Air rifle noob..Zeroing?

[Muggsy]

Originally Posted by zek

The cartridges are harder to get hold of - I've managed to source some at £8.50 for a box of 50.

Zek.

from where please ?????????????????? blimey thats cheap

[RobinP]

OK, I'll try again without the link. I've found a shop in Exeter UK that sells an air-rifle called the Ratcatcher complete with silencer, sounds ideal and only just over £100. Can any of you experts google it and let me know what you think.

[epops]

Originally Posted by RobinP

OK, I'll try again without the link. I've found a shop in Exeter UK that sells an air-rifle called the Ratcatcher complete with silencer, sounds ideal and only just over £100. Can any of you experts google it and let me know what you think.

is that the crossman CO2 model?

[fish]

Originally Posted by Tobyh

Thanks Tony, fast reply.

So basically I've been doing a click or so thinking its making a big diff when I probably need somewhere like 16 clicks per inch I need to adjust for?

damn right!

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by epops

is that the crossman CO2 model?

crossman are okay but are largely plinking guns rather than serious vermin control models - you will also find co2 to be expensive in the long run.

imo you are better off with a lever action or break barrel where the energy comes from you compressing a spring - these are cheaper to run and greener.

personally i'd reccomend the bsa supersport SS (suitable silencer) model which comes in arround two hundred notes - or the theoben fenman (closer to 300) for break barrel , or the weirauch ( i know ive spelt that wrong) range if you prefer under leaver (again arround 300 notes).

if you are on a tight budget the B2 (break barel) or lion (underleaver) are suprisingly good for 70 odd notes (less if you buy the basic one without fancy woodwork) so long as you can live with quite a long barrel - and dont mind the fact that they are made in china (alledgedly dubious human rights record/labour practices etc)

whatever you get the key is to get as close to 12ftlbs (legal limit) muzzle energy as possible - anything less than 10 ftlbs isnt suitable for live targets.

[epops]

Originally Posted by eeyore

crossman are okay but are largely plinking guns rather than serious vermin control models - you will also find co2 to be expensive in the long run.

imo you are better off with a lever action or break barrel where the energy comes from you compressing a spring - these are cheaper to run and greener.

personally i'd reccomend the bsa supersport SS (suitable silencer) model which comes in arround two hundred notes - or the theoben fenman (closer to 300) for break barrel , or the weirauch ( i know ive spelt that wrong) range if you prefer under leaver (again arround 300 notes).

if you are on a tight budget the B2 (break barel) or lion (underleaver) are suprisingly good for 70 odd notes (less if you buy the basic one without fancy woodwork) so long as you can live with quite a long barrel - and dont mind the fact that they are made in china (alledgedly dubious human rights record/labour practices etc)

whatever you get the key is to get as close to 12ftlbs (legal limit) muzzle energy as possible - anything less than 10 ftlbs isnt suitable for live targets.

i got the super sport im not a big fan of co2 rifles wierach or what ever they are i think are a great gun but funds wont allow one at the mo i,ve had one or two different co2 but still preffer a spring gun i still got an old relum tornedo which in its time i thought was one of the best under levers on the market even if it was a bit heavy

[Kobusza]

"Spoke to my local game keeper, lovely fellow!
Pointed me to a local wood where I could find squirrels and wood pigeon."

I'm a bit curious about this, how did you go about getting permission to shoot there? I though a wood would have public access and as such be illegal for shooting, or was it private?


As for zeroing an air rifle scope, the best way I've come across is an argos catalogue and some printed targets.

1) Tape/stick/glue/attach printed target to the catalogue
2) Stand the target +-2m away (or as close as your scope will allow). take a couple of shots and get the horizontal axis zero'd
3) Move the target to about 5m away, take a few more shots to get an idea of how far off your verticle zero is.
4) Keep moving the target further and further (making ajustments to keep the impact location slightly above the center dot) until it is at the distance you think you will shoot the most, usually about 25m.
5) Zero the verticle axis, and as you've already aligned it basically you only need to make minor adjustments.

[excoriate]

Originally Posted by Kobusza

"Spoke to my local game keeper, lovely fellow!
Pointed me to a local wood where I could find squirrels and wood pigeon."

I'm a bit curious about this, how did you go about getting permission to shoot there? I though a wood would have public access and as such be illegal for shooting, or was it private?

Private ground, no access unless you go through brambles and an overgrown hawthorn hedgerow, or wade across a river and climb up a vertical ravine.

As I can't swim, I opted for temporary pain.

[Kobusza]

Ahh, you're a lucky feller! It sounds an ideal place, apart from the assult course to enter :P
You should probably get around to learning to swim... :P

[GazW]

Easiest way to zero and rifle is to firstly work off a grouping - the centre of your grouping will be you MPI (mean point of impact) the smaller the group the more accurate the MPI - adjust your sights to suit (many sights you adjust into the error - so if your hitting left you adjust to the left that pushes the sight right - but read the manual incase yours isnt like that)

Also check your distances - my bushman is graduated from 5 - 200m and having the scope on the wrong distance setting can make a huge different.

Lastly - remember the marksmanship principles (at least these three which are more pertinent to airrifles)

1 weapon should point naturaly at the target

2 Sight ailment ie aiming must be correct

3. the shot should be released and followed through without disturbing the position