New air rifle

[flyin-lowe]

In the past years I have always utilized trapping until the martins arrived and then use my shotgun after that to take out the HOSP. This year before the martins arrived I had already got more HOSP than in years past. Once the martins arrived and as I opened all my housing more HOSP were moving in. At this point they are so skittish I cant get anywhere near them with the shotgun.

After some research I decided to get a good air rifle that I knew would be accurate enough to hit a HOSP from my house/window's which is 35 yards away. I ended up getting an Umarex Notos .22 PCP. Fortunately my in-laws are scuba divers so I have a tank to fill the gun with. So far it is very accurate. I got it sighted in yesterday afternoon. This morning while waiting on a HOSP to land a starling landed on top of my T14. Took him out no problem, then within 1/2 hour I got two HOSP's as well. I watched again after work and there wasn't anything. Hopefully within the next week I can get the remaining HOSP's a few at a time. I think they have already figured out I am shooting from the window....

At 35 yards with a rest I can put 7 shots in a hole about the size of a dime.

[defed]

you're better than me. even on a rest i can't hold steady for anything. i still do ok, but do miss a bunch. mine is a springer though, so the recoil is weird - not that i do any better w/ a regular rifle. does the pcp have any recoil movement when fired? i'd imagine it's the same as a rimfire .22.

[C.C.Martins]

Thats great!!!! Wow, went for the best!
Sure is an equalizer, handy that you have good access to air pressure. Yeah getting close once they know your up to no good is impossible. No worries now.
Those that figure the window out will eventually make a mistake.
I open the window and sit back about 3 feet, my rest is a rifle stand on dining room table chair turned backwards so they don't see much...poke the barrel through the chair back rest.

[Martintown33]

Yes indeed …. Great rifle! Agree, a good scope with magnification, using a rest or stabilizer is a must for accurate shooting! And a hiding place or blind makes the HOSPS, like shooting fish in a barrel! It’s very rewarding to make a clean kill on almost every shot! Congrats!
Rob

[Thomas Maddox]

Awesome shooting! The HOSPS are in trouble at your house! I bought a Benjamin and a separate scope last year. I just have a really hard time getting steady. I'm trying though. Happy hunting!

[C.C.Martins]

Agree! Its like going from Thor's Hammer to a rapier. Just a diffrent technique, now to polish the sneaky skills.

[flyin-lowe]

It is amazing how intelligent they seem to be. After the three quick shots yesterday morning the remaining ones have figured out the window. I have my setup a few feet inside the window and am not back lit, but once I open the window they fly off and don't return. This afternoon the wife went shopping so I slowly slid the window open, turned on a podcast on the phone and set or over an hour and none came in. Within 10 minutes of me closing the window they were back. Gonna have to mix things up a little...

[C.C.Martins]

Yep. Little jerks. If they see movement, gone, if they see something diffrent, gone. Going out on a line here...I think they can reason.
Seriously think about a blind, somewhere you are comfortable and can be hidden. My window has been found out as well. Was stalking a male in back through my window, waited forever. Never showed up. Gave up, sure as $hit, hes hopping around the driveway. Waited for him again, nothing. Really gave up this time. Go in back and the bugger is in the ground trap!
Thats fine, window is blown, my backup is ready. Blind in back.
Can try this: get a good blind, have everything ready in it. You and your wife walk out, you get in the blind she walks back and disappears They are smart and crafty but cannot count.
Its like trapping, the more options you have the more sucessful.

[Conrad Baker]

you're better than me. even on a rest i can't hold steady for anything. i still do ok, but do miss a bunch. mine is a springer though, so the recoil is weird - not that i do any better w/ a regular rifle. does the pcp have any recoil movement when fired? i'd imagine it's the same as a rimfire .22.

PCP has virtually no recoil, and is very quiet. They are exceptional air rifles, and in another league when comparing them to springers. Extremely accurate, most can keep the shots in a quarter size group at 50 yards (with a rest or some support), or consistently hit a dime at 25. Now for the downside: You have to charge them in some way. Some try using the bicycle pump style contraption to recharge it, but you have to pump it over 100 times to get it charged. Not easy on the arms or back, but you get a great workout. Or you can use a compressed air tank, but a scuba tank won't hold enough if you do a lot of shooting. The alternative is a carbon fiber tank $500 which holds almost twice the pressure as a scuba tank $150. You can get the carbon fiber tank filled at a paint ball store $30. Or you can purchase a $700 air compressor designed for PCP, $500 for the rifle, and a decent scope about $300. Some think that's a good chunk of change to shoot sparrows, so most try for a springer for around $100 and try to make it work.

[defed]

you're better than me. even on a rest i can't hold steady for anything. i still do ok, but do miss a bunch. mine is a springer though, so the recoil is weird - not that i do any better w/ a regular rifle. does the pcp have any recoil movement when fired? i'd imagine it's the same as a rimfire .22.

PCP has virtually no recoil, and is very quiet. They are exceptional air rifles, and in another league when comparing them to springers. Extremely accurate, most can keep the shots in a quarter size group at 50 yards (with a rest or some support), or consistently hit a dime at 25. Now for the downside: You have to charge them in some way. Some try using the bicycle pump style contraption to recharge it, but you have to pump it over 100 times to get it charged. Not easy on the arms or back, but you get a great workout. Or you can use a compressed air tank, but a scuba tank won't hold enough if you do a lot of shooting. The alternative is a carbon fiber tank $500 which holds almost twice the pressure as a scuba tank $150. You can get the carbon fiber tank filled at a paint ball store $30. Or you can purchase a $700 air compressor designed for PCP, $500 for the rifle, and a decent scope about $300. Some think that's a good chunk of change to shoot sparrows, so most try for a springer for around $100 and try to make it work.

i looked into them about 15 yrs ago so i am familiar w/ what is needed to operate them, just never shot one to compare to rimfire. they must have been newer tech back then, i think they were about $1500 and then you need all the gear to charge it. i ended up getting a under lever springer, diana 46 (RWS i believe). it was quite expensive for an air rifle at the time, but it's been pretty good. well, probably really good, i am the limiting factor. i remember someone talking about an air pump that was good, i can't remember the price, but seems it was less than $700 as i recall thinking it wasn't too expensive.

[Thomabear]

Congrats on your new and very nice air rifle. Now you can get those sparrows reliably without making them smarter. If you have a shed window within range I found it very helpful to just leave the window open “weather providing” with the rifle propped in the window ready to go. Then you can just slip up when you see one unnoticed. Enjoy that new rifle.

[Conrad Baker]

you're better than me. even on a rest i can't hold steady for anything. i still do ok, but do miss a bunch. mine is a springer though, so the recoil is weird - not that i do any better w/ a regular rifle. does the pcp have any recoil movement when fired? i'd imagine it's the same as a rimfire .22.

PCP has virtually no recoil, and is very quiet. They are exceptional air rifles, and in another league when comparing them to springers. Extremely accurate, most can keep the shots in a quarter size group at 50 yards (with a rest or some support), or consistently hit a dime at 25. Now for the downside: You have to charge them in some way. Some try using the bicycle pump style contraption to recharge it, but you have to pump it over 100 times to get it charged. Not easy on the arms or back, but you get a great workout. Or you can use a compressed air tank, but a scuba tank won't hold enough if you do a lot of shooting. The alternative is a carbon fiber tank $500 which holds almost twice the pressure as a scuba tank $150. You can get the carbon fiber tank filled at a paint ball store $30. Or you can purchase a $700 air compressor designed for PCP, $500 for the rifle, and a decent scope about $300. Some think that's a good chunk of change to shoot sparrows, so most try for a springer for around $100 and try to make it work.

i looked into them about 15 yrs ago so i am familiar w/ what is needed to operate them, just never shot one to compare to rimfire. they must have been newer tech back then, i think they were about $1500 and then you need all the gear to charge it. i ended up getting a under lever springer, diana 46 (RWS i believe). it was quite expensive for an air rifle at the time, but it's been pretty good. well, probably really good, i am the limiting factor. i remember someone talking about an air pump that was good, i can't remember the price, but seems it was less than $700 as i recall thinking it wasn't too expensive.

The Umarex pump is $699, and the JTS pump is around $550. The bicycle style pump is $300 for a good one that won't crap out on you, but like I stated above, you will get your daily workout using those. Prices I stated were approximate, and sales for lower prices can be located by searching. Buying used is a great way to save almost half.


edited: Just located the JTS pump on sale for $500 at Airgun Depot.

[DeeCee]

Dang,,,,that's really good shooting flyin-lowe!! I'm green with envy

[flyin-lowe]

This is a full magazine (7 shots) shot at 35 yards (distance from my house to martin housing). The bullseye on the target is 2 inches. I had one "flyer" if that is what you want to call it being that close.

[C.C.Martins]

That will work! Nice group! Wow, yeah they don't stand a chance. You have got to be happy with that.
I remember reading here long ago...one guy (think it was sandy bunn actually) used to look at all his pellets for dents. I thought he was a little off...fast forward and I'm carefully checking pellets and washing them.

[Martintown33]

Great group indeed! Yep, HOSPS are in trouble!
Happy hunting
Rob

[defed]

PCP has virtually no recoil, and is very quiet. They are exceptional air rifles, and in another league when comparing them to springers. Extremely accurate, most can keep the shots in a quarter size group at 50 yards (with a rest or some support), or consistently hit a dime at 25. Now for the downside: You have to charge them in some way. Some try using the bicycle pump style contraption to recharge it, but you have to pump it over 100 times to get it charged. Not easy on the arms or back, but you get a great workout. Or you can use a compressed air tank, but a scuba tank won't hold enough if you do a lot of shooting. The alternative is a carbon fiber tank $500 which holds almost twice the pressure as a scuba tank $150. You can get the carbon fiber tank filled at a paint ball store $30. Or you can purchase a $700 air compressor designed for PCP, $500 for the rifle, and a decent scope about $300. Some think that's a good chunk of change to shoot sparrows, so most try for a springer for around $100 and try to make it work.

i looked into them about 15 yrs ago so i am familiar w/ what is needed to operate them, just never shot one to compare to rimfire. they must have been newer tech back then, i think they were about $1500 and then you need all the gear to charge it. i ended up getting a under lever springer, diana 46 (RWS i believe). it was quite expensive for an air rifle at the time, but it's been pretty good. well, probably really good, i am the limiting factor. i remember someone talking about an air pump that was good, i can't remember the price, but seems it was less than $700 as i recall thinking it wasn't too expensive.

The Umarex pump is $699, and the JTS pump is around $550. The bicycle style pump is $300 for a good one that won't crap out on you, but like I stated above, you will get your daily workout using those. Prices I stated were approximate, and sales for lower prices can be located by searching. Buying used is a great was to save almost half.


edited: Just located the JTS pump on sale for $500 at Airgun Depot.

i could have sworn it was a good rated compressor for $300, but I could be wrong and will never be able to find where i thought i saw it. lol

[defed]

That will work! Nice group! Wow, yeah they don't stand a chance. You have got to be happy with that.
I remember reading here long ago...one guy (think it was sandy bunn actually) used to look at all his pellets for dents. I thought he was a little off...fast forward and I'm carefully checking pellets and washing them.

i bought a bunch of crosman premier heavy round nose (10.5gr) 15 yrs ago because mine liked them best out of everything i tried. i was getting low and ordered some more. they are not the same. the old ones looked like 1 solid piece of lead. the new ones have a very visible seam. i can't imagine they are going to fly the same. i may have to get more samples and find something new.

[C.C.Martins]

That will work! Nice group! Wow, yeah they don't stand a chance. You have got to be happy with that.
I remember reading here long ago...one guy (think it was sandy bunn actually) used to look at all his pellets for dents. I thought he was a little off...fast forward and I'm carefully checking pellets and washing them.

i bought a bunch of crosman premier heavy round nose (10.5gr) 15 yrs ago because mine liked them best out of everything i tried. i was getting low and ordered some more. they are not the same. the old ones looked like 1 solid piece of lead. the new ones have a very visible seam. i can't imagine they are going to fly the same. i may have to get more samples and find something new.

Sounds like your inspecting pellets too!! Haha.
Crossman stopped making the 7.9 gr match grade wad cutters too...looked and got a close match, JSB Diablo match 8.2 and JSB Diablo exact domed 8.4gr. Works good for me. Trouble is each gun is diffrent, samples is a good idea. Fun to shoot too.

[defed]

That will work! Nice group! Wow, yeah they don't stand a chance. You have got to be happy with that.
I remember reading here long ago...one guy (think it was sandy bunn actually) used to look at all his pellets for dents. I thought he was a little off...fast forward and I'm carefully checking pellets and washing them.

i bought a bunch of crosman premier heavy round nose (10.5gr) 15 yrs ago because mine liked them best out of everything i tried. i was getting low and ordered some more. they are not the same. the old ones looked like 1 solid piece of lead. the new ones have a very visible seam. i can't imagine they are going to fly the same. i may have to get more samples and find something new.

Sounds like your inspecting pellets too!! Haha.
Crossman stopped making the 7.9 gr match grade wad cutters too...looked and got a close match, JSB Diablo match 8.2 and JSB Diablo exact domed 8.4gr. Works good for me. Trouble is each gun is diffrent, samples is a good idea. Fun to shoot too.

it was a long time ago, mine is a higher power springer and if i recall, it liked the heavier pellets in general. i'll have to have a look around.