Kids enjoying Airguns

Every so often I invite the youth at my church over to my place for an airgun shoot. Some of them bring their own air guns, and others use what I have on hand. At this shoot we used several of the CO2 guns that are on the market, as well as a pump-up pneumatic, all of which are available from Compasseco.

Here are some of the air guns we used at this shoot:

Walther Nighthawk

TF-78

Colt 1911 A1

Desert Eagle

Beeman P3

Some of the best targets to use when shooting with young people are the reactive kind, and the most enjoyable ones for the kids this day were the small cans of carbonated drinks, well-shaken, which exploded quite nicely when hit.



Strict adherence to the rules are explained before hand, and I make sure that each kid understands how the gun they choose to shoot is loaded and how to safely handle it. Reminders about keeping the guns pointed down range were spoken every few minutes, and instructions of placing all the guns down and not touching them while new targets are being set up were constantly being mentioned by yours truly.

The kids enjoyed shooting from standing, sitting, and prone positions during our event, and even newcomers to the fun of shooting were able to connect with their target. Not a kid went away without exploding at least one soda can, and comments of "cool", "awesome", and "alright" were heard quite a few times. And that is how it should be.....the shooting sports are among some of the friendliest in the world, and introducing young people to the sport is the way to ensure a future for the things we enjoy.









So if you want to give back to your community, social group, church or civic group, with a fun, enjoyable event that everyone can enjoy, consider air gun events that allow everyone to succeed and learn gun safety at the same time. And check out the selections at Compasseco for all your airgun needs, from pistols and rifles, to the pellets they shoot.

Hunting Season is Here!

This past Saturday marked the opening day of squirrel season here in Kentucky. I took one of my air guns out into the woods for a trial run as it has so far been untested on live game. The gun in question is a custom-built gun that is derived from the TF-78, a fine and accurate CO2 gun. However, this particular gun has been converted into a PCP, with a high-pressure reservoir added to accommodate the 3000 psi I wanted as a power source. With this conversion, (safely done by a good machinist) I derive over 4 times the power available from the CO2 version. It pushes heavy Kodiak pellets at a rate that results in 32 fpe.

The barrel on this gun is the original Chinese barrel, which is a testament to the accuracy the Chinese are building into this model of air gun. As you can see from the pictures below, I had no problem connecting with the quarry I was pursuing. Head and neck shots on the two squirrels you see were easily achieved once I settled myself down from the "first shot of the season" jitters that seem to plague me every year.

The groundhog, which is big game for small-caliber airguns, was an added bonus. The landowner had asked me to get rid of it at every opportunity as it was digging up under the woodpile and edge of the barn.



A word of caution to air gun hunters. Each year brings changes and new rules to the existing game laws, and it is your responsibility to check and see if you are hunting with a legal weapon. For instance, this year Kentucky passed a law forbidding the use of .177 caliber air guns for small game hunting. I am asking for a review of this law, but for the 2007-2008 hunting season, it is a done deal. Thankfully, I have several .22 caliber air guns to choose from, but I was sorely disappointed that I couldn't use my Beeman R-9 and R-7 this season. So glance through your state's game laws and ensure you are okay.

Now if you are looking for an early-season squirrel rifle that is recoiless and very accurate, I couldn't mention a better gun to you than the TF-78 in .22 caliber. Even on CO2, there is plenty of power for small game such as squirrels and rabbits. And if you are interested in a PCP conversion, I can steer you towards a good machinist who will turn an already great gun into a real powerhouse. And he will do it safely, which is of utmost importance when dealing with high pressure air guns.

Enjoy this hunting season and let us know how you are doing with some of the fine products you get from Compasseco.

Bigbore Power: The Sam Yang Model 909

Air guns come in many sizes, with most being geared towards the smaller calibers such as .177, .20, .22, and .25. However, the Sam Yang Model 909 fires one of the largest projectiles available for an airgun. A solid round lead ball of .45 caliber is the round of choice for this airgun, and it really puts it out there in a hurry! The .457 roundball from Hornady left the muzzle on this gun at over 750 fps, resulting in just over 180 fpe. This is the kind of power you want when you hunt prey as large as the coyote, hog, and whitetail deer.



In the picture above, you see the 909 without its cocking handle. The handle is easily installed with nothing more than a phillips-head screwdriver. The receiver of the 909 is a nice pewter color that doesn't shine too much, yet remains attractive.



The 909 is all metal and wood with no pressure gauge, so count your shots when shooting. You can fire the gun on full power by pulling the cocking handle all the way back, or on a lower power setting by cocking it half the distance with the handle. To load the gun, simply open the sliding cover that covers the loading port and place the round in the barrel. Slide the cover back, and you are ready to cock it and fire.





The fill port is located at the end of the gun, just under the muzzle. A probe is included with the gun to attach to your pump or air tank to facilitate charging it with air. A recommended pressure of 3000 psi is used in this gun. The twin reservoirs allow you ample air for multiple shots from the gun depending on what power level you use.



The rear sight, like the front sight, is all metal and easily adjustable. When mounting a scope, you may want to use medium to high scope mounts to clear the rear sight depending on the type of scope you use and the size of its objective end. You can remove the leaf of the rear sight, but the open-sight mount is fixed to the barrel.



I loaded up the 909 and headed to a spot in the country to do some test firing. At 20 yards, it was easy to make nice groups shooting offhand in very hot and miserable conditions. Even with sweat pouring off my brow, I was able to keep the shots almost touching at my test distance of 20 yards.



I test fired the .457 roundball into a cement block. In the picture below, you see the result of the power inherent in this bigbore airgun. The flattened .45 caliber rounds ended up being between a dime and nickel in size.





Here is the gun in the configuration I tested it.....with a Tech Force scope mounted and cocking handle installed. Fill it up with air, and start shooting!



The Sam Yang 909 Bigbore is a large gun, coming in slightly over 42" in length. It handles a variety of projectiles, from roundball to many kinds of conical bullets readily available in catalogs and blackpowder venues. I know some fellow airgun hunters who have taken deer with this type gun, as well as hogs. They are pleased with the power level it can provide, and at less that $500 dollars, it really delivers the knockdown power you should expect from a bigbore airgun.

Understanding CO2 as a Propellant

CO2 has been powering air guns for quite a while, going back to Paul Giffard in the 1870's who used the gas as a propellant for his guns that were sold to galleries back in the day. The gas has unique properties that lend themselves to being a very effective means of making an air gun, or in this case, a gas gun, work like it should.

CO2 has the ability to transform from a solid straight to a gas, without going through the liquid phase. Remember dry ice? Well, there you go!

Under pressure, CO2 becomes a gas over a liquid. Inside the powerlet that we are all familiar with, you have a gas and a liquid. CO2 is very temperature sensitive, and when you shoot, some of the gas is used to propel the pellet. At the point of firing, as the gas is released, some of the liquid is changed to gas to once again regulate the pressure in the container in which it is found at that specific temperature. If the temperature remains constant, the pressure from the CO2 will be constant until the excess liquid is boiled away, at which point the velocity of the pellet will begin to drop dramatically. That is one very useful feature of CO2 in that you don't have a large deviation in velocity from shot to shot as long as there is a supply of liquid CO2 still in the container.

Since CO2 is a refrigerant gas, it produces a chilling effect with each shot of the gun. In a single shot, this isn't all that big a deal since the time you take to reload allows the CO2 temperature to rise once again to its surroundings. However, some guns feature a rapid fire feature, and if you fire off several shots in a row, you will notice a lower velocity as the gun rapidly cools, thus affecting the power you get from the expanding CO2. Rest just a moment, and the velocity will return to a more even level.

If you have a CO2-powered gun, then know that the seals in the gun are the parts you should be careful with. Without them, your gun won't hold gas. Nick a seal, and a slow leak will rob your gun of gas. Rupture a seal, and you might as well throw the gun at your target for all the good it will do you.

In very warm weather, some CO2 guns will lock up, refusing to operate. This is because the pressure, dependent upon temperature, is too high in the gun for the valve to open. Take it inside for a short time to cool off, or stick it in the refrigerator for a few minutes, and your gun will once again function. Conversely, try to hunt in cold winter weather with a CO2 gun, and your power level may not be up to the job you are asking of it because the ambient temperature is so low.

CO2 guns are fascinating and lots of fun. Crosman made many types of CO2 guns, starting after World War II, and pretty much started the CO2-air gun craze. As their guns gained popularity, the 8 gram CO2 cartridge gave way to the 12 gram version. It is the standard today that most CO2 airguns use that don't run on bulk gas.

I own several CO2 guns, from the Crosman 2240 to the Tech Force 78, a copy of the Crosman 160. They shoot wonderfully, and are loads of fun. It is so easy to just install a powerlet or two, and a pocket full of pellets supplies me with many shots for hunting or plinking. So if you haven't delved into the wonders of a CO2 air gun, browse through Compasseco's website and check out the offerings that are found here. You will find several guns that use that wonderful gas, CO2!