Air Rifle Chat: PCP rifles, thoughts, experience and recommendations

[Old_School]

I don't know why but having to worry about always having a canister for shooting just doesn't appeal to me. Even if it drops 400 to 500 fps. It's kind of comparing nitrous vs. a turbo. One's always there and the other has to be monitored and will loose power shot after shot. Preference is the buyers prerogative I guess. The up-side is you don't have to charge the gun every time and you have multiple shots readily. I quess that isn't so bad. My gun is a ***** to charge and it is single shot. However, the projectiles are really moving when they exit the barrel.

Different strokes, I guess. I like springers and PCPs. BTW, once a PCP is tuned, you should get 25-35 shots at around the same velocity. If you're running a regulated gun, you may get upward of 60-70 shots at the same velocity.

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[Shovelhead]

I have two Benjamin's. A 22 caliber Armada and a 357 Bulldog. Both are accurate and quite. I bought a small carbon fiber tank for refills but have had problems getting it filled. Most dive shops refused to fill it. I then bought a used scuba tank. Much cheaper and dive shops fill it without question. Dont waste your time with a PCP hand pump unless you need a workout.

 

[RamRoddoc]

I don't know why but having to worry about always having a canister for shooting just doesn't appeal to me. Even if it drops 400 to 500 fps. It's kind of comparing nitrous vs. a turbo. One's always there and the other has to be monitored and will loose power shot after shot. Preference is the buyers prerogative I guess. The up-side is you don't have to charge the gun every time and you have multiple shots readily. I quess that isn't so bad. My gun is a ***** to charge and it is single shot. However, the projectiles are really moving when they exit the barrel.

I totally understand.

I have been a spring/air guy for 15 years and was strongly considering a fine German rifle as my "premium" legal lethal critter gitter for those damn squirrels are digging in my garden and will start attacking my crops and have been getting in my gutters/roof.

The spring air guns can be very accurate and my first has held accuracy until a few years ago. Awesome value and 15 years ago if it was in my or my neighbor's back yard it was DRT. I received another springer that spit light pellets at close to a 1000 fps but with a variety of pellets the heavy ones at about 915-925 fps would group 1-1/2 at best in 20 yards.

A tuned PCP will create one hole at that range and most have acceptable accuracy to 50 yards or more with 75-100 yard shots not unheard of. The most accurate pellet rifles on the earth used in competition are PCP guns of European origins.

Many don't realize that PCP guns have been around for hundreds of years and were used in combat/battle. The issue was using bellows to charge the guns but they were our first early repeating rifles. We have came a long way.


Accuracy PCP work.

 

[greg vess]

That's quite impressive accuracy from an air gun. Holy moses one hole at 100 yards is astonishing.

 

[Old_School]

I totally understand.

I have been a spring/air guy for 15 years and was strongly considering a fine German rifle as my "premium" legal lethal critter gitter for those damn squirrels are digging in my garden and will start attacking my crops and have been getting in my gutters/roof.

The spring air guns can be very accurate and my first has held accuracy until a few years ago. Awesome value and 15 years ago if it was in my or my neighbor's back yard it was DRT. I received another springer that spit light pellets at close to a 1000 fps but with a variety of pellets the heavy ones at about 915-925 fps would group 1-1/2 at best in 20 yards.

A tuned PCP will create one hole at that range and most have acceptable accuracy to 50 yards or more with 75-100 yard shots not unheard of. The most accurate pellet rifles on the earth used in competition are PCP guns of European origins.

Many don't realize that PCP guns have been around for hundreds of years and were used in combat/battle. The issue was using bellows to charge the guns but they were our first early repeating rifles. We have came a long way.
.
.
.

If you haven't checked out Ted's Holdover, he does a lot of pest bird elimination at extreme ranges (100+ yds). Admittedly, some of his rifles are exotic/expensive, but how many of us could hit a starling at those ranges with the same equipment? There's a reason he's won several Extreme Benchrest competitions. His video skills are pretty good too.

In most of his slo-mo vids, you can see the pellet dropping into, and hitting, the target.

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[/MEDIA]

 

[Old_School]

I have two Benjamin's. A 22 caliber Armada and a 357 Bulldog. Both are accurate and quite. I bought a small carbon fiber tank for refills but have had problems getting it filled. Most dive shops refused to fill it. I then bought a used scuba tank. Much cheaper and dive shops fill it without question. Dont waste your time with a PCP hand pump unless you need a workout.

Why are dive shops refusing to fill your SCBA? Is it beyond its 15 yr service life? Some shops are just jerks about filling.

20 years ago, I had to talk with the owners/managers of dive shops to get my Luxfer aluminum dive tank filled. Since I don't have a "C-card", they typically won't fill for just anyone. I carried in a waiver and was able to talk 2 shops into filling (out of the 7 shops I went to!).

One manager had me bring in my rifle and once I explained it to him, he got excited and bought his own PCP!

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[greg vess]

I just watched the video. That guy has it together with air guns. I weigh my projectiles when I put a box of ammo together but I don't do all the mods to the whole gun. LOL He knows his stuff.
I watched a show on outdoor channel that had a segment on old air rifles and their start up and knew about their early existence but that gun has to cost some ching ching.

 

[Smoothie]

Why are dive shops refusing to fill your SCBA? Is it beyond its 15 yr service life? Some shops are just jerks about filling.

A shop near me only has capability to fill up to 3500psi

 

[Shovelhead]

Why are dive shops refusing to fill your SCBA? Is it beyond its 15 yr service life? Some shops are just jerks about filling.

20 years ago, I had to talk with the owners/managers of dive shops to get my Luxfer aluminum dive tank filled. Since I don't have a "C-card", they typically won't fill for just anyone. I carried in a waiver and was able to talk 2 shops into filling (out of the 7 shops I went to!).

One manager had me bring in my rifle and once I explained it to him, he got excited and bought his own PCP!

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The only shop I found was on McEver in Flowery Branch. All the rest sight that they are too dangerous. I had a brand new tank that set me back $300(Amazon Prime). After moving to Elberton I couldnt find a shop within 50 miles. I sold the small PCP tank at a loss and bought a used scuba tank that is certified until 2020. Total cost with and adapter $130.

 

[Old_School]

The only shop I found was on McEver in Flowery Branch. All the rest sight that they are too dangerous. I had a brand new tank that set me back $300(Amazon Prime). After moving to Elberton I couldnt find a shop within 50 miles. I sold the small PCP tank at a loss and bought a used scuba tank that is certified until 2020. Total cost with and adapter $130.

Yes, I've used that dive shop. Very nice staff, but they can't really fill much past 4400psi, with cool-down pressure around 4000psi. It will do for now.

Sorry to hear about your SCBA experience. I really prefer them because of size, pressure capabilities and light weight.

My old 3500psi 100 cu ft aluminum scuba bottle weighs about 50# (or it feels like it). Plus, I don't get that many fills because I've only got 500-700psi to use (I fill my rifles to 2700-3000psi).

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