Tech Force Contender 59

The Tech Force Contender Model 59 is the big brother to the Model 49. As you can see in the picture below, they are the same length, but the 59 has a slightly different stock and packs more punch that the 49. The stock is thicker as well, which adds more weight to the gun, making it somewhat heavier than its little brother, coming in at 7 lbs. In the picture below, the Model 59 is on the left, and the Model 49 is the right side gun.



I mounted a scope to the Model 59, which comes without any open sights and is made to shoot only with a scope, and began some test firing. I shot several pellets through it to give the gun some small amount of break-in and occasionally shot at a few tin cans nearby. With 7.9 grain Crosman Premier's, penetrating a can is no problem. Even though I didn't get a chance to shoot several hundred pellets through this gun, which is my normal habit to get a feeling for the gun, I did shoot many shots over the chrony. The spread stayed under 12 fps and clocked in at around 100 fps faster than the Model 49.



The muzzlebrake is the same on both models, though the trigger and safety setup are different. On the 49, the safety is at the rear of the tube, and the trigger is plastic. On the 59, the safety is found inside the trigger guard just in front of the trigger, both of which are metal. Cock the gun, load, push the safety forward with the trigger finger, and you are ready to shoot.



The receiver is grooved for the scope, and a scope stop comes pre-installed on the gun. All you have to do is install the scope and scope rings that come in the combination package from Compasseco, and you are ready to shoot.



The fore-end of the stock is cut slightly different on the 59. Here's a pic to show the difference in the two stocks.





With a nice buttpad to finish off the details of the Model 59, this gun offers several nice features that set it above many of the current guns coming from China. It deserves your consideration as a medium-powered springer that comes complete with all the items mentioned above. At the time of this blog posting, it is selling for $125, and don't forget that this is a scope-combo gun. Lots of value in that purchase.

Energy Calculations - How Hard Does Your Airgun Shoot?

Many people regard the airgun as a toy. However, as I and many others can attest, the airgun is a very viable tool for hunting and pest control. As a hunter, I want to know how hard my airgun is shooting so that I can be an ethical hunter.

There is a simple mathematical equation that you can use to determine the power that your airgun develops. Here is the equation:

Mass (in grains) X velocity (in feet-per-second) squared, divided by 450240 (gravitational constant).

Now what does that mean? Simply put, you multiply the speed of your projectile by itself, then multiply that answer by the weight of your projectile. Then divide by 450240, and you have your fpe (foot pounds energy). Here’s a test for you:

What is the fpe of a 14.3 gr Crosman Premier pellet going 800 fps?

Answer: 20.32 fpe

In order to ascertain the power of your airgun, you will need to measure the velocity with a chronograph. Many airguns are tested with the lightest ammo available, and the advertising will state the speed as an impressive marketing tool. However, with some reason on your part, you can get a more accurate idea of how powerful your airgun really is, and then determine if it is suitable for the purpose you have in mind.

If you enjoy math problems, work the equation another way to determine how fast your pellet is going. Lets assume you know the energy of your projectile at the muzzle, and you want to know how fast that little pellet is really going. Here’s the equation for figuring out the answer:

Take the foot pounds energy (fpe) of the gun, and multiply it by the 450240 we used above. Then divide that answer by the weight of your projectile. Then calculate the square root of that answer (I just hit the square root button on my calculator!), and you have your answer.

To test yourself, figure the fps of an 8 gr. pellet that yields 8 fpe at the muzzle.

Answer: 671 fps

For quick and dirty calculations, use the number 671 as a benchmark for figuring your FPE. You see, 671 fps is the velocity that assists the shooter with figuring fpe. If you have a projectile that is going 671 fps, then the fpe that projectile develops at the muzzle is the weight of the projectile. So, if you are shooting a 14.5 gr RWS Superdome from a .22 air rifle, and the chronograph tells you it is going 671 fps, then you know the fpe is the weight of the pellet…14.5.

This sort of information is very useful when buying a used gun that someone has already chrono'ed, or has velocity figures in a log somewhere for an individual pellets performance is a certain gun. It helps you make an informed decision, and shows other airgunners that you are serious in your pursuit of air gun excellence!

Western Ground Squirrel Hunting

Out West, one of the favorite quarry of airgun hunters is the ground squirrel. This little pest is a huge nuisance, and culling them in great numbers is encouraged by the department of wildlife in several Western states.

This is a short post, but I wanted to make you aware of some video clips that an airgun hunter from out west has posted for your enjoyment. His name is Cliff Tharp, and he has his airgun set up with a movie camera to record the results of each shot. Here is a link to his album.

http://imageevent.com/varmintair/videos

The videos contain impact shots and the results of a well-placed shot on varmints. Some of the shots are graphic, but they are true depictions of what is possible with a well-aimed air gun. Controlling pests is one of the best uses of an airgun that I can think of, and Compasseco has some great products to help you with your pest problem as well.

Tech Force Contender 49

Recently Tom Gaylord did a write up on the Contender Model 49, giving it high praise. I know Tom and run into him occasionally at airgun functions, and talk with him from time to time on the phone. After reading his article on the '49, I wanted to take a look at it myself.

I picked up the gun for review at Compasseco and spent a good portion of the day today shooting it on the back porch in between deer hunting activities. I shot several different types of pellets through the gun, and I'll post some pics of the patterns a little further down the page.

First off, this gun is a relaxing gun to shoot. Since it doesn't have open sights, I mounted a Tech Force 2-7x32 scope on it. It isn't hard to cock, and the behavior is very well-mannered. Is it as nice as an R-7 in fit and finish? Of course not, but this series of Chinese-made guns that Compasseco has started carrying are indeed a step up from the truck sale Chinese guns you find most of the time. The finish is a reddish-brown stain, but there is no checkering anywhere. The action is held in the stock with two front screws and the fasteners in the trigger guard.

The trigger and trigger guard are plastic, but the trigger has a contoured shape with a textured surface. It is nice and wide, and I found myself liking it quite a bit. It broke cleanly and consistently, helping me with shooting decent patterns after I found the right pellet.



The safety is a crossbolt at the rear of the breech area, and it releases with a sure click. It is not re-settable, so you will need to fire the gun or cock it again in order to reset the safety.



The muzzlebrake is a nicely-machined addition, giving a little extra length to make the cocking even easier. It is held on with 3 set screws, and is very snug and sure, as well as attractive.



As I mentioned earlier, I shot some patterns with it at 15-20 yards into a piece of drywall left over from my latest project in the basement. I tried the Chinese domes that Compasseco carries, as well as the RWS Superdomes, Crosman Premiere Heavies (10.5 grns), Gamo wadcutters, and Gamo Hunters. The best two pellets were the Crosman Heavies and the Gamo Hunters. Take a look at the pattern the Gamo Hunters gave me below.



The gun I reviewed shot a little slower than the one Tom reviewed. You will find some degree of difference in spring strength in many Chinese guns, so I wasn't surprised at this. (I have a TF-34 that is hotter than most with a stock spring, so I test my guns over a chrony to make sure they are doing what I think they are velocity-wise.) My gun was shooting a very sedate 530 fps, with little more than 8 fps variance through a five shot string. That is nice and steady, easy to shoot, and excellent speed for the accurate shooter. That is about the speed that Olympic guns shoot to attain the best accuracy.

This gun behaves well, shoots very pleasantly, and is an excellent alternative to the R-7. It isn't meant to take on the R-7 in fit and finish, but in the category of plinking and can-mangling, it more that holds its own. At the current price of $79.95, I would welcome this gun to my battery of airguns. It is an excellent entry-level gun for small-statured shooters as well as young teenagers. My wife shot it this afternoon as well, and she remarked at the lack of recoil. Like I said, it's just a nice little gun to shoot!

A Recent Squirrel Hunt with an Airgun

As many of you know, I love to hunt with my airguns. So much so that I rarely break out my firearms anymore. There's just something about accomplishing a successful hunt with nothing but an air-powered weapon....I guess it satisfies my primitive-hunt gene somewhere on the DNA strand.

Recently I headed out to the woods with my airgun in search of my favorite prey, the squirrel. Deer hunting is great and I never want to be without it. Picking off starlings and other pest birds is a worthy use of my time and excellent practice for more serious shooting pursuits. But the grey and fox squirrels that inhabit the woods where I live are by far my favorite target for my airguns. Not only are they challenging, but I get a tasty treat as a reward for doing it right!

I headed for a patch of woods on the edge of town. An advantage of using airguns is that I can hunt places where firearms simply aren't allowed, either by law or by being considerate of the neighbors. I was done up in my camo overalls and hat, and elected to perch at the base of a tree where the woods narrows down and runs down a fence line. With fields on both sides, the squirrels use this conduit as a means of safely moving from one section of woods to another.

Within twenty minutes I was rewarded with the movement of a squirrel scurrying along the ground. With the leaves on the ground this time of year, they are often heard before they are seen. I peered around the trunk of the big oak I was sitting under and watched the grey squirrel bounce up off the ground onto a leaning trunk of a wind-blown tree. I got myself up to my knees, keeping the tree trunk between myself and the squirrel. I peered around once more and brought my air gun up to place the sights squarely on the shoulder of the squirrel. By this time, my movement had alerted him to my presence, but one of the quirks of rodents is that they are curious, and often will freeze and look harder at a possible danger, giving the hunter time to steady themselves for a shot.

I was braced against the tree with a rock-solid rest, and my finger stroked the trigger. The Beeman Kodiak pellet that I was shooting connected right on target, and my first squirrel of the morning fell a short three feet to the forest floor. Quick and efficient, and the houses and residences 150 yards away weren't disturbed in the least. Collecting my reward from its final resting place, I sat back down once again and resumed my hunt.

Within another thirty minutes, a larger fox squirrel made his way through the trees towards me. I had a little more difficulty with this one. He apparently knew I was there and made a point of keeping a tree between us. I would catch him looking around the corner, or just over a branch as he gauged my intentions and level of danger I presented. However, as he tried to make his way through the bottle-neck of the fence line, I finally had my shot. At nearly forty yards, the pellet connected solidly and the squirrel fell from near the top of a giant oak tree. I administered a follow-up shot, a not-uncommon practice even when using firearms, and I now had enough squirrel for a meal.

Hunting with air guns gives you access to hunting locations that are normally out of reach, and the great selection of airguns you find at Compasseco can set you up with all you need to enjoy the great sport of airgun hunting. Take a look around the website and ask all the questions you can. Check your local city and state regulations since there are some places where it is forbidden, and obey the law. Remember, the public is watching, and we want to be good representatives of our sport.