Funny things we do as Airgunners

Jeff Foxworthy has made of living out of the phrase...."you might be a redneck if....", and some of the stuff he comes up with is downright hilarious.

Now, I don't have a similar phrase to apply to us airgun shooters....all of us, including the competitors, hunters, and plinkers.....but I have noticed some very funny things that happen when you have shot an airgun for awhile. It seems that shooting an airgun can alter one's perception of the world around them. Here are some examples:

1. Pellets found in the clothes dryer aren't thrown away....they are inspected to see if the skirts are still in good enough condition to shoot.

2. Anything wearing feathers is instantly classified as friendly/unfriendly, and range estimation is considered on each unfriendly.

3. While watching Sci-fi TV shows, every new "laser gun" or weapon that the characters use is closely examined to see what airgun it was based upon. (Check out some old Bond movies as a good example!)

4. You WANT starlings to land in your yard so you'll have something to shoot at!

5. While shopping at Lowe's or Home Depot, you notice the free-flying birds that are loose in the store, and wonder if you can talk the manager into letting you shoot them after-hours.

6. Driving to the corner store for milk is a chore, but driving 30 miles to pick up 2 tins of pellets is a required outing!

7. You hide extra money or income from loved ones so that you can sneak one more airgun into your collection at an opportune moment.

8. You agree that Tom Skerritt, in "Steel Magnolias", should have used an airgun to get rid of the birds before the wedding instead of shooting up into the air with a firearm!

9. During lean times, you go through the couch cushions to see if you not only have any spare change down there, but spilled pellets from your pockets.

10. When an animal runs across the road in front of your car, you immediately think what airgun you would have used to shoot it if you had the chance.

11. You raid the pantry, not for food, but for crackers shaped like little animals since they make such good targets!

12. You buy paintballs and golf tees, even though you don't have a paintball gun or golf. You like putting the paintballs on golf tees to shoot and watch them splatter.

13. During a country drive, you look for shooting venues....old barns, abandoned warehouses, etc....and wonder who owns the property and how you can get in touch with them.

14. During President Reagan's televised funeral, you noticed the jack rabbit at the bottom of the screen slowly hop across the scene....and you thought..."Hmmm...I wonder...."

Do you notice some odd points of view that you have since you shoot an airgun? Share some of them with us...it would be great to have a long response thread!

Crosman on the Move

If you haven't noticed lately, the Crosman corporation is on the move with new products designed to re-establish the company as a force in not just the kid/youth airgun market, but in the adult airgun market as well.

First, of course, there was the Benjamin Discovery, Crosman's first PCP airgun that also features a dual-fuel feature allowing it to work on CO2 as well. And now, fresh on the heels of the Discovery is the Benjamin Marauder, another dual-fuel airgun that has the online airgun world all abuzz!

The Marauder has some of the more desirable features that airgun shooters enjoy. Here are just a few of them:

* Fully adjustable, match-grade trigger
*10-shot automatic indexing rotary clip
*A built-in pressure gauge
*Quick connect foster fitting complete with cover
*A custom-choked barrel with internal shrouding to keep it quiet!

The Marauder is an attractive gun that only a few folks have enjoyed at the time of this blog entry. Crosman continues to fuel the interest by selling the first 100 guns to a lucky number of people who took all the rifles available in almost record time.....just a brief portion of an afternoon and all were claimed! These lucky 100 people are making quite a few posts about their new guns that have begun arriving, sharing their impressions with the general forum members. So far, the vote is an overwhelming "yes" to Crosman's latest effort.

As soon as possible, I will be taking one into the field. I hope to get one for spring squirrel season where I'm at, but if not, rest assured that I will give a full report on my impression of the Marauder and its capabilities. I'm mulling over placing it in competition against my Air Arms S410E model that I have yet to shoot. The two guns are remarkably similar in their function as well as their look. Some other members of the airgun forums have posted similar comparisons already, but everyone will have a different take on how each gun feels to them.

Crosman has put several videos online on their website, discussing the features, loading procedures, tuning functions to adjust power and shot count, trigger adjustment, and a sound test of the Marauder's report....which is very quiet from what I can tell and from those I've talked with concerning this rifle.

So start saving your pennies....realizing that you won't need as many of them as you might for one of the European models that has all the features that the Marauder has. And drop back in for some hands-on reports about the Marauder's behavior as I take it into the field for testing!

Airgun Expo in Little Rock - Brief Synopsis

I'm finally back from the Airgun Expo show in Benton, AR. We call it the Little Rock show since that is the biggest city nearby, but it is actually held at the Saline County Fair Grounds in Benton.

Robin Parks puts on the show each year, and this year was a good one. We had over 40 tables put up, and a decent crowd showed up despite the rain on the second day.

What I have noticed is the increased interest in bigbore airguns. The show now has an entire side of the venue dedicated to bigbores and the guys who make them. One of the new names in bigbore airgun manufacturing is Jack Haley, who had some absolutely beautiful .45 caliber rifles to deliver to buyers. Dennis Quackenbush was also present, as he has been since the inception of this show. His guns are always high in demand, and one buyer bought 4 of his bigbore pistols at one shot!

The comraderie at these events is among the best you'll find. After the show, many of us pile in together and frequent a wonderful little pizza shop a few miles away, and enjoy the food and fellowship. Funny stories fly around the table, and we take a few moments to remember those who have gone on or are absent for other reasons.

One amusing note is to watch the table displayers move their gear when the heavens open up and the rain comes down in force. The roof has small leaks, but you never know where until it actually starts dropping on your table! And guess whose table got leaked on this year? Yep! Mine! It's an "oh-no" moment, and friends start grabbing one end of the table while others grab the other end, and it gets moved while I find towels to dry stuff off.

Several of the attendees have posted photos on the various forums, so check out the airgun forums to see who has shared photos about the show. I ran off and forgot mine this year, so I have no good excuse as to why I don't have photos.....I just had a brain cramp at that moment.

Coming soon will be some reviews of some new Tech Force pellets, and before long the new Crosman Marauder will be available for review. So stay tuned to Compasseco's blog to get some of the latest information on what is happening in the airgun world!