Backyard Aigun Report

[BigAl52]

I havent shot my airgun in quite a while. Couple of days ago I decided to do some off hand plinking with it. I was hitting the swinging balls and steel targets at times and of course I was rusty from not shooting it. I remembered the hold isnt the same as holding one of those 10lb Hawken BP rifles where you feel like you worked out at the gym for a good while shooting one after a couple of hours. So after shooting it a couple of days in a row I felt like something might not be the same. I decided to put it on the bag again on my bench. I hauled out the bench and set up at 18 yards which is about max for my range with a bench. I can get 20 yards if I stand in the garden to shoot off hand. Its fine for me and when my neighbor is home we can open the gate and get 30 or 40 yards easy. Both he and I have the same gun. HW95 field pro. Yesterday while shooting off the bench my groups were ok but not what I wanted. It also needed some fine tuning in the scope. I had put a couple hundred rounds through it and I was thinking it could use a little fine tuning. I also ran a couple of patches thru the barrel today with some Ballistol on it. I used one of those Otis cleaning cables with about 6 or 7 good patches. The first patch that came out was black and got better the more I ran thru it. I had read where some people dont ever clean there airguns. After today I will be cleaning mine once in a while. So here are some targets I shot today.

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This target is the first one I shot these are JBS Exact Jumbo Diabolo 15.89 gr

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This target is 10 shots and is H&N Field Target Trophy 14.66 gr. I think my gun might like this pellet

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Went back and shot the same pellet as I shot on target one. I made some scope adjustments. I really like this gun it shoots alot better than I can. I also did tighten up some of the screws. I see now the price of this gun has gone up about 60.00 at Airguns of Arizona where I bought it. They are good people down there and if I was to buy another airgun I would go right back to them. Last photo is my target area. Its not as nice as Sir Henrys is but it lets me shoot in my back yard just like Gene. I can even smoke chicken while shooting. Hope you enjoyed the report

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[BigAl52]

I should also add that I have some of those Chicken Pig Turkey and Ram sillwet targets like NCG shoots at. Those go on that 2x6 rail at times when we want to knock those around. I will also be getting a couple more targets in the spring.

[North Country Gal]

Great report, Al. Enjoyed it, thoroughly. That target with the FTTs (one of our go to pellets for many of our air guns) is outstanding. Nice shooting.

Yes, break barrel springers are such fascinating guns to shoot. They really are a world other own in the larger air gun community and as these guns go, I think think HWs are fantastic. That's why we own a bunch of them. Although we have every type of air gun and air pistol there is, quality springers (spring piston air guns) still make up 80% of our air gun shooting. And, yeah, if I've laid off shooting them or have spent time shooting other types of guns, it does take a bit of time with them to get back in the groove.

Speaking of Airguns of Arizona (yes, great folks), we just received a new springer from them, today, in fact. No, it's not another HW, but it is a truly fine classic of a springer in the new FWB Sport. Got it cleaned (yes, I do clean our air guns, too) and lubed and got a chance to shoot it a bit in the backyard range and I'm very impressed.

Once again, congrats on that HW95 and some fine shooting.

[fortyshooter]

Nice AG shooting Al ! I was heavy into the air rifle shooting before I found a place to shoot my powder burners at a friends farm befor buying my own place and built up a nice backyard range area. Still have several decent air rifles that I haven't shot in a while and should take them down to my range sometime. I found that you shouldn't worry with cleaning the bore until you groups start to really open up. Also found that right after cleaning the rifles would shoot a bit better after several shots coated the bore with lead or the dry lube that is on the pellets.
I have a heavy hitter Hatson 30 cal. break barrel that can wreck some targets plus your arm after 10 shots but really like my German Walther CO2 .177 lever rifle.
Shootin' the air rifles off the Shootin' Shack porch on Fathers Day 2013 picture. Note: Don't shoot the stack on my ol' smoker!!

[BigAl52]

That saloon looks familiar Forty. Looks like it might have been a model for the powder burner range. I will keep that in mind about the cleaning part. But I had not ever cleaned this gun so I think It benefitted from the cleaning.

[RanchRoper]

That looks like a lot of fun.

[BigAl52]

Great report, Al. Enjoyed it, thoroughly. That target with the FTTs (one of our go to pellets for many of our air guns) is outstanding. Nice shooting.

Yes, break barrel springers are such fascinating guns to shoot. They really are a world other own in the larger air gun community and as these guns go, I think think HWs are fantastic. That's why we own a bunch of them. Although we have every type of air gun and air pistol there is, quality springers (spring piston air guns) still make up 80% of our air gun shooting. And, yeah, if I've laid off shooting them or have spent time shooting other types of guns, it does take a bit of time with them to get back in the groove.

Speaking of Airguns of Arizona (yes, great folks), we just received a new springer from them, today, in fact. No, it's not another HW, but it is a truly fine classic of a springer in the new FWB Sport. Got it cleaned (yes, I do clean our air guns, too) and lubed and got a chance to shoot it a bit in the backyard range and I'm very impressed.

Once again, congrats on that HW95 and some fine shooting.

Thanks for the kind words NCG. Coming from you means alot as I know you are an airgun person at heart. Right now with all the stuff going on one needs to make adjustments to keep shooting and stay active. I really like this HW 95 and if I was to get another one I would be all over an HW 97.

[BigAl52]

That looks like a lot of fun.

Its pretty cool to be able to go out in the back yard and do some shooting for sure.

[RanchRoper]

I can shoot my Red Ryder but just a little too close to road and nosy neighbors to send .50 lead balls across the property...too bad.

[Sir Henry]

Nice shooting Al. It really does like that one pellet.

[JEBar]

nice .... very nice indeed .... I've never owned or fired a pellet rifle and haven't owned a BB rifle in well over 60 years ... they've clearly come a long way since my Red Ryder

[North Country Gal]

Be careful. They're addictive. There's a whole 'nuther world of shooting out there with air guns. In fact, it's another universe.

As for cleaning, I always clean a new gun before shooting it and after that as needed when accuracy drops off too much, though it takes a lot for that to happen. I can go many hundreds of pellets before bothering with a clean.

Note that you should not use a metal bristle brush in air gun bores for cleaning, only a nylon brush or just a swab/patch, because the steel used tends to be softer and, of course, on some classic air guns, the barrel is actually brass, not steel.

[BigAl52]

Be careful. They're addictive. There's a whole 'nuther world of shooting out there with air guns. In fact, it's another universe.

As for cleaning, I always clean a new gun before shooting it and after that as needed when accuracy drops off too much, though it takes a lot for that to happen. I can go many hundreds of pellets before bothering with a clean.

Note that you should not use a metal bristle brush in air gun bores for cleaning, only a nylon brush or just a swab/patch, because the steel used tends to be softer and, of course, on some classic air guns, the barrel is actually brass, not steel.

Thanks NCG for the cleaning tip. Im always wanting to hear any tips with airguns you have. I just used a patch in mine and would not use a metal brush. I have an Otis cleaning system and just pulled thru about a half dozen patches. First one came out real black. My neighbor has the same gun I told him he needs to run a patch or 2 through his as he has not ever cleaned it also.

[John E Davies]

in regards to the H & N Field Target Trophy pellets, they shoot just OK in my PCP Hatsan Bullboss .25 but I really dislike the way they tear even heavy weight paper due to the round nose. OTH my (regulated) gun just loves the H &N Barracuda Hunter Extreme pellets, and they leave nice holes because of the partial flat nose, not wadcutter clean, but very easy to interpret group sizes. I bought a whole bunch from Pyramyd when they had a “buy two get one”deal. if you haven’t tried these yet, I do suggest buying a tin.

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https://www.pyramydair.com/s/p/H_N_Bara ... 200ct/1047

BTW, I don’t know how Airguns of AZ ships pellets. MidwayUSA is a 100% disaster, I ordered six tins and they just stuffed them in a bubble envelope, no padding whatsoever, the tins arrived all bent and distorted. I returned them for a refund. NEVER order from them. Pyramyd has special cardboard pellet boxes with 1” layers of foam and foam with hole cutouts. The pellets ride safe and secure, and arrive with zero damage. I HIGHLY recommend them for this reason alone. Their service is good too, I use them exclusively now.

John Davies
Spokane WA

[BigAl52]

Thanks John Iwill give those a try next time I order pellets. Right now I have enough pellets for quite sometime. Im familiar with Pyramid Air and Aigun Depot. But when I do order it will be from AZ as they have treated me to good not to order from them again.