The 2020 JROTC Regional Air Rifle Championships will be taking place at CMP Competition Centers from 14-16 February.

Hundreds of coaches, competitors and spectators are expected to take part in the 2020 JROTC Regional Air Rifle Championships. These will be held at the Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center at Camp Perry, OH and the CMP’s South Competition Center in Anniston, AL.

As part of these events, the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) invites airgunners from other disciplines and the public to explore the exciting and fast-growing world of 10 Meter, Three Position air rifle competition.

The first stage of the annual JROTC Air Rifle Championships is a postal event. This is – almost certainly – the most popular shooting competition in the USA! Thousands of JROTC Cadets – representing Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force JROTCs – compete at the Postal Competition level.

Scores from the Postals are used to invite the best teams from each JROTC Service to compete in shoulder-to-shoulder competitions. The Regional Championships are the next step before the JROTC Annual Championship. This will be held at Camp Perry in March 2020.

These three-position air rifle events showcase high school Junior ROTC athletes from around the country. They use precision air rifles (mirrored from Olympic-style competitions) as well as classically-designed sporter air rifles.

For the 2020 JROTC Regional Air Rifle Championships, competitors shoot at state-of-the-art electronic targets at prone, standing and kneeling positions.

Regional events were also held last week in both Anniston, Ala., and in Chandler, Ariz. Results may be viewed at https://ct.thecmp.org/app/v1/index.php?do=match&task=edit&tab=results&match=19328.

The high-tech Kongsberg Target System (KTS) targets used in CMP’s air gun ranges are powered by OpticScore technology, which are scored optically by internal LED lights. Monitors at each firing point instantly display scores, and button functions with an LED lighted screen allow ease of use for individuals of all ages and experience levels.

Large LED screens placed throughout the range space display each competitor’s target, making the match spectator-friendly. CMP staff members are also on hand to answer questions for those wanting to learn more about the safe, fun and growing sport.

To reward the hard work of dedicated junior athletes and coaches, the CMP administers thousands of dollars in monetary funds towards teams who qualify for the Regional events, with additional funds presented to qualifiers reaching the National Championship. The funds serve as symbols of the organization’s continued support of junior marksmanship for the current generation and into the future.

The whole competition is conducted jointly by U. S. Army Cadet Command, TECOM, the Naval Service Training Command, AFOATS and the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP).

For more information on the JROTC Service Championships, visit http://thecmp.org/youth/jrotc-air-rifle-national-championship/.

The post 2020 JROTC Regional Air Rifle Championships Coming To CMP Competition Centers appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Ask almost any new airgunner and he or she will ask “What is the most accurate pellet for my air rifle?”

The Best Advice Is Right Here!

So where do you look for this advice?

Fortunately Hard Air Magazine can give you outstanding advice about what is likely to be the most accurate pellet in your air rifle. This is based on the world’s largest database of consistent, independent, published data on airgun pellet accuracy – HAM air rifle reviews.

This article is our “kick off” story. There will be more detail in subsequent posts in the next few days…

Below. There’s a hige number of pellets available!

Practical Results

This accuracy analysis is based on actual shooting test results. This means it represents “real world” potential achieved under real, but controlled conditions. In other words, our recommendations can really apply to you, too!

The Most Comparable Reviews

During the past five years, Hard Air Magazine has conducted a total of 79 comprehensive air rifle reviews in .177 and .22 calibers.

This is by far the world’s largest number of comparable, comprehensive air rifle test reviews. And every one includes seven accuracy test targets – all made with the same types of pellets.

Of these reviews, 43 have covered .177 caliber guns.

35 reviews have been for .22 caliber air rifles.

This huge amount of data means that the HAM accuracy recommendations in this series of posts really have meaning and carry weight.

Of course, we have also reviewed air rifles in other calibers. However we’ve concentrated on .177 and .22 as these are by far the most popular calibers overall among airgunners. There’s also the largest variety of rifles and pellets available in these calibers.

This is precisely where help is most needed in pellet choice!

Choosing The Targets

For this accuracy comparison, we selected the single most accurate target from each test review. Collecting all these “most accurate” targets, we then analyzed them for trends, similarities and differences.

Below is a sample HAM test target – this one’s from our review of the FX Crown.

Analyzing The Data

Obviously we’ve divided the results between calibers. So you’ll find a general, or overall, set of recommendations for the most accurate pellet in each caliber.

As you would expect, the majority of these reviews cover PCP and “Piston” air rifles. So we’ve aggregated spring/piston and gas ram air rifles in this “Piston” group, together with break barrel and underlever actions.

Because of the fundamental differences between PCP and Piston air rifles, we’ve also produced pellet recommendations for both these types of airguns.

Below. PCPs are different to Piston air rifles and often have different pellet requirements.

Given the small number of tested airguns powered by other means – such as CO2 – we’ve included these in the overall general caliber recommendations, however.

We’ll be giving our recommendations based on two sets of analysis. One will be based on pellet weight. The other covers Muzzle Velocity – what FPS will give you the most accurate pellet?

The Importance Of Pellet Manufacturing Consistency

In addition, Hard Air Magazine has an additional 33 airgun pellet test reviews. Again, every test review has been undertaken in a consistent, comparable manner. The HAM Team tests 50 individual pellets for manufacturing consistency in each pellet test review.

That’s a total of 1,650 pellets that have been weighed and measured with great precision for HAM pellet test reviews. These pellet reviews test manufacturing consistency – not accuracy.

However it’s guaranteed that manufacturing consistency is also a significant aspect of precision shooting accuracy. You can check out individual HAM pellet test reviews here.

Below is an example of how head diameter can vary in the same tin of pellets.

HAM accuracy tests are always made with unselected pellets straight from the tin. We do this to represent the way in which most airgun shooters operate.

But bear in mind that we made our choice of air rifle test pellets long before starting our comprehensive pellet test reviews! At that time there was almost no published data on the manufacturing consistency of airgun pellets.

We knew, of course, that pellet consistency would be important. However, we didn’t know then quite how variable some pellets would be.

Every Gun Is Different, But…

So let’s take a look at what we can learn from this data. What does it mean as you look for the answer to that question: “What is the best airgun pellet for accuracy in my air rifle?”

Using our HAM recommendations, you will be able to find that “perfect pellet” for your air rifle much quicker and easier than starting from scratch.

We will save you much time, effort, cost and frustration in your search for the most accurate pellet for your air rifle!

But before going further, we need to admit one thing. Whatever your individual air rifle, it will have its own “favorite pellet” for accuracy. So you’ll still need to make some experiments with different pellet types. However, following our recommendations, at least you’ll be starting in the right place.

First, we’ll take a detailed look into the background of HAM accuracy testing. Then further posts will cover our recommendations for .177 and .22 calibers. In final posts, we’ll publish the raw test data and some general conclusions.

Finding the most accurate pellet for your air rifle is a big topic. There’s going to be a lot to read!

Check out the other posts in this series:

Part Two

Part Three.

Part Four.

Part Five.

The post What Is The Most Accurate Pellet For My Air Rifle? appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

In this post, we look at how Hard Air Magazine finds the most accurate air rifle pellet for each airgun we test.

Accuracy Is A Systems Outcome

Firstly it’s important to understand that accurate air rifle shooting is actually the result of a complete shooting system.

Of course, that system includes the pellet! Different weights and shapes of pellet will shoot differently. Furthermore, if a tin of “the same” pellets actually vary considerably in in size, shape and weight, it’s very likely that they will land in a different place on the target.

But accuracy also is dependent on multiple other factors.

These include the air rifle itself. How inherently accurate is the gun’s barrel? How consistent is the FPS it gives pellets each time it is shot?

Then there’s the sights or scope. How precise, consistent and stable is the riflescope you are using? How good is the optical quality? Does it have a suitable reticle for your shooting (not too thick or thin)?

Then there are two larger – and often less controllable – variables.

The shooting environment is one. In particular the wind between you and the target. Is the wind consistent? Where’s it blowing from? How strong is it?

Finally we have what can often be the largest variable of all. The shooter!

The best way to overcome these variables is to make each accuracy test as consistent as possible. In HAM testing, we aim to minimize as many variables as possible. This enables us to find the most accurate air rifle pellet.

Multiple Tests

To date, HAM has published 79 comprehensive, comparable air rifle test reviews for .177 and .22 caliber air rifles. Obviously that’s a HUGE amount of testing! What makes this a vital resource is that each review includes accuracy tests with the same seven types of pellets.

Every HAM review includes 7 test targets (one for each pellet type). Each test target received 10 shots. This means that this HAM advice is based on the results of shooting 553 test targets – a total of 5,530 shots. And they have all been published online for you to see!

Here’s a list of the standard HAM test pellets. The logic for each choice is explained below.

This is an unequalled amount of consistent airgun pellet accuracy test data. It means that we can compare the test targets from every one of these reviews and draw some definite conclusions about the most accurate air rifle pellet in a wide range of air rifles.

Note that HAM has – of course – tested larger caliber airguns. However this review concentrates on .177 and .22 calibers as we have the most data on these. More data leads to more accurate conclusions.

Below. From left to right we see two lead wadcutter pellets, then a pointed dome and a conventional domed pellet.

Indoor Test Ranges

By undertaking all these tests in indoor basement ranges, environmental differences have been minimized. There’s no wind and the temperature and humidity is reasonably consistent, too.

The downside of this is that it has limited testing to 10 Yards range – this being the minimum available to all the HAM testers. The upside is the removal of environmental variables, together with minimizing the effect of the individual shooter.

Accuracy differences are clearly discernable at 10 Yards, as can be seen from any Hard Air Magazine test review. Sure, they would be more apparent at longer range, but it’s very likely that a pellet that’s inaccurate at 10 Yards will also be inaccurate at 50 Yards or more.

The other reason for testing at 10 Yards range is to allow us to test ANY type of air rifle. This means that we can use the same range and target to test a Crosman 760 and a Daystate Regal – for example. This consistency means that our conclusions can be applied generally across all the pellet-shooting air rifles we’ve tested.

With no longer indoor test ranges available, testing would have to move outdoors.

Yes, we also test air rifles at 25 Yards range, but these 25 Yard tests are conducted outdoor and so subject to the elements. Here, geography comes into play.

Being based in Up-State New York, we have been known to have cold winters with lots of snow!

So if we just used outdoor test ranges as standard, there would be three or four months a year unavailable for testing due to bad weather conditions. That would severely limit the number of airgun test reviews that could be managed in a year.

Ten Shot Groups

Most airgun testing you see is done with 5-shot groups. HAM testing uses 10-shot groups. Ten-shot groups are inevitably larger than ones produced by five shots.

However, the larger number shots per target increases the statistical confidence of the results. This makes it easier for us to identify the most accurate air rifle pellet for any specific gun.

Capable Shooters

HAM test reviews are conducted by a small number of capable, experienced shooters. Most are Field Target specialists. All really know how to shoot!

Again, capable shooters firing from rests remove most of the variability inherent in different people shooting. This means that the test targets record the effects of pellet and air rifle, rather than individual shooting brilliance.

Below, Doug Rogers is the main HAM specialist PCP tester.

Choice Of Pellets

When we started HAM air rifle test reviews, we chose a set number of pellets to use each time. To keep things to manageable proportions, it was decided to use seven types of pellets for each test.

These pellets were chosen to represent the general types of pellets that most shooters would consider. So we chose samples from the following groups:
– Lightweight lead-free pellets
– Light lead wadcutters
– Mid-weight lead domed pellets
– Mid weight hollow point lead pellets
– Heavy domed lead pellets

It can possibly be regretted that no pointed pellet was included, like these JSB Stratons.

However the HAM Team strongly believed that pointed pellets were generally less accurate than domed pellets. In fact this is due to the manufacturing difficulty of ensuring that the point is located in EXACTLY the same position for every pellet.

During other testing, we’ve seen no evidence to make us change our position about the accuracy of pointed pellets.

For consistency, we decided to use – where possible – the same type of pellet in both .177 and .22 calibers. The pellets chosen also had to be reasonably well-known and readily-available for purchase, both online and in physical stores.

Logic For Each Pellet Choice

Working upwards by weight, here are the reasons for choosing each type of pellet used in HAM air rifle testing…

Gamo Platinum Pellets

Due to the overwhelming interest in maximum Muzzle Velocity, we needed to find the lightest lead-free pellets available. All other things being equal, lighter pellets shoot faster…

These were the lightest we could find when developing the HAM test protocol. They are also available in both .177 and .22 calibers. Furthermore, Gamo pellets are widely available in physical stores, so are a common choice for many “non specialist” airgunners.

H&N Field Target Trophy Green Pellets

As a second, slightly heavier lead-free pellet, these were a logical choice. Again available in both calibers, these domed pellets have a blunter profile than the fairly pointed Gamos.

RWS Hobby Pellets

In order to test maximum Muzzle Velocity with lead pellets, we needed the lightest available. That led logically to selecting the Hobbys. Available in both calibers, these pellets also included a flat-fronted, wadcutter pellet into the mix. Again, they’re widely available at retail.

Crosman Premier Hollow Point Pellets

Also available in both .177 and .22 calibers. Premier Hollow Points are available everywhere and are a common choice for impulse purchasers in physical stores. They also happen to have a great reputation as an “all round” pellet that works well in many types of airgun.

The hollow point configuration added another configuration to the mix. Also the lead of these pellets is demonstrably much harder than that of many other types.

JSB Exact and Jumbo Pellets

Obviously we had to include JSB pellets due to their reputation for accuracy and quality! So these mid-weight domed lead pellets were a natural for the mix. The 8.44 Grain and 14.35 Grain weights were chosen to be the most similar to each other in general characteristics.

H&N Field Target Trophy

The other classic mid-weight domed lead pellet is the Field Target Trophy. Available in both calibers, it was chosen as a “control” to the JSBs to see if significant differences would emerge between two similar types of pellets of similar weights.

H&N Baracuda Match

In order to test maximum Muzzle Energy claims, we needed to choose a heavy pellet. The Baracudas fitted the bill as being among the heaviest for their weight and available in both calibers. They also have a long, semi-pointed profile, differentiating them from the lighter domed pellets.

Moving Forward.

So that’s the background to the “How” and “Why” of HAM testing to find the most accurate air rifle pellet. Having reviewed the methodology like this, we will be able to better appreciate the results that we’ll find in the next posts in this series.

Check out the other posts in this series:

Part One.

Part Three.

Part Four.

Part Five.

The post How We Test For The Most Accurate Air Rifle Pellet appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

So here’s Hard Air Magazine’s accuracy recommendations for the most accurate .177 caliber pellets. Drum roll, please….

To find the most accurate .177 caliber pellets, we analyzed the results of 43 comprehensive HAM test reviews. Thirteen of these were PCP air rifles. Twenty-four used a Piston operating system.

This gives a good amount of data to base recommendations for both types of power plant.

Overall Results, The Importance Of Muzzle Velocity

First, let’s look at a summary of the overall results. This covers all types of .177 caliber air rifle reviewed by HAM, including PCP, Piston, CO2 and pump.

As the chart below shows, the Muzzle Velocities for best accuracy in HAM tests vary all the way from 418 FPS (the Crosman 1077) to 1,222 FPS (the Beeman 1051 GP break barrel).

But there’s clearly a definite “sweet spot” of Muzzle Velocity for best accuracy with the .177 cal air rifles tested by HAM. It’s between 800 and 900 FPS. Fourteen of the guns tested fall into this category – that’s nearly 33% of the tested models, a pretty large proportion.

To come to more specific conclusions, let’s break-out the data into PCP and Piston types. There’s not enough HAM data to make valid conclusions for CO2- or pump-powered air rifles, however, so we’ll leave these on one side for now.

Most Accurate .177 Caliber Pellets For PCP Air Rifles

Taking the thirteen .177 caliber PCPs tested by HAM, the Muzzle Velocities for best accuracy are fairly evenly scattered between 600 and 1,000 FPS.

There’s an obvious peak in the chart below at 850 – 900 FPS. But the sample size is probably not large enough to conclude that this is a significant range based on this data alone.

However that peak does become more significant when considered in the light of the “overall” chart, above, which shows these PCP figures as part of the complete .177 caliber accuracy picture.

When we look at the types of most accurate .177 caliber pellets, an interesting picture emerges.

As we can see from the chart above, the .177 caliber PCPs tested by HAM showed a clear preference for the heavy, lead, domed H&N Baracuda Match pellets to achieve best accuracy. Over 50% of the most accurate HAM targets were shot using these pellets.

Mid-weight lead domed pellets also did well, as is shown by the grouping of the JSB Exact and H&N Field Target Trophy lead pellets.

Two PCP air rifles performed well with lightweight lead-free pellets. One was the low-powered Air Arms T200 model which shot them at just a Muzzle Velocity of just 630 FPS. The other was the Beeman Chief which produced 1077 FPS.

Most Accurate .177 Caliber Pellets For Piston Air Rifles

When looking at the .177 caliber Piston air rifles tested by HAM, we see a somewhat clearer picture due to a larger sample size…

The overwhelming majority recorded their best accuracy at Muzzle Velocities between 800 and 1,100 FPS. There’s a clear sweet spot at between 800 and 900 FPS, however with 40% of the tested guns preferring a Muzzle Velocity in this range for best accuracy.

The 8.44 Grain JSB Exact pellet easily achieved the largest number of “most accurate” targets among the .177 caliber Piston air rifles in this survey.

When combined with the similar-weight Field Target Trophy and Crosman Premier pellets, no less than fifteen of the tested air rifles preferred mid-weight lead pellets.

That’s a very significant 60% of the tested air rifles! Hmmm, that could be a clue…

The six results favoring the heavy H&N Baracuda Match pellets averaged 17.37 Ft/Lbs of Muzzle Energy. This compares to the seven JSB-preferring guns where the average Muzzle Energy was 12.56 Ft/Lbs.

.177 Best Pellet Conclusions

If you have a .177 caliber PCP air rifle, domed heavy lead pellets such as the H&N Baracuda Match are clearly the place to start your search for accuracy.

These are also likely to be the most accurate .177 caliber pellets in powerful Piston air rifles.

For medium-power Piston air rifles, mid-weight domed lead pellets such as the 8.44 Grain JSB Exact are clearly likely to produce the best accuracy.

Should you want to shoot lead-free pellets, the H&N Field Target Trophy Greens recorded seven “most accurate” targets. Interestingly, no less than three of these were produced with air rifles manufactured by Beeman in China. They are the Chief, Longhorn and 1051 GP models – one PCP and two Piston guns.

This is a statistically-significant number and makes Beeman air rifles a brand to look out for if you’re planning to shoot with lead-free pellets in .177 caliber.

Tomorrow we’ll examine the results for .22 caliber…

BUY FROM PYRAMYD AIR
H&N Baracuda Match .177 Cal, 10.65 Grains, Round Nose, 400ct 0.177

BUY FROM AIRGUN DEPOT
JSB Exact Diabolo 8.44 Grain .177 Cal Pellets, 500 Ct

Check out the other posts in this series:

Part One.

Part Two.

Part Four.

Part Five.

The post HAM Recommendations – Most Accurate .177 Caliber Pellets appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

To find the most accurate .22 caliber pellets, we analyzed the results of 35 comprehensive HAM test reviews. All except five of these were PCP air rifles. This means that the results and conclusions given here are primarily focused on this type of propulsion.

Overall Results

As we can see from the chart below, there’s a very clear pattern for greatest accuracy. This chart covers all the .22 cal airguns.

So, the overwhelming majority of .22 caliber air rifles tested by HAM produced best accuracy with a Muzzle Velocity between 800 and 1,000 FPS.

If we strip out the five Piston guns, we can see how the data shakes-out for PCP air rifles…

Most Accurate .22 Caliber Pellets For PCP Air Rifles

This HAM test data shows that Muzzle Velocities between 800 and 950 FPS are statistically the most likely to give best accuracy with .22 caliber PCP air rifles.

There’s only one exception to this trend. The Sumatra 2500 we tested gave best accuracy with mid-weight Field Target Trophy pellets at the ultra-high Muzzle Velocity of 1,232 FPS.

If we look at the pellet weights that performed best, there’s another clear story.

Mid-weight or heavy domed lead pellets tend to give the best accuracy results with .22 caliber PCP air rifles. So, in the case of PCP air rifles, the most accurate .22 caliber pellets also tend to be the hardest-hitting.

The single most accurate pellet in HAM PCP accuracy testing is the heavy, 21.19 Grain H&N Baracuda Match. Although this is one undoubted reason for the relatively low muzzle velocities, they will also be producing the highest Muzzle Energy.

Below. The 25.39 Grain JSB Jumbo Monster pellets will likely five very similar accuracy results to the Baracudas.

Taking the three 14 – 15 Grain domed pellets together gives a slight advantage to mid-weight domed pellets.

However, it’s interesting to see that the average Muzzle Energy of the guns where the Baracudas are most accurate is 28.5 Ft/Lbs. The average for the JSB Jumbo Express pellets is 27 Ft/Lbs. This tends to indicate that the heavier pellets are better-suited to the more powerful PCP air rifle types.

Also clear is that light pellets of ANY type are not giving the best accuracy with .22 caliber PCPs. There’s not a single most accurate target produced by Hobby, Field Target Trophy Green or Gamo Platinum pellets.

Most Accurate .22 Caliber Pellets For Piston Air Rifles

When looking at the FPS generating best accuracy with .22 caliber Piston air rifles, it seems as though the story may be similar. After all, four out of five also showed best accuracy in that 800 – 1,000 FPS Muzzle Velocity range.

However, when we look at the most accurate .22 caliber pellets, we see a different story…

As we would expect, the .22 caliber Piston air rifles are lower powered than the majority of the PCPs. So here, the balance of most accurate pellets clearly favors the lighter types.

True, best accuracy was obtained by mid-weight lead domed pellets in two of the tests. However the lead-free H&N Field Target Trophy Green pellets won-out twice and the lead Hobby wadcutters took one place also.

The average Muzzle Energy of the most accurate .22 caliber pellets in Piston air rifles tested by HAM was 20.5 Ft/Lbs. That’s why they need lighter pellets than PCPs to hit that same preferred 800-1,000 FPS range for best accuracy.

.22 Caliber Best Pellet Conclusions

So, if you have a powerful .22 caliber PCP air rifle, heavy lead pellets are likely to be the most accurate. Your search for that “perfect pellet” would start with the heavy H&N Baracuda Match pellets or a similar weight pellet from JSB.

JSB Jumbo Express – or similar – mid weight domed pellets would be the best starting-point for mid-power PCP air rifles.

Crosman Premier Hollow Points are certainly worth trying as an economy option if you have one of the (relatively) lower power, lower-cost PCPs which are becoming popular nowadays.

A quality light lead-free domed pellet such as the H&N Field Target Trophy Green would be a starting point for Piston guns in this caliber. But we’d pick up a tin of the lead version also just in case!

Tomorrow we’ll provide the complete data set on which these recommendations are based, together with some high-level conclusions.

BUY FROM PYRAMYD AIR
JSB Diablo Exact Jumbo Express .22 Cal, 14.3 Grains, Domed, 250ct 0.22

BUY FROM AIRGUN DEPOT
H&N Baracuda Match Pellets 22 Cal 21.14 Grain

Check out the other posts in this series:

Part One.

Part Two.

Part Three.

Part Five.

The post HAM Recommendations – Most Accurate .22 Caliber Pellets appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Element Optics is a brand new riflescope company with deep roots in the airgun world.

Firstly, it’s a sister company of FX Airguns. Secondly, the key movers behind the company are well-known airgunners – Ted Bier, Matt Dubber, Shane Kellar and – of course – Fredrik and Johan Axelsson.

With a roster of talent like that, how could the results be anything other than outstanding for airgun optics?

But Element Optics is aiming for more than just airgun scopes. Their models are also designed to be used with firearms. Long range hunting and target shooting is the focus for these scope designs – whatever is propelling the projectile.

Ted Bier has designed all the MOA reticles in Element Optics scopes. Matt Dubber designed the MRAD reticles. In both cases, the intention has been incorporate all the things that work for a reticle and none of the excess that often clutters the lens, says Element Optics.

The company says that its product aims are for glass with a clarity far beyond its price point and quality turrets with stainless steel bearing surfaces on internals. World-class quality control is another aim, together with a lifetime, transferrable warranty that requires no registration.

Oh, there’s one other aim. Element Optics says their scopes will be priced far below that of comparable riflescopes in the market!

The first three models are as follows…

The Element Nexus. This flagship product is manufactured in Japan. It’s a 5-20 x 50 FFP (First Focal Plane) scope with 30 mm tube. It focuses down to 10 Yards and has a variety of MOA and MRAD reticles. The MSRP is $1,499.99.

Next in line is the Element Titan. This $799.99 scope has a 34 mm tube and 5-25 x 56 FFP optics. Parallax is adjustable down to 15 Yards. Again there’s a choice of multiple MRAD and MOA reticles.

At $399.99, the Element Helix is a Second Focal Plane scope with 10 Yards closest focus. This 6-24×50 scope has a choice of two reticles – MOA or MRAD.

There’s lots more information about the company, its people products at www.element-optics.com. A range of dealers is already lined-up world-wide, including the US, Europe, South Africa and South America.

There’s lots more information to be shared about this new scope line…

The 2020 IWA Outdoor Classics show in Germany – coming in just a few weeks – will be a key launch venue for the new company and its products. HAM Publisher Stephen Archer will be there to bring you all the news!

The post Element Optics Is Launched Today – It’s A FX Airguns Sister Company! appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Today we’ll finish our Hard Air Magazine series on accurate airgun pellets.

General Conclusions On Accurate Airgun Pellets

Firstly, there are some general conclusions that add to the caliber-specific analysis published in Parts Three and Four of this accuracy mega-test…

Muzzle Velocity For Best Accuracy

The results for both .177 and .22 calibers substantiate the belief – widely held among experienced airgunners – that the optimum Muzzle Velocity for accurate airgun shooting with pellets is in the 800 – 950 FPS range.

Although there are a couple of outliers in the 1200 FPS+ for both calibers, the most accurate airgun pellets were almost inevitably NOT the ones with the highest FPS.

This conclusion is reinforced by the fact that the lightest – and fastest – Gamo Raptor Platinum lead-free pellets never achieved a single “most accurate” ranking over the entire set of 79 HAM test reviews.

Also the lightest, and fastest lead pellets, the RWS Hobbys, only achieved three “most accurate” rankings.

So if you’re tempted by extravagant FPS claims – 1,500 or 1600 FPS – when choosing an air rifle, remember that best accuracy is achieved with considerably lower Muzzle Velocities. And they’ll be quieter too at Muzzle Velocities below the Speed of Sound (~ 1,125 FPS)…

Manufacturing Quality For Accurate Airgun Pellets

HAM air rifle test reviews began long before Hard Air Magazine’s pellet test reviews. So there was no publicly-available manufacturing consistency data available at the time the HAM standard air rifle test pellets were chosen.

Subsequent testing showed that RWS Hobby pellets have poor manufacturing consistency. This could be a reason for their poor performance in our accuracy testing. But it’s about 100% certain that flat-fronted wadcutter pellets are less than ideal for use in high power air rifles.

Wadcutters have a huge place in 10 Meter airgun target shooting, but HAM has never tested a dedicated 10 Meter target rifle.

Some dedicated .177 caliber wadcutter pellets do have outstanding manufacturing consistency – like the RWS R10 pellets – for example. We know that they can be spectacularly accurate in low-powered target rifles. But high-power airguns – nah…

Although HAM has not tested Gamo Raptor Platinum pellets, the manufacturing consistency demonstrated by the company’s Match Diabolo and Rocket pellets does not bode well. Again, this could be a reason for the poor performance of the Platinums in HAM testing.

Above an 8.44 Grain JSB Exact pellet in close-up.

There’s no doubt that mid-weight domed lead pellets gave the best results in the overwhelming majority of HAM accuracy testing. H&N Field Target Trophy and Baracuda Match pellets have featured heavily, together with JSB Exact and Jumbo Express, too.

If we look at the individual HAM pellet test reviews for H&N and JSB products, they generally provide very good – or better – manufacturing consistency. So here we have good quality pellets of the most suitable designs for accurate airgun shooting. Hence the results from this study…

So, when making your choice of accurate airgun pellets, don’t forget manufacturing quality. A glance at the HAM airgun pellet reviews will give you much useful advice. For example, you’re looking for good head diameter consistency as shown in this chart below.

Lead Free Accurate Airgun Pellets

It’s highly likely that most airgun barrels are not designed for shooting light weight, hard lead-free pellets. Almost certainly different twist rates and choking arrangements could produce better accuracy.

However, the lead-free H&N Field Target Trophy Green pellets were able to achieve “most accurate” status on nine occasions. As other new lead-free pellets types emerge – GTO alloys are a great example – it’s likely that accuracy with such ultra-light pellets will improve with time.

Accurate Airgun Pellet Test Data

Below you can find the hard data used to produce this HAM accuracy test review. The tables are sortable using the arrow keys in the top row, so you can manipulate the data for your own use.

I hope that you have found this HAM Accuracy Review series to be useful. Accurate, safe shooting fun is what we all want. Finding the most accurate pellet for your air rifle is a huge part of that. Have fun!

Check Out the other posts in this series…

Part One.

Part Two.

Part Three.

Part Four.

The post Accurate Airgun Pellets – General Conclusions And Data appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

The new Benjamin Marauder Semi-Auto PCP air rifle was first launched just a few weeks ago at the SHOT Show in Las Vegas. Now, Hard Air Magazine has visited the Velocity Outdoor headquarters in Bloomfield, New York to bring you more.

The result is this exclusive first look in detail at what is sure to be one of the outstanding new airguns of 2020! Here’s Part One of this three-part story. Stephen Archer writes…

I talked to the two key players in the Benjamin Marauder Semi-Auto team. Phillip Guadalupe is the Product Manager while John Solpietro is the Chief Designer. These two gentlemen answered every question I had very openly and honestly. We all should thank them for their time!

Phillip and John spent two hours discussing every aspect of this new model with me. Right down to individual part level. They even showed me CAD design files to explain important engineering issues. That’s openness!

Then we went to the company’s test engineering department and shot a pre-production gun – A LOT!

Here’s The Overview

So this is what I discovered…

1. The Benjamin Marauder Semi-Auto works! In fact it works REALLY, REALLY well!!!

2. The semi-auto action cycles consistently. It doesn’t jam – believe me, I tried! It accepts a wide range of pellets, too.

3. Accuracy is fully up to Marauder bolt gun standards.

4. Muzzle Velocity is higher – yes you read that right, higher – than the regular bolt Marauder and consistent shot count is excellent too.

5. The new Benjamin Marauder Semi-Auto looks very similar to a bolt-action, Gen 2 wood stock Marauder. But inside there’s a TON of changes.

6. Don’t even think of trying to modify your existing bolt action Marauder to make it a semi-auto! There’s so many different parts that it would cost a fortune to change them. And it likely wouldn’t work anyway.

7. If you want a Benjamin Marauder Semi-Auto, just buy one – this is NOT a “home tuner conversion” you can add to your existing gun.

Yes, I just said this twice, but it’s very important that everyone understands this point. Take it from the gun’s designer: John was very emphatic about this!

8. The pricing is fair.

9. Responsibility and 100% safe gun-handling are non-optional when owning a semi-auto air rifle!

10. Finally, the Benjamin Marauder Semi-Auto is going to be available very soon. Like about June 2020.

Below, John Solpietro shoots his latest design.

Now let’s get down to the details…

Pricing

Let’s start with pricing. The Benjamin Marauder Semi-Auto has an MSRP of $729.99. That’s for model BP22SAW, the first version in .22 caliber. I would expect to see the Street Price to be a little less, as usual – maybe $699.99? That’s my guess…

This compares to the Marauder Field And Target (regulated) model BP2264RW that sells for $579.99. For comparison, the bolt action, wood stock BP2264W model is currently selling at $499.99.

So the Benjamin Marauder Semi-Auto is – as you would expect – more expensive than the other models. But don’t forget that it is also regulated.

So the real difference is likely to be around $120 more than the Field And Target model. Not a bad price!

Comparison To Existing Marauder Models

Overall length and weight for the Semi-Auto are very close to those of the existing Marauders.

Fill pressure for the Benjamin Marauder Semi-Auto stays the same at 3,000 PSI. The regulator set point is 2,030 PSI – as with the Field And Target Model.

The trigger feels and looks like the existing Marauder assembly. But don’t be deceived, there’s a lot of different parts in the trigger assembly and they’re DEFINITELY not compatible. Phillip confirmed that the Semi-Auto trigger can be adjusted to a pull weight between 1.2 and 2.2 Lbs.

Velocity Outdoor specs for the Benjamin Marauder Semi-Auto are “up to 950 FPS with lead pellets”. This would seem realistic compared to the 880 – 900 FPS I saw when firing Premier 14.3 Grain pellets.

Here’s the comparison.

So the Benjamin Marauder Semi-Auto shoots faster than the other Marauders. It also combines that with a surprisingly good shot count.

How do they do that? Hmmm, that John is obviously a smart guy! We’ll find out more later in this story…

Phillip confirmed that the Benjamin Marauder Semi-Auto will be supplied with a Crosman-manufactured barrel. However, this barrel is very similar to that from other Marauders, so a Lothar Walther barrel could be a fairly simple future option.

The Marauder has always been renowned for it’s built-in tuning capability. Unsurprisingly – when you understand how the action works – this is changed for the Benjamin Marauder Semi-Auto.

Hammer spring adjustment is still available. It works in the same way, too. Turn clockwise to increase FPS, counterclockwise to reduce it. The minimum velocity is around 730 FPS with 14.3 Grain pellets, the maximum is 950 FPS.

However there is no striker adjustment capability. The reason is that there is now no striker!

There’s also a completely different valve from previous Marauders. This has no transfer port adjustment capability as a part of achieving consistent cycling of the action.

Below. Phillip shooting.

Overall, John explained that around 66% of parts in the Semi-Auto are common with other Marauders. But this includes small parts such as screws and seals. When grouped into major components, more like 60% of the Benjamin Marauder Semi-Auto is unique.

Differences that are not immediately apparent include a new breech, bolt, HPA tube, valve, gauge port and hammer. That’s in addition to the different trigger we’ve already mentioned.

The first Semi-Auto model will be in .22 caliber only, so that’s a difference. Although you would have to imagine that other calibers could be in the pipeline – and maybe an Armada version, too. That’s speculation from me, by the way.

Part Two and Part Three of this exclusive report will follow very shortly…

The post Exclusive! First In-Depth Look At The Benjamin Marauder Semi-Auto Air Rifle appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Airgun Depot has some great Diana Skyhawk deals running right now!

They have the Skyhawk available in all calibers: .177, .22 cal and .25 caliber walnut stocks. They also have the laminate guns in .177 cal and .25 cal.

With these Diana Skyhawk deals you can save $170 on the laminate models. The price is now just $629.99 – down from $799.99.

The savings on walnut-stocked models is even greater! They’re down from $799.99 to $599.99, a saving of $230.

BUY FROM AIRGUN DEPOT
Diana Skyhawk, .25 Cal, Walnut

Check out these other resources to find more great airgun deals…

Shop Airgun Deals At Airguns of Arizona:

Specials, limited time closeouts, model end, clearance

Pre-owned, demos or factory blemished airguns.

Shop Airgun Deals At Pyramyd Air:

Shop Now for special offers on airguns, ammo and accessories

Shop Now for Clearance and Closeouts

Shop Now for refurbished, open box, used airguns

Shop Airgun Deals At Airgun Depot:

Lightning Deals, limited time offers

Exclusives and combos

Refurbished

Bargain Bunker

Note that many of these deals are offered for a limited time, or for a limited amount of inventory. Hard Air Magazine does not control this, so it’s possible that any deals listed here may already have sold out by the time you read this post.

Our advice is to act as soon as possible to avoid disappointment!

If you have any questions, always contact the dealer involved directly, not Hard Air Magazine. Reference this post: Airgun Deals February 24, 2020.

The post Diana Skyhawk Deals At Airgun Depot appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

The SIG MCX Virtus PCP air rifle is the latest product from SIG Air. It’s also the company’s first PCP. HAM has reported on this gun before – most recently from the 2020 SHOT Show. But now it’s here and we can look at it up-close.

The SIG MCX Virtus PCP  fits well into the range of existing SIG Air  models.

Like the ASP MCX and MPX longarms, it carries its power supply at the rear of the action. However the regulated PCP tank is somewhat more bulky than an 88/90 Gram CO2 bottle. In this case, the HPA tank IS the stock. The buttplate is clamped to the rear of this HPA tank.

Overall, the action of the Virtus is similar to that of the ASP MCX and MPX models. It accepts SIG’s 30-round belt-fed magazine and fires as fast as you can pull the trigger.

Like the other SIG Air longarms, the SIG MCX Virtus PCP air rifle is supplied with excellent iron sights. The rear sight is adjustable for windage…

… while the front sight has elevation-adjustment capability.

SIG includes a multi-tool with the Virtus. This is used to make sight changes, seat pellets and tighten the buttplate.

The long Picatinny rail allows optics to be fitted. We tried the SIG Air 1-4×20 scope that’s often bundled with the MCX. It fitted very nicely.

Then, just for fun, we installed the SIG Whisky 3 ASP 4-12×44 scope to see how a larger scope would mount. This combination certainly worked well and looked great. However, we needed to add a riser rail in order for the bell of the scope to clear the rail. This did allow the rear sight to remain in place, however.

The regulated HPA tank fills to 3,000 PSI and is regulated down to a much lower pressure for use in the gun. The result is that the Virtus is considerably more powerful than its ASP MCX and MPX siblings. SIG is quoting a maximum Muzzle Energy of 12 Ft/Lbs, which translates to 700 FPS+ for this .22 caliber-only model.

High Pressure Air power scores over CO2 (used by the MCX and MPX) in being pretty-well unaffected by temperature changes. However, it does require a high pressure pump or rank to fill the gun.

Another benefit is a HUGE number of shots per fill. Initial indications are that in excess of 150 shots are available from a full 13 cubic inch tank. That’s at a reasonably-consistent Muzzle Velocity.

The action is similar to that of the ASP MCX and MPX. The pellet is rotated into position through the first stage of the trigger pull. The second stage pull actually fires the gun. These photographs below show how the action finctions by looking down the magazine well.

First we see the un-cocked action.

Now we see the action with the trigger pulled back to the end of the first stage. Notice the differences!

The magazine is loaded in the same way as the MCX and MPX. The belt is easily removed for loading, however, it’s necessary to seat each pellet into position using the loading tool.

Re-insertion in the magazine is equally easy.

HAM will be testing the SIG MCX Virtus PCP air rifle in the near future. Stay tuned!

BUY FROM PYRAMYD AIR
Sig Sauer ASP MCX Virtus PCP Air Rifle 0.22

The post Let’s Look At The SIG MCX Virtus PCP Air Rifle appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

In Part Two of this exclusive Hard Air magazine Report, Stephen Archer brings us details for design and performance for the new Benjamin Marauder Semi Auto air rifle. He talked to two key players in the Benjamin Marauder Semi-Auto team. Phillip Guadalupe the Product Manager and John Solpietro, Chief Designer. That’s them above!

There’s A New Magazine

The Benjamin Marauder Semi Auto uses a similar – but different – rotary magazine to that supplied with other Marauders.

The new “Semi Auto magazine” can be used with bolt-action Marauders. However existing mags will not function well with the Semi Auto. They WILL cause cycling and possibly accuracy problems, Phillip told me. Don’t use them!

As part of providing flawless cycling and accuracy with the Semi Auto action, there’s a stronger spring inside the mag.

There’s also a change to the magazine cover plate. The familiar kidney-shaped aperture is now replaced with a simple hole.

These changes mean that the new magazine has to be loaded with the first pellet skirt-first. The remaining pellets can then be loaded head first, as usual.

This, of course, is similar to the way in which pellet magazines from many other manufacturers work. So it’s not a big deal and the user soon gets used to the slightly different loading technique.

And here’s an interesting phenomenon..

Just like bolt-action Marauders, the new magazine blocks the bolt when no pellets remain. However, the gun still goes “bang” when you pull the trigger, even when the magazine is empty! Duhhh…

Here’s the reason. As described below, the hammer and bolt now move independently of each other. So when no pellets remain in the magazine, the bolt is blocked, yet the hammer of the Marauder Semi Auto still cycles. Hence, air is released, even though there’s no pellet to propel.

There’s a clear change in the report when a blank is fired, making it easy to realize that re-loading is required. Unless, you’re keeping an eye on the magazine counter, that is…

Performance

The question “How fast can it fire?” takes on two different meanings with the Benjamin Marauder Semi Auto. One meaning refers to Muzzle Velocity. The second to the rate of fire that can be attained. Let’s start with the rate of fire…

The actual cycle time for making one shot (and reloading) after the trigger is pulled is actually approximately 30 milliseconds, Phillip explained. However – he continued – a more useful definition is how rapidly the gun can be fired by a human.

To test this, we fired a Benjamin Marauder Semi Auto across one of Velocity Outdoor’s high-tech Oehler Model 36 chronographs. This measures both FPS and the time between shots. The output is presented on a computer screen, as we can see below.

Here’s the results when Phillip shot the gun. That’s 336 rounds per minute cyclic rate. Ten shots in 1.7 seconds at an average of 886 FPS. Wow!

And here’s the results for me. Only 275 shots a minute. It took me 2.1 seconds to empty the magazine. Must try harder

As you can see, Phillip is a MUCH faster shot – and they made a great group, too. Obviously that’s a result of his Marines training. Don’t mess with this guy!

What is clear is that it’s possible to achieve a cyclic rate of around 300 rounds per minute. At least before the capacity of the 10-shot magazine is exhausted – in about 2 seconds. Let’s be realistic. That’s plenty fast enough for anyone with a Semi Auto…

And this is VERY IMPORTANT. Take a look at the FPS numbers. It’s clear that they are very consistent.

So, the regulator is able to keep up with this rate of fire. We were shooting unsorted Crosman 14.3 Grain domes and the Standard Deviation was just 2 to 4 FPS. That’s excellent consistency. No problems there.

As you can see, Muzzle Velocity was in the 885 – 895 FPS range with 14.3 Grain Premier pellets for the test sample.

The Crosman website shows a specification of “up to 950 FPS” with lead pellets. That’s achievable with 14.3 Grain Premiers if the hammer spring is cranked right in.

Design And Engineering

In previous lives, I spent many years working in product development organizations. So I’m familiar with the multiple stages through which every product design iterates and the testing effort that’s required to ensure a reliable end result.

From that professional background, it’s clear to me that Velocity Outdoor is doing everything right in the development of the Benjamin Marauder Semi Auto air rifle.

The company is working steadily through their structured development process. I have confidence in the June 2020 availability date as a realistic goal.

Chief Designer John Solpietro explained that the Team’s design strategy for the Benjamin Marauder Semi Auto is based on achieving the most reliable and durable result. They investigated many alternative actions as part of the preliminary design stage and decided that simplest was best. So there’s surprisingly few parts in the Semi Auto action.

Although the gun you see us shooting looks complete and final, there’s still some pre-production parts inside. All of these need to be “productized” and tested before the design is completely finalized. Then, yet more guns need to be manufactured and tested before that final, frozen, design is handed-over to Manufacturing for volume production.

In other words, the Benjamin Marauder Semi Auto as it stands today is in a “near final” design state, but there are still a few tweaks to be finalized and tested. However the action is not going to change. Here’s how it works…

Simply-put, the Benjamin Marauder Semi Auto action cycles through hammer bounce-enhanced blowback.

Using Hammer Bounce Productively

Hammer bounce in PCP and CO2-powered airguns has long been a curse everyone tries to avoid. Just about all PCPs have it to some extent, so this is not a Marauder-only issue. In the Benjamin Marauder Semi Auto hammer bounce has been embraced by the design team!

John explained that they had used much high-speed photography during the design of the Semi Auto action. This documented hammer bounce in a standard, bolt-action Marauder and showed how better use can be made of this, otherwise lost, energy.

Hammer bounce takes place due to the action of air pressure and hammer spring when the gun is fired. This forces the hammer back-and-forth and opens the valve more than once for every shot. Hence wasted air.

In the Benjamin Marauder Semi Auto, the hammer now actually functions as a piston, using otherwise wasted air to force it there against the pressure of the hammer spring.

Simply put, the hammer is now thrown back – instead of bouncing back – and is “caught” by a trigger sear. It then stays back, ready to be released for the next shot.

Because of the hammer’s new functionality, there’s no striker. The new pressure tube has shorter slots in the underside around the trigger to allow for the piston effect and the trigger is completely different, too, given the new method by which it is reset before firing.

For this design, the hammer and bolt are decoupled. They’re “solid” in the bolt action Marauder, by comparison. This enables the Benjamin Marauder Semi Auto to be cocked using the T- handle.

There’s also a “forward assist” button at the rear of the T- handle. This does not need to be generally used. However, it’s useful in case of a pellet failing to load fully, or in the rare event of a jam.

Below. One way to charge the semi auto is to hang it from your hand using the T handle, then insert the magazine.

New Bolt

Of course, the new magazine is part of the design, as we already discussed.

There’s also an interesting return to “classic” design in the bolt itself. Yes, the bolt probe of the Benjamin Marauder Semi Auto resembles that of the venerable Crosman 160!

Gone is the necked-down probe of the regular Marauder bolt that pushes on the center of the pellet. It’s replaced by a drilled-out probe that bears on the edges of the skirt. Now the air passes through the bolt probe, instead of around it.

Meanwhile, further forward, the valve itself is of a new design. It’s shorter than that of the existing Marauder valve and is – as we mentioned before – non-adjustable for air flow out to the transfer port.

Ahead of that, John explained, the Gauge Port is also reduced in length. It’s something like half the length of the regular Marauder part to maximize air tube capacity.

Now it’s clear why up-grading a standard Marauder to Semi Auto is a “no no”!

Check out the other sections of this three-part story.

Part One.

Part Three.

The post Exclusive! First In-Depth Look At The Benjamin Marauder Semi Auto Air Rifle appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

In Part Three of this series, Stephen Archer talks to Product Manager Phillip Guadalupe and Chief Designer John Solpietro about the new Semi Auto Marauder air rifle.

Testing

So far, something like 50,000 shots have been fired in the development and testing of the Semi Auto Marauder. Wow! And there’s still more testing to be done, too…

The test plans have been broken-up into two main parts. One is action testing. The second accuracy testing. Obviously if the action doesn’t cycle correctly, accuracy testing is pretty pointless! So action testing takes first priority.

Below. Phillip Guadalupe shoots and John Solpietro looks on.

Velocity Outdoor likely sells more airgun pellets in the USA than any other manufacturer. (I believe the actual number is about a Gazillion every year. That’s my guess, anyway). They know mid-weight domed lead pellets will be the most popular fodder for the Semi Auto Marauder. So testing has concentrated on this type of pellet to date.

Remember too, that 14.3 Grain Premier pellets are ready-to-hand in unlimited quantities for the development team. Furthermore, the Semi Auto Marauder MUST perform faultlessly with the company’s own pellets!

However, the development team has been using other pellets with great success in both action and accuracy testing. Phillip told me that 15.9 Grain JSB Jumbos are giving great results, for example.

I also shot a selection of pellets including H&N Hornet, GTO domed alloys and Polymag Shorts through the sample gun. No problems with feeding and accuracy there…

So has the Velocity Outdoor test team qualified every single type of pellet through the Semi Auto Marauder yet? Of course not and they probably never will. That’s a pretty-near impossible task!

But they will shoot representatives of all pellet types before testing is complete. If a type of pellet is found that doesn’t cycle well – say heavies, for example – then the company will be able to advise customers to not use these.

Have they shot slugs? No, not yet. It’s all in the test plan and there’s plenty of shooting yet to be done.

And then there’s the “J word”. Jamming forms an important part of action testing. The Velocity Outdoor team needs to understand what can cause a jam to occur. Then John and his engineers design-out the issue. It’s tested again. Repeat as necessary…

Of course some jams will be inevitable from operator error, if no other reason. For example, the first time I was too gentle with the T-handle. A push on the forward assist fixed that.

Phillip explained that most jams happening now are a result of the magazine not cycling fully. But they can be cleared by use of the T-handle and forward assist – as in my case.

“So what happens when pressure falls below the regulator set point?” I asked. The answer is that the Semi Auto Marauder will still cycle with pressure down to around 1,000 PSI.

Below about 1,000 PSI – half the regulator set pressure, of course – the gun will not cycle. Air just bleeds out from hammer bounce and the gun must be re-charged with High Pressure Air, Phillip told me. The hammer bounces multiple times and does not re-sear. This can happen until all the air bleeds out.

OK, that’s a much more benign outcome that I had imagined before our meeting!

While I didn’t test that myself, I did shoot the sample gun down to around 1,500 PSI on the gauge and it was sill cycling just fine.

Safety And Gun Handling

This an area where we all need to learn additional skills with any semi-auto airgun!

As we know, the Semi Auto Marauder uses a hammer-bounce assisted blowback action. It functions much like the blowback action of a firearm. However there’s one BIG, IMPORTANT operational difference!

With a semi-auto AR15, for example, you can make the gun safe by setting the safety to safe, dropping the magazine and racking the charging handle so that the extractor removes any round that has already cycled into the breech. Gun clear! And you can prove this with a chamber flag…

Of course, (almost all) airguns have no cartridge. This means that there’s no way for an extractor to pull a chambered round out of the breech. Neither is there a loaded round indicator to tell the shooter there’s still “one up the spout”.

So the Semi Auto Marauder will always remain loaded unless all 10 pellets in a magazine have been shot out of the barrel.

In order to prove clear with the Semi Auto Marauder, it’s necessary to:
1. Remove the magazine.
2. Shoot the gun in a safe direction to discharge any pellet in the barrel.
3. De-cock the rifle by pulling back the T-handle and letting it come back forward under control with the trigger blade pulled.
4. Set the safety to safe.
5. As proof of safety, put a clearing rod down the barrel.

Again, it’s VITAL to remember that the the Semi Auto Marauder will always remain loaded unless all 10 pellets in a magazine have been shot out of the barrel! We all will need to internalize this and apply an enhanced level of care in gun handling to ensure safety.

Responsibility and 100% safe gun-handling is non-optional when owning a semi-auto air rifle!

“So what happens when a part-full magazine is removed from the Semi Auto Marauder, then re-inserted?” I asked.

The answer is that, of course, one pellet will remain in the barrel from the extracted, part-used magazine. To re-load that magazine, the T-handle has to be pulled-back and fly forward.

So, yes, there’s now two pellets in the barrel. You have a double feed.

Phillip explained that they have had great success in clearing double feeds simply by shooting them out. On the rare occasions this doesn’t work, it’s necessary to remove the magazine, de-cock the rifle and push out the pellets from the barrel using a clearing rod.

Summary

So there we have it. The Semi Auto Marauder works well and is very close to being production-ready.

It’s sure to appeal to anyone who loves shooting; to hunters who want a quick follow-up shot and people who like fun!

Sure, there’s a perception that bolt guns are more accurate than semi-autos. But Phillip emphasized that the Velocity Outdoor team is seeing the same standard of accuracy from the Semi Auto Marauder as with standard bolt-action Marauders.

Of course I asked if we will see more semi-auto Benjamin PCPs in future. Of course, Phillip gave a wry smile and replied “Possibly!”

Bolt action Marauders will continue to be sold.

And I make no apology for repeating these two key points:

1. Responsibility and 100% safe gun-handling are non-optional when owning a semi-auto air rifle!
2. Don’t even think of trying to modify your existing bolt action Marauder to make it a semi-auto!

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this exclusive HAM preview of this new Benjamin PCP air rifle. Again, thanks to Phillip and John for all the time and effort they took to bring you this story.

Personally, I can’t wait to receive a Semi Auto Marauder air rifle for a full Hard Air Magazine test review…

To read the previous parts of this story, just click the links below.

Part One.

Part Two.

The post Exclusive! First In-Depth Look At The Semi Auto Marauder Air Rifle appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Hot news is that the 2020 IWA Show is cancelled

IWA OutdoorClassics is the most important show of the year for the airgun industry. A ton of new products are launched there. Now the manufacturers will have to find some other way to do this.

Undoubtedly the reason is due to the Coronavirus situation. However, it comes very late for all exhibitors and attendees – they’ve all paid for air fares, hotel accommodations, exhibition costs and much else.

The words from the Nuernbergmesse  – the show’s organisers – web site are as follows:

“NürnbergMesse has decided to postpone IWA OutdoorClassics 2020 from the planned date of 6-9 March 2020 to a date in 2020, which has yet to be determined.

We hope you will understand the decision taken. The aim of every trade fair must be to create a special experience for exhibitors and visitors alike and to facilitate the diverse establishment and expansion of business relationships. Unfortunately, this goal cannot be achieved under the current circumstances.”

Here’s a link to the IWA web site.

The post The 2020 IWA Show Is Cancelled appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

VALUE FOR MONEY

The Diana Stormrider Gen 2 tested in this review has been modified by installing additional Diana parts. The cost of the individual parts are as follows:

Diana Stormrider Gen 2 Air Rifle – $199.99

Diana Stormrider Barrel Band – $9.99

Diana Stormrider Regulator – $89.99

Diana Stormrider Fill Valve/Gauge Assembly – $24.99

The following HAM posts provide the information necessary to make these upgrades:

Barrel Band

Regulator and Pressure Gauge/Fill Adapter

These increase the price of the gun from $199.99 to $324.96, however HAM believes these upgrades are well worth the money. They can also be added as funds are available, so spreading the purchase price if required. That – in itself – is a benefit for many people.

The additional barrel band provides additional support for the Stormrider’s long, thin barrel. That was a concern back when we reviewed the Stormrider Gen 1 model some time back.

The Diana regulator provides much improved consistency of FPS. This much flatter “shot curve” allows for improved practical accuracy in the field across more shots – in spite of the slight reduction it causes in available HPA  fill volume.

Combining it with the Fill Adapter/Gauge Assembly gives the operational benefit of having two pressure gauges – even if one is at the end of the pressure tube. Now you can see the main fill pressure on one gauge and the regulator set pressure on the other. This is a feature un-matched by any other PCP air rifle even at twice the price!

Overall, the Diana Stormrider Gen 2 is excellent value for money as a low cost, multi-shot PCP air rifle. The upgraded version reviewed here continues that great value proposition.

BUY FROM PYRAMYD AIR

Diana Stormrider Multi-shot PCP Air Rifle 0.22

Diana Regulator for Stormrider & Bandit

SPEED AND ACCURACY

The Diana Stormrider Gen 2 tested by HAM achieved a maximum Muzzle Velocity of 875.31 FPS with the light Gamo Platinum alloy pellets. It’s important to note that this – and all other – performance figures quoted in this review relate to the air rifle when fitted with the Diana regulator set to 150 Bar.

Installing the regulator greatly increases the consistent shot count. However it does somewhat reduce the maximum FPS achievable, as we’ll see below. But for most shooters, this is a very acceptable compromise.

The maximum Muzzle Velocity with lead pellets was 808.93 FPS. This was achieved – as expected with the light RWS Hobby pellets.

We did not undertake comparative accuracy tests with and without the additional front barrel band. However, it’s clear that accuracy was very good – or better – with mid-weight and heavier lead pellets.

Even if the additional barrel band did not actually help accuracy, it’s unlikely to have hindered it. Also it makes the whole barrel assembly feel more solid and less likely to be knocked out of alignment by an unintended impact.

Shooting at 25 Yards, the Stormrider produced a creditable 10-shot group. It’s likely that the “flier” was actually caused by a slight gust of wind on our outdoor range, rather than being a fault of the gun itself.

TRIGGER AND COCKING EFFORT

The trigger pull weight of the Diana Stormrider Gen 2 air rifle tested by HAM averaged just 1 Lb 13.8 Oz. This is very light for an air rifle of this price and type.

In HAM testing, the trigger felt smooth and predictable. There was a very light take-up of the first stage, combined with a distinct “wall” when the second stage was reached. The Gen 1 version had a single-stage, non-adjustable trigger.

Obviously this is not a $1,000 target rifle trigger! However it’s very good for a $200 PCP. There’s two setscrews which can be used to provide some adjustment to the trigger feel. The front screw adjusts sear engagement, the rear one trigger pull weight.

However, as always, HAM tests triggers as received from the manufacturer. We would not change the settings on the test gun…

Cocking effort is fairly stout. However the travel is quite short and the larger bolt handle – compared to the Gen 1 version – makes it fairly easy to operate.

COMPARISON TO MAKERS CLAIMS

Because the Diana Stormrider Gen 2 air rifle tested by HAM was modified by installing the regulator, it doesn’t match the manufacturer’s Muzzle Velocity claims. However, this is as expected and is not a slam against the product…

If you want maximum FPS for a few shots, do NOT install the regulator. If you prefer to trade-off some FPS for a more consistently-accurate shooting experience – as the HAM Team does – the regulator is clearly the way to go.

Even with the regulator installed and set to 150 Bar, Muzzle Energy was in the 18 – 20 Ft/Lbs range, which is very acceptable for much general shooting and hunting.

Note, though, that the results achieved with the regulator did not correspond very well to those in Diana’s instructions.

CONSISTENCY

There’s no doubt that the shot-to-shot consistency – and vertical accuracy – of the Diana Stormrider Gen 2 was greatly improved by installing the Diana regulator.

As with most regulators, there’s a range of pressures that can be set. This is easily changed using a very long screwdriver, if required. As the chart below shows, the unregulated gives 10 or less reasonably-consistent shots – the red dots.

Setting the reg to the 125 Bar setting gave the results shown by the blue dots. That’s at least 40 very consistent shots. This is outstanding from one fill of the Stormrider’s small HPA tube, but it produced less than 650 FPS with 13.43 Grain pellets.

As this is rather slower than most people would like, we set the reg to 150 Bar (its maximum). This produced 18 extremely consistent shots – the green dots – before the reg set point was reached and further shots became incrementally slower. Considering that this improved shot count is achieved with minimal modification to the gun, HAM believes this is a good improvement over the unregulated gun’s performance.

This shot-to-shot consistency for the regulated Diana Stormrider Gen 2 was reflected in the standard HAM shooting tests. The average Standard deviation across all the HAM test pellets was just 2.4 FPS. That’s a very low (good) figure.

Excellent consistency was also demonstrated when we measured the trigger pull weight. This averaged a light 1 Lb 14 Oz, with a variation of just +/- Ozs in the individual tests. Again, this is excellent performance!

NOISE LEVEL

The Diana Stormrider Gen 2 is fitted with a short silencer. This seemed somewhat quieter than the original Gen 1 Stormrider. So it qualifies as reasonably backyard-friendly. However it’s clearly a fair amount louder than a Benjamin Marauder – HAM’s “gold standard” for low report.

SIGHTS AND SCOPE

The Diana Stormrider Gen 2 air rifle is equipped with iron sights. The front sight is a fixed post, while the rear sight has windage and elevation adjustment capability.  The rear sight is fitted atop the barrel band (the rear one in our case). This will almost certainly need to be removed when installing a scope, although this is easy to do.

The other scope-mounting issue is the very limited range of mounting flexibility inherent in the short breech. This means that regular-length riflescopes are unlikely to be usable with the Stormrider as they will sit too far back for acceptable eye relief.

The answer is to mount a Leapers UTG Bugbuster scope! These short, light scopes match well with the Stormrider Gen 2. Just make sure that there’s clearance between the scope and the pellet magazine, as seen in the photograph below. Careful adjustment can make this workable, however.

SHOOTABILITY

Overall, the Diana Stormrider Gen 2 is light, comfortable and easy to shoot. The balance is good and the light weight will make it popular with those of smaller stature – or who just prefer a lightweight air rifle.

The breech area is fairly confined for loading the single-shot tray if you have big hands. But that’s why the Stormrider is also supplied with a convenient 7-shot (9-shot in .177 cal.) rotary magazine!

Loading tends to be rather rough with some pellets. The JSBs and Hobbys in the standard HAM test suite loaded easily: the others were somewhat rough and needed an additional push forward on the bolt handle to load correctly.

The inclusion of open sights will be welcomed by a proportion of shooters. However the limitations on scope size and placement may prove to be an issue for others. Overall, the HAM conclusion is that this is a pleasant air rifle to shoot.

The new, longer, bolt handle is easier to grasp than the version on the Gen 1 model and we definitely think the trigger is an improvement, too.

APPEARANCE AND FINISH

Overall, the Diana Stormrider Gen 2 is finished at the level you would expect for the price. Metal parts are smoothly-machined. Although there’s a variety of “black” finishes to different metal parts, the overall effect is fine.

The hardwood stock is simply designed. There’s somewhat of a slab-sided effect to the forearm and the color is somewhat restrained. However, it’s certainly functional and practical in use. We wouldn’t describe the overall design as “sexy”, but it’s definitely not unattractive.

BUYING AND OWNING

The Diana Stormrider Gen 2 is readily available from Pyramyd Air, Airgun Depot and other major online dealers.

The ready availability of easy upgrade parts through Pyramyd Air definitely increases the attractiveness of the Stormrider platform. Furthermore, a supply of spare O rings is included with the gun, together with the magazine, single shot tray and fill probe.

HAM definitely suggests fitting an additional barrel band. This give much improved solidity to the barrel, thus overcoming one concern in our review of the Gen 1 Stormrider.

The modest 2,900 PSI fill pressure will be a distinct benefit to many users – particularly if they are filling with a hand pump. Sure, the air capacity of the Diana Stormrider Gen 2 is low, but it’s easy to fill up again!

The operator’s manual is well-illustrated and provides sections in English, German, French and Spanish.

Unlike most other probe-filling systems, there is no cover for the filling port in the end of the HPA tube. This could allow dirt, dust and other junk to make its way into the gun when it is filled, causing potentially serious leaks in the valve.

One area where the Stormrider falls behind the market leaders is in the provision of a 12-month warranty. Many other companies have now moved to 3- or 5-year warranties for their PCP air rifles and there’s considerable feeling of security provided by the longer coverage period.

TEST TARGETS

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Diana Stormrider Multi-shot PCP Air Rifle 0.22

Diana Regulator for Stormrider & Bandit

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 Diana Stormrider Gen 2 Air Rifle Review .22 Caliber appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

JSB Hades .177 cal pellets will be coming soon! Hard Air Magazine has received some early pre-production samples to examine, as we can see in this exclusive first look at these dedicated hunting airgun pallets.

This is in line with the news bought to you by HAM from the 2020 SHOT Show. Then it was said that – together with a slew of other new slugs and pellets – .177 Hades pellets would be available “in around March”.

These 10.34 Grain Hades pellets have a similar head design to that of the other Hades calibers currently available. That’s .22 and .25 caliber. However, the “body” design is different for each caliber, as we can see below.

HAM has undertaken some informal shooting tests with the preproduction sample JSB Hades .177 cal pellets. They have worked well in a variety of air rifles, ranging from an FX Impact, through a Umarex Gauntlet to a Umarex Fusion 2.

The photograph below shows some further views of the pre-production .177 cal Hades pellets.

This means that the Hades hunting pellet line-up will be as follows:

– Hades .177 cal. 10.34 Grains weight.

– Hades .22 caliber 15.89 Grains.

– Hades .25 cal 26.54 Grains weight.

You can expect to find JSB Hades pellets available soon from all dealers selling the larger caliber versions. You can also expect to find similar devastating expansion as HAM found during earlier tests on .25 caliber Hades pellets.

Just compare the “before and after” results below. This massive expansion is what gives Hades pellets their outstanding reputation as a hunting pellet!

The post Coming Soon! JSB Hades .177 Cal Pellets appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

There’s a new date for IWA OutdoorClassics 2020. This important German trade show is now re-scheduled to run from September 3 – 6th. The organizers also say that this “early September” date will be the show’s permanent time frame for the future.

Here’s the full Press Release from the show’s organizers, NürnbergMesse GmbH…

In view of the increasing spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and taking into account the principles for risk assessment of major events adopted by the crisis management group of the German government and the current recommendation of the Bavarian State Government for international exhibitions, NürnbergMesse has decided to postpone IWA OutdoorClassics 2020 to Thursday, 3 September until Sunday, 6 September 2020.

For the planning reliability of all exhibitors, visitors, partners and media: IWA OutdoorClassics will continue to take place in the period at the beginning of September in future years, and no longer in the previous period at the beginning / middle of March.

The protection of the health and safety of exhibitors, visitors and employees is a top priority for NürnbergMesse.

In awareness of this responsibility and after careful consideration and evaluation of the current situation, the Management Board of NürnbergMesse has decided on this necessary protective measure.

Petra Wolf, Member of the Management Board of NürnbergMesse, said: “We expressly thank all customers, partners and media representatives for the understanding they have shown regarding our decision to postpone IWA OutdoorClassics 2020. We are pleased about the high level of commitment in the industry – after intensive deliberations and numerous positive discussions with national and international customers, we have chosen the new date at the beginning of September also for the following years”.

Hard Air Magazine plans to bring you all the airgun news at the new date for IWA OutdoorClassics 2020 later in the year…

The post There’s A New Date For IWA OutdoorClassics 2020 appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

The Umarex Fusion 2 air rifle was first announced at the 2020 SHOT Show. Now – in yet another exclusive – Hard Air Magazine is able to bring you a first look at this new model.

As you would expect from the name, the Umarex Fusion 2 air rifle is a successor to the original Fusion. Both models are Co2-powered, however the Fusion 2 improves on its’ predecessor with a magazine-fed, multi-shot action.

The new model also incorporates the ability to use either one 88/90 Gram CO2 cylinder, or two x 12 Gram cartridges. The “Fusion 1” could not accept the larger size of CO2 cylinder.

Overall, there’s a complete new design too. In fact the Umarex Fusion 2 air rifle has very little in common with the first model, except for the product name. There’s also a completely new tube cap…

Below we can see the Fusion 2 at rear and the original version in front.

Umarex is positioning the Fusion 2 clearly as a fun plinker and informal target rifle. It’s available in .177 caliber only and – from experience – the HAM Team expect it’s likely to be accurate out to around 30 yards or so. With the “right” pellets, of course.

In fact at the SHOT Show, several of the Umarex booth personnel raved to me about the accuracy of this little gun and how much they enjoyed shooting it. This was genuine enthusiasm from the Umarex folk, so HAM has high hopes for the full test review we will be running very soon!

Manufacturer’s specs for the Umarex Fusion 2 air rifle are muzzle velocities of up to 700 FPS with alloy pellets or 650 FPS with lead. Detailed in the Owner’s Manual, we find that this relates to usage at between 60 and 80 degrees F ambient temperature. It’s good that Umarex provides this level of information about their products.

For shot count, Umarex says that shooters can expect to get over 70 shots on each pair of 12 gram CO2 cartridges. That increases to upwards of 250 shots on a single 88/90 gram cylinder.

Maximum muzzle velocity will be the same for both CO2 sources. However it’s likely that FPS will be more consistent under rapid fire with the larger cylinders. That could be a decision-maker if you enjoy rapid fire shooting…

Umarex has produced a short promotional video about the Fusion 2. You can watch it here.

The post Exclusive First Look At The New Umarex Fusion 2 Air Rifle appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

The Aces Postal is a satellite match run by the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP). It offers all junior and adult air rifle and air pistol shooters a program designed to encourage participation in the sport and test marksmanship skills nationally with their peers.

The CMP Aces Postal program consists of Air Rifle, Air Pistol, and Para-Air Rifle/Air Pistol events. These are 10 M target competitions. Rifle event participants can compete using either Precision or Sporter models.

There’s several competition opportunities over the course of four quarters (Q1: January-March; Q2: April-June; Q3: July-September; Q4: October-December).

Aces Postal competitors fire at their home ranges on CMP-provided Orion paper targets or electronic targets before being returned to CMP for recording.

Events include the 3×20 Sporter Junior, 3×20 Precision Junior, 3×20 Adult Sporter, 3×20 Adult Sporter, 60 Shot Rifle and 60 Shot Pistol matches. Para-athletes are also welcome to compete, with SH1 Standing, SH1 Prone, SH2 Prone and SH2 Standing competitions available.

Participants who fire in the Aces Postal earn a uniquely designed poker chip. A new chip is given each quarter, offering the possibility of earning up to four collectable CMP chips!

For inspiration, below are the results of the 2019 CMP Aces Postal competitions. The top scorer of each quarter is listed, according to event. The best average score of the event over the four quarters is also recognized.

These are some great airgun shooters!!!

Three Position Sporter:

Q1: Regina Raquino, 19, of Zion, IL – 562
Q2: Shelby Carr, 16, of Alliance, NE – 560
Q3: Shelby Carr, 16, of Alliance, NE – 558
Q4: Shelby Carr, 16, of Alliance, NE – 547

Best Average: Regina Raquino, 19, of Zion, IL – 562

Three Position Precision:

Q1: Katrina Demerle, 15, of Hamilton, OH – 590
Q2: Emily Endecott, 17, of Cleveland, MO – 593
Q3: Emily Endecott, 17, of Cleveland, MO – 592
Q4: Emily Endecott, 17, of Cleveland, MO – 587

Best Average: Emily Endecott, 17, of Cleveland, MO – 589.25

Adult Sporter:

Q1: Jeffrey Schneider, 68, of Tucson, AZ – 526
Q2: Jeffrey Schneider, 68, of Tucson, AZ – 530
Q3: Jeffrey Schneider, 68, of Tucson, AZ – 535
Q4: James Edwards, 51, of Tabor, IA – 543

Best Average: Jeffrey Schneider, 68, of Tucson, AZ – 527.75

Adult Precision:

Q1: Julie Klusmeier, 24, of Cincinnati, OH – 579
Q2: Wesley Shumaker, 64, of Los Alamos, NM – 571
Q3: Julie Klusmeier, 24, of Cincinnati, OH – 584
Q4: Wesley Shumaker, 64, of Los Alamos, NM – 577

Best Average: Julie Klusmeier, 24, of Cincinnati, OH – 575.5

60 Shot Rifle:

Q1: Abi Winegarden, 36, of Pittsboro, NC – 617.1
Q2: Katrina Demerle, 15, of Hamilton, OH – 616.6
Q3: Abi Winegarden, 36, of Pittsboro, NC – 614
Q4: Chance Cover, 28, of Oak Harbor, OH – 617.1

Best Average: Chance Cover, 28, of Oak Harbor, OH – 617.1

60 Shot Pistol:

Q1: George Siordian, 56, of Phoenix, AZ – 544
Q2: Bob Lineaweaver, 46, of Chambersburg, PA – 553
Q3: Bob Lineaweaver, 46, of Chambersburg, PA – 554
Q4: David Aglietti, 47, of Carson City, NV – 571

Best Average: David Aglietti, 47, of Carson City, NV – 571

Progressive-Position Pistol – International Standing:

Q1: George Turbes, 13, of Redwood Falls, MN – 333
Q2: Kayley Hullender, 18, of Seaford, VA – 323
Q3: Kayley Hullender, 18, of Seaford, VA – 315
Q4: Kayley Hullender, 18, of Seaford, VA – 315

Best Average: George Turbes, 13, of Redwood Falls, MN – 321.5

Progressive-Position Pistol – Standing Support:

Q1: Todd Deterling, 14, of Redwood Falls, MN – 321
Q2: No participants
Q3: Matthew Turbes, 15, of Redwood Falls, MN – 265
Q4: Todd Deterling, 14, of Redwood Falls, MN – 282

Best Average: Todd Deterling, 14, of Redwood Falls, MN – 288

Progressive-Position Pistol – Basic:

Q1: Shaun Matthews, 13, of Redwood Falls, MN – 305
Q2: No participants
Q3: Griffin Detering, 11, of Redwood Falls, MN – 207
Q4: Griffin Detering, 11, of Redwood Falls, MN – 150

Best Average: Shaun Matthews, 13, of Redwood Falls, MN – 305

For more information on the CMP Aces Postal Competition, including how to become involved in the 2020 Aces Postal Quarters, visit the CMP webpage at http://thecmp.org/youth/aces-postal/.

The post Why Not Join The CMP Aces Postal Airgun Competition? appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Impacts, Crowns and other new FX air rifles are now shipping with a new FX magazine. But how do I load it, you may ask? Never fear, HAM has the answer.

If you are familiar with the “traditional” FX magazine used on these air rifles, you know that the first thing to do. Rotate the transparent cover plate.

However DO NOT do this with the new mag. It won’t move!

This is because the new FX magazine is of a completely different design. It’s actually based on the Side-Shot magazine that you may have seen as an aftermarket upgrade for FX airguns.

Instead, identify the semi-circular black plastic protrusion near the center of the magazine.

That’s actually a lever and you’re going to rotate it 180 degrees. It’s a little tight, but turn this lever into a new position so that it covers the slot. Like this…

Now, the transparent cover plate lifts directly off of the magazine base.

Now, you need to rotate the pellet rotor counter-clockwise until it stops. Hold the magazine body with your other hand while doing this. I ran out of hands to show this and operate the camera

Now load a first pellet into the rotor…

… and continue until it is filled.

Now make sure to keep the filled magazine upright. (If you don’t, the pellets can fall out. Tried that!). Then drop the transparent cover plate back into place.

As you’ve probably guessed, the final step is to rotate that semi-circular lever back to its’ original position.

Now your new FX mag is loaded and ready to shoot. It’s easy when you know how…

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FX Crown Sideshot Magazine

The post New FX Magazine – How Do I Load It? appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

The 2020 IWA OutdoorClassics show may have been cancelled, but that has not stopped the announcement of the new .35 cal FX Impact.

To be precise, this is the .35 caliber FX Impact MkII With Power Plenum!

FX Airguns confirms that this new model is now in production. First shipments should arrive with dealers in April, 2020, says the company.

Obviously designed with hunting in mind, the .35 cal. Impact gives up to 40 shots per fill of its 580 cc HPA tank. Muzzle Energy is up to 150 Ft/Lbs with the 800 mm barrel.

The new FX Side-Shot magazine holds as many as 18 rounds in .35 caliber, making this new magazine the highest capacity found in any airgun, says FX Airguns.

FX Airguns confirms that they had other items to show at IWA. Of course! Watch out for new announcements soon…

However, the company has chosen to wait a little until these new items are in production before they are announced. This will give customers less time to wait between announcement and availability for these new products.

These tables give a summary of how the new .35 cal FX Impact fits into the product family. There’s a lot of choice and – of course – the interchangeable caliber capability means that one gun can achieve all this performance with the appropriate accessories and tuning…

FX Impact Power Comparison

FX Impact Shot Count Comparison

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FX Impact Mk II Air Rifle

The post New .35 Cal FX Impact Announced appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.