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Ten years and counting

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

This report covers:

• Ten years have passed
• Rocky start
• I’ve got a secret
• Firearms enter the mix
• I am not an expert
• Meadowlark Lemon
• Friends past and present
• And then I got sick

Ten years have passed
Today is special because it marks the end of the first 10 years of this blog! We began on March 2, 2005, with a report titled Hunt with the Sheridan Blue Streak air rifle. A lot has happened since then.

Rocky start
In the beginning I was “advised” by some internet “experts” that web logs (blogs) are supposed to be very short pieces. Make them too long and they bore the readers. I tried to write just 500 words per report, but it didn’t work out. I couldn’t get enough thoughts into only 500 words, so I forgot what the experts said and just wrote until I was done. Before long, I realized that to do a decent test I would need to serialize my reports, and that is where parts 1, 2 and 3 came from.

At first we didn’t have many people commenting on the reports, but that changed in about 6 months. We started getting as many as 100 comments per report, and there have been a few reports that have topped 400 comments! Look at some of the other shooting sports forums and blogs and you will find that even 25 comments is considered a lot.

I’ve got a secret
In the beginning, I didn’t want anyone to know who I was. When I wrote The Airgun Letter monthly newsletter, I put a lot of peoples’ noses out of joint because I was telling my readers the truth about airguns instead of the party line. Some people didn’t like that.

We had a forum in those days — the Airgun Forum. It was so active that it was one of the hottest spots on the internet, other than the porn sites. We regularly got 1,500 comments in a single day! The ISP that hosted us didn’t even charge us for all the extra bandwidth we used (we couldn’t have afforded it), because they used our website to demonstrate their capability to prospective large clients.

When we shut down The Airgun Letter and the Airgun Forum (the former because I became the editor of Airgun Illustrated, a newsstand magazine, and the latter because the amount of constant attacks/hacks that often wiped out all comments), we did it suddenly and without warning. That was my decision. I didn’t want to listen to endless discussions of how we could salvage things and carry on. But the way I did it, made us more enemies.

I am the one who shut things down. Edith wanted to explain everything to our readers and go out gradually, but in the end she accepted my decision and we just shut it down. James Kitching then contacted us to purchase the rights to the Airgun Forum, and we told him we didn’t want to sell. But we didn’t mind if he copied our overall look and our yellow background with black print that is the easiest combination to read. From that, the Yellow Forum was born.

All of this activity hurt my reputation, so when Pyramyd AIR asked me to write a daily blog, I agreed only if my real name was not used. I wanted to be able to just talk about airguns without any personalities getting in the way. Edith thought up the name B.B. Pelletier, which everyone thought was clever. It would be several years before I learned I had taken the last name of the first man to be executed by the guillotine!

Though I’d started writing the way I do with The Airgun Letter, I refined my writing style as this blog grew. I remember not thinking much about it and suddenly one day several years ago we found that we had over 10,000 registered user accounts. Today the number is over 60,000.

Firearms enter the mix
I had an idea that I tried, and it worked. I would write about shooting firearms from time to time, for a change of pace but also to illustrate some things in a different way. That started pulling in firearms shooters who found the blog fascinating once they got here. Kevin Lentz came to us that way, I believe. And so have hundreds (if not thousands) of other readers.

Some folks thought that our “anything goes” policy of not staying on topic in the comments was risky or simply too disorganized. More than one reader has said, “I’m outta here!” because of that policy. And some of those who left changed their handles later and came back, after discovering that this formula works. Sure, it gets boring when 2 or 3 readers dominate the comments, talking about non-airgun things. I get bored, too. But that’s what a scroll bar is for. We’re not the Thought Police.

I am not an expert
I’ve said this many times and still people don’t believe me. I’m not an expert on airguns. I do know a lot of things, and some of the things I know are wrong. In fact, if you pay attention, you’ll see that I am getting smarter through this blog. I try to make my mistakes publicly, so everyone knows what doesn’t work. And, I’ll poke fun at myself as I do.

If I had the experience of an Elmer Keith or a Harvey Donaldson behind me, I would know it and I’d shut up about this; but the fact is that I ain’t them. I’m not even close. As far as I know, nobody else is, either — at least not in the world of airguns. I watched an episode of Pawn Stars where they made a big deal about a Giffard CO2 pistol coming into the pawn shop. There were so many errors in that segment that I talked the entire time it was on. Then, yesterday, I saw another episode where a guy brought in a Daisy Buck Jones BB gun. More errors! So, as little as I do know about airguns, it’s lightyears ahead of the so-called expert advising Pawn Stars.

The same thing happens when I talk to various industry representatives. I end up telling them the history of their own companies; because, to them, where they work is just a job; where to me, this stuff really matters. What I’m saying is that, while I am no expert, I know a lot more than most people, and compared to some of them I look like an expert!

Meadowlark Lemon
I have long admired the former Harlem Globetrotters center Meadowlark Lemon. They call him “The Clown Prince of Basketball.” I remember when I was younger, watching the Globetrotters play and Meadowlark handling the ball — keeping it away from all 5 members of the opposing team while keeping up a loud patter that was uniquely his. I know it’s staged, but that doesn’t detract from the beauty of one man doing what he does best — keeping the whole show moving. I always wanted to be like Meadowlark, except not as a basketball player.

This blog allows me to realize that dream. If I can keep you excited about airguns while learning something at the same time, that’s me handling the ball like Meadowlark! I know it’s a poor comparison, but I really do think this way.

Friends past and present
Over the past 10 years I have seen many readers come and go. I believe Kevin, Volvo, Slinging Lead, Fred from the Democratic Peoples’ Republic of New Jersey and RidgeRunner have been here the longest. But I still remember Turtle from Puerto Rico, Milan (from Bosnia?), Herb (who still drops in), Wacky Wayne (who went from knowing nothing about field target to being a major competitor), Big Bore Addict, Mr. B., Rickyb…and the list goes on and on.

And then I got sick
In 2010, I was very sick and spent 2.5 months in the hospital. I had 8 operations while in there and 3 after I was released. I was fed intraveniously for 3.5 months. Through it all, the folks at Pyramyd AIR stuck by me and asked what they could do to help. They never pressured me about the blog.

My wife, Edith, wrote the blog for a long time when I was unable to. And you readers gave me encouragement and several nice gifts when I came home. Recovery took over a year and I’m still unable to do some of the things I used to, but you guys stuck with me through it all.

If you get something from reading this blog — great. That’s what I want. But I think I’m the biggest beneficiary. I learn stuff from you guys and use it later in my writing like I knew it all along. You’ve made me a wise man through association.

Today, we step off into the future. Who knows what will come? One thing is for certain, though — for 10 years and counting, I’ve had the best job in the whole world!

author avatar
Tom Gaylord (B.B. Pelletier)
Tom Gaylord, also known as B.B. Pelletier, provides expert insights to airgunners all over the world on behalf of Pyramyd AIR. He has earned the title The Godfather of Airguns™ for his contributions to the industry, spending many years with AirForce Airguns and starting magazines dedicated to the sport such as Airgun Illustrated.
See Full Bio

181 thoughts on “Ten years and counting”

  2. B.B.

    Congrats on the Anniversary!
    I’ve recently become a new reader of this blog within the past year and look forward to it every day! It’s great to read the history of things you present and also the technical details.

    Also I enjoy reading the off-topic comments that some of your readers have. I get a chuckle when I see two or three of them talking about whatever! You can tell that you have created a family out of your readers!

    Keep up the great work and I’ll keep reading!

  4. Happy anniversary BB and Edith. The history of guillotine like decapitating machines is very long. ( A History Of The Guillotine by Kershaw). The Scots built one called the Maiden. It has been preserved at the National Museum in Edinburgh. Dr. Guillotin may have copied this machine. The first victim to be named in this book is James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton (1516-1581) . Morton introduced the Maiden to England during his reign as regent (which was CUT SHORT by the Maiden.) So unless we only consider French machines, M, Pelletier was not the first victim to be decapitated mechanically. Ed

  5. Happy anniversary! Thanks for refining your expertise here where we can learn along with you. I found your blog last year and never miss any of them now. I don’t comment ofter, but I’m reading and enjoying.
    Thanks, Mark T.

  6. I have to admit the blog has taught me to think about guns like I never have before.

    And I have thought about using the scroll button at times but I don’t and I read. And everytime I’m glad I do.

    And one of the things I’m glad I read was the link Ken posted about the bank robbery. I couldn’t stop reading it. It was a cool story. I was going to leave a response but I didn’t. I didn’t really know how I wanted to reply.

    And BB I’m glad you didn’t follow the experts and you wrote what you needed to write. The funny thing about me finding the blog. Well I can’t remember exactly how. But I knew from reading and replying on car forums that your Blog operated different.

    I liked that it was open to off topics and I liked that people didnt argue and they tryed to contribute the best they could for what was being talked about. And I liked that Edith and you BB keep the conversations in line if situations did arise.

    All the people that I have known here throughout time have always had interesting things to say. The best thing I can see is everybody does try to help and give useful information.

    Edith and BB I will have to say that if you keep operating the way you always have that the blog will continue to be a success.

  7. Anyone. …..?
    Off topic:)

    Can a pellet settle in a bore if you leave the pellet in the uncocked rifle for about a week time? With seattle I mean semi-stuck.

    Ive noticed that my kitchen-door airgun fires the first pellet a few centimetres lower than it should. The second pellet is on target.

    I always put a pellet in the uncocked barrel, so that I only have to cock it if theres some pests to be eliminate. If I shoot the rifle a few days later, the first shot is LOW with that seated pellet. The following pellets are spot on.
    Anyone have an explanation for this?

    • Dutchjozef,

      I suppose that can happen, but what I think is happening is your airgun action needs a shot to wake up. I find that with spring guns and precharged pneumatics. Not so much with multi-pumps and CO2 guns.

      You can experiment by not cocking and loading your gun until time to shoot and see if it still shoots low on the first shot. Then you will know which is the cause.

      B.B.

      • BB,

        Thats exactly what Im gonna do. My fwb 300s does need a warmup shot, reconed a new Weihrauch wouldnt.

        Thanks for the advice, and hopefully you and Edith be around for a lot of years with the blog!

        • Dutch

          Like Tom said, test it and find out.
          I have rifles that I can pick up and shoot without worrying about it, while others really need a shot or two. Brand does not seem to matter. I am not sure if any tune work makes a difference.

          twotalon

          • TT,
            If the rifle does need a warmup shot, Ill have to find out how long it takes before it goes to sleep. Cant affort dropping dead crow on one of my neighbours cars.

            • Dutch

              Unfortunately, this is one of those things that can’t be figured out in a single test.
              Try it out with overnight, three days later, a week later, maybe stretch it out longer if you feel the need.
              Find out if it takes one shot or more. You might come up with something like one shot for up to a week, and 4 shots for a month. Who knows ?
              Takes time to figure out a gun.

              twotalon

              • TT,

                Its the first time ever since I didnt shoot the hw80 for a couple of days. I think it wants to make a point: it wants to be shot!!

                My match Anschuetz .22 rimfire needs 2 shots to get the bore warmed up.
                I didnt know new airguns could go to sleep.
                Just thought only old airguns did.
                Thanks fot the advice!

                • Dutch

                  A fairly easy way to work on this is to mark your calendar every time you shoot and how many shots it takes to get it running right. You can compile some data this way . May not take as long as you would think.

                  twotalon

        • dutchjozef,

          I have some PCP’s that need waking up. Sometimes one will need it after the short time it takes me to walk downrange, change out a target and walk back. It’s not a consistent thing though. If I remember I will waste a shot or two before resuming target shooting.

          G&G

          • GG,
            When shooting at an official match, a cold bore will make you miss the 10 pointer, that will make you loose the tournament. I alwas make sure I fire 5 shoots in the sand wall. As well with rimfire as with airgun match. My fwb needs to wake up. If I shoot it every day, every first shot is bang on. When hunting pigeon with a cold fwb 300s, I always aim at the top of the scull, the pellet has a 1.5 cm drop at 25 meters when the action isnt warmed up

    • Dutchjozef

      Some of my guns don’t need the wake up shot.. Some need one shot and some need a few shots. And its not related to power plant.

      One pcp gun needed 2 shots. Another one doesn’t need any. Same goes for the spring guns. And that’s even using the same pellets. 177 JSB 10.34’s, 22 JSB 15.89’s. I only have one 25 caliber gun right now and its a pcp and it doesn’t need a wake up shot.

      I think its the valves in pcp guns and the sleeves and piston seals in the springer’s. And there is probably other variables like cold or heat. Like shooting a gun that is stored in a cool garage then moved to a warm area and start shooting.

  9. BB
    Congratulations on ten years of writing this blog and giving us all very interesting and informative reviews on new and current developments in the air gun world.

    I have only been here for about 2 years and I have visited other forums and just cannot get out of their formats the info I am after that I get here on this blog as they are to spread out and it takes way to much time just searching for what you are interested in finding and when you do it still does not help that much.

    I know you and I have had our ups and downs with disagreements but thru it all we persevered and have I believe gained a mutual respect for each other and learned that sometimes we just need to agree to disagree and move on with the sharing of info and good conversation.

    I have learned a lot more about air guns here than I ever knew was even in need of learning to get better and have more fun with an economical hobby/sport versus trying to continue to enjoy shooting with firearms since the ammo crunch of 2012 and beyond.

    I hope for another ten years of good camaraderie and conversation about air guns and just life in general as its nice to be able to speak freely here without a strict adherence to the topic of the report.

    I have made some good friends here with Edith you being two of them and feel like I have known several others for years as our years of growing up were very similar even though we were miles apart and have never met other than through this blog.

    So not only have you achieved a central spot for multitudes of info on air guns but also have created a central spot for long term friendship to be formed and built into a truly open and freely exchanged blog for the exchange of information and growth for the sport of air gunning as a whole.

    So keep up the good work that Edith and you do at a seamlessly tiring and endless devotion.

    BD

  10. Happy 10 yr. Anniversary.
    I found this blog in July 2005 by chance, from a gamo shadow 1000 box and it’s advertising material looking up airgun on the web which led to Pyramyd AIR and here.

  11. Congratulations to you and Edith for your excellent work. Have you ever considered bring out a bound edition of all of The Airgun Letter? I was a subscriber for the last couple of years and it would be nice to read all of the issues.

    Thanks again and I hope the next ten years will be as good with ” the best job in the whole world”.

    • SP4449,

      Yes, we have considered republishing all of Tom’s writings — The Airgun Letter volumes, Airgun Revues and the Beeman R1 book. The problem is time — we don’t have any extra. However, we’re not giving up that easy. We still want to do that. Plus, we have another book Tom’s written but has never been printed. I promise to try to get that one to press this year.

      Edith

        • SP4449,

          Sorry, no pre-orders. We plan to publish it via the print-on-demand option on Amazon. We’ll let everyone know when it’s available. Don’t hold your breath, though. I was supposed to have it done in time for last Christmas. And you can see how that worked out!

          Although I’m pretty efficient when it comes to work, I’m sure there are ways I can work smarter to make more time. Right now, I spend evenings and weekends reformatting/transforming Tom’s “Shotgun News” articles and columns to republish them on his website.

          Edith

  12. B.B.,

    My first encounter with this blog was not too long after you started it, maybe 8 years ago. I had just purchased an airgun from PA., the first one I had owned in more that 20 years, back when I was a teenager. I had gone back to the PA site to look for some more pellets to try when I noticed the link to the blog. I decided to look, on a whim, just to see what it was, and now 8 years and many, many airguns later I’m still reading it.

    You say that you have learned the most from this blog; I say you have taught more people about airguns than you realize, and that includes me. Before I read this blog I knew next to nothing about airguns. I had never heard of Weihrauch, Air Arms or Feinwerkbau. Now I have the privilege of owning two of those three brands (still working on getting an FWB). If it were not for this blog I would not have discovered a great hobby that will entertain me, hopefully for the rest of my life.

    So I for one am thanking you, the guy with the greatest job in the world, for sharing your journey with all of us. And also to Edith, because someone has to keep you honest, …. and have your back.

    Thanks, and may there be ten more years!!
    David H

  13. Thanks again for all that you folks do! I know I spend a lot of time going back through the old blogs, and I read a lot of the old comments, and there are so many times where I want to respond to something some “newby” like me said, but then I realize it’s from 2009.
    You and Edith do a great job of letting us know how to correct the error when we do something like that, and are so gentle about educating us on the ways of THIS blog (as opposed to many others) that even the harshest corrections (swearing/linking to other airgun stores/spam filtered posts) are always kind and *generally* well received.

    So, with all that said you have a typo on the first line of the Harlem “Globtrotters” section under Meadowlark Lemon. Add an “e” in there. 😛

    Thanks for all you do, and for the help you do give us. I hope to still be coming here in ten years.
    And you really should do a bound edition of all issues of “The Airgun Letter” complete with the ads and all the letters people sent in to you. I’d buy it for $25, in a heartbeat.

    Keep up that clever patter while you avoid those opposing players! ~QJ

  15. Gosh, 10 years! I found you rather late, but have enjoyed all your posts since that time. The formula of honest, accurate comment without the backbiting and carping that one finds so often on other sites is a real winner. Add to that the mix of fascinating guns and topics and you got me hooked. If this blog was a book I’d buy it!

    Best to you both.

  17. Congradulations on ten years!
    I am a new guy reading the blog. I was recovering from an operation and began reading the blog a year ago. After reading them all I feel like an expert. And I learn new things every day.
    Thank you and keep it up.

  19. B.B. and Edith,

    Congratulations on the 10 years!

    I have only been here since Nov. ’14, but have learned so much. I have read many of the past blogs and can see your progression.

    It’s hard to add more than what has been said above. It all rings true. Open topics/post and “family” probably stand out the most for me.

    Thanks to you and the “family” here, I learned to go for quality “straight out the gate” and not to waste my money stepping my way to the top.

    I would head to the fridge and twist the top off a cold brew and raise a “toast”,…but it’s Monday and work so……a coffee mug will have to do. 🙂

    On a side note: You commented about testing some high end PCP rifles yesterday and how they then would be considered “used”. I would say that those (or any) guns that you test, should be afforded “Premium” status, as they have been tested by the “one and only” B.B. himself !!!

    Think of it as the “Ultimate 10 for 10”,…or in your case “50 for 50″…..with a small kickback to you of course! Try THAT approach with P.A. 😉 (actual shot targets included with your purchase)

    Thanks again, Chris

  20. Thank you BB and Edith for all the knowledge, experience, tolerance, warmth and friendship you have shared with me and others here. I may not comment one every topic, but I do read each one. I truly appreciate your efforts to share your experience and knowledge you have with us and giving us a place to gather and share and discuss this and sometimes other things.

    Thank you.

  21. BB,

    I just remembered something. It was the spring of 2005 that I discovered the world of airgunning. Up until that time, like so many others when I thought of airguns, all I thought of was Daisy Red Ryders and Crosman 760s. The Roanoke show that year was quite an experience for me.

    You have helped so many such as myself to open their eyes to this world.

  22. It’s early in the morning for me to be reading your blog. I awakened to welcome visitors, deer, grazing between patches of snow, just outside my window. I am a hunter, and I enjoy watching the deer.

    I wish I had appreciated my brothers’ Silver Streak and Red Ryder when I was a boy. I still have them, and I enjoy shooting them.

    I wish I had discovered the FWB 124 and R1 when they were new, and I only learned of PCP rifles three years ago, when I found your blog. But I have found some wonderful airguns the last few years, including Beeman-vintage R7 and FWB 124 rifles. Before finding your blog, I would never have known how much fun they are. I learned enough from your blog to put Drooper mounts on them, and both of them are pleasingly accurate and pleasant to shoot.

    I am grateful for having found your blog, and for those deer grazing in my pasture, too. I hope we have many more years enjoying all of this.

    Happy Anniversary and Best Wishes.

    RB

  23. Congratulations and thanks! I have gone back and read all of these blogs from the beginning. I have enjoyed the progression and have learned some things along the way as well. I look forward to reading the latest edition each weekday.

  24. Congratulations, Tom & Edith, for the anniversary! I really do not remember when I started reading this blog, all I know is that it became a daily visit years ago. I like your style of writing and testing, and more important, your honesty about the results and about your own mistakes. And, of course, you gave me the opportunity to write once here, and I really appreciate.
    One of the things that keeps me coming back is the lack of such a profound analysis of airguns in my native language, Portuguese. When I first started looking for information over the Internet, all I found in Portuguese was a forum, which is still alive but nowadays have such a strict policy that keeps me away from it. But, back in mid-2000s I had found the web site maintained by Dr. Robert Beeman. I even wrote to him and was granted an authorisation to translate and publish his articles in Brazil. I did that at the forum, but their policy was against it, so I had to stop. So much info is awaiting to be published in Brazil about airguns, that I simply do not understand why the Brazilian forum wanted to keep it away. At one point I think it was because it would diminish the value of the “native gunwriters” who always know everything!
    Now, years have gone and I still want to write a blog, in Portuguese, about airguns and related articles. I keep postponing the project because I had little time to write (now I am unemployed, so time is available), and, like you when you started The Airgun Letter, I don’t think I know that much to begin with. I am learning a lot from what I read here, and from sources like the American Airgunner show. I wish one day I may have the courage to start a blog project like yours, so my compatriots that can’t read English may find a good source of information in their native language.

    • Fred_BR,

      I am always amazed when guys like you read the blog and comment in English, when that is not your native tongue. I think about you guys when I write, and I try not to use too many phrases that might confuse.

      All you have to do to write a blog like I do is to think that you are telling your best friend about something he doesn’t know. You will never talk down to your readers if you do that, and a lot of the rules of writing will go away.

      I say go for it!

      B.B.

  25. Congratulations Tom and Edith. I cannot even remember when I first encountered Tom’s writing on the internet, but, even though I am not as active on the blog as I have been in the past, I still read it every day (it is the only blog I ever read), and have benefited greatly!
    Michael in Georgia

  27. I’ve only been here about a year, but look forward to it to start my day 5 times a week. I like being able to go back through the archives and research almost any airgun ever made. We are all very lucky to have this!

  28. I said so in the past and I still stand by that comment.
    This is one if not the best place on the web. Everyone keeps it clean (with a fee exceptions of course) and everyone is nice and mature enough to stay out of trouble. I’ve been here a long time and haven’t miss many articles and as long as you keep things this way I’ll be here for a long time.

    J-F

  29. B.B.

    I must tell – 10 great years. Keep’em coming, and never listen to blog “experts”. If something is interesting and structured, people can read 5000 as well as 500 words. If something is boring and tastes like rain – even 500 will feel like 5000. As long as people and airgun makers continue to make things of interest, there will be yet another topic to write and to discuss.

    So happy anniversary Tom and Edith!

    duskwight

  31. Happy Anniversary!
    I’ve been reading for about 4 years now. I read this blog and the Yellow Forum everyday and learn from both. I skim over the stuff I’m not interested in and study the rest. I enjoy reading about rifled pellet guns the most and how to tune and fix them, especially detailed reports with good pictures. It’s especially nice when multi-part reports aren’t separated by days or weeks, and you can feel like an expert quickly.

  33. BB: Doesn’t seem like ten years. I read the blog everyday and it’s the only one I reply too. Other posters like Kevin, Vince , Slinging Lead , Two Talon ,and many others, are a wealth of first hand personal experience and their comments add to the enjoyment of the blog. I have a sense that the information passed on here by you is based on real experience , and their comments, suggestions, and sometimes corrections bear those out. BTW, “B.B.” is the pseudonym of another of my favorite authors and illustrators of the 1930’s -50’s, D.J. Watkins Pitchford. I’m sure some of our readers from the UK have heard of him.I have 16 of his books on shooting, fishing and adventure.

  34. Just want to add my heartiest congratulations to you both! I’ve been an avid rifle & pistol shooter for most of my now 64 years and kinda stumbled upon the blog a few years aback after stumbling into PA while looking for something to ameliorate the local squirrel population, ended up with a Logun s16 and still loving it! Your very informative articles and the discussions that follow have also pointed me to several other great airgun purchases, many thanks to you and the group!

    Kevin in CT Land Of The Never Ending Snows!! 🙂

    • Kevin in CT,

      Hows the TX doing? What pellets do you get the best groups with? JSB 15.89 for me. With AA 13.43 running a close second. Still learning.

      P.S…..don’t be a stranger! 😉

      • Hi Chris, I haven’t done much more shooting because the recent brutal cold wave and snows preclude my going outside with it and the only place I can shoot it indoors is about 20 feet or less 🙁

        • Kevin in CT,

          Good to hear from you. For me, I would say still shoot. It will help you become familiar with the trigger. I thought about adjusting mine, but it still “surprises” me now and again as I am concentrating on hold, breathing, sight picture, etc..

          Never missed the target, just a few mm. off of where I intended to hit.

          I ended up shimming mine .009″ in the rear ring to work at 41′ without going crazy on the “up” elevation. How did you get yours to work at 20′?

          Keep me posted on your progress and pellet likes and dislikes. Gunfun1 mentioned that most all pellets will group good at short distances,.. so you got to “stretch it’s legs” as Gunfun says.

          You may have seen it before, but I’m pretty sure I have mentioned avg. group sizes with the 4 pellet types and weights I have. If you missed it, I can repost in a (future) blog. Just let me know.

          Still looking for that 5 shot, 1 hole target. (ain’t we all!) 🙂 Best so far is 3 of 5 in 1 hole.

  35. I came to know and love the blog from the firearms side of shooting. When it got too expensive to shoot my center fire and rim fire pistols, I drug out my old FB-80 target pistol and set up a range in a spare room upstairs in my house. When I needed pellets, I did a Google search and found Pyramyd AIR and a few weeks later, “the blog”. My air gun collection has swelled, I have “trained” a group of my retired neighbors to shoot using air pistols, and each one now has their own, purchased at Pyramyd AIR. We get together regularly for informal shooting matches. Many more of my friends and neighbors have taken their first shots at my little range and at least some are now regular blog readers.

    Funny thing. Firearm ammo has gone back down to close to it’s original price levels, but I have not had any inclination to go back to the fire arm side. I am very satisfied shooting my air pistols and air rifles. I do plan on doing some 50 and 100 yard shooting with my air rifles at the outdoor range when the weather turns warmer.

    If the blog was suddenly not around and the vast information in Tom’s archived reports no longer available, it would be a dark day, indeed. Besides a new grandson, one of the highlights last year was getting to meet Tom and Edith at the Ft. Worth Air Gun Show. They are as “genuine” as they come. I had talked my son into taking me to the show and we stayed at the designated hotel nearby. I stepped into the elevator and there was the guy I came to meet. It was like we had known each other for decades. He knew we had driven several hundred miles to the show and went out of his way to introduce my son and I to his friends, the leaders in the air gun world, that were at the show. These were people that we only get to read about and now we were shaking hands with them and chatting about air guns wit them. Tom introduced us to Dennis Quackenbush, a real character and expert custom air rifle builder. By chance, I got to sit with him for breakfast and we discussed Tom. I loved Dennis’ description. He said “Tom has an almost child like enthusiasm about air guns and anything that shoots a projectile”. What a fantastic complement. I believe everyone who reads this blog will agree.

    May you have continued success Tom and Edith and long live “the blog’

    • Jerry,

      I remember that meeting.

      And Dennis Quackenbush is one of the unsung heroes in airguns today. I could not have done many of the important things I have done without his help and guidance.

      See you at the next Texas airgun show on August 29.

      B.B.

    • Dear Edith,

      Thank you for this address. I followed it to Tom’s Shotgun News articles, then from there to the Am Airgunner site and from there to the American Airgunner episodes on youtube. FINALLY! I got to see eps of Am Airgunner, which I’d been wanting to see since its inception (I never was able to see them on my TV lineup). Again, Thank you. It was great to see Tom and to hear him speak.

      JoeB

  42. Congratulations on ten years. When you mentioned your hospital stay, it dawned on me that I have been reading this blog for over 5 years. I haven’t missed many days.

    Thanks
    Tom King

  44. B.B.,

    Congratulations on ten years!

    I started lurking here in 2007 or 2008, but it was a couple years before I started participating in the Comments section. It’s hard for me to recall for sure because I have gone back and read all of the archived reports, many of them several times.

    I’ve mentioned here before that I teach for a living, and what you wrote above rings as true to me as anything I’ve probably ever read, that you have learned so incredibly much from writing this blog. I have learned much more about my subject areas teaching than I ever have as a student, and that is the case with many teachers.

    And you are an EXCELLENT teacher, a bonafide natural.

    Thank you so very much for this daily contribution to airgunning knowledge, and again, congratulations on ten years,

    Michael

  45. Everyone,

    I was going to try and thank you all for your comments personally, but the comments are coming in faster than I can respond. I still have to write tomorrows report, so let me thank you all collectively.

    Thank you all very much for your congratulations. And those who are first-timne commenters — welcome to the blog!

    B.B.

  46. B.B. and Edith,

    Let me also add my congratulations on the 10 year anniversary and thanks for all that you put into this blog. I’ve found it to be very informative and helpful.

  47. BB,
    You said “we had over 10,000 registered readers…”
    What do you mean by registered readers? One has to registered on this site in order to read your article?

  49. Happy Anniversary!
    I have been an avid reader for a long time and have watched the evolution of your blog, all I can say is kudos to you, your dedicated wife Edith and to PA for providing us all with this excellent and informative blog.

    Thank you again,

    Geezer

  50. Let me join the chorus here and congratulate you and Edith on your ten year anniversary. In addition to the wealth of information available every day, meeting a number of folks that participate in the blog either from article writing or just comments, has been priceless. I have been able to meet, in addition to Tom, the extremely knowledgeable Kevin Lentz who helped me with a original target sight for my FWB 300, the inventor of the Rogue and now businessman and owner of the internet business upgrading the Disco, Lloyd Sykes, the affable, knowledgeable and sadly deceased Earl “Mac ” MacDonald ( who bought me and Tom dinner one year) , Ridgerunner (sorry forgot your name) and others at different airgun shows. Apologies for not mentioning you folks.

    It’s been a great trip with no end in sight. I encourage those that can to make their way to one of the airgun shows that take place every year. Let the rest of us know. Maybe we can meet up and talk airguns. But we don’t have to stay on topic.

    Fred DPRoNJ

  51. Let me add my congratulations to the list. It seems like the blink of an eye, hard to believe its been 10 years. I really have you and Edith to thank for my interest in airguns. I still remember calling Edith one day about info on an HW80 I was thinking about buying, she was so helpful and nice I started a subscription to the Airgun Letter around issue #5. I still have all those and every airgun book you ever published and I still go back and reference them from time to time.

      • I sure do, and I still have that old detector and the stuff we dug up that day.
        And as an aside I dont think I ever thanked you for the 2 best suggestions you ever gave me. Get the IZH46 when it first came out and get the new HW50s. They have both seen thousands of rounds and have become my favorite 2 guns.

  52. If it wasn’t for this blog, the last year and a half would have been very different. That is when I got into airguns after years of shooting. Through the blog, I was able to get an education on air gunning. Thanks for the effort you and Edith put into bringing the blog to us.

  53. You’re promise to eventually print all your writings is exciting. I just started lurking here about 2 years ago, but you persuaded me to get a model 48 which I found was wonderful advice. I definitely would buy your book. Thanks BB and Edith for all your help

  54. Congratulations Tom and Edith! As an anniversary present, I hope Pyramyd AIR gives you a bonus for all the extra air rifle, pistol, pellet, BBs and accessory sales your blog has spurred. For me, I have three times the stuff I started with when I began reading the blog.

    Hope we’re all here for the 20th anniversary. Heck, let’s hope we’re all here tomorrow!

    Jim

    • Jim,

      Both Tom and I remember what it’s like to work for other companies. Working for Pyramyd AIR is a dream come true. We owe them a big thanks for allowing the blog to be so independent and free-flowing. Many companies wouldn’t tolerate a side venture into things they don’t sell. Pyramyd AIR is highly flexible that way, making this blog different than anything you’ll find elsewhere. That’s a big reason this blog has fared so well and grown so big.

      Edith

      • Edith,

        I’m glad you and Tom are rewarded by your work on the blog. Still, I’ve been stimulated by the blog to spend $,$$$ at Pyramyd and don’t even think about checking other stores.

        Anyway, keep up the good work. You two clearly have a large and active base of fans.

        Jim

  55. WOW! Ten years.

    Bigger blocks of time tied to significant events in my life seem to be passing much quicker and becoming more frequent.

    Edith, Tom and this blog have enhanced my life in many ways over the years. I had the pleasure of meeting them and many others through this blog. Hope to meet Robert From Arcade someday.

    Not sure that Edith’s contribution to this effort is well known since much of what she does is in the “shadows” but it’s significant. Congratulations on more than 10 years Edith! You’ve now qualified for sainthood.

    I enjoy visiting places where shooters gather and this is among my favorite on the internet. I’ve learned so much here that has heightened my shooting enjoyment.

    Nothing wrong with B.B.’s memory. He was right. I was sent to this blog while asking about airguns on a firearm blog. What a ride it’s been since then!

    kevin

  56. Have you considered posting the old articles from your Airgun Newsletter on your new web site? Those of us that may have missed the articles would enjoy seeing them.

    • Lionel,

      I’ve actually used some of those old articles to fill in the gaps on the blog when Tom was ill and couldn’t write any blogs. I didn’t want the blog to lapse, so I kept it up that way.

      We continue to hold out hope that the entire newsletter can be reprinted in one volume some time in the near future.

      Edith

  57. BB,

    Congratulations on this tenth anniversary. I read every one of these if I can.
    You have helped me more than you can know. You even answered a question for me when you were laid up!

    I have tried to pass on the lessons learned here to my grandchildren, and to my students in the 4H shooting program.

    Looking forward to many more years of reading you and Edith.

    Les

  59. Anyone, is there a section of this blog that addresses the issue of stock building and fitment? I’m having a problem with a custom Black American Walnut for an R1. The gun was shooting fine at 25 yards until I put the newly finished stock on it. Then it shot wild groups hitting an average of 6 inches below the previous point of impact. I took it off, replaced it with the factory Beech stock, and everything went back to normal. The blank came to me 90% finished, so I had to sand the action cavity. The fit looks very good, with no gaps, etc. Can any of you think of what I may have done wrong, and possibly suggest a course of action I can take to remedy this situation. What’s the first thing I should look at? It’s a great piece of wood, and I put A LOT of work into it… I built a 90% finished Tyrolean stock a few years ago, put it on my HW77 and it’s the most accurate rifle I own, so this situation has really got me stumped!

    • Hi Landmass,

      welcome to the blog. I didn’t respond to your first query as I’m not a stock builder and have limited info to add. Some ideas I have are: (1) if your rifle is shooting 6″ below POA with the new stock then I’d guess the action when installed in the new stock is pointing low. I’d investigate either adding a washer/shim to raise the front of the action or doing something to lower the rear so the action pivots up. (2) As to not grouping anymore, I would suggest first experimenting with your grip – if you’re unfamiliar with the “artillery hold” and not doing that, that could be a part of your problem. (3) Make sure all the screws are tight when you have the action mounted in the new stock and try different placements of your hand on the forearm to see if there’s an improvement. I’m sure others will chime in later on. Good luck.

      Fred DPRoNJ

      • Thanks, Fred for the suggestion. The rifle is scoped, so if I raised or lowered the front, wouldn’t the pellet still strike the same location since the entire gun is moved? Also, I can’t shim the front up or down because then the front two stock mounting screws would not engage the metal mounting tabs that are attached to the metal part of the gun. Now, lowering the back of the action(at the trigger) may solve the problem. If the wood was not sanded properly, the front trigger guard screw may be “binding” the stock in an improper position. Thanks for your advice, and I will thoroughly check this out.

        Grouping was no problem until I mounted the walnut stock, so I’m not sure that my “hold” is the culprit.

    • Landmass,

      R1….. american stock covers the breach and part of the barrel I presume. You might wanna check if the stock doesnt touch the barrel. You can take a writing paper and pull it under the barrel. That way you can tell if the barrel touches the stock.

      ” also possible: if the stockhole screw holes are not exactly under the holes of the action and triggerguard hole, youll probably torque/ tension the action.

      • As an HW77, it has a fixed barrel. None of the barrel touches the stock. However, the barrel screws into a piece of metal that screws into the main powerplant. It looks like it may be touching there. I will reinstall the factory Beech stock and compare the clearances of the two.

        I will also check the fit of the screws at the trigger guard to verify that they are true to the stock holes and not binding in any way. Thanks for the advice – I hope I can get this stock working properly…

        • I thought you said R1. To me thats a beeman r1, breakbarrel. Also known as hw80.
          Seems clear its gotta do something with fixing the main action with the stock. Should not be hard to figure out

          • Dutchjozef – I am very sorry to have made the mistake of referring to my HW77 instead of the R1. It is the R1, and I am certainly going to check the fit of the action to the stock and the fitment of the attachment screws. You said that it should not be hard to figure out. Well, I wish you were my neighbor so you could see this R1 and help me out with it, because I am feeling slightly incompetent at this moment! Thank you for the information and advice.

    • Landmass,

      1-There isn’t a section of this blog that covers stock building and fitting an action to a stock. There are several good books on the subject though.

      2-Your poi 6″ lower in your Black American Walnut stock vs. your beech stock is because the front of your action is sitting lower in your Walnut stock.

      3-The only explanation for your action shooting wild groups in your Walnut stock vs. your beech stock is that your action isn’t fitting as snug in your walnut stock. It’s moving during your shot cycle.

      Consider removing more wood in your walnut stock to have your action sit along the same plane as it does in your beech stock then consider bedding the action in your walnut stock. You may have to shim the front of your action in the walnut stock before bedding to match the poi the action has in your beech stock.

      kevin

      • Kevin, thanks for your reply and suggestions.

        As to #2, the rifle is scoped. Would that negate the fact that the front of the action is either higher or lower than in the Beech stock, since the scope would still be in the same
        position relative to the action?

        As to #3, I’ll remove the walnut stock and reinstall the beech stock. Then, I’ll closely examine the fit of the action and take note of any play. I’ll then reinstall the walnut stock and perform the same examination. Maybe I can find some marking dye that would reveal the areas that are touching?? Thank you for your comments and suggestions. One question – wouldn’t the two front mounting screws and the front trigger guard mounting screw secure the action in the stock well enough to account for a little loose tolerance in the action/stock fit?

        • Landmass,

          In stock making it doesn’t matter if it’s an airgun or a powder burner.

          I get tips ideas and info from several.

          First Jack O’Conner once said something like this. “the difference between a handsome stock and a plain one is like twin girls; one beautiful and one plain. It is only the slight line here or the faint turn of the chin there but the result is oh so obvious.” Same can be said of gunstocks.

          “Professional Stockmaking” by David Wesbrook is one of my favorites. This goes into detail of all aspects of a custom stock. I love his finishing info. Shows it’s not a ‘one miracle finish’ as so many report but quality craftmanship.

          “The NRA Gunsmithing Guide-Updated” good solid no nonsense information.

          “Gunsmithing Tips & projects” Wolf Publishing. Many different articles on different aspects of stocks & finishing.

          Any book by Jim Carmichel.

          Any book by Jack O’Conner; don’t always have to read technical stuff.

          “Riflesmithing, The Art & Science of Rifle Gunsmithing”, Jack Mitchell. Detailed step by step of custom rifle.

          “Modern Custom Guns” by Tom Turpin. To show what you want to become.

          “Accurizing the Factory Rifle”. Doesn’t show actual stockmanking but important info on the tiny details.

          “Checkering & Carving Guynstocks” by Monty Kennedy. A “must” have book. It look’s outdated but it isn’t; knowledge is never obsolete.

          “Gunsmith Kinks I-IV”, by Brownells. Worth every penny.

          Good luck & Good reading.

          kevin

          • Thanks again for your suggestions. I’ll look into the books and try to figure out what is wrong with it. It is just too beautiful to waste and makes that R1 look great. I’ve got walnut on my other two air rifles, and I prefer it over the factory stocks.

  60. Happy 10th Anniversary B.B. and Edith.
    I first found you in 2007 when my six year old 6 year old (at the time) received a Red Ryder for Christmas (after watching ‘A Christmas Story’).
    How fast the time has passed. After that first Red Ryder, which got me into the sport as well, we now have a safe containing an extensive airgun and firearm collection. And it has become a great family bonding sport. The three of us (myself and two sons) like nothing better to spend a Saturday or Sunday afternoon at the range. We’ve even had the boys mother shooting clays, but sadly, although she feels it a fine sport, she herself is not a shooter.
    Anyway…a toast to you and this blog B.B.
    And one to the next 10 years.

  61. Folks, this blog is near and dear to me. I discovered this blog while searching for pellets for my Beeman R10 a few years ago. In the 80’s , I shot that rifle daily, and
    I would get my ammo from Atlantic guns in Silver Spring,MD. I got my P1 there
    too, still have the receipts. I had a whole stack of American airgun magazines, and
    the beautiful Beeman catalogs as well. But also a friend who encouraged me to get
    that rifle. He’s gone now, got beamed up like Spock it seems. Well, I still shoot,
    but in in California now. So, I’m not certain, but I may be one of your earliest fans
    Mr. Pelletier. Your writing has given me a measure of continuity in my life, a connection with my past. 10 more years please sir!
    1stblue22

  62. Tom,

    I have benefited and learned a lot from your blog. Since I found your blog (about two years ago), I have been reading almost every single post you write. Like many others, I grew-up enjoying air-gunning and later PB shooting. Having this tremendous amount of information on the subject of air-gunning is something I haven’t imagined.

    Thank you very much for all the efforts you put into this forum.

  63. Hi everyone…

    This is the best information source for everything airgun-related that I know. Nobody else does reviews and articles that are as thorough and well-written.

    BB probably knows more about German airguns than most German shooters do and he still finds the time to educate beginners like me.

    Strangely, when I asked German airgunners on the web whether they read Tom Gaylord, nobody knew who that was. It’s their loss I suppose…

    Keep up the great work!

    Kind regards,
    Stephan

  66. I am rather new to air guns and also your blog. I grew up around shotguns,rifles and had an old Daisy that we shot tin cans and some birds with,always thought we were John Wayne when we were using it or Chuck Connors from the Rifleman but then when 22 ammo started getting hard to find and I bought my new Son In Law who is a Brit a pellet rifle I thought heck I’ll buy one too. Wow airguns have really changed since 60s and so have I.
    I had discovered a whole new hobby,one I could do right in the basement. Then I poked around online for info and found Pyramid Air and your blog BB. Boy did I find a well of information. You and your readers have made this new hobby of mine so much more fun by welcoming a newcomer and never making me feel like my questions and I have had many are ever dumb. At 55 I learn new things every day and if anyone thinks they are beyond learning they are a fool. BB you run a class act blog here,never any foul words or hurtful comments and so very informative. Keep up the great work and don’t ever think you are not appreciated. May God continue to bless you and Edith and keep you healthy. Have a blessed day everyone.

  67. Congratulation!!!! I have learned so much from this blog, and feel that many of you are friends even though I have never spoken or met you. I think I have been reading this blog almost daily for 5 yrs. This is my first post !! keep up the good work and remember BB and Edith that thousands of us read the blog but do not post very often or at all. Doug

  68. B.B., I congratulate you on this the 10th anniversary of this blog. I also am thankful as you approach 5 years of surviving serious trauma. If your illness was not enough, eight surgeries in 2.5 months and 3 more later may have been necessary but also quite traumatic. Best to you, sir. ~ken

  69. Congratulations young man, and lady, on the 10 year anniversary. I can think of no better honor than to be counted as a student and alumnus of this blog.

    I also have a secret. And that is that you are horrible at keeping secrets. Around the time that I found this blog, I also ran across several articles by the venerable Tom Gaylord. I knew at once that BB and Tom were one in the same. The easy conversational style, as well as the humor and humility conveyed in your writing were and are as distinctive as a fingerprint. Even more so. I thought everyone knew your secret identity. What I find surprising is that people would have animosity toward you.

    Sometimes I will come across something online, and I will think to myself “this is why they invented the internet.” Your blog is one of those things. Where else can you get airgun reviews, tuning tips and post links to videos of vintage BMW motorcycles without being scolded for being off topic? Nowhere I tell ya.

    You sir, do have the best job in the whole world. I would kill to have Edith, Roy, Dale and Punky as office mates. You should see the stooges I have to deal with.

    Don’t even think about retirement. You are just getting started.

    • SL,

      I said I wasn’t going to respond to any more comments, but for yours I will make an exception. Punky wanted me to thank you for remembering his name. He would have responded, but he hits too many keys with his paws.

      B.B.

  70. Whoa. The 10th anniversary of the blog. Thanks for recognizing it. What an interesting history that I was largely unaware of, especially about the Yellow Forum. I’ve heard of it but had no reason to join since this blog is plenty for me. I remember Meadowlark Lemon and the Harlem Globetrotters. I used to wonder why he and his team couldn’t win the NBA championship with their skills. Having the other team staged is one reason, but the skill with the basketball cannot be faked.

    Anyway, this blog is quite an achievement and I would venture to say that I’ve gained as much as anyone. As a matter of fact, I have a milestone of my own coming up that I will report on in due course…

    Matt61

  72. Hi BB,
    I remember very clearly when you pulled the plug. It took me two or three days to find the Yellow again. I think they were on the 2nd or 3rd page by then. Like you said, when you pulled the plug you made a lot of enemies. There are people still sore about that so many years later.

    One of the things I like best about the blog is that you write what you see, write or wrong. There have been a lot of times when you came to a wrong conclusion and later corrected it. It’s all there for anyone to see. Sometimes I see you have written something that I know is wrong and I cringe for you. You will be politely corrected here but blasted on other sites. If people will just read your blog for a month solid, they will get it.

    Some of my favorite blogs from you have been about other subjects than airguns. I remember one where you talked about how you were taught to shoot a Colt Govenrnent model, a blog about your Hobo knives. I enjoyed the blog about learning to shoot the old match pistol in Germany. I have enjoyed your photography blogs, misc. gear blogs, etc.

    Good luck in the next 10 years. Feel free to back off a little so you don’t get burned out. As long as you write about what you are interested in, your passion will come out in your writing. That is when you are at your best.

    David Enoch

    • David,

      What makes this blog different than the Airgun Forum is that we have Pyramyd Air’s tech department behind us. If we have a problem, they solve it. When the Airgun Forum was being hacked/attacked, we were unable to find a way to prevent it from happening again. Also, I used to spend many, many hours monitoring the forum, and that included getting up several times in the middle of night in order to delete spam or nasty/unacceptable comments. We were fighting a losing battle. Stressful, too!

      Edith

  73. Congratulations B.B. and Edith!!! I have been reading the blog for 5 years and try not to miss an article even if I don’t comment everyday. For those of you that haven’t checked out the archives take a look because there is a wealth of info there. It’s great if I am looking for info about a particular gun or something I check there and B.B. usually already did a article on it! Or do a Google search about something and an old article of B.B.’s pops up with good information. Funny I did notice some of the old stuff has maybe 10 comments and now they average 50+!

  74. Nice video, Matt61 you must definitely check this out.

    Shot at 1200 fps, MP-60 firing pellet at mere 140 m/s. First the barrel whips and bends, rifle jumps – then pellet flies out. Explains a lot why shooting springers means “holding soft but steady” “artillery grip” and why springers are one of the best trainers for correct processing of the shot itself.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jliaHvsfoWU

    • Slow motion can show a lot. One of our TV shows had a clip of an AKM firing full auto in slow motion. The barrel and receiver looked like a snake. The rear sight was jumping up and down. But the AK ran and ran. You have to love that. It’s one of my favorite rifles. I have three of them. This is a quote from the show. “In Vietnam during a fight, a young Lt. was knocked into a small stream. When he put his hand down it came down on an AK. He picked up the AK, pulled the trigger and out of th AK came water, debris, mud, and …………bullets.”

      Mike

  75. Congratulations to you and Edith on 10 successful years. I just got back into air guns a few months ago after many years absence and found your blog. I can’t tell you how much information that I have learned from this site, both from you and Edith and all of the other posters. Great work.

    Jim

  76. BB and Edith
    Thanks for hanging in during the initial lean years. I have been an avid reader for just over six years now, and I enjoy reading each days content as much now, as I did back then. You guys have turned this blog into an online airgun university, where everyone plays dual roles as teacher, and pupil. Your blog is the first item on my daily itinerary. Lately, with more and more comment posts, reading each days blog has become a two cup of tea affair.
    Ciao
    Titus

  77. I too have been reading this blog for several years now and would like to thank you, Tom and Edith, for putting all this knowledge out there for us – and in such a great format! I sure have learned a lot over the years, from you and from the comments that always follow. I’ve also bought air rifles, pistols, ammo, and whatnot because of this blog.

    Their have been many excellent posts so far today that I totally agree with.

    Thank you and congratulations on 10 great years! Here’s to another 10! (But we’ll start by continuing to take it day by day!)

    Thank you again, and God Bless!
    Fran

  79. BB
    No wonder this blog is so close to my heart! It was started on my birthday! I remember my first post here with an inquiry on how do PCPs work. Boy have I learned a lot since then. Thanks to you BB and also to all the knowledgeable posters here. A great 10 years. May there be many more.

  80. Happy Anniversary BB! I’ve been reading this blog since about 2008. You, along with some of the bloggers, have taught me a lot. I greatly appreciate all of it. I rarely have a comment but I am here on a daily basis. Thank you and Edith for this wonderful blog. Toby T

  81. Yeah!It took some time to get to the bottom of the comments so I could slide my .02 in and now my phone’gonna die.
    Thanks Edith!for sharing the ink ! IAmerican airgunner Was the first thing I watched in my new alpartment.

  83. Congratulations on the milestone!

    I was a reader of the blog even before you dubbed me Volvo, and I too guessed your identity early on having read your R1 book when it first came to market. Plus I had a subscription to Airgun Illustrated!

    I have learned as much or more from you than I did from the Air Rifle Headquarters and Beaman catalogs from the ’70, and just as importantly I made some wonderful friends along the way.
    While I seldom comment anymore, I still enjoy all that you do.

    Glad you have been able to live out your dream.

  84. I’ve only been along for the past year and change, but have learned so much. Congrats!

    Oh…you’re still working on Part 2 of “How this blog changed my life”, right? 🙂

  85. BB,Edith,P.A.,

    Happy blog anniversary.

    BB,I don’t remember you leaving,but I remember the excitement when you were going to return and then again when you did.I too read for quite a while before I ever posted.

    What struck me most early on was why P.A. would let you continue the blog with the way you were pointing out all the bad points (along with the good,if they had them)about the guns you were testing.Some times you even recommended against a particular gun.at least it seemed so.I thought P.A. would stop you because that just can’t be good for sales.But,then I had my own experience…

    I was looking for a rifle to replace my .22 rim fire.I wanted something less noisy and less dangerous.I had my heart set on a 1500 fps.breakbarral.Your blog and readers and the P.A. website with reviews told me that the rifle was so heavy that I wouldn’t like it.It was not very accurate.The trigger was long and creepy and hard to pull in both stages.The gun was loud like a firearm and also very big.And finally it was hard to break the barrel.and thumped the shoulder hard when fired.Sooo…I bought one

    That;s right I bought one.I had also learned here:
    1 How to figure the muzzle energy.So I rearranged the formulae and figured out what grain weight pellets would fire below the sound barrier in the rifle and thus be more quiet.
    2 how I could find a trigger replacement that even I could do.
    3 How to use the “Artillery Hold” so I could get better accuracy out of the rifle.and at the same time keep the shot cycle from rattling my bones.
    4 How to put the scope on correctly;to stay.

    So you didn’t kill a sale.I am an informed and happy customer.Your honesty and that of this whole company is what I rely on and it keeps me coming back.My airgun experience has been full,rich ,and very rewarding.And it is pretty much mostly your fault.:)

    Tin Can Man

  86. Tom, I think the most amazing thing about this blog is that it is you make it a “combined learning experience.” I’ve enjoyed the trip. Congratulations on your success!

  87. > Sure, it gets boring when 2 or 3 readers dominate the comments, talking about non-airgun things.

    It’s usually nice to stick to topics that have at least appeared in your blog at one time or another. Sometimes straying from the current topic is the only way to follow-up on a previous discussion. Regardless, we are all human, rather than computer databases or reference books. Tolerating an occasion off-top contribution makes this blog more like normal conversation and more human, B.B. and I like this quality!

    For the would be “off-topic police,” I have some advice: Learn to skim!

    More congratulations are in order this day!

    -Cal

  88. Hi B.B.

    Congratulations Sir & sorry for the late reply as I couldn’t go online yesterday due to work. TEN YEARS WOW. Wish you the best of health & happiness to continue for ten more. To be very frank you are the best expert on airguns( & many other things) that I have encountered. Your wisdom extends well beyond airguns & your frankness is so refreshing. I have learned all the correct things about airguns and much more from your Blog.For this I am eternally grateful. God Bless you & your family with the best of everything.You are so lucky to be doing work you love, as very few are so blessed.

    Errol

  90. “I am not an expert ” … Tom weren’t you an English Major? For not having an Engineering and/or Mechanical background … you shouldn’t be expected to be an Expert. But, in-any-case, you’ve done well – I enjoy reading Air Gun Blog. Congratulations on your success … and, hoping your good-health continues.

  93. BB,

    If you’re not an expert I don’t know who is. I’m knew to this Forum and airguns. I was at a conference at Scheels in Salt Lake City and the check in area for the conference was next to the airgun rack. I started looking at the rifles and the velocities that these air rifles we’re claiming. I was fascinated and intrigued. My knowledge about airguns went no further than owning a Crosman 760 since youth and knowing there was an awesome pellet gun made by a company called Benjamin. I served 7 years in the Air Force and own a Rugar Mini-14 and Remington 22 LR. Shooting firearms these days is somewhat of a pain due to availability of ammo and having to go to a firing range.

    Enough of my background. I researched these airguns and stumbled on your blogs. I learned that these inflated fps numbers really are a sales gimmicks and that most of the rifles sold by the big stores may not be the highest quality.

    To sum it up, in just a few months I’m hooked. I’ve never had so much fun shooting as I do with my air rifles. I’ve already bought 2 rifles (a Diana Model 34 and the Benjamin 392). I even built a silent bullet trap that will hold my printable targets. I have a 10 and 25 meter range in my backyard and shoot nearly everyday.

    Thanks to you, your wife, and your long time followers for getting me hooked. Now I’m looking at getting a PCP to add to my collection. Not the cheapest sport to get into if you want quality. You’ve taught me a lot and I look forward to your daily blogs.

    Congrats and please keep on educating us newbies

  96. Hi Tom,

    I started buying Beeman and RWS airguns somewhere around 1995. Shortly after that time, I found both you and Edith, the Airgun Forum and the Airgun Letter. My collection of airguns grew to somewhere in the area of 13-14, or so. I have since passed a few on to my family members, but I still have, shoot and enjoy most of them.
    I enjoyed everything that I found in both the “Forum” and the “Letter” and, I missed it when it all came to an end. Glad that you are still able to enjoy your work so much. It is the dream of every working adult that I know of. You are truly lucky and blessed.
    I wish you continued good health and success!

    Cea

  99. Thanks for all the good advise. Love air guns. Shooting and making & repairing.. I do a lot of reading and I know I can count on your blog for good advise

  100. Hi BB,

    Maybe it’s because I’m an engineer, but I’ve always appreciated how thorough you are, in your blog and when answering all of my off topic questions! : )

    Thank you,
    Doug

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