shot air rifle. Gamo is promoting accuracy over speed for this model. It may be positioned as a youth model airgun.

Again, HAM will be bringing more news of this, and other new models, from the SHOT Show next week.

The post New Gamo G-Force 15 Air Rifle
to be Launched at 2015 SHOT Show appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Umarex USA has teamed with the U.S. Marshals Museum to offer a limited edition U.S. Marshals Museum commemorative airgun of the Colt Single Action Army Revolver, also known as the “gun that won the west.” The gun will display a U.S. Marshals emblem in the grip and will be numbered consecutively one to 500.

The Colt Peacemaker air pistol will be available as a 500 limited edition U.S. Marshals Museum  commemorative model to order on a first-come-first-served basis to dealers who place an order at the 2015 SHOT Show. Orders will be taken at the Umarex booth in Las Vegas from January 20 through January 23. Dealers are limited to 30 guns and they are expected to sell out quickly.

“There are many historical firearms highly desired as collectibles, but not many can afford to own one,” said Richard Turner, vice president of sales and marketing at Umarex USA. “The U.S. Marshals Commemorative Colt Peacemaker air pistol not only gives the collector an opportunity to own a limited collectible replica airgun of the firearm dubbed ‘Peacemaker’ and ‘Equalizer,’ but it also helps us promote our nation’s oldest federal law enforcement agency.”

This is the second consecutive year that Umarex USA has offered a limited edition replica commemorative. At the 2014 SHOT Show, it offered a Colt 1911 commemorating World War II.

The Limited Edition U.S. Marshals Colt Peacemaker air pistol will serve as a tribute to our nation’s oldest federal law enforcement agency started by President George Washington and the first Congress 225 years ago.

About the U.S. Marshals Museum
The future U.S. Marshals Museum will be a national, as well as world-class, museum located on the banks of the Arkansas River in Fort Smith, Ark. Museum plans include 50,000 square feet of three galleries (A Changing Nation, Frontier Marshals and Marshals Today), a Hall of Honor, a national education center and more. The museum will highlight pivotal periods in our nation’s history, while honoring the sacrifice and service of the men and women of the U.S. Marshals Service. For more information, visit www.usmarshalsmuseum.com.

The post Umarex Introduces New, Limited Edition
Colt Peacemaker Air Pistol at
2015 SHOT Show appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Umarex will have 15  – yes, fifteen – airguns that are new for 2015 on display in their booth, number 15062, including a limited edition U.S. Marshals Museum Commemorative.

In addition to over 70 models of airguns, some of the new Umarex products include a .22 caliber Umarex Fuel, a .177 Umarex Torq, three new Walther air rifles, a Colt Peacemaker, an HK 45, and a full-auto Beretta M92.

Hard Air Magazine will publish details of these new models next week!

The post NEWS FLASH
Umarex to show 15 New Airguns at
the 2015 SHOT Show! appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

The world of pre-charged pneumatic airgunning is going to change at the opening of SHOT Show 2015 with the introduction of AirForce Airguns newest air rifle. So claims AirForce!

This new airgun represents the most powerful air rifle AirForce Airguns has produced.

No photographs yet, but AirForce says that the new gun maintains AirForce’s unique look and feel.

In attendance at the SHOT Show for AirForce Airguns will be founder and CEO John McCaslin and several prominent members of the growing serious airgun hunting community. He says that the new rifle incorporates many of the features hunters have been asking about.

“I cannot wait to show this gun off,” said McCaslin. “We put our heads together and came up with a solution to the need for a serious hunting air rifle and this piece of shooting art is what we came up with.”

The new rifle maintains all of the features that have made AirForce Airguns America’s first choice for pre-charged airgun systems. As with all other AirForce air guns, the new rifle is proudly made in Texas, USA.

“I knew this gun was going to be special when our lead engineer on the project test fired it the first time,” McCaslin noted. “His smile told me all I needed to know about how popular this gun will be.”

Hard Air Magazine will have full details and photographs as soon as we see this new air rifle.

The post AirForce Airguns to Unveil New
Serious Hunting Air Rifle
at 2015 SHOT Show. appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.