The Umarex Notos.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
This report covers:
- Guilty
- Where is BB’s Notos today?
- Nowhere near the finish
- A new scope
- UTG 30mm rings
- Why?
- CARM
- No time
Today I report on setting up the Umarex Notos for success. But before I get to that I need to admit that I’m feeling guilty.
Guilty
Guys, I write this blog for you. And there are a LOT of you! And you all do different things within the airgun community. Recently I have been discussing a certain thing — leaking precharged pneumatic (PCP) airguns. The Notos gave me a great training aid because it came to me as a leaker. Some of you wanted me to return it, but I resisted when I saw online that many people have the same problem.
So I took you through the steps I took to fix the leak. I told you that the air degassing screw was loose on my rifle and I tightened it. Reader Elmer Fudd wondered where this screw is because his Notos doesn’t have one. He asked me to show where the air degassing screw is located.
The Notos degassing screw is located on the left side of the receiver, just behind the air reservoir tube. But this is only on the current models.
If you own the latest Notos you can find reference to this screw in the manual that came with your rifle. But the manual that Pyramyd AIR has online is for the earlier generation of Notos that doesn’t show this screw. Don’t blame them, though. Umarex sometimes makes these changes without mentioning them and Pyramyd AIR has many hundreds of airgun manuals online to keep track of. That’s one reason why this blog is helpful.
The current Notos manual.
Where is BB’s Notos today?
I filled the Notos on November 3 (I write and take pictures one day before the blog publishes), and today (as I write this) is November 12, The pressure gauge remains in the same place as on the day the rifle was filled.
The gauge after filling and waiting for the reservoir to cool on November 3.
The Notos gauge after 9 days (Nov 12).
I will therefore declare that my Notos is free from leaks. I will also declare that the new degassing screw being loose is probably why it leaked in the first place. But taking things apart did allow me to oil several o-rings inside the reservoir and that is a good thing.
You can gripe about PCP leaks and return airguns all you want, but I’m showing you the reality of the situation. I’m also showing you what to do about it. Instead of rating an airgun poorly online and complaining about quality control or world politics, why not take the time to learn the technology and how to deal with it?
Nowhere near the finish
In case I’m boring you with all these details about just one airgun, prepare to be disappointed further because there is a LOT more to come! In fact that starts now.
A new scope
I was running a UTG Accushot 4-16X44 SWAT scope on the Notos, but Leapers just sent me a UTG 2-7X44 Accushot scout scope that I think is ideal for a Notos. So I removed the other scope and mounted this one.
I removed the old UTG Accushot 4-16X44 SWAT scope.
And replaced it with a UTG 2-7X44 scout scope.
UTG 30mm rings
The scout scope comes with 30mm UTG medium height scope rings that are quite easy to mount. I did not shim the scope when I mounted it, though in Part Four I mentioned that this Notos shot quite low. I will shoot this scope at 25 yards before making any decision about shimming.
The rings have claws on their base that are spring-loaded. That makes them easy to mount because you don’t have to pry the base claw apart with your fingers as you mount the rings to the rifle.
Two springs on either side of the clamping screw (arrow) keep the clamping jaw of the UTG scope ring parallel to your rifle’s scope base, making this mount very easy to attach.
Why?
I like the scout scope because it seems well-suited to a Notos. In my opinion I don’t need this rifle to be able to bust aspirins. The Notos is ideal for hunting and for pest control and the scout scope is well-suited for that task. You don’t have to agree with me; I’m just telling you the reasoning for what I’ve done.
CARM
I have just received a host of magazines for the Notos made by CARM (Custom Air Rifle Magazines). I will work them into upcoming reports, and one of them is so unique that I want to show you how it works.
CARM sent me these magazines and the single-shot loader for me to test with the Notos. That big guy on the left is very interesting and we will look at him soon.
No time
Folks, I have to write in these intense short segments because I write a new report almost every weekday. And, in the case of the Notos, I’m doing it because there are several interesting points to discuss — air leaks, accuracy, magazines and pretty soon some aftermarket accessories. I don’t have time to play with something for a week. If I take the time to look at it I have to write about it.
Reader Bob Ryan asked me to do a report on how I go about preparing the daily blog. The paragraph just above this one is a partial answer, plus the reports I have written on photographing airguns, plus the report I’ve written about writing guest blogs. Bob, reader Ian McKee sat next to me several times, watching what I do and he still has questions, so I think how I write this blog is too large a topic to address more than I just have.
“… there is a LOT more to come!”
BB,
Even though I don’t currently own one of these airguns, it is an interesting rifle, and it looks like a worthy candidate for a long series…keep up the good work! 🙂
Blessings to you,
dave
When I’m tracking fast moving pests, I like sighting devices that do not block out my vision with their bulk outside the Lense area. Especially to the left and right. I imagine a Scout Scope would help in that area.
I also prefer large diameter tubes to follow a pest looking through the sight as much as possible.
Needless to say a Dot Sight is perfect there but only for up close shooting and the closer you are to pests the faster they move away. You need magnification for them at distance. I should be looking into slim scopes more.
Bob,
Yes, a dot sight would certainly be faster, but I think I have the scout scope mounted perfectly for all the speed it will give.
BB
B.B.
Is the CARM single loader the little thing on the right?
-Y
Yogi,
Yes. I hope to show you more about that one in a short video.
BB
Tom,
The Scout scope looks like it was made for this carbine. Although I believe it is going to make it a little more front heavy than before. Where is the point of balance now compared to the old scope placement?
Siraniko
Siraniko,
The balance point doesn’t seem to have changed, since my off hand is directly under the scope.
BB
BB,
I do have to agree with Dave a bit. No, I do not own a Notos and I very likely will not even have the opportunity to shoot one unless someone was to have one visit RRHFWA for a bit. I for one am too busy with dancing with these “old gals” around here to be learning some of those new dance steps.
Like Dave I do like to know what is going on with the new stuff. Every once in a while, I have even been known to try some of those new steps. I may not take one for a whirl on the dance floor, but I do like knowing what the young’uns are up to.
Thanks for showing us the degassing screw BB. That’s a nice feature to have. I just took a look at my Notos. And, very surprisingly, it appears to have a degassing screw that I had never noticed before now (see photo). This is another item that I have learned from reading this blog (there are many, many more). The owner’s manual that came with my Notos is apparently outdated in this respect. I should try to find an updated owner’s manual to see if there are any other revisions that I need to know about. Maybe Pyramyd AIR will have one online soon???
I think that the scout scope is a good choice for the Notos. Looking forward to the upcoming reports. I am glad that the leak is no longer an issue.
Elmer,
That’s vewy vewy good news!
BB
Elmer Fudd,
UMAREX should be ashamed and realize they are WIDE open to a LAWSUIT!
“The owner’s manual that came with my Notos is apparently outdated in this respect. I should try to find an updated owner’s manual to see if there are any other revisions that I need to know about. Maybe Pyramyd AIR will have one online soon???”
Some responsible individual at UMAREX, not at Pyramyd AIR, should reach out to you as well as Tom to get a fix in place for their Negligence. This is HIGH PRESSURE AIR (HPA) we are talking about and the missing information is located directly in the HPA system as well as being user accessable!
This is the kind of thing that kills the Golden Goose of PCPs we all are witnessing.
Let’s see if UMAREX steps up and fixes this pronto.
shootski
Shootski, you make a good point regarding safety. I will contact Umarex and request a paper copy of the correct owner’s manual for my Notos rifle. Hopefully, I will soon be able to post a positive conclusion to this situation. Thanks for your input!
After looking at their website and finding only the outdated manual, I called twice and spoke to two different customer service representatives. They both appear to be helpless in resolving this issue. I do not know what else to do about this problem at this point.
Elmer Fudd,
Not surprising that Customer Service has two strikes and a no balls count.
If you want, call and state your concerns, if it looks like Strike 3 is about to happen ask for a conference call back from their Legal Department and the Chief Operating Officer to discuss the issue in depth.
shootski
Thanks Shootski, I just sent an email that should get the attention of some responsible people. I often find that putting some things in writing makes a difference in the reactions to the problem. Hopefully this will help get the proper information to the owners of the Notos rifles affected by the issue.
It’s little details like the spring loaded clamp Leapers/UTG put on that model scope rings that keeps me championing their products.
That and the quality.
I have been using their products for many years. And shall continue to do so.
Ian.
One thing learned when it comes to the art of airgunning with the Notos is that you must not let that Degas screw get Toulouse.
FM
Were the screw to go missing,, the Lautrec for a new one might be long.
Ed
B.B.,
“But before I get to that I need to admit that I’m feeling guilty.”
You should feel NO guilt! Instead you should feel good about the outstanding service you render the airgun community. Why? Just in the past few days your Blog helped Elmer Fudd (and numerous others no doubt) find out about an important SAFETY feature on their airgun. UMAREX as well as Pyramyd AIR at a minimum owe you a BIG thank you for that alone.
Just my opinion but i believe it is a correct one.
BRAVO ZULU
shootski
For many years now, many of you know that I champion the hunting of feral soda cans. They are an invasive species with no hunting season and no bag limits. I personally have shot many. So many that they are now scarce around RRHFWA.
Unfortunately, there is another invasive species that is taking over territory once inhabited by feral soda cans. it is their close cousin, the wild water bottle.
Most tend to be fairly small, a little over one pint, but some may grow to be almost two quarts. It is most fortunate that they do not seem to be very plentiful around here as their hides can be a bit tougher than their cousins’. Although many of the “old gals” living here cannot truly stop the wild water bottles, they can knock them over fairly easily.
It is also most fortunate that there are a few “old gals” around here that are not bothered by the tougher hides of the wild water bottles. The pellets they spit out have enough power to pass right through them and keep on going. Thanks to them, I have no fear of reducing the local population of this invasive species as I have their aluminum cousins.
RidgeRunner,
Don’t drive off all of those plastic bottles!
Once your nighttime temperature dips below freezing you can us them, cut in half, as forms for making reactive ice targets. For the Texan you could use a small pail to cast the Ice Targets…
whatever happened to Tom’s the woodchuck ballistic gel target i wonder?
shootski
shootski,
They do not do too bad just filled with water and the cap put back on.
Remember that pump up thingy? I have one of those. Unfortunately, it will not fit all of the WWBs I run across around here.
The problem? with the degassing screw might not be that big of a deal. If it comes loose the air will obviously begin to slowly bleed out in some safe, I hope, location on the rifle. Before it totally unscrews and become a projectile.
Assuming it is a disassembly screw could be dangerous, but it should become obvious when air starts to hiss out when you back it off. Could be a problem if you are deaf, I suppose. or you have a hand covering the air exhaust area.