Tech Force 34 - A Bargain Soon to Disappear!

Right now, Compasseco is having a sale on the TF-34, an underlever spring-piston rifle that is a bargain at the current selling price. This little gun is a fantastic little pest control number, and one that I would not hesitate to use for small game up to squirrel and rabbit in either caliber.

When I first starting writing for this blog, the TF-34 was one of my first entries. You'll find it under the May 2007 archive listing. Just click on the May 2007 category to the right of this blog, and you'll find it part-ways down the page.

In that entry, you'll find several comments on my admiration of this little gun. The velocity in .177 is in the mid-600's, a calm speed that lends itself to accurate shooting since the recoil is mild and low. Grooved for a scope, the gun is mild enough that normal mounts will suffice when snugly secured to the grooves provided on top of the receiver.

The underlever nature of this airgun keeps the barrel securely in place, and I achieved remarkable accuracy from the model I owned. I have since passed that gun on to another member of the airgun shooting fraternity, and from time to time I hear from him about how he is enjoying the little gun that costs so little! And now, with the special Compasseco is having, the gun is even more attractively priced! But the price won't last forever, as this gun is leaving the stable of Compasseco's product selection. If you don't have one, get one now!

The balance on the TF-34 is great, and the gun points well. It is the type gun that goes to the front porch with me, on a stroll through my backyard, and even into the edge of the woods for the occasional squirrel that happens by. And when winter comes and rabbit season comes in, a target of opportunity provided by Brer Rabbit will show you the ability this little rifle presents. For $42.36, it's a great gun!

Compasseco is working hard to bring you great deals via their closeout sales, new product line, and continued emphasis on providing knowledgeable service before and after the sale. And coming soon, a new look to the website is on the horizon. So stay tuned for the exciting changes coming to Compasseco, and check back often to see what other great airgun or accessory has gone on sale.

Shoot What'cha Got!

Here's the scenario:

A local shooting club or organization sponsors a shooting match of some kind....it doesn't matter what kind.....field trial, long range silhouette, 10m Olympic style.....what matters is that the shooting match is held, and an invitation goes out to all interested parties to come and enjoy the match, the competition, the fellowship of like-minded people.

Some shooters come from far away.....others are nearby or so close it's like running to town for a gallon of milk you forgot yesterday! All of them are set to enjoy the competition and atmosphere. The gun cases fly open, and out come the $1000 + airgun rigs, special jackets or weighed pellets, bum bags for derriere comfort.....all the things a dedicated shooter thinks they need for shooting fun. But off to the side.....

A new shooter, or someone new to airguns, hesitates about even going and getting his or her gear from the car. You see, they are new to the fraternity of airgunners, and often new shooters start with low-priced rigs, or big-box store special sale merchandise. The hesitation is noticed by one of the current or former champion shooters, and with a knowing nod to the situation, they stroll over and inquire as to what the new person is shooting.

"Oh, it's just a cheap little Chinese gun I picked up one day when I needed to take care of some garden pests. I'm not even sure I can hit anything with it anymore!"

"Let me see it," the veteran shooter says. "Oh, I've got one of these! Mine shoots at xxx speed and gives me about 1" groups at 40 yards. Does yours do that?"

The new person gapes at the veteran, realizing that their gun is not going to be ridiculed for its origins or cost. Before long, other shooters comment on the new person's rig, stating they either own or have owned one in the past, and sharing stories about how good or bad it was, how they fixed problems that came up with their gun, and how much they enjoyed or are still enjoying the exact same model the new person is using that day.

So what's the point of this little story? Just to say that what you are shooting isn't quite as important as the fact that you ARE shooting. If you are a newbie, I would urge you to go to a match and take what'cha got, and enjoy the fun. Odds are, and I'd almost bet good money on it, that before the day is done, you will get the chance to shoot some of those high-dollar rigs that other shooters bring. And you'll find some shooters using low-cost rigs like yours, and doing very well, thank you very much!

You see, airgunners simply can't resist showing off their guns. I believe it is part of the virus that gets into an airgun shooters when they catch airgunitis. It's not a deadly disease, but it can become costly if you don't watch out! However, part of having the disease is letting as many folks shoot your gun as possible so they can comment on what you have. And many airgunitis victims revel in the fact that they can take a garage sale gun and make it shoot like a house on fire!

Just recently, Ray and Hans Apelles of the A-Team had to have a shoot off to determine the winner of the match, a match in which both of them cleaned the course (hit every target). The gun they were using? The Benjamin Discovery, a sub-$300 gun which they had modified slightly. With a low-budget gun, they beat the competition, some of who were using much higher-dollar equipment.

So get out there, shoot what'cha got, and enjoy the great fun that is available for those who enjoy the sport of airgunning!

Pest Control Hunt: Early Season Squirrels

From time to time I get the chance to enjoy airgunning with friends I have met on the internet forums. This year, a friend named Kevin asked me if I would like to drive down to a pecan orchard in Alabama to help with a pest control hunt.

It seems that the pecan orchards in Alabama get raided with discouraging frequency by the resident population of tree rats. Last year, Kevin managed to make the acquaintance of a pecan orchard owner who invited him to help control the little marauders with his airguns. Armed not only with his airgun, but with a state-issued predation permit that allowed pre-season squirrel hunting, Kevin managed to enjoy some fast shooting in the pecan orchard.

The invitation was a welcome event for me. I love to hunt with new friends, especially with my airguns. So when the invitation was issued, I packed up and drove 8 hours to Alabama from my home in Kentucky. The drive was pleasant and not too tiring, and I got there early enough to enjoy an afternoon hunt that very day.

One difference between the hunt this year and last year's hunt that Kevin went on is the timing. Last year, Kevin was hunting just before the opening of regular small game season, and the pecans were closer to being ready for harvest. This year, we were about 1 1/2 months early, and the conditions were quite different. The heat this year was in the low 90's, and the pecans were not ripe enough to seriously attract the squirrels.

Hunting an orchard is different than hunting the woods. The trees are evenly spaced, and there is lots of open space around each tree. A good tactic to use might be to set up a blind near the nut bearing trees, but for this hunt we elected to hang out near the edge of the woods near where the squirrels made their approach to the orchard.

We saw squirrels almost immediately, but they headed back into the woods at the first movement on our part. For the first evening, we didn't get a shot at them, and so we made plans for the next day. Early the next morning, I headed out to the same spot, and about mid-morning caught a pecan raider making his approach to the orchard. He stopped on a limb above me to try and figure out why I was pointing a long stick at him. He paused a little too long, and the "stick" puffed air and a pellet at him, and down he came. I had my first Alabama squirrel.

After lunch, I changed tactics to compensate for the heat. Since I wasn't seeing many squirrels in the orchard in the 90 degree weather, I reasoned that they were still in the woods where the shade was. I headed into the thickest part I could find, sometimes crawling on my hands and knees to get through the undergrowth. I was right.....in less than an hour I had another squirrel on the ground, and saw several more. But the thicket was just that......a thicket. Very heavy undergrowth that limited shooting options. However, I did discover where the squirrels were at, and stored that bit of info away for the next time I am able to come down for a pest control hunt during the heat of summer.

Even game animals like squirrels can approach pest levels depending on the circumstances. In a case like this, a pre-season hunt, legally sanctioned, can often provide an exciting, if challenging, opportunity to get in some shooting before the game season opens. And squirrels can do serious damage to agriculture in left unchecked. Just about any game animal can become a pest if left unchecked, so keep an eye out on game numbers in your neck of the woods. There may be opportunities if you go through the right channels to enjoy some shooting and hunting venues that are normally unavailable.

My thanks to Kevin for the invitation to hunt with him. I got to meet a couple of new friends who enjoy much of the same things I do, and will treasure the time I spent in Alabama this year.

Summertime Blues: CO2 in Hot Weather

Summertime brings out several things.....picnics, swimming parties, mosquitos.....and CO2 guns. And warm weather is where the CO2 gun can really shine!

Due to the nature of CO2, warm weather brings out the best in CO2 guns. But sometimes too much of a good thing becomes....well, not good. For instance, a few summers ago I was visiting my brother in Baton Rouge. Dead heat of summer. Miserably humid, and so hot even the fire ants were fanning themselves.

I had brought a TF-78 and a Crosman 2250XT (which was brand new to the market at that time) down to enjoy some off-the-back-porch shooting. My brother and I were busy making crumbs out of snack crackers when the TF-78 he was using just up and quit. No explanation, no warning, still had gas in it.....it just quit.

Now, for those of you who have been shooting for awhile and know the nature of CO2, I'm sure you've already deduced what had happened. Sure enough, I had experienced valve lock. Valve lock is a condition when the internal pressure of the CO2 gun's reservoir becomes too high for the force of the hammer to open the valve for the realease of gas during the firing cycle. As I recall, it was in the high 90's, and we were sitting in the sun, shooting in between sessions of wiping our brows free of sweat. All that exposure to the sun increased the temperature to the point where the valve would simply no longer function.

The best way to cure that condition is to have patience. I didn't have any to spare that day, and I tore the gun down in order to manually force the valve open with a hammer and a dowel rod. That was my first dumb idea, as I promptly lost the little piece of tubing (the transfer port ring) when i knocked open the valve for the first time, shooting the little piece of tubing off into the grass somewhere. Never did find that thing!

A much wiser way of solving the problem would have been to take the gun inside for awhile and let it cool down. The pressure would have reduced itself to a level that would have allowed the gun to work again, but I wasn't thinking to brightly that day. In subsequent instances of valve lock, I began setting the gun in the deep freeze for about 5-10 minutes. That's all it takes to reduce the pressure enough to once again enjoy some great shooting from a CO2 gun.

The nature of the CO2 gun does not lend itself to leaving the gun exposed for long periods of time to sunlight and heat. As the pressure inside the gun rises, the seals are being pushed on at a much higher force that they were ideally designed for. It may take more than one occurence, but eventually the seal is going to give way, and then you'll have a gun that leaks gas and doesnt' bring anyshooting pleasure at all. And in some gun designs, the valve is held in place by a single screw. Enough force applied to that and you'll shear the screw right off, mess up the threads in the valve that receive that screw, and be in need of a new valve, much less a new seal. So realize the issues behind CO2 and its use during high temperature.

CO2 has its detractors in the airgun world. However, properly set up, it can give a very inexpensive shooting experience. I hunt during the early season with CO2 guns for squirrels and have very good luck. They are powerful enough for most small game needs in weather above 50 degrees or so. I do take the caution of shooting a couple of sighting shots before a hunt to determine any differences in point of impact due to the temperature of the day in question. And using a CO2 gun such as the TF-78T that has a bulk CO2 supply lessens the effect of the temperature to a small degree.

Here is a brief list of CO2 guns that I consider great values for your money, as well as coming in high on the enjoyment list for shooters in general:

TF-78

TF-78T

TF-78 Gold Series

RWS 850 Magnum

TF-79

TF-79T

TF-79TH

Crosman 2240

Drop by Compasseco's product categories or click on the links above to read up on all the features these guns provide. And in the warm summertime, enjoy the great shooting that a CO2-powered airgun provides.