by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier
This report covers:
- Cardinal Shooting Center and Campground
- Matches
- Banquet
- Gunslynger
- Field target
- What about me?
- Enter Ruth
- Fixin’ in the field
- Interesting stuff
- Summary
- One last thing
- Website
Today I will finish my report of the 2019 Pyramyd AIR Cup. My report differs from everything else you have seen on the web, because I don’t want to cover the things that have been well reported by many other sources. Instead I am trying to give you the view of the event that you might have had if you had attended.
Cardinal Shooting Center and Campground
I mentioned at the start of Part 1 that the vendor’s row where registration took place looked like a carnival with its brightly colored pop-up tents. This was Pyramyd Air’s first event at Ohio’s Cardinal Shooting Center and Campground, so there were lots of things for them to learn. Though the previous venue was large, the Cup had outgrown the areas they could use, so it was nice to have a place where there was room to expand. And, boy was there room! Maybe too much room, as the Cup was spread over an area that extended over two miles in length!
Also, the Cardinal Center is expanding, and it looks like next year there will be buildings that take the place of the pop-ups. I’m sure the Pyramyd team will look at this year’s Cup and rearrange some things to close up the expansive distances, so people don’t have to walk so far. For instance the public ranges, where there were examples of guns the public could shoot for free, was a quarter mile from the registration tent. You could drive down there and many people did, but it was a little overwhelming upon first arrival. The field target match, camping and banquet hall were two miles in the other direction.
Matches
The 100-yard benchrest match was the first event to take place. As I mentioned in Part 1, there was a strong breeze from the right that befuddled many shooters. Even .30 caliber pellets drifted far in that kind of wind. This is very similar to what happened in 1920 — when firearms shooters were trying to shoot 100 yards with centerfire cartridges. Shooters on the leading edge of benchrest in those days were trying to push the .22 Winchester Center Fire (WCF) cartridge to 3,000 f.p.s. and able to put 10 shots in one inch at 100 yards. They never made it to the desired velocity but they did get the accuracy when a wildcat version called the .22 Hornet was perfected in the 1920s. Then modified Hornets shooting lighter bullets pushed past 3,000 f.p.s. in the ’30s.
Today the big push is shooting airguns accurately at 100 yards. Like in 1920 the wind plays a big part in this, and long-range benchrest airgun competitions have become popular. The 100-yard competitions are now the hottest thing going, so the Pyramyd AIR Cup inaugural 100-yard match this year was at the sharp end of the stick.
Shooters shot .25 caliber and .30 caliber rifles (up to .357 caliber is permitted) purpose-built to compete in this competition. But they all shot diabolo (wasp-waist, hollow tail) pellets that are extremely sensitive to the wind. The rules require mass-produced diabolo pellets. This puts the shooter at a disadvantage, but the rules apply to everyone so the field is level. And the range at the Cup favored no one shooter. There are 30 minutes to shoot 25 rounds, so you have 72 seconds per round. That may sound like a lot, but remember you are fighting the wind, so there is a limit to waiting until the wind dies to shoot.
The benchrest competition was new at the Cup this year and was the hottest competition there.
The winner, Justin Welsh, shot a .30 cal. FX Impact Mark II, as did 2nd through 4th places. Fifth place was the highest .25 cal., an Air Arms S510 shot by Ed Lenarduzzi. The lone woman to place in the top 10 was Abby Casey, shooting a .25 caliber RAW HM1000X. She placed 7th overall and as she left the stage with her trophy she proudly announced to the room that she was the only girl in the top ten! The awards were given out at the banquet Saturday evening.
Pyramyd Air’s Tyler Patner (right) passed out the awards at the banquet.
Banquet
The banquet was held Saturday evening and even though some shooters had just finished their final competition, the place was packed! In fact, they will need to expand the space for next year, because some people had to be turned away.
Besides the many awards, there was also a raffle of many great prizes. Even cheap old BB dropped a few tickets into the jars! The grand prize was a $4,000 Air Arms Air Arms RSN70 PCP. Only 10 were sent to the United States, and boy are they beautiful! Speaking of things that are beautiful, the rifle was donated by and also given away at the banquet by Claire West, the managing director of Air Arms.
Unfortunately Claire is quite shy and reserved in public, having recently graduated from the Madonna school of self-deportment, so she was barely noticed up on stage (like heck!). But she held it together and managed to give the rifle away.
Claire West (right) draws the final raffle ticket from the jar Kristen is holding.
Gunslynger
The Gunslynger is Pyramyd Air’s own version of metallic silhouettes with a twist — speed. The first shooter to knock down five chickens, five pigs, five turkeys and five rams wins! When it started several years ago there were misses among those who placed high, but this year it was a pure speed race. A miss set you back far!
Matt Dubber of South Africa won, shooting a .22 caliber FX Impact Mark II. Val Simmons came in second, also shooting a .22 caliber FX Impact Mark II. Third place went to Greg Suave who shot a .22 caliber Daystate Red Wolf. How about that, Chris U.S.A.?
Field target
Someone said that high-level field target matches today are decided by the forced offhand lanes. That’s different from when I competed. We had lanes where the target placement forced shooters to stand or kneel, but mandatory offhand lanes weren’t as common back then. We used smaller kill zones to weed out the duffers. I haven’t seen a quarter-inch kill zone in quite a while, though I still own a couple targets with them. At this year’s Cup the smallest kill zone was 3/8-inch and they were as large as two inches.
In field target not all shots are from the sitting position.
Top shooter in the World Field Target Federation class was Jack Harris from Wales with 117 of 120 possible points. In Hunter PCP class Bill Rabbitt placed first with 113 of 120 points. Gary Palinkas won the PCP Open class with a 105/120. John Fairbrother of the Air Arms team took first in the piston class with a 108/120. And first in the Hunter Piston class was Dan Putz with a 93/120.
What about me?
Since I don’t compete anymore, I get to walk around and just listen to what people are saying. This comment last Friday from reader William Schooley sums up what I hear. He asked me for airgunsmiths to modify his rifle. This is what he said.
“Specifically. I’d like to find an airgunsmith with the knowledge and tools to have my .22 Gauntlet tuned, modified and accurize to the point that I can at least be competitive in the 2020 AirCup benchrest competition.
All I saw, or at least it seemed to me, on the line this year were expensive rifles like Air Arms, Daystates and RAWs. And these with expensive optics and bipods.
Being retired, these are all too rich for me. I want a price point air rifle modified into something like my modified 10/22 that I use for shooting at Camp Perry.
In the alternative, I’d like to see the AirCup expanded to have “stock events” more geared for shooting with price point air rifles.rifles. Barring that, I’ll see about modifing what I’ve got to be competitive.
P.S. And I like the work to be done in time so I can practice practice and practice some more.
Thanks,
William Schooley”
Well, that stumped me. Because, after what I saw at the Cup, I don’t think there is any way an Umarex Gauntlet can be modified affordably to compete in a 100-yard match in the wind that we saw at the Cup. But I understand his frustration. He wants to compete, but not in a sport that’s an equipment race and not against semi-professionals, which some of these shooters have become.
Enter Ruth
So, while I was speaking with Ruth Kass, one of the salespeople at the Cup (where, by the way, everything in the catalog was a flat 20 percent off), it hit me. Ruth and I blue-skyed a new competition that has never existed before. It will use factory airguns! Now, whatever airgun we select for this event will turn out to be the wrong one for 90 precent of the competitors (the loosers), but they won’t know that until the match is over. Maybe I’ll let them burn me in effigy, although I’ll first look at an Ohio map to make sure Effigy isn’t the name of some nearby town!
I’m not-a-gonna tell you what the event will be, what the rules are or nothin’ else. Mostly because we are making it up as we go. But I will tell you that there may be a competition for average people at the next Cup.
Fixin’ in the field
Down at the public ranges, I was talking with Gene Salvino when somebody brought over a Seneca lever action PCP that wouldn’t fire. I watched as Gene eliminated the usual suspects and discovered that the problem was deep down inside the action. There, on a folding table with minimum tools, Gene stripped that action and found that an alloy pellet had slipped out of the chamber and fallen deep into the action, blocking the hammer. Once the smashed-up pellet was shaken free, the rifle was back in service with a total of 10-15 minutes spent.
While he was working Gene was surrounded by kibitzers like me who kept him busy talking all the time! My point is — don’t assume it’s broken when it doesn’t work. Also, you can always talk to an Italian because they multitask like a switchboard as they work!
Often the simple solution saves the day. Also, it doesn’t take a shop full of tools and a white lab coat to work on these things. What it takes is knowledge and some common sense that my late aunt said isn’t that common.
Gene had to dig deep to find the jammed pellet.
Interesting stuff
One attraction I usually see at the Cup is Rich Shar. Rich drives over from Indiana to show me what he has done with his bevy of large-caliber breakbarrel springers. I have reported on this before, but every year Rich raise the power bar a little higher and increases the smoothness at the same time. The first rifle I fired was his custom .30 cal. Hatsan 135.
I’m shooting a custom .30 cal. Hatsan 135 that Rich built a couple years ago. He has continued to use it as his testbed and I must tell you — this .30 caliber powerhouse shoots as smooth as an ASP20!
Hatsan and Sig — you had both better pay attention. Rich has used his son’s knowledge of materials to continually improve the performance of this powerhouse. How far has he gone? Would you believe a breakbarrel spring-piston air rifle can generate 44.91 foot-pounds and still not slap your face?
The rifle I am shooting shot this 51.15-grain pellet…
… this fast! I took the picture because I couldn’t believe it! A stock rifle is about 100 f.p.s. slower. Hatsan knows!
This year Rich showed me a Gamo Magnum that he had reworked. I was surprised at how smooth it shot. It felt like an HW 50 that had an application of Tune in a Tube, yet this is a full-power breakbarrel magnum springer! So — Gamo — pay attention, too. Rich Shar has secrets of power and smoothness that all manufacturers could benefit from. Some of his treatments are labor-intensive and not suited to rate production, but others are! He’s worth talking to!
Rich Shar (right) shows his modified Gamo Magnum to a couple of enthusiasts. After shooting it they offered to buy it on the spot!
Summary
The end came too soon as it always does. This year’s Pyramyd AIR Cup was the most different one I have ever attended and after seeing the new venue I know it will only grow even bigger and better.
If you live within a thousand miles of Columbus you owe it to yourself to make the journey. I’m told that next year’s Cup will also have an airgun show with tables for buying and selling. If so, I’m driving up from Texas (1,250 miles) with a truckload of goodies that haven’t been seen on the eastern side of the Mississippi for 18 years. I hope to see you there!
One last thing
Many of you known that my birthday was last Thursday. I turned 72. John and Yvette from AirForce Airguns took me to dinner with several other friends, and, at the end of the meal, they gave me a gift I must share with you. When I opened the box I said to John, “It looks like a Girardoni!” He just smiled, because it is a Garardoni. It’s a wall hanger made of metal and resin parts and the darn thing looks absolutely real! In fact upon seeing it for the first time my neighbor, Denny, said, “You need a long piece of walnut for this one!” He meant it has to go on the wall.
It’s a full-sized Girardoni and the shuttle for the breech loading really works!
It’s made by a man in Fort Worth who makes replica dinosaurs, of all things. And he made up a batch of these, perhaps not knowing that this rifle is the single most important rifle in the world, because of what it did for Lewis & Clark! Forget the 1,500 the Austrian army used from 1780 to 1800 — the single L&C rifle confounded and amazed all the Indian tribes across what is now the United States and guaranteed the expedition’s safe return!
Website
The maker has a few more if you are interested in acquiring one. Go to his ebay listing to contact him. They won’t last!
By the way — he spells it Girandoni, not Girardoni, which is the correct spelling of the name. Most listings on the internet spell it the wrong way because a misspelling in print 50 years ago has propagated.
Thank you very much, John and Yvette!
B.B.
I wish Rich Shar would make his own air guns. He seems to have some wonderful ideas that also make wonderful applications.
Please tell Mr. William Schooley that, “buy once, cry once.” I wish they had a 12fpe piston Hunter FT class. That would accomplish a lot!
Still waiting to be tempted to the darkside with a 20fpe .22 PCP that can shoot 1 MOA at 100 yards inside. 1.3 MOA is the smallest manufacturer’s claim that I have heard.
Happy Labor Day, you working stiff, lol
-Y
Yogi,
Yeah! It’s Labor Day and here I am at 3 a.m. just getting started working. I love my work, but this is tough!
William and you are making me think of a blog I want to write. The benchrest competitions today are not focused on accuracy — they are focused on the features each manufacturer has to offer. But after examining the question of real accuracy I find that even when you remove all restrictions, the answer isn’t obvious — it changes with weather — i.e. the wind. I need to give it more thought. Maybe there is no one right answer.
B.B.
BB:
If the stock airgun competition venue ends up in a throng of peasants with torches, clubs, pitchforks and clubbed muskets (air or powder) chasing you, I will hide you in greater Sandusky (Perkins Twp.). If you wish to got to Cedar Point while in hiding, we can find a wig and some cosmetics to disguise you at “America’s Rockin’ Roller Coast!
I will only have you try and improve the trigger on the Trevox as payment for your hideout! That should be plenty of punishment! Otherwise, we can enjoy a brew or two while discussing the vagaries of the Hatsan 135’s over-size .25 bore and the perpetual excellence of RWS products, and lay down some lead in my basement range associated with my man cave.
I love your writing and your apt analyses of all things new and even old in airguns.
LFranke,
Is the Blue Hole still an attraction? And how about them Mudhens? 🙂
B.B.
BB:
The famous Blue Hole in Castalia was sold to the State a couple of decades ago. As a collapsed cave it still exists and there actually a number of them along the North Coast of Ohio. All part of the limestone base strata and the hydrology of the region.
I haven’t followed the Mud Hens since moving from Clyde to Sandusky. That 23 miles took us out of the Toledo media market and threw us into the Cleveland market. Pity really as our WEATHER is related to the Toledo area and NOT Cleveland here in Sandusky. So, I don’t get to see much of Muddy. My son is a UT grad so he follows, strangely enough, more of Toledo sports, generally, at Ft. Leavenworth, KS, as an army engineer major that I do!
You’re welcome up here in Sandusky most any old time.
B.B.
I do believe the Mud Hens (Detroit Tiger’s farm club) could actually beat the Tigers.
B.B.,
Nice job on the report and giving us a more intimate perspective. Well done!
On the Red Wolf,…. it is very nice and if I had to choose again,…. it would still be the Red Wolf. Soon after I got mine,… they came out with several variations and even a Safari Red Wolf that has 20% more power. I forget now where specifically I saw it, but the Red Wolf’s where everywhere at matches. Given this report,… the FX Impact’s seem to be the platform of choice,… so that says something indeed. .30 caliber seemed to dominate as well, as opposed to .22 or .25 calibers. That again says something.
On the section on Gene S.,…. maybe add (operator) to the word switchboard? Like anyone under 30 would even know what a switchboard operator even was,……. 😉 Well done Gene on the successful field operation!
Way to go on giving Rich Shar a (seemingly) well deserved shout out. Hopefully he can benefit monetarily by some air gun maker paying for some of his knowledge/experience and testing. That would be nice.
The new venue looks interesting. I did give it a very hard look over on line. It looks like they have cabins for rent, not to mention the “glamping” sites. (yea,… that is a word. Spell check did not even kick it back. Glamorous camping in fancy motor homes or towed monsters) That,… along with a golf cart rental for the weekend seems like a logical choice for someone wanting to catch all the action with minimal travel hassles. I am glad P.A. took the initiative to expand the event. The event being stretched over such a large area does seem to be a serious downside though. A 2 1/2 mile expanse is a bit ridiculous.
Next year should be much better (schedule/workwise) for me. Hopefully I can attend.
Good Day to you and to all,……….. Chris
The Cup is an event that I would like to attend next year. I gather that bringing my iron sighted R7 would be a waste of time.
B.B. I have followed, with interest, your eyesight progress over the past years. I’m about 9 months older than you. My sight has been going downhill for the last couple of years. Cataracts, floaters and ARMD. I had an appointment last week for an evaluation for cataract surgery in my right eye. The vision in that (aiming) eye was a real irritant. After the exam, the Dr said he did not recommend surgery. He said that I had “dry eye” and he figured that was the cause of most of my sight complaints. The Dr suggested eye drops would show much improvement. I was doubtful. He was right. After using the drops for the second time there was a huge improvement. I was able to see the sights on a new 1322. For my use an optic wss not needed.
This makes me wonder why the Dr I’ve been seeing for the last few years did not pick up on this. I replaced the fibre optic front sight on my R7 with The small aperture. I’m much happier now. I guess in this case I was fortunate to have a Dr that believes in the K.I.S.S. principal.
Tom K.
Tom,
Way to go. Most of my airgun shooting ends up being me shooting my “old gals” that will not even accept a scope. Shooting iron sights off hand at “long” ranges is so much more enjoyable.
RR,
I’m looking forward to trying an R7 Quigley shot. The small, red solo cup at 40 yards. Iron sight only.
Tom,
Stretch it out. The Quigley Shot is 55 yards. I enjoy killing feral soda cans at “long” ranges with open sights.
Tom,
Like lawyers, wrestlers and field target shooters, doctors are all different. As my wife, Edith, used to say, “Not everyone graduates at the top of their class.”
B.B.
B.B.,
Continued education and staying up on the latest advancements I think would play in as well. I am sure some doctors do not stay abreast of the latest and greatest and become lax. I suppose each specialty has it own publications (print or on line) to see the monthly news/trends. Kind of like us and our air guns or people who stay up on the latest stuff with new vehicles.
On sight,… I just had a new prescription and while the near was better,.. the arms length was worse. The Dr. explained that once you correct enough for close,… the mid will be worse. She recommended lined trifocals. We shall see as I do not yet have them. I only use them for reading, never for far off or driving distance, which is fine. I like to cook and noted that the counter top, arms length vision focal point while cutting and chopping had added blurriness and is what tipped me off and prompted me to go back to the Dr..
Chris
Chris,
I have the same issue with my vision. I’ve worn corrective lens since the age of two years. When I was still working, I was a quality assurance inspector and programmed and ran a Zeiss coordinate measuring machine. Most of my work was at arms length, or a bit farther. When I had to go to bifocals, I told the ophthalmologist I needed a weaker prescription for close up due to my work. I have tried using progressive lens and trifocals, neither of those worked for me.
Now retired, I still want my close up bifocal to be a weaker prescription than what the exam shows that I need. My last two prescriptions both had to be corrected. My ophthalmologist told me that most people want their close up to be 14″. I told him, make mine at arms length. He is usually agreeable to the change and I have to get new lens with the weaker prescription. Even now, my close up is too strong for me to read my computer screen without getting my face too close to the screen. I have a second pair of bifocal glasses with the distance for reading my computer screen and the close up for, well, close up. I only wear these when on the computer though. If I am doing any close up detail work on computers, or airguns, I use a magnifying glass and a jewelers eye piece that clamps on my glasses. I can see the reticles on my scopes just fine though, and that’s important.
Geo
Geo,
I think that is the whole purpose of the adjustable ocular lens,….. to adjust to (your) own vision,… corrected with glasses or not. I do not shoot with any glasses but find I need to put them back on if making notes or anything like that. I was the only one of five kids that did not need glasses as a kid. I was in my late 40’s before I got my first pair,… for close up/reading. Before that,…. it was all good.
I may have to consider different glasses for different tasks in the future. Apparently,…. I am just entering that phase of vision correction where things like that may come into play.
Chris
BB,
William Schooley has a valid point. This is what almost killed field target. It started out with a bunch of hunters getting together and having fun, then morphed into an event that if you were not a gazillionaire with lots of time to practice you need not bother showing up. They added the hunter class and revived it for a bit, but it is heading the same way.
I know it is frustrating to some people but that is why Sporter Competition has the price limit rule. If they didn’t, only the rich kids would be competing. When you step up to Precision, it is truly the sport of kings, or at least princes and princesses.
Any time that the manufacturers get involved, it usually happens no matter what the competition. They start sponsoring people to show off their products, contributing for awards, etc. When the money shows up, the fun goes away and things get too serious.
I have to give PA some credit because someone there understands this and tries to keep us commoners involved in the competition and fun. They started up the Quigly (sp), but that was getting out of hand also so they limited it to using their air rifle. The equipment was no longer a factor.
Usually I only compete with myself, or occasionally a friend or two. Often I am outdone when that happens, but nobody cares. We are just out to have fun. I can still out shoot my grandson, but he is coming up fast.
RR,
Can you think of a single competitive sport that doesn’t go this way? I can’t.
B.B.
BB,
Sad but true.
RR,
“the fun goes away and things get too serious.” Sad that, seen it happen too often!
Like you I only compete with myself. I always strive to do better than I did before but where that bar is relative to someone else’s isn’t relevant to me. It’s only for fun, no stress or frustration when I have an off day, tomorrow will be better.
Hank,
That is the way to keep it. Another hobby I have that I have been slowly moving away from is sport kites. For years I have enjoyed it, but I think it is dying off. For a long time my kite friends would try to encourage me to compete, but I would have none of it. The time and money that would have to be invested in such was not worth it to me. I do it for my pleasure.
RR,
You nailed it. 😉
Geo
BB
All a good read today.
Have a good Labor day everyone.
B.B.,
How about any of the “Regular Joe/Jane” competitions below for a future Cup:
A 25-yard benchrest competition for spring air rifles made before 1970;
An indoor 10 yard competition using out-of-the-box stock, Pyramyd AIR provided Daisy Avanti 499s and Daisy Match Grade Avanti Precision Ground Shot;
An indoor 10 yard competition using out-of-the-box stock, Pyramyd AIR provided Daisy Red Ryders and Daisy Match Grade Avanti Precision Ground Shot;
An indoor 7 yard competition for BB guns made before 1950;
An indoor 7 yard competition for air guns made before 1900;
An indoor 10 yard competition using sub-400 fps. CO2 air guns;
Michael
Michael,
25 yard and 50 yard benchrest competitions for price-point PCPs would probably appeal to a large market as well.
I think that specifying dates for the airguns might be too restrictive for the competitors (and the Cup’s host that sells modern equipment).
Cheers,
Hank
Hank,
How about 100 yard Benchrest, Springer Class? (It used to be an event years ago.)
Michael
Michael,
100 yard Benchrest, Springer Class? – WOW!
Guess that it is doable – obviously if they were doing it LOL!
You have to pardon my practical approach as I have always been “hunting orientated” and don’t think about shooting beyond the range where the pellet can be placed (consistently) with sufficient energy to do the job.
For rabbits and squirrels using the springers and multi-pumps when I was a kid, anything beyond 20 yards was a long shot. These days, with the magnum springers and PCPs I arbitrarily say that any shot beyond 50 yards is a long one. I think that most small game is probably taken between 20 and 35 yards so I do most of my practicing at those ranges.
I know the lure of those super long shots – we used to put corn way out in the field and shoot arrows (in the general direction) of the pigeons that stopped to feed. While we did practice enough to get our arrows to land in a 10 foot circle the pigeons were hardly in any danger unless we were particularly lucky that day and the pigeon was not. We occasionally got one (and immediately claimed that was the one we were aiming at LOL!).
On my shooting range I have a dozen 1″ spinners scattered between 15 and 55 yards and can smack them consistently when it is calm and I am shooting from the bench… gets real interesting/challenging when shooting off hand, I start close and advance to the next spinner only after 5 consecutive hits. Fun stuff …Heading out to the range to have some more fun!
Hank
Hank,
The last time I read some competition’s results online somewhere, years ago, there were only a handful of competitors entered. If my memory serves the winner was shooting a Feinwerkbau 127 and second was a TX200. Those two along with the HW77 would be the contenders back in the day. :^)
Michael
Michael,
Yes, they used to do it. What happened? Some became too serious with too much customization. Once again Joe Blow Sixpack could no longer have fun.
RidgeRunner,
You have a point there. Folks will get all competitive and ruin it by trying to get some sort of edge through their equipment.
That’s why I tried to think of events where Pyramyd AIR could/would supply all of the competitors’ air guns, straight out of the boxes. Someone might get an unusually accurate or inaccurate Red Ryder, but that enforces the whole for-the-fun factor. The very image of a bunch of grown men (there could be adult and youth categories) shooting Red Ryders in competition should elicit smiles and chuckles from competitors, observers, and organizers alike.
Hey, if it isn’t FUN, then what’s the point? :^)
Michael
Michael,
I am with you. That is why I am not there.
I remember the IROC races where they supplied the NASCAR drivers with identical Camaros and turned them loose on a road track. Much more interesting than watching them make left turns for a couple three hours.
Michael,
When we were kids, most of us were shooting 325 – 350 fps Slavia 618 break-barrels and while out of the box they were similar the rifles I “super-tuned” (cleaned, deburred, polished and molly-lubed) were were noticeably faster, smoother and more consistent than the stock rifles.
To make our competitions fair and eliminate an equipment advantage, everybody use the same rifle.
Still shoot my original Slavia 618; been thinking I should give it a fresh tune up and find the golden pellet for it. Might be interesting (these old eyes permitting) to see how it performs.
Hank
Hank,
I have an old 618. It’s a fun little plinker.
Michael
Thanks for reporting B.B.!
I find myself checking the map to see how far I would have to drive to attend the PyramydAir Cup – going to do that one of these years!
Was thinking about what William was talking about. While (consistent) small groups at 100 yards are impressive the fact that only semi-professional shooters using highly specialized and very expensive equipment can compete at this range pushes benchrest competitions into the “spectator sport” category. Trying to modify a consumer-grade rifle to be able to compete in a 100 yard bench-rest competition is not practical – it would probably cost more to rework the gun that to by one that was already MOA capable.
I have always maintained that every rifle is a good rifle within its effective range. So, for a particular rifle – for example an Umarex Gauntlet – why not just determine what its effective range is (for me the maximum effective range is the distance the rifle will consistently shoot groups less than 1 inch in diameter) and have the competition at that distance. If you want/need to shoot MOA groups at 100 yards you will have to pay the price of admission to get into that class of rifle.
When we had our shooting competitions everybody used the same gun (literally, one gun was used by all shooters) and no special accessories or equipment was allowed; everybody shot off-hand. There was no “equipment advantage”. A “sighter target” and ten shots were allowed to get used to the rifle and after that you shot 25 pellets (5 shots each at 5 targets) for points. It was a level playing field, regardless of the gun’s accuracy or the weather conditions or the range, the most skilled shooter shot the best score. IMHO, this is the way to find out who is the best shot.
What about this… everybody could compete. At the Cup, on the public shoot for free range give people a couple of shots to get used to the rifle and then have them shoot a “formal” 5 shot group to be scored. The scores could be registered in a computer so the best score and the best shooter for that rifle would be known. Might be interesting to know who did best using various rifles and the shooters would probably want to know which guns worked best for them.
Happy Monday!
Hank
Hank,
I have incorporated some aspects of what you suggest in my competition that Ruth and I spoke about.
B.B.
Hank,
I posted this below for William, but since you mentioned it here these can at least keep them honest.
https://hardairmagazine.com/news/how-well-can-the-25-caliber-gauntlet-shoot-at-100-yards/
RR,
$461 for air rifle plus upgrades (not counting the Umarex Hammer tank, which I can’t find a price for) — not bad at all!
Michael
Michael,
I have seen that tank on other airguns such as the Uragon. They are around.
B.B.,
I imagine Rich Shar has exceeded the “Steel Dream” of going supersonic with a springer chambered in .22, but I wonder what fps. one of his powerplants would reach in that caliber. 1200 fps or so, perhaps. That would be one amazing pest/vermin eradicator!
Michael
B.B.
Isn’t it interesting that the laws of physics and mother nature will get you in spite of what you read on the forums ??
tt
TT,
Yeah — fancy that. 😉
B.B.
William Schooley,
I hope you see this. You can hot rod the Gauntlet.
https://hardairmagazine.com/news/how-well-can-the-25-caliber-gauntlet-shoot-at-100-yards/
Now I’m starting to think PPPCP.
As many of you know, I enjoy coaching juniors and shooting .22 rimfire sporter class events. I’ve shot both shoulder to shoulder and postal matches including benchrest in .22 rimfire sporter. The CMP sporter class rules, both 3P and 22 rimfire, are specifically designed so shooters compete with low cost, readily available equipment. Could this be a model for some 2020 Air Cup events?
Vana2’s suggestion of a 25 yard and 50 yard benchrest competitions for price-point PCPs would certainly appeal to me. Or maybe a modified price-point PCP competition shot at 50 yards for prone and sitting/kneeling and 25 yards off hand
I still shoot the CMP national rimfire events with a modified Ruger 10/22. Several years ago, I’ve shot a couple of early Air Cup events with a modified Benjamin Discovery. Seriously, as I head into the 70 year old senior class in 2020, I’m looking forward to many more years of competitive shooting.
I’m excited by the news Tom brings us today that the Air Cup is exploring competitions geared to shooters using low cost, readily available equipment.
As pointed out by an off blog response I got on Saturday, maybe I’ll buy a Hajimoto Edition Gauntlet in .25 caliber for next year’s Air Cup. It will set me back less than $900. I’ll think of it as a “price point” rifle plus the additional cost for an knowledgeable, competent airgunsmith with the right set of tools installing competitive modifications.
Respectfully submitted,
William Schooley
The problem with competition is competition. In the movie ‘Breaking Away’, a great coming of age flic from 1979.
One element in the film is an annual bike race sponsored by the local university. To keep it fair, all the competitors had to use the same equipment, a Huffy. You could take it home and tune it, but that’s all. It helps to be a good mechanic! In airgun shooting, that’s the class I would enter. Bicycle racing suffers from this problem of elitism too, but I learned that mid range equipment is all that is required, that and a big heart. When I was doing it, it was considered foolish to show up at training races with fancy top shelf kit, but guys did it anyway. Go figure. The risk of crashing and ruining your forks, or frame was real. So you save your fancy wheels for important events. Maybe topshelf shooters need a handicap to maintain their ranking, using plain equipment might be a way to keep the sport accessible. That and a big plate of fettucini.
Happy labor day!
Rob
Rob:
Bike racers get fettucini after a competition?
After the last group of shooters come off the line in the national .22 sporter games at Camp Perry, we have a picnic. Hot dogs, burgers, chips salads, soft drinks and lots and lots of commaradery while ever one waits for the scores to be posted. Will have to talk to the match committee about adding fettucini to the menu.
Oh and competitors get a T shirt and a box of ammo. Want a bunch of T shirts in lots of different colors?
William Schooley
William,
While not sure,…. I think athletes refer to that as “carb loading” ( as in they are fuel for the body for the race, eaten pre race night ). Now me,…. I would eat it before, during and after a race! 😉 Mind you,…. I do not race, but I do like a nice plate of pasta,…. which in hind sight now is probably why I do not race! LOL 🙂
Chris
William and Chris,
You don’t load carbs after a race. You load them before. Believe it or not, I ran a marathon in Cleveland when I was in the Army.
B.B.
B.B.,
While not sure,… I was pretty sure of my statement. My brother runs marathons on a regular basis.
My way of thinking is that if my new Apple smart fit watch thingy just told me that I burned 2,000 calories during the race,… then therefore,… I deserve to “treat” myself to a big plate of fettuccini/pizza/brats/burgers. Now,.. I will admit that view probably has some “real issues” with it,…. but that would be my first inclination at any rate! 😉 I know,.. balance, proportions and control. I do try. Cooking myself,.. I know how to do the good and the bad. Problem is,… that bad is soooooo good! 😉 LOL
Chris
Chris,
Two thousand calories? Try 6-8,000. You load up with carbs so you don’t “hit the wall.” That’s when you get so exhausted that you can’t continue.
B.B.
B.B.,
Well that is good to know. My brother has his Master’s in sports medicine and I do recall him mentioning 6,000+ calories when working with the OSU football team on studies. Mostly healthy stuff,… like chicken and so on,…. but still a TON of calories. I was unaware that the carbs were for the (latter) portion of the race endurance.
I will shut up now before I get more in over my head that what I already am,…..! 😉
Chris
Chris USA,
You need to talk to your brother! He needs to update you on the very latest.
The latest craze in pre race/hard life work is to eat a very high fat and protein diet along with HIT exercise to get the body to burn fat rather than carbs. The US Navy SEALs are using it along with long distance swimmers. The idea is that fat has the highest density of energy per unit volume and a very efficient process from storage to conversion to work by the body. It is a difficult diet to balance to keep in balance and the long-term effects on health are still to be determined.
Fortunately the research being done has hinted that:
“There is, in fact, some scientific evidence that shows long-term low-carb/high-fat diets to be safe and possibly helpful in improving metabolic risk factors for chronic disease. In studies, these diets have shown to be beneficial for performance in ultra-endurance sports while at least several months of adaptation to a low-carb/high-fat diet are required for metabolic changes to occur.”
That’s one of the reasons I XC Ski/Snowshoe because other research shows that the COLD helps increase the “Brown” fat to plain fat ratio.
https://www.google.com/search?q=fat+energy+vs+carb+energy&oq=fat+energy&aqs=chrome.3.69i57j0l3.9187j0j8&client=tablet-android-lenovo&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8
Eat more hard Salamis! And, Fettuccine sauce with only a few noodles ;^)
shootski
Shootski,
I saved for later read/research. Through the years,… there always seems to be latest fad,… all backed up with supposed research, facts and actual results. I read with eyes wide open and caution.
I see nitrite and nitrates being omitted from a lot of things. Both strong preservatives I believe.
I believe some is genetics,… like if 2 people are likely to retain cholesterol or not, despite the same diet. I think we can all agree that a balanced diet and the more exercise the better is the basic way to go. From there you can add in things like,….. hard salami,…. for real???? (oddly,… I see a not fit/trim guy at work doing just that for lunch,.. daily) I will pass for now.
Thanks for the input on the topic,……… Chris
Rob,
“Papa, the word for fly in Italian is ‘Mosca.'””
“In American it’s PEST!”
—
“I didn’t get a look at him. All I can say is he wore Brut aftershave and reeked of Lavoris.”
B.B.
That Seneca lever action rifle that wouldn’t fire, was that the Seneca Eagle Claw? I saw an Airgun Web video about the Seneca Eagle Claw lever action PCP, and it really got me interested in possibly buying one.
Will you be reviewing one anytime soon?
Charles,
Yes, it was an Eagle Claw. I will probably review it before the end of the year.
B.B.
I got to shoot RAW TM1000 in .30 cal that probably would have been in the running right out of the box (900 FPS with JSB 44 gr.) I think Ridge Runner’s .357 RAW would have been right up there, too.
Brent
Tom ,
I was impressed with Rich’s rifles also . I would like to see the Mfg’s pick up on some of this technology. Problem is material costs might put a damper on it. Rich has some great ideas. Great Birthday present !