chronographs and air rifles

[Fred Pillot]

Has anyone here used a chronograph to compare velocities of different brands of pellet guns like Beeman and gamo? Compare brands and weights of pellets? If so what did you discover?

[cnjcomp]

Back when I was coaching in the FWB 601-603 days we tested various pellets and weights just like testing smallbore ammunition. Different rifles liked different weight and brand pellets, and to complicate things some improved greatly when the pellets were sized to different diameters. If you have the ability to vary the velocity of your rifle I found that in many cases you could dial in a specific lot of pellets.

[tmark]

Another factor to consider as to velocity of pellets is how many grains of air is used to propel the pellet. This is especially true if you reload for your airgun. The air I use that gives me the most accuracy is IMR 2017.

[Fred Pillot]

Something I discovered on the break barrel air guns like Beeman is that if you install the scope on the dove tails
and dry fire the gun, the scope mounts will slide along the dove tails. If shooting a pellet, it seems to cushion the
blow of the piston and does not make the mounts slide.

[Liam]

There is a push-pull effect in play when shooting piston air rifles. Air rifles scopes are some of the most robust scopes as a result. Shooting a normal scope can break some normal rifle crosshairs. The first "etched" crosshairs I ever saw were on an air rifle scope. I personally bought a Beeman-manufactured device you mount behind the scope to counteract the creep associated with piston guns. Never chronographed a pellet, but was surprised to see my Beeman lead fodder shooting THROUGH my back fence, as opposed to ricocheting off. Many a chipmunk have been retired to my RWS Diana Model 34 with red dot scope.