Articles

• How to load pellets in airguns - Part 2: CO2 and pneumatic guns (February 2011)

  This is the second part of my "How to load pellets" series. Yes, there are several tips and things you need to know about loading pellets in pneumatic and CO2 guns. In fact, by improperly loading a pellet -- just that simple act, you can sabotage one of the finest precharged air rifles on the market! I know, because I was there when the whole thing began.

• How to load pellets in airguns - Part 1: spring-piston guns (November 2010)

  With a title like that, you must think I'm anal enough to want to teach you how to breathe, too. Well, think again. Loading pellets in airguns can easily influence how they shoot; and if you don't know it, you can actually cause some guns to completely malfunction. In this article, I'll tell you exactly what I mean. This is a subject worth understanding, especially if you're new to the world of airguns.

• How to hold an air pistol for greatest accuracy (September 2009)

  You can grab a pistol any old way if all you want to do is hold it while you pull the trigger, but if you want the BANG to mean something, then read this short article, watch the video and follow along.

• Airgun accuracy: It's not a given! Part 3--The sights (September 2009)

  Sights are an important component of an airgun's accuracy, and there has been a revolution in sighting over the last 20-30 years. Before the 1970s, optical sights on an airgun were rare, just as they were for firearms 10 years earlier. People just didn't trust optics back then, in much the same way new airgunners feel there must be some inherent inaccuracy in breakbarrel rifles today (there isn't). So, let's look at iron sights first and finish with optics.

• Airgun accuracy: It's not a given! Part 2--The projectile (September 2009)

  The first accurate airgun projectile was the dart. The lower-powered airguns of the 16th and 17th centuries used them because they were often the only projectiles those guns could launch at any velocity. According to authors like W.H.B. Smith, the early target airguns were accurate to about 50 feet, and shot placement was controlled by the removal of the hairs in the tail of the dart--one at a time. One dark strand of hair was put into the tail to serve as an alignment reference point.

• Airgun accuracy: It's not a given! Part 1--The barrel (September 2009)

  What is accuracy, and how do we get it? Accuracy is several things, all of which must be present for results to pay off. For starters, accuracy is consistency--the repeated striking of a shot in the same place. New shooters are sometimes surprised when a veteran is more pleased with a tight group of shots anywhere on the paper than with a random shot through the center of the bullseye. I can always move a tight group by adjusting the sights, but nothing I do can guarantee the repeat of a lucky shot.

• What is a flyer? (August 2009)

  Ever heard someone call a flyer? A flyer is a shot that goes wild, but the reason may be known. If a pellet with a bent skirt is knowingly loaded, shot and goes wild...it's a flyer and the shooter knows why. If the defect wasn't seen and the shot goes wild...it's still a flyer.

• A look inside the BB gun powerplant (August 2009)

  I discovered a few years ago that very few real airgunners are aware of just how a BB gun powerplant really works, so I thought I'd take the time to illustrate it.

• Helpful info for working with precharged pneumatics (May 2009)

  Here's some info that every PCP shooter should know. The first part is about high-pressure air vessels. The second part deals with something I call the "bathtub" curve of performance.

• How fast do pellets go? (March 2009)

  (At the end of this article is a video) This subject is confusing for new airgunners because many modern air rifles and a few air pistols are advertised to have velocities they cannot achieve. I've been testing this phenomenon for many years--ever since Gamo brought their 1250 Hurricane to market. That rifle was advertised as achieving 1,250 f.p.s., and the .177-caliber rifle I tested actually reached 1,257 f.p.s. when shooting RWS Hobby pellets.

• Do changes in air pressure affect pellet velocity?

  The 2008 California Science & Engineering Fair included an airgun-related entry from Beau Bayless and Trevor Foss, eighth-grade students at All Saints' Episcopal Day School in Carmel. Their entry won first place in the Physics & Astronomy section. In a slightly different format than our usual articles, we present their project.

• Scope shift and barrel droop...two common problems (March 2008)

  Scope shift is the No. 1 problem shooters have with scopes. It's also called point-of-impact (POI) shift. There are several reasons for this and none of them are the scope's fault. They're problems that plague mostly new scope users, but they can also crop up when a veteran shooter starts using a scope in a new way. The reasons for scope shift are many, so I'll try to rank them by the commonality of occurrence.

• Field Target - Part 1: Starting a club (March 2007)

  No shooting sport captivates airgunners as much as field target. Even those who do not compete and have no plans to ever compete still make a large percentage of their choices to purchase based on this sport. They quote specifications and demand equipment that is field-target ready, even if they will never use it for that purpose.

• When you have an airgun, home IS the range! (October 2006)

  With the right airguns, it's not only possible to shoot at home, you'll wish you'd started years ago. I'm not talking about your backyard. Some folks have large private backyards that let them shoot without disturbing their neighbors. But many people are squeezed into closer quarters with neighbors who'll call the police if they see someone outside with a gun. However, a home is still a castle, and yours can have a shooting range inside.

• BB History (February 2006)

  The airgun projectile we call a BB began in 1886 as common lead shotgun shot, sized BB or 0.180-inch diameter. It was selected for W.F. Markham's revolutionary new spring-piston gun that was made of maple wood and a minimum of metal parts. The probable inventor of the new airgun, George W. Sage, simply chose a commonly available projectile that produced good results in his creation...

• Airgun accuracy (June 2004)

  What should you expect from today's airguns?

• What About CO2?(December 2003)

  A plain look at an intriguing gun powerplant...

• Airgun Calibers (June 2003)

  The lowdown on the four most popular airgun calibers, plus a quick look at BBs. There are four popular airgun calibers today - .177, .20 (also called 5mm), .22 and .25. In this article, we will look at each of those four calibers and see what it does best...

• Pellets vs Round Balls (May 2003)

  There is a controversy concerning the performance of pellets and round lead balls that has been around for more than a decade. The round ball advocates tell us that round lead balls out-penetrate lead pellets by a dramatic margin...

• Velocity and Pellets (April 2003)

  It seems fantastic that an air rifle can launch a pellet faster than 1,200 feet per second (f.p.s.), but some powerful rifles can. However, just because it's possible to do it doesn't mean that it's also desirable...

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