I'll lead-off with my Will Piatt tuned and rebarreled AR6. It lives up well up to its 'Hunting Master' moniker.
Sometimes the cottontails virtually overrun my 40 acre place, so I remove a FEW (3-4) each year to avoid such cyclical extremes in their population. This is my longest hunting shot with the Hunting Master pistol. The improvised rest on my Polaris Ranger was not steady enough for my usual (preferred) brain-shot at 46 yards, and the chest shot landed about 3/4" higher than my aim-point (I'd estimated the range to be 50 yards).
However my Polaris rest was solid enough for this 42 yard brain shot. Excuse the gore; believe it or not this is the less-bloody of two photos.
My best success so far against game-feeder rats came with the AR6. Four rats with as many shots.
And though I don't normally molest armadillos, this big one had been destroying our hard-fought lawn despite my chasing him off repeatedly. Then he made an ill-timed appearance while I was testing the Hunting Master. I couldn't get a clear shot at the head and decided to see if a 28 grain Korean pellet at almost 600 FPS would have enough oomph for a chest shot. He succumbed within 20 seconds, and as many yards of being hit.
With its favorite 18.1 grain JSBs at 700 FPS the Hunting Master consistently averages 1.25" six-shot groups at 50 yards. Here's a typical 30 yard bench-rest session; the average size of five consecutive six-shot groups was .81" c-t-c.
In each case below, the WP-modified AR6 was charged to 3400 PSI and exhibited bell-curve power-bands, Chris. Typical of most PCPs, it gets more good shots per charge with heavier pellets.
That squirrel in the topmost photo has the longest tail I've seen on a squirrel, Steve.
You're right about the contemporary Crosmans; and they're excellent platforms for all manner of customizations. Nice rigs you got there Bud; care to share any details?
My Corcoran-gripped 2300 gets 10 good shots per 2600 PSI charge at 587 FPS/ 11 foot-pounds with 14.3 grain JSBs, largely virtue of the 12" barrel and Powermax HiPac HPA-conversion gizmo. She consistently averages 3/4" groups at 25 yards.
That squirrel in the topmost photo has the longest tail I've seen on a squirrel, Steve.
You're right about the contemporary Crosmans; and they're excellent platforms for all manner of customizations. Nice rigs you got there Bud; care to share any details?
My Corcoran-gripped 2300 gets 10 good shots per 2600 PSI charge at 587 FPS/ 11 foot-pounds with 14.3 grain JSBs, largely virtue of the 12" barrel and Powermax HiPac HPA-conversion gizmo. She consistently averages 3/4" groups at 25 yards.
Thanks for asking - the top pic is a 2240 & hi-pac setup. Back half of a Disco valve, ice-maker poly tube x-fer port mod and a P-Rod hammer spring gave me 11 to 10 shots in the 16+ fpe range. And VERY LOUD.
The other pistol is based on a 2400 CCS tube, 10" barrel, and hot rodded valve but was running on carts. I was getting 15 to 18 shots at 535 to 550 or so w/JSB 15.9 - and never took a shot of more than 20 or so yards, my skill-set limit lol - It's now set up with a pinned co2/disco valve head & fill assy. But taking a tree rat with a pistol is a very rewarding shot, hard to put into words, you do a much better job!! And I mean your shooting AND your writing -
What magnification scopes are you guys using? I have a juiced up 1701p currently set up as a carbine that I am thinking of switching back to a pistol and using for 20 yards or under shots. Is a 4x scope enough?
What magnification scopes are you guys using? I have a juiced up 1701p currently set up as a carbine that I am thinking of switching back to a pistol and using for 20 yards or under shots. Is a 4x scope enough?
Chris
I was using a 2x scope BSA Edge on the Hi-Pac/2240 set-up, and a Hawke red dot on the other, so if you ask me, yes 4x is more than enough for short range pest poppin'/hunting.
"you do a much better job!! And I mean your shooting AND your writing"
FWIW Steve, I always wanted to be a guitar phenom; but after a year of guitar lessons with only "Yellow Rose of Texas" to show for it, realized a musician I'm NOT! So I envy you that.
"What magnification scopes are you guys using? I have a juiced up 1701p currently set up as a carbine that I am thinking of switching back to a pistol and using for 20 yards or under shots. Is a 4x scope enough?"
I use everything from iron sights and non-magnifying red-dot sights, up to 12X rifle scopes on air pistols Chris. I'll attach a chapter from Awesome Air Pistols!containing all the gory details (for anyone interested). And yes, 4X is plenty for shots to 20 yards.
I don't think the Airmax PCP pistols get as much love as they deserve. My experience is they need a bit of tinkering to realize their fine potentials, but mine proved field-target accurate after I got her well sorted. In fact she averaged .61" c-t-c for 5 consecutive five-shot groups at the FT-maximum range of 35 yards (with a 2-5-8X pistol scope attached).
I don't think the Airmax PCP pistols get as much love as they deserve. My experience is they need a bit of tinkering to realize their fine potentials, but mine proved field-target accurate after I got her well sorted. In fact she averaged .61" c-t-c for 5 consecutive five-shot groups at the FT-maximum range of 35 yards (with a 2-5-8X pistol scope attached).
Unfortunately I sold my Airmax in a moment of down-sizing weakness. But that takes nothing away from one of the best air pistol bargains available.
I agree, bang for the buck is hard to beat. Mine was mainly trigger work and tune it down a little. Very handy to carry for close shots and a little plinking.
I turned the gen 2 into a little carbine. That improved my accuracy with it.
Yall going to have to carry this one.... I'm not good enough shot with a pistol to really hunt. Think the last thing I shot with a pistol was a tiny mole with an AirMax pistol...haha
I had my doctor freeze a couple moles on my cheek to remove them, but that failed. Never thought about shooting them off. I figure wadcutter pellets would cut cleaner; now just need to figure out the best air pistol for the job.
That squirrel in the topmost photo has the longest tail I've seen on a squirrel, Steve.
You're right about the contemporary Crosmans; and they're excellent platforms for all manner of customizations. Nice rigs you got there Bud; care to share any details?
My Corcoran-gripped 2300 gets 10 good shots per 2600 PSI charge at 587 FPS/ 11 foot-pounds with 14.3 grain JSBs, largely virtue of the 12" barrel and Powermax HiPac HPA-conversion gizmo. She consistently averages 3/4" groups at 25 yards.
Just curious -
Have you replaced the piercing pin/valve stem combo with a Discovery valve stem? If not, should get you some more velocity.
I was not familiar with the Discovery valve tricks Steve, so haven't done that. So would you say the following cut-and-paste of your comments pretty well sums up the hop-up tricks done to your HiPac 2240?
"Back half of a Disco valve, replaced the piercing pin/valve stem combo with a Discovery valve stem, ice-maker poly tube x-fer port mod and a P-Rod hammer spring gave me 11 to 10 shots in the 16+ fpe range."
Yep, that pretty much sums it up, with the exception, forgot to mention I did whittle down a golf tee as a hammer spring guide, and it added a little pre-load to the P-Rod hammer spring.
Also forgot to mention that the back half of the Disco valve is an option - but the Hi-Pac sure does "dock" better with a secured valve, so I always enlarge the screw hole on the tube so I can use the Discovery 8-32 valve retention screw to secure the valve....
These things chewed through the back of a double-walled Rubbermaid outdoor cabinet, and set up shop. You could hear them scratching and skittering from bed at night (cabinet was against exterior master bedroom wall). Last Sunday I was preparing for our current rain event, and saw one climbing the stucco in the narrow space between cabinet and wall. A few taps with a rake handle brought out another, into the same space. What to do?
HW40 time. With some JSBs that were handy, I engaged at a range of about 4 feet. Repeated taps with the rake brought out more (they had shredded anything shreddable already). 4 adults and 1 newborn in about 20 minutes.
Thanks for the info Steve; I didn't mean to overwork you Bud.
And thanks for the "Great topic" compliment Dave. Of course I think so; but the lack of 'overwhelming response(s)' to this thread tells me there must not be many air pistol hunters out there.
Excellent choice of a proper tool for the job, Dave. I've found rats are a lot like me... seriously 'compromised' when roused from slumber!
Here's my first outing with my 1322-I know it's not that powerful so I only took the shots that were really close-maybe 5-7 yards. There are so many rabbits this year that it's almost too easy....
My son gave me a .22 Diana Bandit for Christmas a couple years ago. 7 shot magazine and after a little trigger and grip tweaking it became my go to hunting pistol. Rested on a fence rail it's hit out to about 50 yards. Using a Red Dot on it for sights.
No its the crosman 112 a real killer gun. It was tuned by Dave Gunther in Oregon. Does 500fps with 14.3gr pellets and awsome match pistol accuracy. Also with the old style bulk fill it got near 40 full power shots. But in the end I just hated the transferring of the tanks and gasses and freezers weighing everything to fill the damn thing. Journey over to the 1322 hot rodded multi pump and that was another killer. Crosman 13xx pump up rather easily compared to the Benj/Sheridna Pumpers. But again in the end putting 10-12 pumps per shot gets old. Then I ventured over to the CO2 cartridge styles of the Sears Ted Williams 150 and a MKI/LD. Both are well built and the TW is a little more handier shorter and lighter. Up to 10 yards they shot the same accuracy wise. At 15 yds the slightly better MKI had the edge in groups and power. My LD was a 9" HW barrel which averaged 525fps with JSB 14.3 Express pellets. The TW 150 averaged 440-475 with said pellets depending on weather. It had a Hot valve and larger transfer port. Also cut a front dovetail and made a piece to fit a Micro adjustable rear sight at the rear. The MKI LD had ambidextrous walnut grips .They were plain janes but felt good in the hand. To me if you have a pistol it should be kept that way to take advantage of the handiness. By putting longer barrels and scopes etc.ruins that handiness. I just take out one of my springers or Sheridans for the carbine style longer range shooting .
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I'll use a FX Ranchero in a .177 as well.
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