Airgun Hunting Forum

If you hunt with an airgun, I'd like to make you aware of a hunting forum that you may find useful. Here is the link to the forum:

http://www.network54.com/Forum/414006/

In the interest of full disclosure, this is a forum that I own and run. The reason I make reference to it here is that Compasseco is one of the sponsors, indirectly, of this forum, providing me assistance and air guns to use and comment on. This help is invaluable to the members and visitors of this forum, as we can actually test a gun rather than rely on the manufacturer's claims about the performance a gun puts out.

The forum is heavily moderated, and the rules help keep things polite, while leaving room for honest opinions to differ. But the main appeal to this forum is the dissemination of information to the hunting public about what can be accomplished with an airgun. You'll find advice on ammo, guns, places to hunt, how to approach land owners about using their property.....just lots of useful information.

You'll also find that there are several younger hunters just starting out in the world of airgun hunting, and many of the members take time to give sage advice, as well as encouragement to our younger members. Several members have taken big game with airguns, and we all have a great time competing against each other in trying to see who can eradicate the most starlings from our respective areas!

A big thank you goes out to Compasseco for their support of this forum, and for their contribution to the airgun world. They offer great service, a great selection of quality airguns, and one of the best retail websites that is both interesting to visit and purchase from. So take some time, drop by the hunting forum at the above URL, and then drop by Compasseco for the items you need to join the airgun hunting forum as a contributing member. We look forward to hearing from you.

Beretta CX4 Storm

The Beretta CX4 Storm is a realistic-looking semi-auto airgun that provides fast-action shooting from its 30-round clip. In .177 caliber, you can hose down a soft drink can, turning it into a mass of mangled metal in near-record time. The fun factor of this gun is definitely on the upside, and the 88 gram CO2 AirSource cartridge allows several clips through the gun before needing to replenish your power source. Over 200 shots are available from each cartridge, and the example I had gave well over 200 shots, just as the manufacturer claimed.



Take a look at the clip this gun comes with.....30 rounds! Lots of shooting from one clip.....an excellent can mangler if there ever was one.



Just load up the clip, and insert it back into the pistol grip of the gun, pull back the cocking lever, and you are ready to shoot!



The safety is intuitive, with red warning labels on the side that is visible when the gun is in the "fire" mode.



The cocking handle is on the right side of the gun. Pull it back, and the gun is cocked and ready to shoot. The handle doesn't actually move back and forth during the shooting process, but the blowback action is taking place on the inside of the gun, rotating the magazine and inserting another pellet into the barrel for firing.



Complete with a nice hard-plastic case, the gun is ready to throw into the trunk for some fun shooting on trips. The case provides good protection and will help keep dust out of the gun works during storage.

I tried several different kinds of pellets in the magazine. All fired without any problem, though you need to be sure to seat each pellet securely in the magazine so that the rotating action doesn't get jammed from an errant skirt or pellet head sticking out of the magazine clip.

The gun is on the small side for adult shooters, and should be comfortable for younger shooters and those of smaller stature. The length of pull lends itself to the smaller shooter, though it isn't a problem for larger shooters. The accuracy is okay for this type of semi-auto fun gun.

There are several accessories available for the CX4, and you can order them in order to deck out your gun the way you'd like it to appear. You'll find the list of accessories listed in the manual as you see here:


$249.95 and some shipping costs will cause this gun to appear at your doorstep. Within a very few minutes, you too can be mangling cans with zeal and gusto!

Hunting in Real World Conditions

I've noticed from time to time how many airgun shooters mention the accuracy of their airgun at certain distances. You'll hear statements of 1/2" groups at 30 yards, 1" groups at 60 yards, and so on. These are statements of a gun's potential under ideal conditions the majority of the time.

Now let's move to the real world of shooting, especially the hunting end of the equation. I've yet to have a game animal or pest present itself to me in ideal conditions when I've got a bench rest available, a soft cradle of a bean bag for the forearm, and the ideal, weighed and sorted pellet available. And I rarely know to the exact yard the range to the target. So do I take the shot?

None of my comments above are meant to disparage the accomplishments of shooters who try and wring the utmost in accuracy from their guns. To do this, they have to use the bench, wind gauges, scopes so powerful that they are impractical for hunting uses, and ideal ammo. What they have done is to demonstrate what a properly fitted gun, ammo choice, and knowledge of the range can do for your attempts at accuracy.

In the real world, your live target is going to be moving a good bit of the time, at an unknown range (unless you have a rangefinder with you), and your shot selection may leave a lot to be desired from a target shooter's point of view. But you are hunting, and that presents its own set of challenges. You aren't going to be able to find a good rest every time, so you need to practice free-hand shooting, from standing, sitting, kneeling, and prone positions.

A good guess at the range of the animal is essential. You can practice estimating ranges to your prey during and after the season. If you have a laser-range finder, use it to confirm your best guess. And use targets the size of your intended prey, not miniature or over-large versions. You need to get use to looking at an animal as it would appear in a hunting situation.

Now, how about the weather? Have you ever practiced in the cold? Does your scope get fogged over? Mine has and does from time to time. Been practicing in the wind much? You should if you are hunting in such conditions. Let's face it, if we wait for ideal conditions to hunt, some of us will never get out of the house and into the field! Jim Chapman and I went deer hunting in the spitting rain one day, even after I expressed my doubts. Jim was raring to go, and we are glad we did! Jim brought home a 12-point buck with a .50 caliber airgun that day. One of the best hunts we've ever been on, and the weather was less than ideal!

Ever tried shooting while you are shivering from the cold? Or had to wipe sweat away from your brow before looking through the scope again? All of these considerations are valid issues when hunting in Real World Conditions.

So take some time, and practice even in inclement weather. Temperature affects airguns, and you need to know how your gun is going to shoot. There's a reason Tiger Woods is so good in almost any condition....he practices in all conditions, and knows how his shot is going to go on the course in certain conditions. So take his example in golf and transfer it to your shooting habits, and you'll be the one bringing home the game no matter how things are going in the field!

Webley Longbow

Webley and Scott continue to offer some very fine airguns from their new factory in Turkey. The well-established British air gun manufacturer has had an enviable record for producing some very fine airguns, and the new line of guns continues this practice. There were a few things that I found needed attention, and I'll mention them in the body of this report.

First off, the Longbow is a handsome gun. Great wood with a wide forearmed stock provides a great platform to balance the gun on your fore hand. The blueing is excellent, though slightly lighter than some earlier versions of the Longbow that were manufactured in the UK. The gun I have today is a .22 caliber version.



I used a firm one-piece mount with a Centerpoint scope for this evaluation. I put a few hundred rounds through the gun, switching pellets back and forth. Not once did the rifle diesel, though there was some expected smoke from a new gun. I tried, Gamo Hunters, Gamo Match, RWS Superdome, RWS Superpoint, Crosman Premier, JSB Exacts, and Beeman Crowmag pellets. The pellet with the best over-all group was the Gamo Match, though I may not choose this particular pellet in a hunting setting. I normally select domed pellets for my hunting needs, but if you are hunting short range, do consider these pellets as they were quite good in this gun. Next came the Gamo Hunters, followed by the JSB Exacts and the RWS Superpoints. Here are some pics of the target groups.

Gamo Match Target - 5 shots with one called flyer


Gamo Hunter - 5 shots


RWS Superpoint - 5 shots


The range that I was shooting at was 18 yards. New guns improve in my experience as they break in, and the more you shoot a gun, the better you get with it as you learn its quirks. I'm pleased with these groups from a new, stock, un-tuned gun. The firing behavior of this gun was a pronounced "snap", with almost no twang. A bit of recoil, but a pleasant firing sensation all around. As on most Webley rifles, the safety is well located and easy to set or unset.



The power of this gun was 12-14 fpe, with the following chrony readings. I found the velocity somewhat lower than advertised, but lighter pellets than the ones I was using will allow one to reach the advertised velocity if one so desires.

Gamo Match chronograph reading


Crosman Premier chronograph reading


JSB Exacts chronograph reading


RWS Superdome chronograph reading


Out of the box, the gun would not cock. So I removed it from the stock and worked the safety mechanism back and forth a few times to loosen it up. Once back in the stock, it cocked fine and gave me no trouble whatsoever. While I had it out of the stock, I took a few pics of the trigger mechanism. There is some side play in the trigger itself, and it wobbles right and left a little too much. A couple of very thin washers would solve this problem as it is annoying when you put your finger on the trigger and it moves sideways.

Trigger group


Put some washers on this pin and the problem is solved.


The finish on the gun is excellent, but for the buttpad. I noticed it appeared like it had bumped into a sander one or two times too many. Now I know that a well-used gun is going to get character marks from use, but I prefer to put those character marks there myself, and not find them on the gun when I take it out of the box for the first time.





Currently priced at $384.00, the Webley Longbow will contend against the Beeman R9 for your air gun money. It shoots accurately, offers a nice level of power, and should complement your collection nicely. Give it a try....I think you'll like it.

Mouse Safari in the Barn

From time to time, I like to do something different with my airguns. This week, I was getting my lawnmower ready for the upcoming mowing season. I was noticing all the mice running around the barn, so the thought occurred to me that hitting a mouse with an airgun would definitely be a challenge! So.....

What gun should I use? I tried using a custom pistol with a large scope, but it isn't designed for short-range work, and the mice were coming by my position from 2-10 feet....yes, feet, not yards! So an open-sight gun would be useful.

My barn is old, with sheet metal on the outside of a wood structure. The wood is so old that I coated the barn with some left-over sheet metal to further keep the weather out. The wood had dried and seasoned, and every board left a gap for rain and snow to get in. The dog pen is to one side, and I keep the dog food in the barn. I imagine that is what is attracting the mice, since my kids almost always spill a little food when feeding the dogs. (I actually keep the dog food in an old ice chest to keep the rodents out of it.)

Since I wasn't too worried about hitting anything of value in the barn, other than the mower and boat I keep out there, I sat up on my ATV in order to get a comfortable place to shoot from. I used a Marksman 2004, which is a Chinese-made copy of the Beeman P3, and a newer pistol from RWS, made by Diana in Germany. It is the model 5G Magnum. This is a very powerful little pistol, and very accurate as well.

Now hitting a mouse is not an easy thing. I wasn't using the shot-gun approach, but rather trying for the "Marksman Award" by hitting it with a single projectile. I got several shots at the mice over the next hour, but it wasn't until I had missed several times that I finally connected with one. This one was taken with the Marksman 2004. An excellent, low-cost version of this gun is the Beeman P17.

The ammo I used for this little outing was the RWS Super HollowPoints in .177. They are very consistent, and high quality. When shooting at such a small target, you really need a pellet that shoots straight in your gun.



In retrospect, the Desert Eagle from Magnum Research, in .177 caliber, would be a very good gun for the fast shooting that is required for mouse hunting. You get an 8-round clip, and very fast second shots since the gun is a true recoil operated semi-auto. The magazine turns with the action of the blowback, and not by the squeeze of the trigger.

So, hunting season isn't actually over, now is it?