Think this should be familiar to a lot of us here...haha.
I was too young to be out shooting a .22 rimfire on my own and so I wanted an BB gun. Just needed it to shoot at stuff, so I got a Daisy pump gun for Christmas. I went through several of these because I thought one pump was fine, but 50 pumps should mean more power. I was wrong. I also learned that you could put sand in the barrel and shoot it out at bugs like a shotgun. Later, I learned that this destroyed my guns. I chose BB’s over pellets because I could get a milk carton full of them for just a couple bucks. As I read the ads in the back of magazines, I learned that spring piston airguns from China could shoot over 1000fps and so saved my money and picked up a cheap Chinese springer that diesled and smelled bad.
I could hit cans and even sometimes birds. Had no intentions of spending out a lot of money that could be spent on a .22 rimfire. I tried to use BB’s in my new Chinese springer, but they would roll out so I bought the more expensive pellets from the local store. Because they were not 1500 for a couple bucks, I was more choosy on my targets.
I set up the cans further out and couldn’t hit them as often. So of course I needed a better gun. So I got a Gamo. I could hit cans…sometimes. I knew what needed to be done… I put a scope on it. My mounts wouldn’t hold so I looked online for information and learned from the Fun Supply forum that you could use Shoo Goo to help hold your mounts in place. It worked well enough for me to break my non airgun rated scope.
So…. I got a Leapers scope. I would carefully mark my mounts and check ever so often to see if they moved. Because I had a scope, I should be able to hit tiny targets, right? The gun had a little jolt so I would hold it tighter to try to improve my shooting. It did not help.
I kept seeing people on the forum talk about tuning. Well, of course! That was my problem. I needed my gun tuned! So I sent it out to be tuned. It came back and I could tell a difference until I tried hitting the little targets.
By now, it’s a matter of principal. I want to hit the little targets so I got an RWS 34, good mounts and a good scope. It was as expensive as a .22 rimfire.
The next logical step is an even better springer… so I did. Then learned about tuning… had some tuned, home tuned some. I also learned about the Artillery hold. Some guns, I could hit my targets with, some I could not…. But only if I practiced often.
As I read more, I really wondered about the PCP’s. Could they be that much better? I’m not going to spend a fortune on an airgun though. Why would I do that when I can get a firearm cheaper?
I got a PCP… It has a big tank on it and I got a hand pump. I’m in good enough shape to where I don’t need a SCUBA tank.
The workout was great!! This gun is exceedingly powerful!! It’s accurate!! I have to pump again. I’m loving this gun!! 490cc tank!! 20 shots before needing to pump isn’t bad. I have to pump again. Cant believe how powerful this thing is!! Going to see if I can do a 10 shot group! I’m shooting probably 85 yards and hitting everything!! I have to pump again.
I got a SCUBA tank. Screw this pumping. Holy crap this is great… no pumping, just turn the valve. I shoot a lot more now. I already have the gear now so I may as well get more PCP guns.
Seeing folks post groups at 50 yards…. Hell, my 85 yard groups look better than their 50 yard groups. Maybe I’m even further than 85 yards! I’ll get a rangefinder to see. Rangefinder tells me my 85 yard backyard range is 28 yards.
I see a lot of chrony strings on line. I wonder what my guns are doing? I get a chrony. All my guns are shooting lower than advertised and I'm not getting the number of shots per fill as was advertised. I must buy aftermarket bits for them and play with fill pressures and hammer settings and regulators and….
I got a big bore. Amazing power… 3 shots… fill… 3 shots… fill. I hate driving to the dive shop every week and waiting for a day to drive back to pick up my tank. I got a compressor. Also, the ammo is expensive. I need a melting pot and some molds.
I now own a plethora of springers, PCP’s, and every other kind of airgun in every kind of caliber. I own casting gear, PCP fill gear, optics of every shape and size. I need a dedicated room in my house for all this stuff.
How did this happen? I just wanted to shoot at stuff.
All.... thanks for humoring my drivel! I was stuck on a conference call today that didnt apply to me and I just started writing.... did a quick proof read to make sure it was somewhat legible and posted away.
For the full effect, read in your head in a monotone voice...haha
Glad that some of you found it slightly entertaining!
Rob !!! great read !! I am sitting here with my first adult beverage of the evening LMAO !! My two twin brothers shared (not really as I was the oldest) a Red Ryder when I was eight and they were five. My Mom worked for the local Sears catalog store so we got great discounts on BB guns. Darn good thing as we really went through them. My first pellet rifle was a Sheridan and the rest is history !! It helps that I have a great and understanding wife.
BTW.....Rob you must have a wonderful gal in your life !
Tis a slippery slope David, it is a virus no known cure. Big bores are just a minor genetic change in the virus. Starts innocent enough .177. .22,.25 then off to the races. Got a lusting for that 45 texan , have resisted so far-- as the Borg would say resistance is futile. Course I do need a compressor beyond my 3kpsi unit also. Then there is the benchrest thing another slippery slope. I was already involved with that in powder burners so just a minor change- ya right. I did have a minor remission got out of the centerfire BR, but the .22 and Air are still raging. Woe is me.
Think this should be familiar to a lot of us here...haha...
How did this happen? I just wanted to shoot at stuff.
It IS a funny story, except for the pain in the wallet that following the same path led me to.
It wasn't only air guns and scopes (don't own a PCP and associated paraphernalia). Fishing rods and reels, and other equipment cost me a small fortune in my working class world. At first it was probably 2 fishing rigs (one for smaller fish/freshwater, and a bigger one for saltwater), and a modestly filled tackle box. But, I frequently found reasons why I needed 'just one more' fishing rig. Soon I had 9 or 10 hanging on the wall. My then-wife asked why I needed that MANY of them. I looked at the poles hanging there, paused, and realized I really didn't have a good answer. Apparently under some wonderful sort of inspiration, I settled on one that immediately ended the discussion: "Um, shoes?". That actually worked pretty well. (Guys, keep in mind that if it DOESN'T WORK, it could cost you a black eye, etc).
The other fishing tackle--that was simple. I wasn't catching as many fish with artificial baits as I wanted to, so obviously I didn't have the right ones. I needed more. Of all the baits that caught my eye, Mirrolures did so the most and the best. And, those things aren't cheap. I bought some of everything that caught my eye. Soon I needed a larger tackle box, because I'd over-filled my original box to the point of tangled unusable-ness. But, surprise, the new box had room for still more, so back to Academy Sports I went.
I think that says it, except that at some later point in time, I read an article in a sports magazine that said those glitzy fishing lures you see in stores aren't designed to catch fish. They're designed to catch fisherman. $$$. Oh.
The short version is that in more than one category in life, I've crossed the same bridge before. You absolutely know you're hooked, (no pun intended), but there doesn't seem to be anything you can do to stop the tide, so you surrender to your 'fate'. I got married twice for the very-same reason--"Here I am again, no way out, so the only possible path is down the quiet road of resignation". I loved them both in their own place and time, but I'm not sure if I was sure. I proceeded anyway. Yeah, I know, I'm a silver-tongued devil of a romantic, aren't I??
Footnote: Heavens no, I'm not married anymore, or I wouldn't be stupid enough to make a post about the latter. A guy could get himself shot by having his wife or girlfriend do a Google search on his name, and that's probably the rule more than the exception. Oh, that brings me back to the original subject, doesn't it? (Guns). Now, where's that air gun catalog??
Thanks, all... really didnt expect my drivel to end up with some responses...hahah...
EdK... I'm right there with you, sir, on the fishing stuff. In fact, recently, I sectioned off a section of the basement for a 'workshop' which is code word for an 'enclosed area to house my junk'.
So the garage has the noisy and dirty things like lathe, mill, and tools and the workshop will be for assembly... or a place to drink cheap whisky and listen to music while I tinker!
I think in one way or another, this path mimics all of our stories at least partially. lol
I remember reading about the big bores of yesteryear in the Airgun Digest 2nd and 3rd editions back in the day... Oh how I wanted one of those! I have several now and only the pistols are fun to plink with because I've got them tuned to work off of 2000psi or less which is very easy to pump back up after every 5 shots... The 250 FPE 50 caliber rifle spends most of its time in the gun cabinet... Way too much work to plink with... Sure is fun to shoot though when I have the energy! lol
Charlie in CT
Wow, by the time Chinese airguns hit the market I was already shooting HW guns. My early gun was my dads Crosman 140 from the "50's. This was in the late 60's and it was just like a "real rifle" to me. I too found that if you pumped it 20 times it was really hot......if you could pull the trigger! Soon learned that the pump pivot pins didn't like that abuse.
Man, I'm old!
