SIG ASP Super Target Air Pistol Review

VALUE FOR MONEY

The SIG ASP Super Target air pistol is the latest airgun introduction from SIG SAUER. With a Street Price of $359.99, it’s not the cheapest single shot, entry level target pistol. However, it’s not the most expensive either. And it’s a positive bargain compared to a full-on, Olympic level competition air pistol.

So, if you’re looking for a quality, all wood and metal target pistol, the Super Target is good value. Particularly when you factor-in the premium SIG SAUER brand and 5-year warranty. That SIG name alone gives the shooter confidence that they are going to shoot well!

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ASP Precision Super Target Air Pistol

SPEED AND ACCURACY

SIG Air gives the maximum velocity for the Super Target as 350 FPS. The pistol tested by HAM just exceeded this with three of our test lead wadcutter pellets. It recorded 409 FPS with the SIG Match Ballistic Alloy pellets.

However, with the Super Target air pistol being intended for entry level target shooting, the Muzzle Velocity is really unimportant. It’s all about accuracy!

As this is the first target pistol to be tested by HAM, it’s important to clarify a few things right now…

First, we did not use the usual range of HAM standard test pellets. Instead, we used seven different types of wadcutter pellets. These are listed in the table below.

Second, HAM Tester Doug Wall shot at 10 Meters (11 yards) using a rest. He made shots 10 shots on each target, whereas five shots per target would be normal for 10 Meter air pistol competition. This means that – for pure statistical reasons – our groups are larger than would be expected for five-shot strings.

Third. SIG is marketing the Super Target as an entry-level target pistol – not an Olympic-grade model. We expected entry level groups on target and were pleased with the results.

Fourth, Doug shot at our standard HAM test target. This is NOT a dedicated air pistol target. The 10 ring of a 10 Meter air pistol target has a diameter of 11.5 mm (about 29/64 Inch). The 9 ring has a diameter of 27.5 mm (about 1 5/64 Inch). And don’t forget that a shot just has to cut the ring to be counted at that score. For this test, we ignored shots that would have counted as an 8 or less.

So, we used a transparent template with appropriate diameters to lay over the targets and determine how many of Doug’s shots would have scored as a 10 or a 9. We did this by group size, not based on hitting the target bull as the Super Target Air Pistol was not sighted-in specially for each pellet type.

Here’s what we found…

Out of the 70 shots Doug fired in total using the seven types of pellets, no less than 58 – that’s 83% of them – would have scored as a 9 or better. From the same 70 shots, 42 – that’s 60% – would have scored as a 10.

The best-performing pellet in the Super Target air pistol tested by HAM was the Qiang Yuan Olympic Grade QYS pellets. Using these pellets, 80% of the shots scored as a 10 while all of the pellets fired scored as a 9 or better. That would be a total score of 98. Very good for an entry level target pistol!

The H&N Finale pellets scored very well, too. With two less to score as a 10, the total score from these pellets would have been 96.

Overall, that’s great shooting both from Doug and the Super Target! You can see the actual targets at the foot of this review.

TRIGGER AND COCKING EFFORT

The average trigger pull weight of the Super Target air pistol tested by HAM was 2 Lb 7 Oz.  Doug Wall commented in his testing notes: “Great trigger! Multiple adjustments.”

In fact, the HAM Team shot the Super Target with the factory trigger settings and found it very acceptable.

The first stage has just the right amount of weight. There’s some travel in the second stage, but it’s consistent and controllable. It’s clear when the sear will be released and Doug was very happy with it…

Cocking the SIG AIR Super Target pistol is achieved by pulling back on the hammer at the same time as raising the slide/barrel assembly. The slide is then pushed down to provide air pressure for the shot.

The slide is rotated right out around the front pivot pin until it stops. The amount of effort required to close is really not that high and similar to other single stroke pneumatic target pistols. The top rear section of the slide also has some subtle “wings” which provide useful grip for your hand and make the action easier to operate.

COMPARISON TO MAKERS CLAIMS

SIG SAUER describes the Super Target as an “entry level” target air pistol. Based on the accuracy demonstrated on test, HAM agrees that it’s definitely suitable for this intended use.

And – for those who care in a target pistol – the Muzzle Velocity met or exceeded the manufacturer’s claims too.

CONSISTENCY

The SIG Super Target air pistol rested by HAM displayed excellent consistency.

The trigger pull weight varied by just plus or minus 3 ounces about its 2 Lb 7 Oz average on test. That’s certainly a small enough variation to be imperceptible to the overwhelming majority of shooters.

Standard Deviation – the shot-to-shot variation of FPS in a string – was also very well controlled at an average of just 3.34 FPS. This is a very low value and contributes to the on-target accuracy across multiple shots.

NOISE LEVEL

The SIG Super Target air pistol is not silenced. However, with a Muzzle energy in the 2 Ft/Lbs range, it should be no surprise that it’s very quiet. Definitely backyard- basement- and range-friendly.

SIGHTS AND SCOPE

The SIG Super Target air pistol is fitted with “regulation” open iron sights. These use a square post front sight, combined with a square notch rear sight. As you would expect, there’s not a piece of fiber optics in sight yet the sight picture is very clear!

The rear sight is click-adjustable for both windage and elevation. As you can see, a screwdriver is required to make adjustments. There’s no chance that the rear sight adjustment could be changed accidentally. Very good!

HAM tester Doug Wall commented: “Good sights. Although my personal preference would be for a slightly wider rear notch”. But clearly he was able to obtain fine accuracy in spite of that!

SHOOTABILITY

The “rotating slide” action of the Super Target air pistol makes it easy to cock. Pellet loading is directly into the rear of the barrel. It’s easy enough once you have had some practice, but may result in a couple of dropped wadcutter pellets until you get the knack.

As you can see, the pellet is loaded directly into the rear of the barrel. The cutouts in the sides of the slide facilitate loading, but there’s no doubt that small, thin fingers will be an advantage here.

However it should be noted that this type of loading is common to most types of over-cocking single stroke pneumatic target air pistols.

There’s no doubt that this is an easy pistol to shoot. It’s fun, too! HAM Tester Doug Wall commented in his test notes: “Grips are nice. Trigger is nice. Balance is nice”.

With a weight of 33 Oz and an overall length of around 10 3/4 Inches, the Super Target certainly feels good in the hand. Not too heavy, not too light and just the right length.

APPEARANCE AND FINISH

Although not specifically marketed as a replica, the SIG Super Target air pistol is very close in size and appearance to the SIG P210 firearm.

The overall appearance is sleeker for the air pistol, owing to the lack of magazine and slide release controls. Not to mention having no safety…

All visible metal parts are finished in a matt black satin finish. The quality of machining and finishing is excellent. The engraved lettering on the slide and frame is also done in a stylish, quality manner. This, of course, is exactly what customers expect from a SIG product.

The ambidextrous walnut grips are also beautifully finished. These are nicely grained and feel extremely comfortable in the hand.

BUYING AND OWNING

The Super Target is readily available for purchase online direct from SIG SAUER as well as from specialist airgun dealerships. So it’s very easy to buy. It’s supported with a 5 year warranty, too.

But before you load it for the first time… NOTE THAT THERE IS NO SAFETY!

As with most target air pistols, once the gun is cocked it’s live and ready to fire. This demands precision, disciplined handling on the range. But of course, that’s exactly what it will receive from the intended target audience for this airgun.

The Super Target air pistol is supplied in a quality molded clamshell case. This has black egg crate foam that holds the gun securely in transit. A a comprehensive instruction manual is also included, together with an O ring and Allen key.

The well-illustrated Operator’s Manual provides clear explanations in English, French, Spanish and German.

One final comment. Some entry level target pistols have the capability for adding a red dot or other optical sight. This can be beneficial for shooters with less good eyesight and those who want to use their pistol for precision plinking rather than outright competition. The Super Target does not have that capability and wouldn’t look like a P210 if it did.

However, offering such a capability – as an accessory? – in future might well increase sales of this SIG model even more…

TEST TARGETS

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ASP Precision Super Target Air Pistol

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.

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