From a perspective covering almost 60 years at this juncture I have every confidence in stating that the ready availability of accurate ammo is the most critical factor in bringing airgunning to the fore as a viable shooting sport.
All 3 of the dometically produced MSPs post WW2 were entirely capable of shooting with enough power to be acceptable hunting weapons. It was the universally inaccurate domestically produced pellets available to shoot in them that gave them the rep for inaccuracy. The advent of good pellets made them 'good' guns overnight.
In point of fact there were virtually no Sproingers READILY available to equal the power of the domestic MSPs until the advent of the FWB 124/127. It was only with the arrival of the R-1 on the scene that there was a spring gun that could shame the MSPs for power. And even that came at the price of extreme hold sensitivity and pellet selectivity by comparison to the MSPs.
Both sproingers and MSPs have warts. It has taken the ready availability of PCPs to finish the transformation of airgunning to the currently accepted status.
Both my 1400s and Sheridans propel 14.3 gr. Premiers at over 700fps and I can't even begin to guess the amount of game my low 600s fps Crosman 101 brought to the table thru the late '40s, '50s & '60s. With the advent of good pellets they all improved in accuracy by a quantum step. The best of them will give any currently available sporter sproinger a good 'run for the roses' as practical hunting weapons in both accuracy and the power required for the task. I'm really enjoying my 'new' guns these days.
That's the viewpoint from the perspective on the Bluff at any rate. Tom @ Buzzard Bluff
Pellets are the single most important part of shooting accurately. Consistancy in weight, diameter, and flight stability are the most important factors with the guns repeatable velocity being a close second. I can't say more about this as I just returned from the indoor range (Man Cave) after shoot two of the most disimilar rifles I own. My Diana 460 and my FWB 124, both .177's shot patterns that were almost identical with the same selections of pellets at the same range. Cheap pellets (Crossman Premer), same pattern; pricey pellets(JSB Match Diablo), same pattern, better was tighter with both rifles. I'm not implying that the guns are the same, just that the pellets are doing the same thing regardless of the gun I use to shoot them with. It goes without saying that the more expensive (read this as better quality control) pellets shot better. I'd advise all, and especially the newer shooters to spend a lot of time choosing pellets for the gun, and less time looking for mechanical improvements like sights, or springs or other things that make no difference until you know what to feed into the breech of your gun . Guns are like women, some recievers are loose, some are tight,some actions like it fast, and some like it slow, all that matters is that they get it right when YOU pull the trigger. The best pellets for your shooter give you the best feelings from your shooter.
Re: Yes having a variety of quality pellets is great! nt
February 13 2008, 1:50 PM
I agree wholeheartedly. Although I haven't been part of the earlier condition, that in which airguns were shot with less selection and less accuracy, I have seen and used some of those... less superior... pellets.
How odd it seems now, to think that some of the neatest airgun designs of the past could not have been used to their full potential with the pellets of their era.
Its a great car, but I wish someone would invent something other than square tires. I feel like I've spent a lifetime designing this incredible suspension system!
<I'd advise all, and especially the newer shooters to spend a lot of time choosing pellets for the gun, and less time looking for mechanical improvements like sights, or springs or other things that make no difference until you know what to feed into the breech of your gun>
Thanks Missy's Dad for fining down my rambling! That is the bottom line! Until a guns' preferred diet is determined everything else is nothing more than an exercise in futility.
Moneys spent without that determination are great for the economy and the sport but wasted to the shooter. I find myself wondering if the decreased emphasis I see on that all-critical factor is merely a prevailing assumption that "everybody already knows that" or market driven. In whatever the case it is good that we present it regularly for the benefit of all of the new people just entering the sport. Tom @ Buzzard Bluff
I have to add this though . Despite all the potentially "bad" info - the "biggest advancement" in airguns is the wealth of knowledge and choice available to everyone through the internet . I know as a fairly recent inductee into the airgun ranks - if it wasn't for the 'net I'd be praying for better weather to go to the gun range . Wouldn't even bother with a mere "bb gun" . I rarely even think about my firearms anymore .
now that I am older I find myself analizing what is it that I shoot
Pellets, found out about them when I was almost 30 years old, before that it was mostly BB's
Now I know about grain weight, skirt size, wadcutter, domed or pointed and most of all which pellet for which gun. lube it, clean it, size it, check it
pellets are more complicated now than when I was 12 years old but i have more experience now and can certainly dicern between them
warren
PS: pellets it is
and remember "it's 30% the gun and 70% the shooter"